ANANAMAN AN coope 1 THESS. iv. 13, 14. But I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are afleep, that ye forrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jefus died and rofe again, even fo them alfo which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. T HE melancholy Air that fits on every Countenance, and the fad Solemnities that attend our meeting at this time, give fufficient Intimation of what I am come about: I need not tell you that it is to preach a Funeral Sermon, and whose Death has given me the forrowful Occafion; for the deceafed Gentleman's Worth was fo well known, and the want of him is fo much felt, that the Court, the City, and the Church of God are not a little fenfible who it is that is ravish'd from them. D 3 This This fudden and furprizing Providence reprefents the Frailty of Human Nature, and the neceffity of an early and conftant Prepa1 Cor. 7.31. ration for the other World: For this World and the Fashion of it paffes away. Its Glory and Inhabitants vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Lord, how vain a thing is Man! how little is he to be accounted of, feeing his Breath is in his Noftrils, and may be ftopt by a thoufand Accidents, and his Soul let out at the leaft Pore of his Body! Yet fo great is the Stupidity that has feiz'd on the World, that most People are are for putting the evil Day far from 'em, as only fit to be thought on by the Sick and the Aged: tho they know not what a Day may bring forth; and tho they cannot but be inform'd by the Records of the Grave, that there are more drop into it in their full ftrength, while Job 21. 24. their Bones are moiftned with Marrow, than there are that arrive to a good old Age before they make their Bed in darkness. : Indeed there are none fo wretchedly fceptical as to deny, or disbelieve that they are mortal, or that feriously think they fhall never go to the House appointed for all living: yet the generality of the World live as if they were never to die and I confefs of the two, it seems to me a greater inftance of Madness and Folly, to think we shall die, and not prepare for it, than to imagine we are immortal, and fo uncapable of dying. So that upon the whole, a Man cannot give a better Evidence of true Wifdom, than by making his Preparation for Death the great bufinefs of his Life, for Death we are fare will come, but at what time we know not: not: therefore 'tis the most reafonable thing in the World that we should be always ready. I little thought that he who was worshipping of God in this place this day month, would fo foon have funk down to the Duft of Death; and indeed God only knows which of us shall take the next turn to the Sepulcher. I know 'tis impoffible to mention this, but there will be a very strong Emotion in most Minds; to calm which, a recourse to my Text is the most proper Remedy that I know of For I would not have you to be ignorant, Bre thren, &c. 'Tis not improbable but that the Death of fome Perfons in the Theffalonian Church might occafion St. Paul to addrefs himself to the Survivors (as in the words of the Text) that he might arm 'em against the Fears of Death, and moderate their exceffive Mourning for the Dead. In the words I obferve these three Parts: I. The Apostle's extraordinary care to inform the Theffalonian Chriftians concerning the State of their dead Friends: But I would not We have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them that are asleep... J II. A Diffuafive from immoderate Sorrow, upon the Death of those that are pious; That ye › forrow not even as others that have no hope. Ill. The Arguments the Apostle ufes to prevont exceffive Mourning for the dead in Chrift The firft is taken from the nature of their Death, tis defcribed under the foft Character of a Sleep. The fecond is fetch'd from what fhall follow this Sleep; they fhall be awaken'd in the morning of the Refurrection: Thofe that fleep in Jefus, will God bring D 4 with with him. Which the Apostle not only afferts, but proves: For, fays he, if we believe that Jefus died and rofe again, q. d. if there be any folid reafon for our believing the Death and Refurrection of Chrift, then we have an infallible affurance of the revival of all that die united to him: Thofe that fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. I fhall briefly treat of these three General Heads, and then make fome Application futable to my Text, and the folemn and fad Occafion of difcourfing from it. I. The Apostle's extraordinary care to inform the Theffalonian Chriftians concerning the ftate of their deceased Friends: But I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are afleep. Those words feem to im port, that the Apostle apprehended divers of thefe Chriftians to be under fome mistakes with respect to their dead Friends: And 'tis thought that their Perfecutors had fhock'd 'em in their Faith about the Refurrection of the Body. For we know, that the Greek Philofophers, as well as the Sadduces among the Jews, did explode and ridicule this great Doctrine; which they perform'd with fo much Art and Subtilty, that fome Members of the Primitive Church doubted, - whilst others affirm'd there was no Refurrection. And this feems to be the occafion of their exceffive Sorrow, they looking upon their dead Friends not only as remov'd out of the World, but as loft for ever (as to their Bodies at least.) And their Perfecutors, that they might increase their Infidelity and their Sorrow at the fame time, when they put the Chriftians to to death for the Cause of Christ, did it in such ways, as might have the appearance at least of destroying and annihilating the Matter that compos'd their Bodies: Sometimes committing 'em to the Flames, and fcattering their Ashes in the Air and in Rivers, that their furviving Friends might conclude it was impoffible they should ever rife again: At other times they were devour'd by wild Beasts, or elfe thrown as a Prey to the Fishof the Sea; and all this to fupprefs the Belief of the Refurrection. Now whether thefe Enemies to the Chriftian Doctrine did imagine by these Methods to annihilate the Matter of the Human Body, or fo to scatter or confound thefe Particles of Duft, as to render it impoffible for God to recollect and range 'em in their due Place and Order, fo as to compofe the fame Human Body; 'tis equally abfurd. The former is very unphilofophical, for 'tis impoffible by any method in the World to annihilate Matter: indeed its Form may be destroy'd, and it may receive a variety of new Figures; it may be differently modified ten thousand times, but cannot be annihilated by the Arts of any Creature under Heaven. With respect to the latter, 'tis impious and atheistical, for it fuppofes a defect either in the Knowledg or Power of God, or both; which is as vain as to fay, there is no God: for we cannot frame a becoming Idea of a Deity, without conceiving him clothed with every Perfection, and as poffeffing of 'em infinitely, So that allowing there is fuch a Being as God, that is Omniscient and Almighty, 'tis as rational to believe he can recollect these difperfed Atoms again, as unite 'em in their first Production. For all things are poffible to God, who |