Before I name my text, give me leave to speak a few words upon another text, viz., the glorified saint deceased, at whose funeral we are here met.
She was one of those dear spiritual children that the Lord had given me, Isa. viii. 18 ; she was a precious seal of my ministry, she was my living epistle, 2 Cor. iii. 1, 2 ; my walking certificate, my letter testi- monial, Philip, iv. 1, 2. In life she was my joy, and in the day of Christ she will be my crown, as Paul speaks, 1 Thes. ii. 19, 20, 'For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? For ye are our glory and joy.' Her application of those words of the apostle to me hath been often a very great refreshing and comfort to my soul : ' For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many father's ; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel/ 1 Cor. iv. 15. The work of grace upon her heart was clear, powerful, and thorough, as all know that knew her inwardly. I should tire both myself and you, and frustrate the end of your meeting, which is to hear a sermon, should I give you an exact and particular account thereof: I shall therefore mention only a few things among many foi your imitation, satisfaction, and supportation under this sad dispen- sation.
She was a knowing woman in the things of Christ ; and her know- ledge was inward, experimental, growing, humbling, transforming, and practical, Prov. iii. 18 ; she knew Christ in the mystery as well as in the history; in the spirit as well as in the letter; feelingly, as well as notionally ; she did not only eat of the tree of knowledge, but also tasted of the tree of life.
She was as sincere and plain a hearted Christian, I think, as any lives out of heaven j for plain-heartedness she was a Jacob; for up- rightness she was a Job. Sincerity is the shine, the lustre, the beauty, the glory of all a Christian's graces, and in this she did excel.1 A sin- eere soul is like a crystal glass with a light in the midst of it, which gives light every way ; and such a one was she. A sincere soul is like 1 Sinceritas sereiiitatis mater, sincerity is the mother of serenity.
A STRING OF PEARLS. 405
the violet, which grows low, and hides itself and its own sweetness, as much as may be, with its own leaves ; and such a one was she. She had as many choice, visible characters of sincerity and uprightness upon her, as ever I read upon any Christian that I have had the happiness to be acquainted with. But I must not dwell on these things ; I shall only say she was not like the actor in the comedy, who cried with his mouth, 0 coelum, 0 heaven ! but pointed with his finger to the earth. Such professors there be, but she was none of them.
She was as rich in spiritual experiences as most that I have been acquainted with. Ah ! how often hath she warmed, gladded, and quickened my spirit, by acquainting me with what the Lord hath done for her precious soul. Experiments1 in religion are beyond notions and impressions. A sanctified heart is better than a silver tongue ; and she found it so. Oh! the stories that she was able to tell of the love of God, the presence of Christ, the breathings of the Spirit, the exercise of grace, the sweetness of the word, the deceitfulness of sin, and the devices and methods of Satan, &c. And though she made use of her experiences, as crutches to lean on, yet she only made use of the promises as a foundation to build on. As the star led the wise men to Christ, so her experiences led her to a higher and sweeter living upon Christ ; her experiences were her sauce, but Christ was still her food.
She did drive a very great private trade towards heaven. She was much in secret duties, in closet communion with God, and this did very much enrich her and advance her in spiritual experiences, when she had once found the sweetness of enjoying Christ behind the door, Cant, ii. 14, Mat. vi. 5, 6. Oh, how inflamedly, how abundantly was her soul carried forth in secret duties ! She knew that Peter went up upon the house-top to pray, and that Christ was oft alone, Acts x. 9. As secret meals make a fat body, so she found secret duties made a fat soul ; and this made her much in that work. It was a witty and divine speech of Bernard, That Christ, the soul's spouse, is bashful, neither willingly cometh to his bride in the presence of a multitude ; and is it not so with the bride in her actings towards her bridegroom, Christ ?
She was many times in the school of temptation, which God made to her the school of instruction.2 The Lord did usually so help her to handle the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, that she commonly triumphed over Satan's temptations, and led cap- tivity captive. Though that arrow-master, Satan, hath shot often at her, yet her ' bow still abode in strength, her hands and heart being made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.' Augustine gave thanks to God that the heart and the temptation did not meet together, and so hath she many a time. She was good at withstanding the beginnings of a temptation, knowing that after-remedies often come too late. She was a Christian all over.3 She was a Christian in pro- fession, and a Christian in practice ; a Christian in lip, and a Christian in life ; a Christian in word, and a Christian in work ; a Christian in show, and a Christian in power and spirit. She was not only for the general duties of Christianity, as hearing, praying, &c, but also for the
1 ' Experiences.' — G.
* 2 Cor. xii. 7-10; Eph. vi. 16, 17; 2 Cor. ii. 14; Gen. xlix. 23, 24.
3 1 Thes. v. 23 ; Acts xiii. 22, xxiv. 16 ; Luke i. 5, 6.
406 A STRING OF PEARLS.
relative duties of religion, as to be a good wife, a good mother, a good child, a good sister, a good mistress, &c. Most sincerity and holy in- genuity shines in the relative duties of religion ; and in those she was excellent. She was also very conscientious and constant, yea, abundant in the general duties of religion, as hearing, praying, &c. She did duties, but durst not for a world trust to her duties, but to her Jesus. as the dove made use of her wings to fly to the ark, but trusted not in her wings, but in the ark. In duty, she had learned the holy art of living above duty; in the business of acceptation with God, and justifi- cation before God, and reconciliation to God, and salvation by God, she knew no duty but Jesus.1 She was as happy in denying religious self as she was resolute in denying of sinful self.