Missing Page 
 
A 
 
 S K R M N 
 
 Occafioned by the 
 
 DEATH 
 
 Of the late Reverend 
 
 William Harris, D. D. 
 
 Who dyed Ma^ 25. 1740. 
 JEf. LXV, 
 
 By NATHANIEL LARDNER. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Sold by Joseph Davidson at the Angel, 
 and John Gray at the Crojs-Keys, both 
 in the Poultry. MDCGXL. 
 
The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31 9241 0401 51 55 
 
T O T H E 
 
 CONGREGATION 
 
 O F 
 
 Protejiant Dijfentersy 
 
 Meeting in 
 
 Crouched Fryars, London, 
 This SERMON, 
 
 Occafioned by the Death of their late 
 Honoured and Worthy Paftor, 
 
 The Reverend 
 
 Dr. William Harris, 
 
 And Publiflied at their Requeft, 
 Is Infcribed by 
 
 Their humble Servant ^ 
 
 N. Lardner. 
 
(O 
 
 1 THESS. i; lo. 
 
 fP^hen he Jhall come to be glorified m 
 his faints, and to he admired in 
 all them that believei 
 
 WHEN our Lord comes again, hb 
 eomes to judge the world, and 
 to reward every man according 
 to his works ; as the Apofile 
 writes in this context to the Chriftians at 
 Thejfahnica, who fufFered perfecution for the 
 goipel : It is a righteous thing iDith God to 
 recompenfe tribulation to them that trouble you ^ 
 and to you who are troubled reji with us : lahen 
 the Lord Jhall be revealed from heaven with his 
 mighty angels, inflaming fire, taking vengeance: 
 Sn them that know not God, and that obey nop 
 the go/pel of our Lord jefus Chriji, who Jhall be 
 punijhedwith everlafiing deJlruSiion from the 
 prefenci of the Lord, and from the glory of his 
 power : when he Jhall come to be glorified in 
 hii faints y and to be admired in alt them thai 
 B helievei 
 
believe : tliat is, when he fliall come to be 
 glorified, in the eye of the whole world, in 
 the punifhments inflided on the final and ir- 
 reconcilable enemies of God and religionj 
 and in the glorious and happy circumftances 
 of thofe who have fincerely embraced the 
 truth, and have been under the power and 
 influence of it. 
 
 We may emprove thefe words, by obferv- 
 ing and enlarging fomewhat upon thefe three 
 propofitions : 
 
 I. Chriji will come again. 
 
 II. When he comes, he will be glorified 
 in the happy and advantageous circiimftances 
 of his people. 
 
 III. He will be admired by i\\ who have 
 believed in him, and continued faithful to 
 the end. 
 
 Prop. I. I. ChriJI mil come again. This is no lefs 
 certain, than that he once dwelt on this earth* 
 The time is ftiil a fecret to us, and perhaps 
 to all orders of intelligent creatures. But the 
 thing itfelf is undoubted. He will come again 
 at the time appointed of the Father, as St. 
 Peter obfervcs in one of his firfl fermoris after 
 
 Ms iii. the defcent of the Spirit : ivhom the hediiens 
 muft receive J till the time of the rejliiuiion of 
 
 all 
 
 21 
 
is) 
 
 all things. At the very inftant of his afcen'^ 
 fion, his difciples were exprefly aflured of it 
 by two angels : This fame Jefus, fay they, ^^''^^ ' J^ 
 •which is taken up from you into heaven, Jhall 
 fo come in like manner, as ye havefeen him go 
 into heaven. Our Lord himfelf often fpoke 
 of it to his difciples, and with the fuUeft af- 
 furance of the certainty of the event, I go to John :«iv^ 
 prepare a place for you. And if 1 go and pre-''' ^' 
 pare a place for you, Iivill come again, and re- 
 ceive you to my Jelf that 'where I am, there ye- 
 may be alfo. But he never acquaints them 
 with the, time. And becaufe, for wife rea- 
 fons, that is kept fecret, he frequently ex^ 
 horts them to watchfulneffe and circumfpedti^ 
 on. Watch therefore, for ye know not what 
 hour your Lord doth come . . . BleJJed is that- 
 fervant, whom his Lord, when he cemeth, Jhall 
 ■ find watching .... Watch therefore, for ye- 
 know neither the day^ rmr the hQur^ when the^ 
 Son of man comefh. 
 
 But though the time is unknown, the fe- 
 cond coming of their Lord is no lefs the ob^ 
 jedt of the faith of God's people now, than, 
 his firft coming was of the faints under for- 
 mer diipenfations. And the fulfilmeAt of 
 ancient prcdidions, in his firft coming, con-* 
 firm§, the hope of his appearing agair^, l^ov: 
 
 3 ? fe 
 
(4) 
 
 is tlic great defign of his coming into this 
 world as yet accompliflied. He will there- 
 fore certainly come once more, to compleat 
 the work he has begun. ^ 
 
 We alfo know fome of the circumftances 
 of his expefled coming, which are very dif- 
 ferent from thofe of the firft. Then he was 
 in the form of a fervant. Hereafter he will 
 appear in the charafter of the univerfal Lord 
 and judge : He will be revealed from heaven 
 with his mighty angels, in flaming fire : He 
 comes in the glory of the Father, and all the 
 holy angels with him : He will fit on the throne 
 of his glory ^ and before him will be gathered 
 all nations. 
 
 Prop. II. H. When Chrifi comes again, he will be glo^ 
 rified in the happy and advantageous circum- 
 ftances of his people. Here we may " obferve 
 two things : fir/l, what there will be, at that 
 time,in tlieir circumftances, which will refledl 
 honour upon him. Secondly, what perfedi- 
 ons in him will then be glorifyed and appear 
 illuftrious. 
 
 I. Firfi, what there will be, at that time, 
 in the circumftances of his people, that will 
 refle<fl honour and luftre upon him. There 
 will be fuch things as thefe j the perfedion 
 
 of 
 
(5) 
 
 of their holineffe, their external glory, and 
 their great number. 
 
 I.) One thing in Chrift's people, which 
 will then refle<a: honour upon him, is the pet-- 
 fe£iion of their holine£e. They, who then 
 appear among his people, and are owned by 
 him, are fuch as had believed in him, and 
 ferved him faithfully in this world. The 
 virtue of thefe, which her^ had fome alloys 
 and imperfedlions, will then be compleated. 
 The church, which he loved, and for ivhich he ^ph. v. 
 gave him/elf , that he might fan£iify andcleanfe ^s— *7r 
 it with the -wajhing of 'water by the -word, 'mill 
 then he prefented to him a glorious church, not 
 having fpot or •wrinkle, or any fuch thing, being 
 holy and without blemijh. 
 
 2.) Another thing in his people that will 
 refleft honour upon him is their external 
 glory, or the luftre of their perfons; their 
 bodies being then raifed up immortal, and no 
 more lyable to death, or difeafes. Soul and 
 body are reunited, freed from all the infirr- 
 mities of finful and mortal flefh. They have 
 enlarged capacities, fitted for the nobleft fer- 
 vices J celeftial minds, and celeftial bodies ; 
 bodies no longer clogs to the foul in it's divine 
 employments, but made fit for a partnerihip 
 with it in uninterrupted and endleis praiib 
 
 and 
 
and happinefle. The reprefentatlons, which 
 the fcripture gives us of this glory of the 
 
 I Crr. XV. faints, are to tliis purpofe : So alfo is the re- 
 Jurre3ion of the dead : It is Jown in cor- 
 ruption, it is raifed in incorruption ; it is 
 Jbwa dijhonour, it is raifed in glory ; it is 
 Jown in iveaknefs, it is raifed in power; it 
 is Jcnvn a natural body, it is raifed a fpiri- 
 
 tual body The frft man is of the earth 
 
 earthy, the fecond man is the Lord from 
 heaven. And as we have bom the image 
 of the earthy, we pall alfo bear the image 
 
 Philip, iii. of the heavenly fVe look for the Savioury 
 
 *'• the Lord Jefus Chrift, who Jhall change our 
 vile body, that it may be fajhioned like unto 
 bis glorious body. So St. Paul. And, fays 
 
 I Jobnui. another Apoftle : // does not yet appear, 
 what we Jhall be : but this we know, that 
 when he Jhall appear, we Jhall be like him, 
 for we JJjall J'ee him as he is. 
 
 3 .) In the day of his fecond coming Chrift 
 will be glorlfyed in the number and great 
 multitude of his faints. He himfelf once fpoke 
 
 Laie xii. of his difciples and people, as a little fock. 
 
 3"- It was fo then indeed. Few there were that 
 
 believed in him ; fewer ftill, who had the 
 courage to own him publicly, and before the 
 world. Moft men were then ignorant of 
 
 him. 
 
Kim, or offended at him. And ofl^entimi^ 
 his profeffed vifible people have made but 
 a fmall and inconfiderable appearance, in 
 comparifdn of the reft of the world. But 
 in that day, the number of his redeemed 
 ones will appear to be a great multitude ; 
 when all who have held the faith of yeftts^ 
 or dyed in the hope and expedtation of him, 
 in any age, fhall be gathered together from 
 all the ends of the earth, and fhall come from 
 the eaft and the weft to meet their trium- 
 phant Lord. Says St. yohn in the Revela- 
 lation : After this I beheld^ and h a great R^- vii- 
 multitude, -which no man could number , out ' 
 of all nations and kindred, and people and 
 tongues, ftood before the throne, and before 
 the lamb, clothed with "white robes, and palms 
 in their hands. And they cryed with a loud 
 voice, faying : Salvation unto our God, which 
 Jiieth on the /throne, and unto the lamb. 
 
 if Chrijfz people and followers ftiould not 
 then appear to be fo numerous, as thofe who 
 have not known him, or not obeyed him ; 
 yet they may, as they certainly will, be a 
 great number, exceeding what the con- 
 tradted charity, or the melancholy appre^ 
 henfions of fome now admit of and fup- 
 pofe. There may be many among his 
 
 faints. 
 
faints, not only out of all nations and peo« 
 pie, but alfo out of all iedts and parties ; 
 fome of which were far from being very 
 confpicuous or renowned on this earth. 
 
 There will be many of all ranks, of dif- 
 ferent gifts and attainments : Sonie, of great 
 learning, and the moft exalted capacity; 
 who preferred the knowledge of ye/us Chrifty 
 and him crucifyed, above all other fcience ; 
 as beft fuited to fecure the pradtife of virtue, 
 and advance it to the greateft perfection, 
 and fupport the mindi under the afflidtions 
 of this life. Others there will be, of meaner 
 capacities, urublc by the exercife of their 
 own reafon, to trace out the principles and . 
 obligations of religion and virtue, or to com- 
 prehend the abftrufe fpeculations, and pro- 
 found reafonings of the phiIofo|Aers j wfio 
 from the dodlrine, miraculous works, great ' 
 example, confpicuous and well-attefted death 
 and refurredlion of ye/us Chriji, have learn-; 
 ed the nature and obligation of true reli- 
 gion, as confifting in the lovie of God and 
 our neighbour, and the certainty of future 
 recompenfes, and have beien engaged there- 
 by to perfect holinefle in the fear of God. 
 Some there will be in this number, who had 
 gone far from Gody and beeri greatly en- 
 tangled 
 
tangled in the fnares of an evil world, and 
 were in the utmoft danger of everlafting per- 
 dition J who having been pierced with a fenfe 
 of fin, and drawn by the gracious invitations 
 of the goipel, became fincere penitents, and 
 emment faints. Others, who having beeii 
 educated in the principles of the Chriftiari 
 doiflrine, and having been from the begin- 
 ing under the impreffions of them, conti- 
 nued toi walk with Chrift in white, and kept 
 tlieir garments clean^ uniisotted from the 
 1;vorld. There will be here a glorious appear- 
 ance of fuch as bought the truth, and would 
 hot fell it J who took the kingdom of hea- 
 ven by violence, and chofe the narrow path 
 of virtue that leads to the fight of God and 
 the heavenly life : when they, who fhould 
 have anirriated and encouraged them by their 
 counfel and example, laid obftacles in their 
 way, and would have perfwaded them rather 
 to'^feekthe eafe,' riches, honours and prefer- 
 ments of this prefent world. Some there 
 will be of large minds^ who ftudied thfe prin- 
 (biples of reafon and revelation, and v^ere well 
 acquainted with the mirid of Ghrift j who here 
 earneftly recommended general benevolcnccjj 
 promoted peace and friendfhip among men,; 
 and happily prevented contention^ and divifi- 
 
( lo) 
 
 ons. They will have diftinguiflied honour 
 in that day. And fome others, poffibly, fhall 
 not mifs of the divine favour, v\rho from falfe 
 apprehenfions, and a miftaken zeal, had been 
 here too apt to rejedl fome, whom they (hould 
 have received as brethren in Chrift, and heirs 
 of the heavenly inheritance. There will be 
 fome, who in this ftate of trial had done ho- 
 nour to religion, by a chearful, as well as 
 fleady obedience. They had a comfortable 
 perfwafion of the divine favour and acceptance, 
 and they rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. 
 C«/.ii.20. They could fay : The life, which I now live 
 in the fiejh^ I live by the faith' of the Son of 
 Cod, who loved me, and gave himfelffor me^ 
 They will triumph and exult, when Chrift, 
 the judge of all, fhall confirm the teftimony 
 they had in their minds, that they were the 
 children of God. Others there will be, men 
 of true fimplicity and integrity, but dejected 
 ' and low-fpirited. They hoped, but couldl 
 never fully clear up to their fatisfadion, that 
 they loved God ; nor arrive at a fettled per- 
 fwafion, that they were loved of him ; who, 
 Hiv. XX. ^vhen the hooks Jhall be opened, will know, 
 •2- to their unfpeakablejoy, that their names a\fo 
 
 were writen in the book of life. There will 
 be a great number, who here on earth were 
 
 defpifed 
 
( II ) 
 
 defpifed of men, and lived in mean condition j 
 who will be owned by Chrifl for his people, 
 as having been refigned, contented, thankful 
 in the circumftances allotted them by divine 
 providence. There will be many, who had 
 honoured the Lord with their fubftance, who 
 clothed the naked, fed the hungry, "uifited the 
 Jkk, and fpoke comfortably to thofe who were 
 caft down. There will be many who had 
 gone through great tribulation, who labored 
 and did not faint : a noble and numerous 
 company of martyrs and confeflbrs, who took 
 joyfully the fpoiling of their goods, or laid 
 down their lives in tfeftimony to the truth. 
 
 Will not this multitude of fuch perfons re- 
 fleft honour upon him, by whom they were 
 redeemed ; through whofe means they were 
 carried fafe through the temptations of this 
 world, and were enabled to perfevere to the 
 end, notwithftanding the difficulties they met 
 with ? If it be true, as it certainly is, that 
 they who he wife Jhall fkine as the brightnejfe of Han. xii. 
 the firmament, and they that turn many to righ- ^' 
 teoufneffe, as thejlarsfor ever and ever : how 
 glorious is Jefus, the fource of this wifdom» 
 the fpring of this zeal for truth and virtue ! 
 
 C 2 2. 5"*?- 
 
( 'O 
 
 2. SecomBj/, we are to confider, what per- 
 fe<ftions in Chrift will then be glorified, and 
 appear illuftrious. And it is reafonable to 
 fuppofe, that his wifdom, his power, and 
 his faithfulnefle will then be very confpicuous. 
 I.) His wifdom. The preaching of the 
 crofle has appeared fooliflinefle to many in 
 this world : but then it will be manifeft, be- 
 yond the poffibility of farther doubt and que- 
 iCar. i. flion, th?it the foolijhneje of God, that divine 
 ^5- difpenfation, which many had defpifed, was 
 
 v^ifer than all the wifdom of men. Some in- 
 deed, yea not a few, do now perceive and 
 acknowledge it to be a well laid defign, adr 
 mirably fuited to the weaknefle and degene- 
 racy of the human nature. And they are 
 ready to fay with the Apoftle : the depth of 
 the riches both of the wifdom and the knowledge 
 cf God! And that God hath abounded toward, 
 us in all wifdom and prudence. But at that 
 time the contrivance of this difpenfation will 
 appear ftill more wonderful. It will be ma- 
 nifeft, particularly in the great number of the 
 faints then collected, and brought together in 
 one, from the feveral parts of the world j 
 I Cor. \. to whom Chrijt has been made of God wifdom^ 
 3°- and righteoufnejfey and fanSlificationj and re- 
 
 demption. It 
 
( IJ) 
 
 It is indeed avaft and delightful fcene of 
 contemplation, which will then lye open to 
 the faints ; to obferve the original delign, fe- 
 veral fteps, continued progreffe, and final 
 completion of the recoverie and falvation of 
 fo many frail and finful men, by Jefus Chrift j 
 and to obferve the extent of his government 
 of the church, and the world in general, in 
 the feveral parts and ages of it, from the 
 time of his exaltation to the right hand of the 
 throne of God, to that great and glorious day, 
 when all mankind are brought before his tri- 
 bunal. 
 
 2.) At that time the power of Chrift will be 
 glorified. It will appear great and wonderful 
 in the refurrection of the faints, juft perform- 
 ed by his word. This is what our Lord fpoke 
 of, as fo marvellous, in anfwer to fome ca- 
 vils of the Jews: For the Father loveth theJ"^"^- 
 Son, andjheweth him all things that himfelf 
 doth. And he will Jhew him greater things, 
 than thefe, that ye may marvel. For as the 
 Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, 
 evenfo the Son quickeneth whom he will. . . . 
 Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming, in 
 the which all that are in their graves jhall 
 hear his voice, and come forth ; they thai have 
 done good unto the refurreSfion of life ^ and 
 
 they 
 
( m) 
 
 they that have done evil unto the refurreElion of 
 damnation. 
 
 3.) Another perfeflion, to be glorified at 
 tiiat time, is the truth, ox faithfulneffe ofChrift. 
 This is the day for the full accomplifhment of 
 all his promifes, upon which his people have 
 depended, and by which they have been ani- 
 mated in the whole of their courfe. Here he 
 delivered rules of life, and made gracious pro- 
 mifes to fuch as obeyed them. He encouraged 
 men to forfake all earthly goods for his fake 
 and the gofpel, affuring them of abundant re- 
 compense hereafter. In his conference with 
 Nicodemus he ufeth thefe expreflions: Veri- 
 "joln iii. ]y jp^y i^fjfg fjjgg . j^g ipgak what we do knoWy 
 
 andteftify that we have feen. In his preach- 
 ing he publicly declared with the greateft 
 John vi. folemnity : Tbii is the Father's will which 
 hath fent me, that of all which he hath given 
 me, IJhould lofe nothing, but Jhoidd raife it up 
 at the lajl day. And this is the will of him 
 that fent me, that every one which feeth the 
 Son, andbelieveth on him, may have ever loft- 
 ing life, and I will raife him up at the hji 
 day. Once more, he fays to his difciples : 
 
 Joh- xiv -^ ^y ■f'^'^^^'-f ^°^ift '^^^ /wflwy manjions : If it 
 -■ were not fo, I would have told you. Upon the 
 
 ground of a clear convi<£tion of his divine au- 
 thority 
 
( 15 ) 
 
 thorlty and charader, which he claimedj and 
 a perfwafion of the truth of all his declarati- 
 ons and promifes, his people have a£ted as 
 they have done. They have given themfelves 
 up to hinij and obeyed him. They have 
 been induced to feek principally fuch things 
 as are now diftant and unfeen ; and not to 
 prefer, but oftentimes to forego the pleafures, 
 pofleffions, honours of this prefent world, 
 and every thing defirable therein, in hope of 
 being raifed up by him to immortal life and 
 everlafting happineffe. So they have a6ted : 
 fo they have believed, and trufled in him. 
 And now his truth is manifeft in the event. 
 Thofe things, which were once the objedts 
 of defire and hope, are poffeffed and enjoyed. 
 His faithfulneffe was believed before, and 
 there was good evidence of the truth of all he 
 fayd, and they who depended upon it, afted 
 wifely and reafonably : but now it is even 
 feen. Not one jot or tittle of his word has 
 fallen to the ground, but all is fulfilled. 
 Not one of thofe little onesy whom men de- 
 ipifed, has perifhed, whom he had afTured 
 that it was the good pleafure of the Father to 
 give them a kingdom. Not one of thofe, 
 whom the Father had given him, is wanting, 
 but all his (heep are placed at his right hand, 
 
 His 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 ilis truth and faithfulnefle may be farther 
 illuftrated, at that time, by the pecuHar de- 
 grees of honour and glory conferred upon 
 thofe, whofe virtue has been eminent, and 
 tried by great difficulties and fbfFerings here. 
 Many indeed, and great are the encourage- 
 ments, which he gave in the courfe of his mi- 
 niftry to thofe who fliould be eminent, fted- 
 faft and conftant in virtue. And future re- 
 wards will certainly be anfwerable to thofe 
 encouraging declarations, and the hopes he 
 Matth. V. hag raifed by them. Bkjjed are ye, fays he, 
 isahen menjhall revile you and perfecute you, and 
 Jhalljay all manner of evil of youfalflyfor my 
 fake : Rejoice and be exceeding glad : for great 
 ii your reward in heaven. When the difciples 
 Matth. delired to know, who {hould be greateji in 
 ^"^''■^'^'f he kingdom of heaven, he did not deny that 
 there would be diftinftions therein : but inti- 
 mates, that he who fhould be moft humble, 
 and for the fake of truth and the good of 
 mankind, moft abafe himfelf, would in the 
 end be moft exalted, and be greateft in the 
 kingdom of heaven. When the two difciples 
 petitioned, toft, the one on the right handi 
 and the other on the lejt, iii his kingdom, he 
 did not grant their requeft ; affuring them it 
 was not a thing to be determined by him, 
 
 uport 
 
( '7) 
 
 upon the ground of any perfonal regards and 
 cbnfiderations. Neverthelefs he adds : Itjhall Matt. xx. 
 be given to them for niohom it is prepared of m^ *^' 
 JFathcr. And he infinuates to them, that 
 one waj of bemg neareft to him in his gloryj 
 is to drink of his cup, and be baptifed with 
 the baptifm^ with which he was to be baptifed ; 
 that is, to fufFer in teftimdny to truth, if 
 called thereto. In figurative expreffions he 
 pronounces a fpecial bleffing upon men of u- 
 niform virtue and obedience. Blejjed are thoje^"^^ ^"' 
 Jervants, whom the Lord, when he cometh Jhall 
 find watching: Verily, Ifay unto you, that hi 
 Jhall gird himfelf and make them toft down 
 to meat, and will come forth and ferve them. 
 When Thomas, upon the ground of an over- 
 bearing evidence, admitted the truth of his 
 refurre<2:ion, our Lord gracioufly accepted the 
 profeffion of faith which he made : But at 
 the fame time, he breaks forth into a fuperior 
 commendation of fuch as fhould be better dif- 
 pofed to truth; Jejiis faith unto him : Tho- John xx, 
 mas, becaufe thou haft feen me, thou hajl be- ^5- 
 lieved : Blefted are they which have not feen^ 
 and yet have believed. 
 
 Agreeable hereto are many declarations of 
 the Apoflles. For, fays St. Paul, our light ^ Cor. it. 
 
( i8 ) 
 
 affliSlion, nvhlch is but for a moment ^ worketb 
 for us afar more exceeding and eternal weight 
 \Fet.\.-i. of glory. And St. Peter: That the tryal of 
 your faith, being much more precious than of gold 
 that per ijheth, thotightt be tried with fire, may be 
 found untopraife and honour and gbry at the ap- 
 pearing of y ejus Cbrijl : that is, they who 
 when tried by difficuhies and fufFerings in the 
 caufe of truth, are not thereby overcome, 
 but ftill continue faithful, and are only more 
 and more refined and fanftified, fliall receive 
 abundance of honour and pr^fe at the appear- 
 ing of Jefus Chrift. 
 
 Hereby the Lord will be glorified j when 
 the truth and equity of his judgement fliall be 
 manifeft in rewards, proportioned to his decla- 
 rations, and the great hopes he had raifed in 
 the minds of the fincere and upright. The 
 caufe of virtue is then compleatly vindicated 
 by him. Every inftance of right condudt is 
 recompenfed. And the moft eminent virtue, 
 which here on earth is fometimes expofed to 
 the greateft difficulties, and the worft re- 
 proaches, receives an equal reward. This is 
 glorious to the judge of the world* 
 
 Thefe are perfedlions of Chrift, which are 
 
 glori- 
 
( 19 ) 
 
 glorified by the perfe^St holinefle, external 
 glory, and great number of his people. For, 
 as the Apoftle fays. Whether one me?nber fuf- ' C""- xiu 
 fer^ all the members fuffer with it ; or one 
 member be honoured, all the members rejoice in 
 it : fo alfo is Chrift, the head, honoured and 
 glorified in the honour of each faint, much 
 more in the honour and glory of the whole 
 church, which is his body. This is the day, 
 when good men, of all ages and nations, of 
 every rank and condition, of different capaci- 
 ties and attainments, who have lived under 
 the feveral difpenfatlons of reafori and revela- 
 tion, make up one vifible and harmonious 
 aflembly. Nor is there any longer one mem- 
 ber of the church fuffering, or tempted : All 
 have finifhed their courfe, and their warfare 
 is accomplifhed. In the flile of the Revela- 
 tion, they are clothed in white robes, with palms ;j^^, ^jj, 
 ?;? their hands, the enftgns of vi<3:ory and tri- 9- 
 umph. 
 
 It is then a day glorious to Chrift, and a 
 day of unfpeakable joy to his people. He 
 muft be honoured and revered by thofe alfo, 
 to whom his appearance is not joyful. For 
 all the unjuft negleft and contempt of him and 
 D 2 bis 
 
( "-0) 
 his people are for ever confuted, and put to 
 fhamc ; and a full convidUon is wrought in 
 the minds of all, concerning the reafonabie- 
 nefle of the gracious promifes formerly made 
 in favour of virtue, and the great rewards now 
 conferred upon it, 
 
 It is, moreover, reafonable to fuppofe, that 
 at this time Chrift will be very glorious in the 
 efteem of the blefled angels, and all orders of 
 intelligent beings. For the angels are faid to 
 
 m. 1. 14- be minijlring Jpirits fent forth to minijier to 
 them, nvhojhall be heirs of fahation. And 
 
 I Pet. 1. jj^gy dgjired to look into thoje things, that were 
 ddneat the publication of the gofpel. It may 
 be therefore juftly concluded, that they like- 
 wife partake in the joy and acclamations of 
 this day j and that in their eyes, or well as in 
 thofe of his people, Chrift is glorified : efpe- 
 cially fince they are fpoken of as prefent at 
 
 See alfo this time, and coming as attendants on the 
 
 Rev. V, mdge of the world. 
 
 II — 14. JO 
 
 n TIT III. When Chrift comes again, he will be 
 admired, particularly, by all them that believe. 
 Three things will appear admirable at that 
 time : Chrift 's perfonal glory, the greatnefle 
 of his love in what he has done for his people, 
 
 and 
 
(ai ) 
 
 ^nd his goodnefle in the kind reception he 
 gives, them, and the great reward he beftows 
 upon them. 
 
 I, Cbriji's per [Qnal glory. He comes on 
 the clouds, with an innumerable company of 
 the heavenly inhabitants in his train. And 
 many awful appearances there will be to en- 
 creafe the grandeur and folemnity of that day. 
 There will be alfo the glory of his own per- 
 fon, fuited to his real dignity, and the great 
 chara(3:ers he fiiftains, of head of the church 
 and judge of the world. Once, when he was 
 on earth, in the days of his humiliation, he 
 was glorioufly transformed in the view of 
 three of his difciples : His face didjlnne as 
 the fun, and his raiment became white as the 
 light. The defcription given of that one 
 tranfient glorification may help us to fome 
 imperfedt idea of the prefent glory of the h'u« 
 man nature of Chrift in liis ftate of exaltation, 
 and of that in which he wiU appear, when he 
 comes to judge the world. But though we 
 cannot now diftindlly conceive of it, we may 
 be aflured it will be fuch, as will raife the 
 wonder of all, and afford every believer a 
 pleafing furprife and joy. Each faint will 
 have a glory of his own, with v^hich he will 
 
 l?c 
 
(") 
 
 be fatisfied : All wQl admire, and be delight- 
 ed with the tranfcendent glory and majefty 
 of him who is their common Lord and head. 
 2. Another thing that will be admired at 
 that time is the loveofChriJi in what he has 
 done for hh people, in order to bring them to the 
 glorious and happy circutnjiances in which they 
 then appear. This was always matter of won-r 
 der to thofe who duly confidered it. It will 
 hereafter appear more admirable. It was ow- 
 ing to the doctrine taught by him in a mean 
 condition, and farther confirmed by his pain- 
 ful death and glorious refurredtion, that their 
 hearts were won to God and virtue. It was 
 Htb. xii. by looking unto "JeJ'us, who enduredthe crojfe, de- 
 * * ^* fPifi^S thejhame, and then fate down on the right 
 handof the throne of God; that they laidafide 
 every weight, and ran with patience the race that 
 wasfet before them. If he had not firft over-^ 
 come neither had they overcome, as they have 
 done, the allurements and terrours of an evil 
 world. Hisviftory encouraged them, and made 
 them conquerours. So it is in the Apoftle's 
 J^ow. viii. triumphant challenge: Who Jhall feparate us 
 iy~ll' jfg^ fiig lo^g ofChriJi ? Shall tribulation, or 
 di/lreje, or perfecution .... f Nay, in. all 
 thefe things we are more than conquerours, 
 through him that loved us. 
 
 3. An- 
 
.( n ) 
 
 3. Another thing, that will be admired by 
 them that believe, is the goodnejfe of Chrijl 
 in the kind nnd gracious reception he gives 
 themy and the reward he bejiows upon them. 
 This may be argued from the reprefentation, 
 which our Lord himfelf has given of the fo- 
 lemn procedure at the end of the world : 
 7hen Jhall the king fay unto them on the right Maith. 
 hand : Come ye bkjfedofmy Father , inherit the ^^"^ 24- 
 kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of 
 the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me 
 meat ; thirjly, and ye gave me drink -^ ajtrangery 
 and ye took me in. Then Jhall the righteous 
 anfwer unto him, faying : Lord, when faw 
 we thee an hungred, and fed thee ? or thirjly,- 
 and gave thee drink ? It will appear amazmg 
 goodneffe in him, to confider, and reward 
 afts of kindneffe, done to their afflided and 
 neceffitous brethren, as done to himfelf j elpe- 
 cially as they are confcious, that the princi- 
 ple of virtue, from which thofe good works 
 have proceeded, was formed by his care and 
 inftitution, and was owing to that love, 
 wherewith he firfl loved them, in living a 
 life of forrows, and dying a painful death for 
 their fake. 
 
 Xbus 
 
( M) 
 
 Jpfikati. *rhus we have meditated a wiiile upon the 
 feveral parts of this text. And we perceive, 
 the day of Chrifl's fecond coming will be a 
 day of great fplendour and magnificence. And 
 fliall it not be a day of joy unto us ? fhall we 
 not partake in, the glory and triumphs of that 
 time ? This well deferves our confideration. 
 It was a defirable thing, to fee the Saviour of 
 the world, when clothed in the iinlefs infirmi- 
 ties of the human nature. It mufl be much 
 more defirable^ to fee him coming in his 
 glory^ But neither of thefe his comings is of 
 advantage unto all. They were his difciples 
 only, and fuch others, as Attentively heard 
 his words, and received them into good and 
 honeft hearts who were entitled to a blef- 
 Matth. ^"g> ^ ^^^ fays to them t Blejj'ed are your 
 xiii. i6. eyei^ for they Jee ; and your ears, for they 
 hear. So it will be likewife in the time of his 
 fecond coming. He appears to compleat the 
 redemption of thofe only, whole falvatiori 
 was begun here, and who were made meet 
 to be partakers of the inheritance of the fons 
 of God. 
 
 This text leads us to two things, necelfary 
 to our feeing Chrift with joy j that we be 
 
 faints^ 
 
(^5 ) 
 
 faints, and believers; or, that we have a 
 faith, which purifyes the heart, and produces 
 works of righteoufnefle in our lives. So let 
 us be prepared for the coming of the Lord. 
 And let us be diligent, that we may be found of ^ ^''- "'• 
 him in peace, without [pot and blamelefs. Let 
 us be fuch in the frame of our mind, and in 
 all our adions, at every feafon, that we may 
 be ready to meet him, when-ever he comes. 
 Thefe are they, whom Chrift pronounceth 
 blelTed, as before (hewn. His words at length 
 are thefej Blefed are thofefervants, whom the ^"^' "ii. 
 Jjord, when he cometh, Jhallfind watching. 
 Verily I fay unto you, that he will gird himfelf 
 and make them ft down to meat, and will come 
 forth andferve them. And if he ftiall come in 
 the fecond watch, or come in the third watch^ 
 and find themfi, blejjedare thofe fervants. 
 
 May this be our cafe, as we have reafqn to Ue Cha- 
 believeitwas that of our Honoured Paftour, ''" ''^* 
 whofe death we, and many others, now la- 
 ment ! At the fame time we ought to be 
 thankful, that he has been fo long upheld by 
 his Lord and Mafter in his fervice, and parti- 
 cularly, as paftour of this congregation, for 
 the fpace of forty years and upwards : Of 
 
 E which 
 
(.6) 
 
 which relation to this fociety, and the har- 
 inonie that had all along reigned therein, he 
 fpeaks with fatisfadlion m the preface to his 
 Difcourfes on the principal Reprefentatiom of 
 the Mejfiah, throu^oui the Old Teflament : 
 " Recommending them particularly to thofe 
 " of his own charge, to whom he had then 
 " ftood fo long related, and with whom he 
 " had lived in an uninterrupted peace, 
 " and with many marks of a diftinguifh- 
 " ing refpedl : " which is to your, as 
 well as his honour. He concludes that 
 preface with thefe words, fliewing what was 
 the conftant airh of his labours, and what 
 the reward he mofl: defired : " Such as they 
 " are, fays he, I make a humble facrifice of 
 " them to the honour of the bleffed Re- 
 *' deemer, and lay them at his feet : having 
 " no higher ambition in this world, than to 
 " ferve his intereft, and be accepted of him, 
 " nor higher expectation and hope, than to 
 •' be with him, and behold his glory." 
 
 His fermons in the flated courfc of his mi- 
 niftiy were judicious, and practical, filled 
 with juft: fentiments, and texts of fcripture 
 aptly applied ; compofed with great propriety 
 
 of 
 
( ^7 ) 
 
 of exprefflon, and exadneffe of order and 
 method ; fuited to meaner, as w^U as better 
 capacities ; the fruit of much ftudy, and fer 
 rious thought and confideration. The fub- 
 jeds of his preaching were of a large compafle, 
 taking in the general principles of religion, 
 with the grounds and evidences of them, and 
 the important duties of the Chriftian life, re- 
 commended by forcible motives and confide-* 
 rations : Not negleding any of the various 
 wants and exigences of men, but aiming, by 
 proper and well-chofen arguments, to awaken 
 the fecure, quicken the flothfiil, comfort th^ 
 afflicted, and ftrengthen the weak : Nor al- 
 ways laying the foundations of religion, but- 
 carrying on good beginings toward perfedion. 
 Thus, as a faithful fteward and wife over- 
 feer, he divided to every one a portion. How 
 he performed fome other branches of his pa-< 
 ftoral office, many of you rnuft likewife b^ 
 very fenfible, and can bear teftimony to the 
 fidelity and tendern^fi'e, with which he ad-», 
 moniflied, warned, advifed, comforted, in 
 private, as the circumftances of things requirv 
 ed. His performances at the public ordinati- 
 ons of minifters were always greatly efleemed 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 In funeral Jifcourfes, whether for minifters, 
 or other ufeful Chriftians, he had a happy art 
 of giving the beft likenefle without flatterie. 
 His delivery, as you well know, was grave 
 and manly, entirely free from affeftation, 
 with very little aftion, in a word, worthy of 
 himfelf. As his afliftance was much defired 
 in many other places, and his preaching was 
 generally acceptable ; I truft there are many, 
 to whom he has been, under God, the inftru- 
 ment of forming a principle of virtue, and of 
 cherifhing and emproving it by the word of 
 God dilpenfed by him ; who fhall be to him, 
 in the great day, a crown of glory and re- 
 joicing, Notwithftanding the exadlnefle of 
 his own compofitions, he was a candid hearer 
 of others ; and was a true friend, as well as 
 an excellent pattern to younger miniflers, in 
 preaching and in converiation. 
 
 In his family he was a watchful guar- 
 dian, a faithful monitor, an affedlionate 
 friend. 
 
 He had a great command of his temper 
 and his words. He was fcarce ever feen to 
 be angry. He very feldom fayd any thing 
 to the difadvantage of any one. And was 
 
 much 
 
much more apt to commend, than find 
 
 fauh. 
 
 He was a fteady friend. If any^ who 
 flood in that relation to him, came into 
 trouble ; he did not defert them, but liberal- 
 ly relieved, and affectionately comforted 
 them, and perfifted to take care of them un- 
 der continued diftreffes and afBidlions ; though 
 fometimes fome fuch returns were made, as 
 could not be altogether agreeable. 
 
 He was happy in the efteem and refpedt of 
 great numbers of his brethren in the mini- 
 ftry, and many others; men of much read- 
 ing, found judgement, unqucflioned probity, 
 and eminent in their feveral fpheres and Nati- 
 ons. Not now to iniift on the regard fhewa 
 him by thofe of the congregation, to which 
 he was more efpecially related, and in whorn. 
 he had much comfort : which was mention- 
 ed before. 
 
 He fcarce ever loft any friendfhip entirely. 
 For being always mafter of himfelf, he never 
 irritated by hafty and ofFenfive expreflaoijs 
 the difpleafure, which any through prejudice 
 might conceive againft him. And, asr good- 
 will had never ceafed, nor enmity taken place, 
 
 on 
 
(3°) 
 
 on his part, when opportunities offered ; 
 (which were not unlikely to happen, confider- 
 ing his reputation and influence in the world ;) 
 he chearfully performed offices of kindnefle 
 for fuch perfons, or their friends, and there- 
 by laid them under frefh obligations. Thus 
 he overcame evil with good, and regained 
 the love and efteem of thofe, who for a 
 while had been eftranged from him. 
 
 He was a fincere friend of religious and ci- 
 vil liberty. And was always of a catholiq 
 ^irit, loving good Chriftigns of every com- 
 munion. 
 
 Such were his attainments, that it may be 
 well fuppofed he was particularly fitted for 
 the converfation of men of rank, and of ex- 
 tenfive knowledge. But he could condefcend. 
 And in the fociety of meaner perfons he was 
 the fame man j as well-pleafed, and as free 
 and communicative, as in any other j pro- 
 vided he found an inquifitive temper, and 
 fome good underftanding in the things of re- 
 ligion. In thofe feafons he appeared very a- 
 miable to fugh as were attentive, and difpofed 
 to obferve. 
 
 The beft judges have acknowledged the 
 
 pieces 
 
(31 ) 
 
 J)ieces publifhed by him, which confift of fi- 
 veral volumes, and are upon divers fubjedts ana 
 occafions, to be the works of a mafterly hand. 
 How conftant he was in the public fervices 
 of his minifterial office in this place, and how 
 frequent elfewhere, are things well known* 
 And when it is conndered how laboured and 
 finifhed all his compofitions were j and that, 
 befides, he read much, both ancient and mo- 
 dern authors ; had a numerous acquaintance, 
 and a large epirtolary correfpondence ; and 
 that with care he revifed many works of his 
 learned friends, and kindly forwarded fome 
 of them to 'public view, and performed a- 
 bundance of other good offices in private, 
 and had a concern in many great and ufeful 
 deligns of a more public nature j it may be 
 fomewhat difficult to conceive, how he 
 fhould have fufficient time and ftrength for 
 what he did. But he was blefled with a moft 
 ready apprehenfion, which fitted him for 
 quick dilpatch ; and moreover, he loved em- 
 ployment, and could endure long and clofe 
 application. 
 
 But to draw to a conclufion : Dr. Harris 
 may be faid to have excelled among good 
 
 men. 
 
( 30 
 
 men, on account of the number of virtues 
 poflefied by him in a conlpicuous degree, and 
 on account of the great uniformity of his 
 temper and condudt in the feveral occurrences 
 of his life. Among great men, in like man- 
 ner, he had a diftindtion, inafmuch as there 
 have been few, in whom fo many accom- 
 plifhments have met together and been united. 
 And what may ferve to confirm this part of 
 the charadler, however exalted it may appear, 
 is his great reputation in the world, which 
 * began very early, and continued to the laft; 
 not fought by him, but attending him, as the 
 fliadow and concomitant of his merit. 
 
 By the greatneffe of his capacity he was 
 qualified for the higheft flations in life, and 
 might have fliined therein. But it is as glo- 
 rious 
 
 • Dr. Hariis was for a fliort time Affiftant to Mr. Read ia 
 Gravel Lane, Southwark. In 1698. the 23d year of 
 his age, he was chofcn to fucceed the very eminent Mr. Ti- 
 mothy Crufoe in the paftoral care of the congregation in 
 Crouched Fryars, London. In 1703. he was entrufted by the 
 Executors of Mr. Nathanael Taylor with the publication of 
 the poftumous papers of that celebrated preacher ; to which 
 he prefixed a preface, an example of that excellent manner, 
 by which all his writings are diftinguiflied. How great his 
 credit has been of late years, is well known. I add no more. 
 But, for Ibme farther memoirs of Dr. Harris, would refer to 
 the funeral ferraon preached by Dr. Grofvenor. 
 
(.Si) 
 
 1^11$ to d^f]^ great thinly aS; taJeek m^ 
 Qbtai9r<iJ[ieH0K- I^rit;i&a^k>tr^fi.q tjbiiiig, and 
 4^0,^ notj upQn Wstw^r^ adv?«ifeges, Nor 
 i| liisj«iit sW th?j kfe for Qb<$ofing tg fecve Go4, 
 £^ ai^og i»i the >y^y aiefc agreeable to hi& 
 ©wrnji^gf^QBj^^ aiMie0ifea\jettriQg ta be ufo- 
 ^ MUQOg: thffife C3!«iiyarae^ wha were much 
 qCr ^eri^kim ^i9<i w&b hiiaielf i tp whom 
 he has been an orw*09eatt,. aadjwS; he a^ feftr 
 jng Honour, 
 
 The relation ijial ha§ fabi]b[led httw^tn Conduj^ox, 
 this excellent perfon and us, is how diffolved 
 and broken by the ftroke of death. And it 
 becomes us to fubmit our wills to the divine 
 will and pleafure, and to acquiefce in this af-r 
 ilidlive and difcouraging event. But there 
 are alfo other duties incumbent on us. It is 
 a diredion of the Apoftle : Remember them Heb. xiit 
 that have had the rule over yoUy who, have"^ 
 &okento you the word of God: and con/ider^. 
 ing the end of their converfatiotiy their ftedfafl-^ 
 nefle and perfcverance, follmt> their faith^ 
 There is honour and refped: due to the me-^ 
 morie of fuch. And we ought likewife ta 
 imitate their, virtues. We fhould recolledt 
 the inftru<3;ions that have been given us, and 
 
 F coo* 
 
( 54 ) 
 
 tontlnue to follow and bbey them. Wc ar6 
 to be thankful for the bleffing we have en- 
 joyed ; and are alfo to confider, that we havp 
 had a talent, of which we muft give an ac- 
 count. If we fhall be able to give a good ac- 
 count in the end, this will be joyful to thofe 
 who have been our guides and inftruftors, 
 and to ourfelves. Both they and we fliall, 
 then, receive a full reward. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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