Dr. Thomas Manton's Funeral ~ermon. ;!,~ fame R.ace, and (\lal\ enjoy the fame Reward. Here the Body is the Confort of the Soul in Obedience and Sufferings? hereafter in Fruition. When the Crown of Purity, or Palm of Ma rtyrdom fita\1 be given b,r the great J udge in the View of all, 1 hey !ball both par take in the honour. Of thiS we have an earne!l: m the Refurrel lion of Chrift in his true Body, who ;s the jirfl-fmtt of them that flecp, 1 Cor. 15. flej!.•aU cbangc o::r vile B9dics, t h(l t they may be jftjbioued like to his gloriotH Body, tlCCOr- ;~~~ 1~ ~~~bn~;~:·;~) ot:r~dr:;:~~o~~e~:ttt ~~i~e i~ct~~~~t~fi~~~.I~h~~~:: ~~;f~{;i~?~~ Pride of this World, tltat is but in appea rance, like the fal[e Colours pa inted on the Feathers of a Dove by the reAcltion of the Light, wh ich prefently vanifi1, when it changcth its po!l:ure, or the Light is withdrawn. Indeed what can be more glorious than to be conform'd to t he Human ity of Chri!l:, t he Seat of all Beauty and Perfetl:ion. This Conformity fhall be the Work of his own Hands. And when Omnipotence intcrpofes, nothing is difficDlt. The raifing the Body to an unchangeable State of Glory, is as eafie to the Divine Power, as the forming it at the fir!l: in the Womb. As the Sun labours no more in the Mines in the forming Gold and Silver, the moll: precions and durable Metals, than in the Produltion of a poor fhort-liv 'd Flower. 11. The Soul !ball be made perfetl: in all its Faculties. 1. The Underflanding fhall clearly fee the moll: excellent Objelts. Now we know bJtt i11 part, 1 Cor. ' 3· The naked Beauty of Divine Things is vail'd, and of impollible difcovery. And the weaknefs of the Mind is not proportionable to their dazling brightne[s. But when that which is perfelt is come, then that which ;sin part f/MU he done .trrMy. In that enlightned fiate, the glorious mar.ife!l:ation of the Objelts fim!l as much exceed the cleare!l: revealing of them here, as the Sun in its full lu!l:re, oqe Beam of Light !l:rain'd through a Crevice in the Wall. Arid the Undcrflanding fhall be prepar'd to take a full View of them. Therefore the Apo!l:lc compares the [everal Periods of the Church, in re\peB: of the degrees of Knowledge, : ~~~h[;J,"rj~t~;~t0! ~l'&i~J~· bu~::.!Ibec:;:i~d'J/t,t:t :;~1'2h;]J.;;,;;t:;~ In Children the Organs, either from an excefs of moi!l:ure, or their fmallnefs, are indifpofed for the vigorous exercife of the Mind : Come firiB:ures of R.cafon appear, ~a~se~a.~i ~~:~g~o ;~~~~ j;~ Jp~~p~r~fo~~~d~~~p:~~~~~~J~~~~~i d i~;l~~~;~~s~~~n~tl; and Activity. All things of a fupernatural Order fimll then be clearly difcovered. The contrivance of our Salvation, the ways of conducting us to Bleffednefs, which are Objetl:s of a fublime N~ture, ":ill afford anexquifite Pleafure to the Under!l:anding. All the fecrets of our R.edemptton fhall be unfealed. The great Myjlcry ofGodlimfs, the Incarnation of the Eternal Son, and his according Juflice with Mercy, !hall then be tr\'~~r~~~·nd~}~~ ~~~ia:, ~~~~;'~/~~~c;er~;nfu~\'~e.~~j~\,~r: ~~~ ~~rd~~r~1!,~~ the Reafons of them are pall: finding out. But what our Saviour fa id to Peter, What I do, tho1e knoweft not 11ow, b11t jh11.lt know here~fl er, is applicable to thefe impenetrable Difpen[ations. All the original Fountains of Wifdom, as clear as deep, fhall ~~~~: i~p~~d~; to';;'~r~~r~~~nF~~fdt~~ B~~t~~! r:;~:~~~~::ti~~~~~f, ~=~:~~~ Knots of that curious Embroidery : But then the whole Work !ball be unfolded, the ;y;f:t:~r~;Jo~~~ ~~~o~:;p~~~t:CK~J~i~~ I%o~':~~~i~~~~ z~::~am:kl:a~,w!,~:;,~~~ the Strong came Sweetne,P. For we Jba/1 know as we are knuwn. We flu/! fee God. Our' Saviour tells us, Th;s ;s Lift Eternal, to k110w thee the only t r.e God, and Jef~n Chrijl whom thOle haft font. The beginning and perfeltion of our Happine[s confi!l:s in·this Knowledge. The Deity is fpiritual and invifibleto the Eye of the Body, infinite and incomprehenfible to the Soul. But we fhaU then fo clearly ~~·~~~~~~i~1~l~ed~:~i;:t::;~~~~~~~n t!l~l~fs: r;~~~~: ~~~;v~~~!eof'~~a:;1~~ f~a:i,~s~~~ tJve Beauty of his Face. God is mofl gloriouOy pre[ent in Heaven. For according to the degrees of excell ence in the Work, fucl1 are the Imprellions and Difcoveries of the Virtues of the Cau[e. Now all fenfible things in the low order of Nature, are but weok re[ultances from his Perfeltions, in comparifon of their illuflrious Effetl:s 1n the Divi ne World. The Glories of the Place, and of the Inhabitants, the Angels and Soints, cl early exprefs his Maje!l:y, Go6dnefs and Power. But in a tranfccndcnt manner he exhibits him[elf in the glorified Mediator. He is !l:iled the BrightF ffff :l nefl
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=