Dr. Thomas Manton'r Funeral Sermon. he pnrfue the pleaflm of Si11,which if b"utfor afoafon? An Ambitious Perfon, with what an intemperate he1~ht of Paffion does he chafe a feather? A Covetous Man, how greed il y does he profecute the Advanta!\es of the prC[e11t World that paffi' aiMJ and rhe Lufts thereof? Ab! how do they upbraid our ind ifferent Defires, or dull D~lays and cold Endeavours, whenjitch an high Prize is fet before us? Who is able to con: ceive the excefs ofPieafure the Soul feels when it firft enters t hrough the beautiful Gate ofParadife, and fees before it that incomprehenfibl e Glory, and hears a Voice from Him that fits upon the Throne,. Enter into thy Mafier's ]oy, for. ever to be happy wrth hml ? The fenous behef of tins Wlll draw forth all our achve P()wers in the Service ofGod. The feeding by lively thoughts on this fupernatural Food, will add new vigor and luftre to our Graces, and make ourVifrory eafy over the World. Ifwe bl'lieve indeed that our, Bodies fi1all be fpirit ual, and our Souls divine in their pertechons, It WJII make us refolute to fubdue the R.cbel flefh, and refcue the captlv'd Spirit from al l Intanglements of Iniquity. Having the promifo off11ch an exceUcnt ReWttrd, let 111 always abomtd in the J1fork oft he Lord. ~ 3· The lively hope of this Blelfednefs is powerful to fupport us under the greate!l: Troubles can befalus in this our mortal Condition. Here we are tofl: upon the alternate waves of Time, but hereafter we fhall arrive at the Port, the blelfed Bofom of ~~fn~~~;~'f,~e~~~efsnttl~ti~a~~~uL<;;~~/ ;;;t f,;[p{;1~:v~n~' ~~;,~'of"~~;~~~~~ f""y : Wefha/1 ever be with the Lord. Well might the Apofl:le add immediately after, t herefore comfort one another with thefe words. · . More particularly. They are a Lenitive to moderate our Sorrows upon the departure of our dearefl: friends, who die in the Lord: for they afcend from this Valley of Tears, to the happy Land of the Living. ·What Father is fo deferred ofR.eafon, as to bear impatiently the parting with his Son, that goes over a narrow part·of the Sea, to a rich and pleafant Country, and receives the invefl:iture and peaceable poffefiion of a Kingdom? Nay, by how much the fl:ronger his Love is, fo much the more tranfporting is his Joy : efpecially if he expcfrs fhortl y to be with him, to fee him on the Throne, in the fl:ate of a King, and to partake of his Happinefs. If then it be impoffible to Nature to be grieved at the felicity of one that is loved; according,to what Principie of Nature or faith do Believers fo uncomfortably lament the Death of friends, of whom they have alfurance that after their leaving our Earth, ~1{; eg~~ ~~;~~~ ~:~~~l:~~~i~ii~Y!~'Jj~,r~:~~e'~~;w:o,~~~~j.Jc,:r~~a~f:if}.~:fj .~o to my Father , to fit down at his R.ight-hand in Majefl:y. A pure Affection direfrly terminates in the happinefs and exaltation of the Perfon that is loved. I am not fpeaking againft the exercife of tender Affetlions on the lofs of our dear Friends ; and the penfive feeling of God's Hand in it; which is a natural and necelfary Duty. There is a great difference between Stupidity and Patience : but violent Paffion, or unc~~}:ft~~~ ~~~~~i~g ~f~l~~ ~~;~::~:~~n~1~e~:t~~~~n°t~~r~~~~'~}~l:~re~1~:!: wherein at funeral Solemnities a train of Mourning Women attended the Corps, ~~~~:ng,~~~~r ro~:!,~~~h~~fti~~d ;.:r:zga~dt i:~l~i~~ ~he,t:r~~~r~!~;h~~~p::~~et~~;: Enemie.r i1t fo tJittny Battles and Vii1ories by the Blootf: aml Death of _the Martyrs, holD <rt th01t COIItradi/Jed by the pra/Jice ofthe{e who profofl thee itt wordd Is thi< not to he Jorrowftl"' thofe that have no hope? Are the{e the affi/Jiom, the exprelfiom ofone that he• lievu the bleffidneji ofImmortal Lift i What wiU the Heathen' J'dy? How roiU they he ind11c'd to believe the Promifu ofChriji to hi< Servmt> ofaglorioH' Kingdom, when thllje who arefo i" title, behave themfelvu asifthey had11o jiedfofi Faith in them? 4· The hopes of this blelfed State, is able to free us from the fear of Death. This lafl: Enemy gives a hot Alarm to Mankind, both as it deprives them of all that is pleafant here, and for the terrible Confequences that attend it. To the EyeofSenfe, a dead Body is a fpefracle of fearful Appearance. He that a little before heard, and difconrs"d, and with a chearful Air convers'd and enjoy'd the World, now is dead, and all his Senfes in him : the Eyes are dead to light, and the Ears to founds, th• Tongue to words, the Heart to feel any affections, and the Countenance to difcover them : nothing remains but filence, horrour, and corruption. Befides, after Death comu ]11dgmmt, and a State of unrelenting Torments to the Wicked. .But a [rue Believer that has been obedient to his Saviour, fees things by another Light than that e f Senfe, and has living hopes in his dying Agonies. He knows that Deat!~ to the Saints is but a ll ecp: and while the Body refl:s in the Grave, the Soul IS as 1t wero •11
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