(on one hand, I mean; as on the other hand to punish and afflict him, according to his demerit,) fhould raise the body, and rejoin it to the foul, that it might contribute its natural fubferviency to fuch enjoyments and fufferings respectively not to omit the congruity in juftice, that the bodies which did partake in works of obedience and holiness, or of disobedience and profaneness, (which, in St. Paul's language, were either flaves to impurity and Rom. vi.19. iniquity, or fervants of righteousness unto fanctification,) Apol. &c. fhould alfo partake in fuitable recompenfes; that the body which endured grievous pains for righteousness fhould enjoy comfortable refreshments; that which wallowed in unlawful pleasures fhould undergo just tor

Tertul.

ments.

I omit (the time fo requiring) many confiderations pertinent to this purpose: I fhall only add, what we farther learn in Scripture (which also the reason of the thing would teach us) concerning this point, that as the bodies of men shall be raised the fame in fubftance, fo they fhall be much altered in quality: for whereas, according to their present temper and frame, our bodies are frail and weak, apt by every small impreffion upon them to be broken or impaired, needing continual reparation, and, notwithstanding all means used to preserve them, growing to decay and diffolution; and whereas they are destined, after their refurrection, to a continual abiding in joy or pain, it is necessary they should be fo changed, as that they may be fit, without decay, to enjoy thofe everlasting comforts; able, without diffolution, to undergo those endlefs pains and particularly, farther, whereas the body here doth clog the foul, doth excite troublesome paffions, doth incline to fenfual defire, doth require much care to preserve and please it; fuch things being inconsistent with, or prejudicial to, that state of spiritual rest and joy which good men are destined to; a change muft needs be made therein, preventive of such inconveniences; For, as St. 1 Cor. xv. Paul faith, flesh and blood (a body so brittle and paffible, fo apt to be affected by, fo addicted to, fenfible goods) cannot enter into the kingdom of God; nor can corruption

50.

inherit incorruption; but this corruptible must put on incor-1 Cor. xv. ruption, and this mortal must put on immortality; the 53, 52. dead must be raifed incorruptible; there must be a very fudden mutation, (fo St. Paul in feveral places expressly tells us,) a metamorphofis into a resemblance with Chrift's glory; a transfiguration of our vile body into conformity with his glorious body: Our body is fown in corruption, it 1 Theff. iv. fhall be raised in incorruption; it is fown in dishonour, 2 Cor. iii. raised in glory; fown in weakness, raised in power; fown 18. a natural body, raised a spiritual. But fo much concern- Vid. 1 Cor. ing the refurrection: I proceed to that which follows XV. 42, 43, thereupon.

Life everlasting.

15, 16, 17.

Phil, iii. 21.

44.

THE immediate confequent of the resurrection, common to just and unjust, is as we have it in the catalogue of fundamental doctrines, fet down by the Apostle to the Hebrews,) xpípa diánov, that judgment or doom, by which Heb. vi. 2. the eternal ftate of every perfon is determined; accordingly every man must bear the things done in the body, ac- 2 Cor. v. 10. cording to what he hath done, whether it be good or evil, Now this state generally taken, (as respecting both the righteous and bleffed, the wicked and miferable,) as it doth suppose a perpetual duration in being and sense, fo it may be called everlasting life; although life (as being commonly apprehended a principal good, and all men having naturally a strong defire to preferve it, with reference alfo perhaps to the phrases used under the Law, Vid. Deut. wherein continuance in life is proposed as a reward to the obedient, and death threatened to tranfgreffors) is used to denote peculiarly the bleffed ftate; as death (the most extreme of legal punishments, and most abominable to nature) is also used to fignify the condition of the damned; the refurrection of life, and refurrection of damnation ; John v. 39. everlasting life, and everlasting punishment, (Shame and everlasting contempt,) being opposed; although, I fay, life Dan. xii. 2. be commonly thus taken, (as is also the refurrection Phil. iii. 11. fometimes for that which belongs only to the righteous,

v. ult.

Matt. xxv.

45.

Luke xx. 35.

tranfmitting them into happinefs,) yet the reafon of the thing requires, that here we understand it generally, fo as to comprehend both ftates, (both being matters of faith equally neceffary, as it were, and of like fundamental confequence;) both yielding both the highest encouragements to a good, and determents from a bad life: for, as on the one hand, what can excite us more to the performance Pf. xvi. 11. of duty, than fo happy a ftate; a ftate of highest dignity and glory, of fweeteft comfort and joy; of joy full in measure, pure in quality, perpetual in duration, perfect in all respects to the utmost capacity of our nature; wherein all our parts and faculties fhall be raised to their highest pitch of perfection, our bodies become free from all cor1 Cor. xv. ruptibility and decay, all weaknefs and difeafe, all groff42, 43, 44. nefs, unwieldinefs, defilement, and deformity, fhall be Phil. iii. 21. rendered incorruptible, glorious, and spiritual; our fouls in

2 Cor.iii.18.

12.

22.

their nature perfected, in their inclinations rectified, in their appetites fatisfied; the understanding being full of 1 Cor. xiii. light, clear and diftinct in knowledge of truth, free from error and ignorance; the will steadily inclined to good, ready to comply with God's will, free from all perverfeness and weakness; our affections fet in right order and frame, with conftant regularity tending to that which is truly good, and taking full delight therein: wherein we 1 John iii.2. fhall enjoy the blissful presence and fight of God, smiling Heb. xii. in love and favour upon us, of our gracious Redeemer, of the holy angels, of the juft made perfect; whofe company and converfation how unconceivably sweet and delightful muft it be! wherein nothing adverfe or troublesome can befall us; no unpleasant or offenfive object present itself to us; no want, or need of any thing; no care, or fear, or fufpicion; no labour or toil, no forrow or pain, no regret or distaste, no stir or contention, no liftleffness or fatiety; Rev. iii. 4. God will wipe, as it is in the Apocalypfe, every tear from their eyes; and death fhall be no more, nor forrow, nor clamour, (or complaint,) nor pain any more: in fine, a ftate furpaffing all words to exprefs it, all thoughts to conceive it, of which the highest splendours and choiceft

pleasures here are but obfcure fhadows, (do yield but faint and imperfect refemblances ;) comparable to which no eye 1 Cor. ii. 9. hath feen, no ear hath heard, nor hath it afcended into any heart to conceive the like, (as St. Paul out of the Prophet Ifa. Ixiv. 4. Ifaiah tells us ;) the firm belief, I fay, and careful confideration of the certainty, by a pious and holy life, of acquiring right unto and poffeffion of such a state, must needs be the greatest excitement poffible thereto; as must the lofs and falling fhort thereof be of mighty efficacy to withdraw us from impiety: as on this hand, fo on the other hand, the being perfuaded, that by neglecting our duty, and tranfgreffing God's law, we shall certainly incur intolerable pains and miferies, without ease or refpite, without hope or remedy, without any end; that we shall for ever not only be fecluded from God's prefence and favour, be deprived of all reft, comfort, and joy; but detruded into utmoft wretchednefs; a ftate more dark and difmal, more forlorn and difconfolate, than we can imagine; which not the fharpeft pain of body, not the bittereft anxiety of mind, any of us ever felt, can in any measure reprefent; wherein our bodies fhall be afflicted continually with a fulphureous flame, not scorching the fkin only, but piercing the inmoft finews; our fouls inceffantly bit and gnawed upon by a worm, (the worm of bitter remorfe for our wretched perverfenefs and folly; of horrid defpair ever to get out of this fad estate;) under which vexations unexpreffible, always enduring pangs of death, always dying, we shall never die: this perfuafion, I fay, muft needs moft effectually deter us from those courses of impiety, which certainly lead to fo miserable a condition. If it cannot, what can do it? We muft, beyond all impreffion that any reason can make upon us, be irrecoverably stupid or obftinate; infinitely careless of our own good, bent to our ruin. But these things the time will not permit me farther to dilate upon; and I did formerly (in treating upon our Saviour's coming to judgment) fomewhat largely prefs confiderations of this nature. I fhall only therefore conclude with a prayer to

Almighty God, that, according to his infinite mercy, he, by his gracious affistance leading us in the ways of piety and obedience, would bring us into everlasting life and happinefs; withdrawing us from impiety and iniquity, would deliver us from eternal death and mifery: to whom be all praise and glory for ever. Amen.