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which these scatter'd Parts fhould be reunited, this ruin'd Fabrick recompos'd. Nor is He lefs Omnipotent than Omniscient. Nothing can ftay his Hand, or refift his Pleasure and Difpofal. All Creatures must not only do, but fuffer, according to his Appointment, not only be actively, but paffively, obedient to his Will. Every Atom of our Duft and Afhes, when He calls it, muft ftand up in its place.

Neither is there here any Incapacity in refpect of the Patient, which can render the Action impoffible.

nothing is fo to GOD but what involves a Contradiction: And there can be no Contradiction in this, That he which was, and now is not, fhould hereafter be what before he was. It rather contains a rational Poffibility, That Man who was once Duft, by turning to Dust fhould become Man again. Whatever we lofe in Death, is not loft to GOD, howfoever fcatter'd, or wherefoever lodg'd. The first Duft out of which Man was made, was as far from being Flesh, as any now, or hereafter, can be: and to form us again out of this returning Duft, if it be not eafier, is certainly as easy, as to mould us from the primitive.

IL Such a Refurrection, is not only, in itself, poffible, but upon many general Confiderations, highly probable, fo that all Men may rationally expect it. The general Confiderations we may chufe to profecute, are thefe three: The Principles of Human Nature: The Liberty of Human Actions: The natural Revolutions and Refurrections of other things.

1. If we confider the Principles of Humanity, the Parts of which we All confift, we cannot conceive this prefent Life to be proportionable to our Compofition. For fince the Souls of Men are immaterial, and immortal; fince the Human Spirit, when once created by the Father of Spirits, receives a Subfiftence for Eternity; fince the Body is framed by the fame Creator to be the Companion of this Spirit; and yet fince the Life of the moft aged Perfon is but fhort, while many of the fat more ignoble Creatures are of a more lafting Conftituti on, and a more permanent Duration; may we not con clude, that the latter, as living but once, are permitted

† 2 Cor. v. 10.

to enjoy that Life for a longer season; while this is not the only Life belonging to the Sons of Men, and therefore the Soul at a fhorter warning leaves the Body, which it fhall again refume?

2. If we look upon our felves as free Agents, and therefore capable of Rewards and Punishments, we may infer a high Probability, that there fhall be a Refurrection of the Fleh, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad t. Because 'tis vifible that there may be fuch fuffering Virtue, as nothing in this World can recompence, and fuch complicated Wickednefs, as no Punishment in this World can equal: And therefore with refpect to both, the Divine Justice will manifeft its felf in a future retribution.

3. The Confideration of the things without us, in their natural Courses of Variation, will render the Refurrection still more highly probable. Not to infift on the particular Inftances and Comparisons, so often purfu'd by the Fathers, we fee that all things are repaired by cor rupting, are preferv'd by perishing, and revive by dying. And can we think, that Man, the Lord of all these things, for whom they thus die and revive, fhould himfelf alone be detain'd in Death, without the Benefit of a Refurrection? Is it to be imagin'd, that GOD fhould thus reftore all things toMan,and yet not restoreMan to himfelf?

III. Such a Refurrection is not only upon natural Reasons highly probable, but upon Chriftian Principles infallibly certain, fo that we are oblig'd firmly to believe it. The Principles on which we may proceed are these two, Firft, That GOD has promised it in his Word: Secondly, That He has exemplifyed it by his Power.

1. GOD, in his Word, has promis'd, or reveal'd a Refurrection. The Jewish Rabbins produc'd so weak Arguments, fo forced and infufficient Texts, from Mofes, for this purpose, that tho' they satisfied themselves, 'tis no wonder they thou'd fail of convincing the Sadducees. For inftance, when they expound, Duft thou art, and unto Duft thou shalt return, Thou art now Duft while thou ❝ livest,

Job xix. 25, 26. The Words of the latter Verfe are more express in our Marginal reading: After I hall awake, tho' this Body be deftroy'd, yet our of

my Flesh fhall I fee GOD.
Dan. xii. 2.

thou livest, and after Death thou shalt return to be "Duft again, by thus living again. Yet are there two manifeft Texts in the Old Teftament which declare this Truth. That of Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth,and that He fhall ftand at the latter day upon the Earth: and though after my Skin Worms deftroy this Body, yet in my Flesh shall I fee GODT. And that of Daniel, Many of them that fleep in the Duft fhall awake, fome to everlasting Life, and fome to Shame, and everlasting Confufion. The former of these Paffages the Jews interpret of the Happiness to be conferr'd by GOD in another Life, but without any regard to a Resurrection, because they will not here difcern the promised Redeemer. Some late Interpreters, too fond of their own Opinions, understand thefe Words of Job, of his Expectation to be fuddenly reftored to his former temporal Felicity. But this Conceit is many ways deficient, and may be refuted from all the Circumftances of the Text. As from the remarkable Preface with which it is introduced; O that my Words were now written, O that they were printed in a Book! that they were graven. with an iron Pen, and lead, in the Rock, for ever! He defires his Words may continue as long as his Expectation; and both as long as the Rock, or the World, or, even for ever. Again, from the Objection of his Friends, who accus'd him as a Sinner: For his Sins he here pleads a Redeemer, when he describes, ftanding on the Earth, as the Judge of the Quick and Dead, at the latter Day, or the last Day; and by the Expreffion of feeing Him with his Eyes, declares his Belief of the Incarnation. And of all this the Words I know dénote his certain and infallible Af furance: which Certainty, and Affurance he could not have of a temporal restitution. "Tis re

markable that this Text is urged by Clemens Romanus, the immediate Succeffor of the Apoftles, in his Epiftle to the Co rinthians.

His Words are preferv'd; and this render'd by St. Jerom: Tunc hi, qui quafi in terræ pulvere dormiebant, & operti erant malorum pondere, & quafi in fepulchris miferiarum reconditi, ad infperatam victoriam de terræ pulveré refurrexerunt, & de humo eleva

The place of Daniel the Jews contantly interpreted of a Refurrection. But verunt caput cuftodes legis refurgenhe Heathens, and Socinians, Porphyrytes in vitam æternam, & prævaricato of old, and Volkelius of late, refer it resin opprobrium fempiternum. vholly to the Deliverance from Antie N

thusz

32.

chus: A Glofs, which fhou'd it feem fpecious with regard to the former part of the Verfe, yet can have no affinity with the everlasting Life, and everlasting Confufion, in the latter.

But our Lord, who calls Himself the Resurrection and the Life, produceth a place out of the Law of Mofes upon this Argument: As touching the Refurrection of the Dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by GOD, faying, I am the GOD of Abraham, and the GOD of Ifaac, and the GOD of Jacob: GOD is not the GOD Mat. xxii. 31, of the Dead, but of the Living *. With the force of which Argument the Multitude was aftonifh'd, and the Sadducees filenc'd. For if the being any one's GOD imports the conferring of fome great and lafting Happiness on him, and if the Patriarchs were in this Life but Pilgrims, it follows, that they fought a better Country, that is a heavenly, and that therefore GOD is their GOD, becaufe He has prepared for them a City + The Refurrection of the Fleth, or Body, tho' not exprefs'd in the Words, yet feems neceffary to complete the Happiness. Indeed fome of the Jews themselves have drawn the like Argument from another place of Mofes: I appeared unto Abraham, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, by the Name of GOD Almighty, but by my Name Jehovah was I not known unto them. Nevertheless I have established my Covenant with them, to give them the Land of Canaan, the Land of their Exod. vi, 3, 4. Pilgrimage, wherein they were Strangers *. They obferve that it is not faid, to give their Sons, but to give them, and confequently that they muft live again to enjoy the Promise.

† Heb. ii. 16.

It is evident, therefore, that the Refurrection of the Dead was reveal'd under the Law; that the Pharifees, who fat in Mofes's Chair, collected it thence; that the Sadducees, who denied it, erred, not knowing the Scripf Mat. xxii. 29. tures, nor the Power of GOD †: That our Bleffed Saviour clearly delivered the fame Truth, proved it out of the Law of Mofes, refuted the Sadducees, confirm'd the Pharifees, taught it to his Apoftles, who inculcated it to the Jews, and difcover'd it to the Gentiles. We are therefore affur'd of a Refurrection, by virtue of a clear and full Revelation.

2. GOD has confirm'd this Promife of his Word, by real Instances and Exemplifications of fact. For GOD

heard

*See 2Kings xvii,

21.

Luke viii.

tJohn xi.

heard the voice of Elijah, for the dead Child of the Widow of Sarepta, and the Soul of the Child came into him again, and be revived +. His Succeffor Elifba not only †1 Kings xvii.22. perform'd the like Miracle on the Shunamite's Son, but even his dead Body reviv'd another which was cafually let down into his Sepulchre *. These three Resurrections under the Law did our Lord equal, by the three recorded in the Gofpel; that of Fairus's Daughter †, of Mark va the Widow's Son of Nain *, and that of Lazarus, who * Luke xvii had been dead four days t. But all thefe Examples come infinitely fhort of that Glory and Power which the Author of the latter manifefted, in raifing Himself from the Grave, together with the retinue of Saints, who before had flept, and now teftified his Resurrection, with their own. If Chrift be preached that He rofe from the Dead, how fay fome among you, that there is no Refurrection from the Dead ? is St. Paul's unanfwerable reasoning. Our f 1 Cor. xv. 22i Lord's Refurrection is not only a Proof by way of Example, but of neceffary Influence on the Refurrection to come: First, with refpect to all Men in general, as evincing his Univerfal Dominion, (for to this end Chrift both died, and rofe, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the Dead and Living *:) by vertue of which He * Rom.xiv. 9* must reign till He hath put all Enemies, and Death, the

26.

laft Enemy, under his Feet +. Thus He declares Him- † 1 Cor. xv. 25 felf to St. John, I am He that liveth and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys

of Hell, and of Death + By vertue of the fame Domi- † Rev. i. 18. nion, fhall He exercife the Universal Judgment.

GOD

hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, by that Man whom he hath ordained, whereof He hath given an affurance unto all Men, in that He

hath raifed Him from the Dead *. Secondly, with re- *Acts xvii. 31. fpect to the Saints in particular: He is the Head of the Body of the Church, who is the beginning of the Firft-born

*I Cor. xv. 20.

from the Dead t. Now is Chrift rifen from the Dead, and † Coloff. i. 18. become the Firft-fruits of them that slept *. The Saints of GOD are endu'd with the Spirit of Chrift, and hereby their Bodies become the Temples of the Holy Ghost: Now, as the Promife of the Spirit was to take place upon the Refurrection of Chrift, fo the Gift and Poffeffion of the Spirit is an affurance of the Resurrection of a Chriftian. For if the Spirit of Him that raised up Fefus

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