But as we may any of us put in for our share, as our case may require and can admit, in what is so generally spoken with reference to Christians dying in the Lord, and their surviving fellow-Christians, that as yet live in him, 1 Thes. 4. from verse 13 onward to the end. So, we are directed to comfort one another therewith. (Be patient I pray you, while I present to you this Most suitable Portion of Scripture). I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus dyed, and rose again, even them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Arch-Angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we be ever with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. We shall be in a great promptitude and disposition of Spirit to do so, if these words be looked upon as Divine ⟨p. 20⟩sayings, as the words of the Living and Immortal God. My Friends, do you not find there is Spirit in these words? Is there not strong Consolation in them? How can we but think so, unless our whole Religion be with us but a Fable? This concerns us all upon the common Christian account who are but a residue, a remnant, escaped, and exempted, a-while, from being part of the Spoils and Triumphs of Death; which hath slaughtered, and thrown into the dust, probably a much greater number of our Friends and Relatives, than we our selves do make who are left behind. And 'tis likely we have been most of us divers times Mourners, upon such occasions. This shows upon what account, and in what case, we may intermingle very reviving Consolations with our Sorrows, and that we ought freely, as the occasion recurs, to apply it to our selves and one another.
But as we may any of us put in for our share, as our case may require and can admit, in what is so generally spoken with reference to Christians dying in the Lord, and their surviving fellow-Christians, that as yet live in him, 1 Thes. 4. from verse 13 onward to the end. So, we are directed to comfort one another therewith. (Be patient I pray you, while I present to you this Most sutable Portion of Scripture). I would not have you to be ignorant, Brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus dyed, and rose again, even them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Arch-Angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we be ever with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. We shall be in a great promptitude and disposition of Spirit to do so, if these words be lookt upon as Divine ⟨p. 20⟩sayings, as the words of the Living and Immortal God. My Friends, do you not find there is Spirit in these words? Is there not strong Consolation in them? How can we but think so, unless our whole Religion be with us but a Fable? This concerns us all upon the common Christian account who are but a residue, a remnant, escaped, and exempted, a-while, from being part of the Spoils and Triumphs of Death; which hath slaughtered, and thrown into the dust, probably a much greater number of our Friends and Relatives, than we our selves do make who are left behind. And 'tis likely we have been most of us divers times Mourners, upon such occasions. This shews upon what account, and in what case, we may intermingle very reviving Consolations with our Sorrows, and that we ought freely, as the occasion recurres, to apply it to our selves and one another.
