A sermon preached at the funeral of reverend Mr. Will. Whitaker, late minister of…

5. A word to all that this day hear me. It is but a few minutes ere death will stop our mouths that we shall speak to you no more. Methinks, if those that lived above twice so many hundred years, as men do now scores, counted their life by days, Gen. 5.27. the time we live should be counted by hours, and then of the hour of our life, how few minutes, are remaining, and therefore this is my advice to all.

5. A word to all that this day hear me. It is but a few minutes ere death will stop our mouths that we shall speak to you no more. Methinks, if those that lived above twice so many hundred years, as men do now scores, counted their life by dayes, Gen. 5.27. the time we live should be counted by hours, and then of the hour of our life, how few minutes, are remaining, and therefore this is my advice to all.

1. Make that use of Ministers while they live, that you will wish you had made of them when they are dead. We read Luke 17.20. the Pharisees demanded of Christ, when the Kingdom of God should come: they expected the Messiah, but would not own Christ to be He; they reckoned he would come in more stately manner; ⟨p. 29⟩Christ was in their eye contemptible: but Christ saith, Verse 22. The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. q. d. As much as you overlook me now, you would be glad I would make the same offer hereafter. Luke 19.42. Oh that thou hadst known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace: but now they are hid from thine eyes. How many are ready to fancy, could they have the scattered excellencies of all Ministers meet in one, that the same man were a Moses for Prayer, a Paul for Preaching, a John Baptist for frighting sinners to repentance, a Barnabas for comforting drooping Converts; an Apollos for convincing gainsayers; a Jeremiah for weeping over the incorrigible; in short, could you have such a one, as there's never a one in the world, then you would attend his Ministry, love his converse, take his counsel, follow his example, be glad of his help towards Heaven; though by the way, you are miserably mistaken in all this: for you have Moses and the Prophets, Christ and his Apostles, and faithful Ministers that watch for your souls, as those that must give an account, if you benefit not by these, Christ tells you plainly, neither would you be persuaded, though a Saint from Heaven, or a damned Person from Hell should tell you what may be enjoyed, or what must be suffered in those places,