The fight of faith crowned, or, A sermon preached at the funeral of that…

1. Be full of anhelations and longings for this Crown of Righteousness. Doth not the banished Prince desire his native Country? The unwillingness of Christians to go hence shows,

1. Be full of anhelations and longings for this Crown of Righteousness. Doth not the banished Prince desire his native Countrey? The unwillingness of Christians to go hence shows,

1. The weakness of their Faith: They question their interest in this excellent glory; were their title to Heaven more cleared, they would need patience to be content to stay here any longer.

2. The weakness of their love. Love (as Aristotle saith) desires Union. Did men love Christ as they should, they would desire to be united to him in glory. St. Paul desired to be dissolved and be with Christ, Phil. 1. 23. It was the speech of an holy man on his death-bed, My heart is in heaven, Lord lead me to that glory which I have seen already as through a glass^*. We are encompassed with a body of sin; should not we long to shake off this viper? We are combating with Satan; should not we be willing to be called out of the bloody field, where the bullets of temptation fly so fast, that we may receive a victorious Garland? We now live far from Court, we do rather desire God than enjoy him; should not we long to be crowned with the blissful sight of Gods face? Though we should be content to stay here to do God service, yet we should ambitiously desire to be always sunning our selves in the light of God's countenance; think what it will be to be led into Christs wine-cellar, to have the kisses of his mouth, to smell the Savour of his ointments, to lye in his bosom, that bed of love; think what it will be to have unstained honour, unparalleled beauty, unmixed joy; what it will be to tread upon stars, to dwell among Cherubims, and to feast on those dulcia fercula, heavenly delicacies