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and shall come forth: The trump of God shall no sooner sound, than the scattered particles of our corrupted bodies shall be gathered together, from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven, and the same body which was laid in the dust, shall again start up into life. But then it shall be made much more glorious and perfect: It is sown in corruption, it shall be raised in incorruption: it is now liable to pain, and sickness, and death, but when raised, it shall die no more; it shall be for ever young, and healthful, and as immortal as the soul itself. It is sown in dishonour, it shall be raised in glory: it is now vile and corruptible, subject to deformity and disease; but it shall be raised all-glorious and beautiful; it shall shine as the sun, and shall be fashioned as the glorious body of our blessed Saviour. It is sown in weakness, it shall be raised in power: it is now weak and impotent, wearied out by fatigue and labour, or bowed down by age and infirmity, but it shall be raised vigorous and active, having all its faculties enlarged with new

degrees

degrees of strength and power.

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sown a natural body, but it shall be "raised a spiritual body:" These bodies of ours, which are now kept from perish+ ing by constant supplies of air and nourishment, and which often weigh down the natural activity of our minds, shall then have a principle of life within themselves, by which they will subsist, without the aid of foreign supports. In a word, they shall be so refined, and made so subservient to the operations of our better and nobler part, that they shall greatly contribute to the making our ideas more lively, our sensations more acute, and every faculty of our souls more vigorous and extensive. Such a glorious scene of things has the religion of Jesus laid open, and his resurrection from the dead assured us of!

What remains then, but that we approach that holy table, in obedience to the commands of our dying Master, with hearts overflowing with gratitude for all the mercies of our redemption; and more VOL. IV.

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particularly, because we are this day commemorating the resurrection of our Lord, which has sealed and confirmed to us all the rest, and which if it had never happened, our preaching would be vain, and your faith also vain. Let us be firmly resolved never to forsake or be ashamed of, never to be laughed or terrified out of the profession of that religion, which God has publicly owned to be his, by this, and so many other stupendous miracles. But, above all, let us take care to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour by all the graces and virtues of a godly and Christian life. If we do but receive the blessed Sacrament with such holy resolutions as these, together with a hearty sorrow for our past transgressions, we shall assuredly find from it both rest and comfort to our souls; and every time we thus receive it, it will give us a certain earnest and foretaste of those transcendent delights, which we shall one day enjoy in the mansions of the blessed, where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, and sorrow and pain shall flee

away;

away; where there is a fullness of joy, and pleasures which last for evermore.

To which happy state, may God, of his infinite mercy, bring us all, for the sake of that Saviour, who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification!

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