Manton - BX8915 M26 1684 v1

86 S E A M O N S upon the et. Serm. V. to be in danger to fin, again, Well then we learn two things hence. 1. That when a ChriJtian dyeth, he is not extinguifhed. He is but unclothed, and his Mortality is fwallowed up of Life. That whtiih we call Death 'tis but a diffolution, not a deftruûion: A fepa "rating ofthe Soul from the Body, for a while: Neither Soul nor Body is Annihilated. 'Tis a Journey to a better world, called alto a fleep inScripture. The Death of the Beafls is not called a fleep. Your flefh refteth in hope, 'J-fat.. 16. so. While the Soul injoyeth God,Chrift is the guardian ofyour duct ; and rauft fee it forth coming at the laftday; which is a comfort to us in a dying hour : a Chriftian can fee Life in Death,when his friends about him are waiting for the laft gafpe, he is waiting for Eter- nity; when they are crying out, Oh he dyeth ! Yet he can fay, Yet I know that my Redeemer liveth, and with theft Eyes (hall Iles. him at the lag day. idly. It may quicken us to a contempt of this Life, and a defire of that which is Eternal. Mortality is the difgrace of all fublunary comforts, and the prefent Life is of little value, were it not for the reference it hath to God and Eternity : Becaufe we mull foon lay it down. But then we fhall be for ever with our Saviour, and behold his Glory, injoy the clear vifion of God, and be ravilhed with his beauty, and be filled with Eter- nal joy and delights, and be fecureofour Eternal Bleflednefs ; all Tears fhall be wiped from our Faces, and we Mall neverforrow any more. Noevil that can be feared, .tisall come near us, all good fhall abound there ; the light of Gods Eternal favour fhall Thine upon us in its full ftrength, and the ffreams of Eternal goodnefs Mall ever flow from God and the Lamb. Thefe things we believe now, but the injoyment will exceed all that man can conceive. TheFourth Propofition is, That in this life we fhall be clothed again with our Bodies, and our Bodies with Everlaft- ing Glory. For therefore the Saints would not be wholly unclothed, but clothed upon. And the expreflion of mortality being fwallowed up ofLife dothmainly concern the Body, that is our o-ó Swnzàv; the Soul isan immortal being. Now the reafons are thefe. 1. The man cannot k compleatly happy, till the Body be railed again. The Soul alone doth not conflitute Humane Nature, or that being which may be called man. The Body cloth effentially concur to the conflitution of man as well as the Soul. Therefore the Soul, though it be Spirit, and can live apart, yet it was not made to live apart for ever, but to live in the Body, and fo remaineth awiddow, as it were, till the Body be railed up and united to it : 'Tis without its mate and companion, fo that it remaineth deflitute of half its felf, which though it may be born for a while, yet not for ever. idly. 'Tis agree- able to theWifdam, 3aJlice, andGoodnefs of God, that the Body which had its flare in the work, fhould have its (hare in the reward. 'Tis the Body which is moft gratified in fin, and the Body which is molt pained in obedience. What is it that was wearied, and tyred, and endured all the labours and troubles of Chriftianity t Therefore the Body that is the Souls Sifterand Coheir, is tolhare with it in its Eternal Eftate whatfoever it be; before that the wicked are but in part punifhed, and the Godly in part rewarded There is a time when God will deal with the wholeman. idly. The /late of thofe than dye, will not be worfe then the fate of thofe that are only changed at (brills coming. The Bodies are not deftroyed,but perfedted the fubftanceispreferved, only endued with new qualities. Now there would be a difparity, among the glorified, if force fhould have theirßodies,others not. 4thly. In the Heavenly eflate there are many objefis which can only be difcerned by our Bodily fenfs. The Humane Nature of Chrift, the beauty of the Hea- venly place, or Manfion of the Bleffed, with other the works of God; which certainly are offered to our contemplation: Now if God find obje&s, he will find faculties. How fhall we fee thofe things, which are to be feen, hear thofe things, which are to be heard, unlels we have Bodies, and Bodily fenfes, 5thly. As Cbrifiwas taken into Heaven, Jo we: For we thall bear the Image oldie Heavenly. He carryed no other flefh into Hea- venbut what he affumed from the Virgin ; that very Body, which was carryed in her womb, which was laid down as a facnfice for fin, that very Body was carryed into Hea- ven, Phil. 3. z I. The Body that is fubjeEtto fo many infirmities, that is harraffed and worn out with labours, expofed to fucli pains and fufferings, even that Body,fhall be like Chrifts Glorious Body, d Cor. 15. 43, 44. It fhall not be decayed with Age, nor wafted with ficknefs, nor need the fupplies of meat and drink, nor be fubjed to painsand Aches, &c. Well then let us ferve God Faithfully, 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye Jledfafl, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the-Lord, 'oral-much as ye know thatyour Labour is not in vain in the Lord. S E R-

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=