ences; to speak much less harshly of it than perhaps in juftice I fhould. When a finite understanding has laid the line which infinite power cannot pafs, it will have a fair claim to our attention; although, even were this done, the number of inftances we meet with in holy writ of the fame identical body's being raised from the grave, or reftored to life, which had actually deceased, will however justify our fuppofition, that the bodies of fuch as fhall die within a reasonable time before the last day fhall be raised after this modus or manner; and agreeably to the common and natural ideas of a resurrection. It will be hard indeed if our adverfaries will not allow us to take this for granted; and if they will, the fame understanding which is able to measure infinity can readily inform us how, or whether with a body or without one, the bulk of mankind fhall appear at the great day of final retribution.

I come now to revelation more clear and explicit; to plain, intelligible Scripture; with respect to which, it pains one to fee fo great a man as Mr. Locke taking refuge

in

in the above distinction, and indeed in the most pitiful evasions. Obferve then how this justly celebrated philofopher expreffes himself in the paffage following. "In the "New Teftament (wherein, I think, are "contained all the articles of the Chriftian

Faith,) I find our Saviour and his Apof"tles to preach the refurrection from the “dead, and the refurrection of the dead in

many places but I do not remember any place where the refurrection of the fame body "is so much as mentioned. Nay, which is 66 very remarkable in the cafe, I do not re"member in any place of the New Testa"ment, (where the general refurrection at "the last day is spoken of,) any such ex

preffion as the refurrection of the body, much "lefs of the fame body. I fay, the general refurrection, &c. because where the resur"rection of fome particular perfons presently upon our Saviour's refurrection is mentioned, the words are, the graves were "opened, and many bodies of faints, which flept, arofe, and came out of the graves, after his refurrection, and went into the holy city, and

" appeared to many of which peculiar way

"of

"of speaking of this refurrection, the paffage "itself gives a reafon in these words, ap

peared to many; i. e. those who slept, ap

'peared, fo as to be rifen. But this could "not be known, unless they brought with "them the evidence, that they were those "who had been dead, &c. And it is pro"bable they were fuch as were newly dead, "whose bodies were not yet diffolved, &c."*

There is, I perfuade myself, little or nothing in this paffage but has its answer in the foregoing confiderations; unless we should be kind enough to acknowlege for argument the triumphant fneer of that parenthesis, (wherein, I think, are contained all the Articles of the Chriftian Faith.) It might therefore be fufficient to remark, that Mr. L. feems to admit myfteries as fome people dispense alms, viz. grudgingly, or of neceffity; and at the fame time to exprefs our obligations to him. for his indulgent conceffion, that bodies have been raised from the dead upon particular occafions. But because this great writer may poffibly be ftill thought by fome to have hit

* See Effay on the Human Underft. and ch, on Identity.

upon

upon an expedient, which happily helps him out of embaraffment, in the ftale distinction between a particular and the general Resurrection, let us fee whether this diftinction will not vanish before the enfuing argumentation.

I venture to aver then that the refurrection of the body of Jefus Chrift is an especial earneft, or fure token of the refurrection of our bodies from the dead. I defire your impartial judgment of the texts which follow. Now is Chrift rifen from the dead, and become the firft-fruits of them that flept. * God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. If we have been + planted together in the likeness of his death, we fhall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. He who raised up the Lord Jefus, shall raise up us alfo by Jefus. As the Father raifeth up the ‡ dead, and quickeneth them, even fo the Son quickeneth whom he will. § Thefe texts will be fufficient for my prefent purpose. confider them feparately a little.

Let us

Now is

+ Rom. vi. 5. § John v. 21.

Christ rifen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that flept. I need not enlarge upon the Jewish practice alluded to under this figurative expreffion; and fhall only obferve, that, as the first-fruits were offerings of that identical grain of which the harvest was to follow, the refurrection of our bodies, after that of Chrift, could not have been fignified by a finer emblem. God hath both raifed up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power: i. e. most undoubtedly, he will raise up us in like manner. If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be alfo in the likeness of his refurrection. The former part of this verse has fome obfcurity in it, which may be liable to various conftruction; but the latter afcertains, almost as fully as words can do, the great article before us. He who raised up the Lord Jefus, fhall raife up us alfo by Jefus. This text is exactly parallel with that juft quoted from the other Epistle to the Corinthians. As the Father raifeth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even fo the Son quickeneth whom he will. This proof runs rather in another line, but how

ever