A25473:50
A sermon preached at the funeral of reverend Mr. Will. Whitaker, late minister of…
A sermon preached at the funeral of reverend Mr. Will. Whitaker, late minister of Magdalen Bermondsey, Southwark by Samuel Annesley.
London: printed for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Let it be your great care, jointly and severally, that the Church of Christ may be as little a loser, as it is possible by his removal. ⟨p. 26⟩Oh that the Spirit of Elijah may be doubled upon our Elisha's, that as the fewer hands, the more work, so we may find, the more work, the more grace; the more skill, the more strength; that we may experience, God can save souls by few, as well as by many; by the Minor, as well as by the Major Prophets. Let me a little more then allude to 2 Cor. 3.11. that as his Ministry who is gone away from us was glorious, much more may yours that remaineth, be glorious. 2. Lets make it our business to be as much Ministers out of the Pulpit, as in it. The well discharge of the Ministry is an intolerable drudgery to a carnal heart: to have not only our Sermons, but our occasional discourses; to have not only our words, but our silence speak us Ministers of Christ; to be always upon our watch (if I may so speak) sleeping and waking, that is, to sleep no more than is necessary to our watchfulness; who that is not gracious (I had almost said) eminently gracious, can endure it? At all times, in all places, to imitate our great Shepherd, who was anointed with the Holy Ghost, and with Power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil: for God was with him, Acts 10.38. Brethren, to have all our Sermons smell of the Lamp, and that Lamp supplied from the Spirit of Grace; certainly, ⟨p. 27⟩'twas not without great cause, that the Apostle puts an additional Petition into his prayer for Timothy and Titus, beyond all the Petitions for all the Churches he wrote unto, 1 Tim. 1.2. 2 Tim. 1. Titus 1.4. 'Twas only grace and peace for others, 'twas Grace, MERCY, and Peace for Ministers, plainly showing that they want Mercy, more than any others in the world. 3. Let's industriously live up to what is by all expected from us. God, Angels, and men, and those both good and bad do all expect great things from us.