the Antient Platonifts fo ill an Opinion of the Body, that they were wont to call it the Clog, the Cage, the Prison of the Soul; So that were it ftill to remain the fame grofs Unweildy Body, full of Faintnefs and Weakness and Weariness, full of Disorders and Troubles, the Soul being once got free from it, would defire always to keep itself fo, and never return again to its Prison, any more to be Clog'd with the Burden of the Flefb.

But it shall be Raised in Power, Active and Impaffible, in full Strength, and in a Conftant State of Health and Vigour, without Weakness or Wearinefs or Decay, fit to Minifter before the Lord with the Bleffed Spirits above; as faith the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah, prophefying of the Heavenly Kingdom of Chrift, Ch. xl. 31, They that wait upon the Lord fhall renew their Strength; They fball mount up with Wings as Eagles; They fball run and not be Weary, and they fball Walk and not be Faint. Then fhall the Body, at once for ever, be Cur'd of all its Old Pains and Infirmities, and free'd Rev. vii, from all the Evils and Miseries of this Mortal Life; according to the Defcription St. John has given of the Bleffed State of the Saints in Heaven They fball Hunger no more, neither Thirst any more, peither shall the Sun light on them,

16.

nor

nor any Heat; For the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne ball feed them, and fhall lead them unto Living Fountains Ch. xxi. of Water- And God ball wipe away all 4. Tears from their Eyes, and there shall be no more Death, neither Sorrow nor Crying, neither (ball there be any more Pain; for the Former things are passed away.

4thly. It is Sown a Natural, it is Raifed a Spiritual Body; Not a Spirit, but a Body Spiritualized. And Spirituality I think does imply and include all the forementioned Qualifications of a Body prepar'd for Heaven by the Resurrection; for a Spiritual Body must be Incorruptible and Immortal, Bright and Glorious, Subtle and Active and Free from Wants and Infirmities; Therefore when the Apostle fuperadds to all these, that the Body fhall be Railed a Spiritual Body, he must have fome farther particular Meaning in it; which feems to be This: Whilft we live in this Our Natural Body, that is fubject unto Sin, we have a Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds, a Conftant Con flict betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit, the Spirit lufting against the Flesh, and Gal, v.17. the Flesh against the Spirit; and these, (faith the Apoftle) are contrary One to. the Other; fo that ye cannot do the things R 3

that

1

1. xiii.

c. 23.

that ye would: This requires a Man to be here always upon his Guard; to Watch and Fight and Faft and Pray; and will keep the Pious Christian in anxious Employment all his Days. But at the Resurrection, the Body fhall be Raised a Spiritual Body; There fhall No longer be any Struggle betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit; but the Body fhall be wholly acted and governed by a Spiritual Principle; It fhall have no irregular Appetites or Paffions to vex the Soul withal; but being perfectly Jubdued to the Spirit, fhall obey it in all its Godly Motions; and in unanimous Fellowship with it, become a Regular Joyful Joint Inftrument in the Praise and Glory of God for ever and ever.

This is a Short Account, but I think all that the Scriptures have given us, of the Change that our Bodies fhall undergo at the Refurrection: Which I fhall Conclude with That of St. Auftin, (in his excellent Books de Civ. Dei,) Man fball not then be Earthly but Heavenly; Not that the Body which was formed of Earth fhall not remain the Same; but that by the gift of Heaven it shall then be made fuch, as may be fit to become an Inhabitant of Heaven, by the Change of its Qualities, not by the lofs of its Nature.

༣

I have now done with the Doctrinal Part, which has run out to a much greater Length than I at first design'd; and therefore I must be more Brief in the Practical, to which I now proceed.

1. This Doctrine of the Refurrection may ferve to convince us of our great Folly, if we will at any time or in any Cafe fuffer ourselves to be overaw'd by any Power, or Fear of Men, to the Doing of any thing to Offend God. For what is Man: Whofe Breath If. ii. 22. is in his Noftrils, whofe Life is but a Breath of Air? And even the greatest and most formidable of the Sons of Men, when God taketh away their Breath,Pf.civ.29, must alfo Dye, and are Turned again into their Duft. Or what can Man do unto us, or any Child of Man? The greatest Tyrant upon Earth, can only take away a Miferable Life in Exchange for a Happy One, which God will furely reftore us to, and amply Reward all our Sufferings for His Sake at the Refurrection of the Fuft. This that Faithful Jeweffe, (in the Book of Maccabees) with her feven Sons, were fo firmly perfwaded 2 Macc. 7.. of, that rather than break one Law of Heb. xi. God, they endur'd to be Tortur'd, (and 25. that with extremity of Tortures,) not

accepting Deliverance, that they might obtain a Better Refurrection. The Utmoft that Man can do unto us, is only to Destroy the Body, (a little before its time,) which fhall be Raised again more Excellent and Glorious; But if we will Obey Man rather than God, we shall thereby provoke Him to Wrath, who is able to deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell: as our Saviour argues, Luke xii.

2dly. This Confideration of the Refurrection is fufficient to fortifie us against all the Terrors of Death. Death is conquer'd for us; The Sting of it is taken away: And why fhould we fo much dread a Conquered Enemy? Which, when it does prevail against us, Rom. viii. can hold us but a little While; We wait for an Adoption, to wit, the Redemp

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tion of our Bodies: Then fhall we be 1 Cor. xv. loofed from its bands: Death itself shall be swallowed up in Victory at the Refurrection; and We fhall Pafs from Death unto Life again. God once faid to the Patriarch Jacob, Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will go with thee, and furely bring thee up again Gen. xlvi. 3. And fo does the Son of God in effect fay to all the Faithful Seed of Jacob "Fear "not to go down into the Grave, for "I will be with thee, and will furely

"raife