pede AOS aT Oe Ne OT ete Heeette Chante eracgeasaoesiet Shannen joroeen toitetn rapa Lion nsontadewtin peer nn ents | (* — rt eke oT: DUKE UNIVERSITY DIVINITY SCHOOL LIBRARY ON THE MUCH LAMENTED DEATH OF MR. EBENEZER GRANT MARSH, r TUTOR, AND PROFESSOR ELECT OF LANGUAGES AND ECg CLESIASTICAL HISTORY, s IN YALE COLLEGE ; In the 27th year of his age: PREACHED AT WETHERSFIELD, WHO DIED NOVEMBER 16, 1803, ON LORD'S DAY, NOVEMBER 20, BEING THE DAY AFTER HIS FUNERAL. NS BY JAMES DANA, D. D. PASTOR OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN NEW*HAVEN, SSS eS © fallacem hominum fpem, fragilemque fortunam, et inanes noftras contentiones! que in medio fpatio fepe franguntur et corruunt ; aut ante in ipfo curfu obruuntur, quam portum confpicere potuerunt, CICERO, —{5 3; €D 3s ae HARTFORD: PRINTED BY HUDSON & GOODWIN. 1803. ‘A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. * PSALM xvii. 15. AS FOR ME, I WILL BEHOLD THY FACE IN RIGHTEOUS= NESS 5; I SHALL BE SATISFIED, WHEN I AWAKE WITH THY LIKENESS. Iw this and fome preceding verles, David defcribes his perfecutors, invokes the divine interpofition, and _ exprefles his own fupport and hope. « “*’Anfe, O- “ Lord,—deliver my foul from the wicked, who “ are thy fword ; from men who are thy hand, O “ Lord ; from men of the world, who have their <¢ portion in this life; and whofe belly thou filleft “¢ with thy hid treafure; their children are full, “¢ and they leave the reft of their fubftance to their “ babes. As for me, I will behold thy face in right- “ eoufnefs ; I fhall be fatisfied, when I awake with “ thy likenefs.”” The comparifon here made between a portion on earth and in heaven might lead us to inquire dif- tinétly into the nature of each—examine the char- acter of the fubje€ts—and eftablifh the conclufion, that a fatisfying happimefs lies in the approbation and enjoyment of God. But, waving the difcuffion of thefe points, we will attend to the aims and hopes of David as exprefled in the text. The time to 488287 8 A FUNERAL DIS€OURSE. ‘«* whom God.imputeth righteoufnefs without works, “© faying, Blefled are they whofe tranfgreflions are ‘* forgiven, and whofe fins are covered. Bleffed is «¢ the man to whom the Lord will not impute fin.” Paul was a good commentator on the words of David, and had the fame view of the way of right- eoufnefs. _‘‘ Godis in Chrift reconciling the world * to himfelf, not imputing unto them their trefpaf- “¢ fes. For He hath made him, who knew no fin, “ to bea fin-offering for us, that we might be made ‘* the righteoufnefs of God in him.” . It hence follows, that, by righteoufne/s, David could intend no other than the righteoufneds of faith, of which the law and prophets teftified. <“ Thou “6 fpakeft in vifion to thy holy One, and faidft, I “¢ have laid help on One who is mighty. | Bleffed ‘* are the people who hear the joyful found: They ¢ fhall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy counte- “ nance. In thy name fhall they rejoice all the ‘¢ day, and in thy righteoufnefs fhall they be ex- “¢ alted.”” : Fi. Had David placed any dependance on theatone- ments of the law for juftification, why did he fay, Thou defireft not facrifice, elfe would I give it? The covenant of better hopes was his whole confidence, the joy of his heart in all his affli€tions, the fupport of his laft moments. He looked for the bleffings of this covenant on the terms of faith and repentance. “© Behold, thou defireft truth in the inward parts. «< Create in me a clean heart, @ God! and renew “ aright fpirit within me. The facrifices of God ‘¢ are a broken {pirit, a’ broken and contrite heart, « O God, thou wilt not defpife.” He found no reft, but in confefling his fin with inward fhame and contrition. Thofe are juftified by grace thro’ faith, who are reconciled to God in Chrift, and heirs according to the hope of eternal life; who are renewed in right- eoufnefs and holinefs. ‘* Whom he did foreknow, ** he alfo did predeftinate to be conformed to the im- 4 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 9 *<_ age of his Son—who gave himfelf for us, that he ** might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to ‘¢ himfelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”’ His difciples are not conformed to this world: Their converfation is in heaven. ‘Their treafure and heart arethere. ‘ The fpirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath ** made them meet to become partakers of the in- ‘¢ heritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that ** fadeth not away.” The righteoufnels of the faints is at prefent blend- ed with imperfection. The fpirit and flefh maintain a conflict. They have to work out falvation with fear and trembling. Sometimes their mental dark- nefs is great. It is a rare privilege to be exempt from mifgivings. In this probationary ftate, there are many obftacles to faith and holinefs; ftrong prejudices ; potent corruption within; fnares and allurements without; the prince of darknefs hath great power. Compafled with infirmity, fubje& to like paffions, thofe, in whom Chrift is formed, may be wearied and faint—impatient to know what the Father hath kept in his own power. Their declen- fions fometimes call for bitter repentance. When. a faint fhall behold the face of God in heaven, how improved will his character be? how altered his views? I fha!l behold thy face in right- eoufnefs—be changed into the fame image, from glory to glory, according to the meafure of my im- mortal powers—know affuredly that thou art my reconciled God, and live in the eternal enjoyment of thy fmiles. Or I fhall appear before thee in the righteoufnels of the Holy and Fuft One. “ Thou art “ well pleafed for nis righteoufnefs’ fake.”” In him thou wilt own me as thine—ranfomed by his blood —to be prefented by him without fpot. The Holy Spirit having enlightened, purified and refined my foul, I will plead before thy throne the perfect righteoulnefs of the Mrpiator. fo A’ FUNERAL DISCOURSE: & Il, Our fubjeét mentions, THIRDLY, the affump-- tion of a divine likenefs. I shalt be fatisfied, when- I awake with THY LIKENESS. ha ad scnglogy § i » The great fimilarity of this language to that of St. John, 1. Epiftle iii. 2. fhews that David and the apoftle refer to the fame fubjeét, and mean the fame thing. < It doth not yet appear what we thall be : « But we know that, when he fhall appear, we fhall “« be like him ; for we fhall fee him as heis.” The apoftle fpeaks of the glorious appearance of Jefus Chrift. David, being a prophet, forefaw and fore- told the refurreGtion, afcenfion, kingdom and glory of the Messtan. When he {peaks of “* awaking « in his likenefs,”” the fame period, and the fame thing, are intended as St. John expreffeth in the words, ** We fhall be like him; for we thall fee * him as he is.” We attempt not to defcribe what _ is indefcribable ; to explain what is incomprehenfi- ble. It doth not yet appear-what it is to be like him, to fee him as he is. ‘Fhe apoftle doth no more than aflure the children of God, that, at the fecond: coming of Chrift, they fhall be like him, now that he is raifed to immortal life ; and fee him in all his. glory—fee him as their Saviour and everlafting friend.. But of this vifion and likenefs our prefent faculties can form no conception. ys! Paul faith, ‘© When Chrift, who is our life, fhalt © appear, then fhall ye alfo appear with him in << glory.” . He defcribes true Chriftians as dead _and rifen with Chrift ; having their “ affection fet’ *< on things above, not on things on the earth. If « we have been planted together in the likenefs of «¢ his death, we fhall be alfo in the likenefs of his “ yefurrection.”” No ftate or qualities of the Chrif- tian on earth can correfpond to the likenefs of Chrift, which fhall be afflumed upon his awaking from the grave to the refurrection of life. - When it is afked, With what body will juft men rife ? the only anfwer is, With a /piritual body. A FUNERAL DISCOURSE. ue of “6 It is raifed in incorruption—in glory—in power.” Such will be the difference between ‘the refurrection body and the prefent weak, corruptible, vile body 5 this body of /umiliation. But it doth not appear what the fpiritual body is—what the incorruption, glory and power. We mutt be content with general affurances. Caught up into the third heavens, Paul knew not whether he was in the body or out. No human voice could utter the words he heard. ‘The ‘three witnefles of our Lord’s transfiguration bebeld his glory, the glory as of the onxx BEGOTTEN of the Father—emblem of his majefty, when he fhall come “in power and glory to judge the world. Maiah had a fimilar view of his glory. . - In thefe.and other miraculous inftances, the man- ifeftation feemed to overbear the human frame. If a glimpfe of his glory made fuch impreffion, its full fplendor can be.endured only by a transformation into the likenefs of his refurrettion. The redemp- tion of the body from the bondage of corruption is the glorious liberty, the manifeftation, of the fons of God. “The afflembled univerfe will behold them as the ran- - fomed of the Lord ; brought to glory by the captain of their falvation, who, to this end, was made perfect thro? fufferings. Corruption cannot inherit incor- ruption. TWence the neceflity of .awaking in his likenefs. It is effentially requifite to the enjoyment of that world. The body being a part of our compound nature, we cannot be completely blefled without. But in order to this, it muft be changed from natural to fpiritual, from corruptible to incorruptible, from vile to glorious. For the prefent body is a prifon to an immortal mind. . The immortal. principle, embodied in an hou/e of clay, which is crufhed before the moth, perceives only thro’ the medium of organs, which are capable of admitting no other than ‘¢ lim- <¢ ited fenfations.” But if the body, which now fetters the faculties of the foul, will be reftored from the grave, and put on immortality, it may be fo far 12 4 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. from limiting and obftruéting the faculties of the * foul, fo far from diminifhing and wins te pleaf- ures, that it will contribute to intelle€tual and moral improvement. So great will be the alteration, when this earthly houfe fhall be exchanged for the eternal building of God in heaven—the celeftial body, in the likenefs of him, who, “ being raifed from the “¢ dead, dieth no more—hath the keys of hell and “* death, having deftroyed him who had the power “< of death, and delivered thofe who thro’ fear of it “ were fubjeé&t to bondage.” Awaking in his like- nefs, tho’ it tranfcends our conceptions, is a general affurance, that an immortal body, united to an im- mortal foul, will add to the perfection and blifs of - juft men. We may implicitly believe him, who, being in the form of God, humbled himfelf, was found in fafhion asa man, and made like unto us in all things, fin excepted, that we might be’ like unto him in purity and immortality. ‘ Look to ~ “« him, who, for the joy fet before him, became “< obedient to the death of the crofs—whom there- ** fore God hath highly exalted,—that in the name << of Jefus every knee might bow, and every tongue << confefs him Lord.” ‘This may give fome idea of eternal redemption—the perfe@tion and blifs of thofe who fhall have part in the refurreCtion of the jut. clingy 't IV. We therefore propofed, in the lait place, to fuggeft a few thoughts on the perfeétion of their future happinefs. J sw4rz BE SATISFIED, when awake with thy likenefs. ; fos We mutt contemplate the fubje& with much hu- mility. Wecannot look within the vail, whither Sefus the fore-runner is for us entered. Affared as we are, that, when he fhall appear, the fons of God fhall be like him, and fee him as he is ; and it not yet appearing what they fhall be, our fupreme concern is to feek the qualifications for that world, of which ~ , 4 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. 13 no abftraét contemplation can give us an idea to be compared with the poffeffion. ~ « When the foul is /atisfied, it has‘ reached the fummit of its wifhes. But it muft know, that this fatisfa€tion will be perpetuated and undiminifhed— that its enjoyments fhall always be proportioned to its faculties. Such fatisfa€tion David did not look for on earth—no, not under any gladnefs from the light of God’s countenance. He fpeaks of a fatis- © fa&tion to be derived from an immediate view of God. His happinefs would be perfectly fatisfac- tory, when he fhould appear before God complete in righteoufnefs, bearing the likenefs of the Saviour in immortality of body and mind united. Saints on earth have prefent experience of the fpecial love of God ; and the fulleft affurance that he will be all that to them, will do all that for them, which they need. “ They look to him, and are. “¢ lightened ; and their faces are not afhamed. «¢ My foul is fatisfied as with marrow and fatnefs, “and my mouth fhall praife thee with joyful lips. «© Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is <¢ none upon earth that I defire befides thee. For <¢ with thee is the fountain of life. My foul thirft- *¢ eth for the living God, as the hart panteth after “¢ the water-brooks.” The feal of the Spirit’ is, in real Chriftians, the earne/t of their inheritance, until the redemption of the purchafed poffeffion. They have fellowfhip with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift. The Father and Son make their abode with them. The peace which paffeth all underftanding is theirs. ‘* Thefe things have I ¢ fpoken unto you, that my joy might remain in ‘¢ you ; and that your joy might be full.” St. Paul faith, “« God hath fhined in our hearts, to give the “ ‘light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of << Jefus Chrift.” He prayed for his converts, that they might take the dimenfions of the love of Uhri/?, and be filled with all the fulnefs of God. Such feriptures give a fublime idea of the Chriftian’s 1A 4 FUNERAL DISCOURSE. prefent joy in God through our Lord Jefus Chrit— joy which abundantly compenfates any tribulation in the world, and is a fure guard againft the trou- bles of the heart. All things work ore . good to believers. God is faithful, and will not fuffer them to be tempted above that they are able. But the greateft proficients in the divine life on earth, thofe to whom the Saviour maketh the high- eft manifeftations, are far from perfection in holi- nefs, knowledge or blifs. - Though the fpirit of life in Chrift Jefus hath made them free, and is in them as a well of water {pringing up to everlafting life; they yet have to bewail indwelling fin, and groan being burdened. mperfect grace admits not of perfect joy. Saints, in their earthly houfe, have but a very faint conception of the glory of the houfe from heaven. fai Ae pytae tt Paul, who came behind none in Chriftian attain- ments, exprefles himfelf thus : “