SERM. XXXIX. them forcibly out of their graves; but the refurrection of the faints is to be effected another way; as I opened but now to you. Even by his Spirit, which now dwelleth in them. That very Spirit of Chrift, which effected their spiritual refurrection from fin, fhall effect their corporal refurrection alfo from the grave.

Thirdly, His body was raifed firft, he had in this, as well as in other things, the pre-eminence; fo fhall the faints, in refpect of the wicked, have the pre-eminence in the refurrection, Thef. iv. 16. "The dead in Christ shall rife first." They are to attend the Lord at his coming, and will be brought forth fooner than the rest of the world, to attend on that fervice. As the Sheriff, with his men, goes forth to meet the judge, before the jaylor brings forth his prifoners.

Fourthly, Chrift's body was marvellously improved by the refurrection, and fo will ours. It fell in weakness, but was raised in power; no more capable of forrows, pains and dishonours. In like manner our bodies are "fown in weakness, but raised "in ftrength, fown in difhonour, raised in glory. Sown natu"ral bodies, raised fpiritual bodies," as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. XV. 43, 44. Spiritual bodies, not properly, but analogically. No diftempers hang about glorified bodies, nor are they henceforth fubject to any of thofe natural neceffities, to which they are now tied. There are no flaws, defects, or deformities, in the children of the refurrection. What members are now defective or deformed, will then be reflored to their perfect being and beauty; "for, if the univerfal death of all parts be refcinded "by the refurrection, how much more the partial death of any "fingle member?" As Tertullian fpeaks, and from thenceforth they are free from the law of mortality," they can die no more,” Luke xx. 35, 36. Thus fhall they be improved by their refurrection.

Fifthly, To conclude, Chrift's body was raised from the dead to be glorified, and crowned with honour. Oh it was a joyful day to him, and fo will the refurrection of the faints be to them, the day of the gladness of their hearts. It will be faid to them in that morning, "Awake, and fing, ye that dwell in the dust," as Ifa. xxvi. 19. O how comfortable will be the meeting be-twixt the glorified foul, and its new raifed body. Much more comfortable than that of Jacob's and Jofeph's, after twenty years

|| Membri detruncatio vel obtufio nonne mors membri eft ? Si univerfalis mors refurrectione refcinditur, quanto magis portionalis! Tertull. de Refur.

absence, Gen. xlvi. 29. Or that of David's with Jonathan, when he came out of the cave to him, I Sam. xx. 41. Or that of the father of the prodigal with his fon, who "was dead and is a"live, was loft, and is found." As he speaks, Luke xv. And there are three things will make it so.

First, The gratifications of the foul, by the fatisfaction of its natural appetite of union with its own body. For even glorified fouls in heaven have fuch an appetition and defire of re-union. Indeed, the angels, who are pure fpirits, as they never had union with, fo they have no inclination to matter; but fouls are otherwise tempered and difpofed. We are all fenfible of its affection to the body now, in its compounded ftate, we feel the tender care it hath for the body, the fympathy with it, and lothness to be feparated from it. It is faid, 1 Cor. v. 6. "To be at "home in the body." And had not God implanted fuch an inclination to this its tabernacle, in it, it would not have paid that due refpect it owes the body while it inhabited in it, nor have regarded what became of it when it left it. This inclination remains still with it in heaven, it reckons not itfclf compleatly happy till its old dear companion and partner be with it, and in that fenfe fome understand those words, Job. xiv. 14. "All the "days of my appointed time," i. e. of the time appointed for my body to remain in the grave, will I wait till my change (viz. that which will be made by the refurrection) come; for it is manifest enough he speaks there of the refurrection. Now, when this its inclination to its own body, its longings and hankerings after it, are gratified with a fight and enjoymeet of it again, oh what a comfortable meeting will this make it! especially if we confider,

Secondly, The excellent temper and ftate in which they shall meet each other. For, as the body shall be raised with all the improvements and endowments imaginable, which may render it amiable, and every way desirable, fo the foul comes down immediately from God out of heaven, fhining in its holiness and glory. It comes perfumed out of those ivory palaces, with a ftrong scent of heaven upon it. And thus it re-enters its body, and animates it again. But,

Thirdly, And principally, that wherein the chief joy of this meeting confifts, is the end for which the glorified foul comes down to quicken and repoffefs it, namely, to meet the Lord, and ever to be with the Lord. To receive a full reward for all the labours and services it performed to God in this world. This muft needs make that day, a day of triumph and exultation, It comes out of the grave, as Jofeph out of his prison, to be ad

vanced to the highest honour. O do but imagine what an extafy of joy, and ravishing pleasure it will be, for a foul thus to refume its own body, and fay as it were, unto it, come away, my dear, my ancient friend, who fervedft and fufferedft with me in the world; come along with me to meet the Lord, in whose prefence I have been ever fince I parted with thee. Now thy bountiful Lord hath remembred thee alfo, and the day of thy glorification is come. Surely it will be a joyful awaking. For, do but imagine, what a joy it is for dear friends to meet after long feparation, how do they ufe to give demonstrations of their love and delight in each other, by embraces, kiffes, tears, &c. Or frame but to your felves a notion of perfect health, when a fprightly vivacity runs through every part, and the spirits do, as it were, dance before us, when we go about any business; efpecially to fuch a business as the business of that day will be, to receive a crown, and a kingdom. Do but imagine, then, what a fun-fhine morning this will be, and how the pains and agonies, cold fweats, and bitter groans at parting will be recompenfed by the joy of fuch a meeting?

And thus I have shewed you the certainty of Christ's resurrection, the nature and properties of it, the threefold influence it hath on the faints refurrection, and the conformity of ours unto his, in these five respects. His body rofe fubftantially the fame, fo fhall ours; his body was raised by the Spirit, so shall ours. Not by the Godhead of Chrift, as his was, but by the Spirit, who is the bond of our union with Chrift. He was raifed as the first-begotten from the dead, fo the dead in Christ shall rife firft. His body was improved by the refurrection, so shall ours. From the confideration of all which,

*

Inference 1. We infer, that if Chrift was thus raised from the dead, then death is fairly overcome, and fwallowed up in victory ; were it not fo, it had never let Chrift efcape out of the grave. The prey of the terrible had never been thus rescued out of its paws. Death is a dreadful enemy, it defies all the fons and daughters of Adam. None durft cope with this king of ter

*How far fhort do we come of the primitive Chriftians, whofe faith in the refurrection, and contempt of death, Cyprian thus expreffes: With a found mind, firm faith, and undaunted courage, we are ready to fubmit to the whole will of God, all fear of death being excluded; we think on the immortality which follows; and when the fet time of God's fending for us approaches, we come to him at his call willingly and without delay. Cypr. fect. 5. de Lapf. But when we come to die, we pass into immortality by death: This is not a coming to our end but a tranflating of us. Cypr. ubi fupra.

rors but Christ, and he, by dying, went into the very den of this dragon, fought with it, and foiled it in the grave, its own territories and dominions, and came off a conqueror. For, as the apostle speaks, Acts ii. 24. "It was impoffible it should hold "or detain him." Never did death meet with its over-match before it met with Christ, and he conquering it for us, and in our names, rifing as our reprefentative, now every single faint triumphs over it as a vanquished enemy, I Cor. xv. 55. “O "death, where is thy fting? O grave where is thy victory? "Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through "our Lord Jefus Chrift." Thus, like Joshua, they fet the foot of faith upon the neck of that king, and, with an holy fcorn, deride its power. "O death, where is thy fting?" If it be ob jected that it is faid, 1 Cor. xv. 26. "The last enemy that is to "be destroyed is death." And if fo, then it should seem the victory is not yet atchieved, and fo we do but boast before the victory; it is at hand to reply, that the victory over death, obtained by Christ's refurrection, is twofold, either personal and incompleat, or general and compleat. He actually overcame it at his refurrection, in his own perfon, perfectly and virtually for us, as our head; but at the general refurrection of the faints (which his refurrection, as the first-fruits, affures them of) then it will be utterly vanquished and deftroyed. Till then, it will exercise fome little power over the bodies of the faints, in which respect it is called the laft enemy. For fin, the chief enemy that let it in, that was conquered utterly and eradicated when they died; but death holds their bodies in the grave till the coming of Christ, and then it is utterly to be vanquished. For after that they can die no more, Luke xx. 35. “And then shall be brought to pass "that faying that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victo

ry +." Then and not till then, will that conquest be fully compleated in our perfons, though it be already fo in Chrift's; now incompleatly in ours, and then compleatly and fully for ever. For the fame word which fignifies victory doth alfo fignify perpetuity, and in this place, a final or perpetual conquest. And, indeed, now it fmites only with its dart, not with its sting, and that but the believer's body alfo, and the body but for a time remains under it neither. So that there is no reason why a believer should stand in a flavish fear of it.

Inference 2. Is Chrift, and hath his refurrection fuch a po

↑ Abforpta eft mors eiç vixoç in perpetuam, ex Hebræo,I quod et victoriam fignificat et perpetuitatem, Glaff. Rhet. fac. p. 408. VOL. II.

E

SERM. XXXIX. tent and comfortable influence into the refurrection of the faints? Then it is the duty, and will be the wisdom of the people of God, fo to govern, difpofe, and employ their bodies, as become men and women, that understand what glory is prepared for them at the refurrection of the juft. Particularly,

Firft, Be not fondly tender of them, but employ and use them for God here. How many good duties are loft and spoiled by finful indulgence to our bodies? Alas! we are generally more folicitous to live long, than to live ufefully. How many faints have active, vigorous bodies, yet God hath little fervice from them. If your bodies were animated by fome other souls that love God more than you do, and burn with holy zeal to his fetvice, more work would be done for God by your bodies in a day, than is now done in a month. To have an able, healthy

body, and not use it for God, for fear of hurting it, is as if one should give you a strong and stately horfe, upon condition you must not work or ride him. Wherein is the mercy of having a body, except it be employed for God? Will not its reward at the refurrection be fufficient for all the pains you now put it to in his fervice?

Secondly, See that you preferve the due honour of your bodies. "Poffefs them in fanctification and honour," I Thef. iv. 4. O let not these eyes be now defiled with fin, by which you fhall fee God. Thofe ears be inlets to vanity, which shall hear the Allelujahs of the bleffed. God hath defigned honour for your bodies, O make them not either the inftruments or objects of fin. There are fins against the body, 1 Cor. vi. 18. Preferve your bodies from those defilements, for they are the temples of God: "If any man defile the temple of God, him will God deftroy," Cor. iii. 17.

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Thirdly, Let not the contentment and accommodation of your bodies draw your fouls into fnares, and bring them under the power of temptations to fin. This is a very common cafe. how many thousands of precious fouls perish eternally, for the fatisfaction of a vile body for a moment? Their fouls muft, because their bodies cannot, fuffer. It is recorded to the immortal honour of those worthies in Heb. xi. 35. That they ac"cepted not deliverance, that they might obtain a better refur"rection ." They might have had a temporal resurrection from death to life, from reproach to honour, from poverty to

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No man can rejoice both in this life and that which is to come, but he must neceffarily let go the one, who would enjoy the other. Aug.