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changes all bodies undergo, Methuselah must have been com pofed of very different particles when he was a youth and when he was nine hundred and fixty-nine years old; yet he was the fame identical person when old that he was when young. Thus it will be in the refurrection, that many particles conftituting the body at death whether added or not, fuffi cient will be raised by infinite wifdom and power to conftitute the perfon perfectly the fame, he will be confcious to himself that he is the fame, and be fully recognised by all who formerly knew him. All that is neceffary for us to be affured of is, that every particular body has certain appropriate and effenti al particles, that whenever united and animated, completely constitute the same person; and the effential particles of one body never become the effential particles of another body, therefore the fame perfon can at no time pafs away into different perfons. Thus as God is omniscient and knows where all thefe effential particles are, whether they have been burnt to ashes or funk in the bottom of the ocean, and as he is infinitely ableto collect these particles, if fcattered into and mingled with all the particles of the earth, and of them renew the same man ; from hence it follows, that the refurrection is clearly demonftrated from the power and wisdom of God.

The last argument is drawn from the truth of God. If he is a being that cannot lie, and his word plainly reveals this doctrine, then it muft furely be eftablished beyond all contradiction. It was a truth believed by all the ancient faints. We find Hannah, that woman of eminent piety declaring it in her fong; "The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down

to the grave and he bringeth up." Thus he gave her tefimony, that God maketh alive and raifeth the dead from their graves. The faith of Jeb is fully in favour of this truth, when he affirms, "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall "stand at the latter day upon the earth, and tho' after my "fkin worms deftroy this body, yet in my fleh hall I fee God,

whom I fhall fee for myself, and my eyes fhall behold and "not another. If a man die he fhall live again. Man lieth "down and rifeth not, until the heavens shall be no more? they

fhall not awake, nor be raised out of fleep." Thus Job firmly believed in the doctrine of a refurrection. The Pfalmift teftified the fame thing when he faid; "Thou wilt not leave "my foul in hell, that is in the ftate of the dead, neither « wilt thou fuffer thine holy one to fee corruption." The prophet Ifaiah, when speaking of the Meffiab, fays, "That he will fwallow up death in victory." So fpeaks Hofeah, "I will ransom them from the power of the grave." The apofile informs us of the faith of Abraham on this head, when offering his fon Ifaac, "He accounted that God was able "to raise him up even from the dead." Our Saviour proves, the doctrine of the refurrection from Mofes. "Now that the "dead are raised, fays he, even Mofes fhewed at the bush, when "he called the Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 66 and the God of Jacob, for he is not a God of the dead but "of the living." The fcribes approved of this argument, and the Sadducees were put to filence; the one replied, "Mafter "thou haft well faid; and the other after that durft not ask "him any question." The prophet Ezekiel beautifully illuf trates this truth in his relation of his vifion of the valley of dry bones, their reviving, bone uniting itfelf with its bone, their receiving flesh and breath and life. "The apoftles taught the "people and preached thro' Chrift the refurrection of the "dead." Paul faid, "I have hope toward God, that there fhall

be a refurrection of the dead, both of the juft and the unjust. "Why should it be thoughta thing incredible with you that God "fhould raife the dead." It is often pofitively affirmeds "God quickeneth the dead, God raiseth the dead," &c. Yea the authorities in fupport of this doctrine ate fo pointed and numerous, that time would fail in the recitation. It was taught by Mofes and the prophets, by Chrift and his apoftles, fo that the whole feriptures are full of proofs for this purpofc. But it is more than time to direct your attention to the

Second thing propofed, which was to confider fomething of the manner in which the dead fhall be raised, "Some to "everlasting life, and fome to thame and everlasting con"tempt."

With respect to the bodies of the faints which fhall be raised to everlafting life, the fcriptures every where make the most glorious representations of their excellency, of their beauty and their fplendor. The great refurrection day will be ushered in with amazing grandeur and magnificence. Chrift fhall defcend in all the pomp of the celeftial world, mighty hofts of angels, of cherubs and feraphs fhall attend him, the trump of God fhail fill heaven, earth and hell with its found, and they that fleep in the duft fhall hear his voice and come forth. The godly thall be raised out of their graves by the spirit of Christ." He that raifed up Chrift from the dead fhall alfo "quicken your mortal bodies, by his fpirit that dwelleth in "you." The wicked alfo fhall be raised by the omnipotent arm, by the fame power which had enclofed their fouls in hell, and imprifoned their bodies in the earth; thefe muit come forth all cloathed in deformity and horror to receive their irreverfible doom.

In regard to the qualities with which the bodies of the faints fhall be raised, the apostles informs us, they fhall be incorruptable, glorious, powerful and fpiritual. "It is fown in "corruption, it is railed in corruption; it is fown in difhonor "it is raifed in glory; it is fown in weaknefs, it is railed in 64 power; it is fown a natural body, it is raised a fpiritual bo"dy."

Fick the body is fown in corruption but it is raifed in incor ruption. The faints are buried in the ground a mass of corruption and putrefa Stion like others, but in the fplended morning of the refurrection, they will arte incorruptible.

They

will then have no more corruptible materials in their nature, no more fubject to pain, fickness nor death. They fhall forever flouifh in immortal youth, vigour and beauty. They fhall then be prefented to God without fpot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. They will not be raifed as they died, fome decriped and deformed, fome maimed and mutilated, fome mortified and covered with ulcers, fome wafted by confumptions and fome bloated to an enormous fize by hydropical diforders, but they will arife every one in all the perfection of beauty, an exact fymmetry of features and a juft proportion of all their parts. In one word, they will be raised in all imaginable excellency.

Secondly, the body is fown in difhonor, but it is railed in gla ry. The body while here is often covered with a loathfome and forbidding deformity, and it is hurried into the grave a heap of stench and rottennefs, but in the refurrection it shall appear a glorious body. They fhall arife, in majefty, dignity, beauty and fplendor. They fhall then fhine as the ftars of heaven and as the fun in the firmament.

Thirdly, it is fown in weakness, but it is raised in power. It crawls thro' this world feeble, weary and faint; it falls into the duft abfolute weakness. It cannot defend itself against worms and putrefaction. But when it arifes, it will be pow. erful and flrong; it will be all life, vigor and activity. There will be no more weakness, weariness or fatigue. There will be perfect firength and ability to fuftain without the leaft uneafi-. nefs the eternal weight of glory, that fhall be placed upon. them. They will be then powerful indeed, perfectly able with a happy agility to execute all the purposes and defires of the foul.

Fourthly, it is fown a natural body, but it is raised a spiri tual body. It defcends to the grave an animal body, which Lag fubfited by food and drink, by fleep and air; but in the

refurrection it fhall appear of a much more refined contexture; it will be endued with fuch fpiritual qualities as to ftand in no need of fuch animal refreshments; there will then be no more need of food or drink or raiment. The body will then fubfift after a fpiritual manner, for they fhall be as the angels. But who can defcribe the glory, the beauty, power, incorruptibility fpirituality and feraphic nature of the raifed and glorified bodies? Bleffed and happy are they who shall obtain a part in the Kirst resurrection.

But the manner in which the bodies of the wicked shall be raised in that day will be perfectly the reverfe of all this. They will be deftitute of all glory, beauty and comeliness. They will afcend from their graves in all the horrors of deformity, with ghaftly vifages, diftorted countenances, writhing members, convulsed breafts, and all their looks terrible. Let us turn from the odious picture, and deteftable fight. They come forth the abhorring of all flesh; veffels of uglinefs and difhonor, to comprehend all in one dreadful phrafe, their refurrection will be the refurrection of damnation.

This lecture fhall conclude with a few reflections.

First this doctrine fhould raise the fouls of true christians into raptures of confolation. How tranfporting the thought

you die, yet fhall ye live; you all greatly live in the regions of immortal blifs? How ineffably glorious will the meeting of the foul and body be; your victory over fin, over death, over Satan and all your enemies will then be complete. Tho' your bodies here may be decriped, difmembered and deformed, yet hereafter they fhall appear in all the perfection of beauty. Tho' now wrecked with pain, faint with sickness, covered with loathfome fores, yet then you fhall be strong, powerful, alert and active. Tho' now defpifed and held in contempt by the world, yet then you fhall be honored, cloath

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