Dr. Thomas Manton' s Funeral Sermon. 759 1 TRESS. 4· '7· thelall:Ciaufe. ---- Atld Jo /hall we ever be with the Lord. THE Words are a Confolation, brought by tbe Apo!Ue from the t~ird Heav. m, where he was by extraordinary Priviledge rais'd, and faw and under!l:ood how great an Happinefs it is to be with Chri!l:. And they are addre!l: to 'Believers; to moderate and allay their farrows for the death of thofe Saints, who by their conjunction in Blood or Friendlhip were moll: dear to them. Thus l1e fpeaks in the I 3tb Verfe, I would not bave JOlt be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are ajleep, that J'e forrow not 115 others which have no hope. The Heathens, that were {\rangers to a future !late, and thought that after a lbort courfe through the World, Mankind would be loll: for ever in the Dead-Sea, might wi,th fome pretence abandon themfelves to the extremity of their Paffions. But Chrif\:ians, to whou• ~~n:"J. r;;;';/:.11f..;~:;e;:;:/ t&a:h;e;J!~\:;h;~~~OV,~it~l1~ef;~~ ~~de~d~ fl{d wiU bring with hit•t, are forbifl upon the moll: weighty Reafons, to indulge their Grief in excefs. The Union between Chri!l and Believers is inviolable; and from thence it follows, they !ball be partakers with him in his Glory. The Soul immediately after Death foal/ be with Chrifl . Whiles the Body repofes in the Grave, 'tis in his Prefence ;~1~'l,!sa~i~~i~~~l}f;~~ :,~:J~~i~sv~}a;~~Y{~~~~~h~nfe~~;;;u~~~lls~~~lf1~~~ef~~~ from the dark Prifon of the Grave, and be lbarers with their Souls in Immortal Glory. . This cmifummate Happinefs of the Saints, the Apollle alfures from the higheft ~~~~~~~~~h,':~g~'t.nt:~~;;,;;~u~:i:;;.cri~:r 7J,: £~~0h~~1.l}fi";;ndifce~dfto~ Heavw with a Shout, with the Voice of a.n Arch-Angel, and with theTr~tmp of God; and the Dead i1t Chrift Jb_all rife jirft. Then we which are a~ive, an~ remai1t, jbaO be caught 11p together with them m the Cloud.t, to meet the Lord m the Atr; dndfo fhaU we ever be with the Lord. Then Death, the Jafr Enemy, fo fearful and feared by Men, !ball be dc!lroyed. And the Captive Prince of the World, with all the powers ofDarknefs, and all other Rebellions Sinners that obllinately joyn'd with him, !ball be brought in Chains before his dreadful Tribunal: and after the great Afr of the Univerfal Judgment !ball be comple~ted, then all ~he Sai~ts f!Jall make their triumphant Entry with the Captain of thetr SalvatiOn, mto Ius Kmgdom, and JhaU ever be with the Lord. foai~: &~~;fc~lt~r~~~:~~fu;~ap~;ei':t~:~r!}e,~~:~j[Ir~J~ints after the RefurrerJion To make this fupernatural Blelfednefs more eafie and intelligible to us, the Scrip- . ture defcribes it by fenfible Reprefentations. For whil!l the Soul is cloath'd with Flelb, Fancy has fuch a Dominion, that we can conceive of nothing but by Comparifons and Images taken from material things. 'Tis therefore fet forth by a Feafr, and a Ki"gdom, to fignifie the Joy and Glory of that State. But to prevent all grofs conceits ; it tells us that the Bodies of the Saints !hall be fpiritual, not capable of Hunger and Thir!l, nor confequently of any Refre!hment that is caufed by the fatisfaC\ion ofthofe Appetites. The objects ofthe mofrnoblefenfes, Seeingand Hearing, the pleafure ofwbich ismix'dwithReafon, and not common to the Brutes, are more frequently made ufe of to reconcile that glorious State to the proportion of our Minds. Thus fomctimes the Blelfed are reprefented plac'd ott Thrones with Crowns on their head,;; fomatimes cloathed in White, with Ptllnu in their hands; fometimes fi~- ~~~lft~n~} ~t;i~errife~::c/'f~fi~t;gt~x~~:t,e ~tr~h~fea"/.i~~ ~~:~:h~;~ur.He~~~! ~ lelfenecl by Comparifons from earthly things. The Apo{\Je who was dignify' cl with the Revelation of the Succclfes that !ball happen to the Church till Time lhallbe no more, tells us, It doct not appear what we fhaU be in Eternity. The things that God h.u prepared for tl>ofe that love him, arc far more above the highe!l: afcent of our thoughts, than the Marriagc-Fea!l of a great Prince exceeds in fplendour and magnificence the imagination .of one that has alw3ys liv'd in an obrcure Village, and never faw any ~~~~~l~~~st~ft~:~t~o~~~t~a~~d :;n~:,~~~~a~1f~gs~'VeB~~nf~h~cl,f~~';[~;~~r:a~~~ F ffff able
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