A funeral-sermon for the reverend, holy and excellent divine, Mr. Richard Baxter who deceased…

I have now finished my Discourse upon the Text, and shall apply my self to speak of the other Subject, the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter, that Excellent Instrument of Divine Grace, to recover and restore so many revolted Souls to God, out of the Empire of his Enemy: or in the Apostles Language, to translate them from the Kingdom of Darkness, into ⟨p. 86⟩the Kingdom of his dear Son. I am sensible, that in speaking of him I shall be under a double Disadvantage: For those who perfectly knew him, will be apt to think my Account of him to be short and defective, an imperfect Shadow of his resplendent Virtues: others who were unacquainted with his extraordinary Worth, will from Ignorance or Envy be inclined to think his just Praises to be undue and excessive. Indeed if Love could make me eloquent, I should use all the most lively and graceful Colours of Language to • dorn his Memory: but this Consideration relieves me in the Consciousness of my Disability, that a plain Narrative of what Mr. Baxter was, and did, will be a most noble Eulogy: and that his substantial Piety no more needs artificial Oratory to set it off, than refined Gold wants Paint ⟨p. 87⟩to add Lustre and Value to it.

I have now finisht my Discourse upon the Text, and shall apply my self to speak of the other Subject, the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter, that Excellent Instrument of Divine Grace, to recover and restore so many revolted Souls to God, out of the Empire of his Enemy: or in the Apostles Language, to translate them from the Kingdom of Darkness, into ⟨p. 86⟩the Kingdom of his dear Son. I am sensible, that in speaking of him I shall be under a double Disadvantage: For those who perfectly knew him, will be apt to think my Account of him to be short and defective, an imperfect Shadow of his resplendent Vertues: others who were unacquainted with his extraordinary Worth, will from Ignorance or Envy be inclin'd to think his just Praises to be undue and excessive. Indeed if Love could make me eloquent, I should use all the most lively and graceful Colours of Language to • dorn his Memory: but this Consideration relieves me in the Consciousness of my Disability, that a plain Narrative of what Mr. Baxter was, and did, will bee a most noble Eulogy: and that his substantial Piety no more needs artificial Oratory to set it off, than refined Gold wants Paint