the resurrection of the dead and eternall judgement, or, the truth of the resurrection of the bodies both of good and bad at the last day asserted and proved by gods word : also, the manner and order of their coming forth of their graves, as also, with what bodies they do arise : together with a discourse of the last judgement, and the finall conclusion of the whole world / by john bunyan. bunyan, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the resurrection of the dead and eternall judgement, or, the truth of the resurrection of the bodies both of good and bad at the last day asserted and proved by gods word : also, the manner and order of their coming forth of their graves, as also, with what bodies they do arise : together with a discourse of the last judgement, and the finall conclusion of the whole world / by john bunyan. bunyan, john, - . [ ], p. printed for francis smith ..., london : [ ] reproduction of original in the british library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection. theology, doctrinal. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - melanie sanders sampled and proofread - melanie sanders text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the resurrection of the dead , and eternall judgement : or , the truth of the resurrection of the bodies , both of good and bad at the last day : asserted , and proved by , gods word . also , the manner and order of their coming forth of their graves ; as also , with what bodies they do arise . together , with a discourse of the last judgement , and the finall conclusion of the whole world. by john bunyan , a servant of the lord's christ. cor. . , . behold i shew you a mystery , we shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed , in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trump ; ( for the trump shall sound , and the dead shall be raised incorruptible , and we shall be changed . ) john . , . marvel not at this , for the houre is coming , in which all that are ●n their graves , shall hear his voyce , and shall come forth ; they that have done good , to the resurrection of life , and they that have done evill , to the resurrection of damnation . london , printed for francis smith , at the elephant and castle , without temple-barre . courteous reader , though this be a small treatise , yet it doth present thee with things of the greatest , and most weighty concernment , even with a discourse of life and death to eternity : opening , and clearing , by the scriptures of god , that the time is at hand , when , there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and unjust ; even of the bodies of both , from the graves where they are , or shall be , at the approach of that day . thou hast also in these few lines , the order and manner of the rising of these two sorts of people , wherein is shewed thee with what body they shall then rise ; as also their states and condition at this day , with great clearness . for here thou shalt see the truth , and manner of the terrible judgement , the opening of the books , the examining of witnesses , with a finall conclusion upon good and bad . which , i hope will be profitable to thy soul that shall read it . for if thou art godly , then here is that which will through gods blessing , incourage thee to go on in the faith of the truth of the gospel ; but if thou art ungodly , then here thou mayst meet with conviction : yea , and that of what will be without fail , thy end , at the end of the world : whether thou continue in thy sins , or repent . if thou continue in them , blackness , and darkness , and everlasting destruction ; but if thou repent and believe the gospel , then light and life , and joy , and comfort , and glory , and happiness , and that to eternity . wherefore let me here beg these things at thy hand . first , that thou take heed of that spirit of mockery , that saith , pet. . , . where is the promise of his coming ? secondly , take heed that thy heart be not overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness , and the cares of this life , and so that day come upon thee unawares . luke . , . thirdly , but be diligent in making thy calling and election sure ; that thou in the day , of which thou shalt read more in this book , be not found without that glorious righteousness that will then stand thee instead , and present thee before his glorious presence , with exceeding joy ; to him be glory in the church by christ jesus , world without end , amen . john bunyan . of the resurrection of the dead , and eternal judgement but this i confess unto thee , that after the way which they call heresie , so worship i the god of my father , believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets , and have hope towards god , which they themselves also allow , that there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust , acts ▪ . , . my discourse upon this text , will chiefly concern the resurrection of the dead : wherefore to that i shall immediately apply my self not medling with what else is couched in the words . you see here , that paul , being upon his arraignment , accused of many things , by some that were violent for his blood ; and being licenced to speak for himself by the then heathen magistrate ; he doth in few words tell them , that as touching the crimes wherewith they charged him , he was utterly faultless , onely this he confessed , that after that way which they call heresie , so he worshipped the god of his fathers ; believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets , and that he had the same hope towards god , which they themselves did allow , that there should be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just ▪ and unjust . whence note by the way , that an hypocritical people , will persecute the power of those truths in others , which themselves in words profess . i have hopes towards god , and that such a hope which themselves do allow , and yet i am this day , and that for this very thing persecuted by them . but to come to my purpose , there shall be a resurrection of the dead &c. by these words , the apostle sheweth us what was the substance of his doctrine , to wit , that there should be a resurrection of the dead ; and by these words also , what was the great argument with his soul , to carry him through these temptations , afflictions , reproaches , and necessities he met with in this world , even the doctrine of a resurrection . i have hope towards god , saith he , and there is my mind fixed , for there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . the reason why i cannot do what these jews would have me ; also why i cannot live as do the gentiles , it is , because i have in my soul , the faith of the resurrection . this is the doctrine i say , which maketh me fear to offend , and that is , as an undergirder to my soul , whereby i am kept from destruction and confusion , under all the storms and tempests i here go through . in a word , this is it that hath more awe upon my conscience , then all the laws of men , with all the penalties they inflict . vers. . and herein do i exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence , both towards god and towards men . now here , seeing this doctrine of the resurrection of the dead ▪ hath that power , both to bear up and to awe ; both to incourage and to keep within compass , the spirit and body of the people of god : it will be requisite , and profitable for us , to inquire into the true me●ning and nature of this word , the resurrection of the dead . and for the better compassing of this matter , i shall briefly inquire . first , what this place is meant by the dead . secondly , what is meant by the resurrection . thirdly , why the apostle doth here speak of the resurrection of the dead , as of a thing yet to come , there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . for the first , the dead in scripture , go under a five-fold consideration , as , . such as die a natural death , or as when a man ceaseth to be any more in this world , as david , whom peter tells us , is both dead and buried , and his sepulchre remaineth with us to this day . acts . . . there is a people that are reckoned dead in trespasses and sins , as those are , who never yet were translated from darkness to light , and from the power of satan to god. such i say , who yet never felt the power of the word and spirit of god , to raise them from that state , to walk with him in the regeneration : making a life out of christ , and his present benefits . ephes. . , . john . . . there is a death seizeth men often after some measure of light received from god , and some profession of the gospel of christ. these , for the certainty of their damnation , are said to be dead , dead ; twise dead , and plucked up by the roots . jude . . there is in scripture mention made of a death to sin , and the lusts of the flesh ; this death is the beginning of true life and happiness , and is a certain fore-runner of a share in christ , and with him in another world , rom. . , , . tim. . . . lastly , there is also in the word , a relation of eternal death . this is the death that those are in , and swallowed up of , that go out of this world godless , christless , and graceless ; dying in sin , and so under the curse of the dreadful god , who i say , because they have missed of the lord jesus christ , the saviour in this day of grace : are fallen into the gulf and jaws of eternal death and misery , in the fire that never shall be quenched . mark . , . luk . , , , . now then , seeing there is death , or to be dead , taken under so many considerations in the scripture ; it is evident , that to be dead in christ , the text is not meant of them all : i then must distinguish , and inquire which of these deaths it is , that here the apostle did look for a resurrection from . first then , it cannot be meant a resurrection from eternal death , for from that there is no redemption . psal. . . secondly , neither is it a resurrection from that double death ; for they that are in that , are past recovery also . thirdly , and so for those that are dead to sin , it is non-sence , to say there shall , or can be a resurrection from that : for that it self is a resurrection . colos. . , . . which resurrection also , the apostle had then passed through . and also all the brethren , as he saith , you hath he quickned , who were dead in trespasses and sins ; and again , if ye then be risen with christ ▪ and again , wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of god , who raised him from the dead . col. . . lastly , the dead therefore in this scripture , must be understood of those that have departed this life , that have body and soul seperated each from the other ; and so the resurrection , a resurrection of the body out of the grave ; as daniel saith , many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise ; and again , the hour is coming , when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth , &c. dan. . . john . . the resurrection of the just then , is the rising of the bodies of the just , and the resurrection of the unjust , the rising of their bodies at the last judgement . this also is the meaning of that saying of paul , to agrippa , i stand , saith he , and am judged , for the hope of the promise made unto our fathers , which promise at first began to be fulfilled in the resurrection of the body of christ , acts . , . and hat its accomplishment , when the dead , small and great , are raised out of their graves : wherefore , though paul saith in the th of the acts , it is already fulfilled : yet here he saith , he hopes it shall come . which promise , saith he , our twelve tribes instantly serving god day and might , hope to come , as god told daniel , saying , go thy way , for thou shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the dayes . dan. , . christ is already risen , and therefore so far the promise is fulfilled , but his saints are yet in their graves , and therefore that part of the fulfilling of it , is yet to come , as he saith , why should it be an incredible thing with you , that god should raise the dead . acts . , , . again , that it is the resurrection of the dead bodies of both saints and sinners that is here inserted , it is further evident , because the apostle saith , it is the resurrection , that the very pharises themselves allowed . i have hope towards god , saith he , which themselves also allow , then what that hope is , he in the next words sheweth , namely , that there shall be a resurrection of the dead , &c. now we know , that the pharises did not allow of a resurrection from a state of nature , to a state of grace , which is the same with the new birth ; but did confidently allow and teach , that they were the children of abraham , according to the flesh . yea , when any of them began to adhere , or incline to christ's doctrine in some things , yet the doctrine of the new birth , or of being raised from a state of nature , to a state of grace , they would very much stick at ; though in the mean time , they utterly were against the doctrine of the sadduces , which denyed the resurrection of the body , john . , , , , , , , . john . , , , , . acts . , , . further , the resurrection here spoken of , must needs be the resurrection of the body , because it is called , a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust , that is , of both saints and sinners , according to the saying of christ , the hour is coming , when all that are in their graves shall hear his voyce , and shall come forth , they that have done good , to the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evill , to the resurrection of damnation . joh. . , . again , the resurrection here mentioned , is a resurrection to come , not already injoyed , either by saints or sinners , there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . now i say , the resurrection here being yet deferred by the just , and counted also the resurrection of the dead , both of the just and unjust : it must needs be the same resurrection that is spoken of by jobe , who saith , so man lyeth down , and riseth not again , till the heavens be no more , they shall not awake , nor be raised out of their sleep , job . . . having thus in few words opened this scripture unto you , i shall in the next place , for the further satisfaction of those that are yet wavering , and for the refreshment of those that are strong and stedfast : lay down before you , several undeniable scripture demonstrations , of the resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . i shall first begin with the resurrection of the just. the just must arise , because christ is risen from the dead . christ is the head of the just , and they are the members of his body ; and because of this union , therefore the just must arise . this is the apostles own argument , if christ , saith he , be preached , that he rose from the dead , how say some among you , that there is no resurrection of the dead ; but if there be no resurrection of the dead , then is not christ risen . cor. . , . now i say , the reason why the apostle thus argueth the resurrection from the dead , by the resurrection of christ. it is , because the saints ( of whose resurrection he here chiefly discourseth , are in their bodies , as well as in their soul , the members of christ ; know you not , saith he , that your bodies are the members of christ , cor. . . a very weighty argument ; for if a good man be a member of christ , then he must either be raised out of his grave , or else sin and death must have power over a member of christ. i say again , if if this body be not raised , then also christ is not a compleat conquerour over his enemies ; for as much as death and the grave , hath still power over his members . the last enemy that shall be destroyed , is death . now though christ in his own person , hath a compleat conquest over death , &c. yet death hath still power over the bodies of all that are in their graves : now i say , christ being considered with relation to his members , then he hath not yet a compleat conquest over death , neither will he , until they every one be brought forth of their graves ; for then , and not till then , shall that saying be every way fulfilled : death is swallowed up of victory , cor. . . and , . secondly , as there must be a resurrection of the just , because christ is their head , and they his members : so also , because the body of the saints , as well as their soul , is the purchase of christs blood . ye are bought with a price , saith paul : wherefore glorifie god in your body , and in your spirit , which are gods. cor. . . christ will not lose the purchase of his blood , o death , saith christ , i will have them ; o grave , i will make thee let them go , i will ransom them from the power of the grave , i will redeem them from death . ( i have bought them , and they shall be mine ) o death , i will be thy plague , o grave , i will be thy destruction , hos. , . job . , . revel . . . i say , though the power of the grave be invincible , and death be the king of terrours , yet he who hath the keys of hell and of death , at his girdle , to him belongeth the issues from death . he that is our god , is the god of salvation , and to god the lord , belongeth the issues from death . psal. . . and we the price of his blood , shall be delivered . thirdly , as the body is the member of christ , and the price of his blood : so it is the temple of the holy ghost , which is in us . what , know you not that your body is the temple of the holy ghost which is in you ? and you are not your own . the body is no such rediculous thing in the account of christ , as it was in the account of the saduces . the body is not for fornication , but for the lord , and the lord for the body , and that no onely in this world , but that which is to come : wherefore he saith , god hath both raised up the lord jesus , and will raise us up also by his power . cor. . , . . that is , as he hath raised up the body of christ : so will he raise up ours also by christ. fourthly , the bodies of the just must arise again , because of that similitude , that must be betwixt the body of the lord jesus christ , and the bodies of the saints . when he shall appear , we shall be like him . john . . now we have it abundantly manifest in scripture , that the body of the lord jesus , was raised out of the grave , caught up into heaven , and that it ever remaineth in the holiest of all , a glorified body , luk . , , , , . . , , , , , , . john . , , , . acts , , , , , , , , , , . acts . . acts . , , . mar. . , , . heb. . , , . eb . . , . heb. . . now i say , it would be very strange to me , if christ should be raised , ascended , and glorified in that body ; and yet that his people should be with him , no otherwise then in their spirits ; especially , seeing that he in his resurrection , is said to be but the first begotten from the dead , and the first fruits of them that sleep , col. . . cor. . . for we know , that a first begotten , doth imply more sons , and that first-fruits do foreshew an after crop : wherefore we conclude , that as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive , but every man in his own order : christ the first fruits , and afterwards them that are his at ●is coming . cor. . , . and hence it is , that the scripture saith , he shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body . and hence it is again , that the day of christ is said to be the day of the manifestation of the sons of god , and of the redemption of our body ; for then shall the saints of god not onely be , but appear as their saviour , being delivered from their graves , as he is from his , and glorified in their bodies , as he is in his . phil. . , . rom. . , , . fifthly , there must be a resurrection of the body of the saints , because the body , as well as the mind , hath been a deep sharer in the afflictions that we meet with for the gospel sake . yea , the body is oft-times the greater sufferer , in all the calamities , that for christs sake we here undergo ; it is the body that feels the stocks , the whip , hunger and cold , the fire and rack , and a thousand calamities : it is the body in which we have the dying marks of the lord jesus : that the life of jesus , also might be made manifest in our mortall slesh . gal. . . cor. . , , , , , . god is so just a god , and so merciful to his people , that though the bodies of his saints should , through the malice of the enemy , be never so dishonourably tortured , killed and sown in the grave : yet he will ( as further will be shewed anon ) raise it again in incorruption , glory and honour : as he saith also in another place , that we who have continued with christ in his temptations ; that have for his sake underwent the reproach and malice of the world ; to you , saith christ , i appoint a kingdom as my father hath appointed unto me . luk. . , . if we suffer with him , we shall reign with him , & he that hateth his life in this world , shall keep it to life eternall , tim. . . john . . all this is to be injoyed , especially at the resurrection of the just. but sixthly , there must be a resurrection of the just , otherwise , there will be the greatest disappointment on all sides that ever was , since man had a being on the earth . a disappointment i say , first , of the will of god ; for this is the will of the father that sent me , saith christ , that of all that he hath given me , i should lose nothing , ( not a dust ) but should raise it up again at the last day . john . . secondly , a disappointment of the power of god ; for he that hath raised up the lord jesus , doth also intend to raise us up by his power , even our bodies , as paul saith , the body is not for fornication , but for the lord , and the lord for the body , and god hath both raised up the lord , and will also raise us up by his power . cor. . , . thirdly , if there should be no resurrection of the just , christ also would be wonderfully disappointed of the fruits of all his sufferings . as i told you before , his people are the price of his blood , and the members of his body , and he is now at the right hand of god ( far above all principalities and powers , and every name that is named ) expecting till his enemies be made his footstool , and brought under heb. . . the foot of the weakest saint , which will not be , untill the last enemy death is destroyed . we know that he said , when he went away , that he would come again , and fetch all his people to himself , even up into heaven , that where he is , there we may be also . joh. . . joh. . , , . joh. . . but i say , how will he be disappointed , if when he comes , the grave and death should prevent and hinder him , and with its bars , keep down those , whom he hath ransomed with his blood , from the power thereof . fourthly , if the bodies of the just arise from the dead , then they also will be disappointed . 't is true , the saints departed , have far more fellowship , and communion with god and the lord jesus , then we have , or are not yet capable of having , luke . . they being in paradise , and we in this world ; but yet , i say for all that , they are , though there , very much longing for the day of the lords vengeance , which will be the day in which they will , and must arise from the dead . this i say , is the time that they long for , when they cry under the altar , how long o lord , holy and true , dost thou not judge and avenge our blood , on them that dwell on the earth ? when they died , they heb. . . died , in hope to obtain a better resurrection , and now they are gone , they long till that day be come , rev. . , . till the day come , i say , when the dead , even all the enemies of christ , shall be judged ; for then will he give reward to his servants the prophets , and to his saints , and to 〈◊〉 that fear his name , small and great . revel . . . . fifthly , if the just arise not , great disappointment also will be to the saints yet alive in this world : for , notwithstanding they have already received the first-fruits of the spirit , yet the wait , not onely for more of that , but also for the resurrection , redemption , and changing of this vile body , rom. . , , , . phil. . , . for our conversation is in heaven , saith paul , from whence we look for the saviour , the lord jesus christ , who shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body . but now i say , if the body riseth not , then how can it be made like to the glorious body of christ jesus : yea , what a sad disappointment , infatuation , and delusion , are those poor creatures under , that look , and that by scripture warrant , for such a thing ? they look for good , but behold evill ; they expect to be delivered in their whole man from every enemy ; but lo , both death and the grave , their great enemies , do swallow them up for ever ; but beloved , be not deceived , psal. . . t●e needy shall not always be forgotten , the expect●tion of the poor shall not perish for ever , saith christ , he that seeth the son , and believeth on him that sent him , hath everlasting life , and i will raise him up at the last day , john . . sixthly , if the just arise not out of their graves , then also is every grace of god in our souls defeated ; for though the spirit of devotion can put forth a feigned shew of holiness , with the denyal of the resurrection , yet every grace of god in the elect , doth prompt them forward to live as becomes the gospel , by pointing at this day , as first , 't is this that faith looks at , according as it is written , i believed , and therefore have i spoken ; we believed , and therefore speak , knowing that he that hath raised up the lord jesus , shall raise us up also by jesus , and shall present us with you . cor. , . secondly , hope looks at this , we saith p●ul , which have the first fruits of the spirit , even we our selves groan within our selves , waiting for the ad●ption , to wit , the redemption of our body , that is , we expect this by hope : but hope which is seen , is not hope , for what a man seeth , or hath in present possession , why doth he yet hope for it . rom. . , , . thirdly , the grace of self-denyal also wo●keth by this doctrine , if after the manner of men , i have fought with beasts at ephesus ; what advantageth it me , if the dead rise not ? as who should say ; wherefore do i deny my self of those mercies and priviledges , that the men of this world injoy ? why do not i also , as well as they , shun persecution for the cross of christ ? if the dead rise not , what shall i be the better for all my trouble that here i met with for the gospel of christ ? cor. . . fourthly , both zeal and patience , with all other the graces of the spirit of god in our hearts , are much , yea chiefly , incouraged , animated , and supported by this doctrine , as james saith , be patient therefore my brethren , unto the coming of the lord , ( for then shall the dead be raised . thes. . , . ) behold , the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth , and hath long patience , till he receive both the early and latter rayn ; be ye also patient , stablish your hearts , for the coming of the lord draws nigh . jam. . , . seventhly , the doctrine of the resurrection of the just , must needs be a certain truth of god , if we consider the devilish , and satanical errours and absurdities that must unavoidably follow the denyal thereof , as first , he that holdeth no resurrection of our body , he denyeth the resurrection of the body of christ : this is the spirits own doctrine ; for if the dead rise not , then is not christ risen , cor. , . he that denyeth the resurrection of the members , denyeth the resurrection of the head ; for seeing the resurrection of the saints is proved by the resurrection of christ , he that doth deny the resurrection of the saints , must needs deny the resurrection of christ , that proves it . now this errour , as it is in it self destructive to all christian religion : so it , like an adder , carrieth within its bowels , many other alike devilish and filthy , as . he that denyeth the resurrection of the saints , he concludeth , that to preach deliverance from sin and death , it is vain preaching ; for how can he be freed of sin , that is swallowed up for ever of death , & the grave ? as he most certainly is , that is always contained therin as paul saith , if christ be not risen , ( whose resurrection is the ground of ours ) then our preaching is vain , and your faith is also vain ; then we preach fables , and you receive them for truth . cor. . . . this errour , casteth the lie in the face of god , of christ , and the scriptures , ye , and we also , saith paul , are found false witnesses of god , because we have testified of god , that he raised christ up , if so be that the dead rise not . cor. . . mark , before he said , christ in his resurrection , doth prove our resurrection ; but now he saith , that our resurrection will prove the truth of his , and indeed , both are true ; for as by christs rising , ours is affirmed : so by ours , his is demonstrated : o● . the denyal of the resurrection , it also damneth all those that have departed this world in the faith of this doctrine . if christ be not raised ( as if he is not , we rise not ) then is not onely your faith vain , and ye are yet in your sins that are alive ; but then they also that are fallen asleep in christ , are perished . cor. . , . he that denyeth the resurrection of the just , he concludeth , that the christian is of all men , the most miserable . mark the words , if in this life onely , we have hope in christ , we are of all men the most miserable . cor. . . first of all , men the most miserable , because we let go present injoyments of those that will never come if the dea● rise not ? of all men most miserable , because our faith , our hope , our joy and peace , are all but a lie , if the dead rise not . but you will say , he that giveth up himself to god shall have comfort in this life . ah , but if the dead rise not , all our comfort that now we think we have from god , will then be found presumption and madness , because we believe , that god hath so loved us , as to have us in his day , in body and soul to heaven : which will be nothing so , if the dead rise not . if in this 〈◊〉 onely , we have hope in christ , we are of all men most miserable . poor christian , thou that lookest for the blessed hope of the resurrection of the body , at the glorious appearing of the great god , and our saviour jesus christ : how wilt thou be deceived , if the dead rise not ? but now is christ risen and become he first fruits of them that sleep ; for since by man came death , by man came also the resurrection from the dead . cor. . , . . but again , he that 〈◊〉 the resurrection of the dead , he setteth open a ●●●udgate to all manner of impiety , he cutteth ●he throat of a truly holy life , and layeth the reins upon the neck of the most outragi●us ●ust● , for if the dead rise not , let us eat and drink ▪ that is , do anything , though never so diabolical and hellish , let us eat and drink , for tomorrow we die ; and there is an end of us , we shall not arise again , to receive either evill or good . cor. . . . to deny this resurrection , nay if a man do but say , it is past either with him or any christian : his so saying tendeth directly to the dest●uction and overthrow of the faith of them that hear him ; and is so far from being according to the doctrine of god , that it eateth out good and wholsome doctrine , even as cankers eat the face and flesh of a man : how ill favouredly do they look , that have their nose and lips eat off with the canker ? even so badly doth the doctrine of no resurrection of the dead , look in the eyes of god , christ , saints and scripture . tim. . . lastly , i conclude then , that to deny the resurrection of the bodies of the just , it argueth , first , great ignorance of god , ignorant of his power to raise , ignorant of his promise to raise , ignorant of his faithfulness to raise ; and that both to himself , son , and saints , as i shewed before : therefore saith paul to those that were thus deluded , awake to righteousness , and sin not , for some have not the knowledge of god ▪ i speak this to your shame , cor. . , , . as if he had said , do you profess christianity ? and do you question the resurrection of the body ? do you not know , that the resurrection of the body , and glory to follow , is the very quintessence of the gospel of jesus christ ? are you ignorant of the resurrection of the lord jesus , and do you question the power and faithfulness of god , both to his son and his saints , because you say , there shall be no resurrection of the dead ? you are ignorant of god ; of what he can do , of what he will do , and of what he will by doing , glorifie himself . secondly , as it argueth very great ignorance of gods power , faithfulness , &c. so it argueth gross ignorance of the tenor and cur●ant of the scriptures ; for as touching the dead , that they are raised , have ye not read in the book of moses ( saith christ ) how that god said unto him in the bush , i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob ? god is not the god of the dead , but of the living : ye do therefore greatly erre , mark . , . to be the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , it is to be understood of his being their god , under a new covenant-consideration , as he saith , i will be their god , and they shall be my people . heb. . , . john . . john . , . hos. . . col. . . ephes. . . now thus he is not the god of the dead , that is , of those that perish , whether they be angels or men . now , i say , they that are the children of god , as abraham , isaac , and jacob , they are counted the living under a threefold consideration . . in their lord and head , and thus all the elect may be said to live ; for they are from eternity chosen in him , who also is their life , though possibly many of them yet unconverted . i say , yet christ is their life , by the eternal purpose of god. . the children of the new covenant , do live both in their spirits in glory , by open vision , and here by faith gal. . . and the continu●l communication of grace from christ into their souls . . they live also with respect to their rising again ; for god calleth those things that are not , as though they were , rom. . . to be born , dead , buried , risen and ascended , are all present with god , he liveth not by time , as we do , a thousand years to him , are but as the day that is past , pet. . . heb. . . isa. . , . rom. . , , , , . and again , one day is as a thousand years . eternity , which is god himself , admitteth of no first , second , and third , all things are naked and bare before him , and present with him , all ( his ) live unto him . there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . a resurrection , of what ? of that which is sown , or of that which was never sown ; if of that which is sown , then it must be either of that nature that was sown , or else of the corruption that cleaveth to it ; but it is the nature , and not the corruption that cleaveth unto it that riseth again . and verily , the very terme resurrection , is a forcible argument , to prove the dead shall come forth of their graves ; for the holy ghost hath alwayes spoke more properly , then to say , there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and unjust , when yet neither the good , nor the bad shall come forth of their graves , but rather something else to delude the world withall . having thus in few words , shewed you the truth of the resurrection of the dead , i now come to the manner of their rising . the manner of the resurrection of the dead : and first of the just. the apostle , when he had in the fifteenth of the first of the corinthians , proved the truth and certainty of the resurrection , he descends to the discovery of the manner of it ; and to the end , he might remove those foolish scruples that attend the hearts of the ignorant , he begins with one of their questions ; but some will say , saith he , how are the dead raised ? and with what vers. . body do they come ? to which he answereth : first by a similitude of seed , that is sown in the earth . in which similitude , he inserteth three things . first , that our reviving or rising , must be after death , that which thou sowest , is not quickned , except it die . vers. . secondly , that at our rising , we shall not onely revive and live , but be changed into a far more glorious state , then when we were sown . vers. . that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body that shall be , &c. but god giveth it a body as it pleaseth him , that is , he giveth the body more splendor , luster , and beauty , at its resurrection . but thirdly , neither its quickning , not yet transcendent , splendor , shall hinder it from being the same body , ( as to the nature of it ) that was sown in the earth ; for as god giveth it a body , for honour and splendor , as it pleaseth him , so vers. . to every seed his own body . and indeed , this similitude by which he here reasoneth the manner of the resurrection of the just , is very natural , and fitly suiteth each particular ; for , as to its burial , first , the corn of wheat is first dead , and after sown and buried in the earth , and so is the body of man. secondly , after the corn is thus dead and buried , then it quickneth , and reviveth to life : so also shall it be with our body ; for after it is laid in the grave and buried , it shall then quicken , rise , and revive . again , as to the manner of its change in its rising , this similitude also doth fitly suit , as first , it is sown a dead corn , it is raised a living one . secondly , it is sown dry , and without comliness , it riseth green and beautiful . thirdly , it is sown a single corn , it riseth a full ear. fourthly , it is sown in its husk , but in its rising it leaveth that husk behind it . further , though the curnel thus dy , be buried , and meet with all this change and alteration in these things : yet none of them can cause the nature of the curnel to cease ; it is wheat still . wheat was sown , and wheat ariseth , onely it was sown dead , drie , and baren wheat ; and riseth living , beautiful , and fruitful wheat . it hath this alteration then , that it doth greatly change its resemblance , though yet it hath this power , as still to retain its own nature . god giveth it a body , as it pleaseth him ; but to every seed his own body . the apostle having thus presented the manner of the resurrection of the saints , by the nature of seed sown , and rising again : he proceedeth , for further illustration , to three more similitudes . the first is , to shew us the variety and glory of flesh . the second is , to shew us the difference of glory that if between heavenly bodies , and those that are earthy . the third is to shew us the difference that is between the glory of the light of the sun , from that of the moon ; and also how one star differeth from another in glory . and then concludeth , so is the resurrection of the dead . cor. . , . as who should say , at the resurrection of the bodies , they will be ab●●●●lantly more al●e●ed and changed , then if the flesh of beasts and fouls were made as noble as the flesh of men ; or the bodies of earth , were made as excellent as the heavenly bodies ; or as if the glory of the moon should be made as bright , and as clear as the glory of the sun ; or as if the glory of the least star was as glorious , and as shining , as the biggest in the firmament of heaven . it is a resurrection indeed , a resurrection every way . the body ariseth as to the nature of it ; the self-same nature ; but as to the manner of it : how far transcendant is it ! there is a poor , dry , wrinkled curnel cast into the ground , and there it lyeth , and swelleth , breatheth , and one would think , perisheth ; but behold , it receiveth life , it chitteth , it putteth forth a blade , and groweth into a stalk ; there also appeareth an ear ; it also sweetly blossoms , with a full curnel in the ear , it is the same wheat , yet behold how the form and fashion of that which now ariseth , doth differ from that which then was sown , its glory also when 't was sown , is no glory : when compared with that in which it riseth . and yet it is the same that riseth that was sown , and no other : though the same after a far more glorious manner , not the same with its husk , but without it . our brun shall be left behind us when we rise again . the comparison also between the bodies heavenly , and bodies earthly , hold forth the same . the glory of the celestial is one , and the glory of the terrestial is another . now mark it , he doth not speak here of the natures of each of these bodies : but of the transcendant glory of one above another . the glory of the heavenly is one , and the glory of the earthly is another . wherefore i say , at our rising , we shall not change our nature , but our glory , we shall be equal to the angels , luke . . not with respect to their nature , but glory . the nature also of the moon is one thing , and the glory of the moon is another : and so , one star also differeth from another in glory . a beggar hath the same nature as a king , and gold in the ore , the same nature with that which is best refined ; but the beggar hath not the same glory with the king , nor yet the gold in ore , the same glory with that which is refined . but our state will be far more altered , than any of these in the dayes when we like so many suns in the firmament of heaven , arise out of the heart and bowels of the earth . these things thus considered , do shew you how vainly they argue , that say , our humane nature consisting of body and soul , shall not inherit the kingdom of god , and also how far from their purpose , that saying of the apostle is , which saith , [ that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of god. ] and now also because i am fallen upon the objection it self , i shall not passe it , but with a short dash at it . wherefore reader , whoever thou art , consider , that frequently in scripture , the word flesh and blood ( as also in the place alledged ) is not to be understood of that matter which god made ; which flesh cleaveth to our bones , and blood runs in our veins : but is taken for that corruption , weakness , mortality , and evil that cleaveth to it . which weakness and corruption , because it possesseth all men , & also wholy ruleth where the soul is unconverted : therefore it beareth the name of that which is ruled , and acted by it , to wit , our whole man consisting of body and soul ; yet i say , is a thing distinct from that flesh and blood which is essential to our being , and without which , we are no men . as for instance , he that is christs , saith paul , gal. . . hath crucified the flesh , with the affections and lusts . who is so vain as to think that the apostle by these words , should mean our material flesh that hangeth on our bones , and that is mixed with our natural blood , sinews , and veins . and not rather of that inward fountain of sin , corruption and wickedness , which in another place he calleth the old man with his deceitful lusts , ephes. . . again , the flesh lusteth against the spirit , and the spirit against the flesh : is it our flesh that hangeth on our bones , which lusteth against the spirit ? and that also against which the spirit lusteth ? certainly , if the spirit lusteth against our material flesh , then it is our duty not to nourish it at all , because , by nourishing of it , we nourish that against which the spirit of god fighteth , and warreth . nay , if the spirit lust against the flesh on our bones , simply considered as flesh ; and if it be our duty to follow the spirit , as it is , then we must needs kill our selves , or cut our flesh from our bones . for whatever the spirit of god lusteth against , it must be destroyed , yea , it is our duty with all speed to destroy it . but wilt thou know o vain man , that by flesh here , is to be understood , not the nature that god hath made , but the corrupt apprehension , and wisdom , with those inclinations to evil , that lodg within us . which in another place is called , the wisdom of the flesh . yea , in plain termes , flesh and blood , where christ saith , flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee , but my father which is in heaven . mat. . . nay , observe it , all these places , with many others , do rather point at a corrupt soul , then a corrupt body ; for indeed , sin and all spiritual wickedness , they have their seat in the heart and soul of a man , and by their using this or that member of the body , so defile the man ; the weaknesses of the body , or that attend our material flesh and blood , they are weaknesses of another kind , as sickness , aches , pains , soars , wounds , defection of members , &c. wherefore , where you read of flesh and blood , as rejected of god ; especially , when it speaks of the flesh and blood of saints , you are not to understand it as me●nt of the flesh , which is their proper humane nature ; but of that weakness which cleaveth to it . paul in another place , reckoneth up the works of the flesh , in many things , as in witchcraft , hatred , variance , strife , emulation , fornication , and many others . but can any imagine , that he there , should strike at that flesh that hangeth on our bone ? or rather at that malignity and rebellion that is in the mind of man against the lord , gal. , , , . by reason of which , the members of the body are used this way , and also sometimes that , to accomplish its most filthy and abusive deeds . they are enemies in their minds by wicked works , col. . . thus you see that flesh and blood is not to be taken always for the flesh , that is upon our hands and feet , and other parts of our body ; but for that sinne , weakness , and infirmity , that cleaveth to our whole man. further then , touching our reall substantiall flesh , it may be either considered as god's creature purely , or as corrupted with sinne and infirmity . now if you consider it as corrupted , so it shall not inherit the kingdom of god : but yet consider it as god's creature , and so all that god hath converted to himself , through jesus christ , shall , even with that body , when changed , inherit the kingdom of god. the woman whose cloaths are foul , can yet distinguish between the dirt and the cloth on which it hangeth ; and so deals god with us . 't is true , there is not one saint , but while he liveth here , his body is arrayed and infected with many corrupt and filthy things , as touching bodily weaknesses ; yea , and also with many sinful infirmities , by reason of that body of sin and death that yet remains in us : but yet god i say , distinguisheth between our weaknesses , and his workmanship , and can tell how to save the whole man of his people , while he is destroying the corruption and weakness that cleaveth to them . and now to return to the place objected , flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of god. it cannot be truly understood , that that flesh which is man's nature , shall not enter the kingdom : for then , as i said before , christ must lose his members , the purchase of his bloud , the vessels and temples of his spirit ; for all this is our body . again , then christ also in that his body , which is also our flesh and blood , is not in glory , contrary to the whole current of the new testament , heb. . , . heb. . , . heb. . , . heb. . , , . rev. . . rev. . . yea , it would be non-sence to say , there should be a resurrection , and that our vile body shall be changed , and made like to the glorious body of the son of god ; if this body do not at all rise again , but some other thing , which is not in us , and our nature . but to be short , the apostle here , when he saith , flesh and blood shall not inherit , &c. speaks properly of that mortality and weakness , that now attends our whole man , and not of our reall substantial body it self . for after he had said , flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of god ; he adds , neither doth corruption inherit in corruption : which two sayings , are answerable to what he presently adds ; saying , behold ! i shew you a mystery , we shall not all sleep , but we shall all be changed in a moment , in the twinckling of an eye , at the last trump , for the trumpet shall sound , and the dead ; mark , the dead shall be raised incorruptible ; that is , the dead shall be so raised , as that in their rising , incorruption shall possess them , in stead of corruption , and immortality , instead of that mortality that descended to the grave with them . for this corruptible ; mark , this corruptible , shall put on incorruption ; and this mortal shall put on mortality : mark , i say , it is this corruptible , and this mortal , that must be raised , though not corruptible and mortal , as it was buried ; but immortal and incorruptible : it shall leave its grave-cloaths of corruption and mortality behind it , cor. . , . , . the manner of which their rising , the apostle doth more distinctly branch out a little above in four particulars : which particulars , are these that follow , . it is sown in corruption ; it is raised in incorruption . . it is sown in dishonour , it is raised in glory . . it is sown in weakness , it is raised in power . . it is sown a natural body , it is raised a spiritual body , cor. . first , it is raised in incorruption : we are brought into this world by sin and corruption ; corruption is our father , and in sin did our mother conceive us , job . . psal. . . and hence it is , that we have our life ; nnt onely like a span , shadow , or post , for shortness , but also , that it is attended with so much vanity and vexation of spirit : but now being raised from the dead incorruptible , ( which is also called a begetting and birth ) these things that now in our life annoy us , and at last take away our life , are effectually destroy'd : and therefore we live for ever , as saith the spirit ; and there shall be no more death , nor sorrow , nor crying ; neither shall there be any more pain , for the former things ( that is , all our corruptibleness ) are passed away , rev. . . there shall be in our resurrection no corruption , either of body , of soul ; no weakness , nor sickness , nor any thing tending that way ; as he saith , he will present us to himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle , or any such thing , ephes. . , , . therefore when he saith , it is raised in incorruption , it is , as if he had said , it is impossible that they should ever sin more , be sick more , sorrow more , or die more . they that shall be counted worthy of that world , and the resurrection from the dead , neither marry , nor are given in marriage , ( though 't was thus with them in this world ) neither can they die any more , for they are equal unto the angels , and are the children of god , being the children of the resurrection , luk. . , , , , , , , , , . secondly , it is raised in glory ; the dishonour that doth attend the saint at his departing this world , it is very great , he is sown in dishonour ; he is so loathsom at his death , that his dearest friends are weary of him , stop their noses at him , see no beauty in him , nor set any price upon him . ( i speak nothing here , how some of them are banged , starved , banished , and so die , torn to pieces , and not suffered to be put into graves ; ) but it is raised in glory . glory is the sweetness , comliness , purity , and perfection of a thing . the light is the glory of the sun , strength is the glory of youth , and gray hairs is the glory of old age. that is , it is the excellency of these things , and that which makes them shine . cor. , , . prov. . . therefore to arise in glory , it is first to arise in all the beauty , and utmost compleatness that is possible to possess a humane creature , i say , in all its features & members , inconceivably beautifull : sin and corruption hath made mad work in our bodies , as well as in our souls ; 't is sin commonly that is the cause of all that deformity , and ill-favouredness , that now cleaveth to us , and that also rendereth us so dishonourable at our death ; but now at our rising , we being raised incorruptible , we shall appear in such perfections , and that of all sorts belonging to the body , that all the beauty and comeliness , sweetness and amiableness , that hath at any time been in this world , it shall be swallowed up a thousand times told with this glory . the psalmist saith of christ , that he was fairer than the children of men , psal. . . and that as i believe , in his outward man , as well as in his inward part , he was the exactest , purest , compleatest , and beautifullest creature that ever god made , isa. . . col. . . till his visage was so marred by his persecutions : for in all things he had , and shall have , the preheminence . why our bodies at our resurrection , will not onely be as free from sin , as his was before he died ; but also as free from all other infirmities , as he was after he was raised again . in a word , if incorruptibleness can put a beauty upon our bodies , when they arise , we shall have it . there shall be no lame legs , nor crump-shoulders , no blare-eyes , nor yet wrinkled faces , phil. . , . he shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body . again , all the glory that a glorified soul can help this body to , it at this day shall enjoy . that soul that hath been these hundreds or thousands of years in the heavens , soaking in the bosom of christ , it shall in a moment come spangling into the body again , and inhabit every member and vein of the body , as it did before its departure . that spirit of god also , that took its leave of the body , when it went to the grave , shall now in all perfection dwell in this body again i tell you , the body at this day , will shine brighter than the face of moses or stephen , even as bright as the sun , the stars , and angels . when christ who is our life shall appear , we shall appear with him in glory , exod. . . . acts . . dan. . . mat. . , . luk. . . col. . , . thirdly , it is raised in power . while we are here , we are attended with so many weaknesses and infirmities , that in time the least sin or sickness is too hard for us , and taketh away both our strength , our beauty , our dayes , our breath and life , and all . but behold , we are raised in power , in that power that all these things are as far below us , as a grashopper is below a gyant , at the first appearance of us , the world will tremble . job . . judges . . behold the gates of death , and the bars of the grave are now carried away on our shoulders , as sampson carried away the gates of the city . death quaketh , and destruction falleth down dead at our feet : what then can stand before us ? we shall then carry that grace , majesty , terrour , and commanding power in our souls , that our countenances shall be like lightning , compare luke . . with mat. . , . for this mortall must put on immortality , and this corruptible must put on incorruption : so when this corruptible , shall have put on incorruption , and this mortall , shall have put on immortality : then shall be brought to passe that saying which is written , death is swallowed up of victory . cor. . , . fourthly , it is raised a spiritual body . this is the last particular , and is indeed the reason of the other three ; it is an incorruptible body , because it is a spiritual one ; it is a glorious body , because it is a spiritual one ; it doth rise in power , because it is a spiritual body . when the body is buried , or sown in the earth , it is a body corruptible , dishonourable , weak and natural : but when it ariseth , it doth rise incorruptible , glorious , powerfully , and spiritual . so that so far as incorruption is above corruption , glory above dishonour , powerfull above weakness , and spiritual above naturall : so great an alteration will there be in our body , when raised again . and yet it is this body and not another , this in nature , though changed into a far more glorious state ; a thousand times further , then if a hoggard was changed to be an emperour . mark , it is sown a natural body : a very fit word ; for though there dwell never so much of the spirit and grace of god in it while it liveth , yet so soon as the soul is separate from it , so soon also doth the spirit of god separate from it ; and so will continue while the day of its rising be come . therefore it is laid into the earth , a meer lump of man's nature : it is sown a natural body : but now at the day , when the heavens shall be no more , as job saith , job . . then the trump shall sound , even the trump of god , and , in a moment , the dead shall be raised incorruptible , glorious , and spiritual , cor. . . thes. . , . so that i say , the body when it ariseth , will be so swallowed up of life and immortality , that it will be , as if it had lost its own humane nature ; though , in truth , the same substantial real nature is every whit there still . 't is the same [ it ] that riseth , that was sown ; it is sown , it is raised : it is sown , it is raised , saith the apostle . you know , that things which are candied , by the art of the apothecary , they are so swallow'd up with the sweetness and vertue of that in which it is candied , that they are now , as though they had no other nature , than that in which they are boiled : when yet , in truth , the thing candied doth still retain its own proper nature and essence ; though by vertue of its being candied , it loseth its former sourness , bitterness , stinking , smell , or the like . just thus , at the last day , it will be with our bodies ; we shall be so candied , by being swallow'd up of life , as before is shewed , that we shall be , as if we were all spirit , when in truth , it is but this body that is swallowed up of life : and it must needs be , that our nature still remain , otherwise it cannot be us that sh●ll be in heaven , but something besides us. let us lose our proper humane nature , and we lose absolutely our being & so are annihalated into nothing . wherefore , it , the same it , that is sown a natural body , it shall rise a spiritual body . but again , as i said , concerning things that are candied ; our body , when thus risen , it shall lose all that sourness and stinck , that now , by reason of sinne and infirmity , cleaveth to it : neither shall its lumpishness , or unweildiness , be any impediment to its acting after the manner of angels . christ hath shewed us , what our body at our resurrection shall be , by shewing of us , in his word , what his body was at , and after , his resurrection : we read , that his body , after he was risen from the dead , though it yet retained the very same flesh and bones , that did hang upon the cross , yet how angelical was it at all times , upon all occasions ! he could come in to his disciples with that very body , when the doors were shut upon them : he could , at pleasure , to their amazement , appear in the twinckling of an eye , in the midst of them : he could be visible and invisible as he pleased , when he sat at meat with them . in a word , he could pass and re-pass , ascend and descend in that body , with far more pleasure and ease , than the bird by the art of her wing , luk . , , , . joh. . , . luk. . , , , . joh. . , . act. . , , , , , , , , , , . mark . . eph. . , , . now , i say , as we have in this world born the image of our first father ; so , at that day , we shall have the image of jesus christ , and be as he is . as is the earthly , such are they that are earthly ; and as is the heavenly , such are they that are heavenly ; and as we have been the image of the earthly , we shall ( at our resurrection ) bear the image of the heavenly : it is so in part now , but shall so be in perfection then , cor. . , . to mount up to heaven , and to descend again at pleasure , shall , with us , in that day , be ordinary . if there were ten thousand bars of iron , or walls of brass , to separate between us , and our pleasure and desire , at that day , they should as easily be pierced by us , as is the cobweb , or air by the beams of the sun : and the reason is , because to the spirit , wherewith we shall be unconceiveably filled at that day , nothing is unpossible , mat. . . and the working of it at that day , shall be in that nature and measure , as to swallow up all impossibilities . he shall change our vile body , and fashion it like unto his glorious body ; now mark , according to the working , whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself , phil. . . as who should say , i know that there are many things , that in this world hinder us from having our bodies like the body of christ ; but when god shall raise us from the dead , because he will then have our body like the body of his son : he will stretch forth such a power to work upon , and in our body , that he will remove all impossibilities and hinderances . nay further , we do not onely see what operation the spirit will have in our body , by the carriage of christ , after his resurrection ; but even by many a saint before their death . the spirit used to catch elijah away , no man could tell whether . it carryed ezekiel hither and thither : it carryed christ from the top of the pinacle of the temple into galilee ; through it he walked on the sea ; the spirit caught away philip from the eunuch , and carryed him as far as azotus , king. . , . king. . . ezek . . luke . . matth. . . act. . . . thus the great god hath given us a tast of the power and glory that is in himself , and how easily it will help us , by its possessing of us at the resurrection , to act and do like angels ; as christ s●ith , they that shall be counted worthy of that world , and of the resurrection from the dead , they shall not die , but be equal to the angels , luk. . . further , as the body by being thus spiritualized , shall be as i have said ; so again it must needs be , that hereby all the service of the body , and faculties of the soul , must be infinitely inlarged also . now we shall see him as he is , and now we shall know , even as we are known , joh. . . cor. . . first , now we shall see him ; to wit , christ in his glory : not by revelation onely , as we do now , but then face to face ; and he will have us with him , to this very end , joh. . . though john was in the spirit , when he had the vision of christ , rev. . . yet it made him fall at his feet as dead ; and also turned daniel's beauty into corruption , dan. . . it was so glorious , and so over-weighing a glory , that he appeared in ; but we shall , at the day of our resurrection , be so furnished , that we shall with the eagle , be able to look upon the sun in his strength : we shall then , i say , see him as he is ; who now is in the light , that no eye hath seen , nor any man can see till that day , tim. . . now we shall see into all things : there shall not be any thing hid from us ; there shall not be a saint , a prophet , or saved soul , small or great ; but we shall then perfectly know them : also , all the works of creation , election , and redemption , and shall see and know as throughly , all the things of heaven , and earth , and hell , even as perfectly , as now we know our a , b , c. for the spirit , with which we shall in every crany of soul and body , be filled , i say , that searche●h all things , yea the deep things of god , cor. . . we see that strange things have been known by the prophets and saints of god , and that when they knew but in part . abraham could , by it , tell to a day , how long his seed should be under persecution in egypt , gen. . . elisha , by it , could tell what was done in the king of assyria's bed-chamber , king. . . ahijah could know by this , jeroboam's wife , so soon , yea before her feet entred within his door , though he saw her not , king. . , , , , . the prophet of judah could tell by this , what god would do to bethel , for the idolatry there committed ; and could also point out the man by name that should do the execution , long before he was born , kin. . . what shall i say , enoch by it could tell , what should be done at the end of the world , jud. , . how did the prophets , to a circumstance , prophecie of christ's birth , his death , his burial , of their giving him call and vinegar , of their parting his raiment , and piercing his hands and feet , isa. . of his riding on an ass , also , all this they saw , when they spake of him , joh. . . peter also , though half asleep , could at the very first word , call moses and elias by their names , when they appeared to christ in the holy mount , luk. . . he is very ignorant of the operation of the spirit of god , that scrupleth these things : but now , i say , if these things have been done , seen , and known , by spiritual men , while their knowledge hath been but in part , how shall we know , see , and discern , when that which is perfect is come ? which will be at the resurrection ; it is raised a spiritual body . thus , in few words , have i shewed you the truth of the resurrection of the just , and also the manner of their rising : had i judged it convenient , i might have much inlarged on each particular , and have added many more : for the doctrine of the resurrection , however question'd by hereticks , and erroneous persons ; yet is such a truth , that almost all the holy scriptures of god point at , and center in it . god hath , from the beginning of the world , shewed to us , that our body must be with him , as well as our soul , in the kingdom of heaven . i say , he hath shew'd ; first he hath shewed us , how he will deal with those that are alive at christs coming , by his translating of enoch , gen. . . heb. . . and taking him body and soul to himself : as also , by his catching of elias , king. . , . up body and soul into heaven , in a fiery chariot . secondly , he hath often put us in remembrance of the rising of those that are dead , at that day . first , by the faith he gave abraham , concerning the offering of his son : for when he offered him , he accounted that god was able to raise him up , even from the dead : from whence also he received him in a figure . in a figure of the resurrection of christ , for abraham's justification , and of abraham's resurrection by christ at the last day , for his glorification , heb. . . secondly , by the faith he gave joseph , consuming his bones ; which charge , the godly in egypt did diligently observe , and to that end , did keep them four hundred years ; and , at length , carryed them , i say , from egypt to canaan , heb. . . which was a tipe of our being carryed in our body , from this world to heaven . besides , how oft did god give power to his prophets , servants , and christ jesus , to raise some that was now dead , and some that had been long so ; and all , no doubt , to put the present generations ; as also the generations yet unborn , in mind of the resurrection of the dead . to this end , i say , how was the shunamites son raised from the dead ? king. . the man also at the touching of the bones of elisha , king. . , . together with the body of lazarus , with jairus daughter , and tabitha , and many others , luke . , , . joh. . , , . acts . , . who after their soul was departed from them , lazarus lying in his grave four dayes , were all raised to life again , and lived with that very body out of which the soul , at their death , had departed . but above all , that notable place in matthew , at the resurrection of the lord jesus , gives us a notable fore-word of the resurrection of the just : saith the text , and the graves were opened , and many bodies of saints which slept , arose , and came out of their graves after his resurrection , and went into the holy city , and appeared unto many , matth. . , , , . when the authour to the hebrews had given us a catalogue of the worthies of the old testament , he saith at last , these all died in faith. in the faith of what ? that they should lie and rot in their graves eternally ? no , verily this is the faith of ranters , not of christians . they all died in faith , that they should rise again ; and therefore counted this world not worth the living in [ upon unworthy terms ] that after death they might obtain a better resurrection , heb. . , . 't is also worth the considering , that of paul to the philippians , where he saith , that he was confident , that that god , that had begun a good work in them , would perform it untill the day of christ , phil. . . which day of christ , was not the day of their conversion , for that was past with them already , they were now the children of god ; but this day of christ , it is the same which in other places is called the day when he shall come with the sound of the last trump to raise the dead . for you must know , that the work of salvation is not at an end with them that are now in heaven ; no , nor ever will , untill ( as i shewed you before ) their bodies be raised again . god , as i have told you , hath made our bodies the members of christ , and god doth not count us thoroughly saved , untill our bodies be as well redeemed and ransomed out of the grave and death , as our soul from the curse of the law , and dominion of sin , though gods saints have felt the power of much of his grace , and have had many a sweet word fulfilled on them ; yet one word will be unfulfilled on their particular person , so long as the grave can shut her mouth upon them : but , as i said before , when the gates of death do open before them , and the barrs of the grave do fall asunder ; then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written , death is swallowed up of victory : and then will they hear that most pleasant voyce , awake , and sing , ye that dwell in the dust ; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs , and the earth shall cast forth her dead , isa. . . thus much touching the truth of the resurrection of the just , with the manner of their rising . now you must know , that the time of the rising of these just , will be at the coming of the lord : for when they arise , nay just before they are raised , the lord jesus christ will appear in the clouds in flaming fire with all his mighty angels ; the effect of which appearing , will be the rising of the dead , &c. for the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout , saith paul , and with the voice of the arch-angell , and with the trump of god , and the dead shall rise , thess. , . thess. . . cor. . . now at the time of the lords coming , there will be found in the world alive both saints and sinners . as for the saints that then shall be found alive , they shall so soon as all the saints are raised out of their graves , not die , but be changed and swallowed up of incorruption , immortality , and glory ; and have the soul-spiritual translation , as the raised saints shall have ; as he saith , we shall not all die , or sleep , but we shall all be changed in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye ; for the trump shall sound , and the dead shall be raised incorruptible , and we shall be changed . and again , for the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the arch-angel , and with the trump of god , and the dead in christ shall rise first , and then we which are alive and remain , shall be caught up together with them in the clouds , to meet the lord in the ayr , and so shall we ever be with the lord. as he saith also in another place , he shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing , and his kingdome , cor. . . thess. . , , . and tim. . . now when the saints that sleep shall be raised thus incorruptible , powerful , glorious , and spiritual ; and also those that then shall be found alive , made like them : then forthwith , before the unjust are raised , the saints shall appear before the judgment seat of the lord jesus christ , there to give an account to their lord the judge , of all things they have done ; and to receive a reward for their good according to their labour . they shall rise , i say , before the wicked , they being themselves the proper children of the resurrection ; that is , those that must have all the glory of it , both as to preheminencie , and sweetness ; and therefore they are said , when they rise , to rise from the dead ; that is , in their rising , they leave the reprobate world behind them , luke . , . acts . . acts . . acts . . joh. . , , . and it must be so , because also the saints will have done their account , and be set upon the throne with christ as kings and princes with him , to judge the world , when the wicked world are raised . the saints shall judg the world ; they shall judge angels : yea , they shall sit upon the thrones of judgment to do it . but to pass that , cor. . , . psal. . . now when the saints are raised , as ye have heard , they must give an account of all things , in general , that they have done , while they were in the world : of all things , i say , whether they be good or bad . first , of all their bad ; but mark , not under the consideration of vagabonds , slaves and sinners , but as sons , stewards , and servants of the lord jesus . that this shall be , it is evident from divers places of the holy scriptures : first paul saith , we must all stand before the judgment seat of christ , we saints . for it is written , as i live , saith the lord , every knee shall bowe to me , and every tongue shall confess to god. so then every one of us shall give an account of himself to god. again , wherefore we labour , that whether present or absent , we may be accepted of him : for we must all appear before the judgment seat of christ , that every one of us may receive the things done in his body , according to what he hath done , whether it be good , or whether it be evil , rom. . , , . cor. . . 't is true , god loveth his people , but yet he loveth not their sins , nor any thing they do , though with the greatest zeal for him , if it be contrary to his word ; wherefore as truly as god will give a reward to his saints and children for all that they have indeed well done . so truly will he at this day distinguish their good and bad : and when both are manifest by the righteous judgment of christ : he will burn up their bad , with all their labour , travail , and paints in it for ever . he can tell how to save his people , and yet take vengeance on their inventions , psal. . . that is an observable place , in the first epistle of paul to the corinthians , and the third chapter , if any man build , saith he , upon this foundation ( christ ) gold , silver , pretious stones , wood , hay , stubble , every mans work shall be manifest , for the day shall declare it , because it shall be revealed by fire , and the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is . if any mans work shall abide that he hath built thereupon , he shall receive a reward . if any mans work shall be burnt , that man shall suffer losse , but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire , cor. . , , , , . now observe first , as i said before , the foundation is christ , vers. . . the gold , silver , and pretious stones , that here are said to be built upon him , are all the actings in faith and love according to the word , that the saints are found doing for his sake in the world , pet. . . rev. . . . to build on him wood , hay , and stubble , it is to build , together with what is right in it self , humane inventions , and carnall ordinances ; fathering them still on god and his allowance . . the fire that here you read of , it is the pure word and law of god , jer. . . joh. . . . the day that here you read of , it is the day of christ's coming to judgment , to reveal the hidden things of darkness , and to make manifest the counsels of the heart , cor. . . . at this day , the gold , silver , pretious stones , wood , hay , and stubble , and that of every man , shall be tryed by this fire , that it may be manifest of what sort it is ; the wind , the rain , and flouds , beat now as vehemently against the house upon the rock , as against that on the sand , luke . , . observe again , . that the apostle speaks here of the saved , not of the reprobate , he himself shall be saved . . that this saved man may have wood , hay , and stubble ; that is , things that will not abide the tryal . . that neither this mans goodness , not yet gods love to him , shall hinder all his wood ; hay , or stubble for coming on the stage , every mans work shall be manifest : the fire shall try every mans work , of what sort it is . . thus , a good man shall see all his wood , hay , and stubble burnt up in the tryal before his face . . that good man then shall suffer loss , or the loss of all things that are not then according to the word of god. if any mans works shall be burnt ( or any of them ) he shall suffer loss ; but he himself shall be saved , yet so as by fire , that is , yet so as that all that ever he hath done , shall be tryed , and squared by the word of god. from all which , it must be unavoidably concluded , that the whole body of the elect must count with their lord for all things they have done , whether good or bad , and that he will destroy all their bad , with the purity of his word , yea , and all their pains , travel , and labour that they have spent about it . i am perswaded , that there are now many things done by the best of saints , that then they will gladly disown and be ashamed of : yea , which they have and do still do with great devotion . alas , what gross things do some of the saints in their devotion father upon god , and do reckon him the authour thereof , and so he also prompts them forward to the doing thereof , and doth give them his presence in the performance of them ! yea , and as they father many superstitions and scriptureless things upon him : so they die in the same opinion , and never come in this world , to the sight of their evill and ignorance herein . but now the judgment day is the principall time wherein every thing shall be fet in its proper place ; that which is of god in its place , and that which is not , shall now be discovered , and made manifest . in many things now , we offend all , and then we shall see the many offences we have committed , and shall our selves judge them as they are . the christian , is in this world , so candid a creature , that take him when he is not under some great temptation , and he will ingeniously confess to his god , before all men , how he hath sinned and transgressed against his father ; and will fall down at the feet of god , and cry , thou art righteous , for i have sinned ; and thou art gracious , that notwithstanding my sin , thou shouldest save me : now i say , if the christian is so simple and plain-hearted with god , in the days of his imperfection , when he is accompanied with many infirmities and temptations : how freely will he confess and acknowledge his miscarriages , when he comes before his lord and saviour : absolutely stript of all temptation and imperfection . rom. . . phil. . , . as i live , saith the lord , every knee shall how to me , and every tongue shall confess to god. every knee shall bow , and reverence god the creator , and christ the redeemer of the world ; and every tongue shall confess , that his will alone ought by them to have bin obeyed in all things ; and shall confess also , and that most naturally and freely . i mean , the saints shall in how many things they were deceived , mistaken , deluded , and drawn aside in their intended devotion and honour to god. but yet take notice , that in this day , when the saints are thus counting for their evill before their saviour and judg : they shall not then , as now , at the remembrance and confession of sin , be filled with that guilt , confusion and shame that now through the weakness of faith attendeth their souls : neither shall they in the least be grieved or offended , that god hath before the angels and the rest of their holy brethren , laid open to a tittle their infirmities from the least and first , to the biggest and last . for first , the god to whom they confess all , they will now more perfectly then ever , see he doth love them , and free them from all , even when and before they confess and acknowledg them to him , and they shall , i say , have their soul so full of the ravishing raptures of the life and glory that now they are in , that they shall be of it swallowed up in that measure , and manner , that neither fear nor guilt , nor confusion can come near them , or touch them . their judge is their saviour , their husband , and head : who , though he will bring every one of them for all things to judgment , yet he will keep them for ever out of condemnation , and any thing that tendeth that way . perfect love casts out fear , even while we are here : much more then , when we are with our saviour our jesus , being passed from death to life . john . . john . . secondly , the saints at this day , shall have their hearts and souls so wrapped up in the pleasure of god their saviour , that it shall be their delight , to see all things , though once never so near and dear unto them ; yet now to perish , if not according to his word and will : thy will be done , is to be always our language here ; but to delight to see it done in all things , though it tend never so much to the distruction of what we love : to delight , i say , to see it done in the height and perfection of delight : it will be when we come to heaven , or when the lord shall come to judge the world. mat. . . but thirdly , the sole end of the counting of the saints at the day of god , it will be , not onely for the vindication of the righteousness , holiness , and purity of the word , neither will it center onely in the manifestation of the knowledg and heart-discerning nature of christ ( though both these will be in it . revel . . , . ) but their very remembrances and sight of the sin and vanity that they have done while here : it shall both set off , and heighten the tender affections of their god unto them ; and also increase their joy and sweetness of soul ; and clinging of heart to their god. saints while here , are swee●ly sensible , that the sense of sin , and the assurance of pardon , will make famous work in their poor hearts . ah ; what meltings without guilt ! what humility without casting down ! and what a sight of the creatures nothingness yet without fear ! will this sense of sin work in the soul. the sweetest frame , the most heart-indearing frame , that possibly , a christian can get into , while in this world , is to have a warm sight of sin , and of a saviour upon the heart at one time . now it weeps not for fear , and through torment , but by vertue of constraining grace and mercy , and is at this very time , so far off of disquietness of heart , by reason of the fight of its wickedness , that it is driven into an extasie , by reason of the love and mercy that is mingled with the sense of sin in the soul. the heart never sees so much of the power of mercy as now , nor of the vertue , value , and excellency of christ in all his offices as now , and the tongue so sweetly inlarged to proclaim and cry up grace as now ; now will christ come to be glorified in his saints , and admired in them that believe . thes. . , . wherefore , though the saints receive by faith the forgiveness of sins in this life , and so are passed from death to life ; yet again , christ jesus , and god his father , will have every one of these sins reckoned up again , and brought fresh upon the stage in the day of judgment , that they may see and be sensible for ever , what grace and mercy hath laid hold upon them . and this i take to be the reason of that remarkable saying of the apostle peter . repent therefore and be converted , that your sins may be blotted out , when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the lord , and he shall send jesus christ , who before was preached unto you , whom the heaven must receive till the restitution of all things , spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began . acts . , , . if a sense of some sin ( for who sees all ? psa. . . ) and a sight of the love of god , will here so work upon the spirit of the godly : what will a sight of all sin do , when together with it they are personally present with their lord and saviour ? yea , if a sight of some sins , with a possibility of pardon , will make the heart love , reverence , and fear with guiltless and heart-affecting fears : what will a general sight of all sin , and together with them an eternall acquittance from them , work on the heart of the saint for ever ? yea , i say again , if a sight of sin , and the love of god , will make such work in that soul where yet there is unbelief , blindness , mistrust , and forgetfulness : what will a sight of sin do in that soul , who is swallowed up of love , who is sinless , and temptationless ; who hath all the faculties of soul and body strained , by love and grace , to the highest pin of perfection , that is possible to be in glory injoyed and possessed ? o the wisdom and goodness of god , that he at this day , should so cast about the worst of our things , even those that naturally tend to sink us , and damnus , for our great advantage ! all things that shall work together for good , indeed , to them that love god. rom. . . those sins that brought a curse upon the whole world , that spilt the heart-blood of our dearest saviour , and that laid his tender soul under the flaming wrath of god , shall by his wisdom and love , tend to the exaltation of his grace , and the inflaming of our affections to him for ever and ever . revel . . , , , , , . 't will not be thus with devils , 't will not be thus with reprobates ; the saved onely have this priviledge peculiar to themselves : ( wherefore to vary a little from the matter in hand , will god make that use of sin , even in our counting for it , that shall in this manner work for our advantage ? why then , let saints also make that advantage of their sin , as to glorifie god thereby , which is to be done , not by saying , let us do evill that good may come , or , let us sin that grace may abound ; but by taking occasion by the sin that is past to set the crown upon the head of the christ for our justification . continually looking upon it , so as to press us to cleave close to the lord jesus , to grace and mercy through him , and to the keeping of us humble for ever , under all his dispensations and cariages to us . now having counted for all their evil , and confessed to gods glory , how they fell short , and did not the truth in this , or that , or other particulars ; and having received their eternall acquittance from the lord and judg , in the sight of both angels and saints : forthwith the lord jesus will make inquiry into all the good and holy actions and deeds they did do in the world. now there shall all things be reckoned up , from the very first good thing that was done by adam or abel , to the last that will fall out to be done in the world. the good of all the holy prophets , of all apostles , pastors , teachers , and helps in the church : here also will be brought forth and to light , all the good cariages of masters of families , of parents , of children , of servants , of neighbours , or what ever good thing any man doth ; but to be general and short , first , here will be a recompence for all that have sincerely laboured in the word and doctrine , i say , a recompence for all the souls they have saved by their word , and watered by the same . now shall paul the planter , and apollo the waterer , with every one of their companions , receive the reward that is according to their works . cor. . , , . now all the preaching , praying , watching , and labour thou hast been at , in thy endeavouring to catch men from satan to god , shall be rewarded with spangling glory . not a soul thou hast converted to the lord jesus , nor a soul thou hast comforted , strengthned , or helped by thy wholsom counsel , admonition , and comfortable speech ; but it shall stick , as a pearl in that crown which the lord the righteous judge shall give thee at that day . tim. . , . that is , if thou dost it willingly , delighting to lift up the name of god among men ; if thou doest it with love , and longing after the salvation of sinners , ( otherwise thou wilt have onely thy labour for thy pains , and no more : if i do this willingly , i have a reward ; but if against my will , a dispensation of the gospel is committed to my charge . cor. . . phil. . . but i say , if thou do it graciously , then a reward followeth ; for what is our hope , or joy , or crown of rejoycing , are not even ye , saith paul , in the presence of our lord jesus christ at his coming , for ye are our glory and joy . thes. . , . let him therefore that christ hath put into this harvest , take comfort in the midst of all his sorrow , and know , that god acknowledgeth that he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way , doth even save that soul from death , and covereth a multitude of sins . wherefore labour to convert , labour to water , labour to build up , and to feed the flock of god which is among you , taking the oversight thereof not by constraint ; but willingly , not for filthy lucre , but of a ready mind ; and when the chief shepheard shall appear , ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away jam. . . pet. . , , . secondly , and as the ministers of christs gospel shall at this day be recompensed : so shall also those more private saints be with tender affections , and love looked on , and rewarded for all their work and labour of love , which they have shewed to the name of christ , in ministring to his saints , and suffering for his sake . whatsoever good thing any man doth , the same shall he receive of the lord , whether he be bond or free . heb. . . ephes. . . ah! little do the people of god think , how largely and thorowly , god will at that day , own and recompence all the good and holy acts of his people . every bit , every drop , every rag , and every nights harbour , though but in a wisp of straw , shall be rewarded in that day before men and angels . whosoever shall give to drink , to one of these little ones , a cup of cold water , onely in the name of a disciple : verily i say unto you , saith christ , he shall in no wise loose a disciples reward . mat. . , , . therefore when thou makest a feast , saith he , call the poor , the maimed , the lame , and the blind , and thou shalt be blessed ; for they cannot recompence thee , for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the just. luk. . , . if there be any repentance among the godly at this day , it will be , because the lord jesus in his person , members , and word , was no more owned , honoured , entertained , and provided for by them , when they were in this world : for it will be ravishing to all , to see what notice the lord jesus will then take of every widows mite . he , i say , will call to mind , even all those acts of me●cy and kindness , which thou hast shewed to him , when thou wast among men . i say , he will remember , cry up , and proclaim before angels and saints , those very acts of thine , which thou hast either forgotten , or through bashfulness wilt not at that day count worth the owning . he will reckon them up so fast , and so fully , that thou wilt cry lord , when did i do this ? and when did i do the other ? when saw we thee a hungry , and fed thee ? or a thirst , and gave thee drink ? when saw we thee a stranger , and took thee in ? or naked , and cloathed thee ? or when saw we thee sick , or in prison , and came unto thee ? and the king shall answer and say unto them , verily i say unto you , in as much as ye did it unto one of the least of these my brethren , ye did it unto me . mat. . , , , . the good works of some are manifest before hand , and they that are otherwise cannot be hid . tim. . . whatever thou hast done to one of the least of these my brethren , thou hast done it unto me . i felt the nourishment of thy food , and the warmth of thy fleece . i remember thy loving and holy visits , when my poor members were sick , and in prison , and the like . when they were strangers , and wanderers in the world , thou tookest them in . well thou good and faithful servant , enter thou into the joy of thy lord. matth. . , , , , , . thirdly , here also will be a reward for all that hardness , and christian induring of affliction that thou hast met with for thy lord , while thou wast in the world. here now will christ begin from the greatest suffering , even to the least , and bestow a reward on them all : from the blood of the suffering saint , to the loss of an hair : nothing shall go unrewarded . heb. . , , , , . cor. . , , , , , , . for these light afflictions which are but for a moment , they work out for us , a far more exceeding , and eternall weight of glory . cor. . . behold by the scriptures , how god hath recorded the sufferings of his people , and also how he hath promised to reward them . blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . blessed are ye , when men shall revile you , and speak all manner of evil against you , falsly for my sake , rejoyce , luk. . , . leap for joy , and be exceeding glad , for great is your reward in heaven . mat. . , , . and every one that hath forsaken houses , or brethren , or sisters , or father , or mother , or wife , or children , or laws for my names sake , shall receive an hundred fold , and shall inherit everlasting life . matth. . . fourthly , there is also a reward at this day , for all the more secret , and more retired works of christianity : there is not now one act of faith in thy soul , either upon christ , or against the devil , and antichrist ; but it shall in this day be found out , and praysed , honoured and glorified ; in the face of heaven , pet. . . . there is not one groan to god in secret , against thy own lusts , and for more grace , light , spirit , sanctification , and strength to go thorow this world like a christian ; but it shall even at the coming of christ , be rewarded openly . matth. . . . there hath not one tear dropped from thy tender eye against thy lusts , the love of this world , or for more communion with jesus christ , but as it is now in the bottle of god ; so then it shall bring forth such plenty of reward , that it shall return upon thee with abundance of increase . blessed are ye that weep now ; for ye shall laugh . thou tell est my wonderings , and puttest my tears into thy bottle , are they not in thy book ? they that sow in tears , shall reap in joy . he that goeth forth and weepeth , bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again , bringing his sheaves with him . psal. . . psal. . . luk. . . having thus in brief shewed you something concerning the resurrection of the saints , and that they shall count with their lord at his coming , both for the burning up what was not according to the truth , and rewarding them for all their good . it remains , that i now in few words , shew you something also of that with which they shall be rewarded . first then , those that shall be found in the day of their resurrection , when they shall have all their good things brought upon the stage ; they i say , that then shall be found the people most laborious for god while here : they shall at that day injoy the greatest portion of god , or shall be possessed with most of the glory of the god-head then . for that is the portion of saints in general . rom. . . lam. . . and why shall he that doth most for god in this world , injoy most of him in that which is to come ? but because by doing and acting , the heart , and every faculty of the soul is inlarged , and more capatiated , whereby more room is made for glory . every vessel of glory shall at that day be full of it ; but every one will not be capable to contain a like measure . and so if they should have it communicated to them , would not be able to stand under it ; for there is an eternall weight in the glory that saints shall then injoy ; and every vessel must be at that day filled , that is , have its heavenly load of it . cor. . . all christians have not the same injoyment of god in this life , neither indeed were they able to bear it , if they had it . cor. . . but those christians that are most laborious for god in this world , they have already most of him in their souls , and that not onely because diligence in gods wayes , is the meanes whereby god communicates himself ; but also because thereby the senses are made more strong , and able , by reason of use to understand god , and to discern both good and evill . heb. . , . mat. . , . to him that hath , to him shall be given , and he shall have more abundance . he that laid out his pound for his master , and gained ten therewith , he was made ruler over ten cities ; but he that by his pound gained but five , he was made ruler over but five . luk. . , , , . dan. . , . often , he that is best bred in his youth , he is best able to manage most , when he is a man touching things of this life ) but alwayes he that is best bred , and that is most in the bosom of god , and that so acts for him here : he is the man that will be best able to injoy most of god in the kingdom of heaven . it is observable , that paul saith , our afflictions work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory . our afflictions do it , not onely because there is laid up a reward for the afflicted ; according to the measure of affliction ; but because afflictions , and so every service of god , doth make the heart more deep , more experimentall , more knowing , and profound ; and so more able to hold , contain , and bear more . every man shall receive his own reward , according to his own labour . cor. . . psal. . . cor. . . and this is the reason of such sayings as these ; lay up for your selves a good foundation against the time to come , that you may lay hold on eternall life : which eternall life , is not the matter of our justification from sin in the sight of god ; for that is done freely by grace , through faith in christs bloud ; ( but here the apostle speaks of giving of alms ) but it is the same that in the other place he calls the far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory . and hence it is , that he in his stirring them up to be diligent in good works , doth tell them , that he doth not exhort them to it , because he wanted , but because he would have fruit that might abound to their acco●●n● , as he saith also in another place , beloved brethren , be stedfast , unmoveable , alwayes abounding in the work of the lord ; for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the lord. tim. . , . phil. . , . cor. . . therefore i say , the reward that the saints shall have at this day for all the good they have done , it is the injoyment of god , according to their works : though they shall be freely justified and glorified without works . secondly , as the injoyment of god at that day , will be to the saints , according to their works and doings . ( i speak not now of justification from sin ) so will their prayse and commendations at that day , be according to the same , and both of them their degrees of glory ; for i say , as god by communicating of himself unto us at that day , will thereby glorifie us , so also he will for the adding all things that may furnish with glory every way , cause to be proclaimed in the face of heaven , and in the presence of all the holy angels : every thing that hath for god , his ways , and people , been done by us while here we have been . whatsoever hath bin spoken in darkness , shall be heard in the light : and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets , shall be proclaimed upon the house tops . again , he that shall confess me , saith christ , before men , him will i confess before the angels of god. now as he of whom christ is ashamed when he comes in his glory , and in the glory of the holy angels , will then lie under unconceiveable disgrace , shame , dishonour , and contempt : so he whom christ shall confess , own , commend , and prayse at that day , must needs have very great dignity , honour , and renown ; for then shall every man have prayse of god , to wit , according to his works . luke . , . mark . . mat. . . cor. , . now will christ proclaim before thee , and all others , what thou hast done , and what thou hast suffered , what thou hast owned , and what thou hast withstood for his name . this is he that forsook his goods , his relations , his country , and life for me : this is the man that overcame the flatteries and threats , allurements and inticings of a whole world for me ; behold ●i● , he is an israelite indeed , the top man in his generation , none like him in all the earth . it is said , that when king ahasuerus , had understanding of how good service mordeeai the jew had done to , and for him , he commanded that the royall apparel , and the crown , with the horse that the king did ride on , should be given to him , and that he should with that crown , apparel , and horse , be had through the city , in the presence of all his nobles , and that proclamation should be made before him : thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour . esth. . , , . ahasuerus in this was a type , to hold forth to the children of god , how kindly he will take all their labour and service of love , and how he will honour and dignifie the same , as christ saith , let your loins be girded about , and your lights burning , and you your selves like unto men that wait for their lord , when he will return from the wedding : that when he cometh and knocketh , ye may open to him immediately , blessed are those servants , whom their lord when he cometh , shall find watching . verily i say unto you , that he shall gird himself , and shall make them sit down to meat , and shall come forth and serve them . luke . , , . the meaning is , that those souls that shall make it their business to honour the lord jesus christ , in the day of their temptation , he will make it his business to honour and glotifie them in the day of his glorification . verily , i say unto you , that he will make them sit down to meat , and shall come forth and serve them ; if any man will serve me , saith he , him will my father honour . joh. . . job . . joh. . . mark . . rev. , . rev. . . , , . it hath bin gods way in this world , to proclaim the acts and doing of his saints in his word , before all in this world , and he will do it in that which is to come . thirdly , another thing that shall be yet added to the glory of the saints , in the kingdom of their saviour , at his coming , is , they shall every one of them then have his throne and place of degree on christs right hand , and on his left , in his glorious kingdom , according to the relation they stand in to christ , as the members of his body ; for as christ will have a special eye on us , and a tender and affectionate heart , to recompence to the full every good thing that any man doth for his name in this world : so also he will have as great regard , that there be to every member of his body , the place , and state that is comely for every such member . when the mother of zebedees children petitioned our saviour , that he would grant to her , that her two sons might fit the one on his right hand , and the other on his left in his kingdom : though he did not grant to her the request for her children , yet he affirmed , that there would be places of degrees and honour in heaven , saying , to sit on my right hand and on my left , is not mine to give , but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father . see mat. . , , , . in the temple , there were chambers bigger , and lesser , higher and lower , more inward and more outward : which chambers were types of the mansions that our lord when he went away , told us he went to prepare for us . in my fathers house are many mansions , if it were not so , i would have told you , i go to prepare a place for you , &c. joh . , , . the foot here , shall not have the place prepared for the eye , nor yet the hand , that which is prepared for the ear ; but every one shall have his own place in the body of christ , and the glory also prepared for such a relation : order , as it is comely in earth , so much more in the kingdom of the god of order , in heaven ; where all things shall be done in their utmost perfections . here shall euoch , noah , abraham , moses , joshuah , david , with the prophets , have every one his place , according to the degree of old testament saints . as god said to daniel , go thy way till the end be ; for thou shalt rest , and stand in the lot at the end of the days . dan. . . and here also , shall peter , paul , timothy , and all other the church-officers have their place , and heavenly state , according as god hath set them in the church in the new testament . as paul saith of the deacons , they that use the office of a deacon well , they purchase to themselves a good degree , and great boldness in the faith which is in christ. tim. . . and so of all other saints , be they here of what ranck , quality , or place in the church soever , they shall have every one his state , his heavenly state , according as he standeth in the body . as he saith , seeing those members that are most feeble , are necessary , to them shall be given more abundant honour . cor. . , . of this heavenly order in the kingdom of christ , when his saints are risen from the dead , was solomon a notable type in his family , and among his servants and officers , who kept such exactness in the famous order , in which he had placed all about him , that it did amaze and confound beholders . for when the queen of sheba had seen the wisdom of solomon , and the house which he built , and the meat of his table , the sitting of his servants , and the attendance of his ministers , and their apparel , his cup-bearers also , and their apparel , and the ascent by which he went up into the house of the lord : there was no more spirit in her . chron. . , . glorious things are spoken of thee , o thou city of god. having gone thus far , i shall now come to the second part of the text , to wit , that there shall be a resurrection of the wicked . there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and unjust . for as the just go before the unjust , in name and dignity , and honour , so they shall in the last day , go before them in the resurrection . now then , when the saints have thus risen out of their graves , given up their accounts , received their glory , and are set upon the thrones , ( for there are set thrones of judgement , the thrones of the house of david . ) psal. . . when i say , they are all of them in their royall apparel , with crowns of glory , every one presenting the person of a king : then come the unjust out of their graves , to receive their judgment for what they have done in the body . as paul saith , we must all appear before the judgment seat of christ , that every one , ( both saints and sinner ) may receive the things done in the body , whether it be good , or whether it be bad . but now because i would prove by the words , whatever i would have others receive for a truth : therefore i shall in few particulars , prove the resurrection of the wicked . first then , it is evident , that the wicked shall rise from the very termes and names that the raised shall then go under , which is the very same names that they did go under when they lived in this world. they are called the heathen , the nations , the world , the wicked , and those that do iniquity ; they are called men , women , sodom , sidon , bethsaida , capernaum , and tire . the men of ninive shall rise up in judgment , the queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment , and it shall be more tolerable for sodom in the day of judgment , then for other sinners that have resisted more light . the heavens and the earth that now are , are kept in store , reserved unto fire against the day of judgement , and perdition of ungodly men . pet. . . mat. . , . mat. . , , , . luk. . , , . joel . , , . mat. . . jud. . . now these termes , or names , are not given to the spirits of the wicked onely ; but to them as consisting of body and soul. further , christ tells his adversaries , when they had apprehended him , and shamefully intreated him , that yet they should see him sit on the right hand of power , and coming in the clouds of heaven , as john also doth testifie , saying , behold he cometh with clouds , and every eye shall see him , and they also that pierced him , and all the kinreds of the earth shall wail because of him . mat. . . revel . . . now none of these sayings are yet fulfilled , neither shall they , untill his second coming ; for though the jews did many of them see him , when he did hang upon the cross , yet then he was not coming in the clouds of heaven , neither did then all kinreds of the earth wail because of him . no , this is reserved till he comes to judge the world ; for then shall the ungodly be so put to it , that gladly they would creep into the most invincible rock or mountain under heaven , to hide themselves from his face , and the majesty of his heavenly presence . rev. . , , , . there shall therefore , that this may be brought to passe , be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . for though an opinion of no resurrection may now lull men asleep , in security and impiety , yet the lord , when he comes , will rouse them , and cause them to awake ; not onely out of their security , but out of their graves , to their doom , that they may receive for their errour , the recompence that is meet . secondly , the body of the ungodly must , at the last , arise out of the grave , because that body and their soul , while they lived in the world , were co-partners in their lusts and wickedness . god is a god of knowledge , and by him actions are weighed . sam. , . eccles. . . he will therefore bring every work into judgement , with every secret thing . and as he will bring into judgement every work , so will he also the worker thereof , revel . . , , . even the dead , small and great . it is not in god to lay the punishment where the fault is not , neither to punish a part of the damned for the whole . with righteousness shall be judge the world , and the people with equity , shall not the judge of all the earth do right ? psal. . . gen. . . as therefore the body was copartner with the soul in sinning , so shall every man receive the things done in his body , according to what he hath done . wherefore he saith in another place , behold i come quickly , and my reward is with me , to give every man according as his work shall be , rev. . . there shall therefore be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . . the body of the wicked must rise again , because as the whole man of the just also that is the vessel of mercy & glory : so the whole man of the unjust , is the vessel of wrath and destruction . there are , saith paul , in a great house , not onely . vessels of gold and of silver , but also of wood and of earth , and some to honour , and some to dishonour . now as he sheweth us these vessels to honour , they are good men , and the vessels to dishonour are the bad . tim. . , . now as these vessels to dishonour , are called the vessels of wrath : so it is said , that god with much long suffering , doth suffer them to be fitted to destruction . rom. . . how they are thus fitted , he also further sheweth , where he saith , they do after their hardness and impenitent heart , treasure up wrath against the day of wrath , and the revelation of the righteous judgement of god. rom. . . which treasures of wickedness , james saith , it is treasured up against the last dayes , ( which is the time of judgement , ) and observe it , he saith , that then it shall eat their flesh , as it were fire . jam. . . . now then their bodies being the vessels of the wrath of god , and again , seeing with this wrath they must be possessed at the last day , that their flesh must with it be eaten , it is evident , that their body must rise again out of their graves , and before the judgement seat appear ; for it is from thence , that each of them must go with his full load to their long and eternal home , where their worm dieth not , and their fire is not quenched . mark . , . fourthly , the severity of the hand of god towards his children , with his forbearance of his enemies , doth clearly bespeak a resurrection of the ungodly , that they may receive the reward for their wickedness which they have committed in this world. we know , that while the eyes of the wicked start out with fatness , the godly are plagued all the day long , and chastned every morning . psal. . , , , , , , , , , , , . wherefore it is evident , that the place and time of the punishment of the ungodly , it is another world. if judgement begin at the house of god , what will the end of them be , that obey not the gospel of god ? and if the righteous scarcely be saved , where shall the ungodly and sinner appear ? pet. . , . alas , poor creatures ! they now plot against the righteous , and gnash upon them with their teeth ; but the lord laugheth at them , for he seeth their day is coming ; for as he saith , the wicked is reserved , or let alone in his wickedness , to the day of destruction , and shall then be brought forth to the day of wrath , psal. . , . though in the mean time , he may go to his grave in his banner , and rest within his tomb. as peter saith again , job . , , , . the lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation , but to reserve the unjust to the day of judgement to be punished , pet. . . and jude saith , for them is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever . jude . the punishment of the ungodly , it is reserved till the day of judgement , which will be the time of their resurrection . observe , first , the wicked must be punished . secondly , the time of their punishment , is not now , but at the day of judgement . thirdly , this day of judgement , must be the same with the resurrection of the dead , at the end of this world. as therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire , so shall it be in the end of this world. the son of man shall send forth his angels , and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend , and them that do iniquity , and shall cast them into a furnace of fire , there shall be weeping , and gnashing of teeth . mat. . , . there shall then be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . fourthly , the soveraignty of the lord jesus over all creatures , doth plainly foreshew a resurrection of the bad , as well as of the good . indeed , the unjust shall not arise , by vertue of any relation they stand in to the lord jesus , as the saints shall ; but yet , because all are delivered into his hand , and he made soveraign lord over them : therefore , by an act of his soveraign power , they that are ungodly , shall arise , this is christs own argument , the father judgeth no man , saith he , but hath committed all judgment unto the son , that is , count him , and fall before him as their soveraign lord , even as they honour the father , and he hath given him authority , to execute judgement also , because he is the son of man. and then he adds , marvel not at this , for the hower is coming , that all that are in their graves shall hear his voyce , and shall come forth , they that have done good , to the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evill , to the resurrection of damnation . joh. . , , , , . from hence also paul argueth , saying , for this cause he both dyed , rose , and revived , that he might be lord both of the dead and living . and then adds , we must all stand before the judgement seat of christ. rom. . . . pray mind these words , jesus christ by his death and resurrection , did not onely purchase grace , and remission of sins , for his elect , with their eternal glory ; but did thereby also obtain of the father , to be lord , and head over all things , whether they be things in heaven , or things on earth , or things under the earth , all power , saith he , in heaven and in earth , is given unto me , and i have the keys of hell and of death . mat. . . rev , . . so that all things , i say , whether they be visible , or invisible , whether they be thrones or dominions , or principalities or powers ; all things were created by him , and for him . col. . . this being thus , at the name of jesus , every knee must bow , and every tongue confess that he is soveraign lord , to the glory of god the father . phil. . , , . now that this may be done , he hath his resolutions upon a judgement-day , in which , he to shew himself his people , his way , and word in their glory , will have all his enemies raised out of their graves , and brought before him , where he will sit upon them in the throne of his glo●y , and will shew them then , who is the onely potentate , the king of kings , and lord of lords . mat. . , . tim. . , . beloved , he comes with ten thousand of his saints , to execute judgement upon all , and to convince all that are ungodly among them , of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed , and of all their wicked speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him . jude , . fifthly , the great preparation that god hath made for the judgement of the wicked , doth clearly demonstrate their rising forth out of their graves . first , he hath appointed the day of their rising . secondly , he hath appointed their judge , to judge them . thirdly , he hath recorded all their acts and doings against that day . fourthly , he hath also , already appointed the witnesses to come in against them . fifthly , the instruments of death and misery , are already prepared for them . for the first , he hath appointed the day of their rising , which day , john calleth the time of the dead , that they should be judged . which time , paul saith , is a time fixed ; he hath appointed a day , in which he will judge the world , &c. this time and day , christ brings down to an houre , saying , the hour is coming , when all that are in their graves , shall hear his voyce , and shall come forth , &c. revel . . . acts . , . joh. . , . secondly , as he hath appointed the day , so he hath appointed the judge , he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained , of which he hath given assurance to all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . this man is jesus christ ; for it is he that is ordained of god , to be the judge of the quick and the dead . acts . , . acts . , . thirdly , all their deeds and works , to a word and thought , and every one already recorded and inrolled in the books of the laws of heaven against that day . the sin of judah , is written with a pen of iron , and with the point of a diamond , upon the tables of their heart . and again , saith god , write it in a table , and note it in a book , that it may be for the time to come , even for ever and ever , that this is a rebellious house , &c. jer. . . isa. . , . fourthly , god hath prepared his witnesses against this day , james . . job . . mat. . . rom. . , . malac. . . fifthly , the instruments of death , and eternal misery , are all already prepared , he hath prepared for them the instruments of death , he hath ordained his arrows against the face of persecutors , psal. . , , . psal. . . hell is of old prepared , he hath made it deep and large , the fire , the everlasting fire is also now of a long time prepared ; the heavy weights of gods curse , are also ready , and their damnation now of a long time slumbereth not . isa. , . mat. . . deut. . , . pet. , . but now i say , how rediculous a business would all this be , if these things should be all prepared of the onely wise god , and there should be none to be judged ; or if he that is ordained judge , should not either through want of power , or will , command these rebels , and force them before his judgement-seat . glad indeed , would the sinners be , if these things might be true . glad i say , at very heart , if they might be in their secret places of darkness , and the grave for ever ; but it must not be , the day of their rising is set ; the judge is appointed , their deeds are written ; the deep dungeon is with open mouth , ever waiting for them ; wherefore at the day appointed , neither earth , nor death , nor hell can hinder : there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . lastly , besides what hath been said , i cannot but believe , there shall be a resurrection of the wicked at the last day , because of the ungodly consequences , and errours that do most naturally follow the denyal thereof . for first , he that taketh away the doctrine of the resurrection of the wicked : he taketh away one of the main arguments that god hath provided for to convince a sinner , of the evill of his w●yes ; for how shall a sinner be convinced of the evill of sin , if he be not convinced of the certainty of eternall judgement ? and how shall be he be convinced of eternall judgement , if you perswade him , that when he is dead , he shall not at all arise ? ( especially seeing the resurrection of the dead , and eternall judgement , must unavoidably be one the forerunner of the other . heb. . . it was pauls reasoning of righteousness , temperance , and judgement to come , that made felix tremble . 't is this also he calleth the argument of terrour , wherewith he perswaded men . this was solomons argument , and christs also , where he saith , that every idle word that man shall speak he shall give an account thereof , in the day of judgement . acts , . cor. . , . eccles. . . mat. . . secondly , they that deny the resurrection of the wicked , they do both allow and maintain the chief doctrine of the ranters , with most of the debauched persons in the world. for the ranters deny it both in principle and practice , and the other in practice , at least . now to me it is very strange , that these men above all other , should both know and live in the doctrines of the kingdom of god : especially , seeing the denyal hereof is an evident token of one appointed to wrath and destruction . tim. . . but to be plain , there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust : wherefore , whatever others may say , or profess , being beguiled by satan , and their own hearts , yet do thou fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell. matth. . . there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just , and unjust . rev. . . and the sea gave up the dead that were in it , and death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them . having in the first place shewed you , that the wicked must arise ; i shall in the next place shew you the manner of their rising . and observe it , as the very title of the just , and unjust , are opposites , so they are in all other matters , and in their resurrections . first then , as the just in their resurrection do come forth in incorruption : the unjust in their resurrection , shall come forth in their corruptions ; for though the ungodly at their resurrection , shall for ever after , be incapable of having body and soul separate : or of their being annihilated into nothing , yet it shall be far from them to rise in incorruption ; for if they arise in incorruption , they must arise to life , and also must have the conquest over sin and death ; cor. . . but that they shall not ; for it is the righteous onely , that put on incorruption , that are swallowed up of life . the wickeds resurrection , it is called the resurrection of damnation . joh. . . these in their very resurrection , shall be hurt of the second death . they shall arise in death , and shall be under it , under the gnawings , and terrours of it , all the time of their arraignment . as it were , a living death shall feed upon them , they shall never be spiritually alive , nor yet absolutely dead ; but much after that manner , that natural death , and hell , by reason of guilt , doth feed on him , that is going before the judge , to receive his condemnation to the gallows . you know , though a felon go forth of the goal , when he is going to the bar for his arraignment , yet he is not out of prison , or out of his irons for that ; his fetters are still making a noise on his heels , and the thoughts of what he is to hear by and by from the judge , is still frighting and afflicting his heart , death , like some evil spirit of ghost , doth continually haunt him , and playeth the butcher continually in his soul and conscience , with frights and fears about the thoughts of the sudden , and unsupportable after-clap , by and by he is to meet withall . thus i say , will the wicked come out of their graves , having yet the chains of eternal death hanging on them , and the talons of that dreadful ghost fastned in their souls . so that life will be far from them , even as far as heaven is from hell. this morning to them , is even as the shadow of death . they will then be in the very terrours of the shadow of death . job . . as christ saith , their worm never dies , and their fire is never quenched . mark . , . from death to eternity , it never shall be quenched , their bed is now among the flames ; and when they rise , they will rise in flames ; while they stand before the judge , it will be in flames , even in the flames of a guilty conscience : they will in their coming before the judge , be within the very jaws of death and destruction . thus i say , the ungodly shall be far off from rising as the saints ; for they will be even in the region and shadow of death . the first moment of their rising , death will be ever over them , ever feeding on their souls ; and ever presenting to their hearts , the heights , and depths , of the misery that now must seize them , and like a bottomless gulf ▪ must swallow them up . they shall come out of their holes , like worms of the earth , and be afraid of the lord our god. micah . . secondly , as the resurrection of the godly , shall be a resurrection in glory : so the resurrection of the wicked , it will be a resurrection in dishonour . yea , as the glory of saints , at the day of their rising , will be glory unspeakable : so the dishonour of the ungodly at that day , it will be dishonour beyond expression . as daniel saith , the good shall , arise to everlasting life ; but the wicked to shame , and everlasting contempt . dan. . . and again , when thou , o god , awakest , that is , to judge them , thou shalt despise their image . psal. . . never was toad or serpent more loathsome to any , then these will be in the eyes of god , in their rising forth of their graves . when they go to their graves , saith job , their bones are full of the sin of their youth , which lyeth down in the dust with them . job . . and a rise they shall , in the same noisom and stinking condition ; foras death leaves , so judgment finds them . at the resurrection then of these ungodly : they will be in a very loathsom condition . the ungodly at their death , are like the thistle-seed ; but at their rising , they will be like the thistle grown ; more noysom , offensive , and provoking to rejection abundance . then such dishonour , shame and contempt , will appear in them : that neither god nor christ , saints nor angels , will so much as once regard them , or vouchsafe one to come near them . he beholdeth the wicked a far off ; because in the day of grace , they would not come to hand , and be saved , therefore now they shall , all as thorns , be thrust away , as with fences of iron . . sam. . , . their rising , is called the resurrection of the unjust , and so they at that day will appear , and will more stink in the nostrils of god , and all the heavenly hosts : then if they had the most irksome plague-soars in the world running on them . if a man at his birth , be counted as one cast forth to the loathing of his person : how loathsom , and irksom , dishonourable , and contemptible , will those be that shall arise godless , christless , spiritless , and graceless , when the trumpet sounds to their judgement , they coming out of their graves , far more loathsom , and filthy , then if they should ascend out of the most filthy hole on earth . thirdly , as the just shall arise in power , so the wicked and unjust , in weakness and astonishment . sin and guilt bringeth weakness , and faintness in this life : how much more , when both with all their power and force , like a gyant , fasten on them , as god saith , can thy hands be strong , and can thy heart indure in the day that i shall deal with thee ? eccless . . . now will the gastly jaws of despair gape upon thee , and now will condemnings of conscience , like thunder-claps , continually batter against thy weary spirit . it is the godly that have boldness in the day of judgement ; but the wicked will be like the chaffe which the wind driveth away . john . . psal. . . o the fear , and the heart-aking that will seiz them in their rising ! the frightful thoughts that then will fill their throbbing hearts ! now must that soul that hath been in hell-fire among the devils , possess the body again . possess it i say , with the hot scalding stink of hell upon it . they shall not be able to lift up the head for ever , pangs shall take hold on them , all their hands shall faint , and every mans heart shall melt , they shall be amazed one at another , their faces shall be as flames . isa. . , , . every thing they see , hear , or think of , shall tend to their discomfort . they must needs be weak , whom god hath left , whom guilt hath seized , and whom death is swallowing up for ever . fourthly , as the just shall arise spiritual bodies , so the unjust shall arise onely as meer and naked lumps of sinful nature : not having the least help from god , to bear them up under this condition . wherefore , so soon as ever they are risen out of their graves : they will feel a continual sinking under every remembrance of every sin , and thoughts of judgement , in their rising they fall , fall i say from thenceforth , and for ever . and for this reason , the dungeon into which they fall , is called bottomless , rev. . . because , as there will be no end of their misery , so there will be no stay or prop , to bare them up in it . onely , as i said before , they shall not now , as afore , be separate body from soul ; but both together , be bound in the cords of sin and iniquity , in which they shall now tremble as theeves and murderers , &c. as they go before the judge , to hear what he will say unto them . now when the wicked are thus raised out of their graves , they shall , together with all the angels of darkness , their fellow prisoners ; be brought up , being shackled in their sins , to the place of judgement ; where there shall fit upon them jesus christ , the king of kings , and lord of lords , the lord chief judge of things in heaven , and things in earth , and things under the earth . on whose right hand , and left , shall fit all the princes , and heavenly nobles ; the saints and prophets , the apostles , and witnesses of jesus : every one in his kingly attire , upon the throne of his glory . joel . , , , . then shall be fulfilled that which is written , as for these my enemies , that would not that i should reign over them , bring them before me to slay them . luk. . . when every one is thus set in his proper place , the judge on his throne , with his attendants , and the prisoners coming up to judgement : forthwith there shall issue forth a mighty fire and tempest from before the throne , which shall compass it round about . which fire , shall be as bars and bounds to the wicked , to keep them at a certain distance from the heavenly majesty . as david saith , psal. . . our god will come , and not keep silence , a fire shall devour before him , and it shall be very tempestuous round about him . and again , dan. . . his throne was like the fiery flame , and his wheels like burning fire . a fiery stream issued , and came forth from before him , &c. this preparation being made , to wit , the judge with his attendance on the throne ; the bar for the prisoners , and the rebels all standing with gastly jaws , to look for what comes after : presently the books are brought forth , to wit , the books both of death and life . and every one of them opened before the sinners , now to be judged and condemned . for after that he had said before , dan. . . a fiery stream issued , and came ●orth from before him : he adds , thousands , thousands ministred to him , and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him : the judgement was set , and the books was opened . and again , i saw a great white throne , and him that sate upon it , from whose face , the earth and the heaven fled away , and there was found no more place for them ; and i saw the dead , small and great , stand before god , and the books were opened : and another book were opened , which is the book of life . and the dead were judged out of the things that were written in the books , according to their works . rev. . , . he doth not say , the book was opened , as of one , but the books , as of many . and indeed , they are more than one , two , or three , out of which the dead shall in the judgement , be proceeded against . first then , there is the book of the creatures to be opened . secondly , the book of gods remembrance . thirdly , the book of the law. and fourthly , the book of life . for by every one of these , that is , out of what is written in them , shall the world of the ungodly be judged . and the books were opened . first , the book of the creatures shall be opened , and that first it concerns mans nature , and next , as it relates to all other creatures . first , he will shew in what the principles if nature were , as they were gods creation ; and how contrary to these principles , the world have walked , acted , and done . the principles of nature are concluded under these three generall heads . first , that man by his own natural reason and judgement , may gather , that there is a god , a deity , a chief , or first , or principal being , who is over all , and supreme above all . this instinct , i say , man meerly as he is rational creature , findeth in himself ; and hence it is , that all heathens that mind their own natural reason , do conclude , that we are his off-spring ; that is , his creation and wormanship . that he made heaven and earth , and hath made of one blood , all nations of men ; that in him we live , and move , and have our being , &c. acts . , , , , . it appears further , that man by his own nature , doth know that there is such a god. . by his being able to judge by nature , that there is such a thing as sin , as christ saith , why do ye not even of your selves , judge that which is right , as if he had said , you are degenerated even from the principles of nature , and right reason ; as paul saith in another place , doth not even nature it self teach you , luke . . cor. . . now he that can judge , that there is such a thing as sin , it must of necessity be , that he understandeth that there is a god , to whom sin is opposite ; for if there be no god , there is no sin against him , and he that knowes not the one , knowes not the other . . it is evident further , that man by nature , knowes that there is a god , by those fits of fear , and dread that is often begotten in themselves , even in every man that breatheth in this world ; for they are by their own consciences , and thoughts , convicted and reproved , judged and condemned , though they know neither moses , nor christ. for the gentiles which have not the law , these are a law to themselves , and shew the works of the law , written in their hearts . rom. . , . that is , by this very thing , they hold forth to all men , that god created them in that state and quality , that they might , in , and by their own nature , judge , and know , that there is a god. and it further sheweth it self , saith he , by those workings of heart , convictions of conscience , and accusations , that every thought maketh within them , together with the fear that is begotten in them , when they transgress , or do those things that are irrational , or contrary to what they see they shall do . i might add further , that the natural proneness that is in all men , to devotion and religion , that is , of one kind or another , doth clearly tell us , that they by the book of nature , which book is themselves , do read , that there is one great and eternall god. secondly , the second principle of nature is , that this god should by man be sought after , that they might injoy communion with him for ever . as i said before , the light of nature sheweth man , that there is a great god , even god that made the world ; and the end of its shewing him this is , that they might seek the lord , if happily they may feel after him , and find him , though he be not far from every one of them , &c. acts . , . thirdly , this light of nature teache●● , that men between themselves , should do that which is just and equall . as moses said , and that long before the law was given , acts . . exod. . . sirs , ye are brethren , why do ye wrong one another ? as who should say , you are of equall creation , you are the same flesh ; you both judge , that it is not equally done of any , to do you wrong , and therefore ought to judge by the same reason , that ye ought not to wrong one another . now against every one of these three principles , hath every man in the whole world transgressed , as paul saith ; for both jews and gentiles , are all under sin . rom. . . for as touching the first , who is he that hath honoured , reverenced , worshipped , and adored the living god , to the heighth , both of what they saw in him , and also according to the goodness and mercy they have as men , received from him . rom. . . all have served , and worshipped the creature , more then the creator , who is blessed for ever and so have walkt contrary to , and have sinned against this bond of nature , in this first principle of it . secondly , men instead of minding their own future happiness , as nature teacheth , they have , through their giving way to sin and satan , minded nothing less ; for though reason teacheth all men to love that which is good and profitable , yet they contrary to this , have loved that which is hurtfull , and destructive . yea , though sense teacheth , to avoid the danger that is manifest : yet man , contrary to reason and sense both , even all men , have both against light and feeling , rejected their own happiness , as paul saith , though they kn●w the judgements of god , that they which do such things , are worthy of death : not onely do the same , but take pleasure in them that do them . rom. . . thirdly , man instead of doing equity , and as he would be done by , which nature it self teacheth : he hath given up himself to vile affections , being filled , by refusing the dictates of nature , with all unrighteousness , fornication , wickedness , covetousness , maliciousness , envy , murder , debate , deceit , malignity , whispering , backbiting : to hate god , to be dispiteful , proud , bosters , inventors of evill things , disobedient to parents , without understanding , covenant-breakers , without naturall affections , implacable , unmerciful . rom. . , , , , . and observe it , he doth not say , that all these things are by every man , put into practice ; but every man hath all these in his heart , which there defile the soul , and make it abominable in the sight of god. they are filled with all unrighteousness , which also appears , as occasion serveth , sometimes one of them , sometimes more . now man having sinned against that natural light , judgement , reason , and conscience , that god hath given him : therefore , though as i said before , he neither knew moses nor christ , yet he shall perish ; as many , saith paul , as have sinned without law , they shall perish without law. rom. . . yea , here will man be found , not onely a sinner against god , but an ( tim. . . ) opposer of himself , a contradictor of his own nature , and one that will not do that which he judgeth even of himself to be right . their sin is written upon the tables of their own heart , and their own wickedness and back-sliding , shall both correct , and reprove them . jer. . . jer. . . it is marvellous , ( if we consider ) how curious a creature man was made of god : to behold how much below , besides and against that state and place , man acts and does in this state of sin and degeneracy . man in his creation , was made in the image of god , gen. . . but man , by reason of his yielding to the tempter , hath made himself the very figure and image of the devil . man by creation was made upright , and sinless ; but man by sin , hath made himself crooked and sinful . eccless . . . man by creation , had all the faculties of his soul at liberty to study god , his creator , and his glorious attributes and being ; but man by sin , hath so bound up his own senses and reason , and hath given way for blindness and ignorance of god , so to reign in his soul , that now he is captivated , and held bound in alienation and estrangedness , both from god , and all things truly spiritually good ; because , saith he , that when they knew god , they glorified him not as god , but became vain in their imaginations , and their foolish he arts were darkened . and again , having the understanding darkened , being alienated from the life of god , through the ignorance that is in them , through the blindness of their hearts . rom. . . ephef . . . now for this abuse of the workmanship of god , shall man be brought forth to the judgement , shall be convicted , cast , and condemned as a rebel , against both god , and his own soul , as paul affirmeth , and that when he reasoned but as a man. rom. . , . when this part of the book touching mans nature , is opened , and man convicted and caft by it , by reason of his sinning against the three general principles thereof : then forthwith is the second part of the book opened , which is the mystery of the creatures ; for the whole creation , that is before thee , are not onely made to shew the power of god in themselves ; but also to teach thee , and to preach unto thee , both much of god and thy self ; as also the righteousness , and justice of god against sin ; for the wrath of god is revealed from heaven , against all ungodliness , and unrighteousness of men , who hold the truth in unrighteousness ; because that which may be known of god , is manifest in them ; for god hath shewed it unto them ; for the invisible things of him , from the creation of the world , are clearly seen , being understood by the things that are made , even his eternall power , and god-head : so that they are left without excuse . rom. . . , . the creation then of the world , namely , of the heavens , earth , sun , moon , stars , with all other the creatures of god : they preach aloud to all men , the eternal power and godhead of their creator . psal. . . in wisdom he hath made them all : to be teachable , and carrying instruction in them : and he that is wise . and will understand these things , even he shall understand the loving kindness of the lord ; for the works of the lord are great , and sought out of all them that have pleasure therein . psal. . . psal. . psal. . . secondly , as the creation in generall , preacheth to every man something of god : so they do hold forth , how man should behave himself both to god , and one to another ; and will assuredly come in , in the judgement , against all those that shall be found crossers , and to thwarters of what god by the creatures doth hold fo●th to us . as first , the obedience of the creatures , both to god and thee ; first to god , they are all in subjection ( set devils and men aside ) even the very dragons , and all deeps , fire , hail , snow , and vapours , fulfilling his word . yea , the winds and seas obey him . psal. . , . psal. . , , , . mark . . thus i say , by their obedience to god , they teach the obedience , and by their obedience , shall thy disobedience be condemned , in the judgement . . their obedience to thee also , teacheth thee obedience to all superiours ; for every kind of beasts , and of birds , and serpents , and things in the sea , is tamed , and hath been tamed , and brought into obedience by mankind . man onely remains untamed , and untruly , and therefore by these are condemned . jam. . , . secondly , the fruitfulness of all the creatures , in their kind , doth teach and admonish thee to a fruitful life to godward , and in the things of his holy word . god did but say in the beginning , let the earth bring forth fruit , grass , herbs , trees , beasts , creeping things , and cattell after their kind ; and it was so . gen. . . but to man , he hath sent his prophets , rising early , and sending them , saying , o do not this abominable thing that i hate ; but they will not obey . jer. . , . for if the gentiles which have not the law , do by some acts of obedience , condemn the wickedness of those who do by the letter and circumcision , break the law : how much more shall the fruitfulness of all the creatures come in , in the judgement , against the whole world. as job saith , by the obedience and fruitfulness of the creatures he judgeth , ( and so will judge ) the people . job . , , , , . thirdly , the knowledge and wisdom of the creatures , do with a check , command thee to be wise , and do teach thee wisdom . . the stork in the heaven , the swallow and the crane , by observing the time and season of their coming , do admonish thee to learn the time of grace , and of the mercy of god. jer. , . . the ox and the ass , by the knowledge they have of their masters crib , do admonish thee to know the bread and table of god , and both do and shall condemn thy ignorance of the food of heaven . isa. . . fourthly , the labour and coyl of the creatures , doth convict thee of sloath and idleness . go to the ant thou sluggard , consider her wayes , and be wise ; for she provideth her food in the summer , and layeth up against the day of tryall . prov. . , . but thou spendest the whole summer of thy life , in wasting both time and soul. all things are full of labour , saith solomon , onely man spendeth all the day idle , and his years like a tale that is told . eccles. . . mat. . . psal. . . rom. . . the cony is but a feeble folk , yet laboureth for a house in the rock , to be safe from the rage of the hunter . the spider also , taketh hold with her hands , and is in kings palaces . 't is man onely , that turneth himself upon the bed of sloath , as the door doth it self upon the hinges : 't is man i say , that will neither lay hold on the rock christ , as the coney doth teach , nor lay hold on the kingdom of heaven , as the spider doth bid him . prov. . . . joh. . . fifthly , the fear that is in all creatures , when they perceive that danger is near , it teacheth men to fly from the wrath to come , in vain is the snare laid in the sight of any bird ; prov. . . but man , man onely is the fool-hardy creature , that layeth wait for his own blood , and that lurketh privily for his own life . how i say , will every creature flie , run , strive , and struggle , to escape the danger it is sensible of ? 't is man onely , that delighteth to dance about the mouth of hell , and to be knowingly smitted with satans snare . rom. . . sixthly , the dependence that all the creatures have upon god : they teach thee to depend on him that made thee ; yea , and will in the judgement condemn thee for thy unlawful practices , and dealings for thy preservation . the young ravens seek their food from god , and will condemn thy lying , cheating over-reaching , defrauding , and the like : they provide neither store-house , nor barn ; but th● art so greedy of these things , that thou for them shuttest thy self out of the kingdom of heaven . psal. . . job . . luk. . . prov. . . seventhly , the love and pitty that is in their hearts to their young , and one another : will judge and condemn the hard-heartedness that is in thee to thy own soul. what shall i say , the heavens shall reveal thy iniquity , and the earth shall rise up against thee . job . . that is , all the creatures of god , they will by their fruitfulness and subjection to the will of their creator , judge and condemn thee for thy disobedience , and rebellion against him . now as these creatures do every day call unto thee , and lay before thee these things : so he hath for thy awakening , in case thou be asleep , and senseless , creatures of another nature , as . thy bed when thou lyest down in it , preacheth to thee thy grave ; thy sleep , thy death , and thy rising in the morning , thy resurrection to judgement . job . . job . . isa. . . . the goal that thou seest with thy eyes , and the felons that look out at the grate , they put thee in mind of the prison of hell , and of the dreadful state of those that are there . luke . , . . the fire that burns in thy chimney , it holds forth the fire to hell unto thee . isa. . . rev. . . . the ugly smell , stench , and steam , of the burning brimstone , it shews thee the loathsom , odious , and dreadful torments of hell. rev. , . . the darkness of the night in solitary places , and the fears that do commonly haunt those that walk therein : it preacheth to thee the fears and frights , the scares and amazements , that will for ever attend all damned souls . matth. . . deut. . , , . . . by thy delighting , when thou art cold , to lay sticks on the fire to warm thy self , not caring how fiercely they flame therein , so thou canst be warm , and be refreshed thereby : by this i say , god preacheth to thee , with what delight he will burn sinners in the flames of hell , for the easing of his mind , and the satisfaction of his justice . ah! saith he , i will ease me of my adversaries , and avenge me of mine enemies . isa. . . . yea , by thy blowing the fire , that it may fasten upon the wood the better : thou preachest to thy self , how god will blow the fire of hell by the rigour of his law , to the end , it may be its flames , to purpose , kindle upon damned sinners . isa. . . all these things , as inconsiderable and unlikely as they may appear to you now , yet in the judgement will be found the items , and warning words of god to your souls . and know , that he who could overthrow the land of egypt , with frogs , lice , flies , locusts , &c. will overthrow the world , at the last day , by the book of the creatures ; and that by the least , and most inconsiderable of them , as well as by the rest . this book of the creatures , it is so excellent , and so full , so easie , and so suiting the capacity of all , that there is not one man in the world , but is catched , convicted , and cast by it . this is the book , that he who knows no letters , may read in : yea , and that he who neither saw new testament , nor old , may know both much of god , and himself , by . 't is this book , out of which generally , both job and his friends did so profoundly discourse of the judgements of god , and that out of which god himself did so convincingly answer job . job was as perfect in this book , as we are , many of us in the scriptures , yea , and could see further by it , then many now a dayes do see by the new testament and old . this is the book out of which , both christ , the prophets , and apostles , do so frequently discourse by their similitudes , proverbs , and parables : as being the most easie way to convince the world , though by reason of their ignorance , nothing will work with them , but what is set on their heart by the holy ghost . one word further , and i have done with this , and that is , god hath sealed the judgement of the world by the book of the creatures , even by mans own carriage unto such of them , which , through any impediment , have disappointed his expectations . as thus , if thou hast but a tree in thy orchard , that neither beareth fruit , nor ought else that is good : why thou art for hewing it down , and for appointing it , as fewel for the fire : now thou little thinkest , that by thy thus judging , thou shouldest passe sentence upon thy own fruitless soul ; but it is so , for now is the ax laid to the roots of the trees , and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit , is hewen down , and cast into the fire . for as truly as thou sayest of thy fruitless tree , cut it down , why doth it cumbet the ground ? so truly doth thy voyce cause heaven to eccho again upon thy head : cut him down , why doth he cumber the ground ? mat. . . luk. . , , . ezek. . , , , , , , , . further , the inclination of thy heart towards fruitless and unprofitable creatures , doth fore-preach to thee , the inclination of the heart of god towards thee in the judgement : if thou hast either cow , or any other beast , that is now unprofitable to thee , though thou mayst suffer them for some time , to be with thee , as god suffereth sinners in the world , yet all this while , thy heart is not with them ; but thou wilt take thy time to clear thy hands of them . why , just so shall thy judgement be , as god saith , though moses and samuel stood before me , that is , to pray me to spare this people , yet my heart could not be towards them , therefore cast them out of my sight , and let them go forth . jer. . . ezek. . , . thus i say , will god judge the world at the last day ; he will open before them , how they have degenerated and gone back from the principles of nature , in which he created them . also how they have slighted all the instructions that he hath given them , even by the obedience , fruitfulness , wisdom , labour , fear , and love of the creatures ; and he will tell them , that as to their judgement , they themselves have decided it , both by their cutting down that which was fruitless , and by the withdrawing of their hearts from those things , which to them were unprofitable , as therefore the tar●s are gathered , and burned in the fire , so shall it be in the end of this world. as men deal with weeds , and rotten wood : so will god deal with sinners in the day of judgement : and will bring in , i say , all the counsels and warnings he hath given men by these things , both to clear up , and to agravate their judgement to them . the second book that will be opened at this day , it will be the book of gods remembrance . mal. . . for as god hath in his remembrance , recorded all and every particular good thing that his own people hath done to , and for his name , while they were in this world : so he hath in his remembrance , recorded all the evill and sin of his adversaries ; even every thing . eccles. . . now gods remembrance is so perfect every way , that it is impossible , that any thing should be lost , that is committed to it to be kept , and brought forth to the judgement at the time appointed ; for as a thousand years are but as yesterday , with his eternity : so the sins that have been committed thousands of years since , they are all so firmly fixed in the remembrance of the eternal god , that they are always as fresh and clear in his sight , as if they were but just now in committing . he calleth again the things that are past , eccles. . . and hath set our most securest things in the light of his countenance , psal. . . as he also saith in another place , hell it self is naked before him , and destruction hath no covering . job . . that is the most secret , cunning , and hidden contrivances of the most subtle of the infernal spirits , which yet are far more slethy , then men , to hide their wickedness ; yet , i say , all their wayes , hearts , and most secret doings , are clear , to the very bottom of them , in the eyes of the great god. all things are open and bare , before the eyes of him with whom we have to do : who will bring to light , the hidden things of darkness , and will make manifest the counsels of the heart . heb. . . cor. , . ye that say , the lord shall not see , neither shall the god of jacob regard it . understand , o ye bruitish among the people , and ye fools , when will ye be wise ? he that planted the ear , shall not he hear ? he that formed the eye , shall not he see ? he that chasteneth the heathen , shall not he correct ? he that teacheth man knowledge , shall not he know ? psal. . , , , . see also , hos. . . & . . can any hide himself in secret places , that i should not see him ? that is , when he is committing wickedness , saith the lord , do not i fill heaven and earth , saith the lord ? jer. . . now to know and see things , it is the cause among men , of their remembrance . wherefore , god to shew us , that he will remember all our sins , if we die out of christ , he tells us , that he knoweth , and seeth them all , and therefore must needs remember them ; for as is his sight and knowledge , so is his remembrance of all things . when this book of his remembrance therefore is opened , as it shall be , in the judgement : then shall be brought forth of their hidden holes , all things , whatsoever hath been done since the world began , whether by kingdoms in general , or persons in particular . now also shall be brought forth to open view , all the transactions of god and his son , among the sons of men , and every thing shall be applyed to every particular person , in equity and justice , to whom they belong : the sins that thou hast committed shall be thy own , and thou thy self shall bear them . the lord is a god of knowledge , and by him actions are weighed . it will be marvellous to behold , how by thousands , and ten thousands , god will call from their secret places , those sins , that one would have thought , had been dead , and buried , and forgotten ; yea , how he will shew before the sun , such things , so base , and so horrid , that one would think , it was not in the hearts of any to commit ; for all is recorded in the book of gods remembrance . while men are here , they have a thousand tricks to present themselves one to another , far more fair , and honest then they are , or ever were . as christ said to the pharisees , ye are they , who justifie your selves before men , but god knoweth your hearts , luk. . . i , god knoweth indeed , what a nest , what a heap , what swarms ; yea , what legions of hellish wickednesses , there is with power lurking , like cockatrices , in those men , that one would swear a thousand times , are good and honest men . the way of men in their sins , it is like an eagle in the air , a serpent upon the rock , a ship in the midst of the sea , and of a young man with a maid : saith solomon , prov. . , . that is , hiddenly , closely , covertly , burying all under fair pretences , wipeth their mouths in the close of their evill , saying , i have done wickedness . but this , though it may serve for the time present , and no longer , god will not be deluded , nor blinded , nor mocked , nor put off . gal. . . they consider not that i remember all their wickedness , saith he , but i will reprove thee , and will set them in order before thine eyes . hos. . . psal. . . here will be laid open , the very heart of cain the murderer , of judas the traytor , of saul the adversary of david , and of those that under pretences of holiness , have persecuted christ , his word and people . now shall every drunkard , whoremaster , thief , and other wicked person , be turned , their inside outward ; their hearts right open , and every sin , with every circumstance of place , time , person with whom , with the causes also that drew them to the commission of every evill , be discovered to all . here will be no hiding your selves behind curtains , nor no covering your selves with the black and dark night . if i say , surely the darkness shall cover me , even the night shall be light about me ; yea , ( o god ) darkness hideth not from thee , but the night shineth as the day , the darkness and light are both alike unto thee . psal. . , . the piercing eye of god , beholds all places , persons , and things ; the holy hand of his justice writeth them down in the book of his remembrance ; and by his power , and wisdom , will he open and read to all men exactly , distinctly , and convincingly , whatever hath passed from them , or bin done by them in their whole life ; for , for all these things , god will bring thee into judgement . eccles. . . again , as god will bring out of the book of his remembrance , what ever hath passed from thee , against him : so also will he then bring forth by the same book , all things and carriages of his towards thee . here will he bring to thy mind , every sermon thou hast heard , every chapter thou hast read ; every conviction thou hast had on thy conscience : and every admonition that hath been given thee in all thy life , when thou wast in the land of the living . now will god lay open before thee , what patience he extended to thee , how he let thee l●ve one year , two years , ten , yea twenty and twenty years , and all to try thee . yea , now also will he bring to thy view , how many times he warned , rebuked , threatned , and chastised thee for thy wickedness ; how many awakening providences and judgements he continually laid before thy face ; yea , how many a time , thou didst like balaam , run upon the point of the sword of justice , and how he gave back , as being loath to kill thee . numb . , , , , , , , , , , , . now also again , shall be brought before thee and all men , how many struglings god had with thy heart , on thy sick bed , to do thee good ; yea , and at such times , how many vowes , promises , ingagements , and resolutions , thou madest before god , to turn , if he would release thee from thy affliction , and take off his rod from thy back : mar. . , , , ▪ . and yet how thou didst like the man possessed , break , and snap in twain all these chains of iron , with which thou hadst bound thy soul ; and that for a very lust and sin . here also , will be opened before thee , how often thou hast sinned against thy light and knowledge ; how often thou hast laid violent hands on thy own conscience ; how often thou hast laboured to put out that light that hath stood in thy way , to hinder thee from sinning against thy soul. ah lord , what a condition will the christless soul be in at this day ? how will every one of these things afflict the damned soul ? they will pierce like arrows , and bite like serpents , and sting like an adder . with what shame , will that man stand before the judgement seat of christ , who must have all things he hath done against god , to provoke the eyes of his glory to jealousie : laid open before the whole host of the heavenly train ! it would make a man blush , to have his pockets searched , for things that are stolen , in the midst of a market , especially , if he stand upon his reputation and honour . but thou must have thy heart searched , the bottom of thy heart searched ; and that , i say , before thy neighbour , whom thou hast wronged , and before the devills , whom thou hast served ; yea , before god , whom thou hast despised , and before the angels , those holy and delicate creatures , whose holy and chast faces , will scarce forbear blushing , while god is making thee vomit up , all thou hast swallowed ; for god shall bring it out of thy belly . job . . , , , . for as for god to forget iniquity , is one of the chief heads of the covenant of grace , and is an argument of the highest nature , to beget , and to continue consolation in the godly : so the remembrance of iniquity , by the lord , it is one of the heaviest loads , and judgements that can befall any poor creature . lord , saith the prophet , remember not against us , former iniquities . and again , if thou lord , shouldest mark iniquity , o lord , who shall stand ? psal. . . and the reason is , because , that which the lord forgetteth , is forgiven for ever ; but that which he remembreth , it is charged for ever , and nothing can take it away . heb. . . rom. . , , . though thou wash thee with nitre , and take thee much soap , yet thine iniquity is marked before me , saith the lord god. jer. , . the third book that will at this day be opened , and out of which god will judge the world : it is the book of the law , or ten words given forth on the mount sinai , but this book will more specially concern those that have received it , or that have had knowledge thereof . every one shall not be judged by this book , as there delivered , though they shall be judged by the works of it , which are written in their hearts . rom. . . as many as have sinned without law , shall perish without law , and they that have sinned in the law , shall be judged by the law. rom. . . that is , the heathens that never knew the law , as delivered on sinai , they shall be judged by the law , as it was written in mans heart in his creation , ( which is comprised within the book of the creatures ; ) but those that have knowledge of the law , as delivered on sinai : they shall be judged by the law as there given . now then , this book when it is opened , at the day of judgement , it will , to those to whom it especially relates , be a most terrible law , far surpassing the two afore-mentioned . this law , as i may so say , it is the chief , and most pure resemblance of the justice and holiness of the heavenly majesty , and doth hold forth to all men , the sharpness and keenness of his wrath ' above the other two that i have before mentioned . i say , both because it hath been delivered more plain and open , both as to the duty injoyned , and the sin prohibited ; and therefore must of necessity , fall with the more violence upon the head of all that shall be found within the compass of it . this law , it hath in it to be opened at this day , these two general heads . first , a discovery of the evill of sin , that is so , against plain light and truth . and secondly , a discovery of the vanity of all things , that will at this day be brought by sinners , for their help and plea at the judgement . alas , who can but imagine , that the poor world , at the day of their arraignment , should muster up all that ever they can think of , as arguments to shelter them from the execution of that fierce wrath , that then with sinking souls , they will see prepared for them . as to the first of these , the apostle tells us , that the law was added , that the offence might aboun● , or be discovered what it is . as he saith again , i had not known sin but by the law. rom. . . rom. . . rom. . . thus it is in this life , and thus it will be in the day of judgement , that is , those that see sin , and that in its abounding nature , and in its exceeding sinfulness , they must see it by the law , for that is indeed , the glass by which god discovereth sin . jam. . , , , . and the filthy spots of leprosie , that is in the soul. now those that have not the happiness to see their sin by the law in this life , while there is a fountain of grace to wash in , and be clean : they must have the misery to see it at the judgement , when nothing is left but misery , and pain , as the punishment for the same . at which day , those little titles of this holy law , that now men so easily look over , and sin against with ease , they will every one of them appear with such dread , and with such flaming justice against every offence committed : that if heaven and earth it self , should step in to shelter the sinner from the justice and wrath due to sin , it would turn them up by the roots . it is easier for heaven and earth to passe away , then for one tittle of the law to fail . luke . . if there appeared such flames , such thunderings , and tempests , as there were at the giving of the law : what flames and blackness will there appear at the execution thereof ; and if at the giving of the law , there appeared so much holiness and justice , that it made all israel flie ; yea , holy moses exceedingly fear and quake : what will become of these that god shall judge by the rigour of this law in the day of judgement ? exod. . . heb. . . o what thunderings and lightnings , what earthquakes and tempests , will there be in every damned soul , at the opening of this book ? then indeed , will god visit them with thunder , and earthquake , and great noyse : with storm and tempest , and the flame of a devouring fire . for behold , saith the prophet , the lord will come with fire , and with his chariots , like a whirl-wind , to render his anger with fury ; and his rebukes with flames of fire . isa. . . isa. . . the lord will come with fire , that is , in the flaming heat of his justice and holiness against sin , and sinners , to execute the rigour of his threatnings upon their perishing souls . secondly , the second general head , that is contained in this law , to be opened at this day , is its exactness , and purity , and strictness as to all acts of good that any poor creature hath done in this life , whereby he in the judgement will think to shelter , or secure himself from the wrath of god. this is the rule , and line , and plummet , whereby every act of every man , shall be measured ; and he whose righteousness is not found every way answerable to this law , which all will fall short of , but they that have the righteousness of god by faith in jesus christ : he must perish , as he saith , rom. . . . judgement also will i lay to the line , and righteousness will i lay to the plummet , and the ha●l shall sweep away the refuge of lies , and the water shall overflow the hiding places . isa. . , . that is , though men may now shelter themselves under legall repentance , cold profession , good meaning , thinkings , and doings : yet all these things must be measured , and weighed in the ballance of gods most righteous law : and as i said , whatever in that day , is not found the righteousness of god , it will be found a re●uge of lies , and will be drowned by the over-flowing of the wrath of god , as the waters of noah over-flowed the world. mal. . . and hence it is , that all the ungodly will at this day , be found as stubble , and the law as fire . as it saith , from his right hand went a fiery law. and again , his lips are full of indignation , and his tongue as a devouring fire . deut. , : isa. . . for as fire , where it se●zeth , doth burn , eat , destroy , devoure and consume : so will the law , all those that at this day , shall be found under the transgressio● of the least tittle of it . it will be with the●● souls at the day of judgement , as it is wit● those countries that are over-run with mo●● merciless conquerours , who leave not any thing behind them , but swallow up all with fire and sword . for by fire , and by his sword , will the lord plead with all flesh , and the slain of the lord shall be many . isa. . . there are two things at the day of judgement , will meet in their height and utmost strength , and they are sin and the law ; for the judgement will not be , till the iniquity of the world be full ripe . joel . . . rev. . , , , , , . now then , when sin is come to its full , having plaid all its pranks , and done all the mischief it can against the lord of glory : then god brings forth the law , his holy and righteous law , one of which will now reign for ever , that is , either the law or sin : wherefore sin and sinners , they must tremble with all that help , and hold them up ; for god will magnifie the law , and make it honourable . isa. . . that is , will give it the victory over the world for ever ; for that is holy , just , and good : they are unholy , unjust , and bad . therefore by this law , will the lord rain snares , fire and brimstone , and a horrible tempest , this shall be the potion of their cup. psal. . , . let no man say then , that because god is so famous in his mercy and patience , in this day of his grace , that therefore he will not be fierce , and dreadful in his justice , in the day of judgement ; for judgement and justice , is the last thing that god intends to bring upon the stage , which will then be to the full , as terrible , as now his goodness and patience , and long sufferance , is admirable . lord , who knoweth the power of thine anger ? even according to thy fear , so is thy wrath . psal. . . you may see , if you will , a few of the sparks of the justice of god ▪ against sin and sinners : by his casting off angels for sin , from heaven to hell ; by his drowning the old world ; by his burning of sodom , and gomorah , to ashes ; condemning them with an overthrow , making them an example to those that after should live ungodly . pet. . , , . jude . . for whatsoever the law saith , it saith it to them that are under the law , that every mouth may be stopped , and all the world become guilty before god. rom. . . moses seems to wonder , that the children of israel could continue to live , when they did but hear the law delivered on the mountain , did ever people , saith he , hear the lord speak out of the midst of the fire , as thou hast done , and live . deut. . . o that ye did but know the law , and the wonderous things that are written therein , before the lord cause that fearful voyce to be heard , cursed is every one , that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the law to do them : which curse must fall on all that walk not in all the commandements of god , without iniquity , which none do , i say , but they that walk in christ , who hath alone fulfilled them all . gal. . . ezek. . . col. . . the law is that which standeth at the entrance of the paradice of god , as a flaming sword turning every way to keep out those that are not righteous with the righteousness of god ; that have not skill to come to the throne of grace by that new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil ; that is to say , his flesh , gen. . . heb. . , . for though this law , i say , be taken away by christ jesus , for all that truly and savingly believe ; yet it remains in full force and power in every tittle of it , against every soul of man , that now shall be found in his tabernacle ; that is , in himself , and out of the lord jesus , col. . . rom. . . job . . it lyeth , i say , like a lyon rampant at the gates of heaven , and will roar upon every unconverted soul , fiercely accusing every one , that now would gladly enter in through the gates into this city , joh. . . so then , he that can answer all its most perfect and legal commands , and that can live in the midst of devouring fire , and there injoy god and solace himself ; he shall dwell on high and shall not be hurt by this law , his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks ; bread shall be given him , and his waters shall be sure ; thine eyes shall behold the king in his beauty , they shall see the land that is very far off , isa. . . ▪ , . blessed then is he whose righteousness doth answer every point of the law of god , according to cor. . . he shall be able to escape all those things that shall come to pass , and to stand before the son of man ; for in himself , ou● god is a consuming fire , and man out of christ , is but as stubble , chaff , thorns , briers , and fuel for the wrath of this holy and sinner-consuming god to seize upon for ever . nah. . . heb. . . mala. . . mat. . . heb. . , . isa. . . sam. . , . who can stand before his indignation ? who can abide the fierceness of his anger ? his fury is poured ou● like fire , and the rocks are thrown down by him . now when these three books are thus opened , there will without doubt , be sad throbbing and pricking , in every heart that now stands for his life , before the judgement-seat of christ the righteous judge ; and without all question , they will be studying a thousand wayes to evade and shift the stroak , that by the sin that these three books do charge them with , will immediately fall upon them . but now to cut off all these at a blow , forthwith appear the witnesses , who are ready to evince , and make full , and soul-killing proof of every particular charged against them . and the first is , god himself . i , saith he , will be a swift witness against the sorcerers , and against the adulterers , and against false swearers , and against those that oppress the hireling of his wages ; the widow and the fatherless , and that turn aside the stranger from his right , and that feareth not me , saith the lord. mal. . . this must needs be of great sway with every soul , that god should now come in . i will witness , saith god , that these things of which you are accused before the judge , is true . i h●ve seen all ▪ know all , and writ down all . there hath not been a thought in your heart , nor a wo●d in your tongue , but i have known it altogether , all things have alwayes bin open , and naked to my eye . yea , my eye-lids try the children of men . i have known your down-sitting , and your up-rising ; and have understood your th●ughts a far off ▪ i have compassed your path , and am well acquainted with all your wayes . heb. . . psal. . . psal. . , , . . you have not continued in that state of nature in which i did at first create you : eccles. . . you have not liked to retain that knowledge and understanding of god , that you had , and might have had , by the very book of the creatures , rom. . you gave way ●o the suggestions of fallen angels , and so your foolish ●earts were darkned and alienated , and estranged from god. . all the creatures that were in the world , have even condemned you , they have been fruitful , but you fruitless ; they have been fearfull of danger , but you fool-hardy ; they have taken the fittest opportunity for their own preservation , but th●● 〈◊〉 both blindly , and confidently gone on to thy punishment . prov. . . . touching the book of my remembrance , who can contradict it ? do not i fill heaven and earth , saith the lord ? was not i in all places to behold , to see , and to observe thee in all thy ways ? my eye s●w the thief , and the adulterer , and i heard every lye and oath of the wicked . i saw the hypocrisie of the dissembler . they have committed villany in israel , and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives , and have spoken lying words in my name , which i have not commanded them , even i know , and am a witness , saith the lord. jer. . . . god will also come in against them for their transgressing his law , even the law which he delivered on mount sinai , he will , i say , open every tittle thereof in such order , and truth : and apply the breach of each particular person with such con●●●●g argument , that they will fall down silenced for ever . every mouth shall be stopped , and all the world shall become guilty before god. secondly , there is yet another w●●●●s , for the condemning the transgressors of these laws , and that is , conscience : their consciences also beating witness , saith 〈◊〉 apostle , rom. . , . conscience is a 〈◊〉 witnesses . conscience , it will cry , amen , to every word that the great god doth speak against thee . conscience is a terrible accuser , it will hold pace with the witness of god , as to the truth of evidence , to a hairs bredth . the witnesses of conscience , it is of great authority , it commands guilt , and fastneth it on every soul which it accuseth . and hence it is said , if our hearts or conscience condemn us . joh. . . conscience will thunder and lighten at this day ; even the consciences of the most pagan sinners in the world , will have sufficiently wherewith to accuse , to condemn , and to make paleness appear in their faces , and breaking in their loins , by reason of the force of its conviction . o the mire and dirt , that a guilty conscience , when it is forced to speak , will cast up , and throw out before the judgment-seat ! it must out , none can speak peace , nor health , to that man upon whom god hath let loose his own conscience , cain will now cry , my punishment is greater then i can bear , judas will hang himself ; and both belshazzer and felix will feel the joynts of their loins to be loosened , and their knees to smite one against another , when conscience stirreth . gen. . . mat. . . dan. . . acts . . when conscience is once thorowly awakened , as it shall be before the judgment-seat : god need say no more to the sinner , then solomon said to filthy shimei , thou knowest all the wickedness that thy heart is privy to . king. . . as who should say , thy conscience knoweth , and can well inform thee of all the evill , and sin that thou art guilty of . to all which it answereth , even as face answereth to face in a glass ; or as an eccho answereth the man that speaketh , as fa●● i say , as god chargeth conscience will cry out , guilty , guilty ; lord , guilty of all , of every whit , i remember clearly all the crimes thou layest before me . thus i say , will conscience be a witness against the soul , in the day of god. thirdly , as god and conscience , will at this day be most dreadful witnesses against the sinful man at this day : so also will those severall thoughts that have passed through mans heart , be a witness also against him . as he said before , their conscience also bearing witness , and their thoughts the mean while accusing , or else excusing one another , in the day when god shall judge the secrets of men by jesus christ , according to the gospel . rom. . , . the thoughts come in as a witness for god against the sinner , upon the account of that unsteddiness and variety that was in them , both touching god , and their own selves . sometimes the man thinks there is no god , but that every thing hath its rise of it self , or by chance , or fortune , the fool hath said in his heart , there is no god. psal. . . sometimes again , they think there is a god ; but yet they think and imagine of him falsly , thou thoughtest that i was altogether such a one as thy self , saith god , but i will reprove thee . psal. . . men think , that because they can sin with delight : that therefore god can let them esscape without punishment . nay , oftentimes they think , that god doth either quite forget their wickedness , or else that he will be pleased with such satisfaction as they are pleased to give him , even a few howling prayers , fained and hypocritical tears , and weepings , which passe from them . hos. . . mal. . . more for fear of the punishment of hell-fire , then because they have offended so holy , so just , and so glorious a god ; and so loving , and so condescending a jesus . sometimes again , they have had right thoughts of something of god , but not of him together : either thinking so of his justice , as to drive them from him , and also cause them to put him out of their mind : job . . or else so thinking of his mercy , as that they quite forget his holiness and justice . now both these are but base thoughts of god , and so erronious , and sinful thoughts . sometimes also , they have prety right thoughts of god , both as to justice and mercy , but then through the wretchedness of their unsatisfied nature , they , against this light and knowledge , do with shut eyes , and hardened hearts , rush fiercely , knowingly , and willingly again into their sins and wickedness . heb. . , , . heb. . . . pet. . . secondly , as men have these various thoughts of god , so also their thoughts are not steddy about themselves . . sometimes they think they are sinners , and therefore they have need of mercy . . sometimes again , they think they are righteous , and so have not so much need ; mark , and yet both alike rotten , and base : because , as the last is altogether senseless : so the first is not at all savingly senseable , mark . , , , , , . luk. . , . . sometime again , they think they are gods ; that they shall never die , or that if they do die , yet they shall never rise again ; or if they do rise again , yet they shall be saved , though they have lived vilely , and in their sins all the dayes of their life . ezek. . , , , , , . cor. . . deut. . . . . now i say , every one of these thoughts , with ten thousand more of the like nature , will god bring in against the rebels in the judgment-day . which thoughts , shall every one of them be brought forth in their distinct order . he sheweth to man what is his thought . and again , i know that thou canst do every thing , and that no thought can be hid from thee . amos . . job . . . we read , that when the strangers at jerusalem , did but hear the apostle speak to every one of them in their own language , how it amazed and confounded them . acts . , , . but i say , how will they look , and be amazed , when god shall evidently , clearly , and fully speak out all their hearts , and every thought they have had , before them . now the reason and strength of this witness , will lie here , that god will by the variety and crossness that their thoughts had one to another , and by the contradiction that was in them , prove them sinners and ungodly ; because that i say , sometimes they thought there was a god , sometimes again they thought , there was none . sometimes they thought , that he was such a god , and sometimes again , they thought of him quite contrary ; sometimes they thought he was worth regarding , and sometimes they thought he was not : as also sometimes they thought he would be faithful , both to mercy and justice , and sinners ; and sometimes again , they thought he would not . what greater argument now can there be , to prove men , vanity , froth , a lie , sinners , deluded by the devil , and such as had false apprehensions of god , his waye● , his word , his justice , his holiness , of themselves , their sins , and every action ? now they will indeed appear , a very lump of confusion , a mass of sin , a bundle of ignorance , of atheism , of unbelief , and of all things that should lay them obnoxious to the judgments of god. this will god , i say , by mustering up the thoughts of man , and by shewing of them , that every imagination and thought of their heart was onely evill , and that continually ( by shewing of them what staggering , drunken , wild , and uncomely thoughts they have had , both of him , and of themselves ) convince them , cast them , and condemn them for sinners , and transgressors against the book of creatures , the book of his remembrance , and the book of the law. by the variety of their thoughts , they shall be proved unstable , ignorant , wandring stars , clouds carryed with a tempest , without order or guidance , and taken captive of the devil at his will. now while the wicked are thus standing upon their tryal , and lives before the judgement-seat , and that in the view of heaven and hell ▪ they i say , hearing and seeing such dreadful things , both written and witnessed against every one of them ; and that by such books , and such witnesses , as do not onely talk , but testifie , and that with the whole strength of truth against them : they will then begin , though poorly , and without any advantage , to plead for themselves , which plea will be to this effect . lord , we did find in the scriptures , that thou didst send a saviour into the world , to deliver us from these sins and miseries . we heard this saviour also published , and openly profered to such poor sinners as we are . lord , lord , we also made profession of this saviour , and were many of us frequenters of his holy ordinances . we have eat and drunk in thy presence , and thou hast taught in our streets , lord , we have also some of us , bin preachers our selves , we have prophecied in thy name , and in thy name have we cast out devils , and done many wonderous works : nay lord , we did herd among thy people , we forsook the profain and wicked world ; and carryed our shining lamps before us in the face of all men : lord , lord , open to us . mat. . , , . luk. . , , , . mat. . , . , . and all the while they are thus pleading , and speaking for themselves : behold , how earnestly they groan , how gastly they look , and how now the brinish tears flow down like rivers from their eyes , ever re-doubling their petition , lord , lord , lord , lord : first thinking of this thing , and then of that , ever contending , seeking , and striving to enter in at this strait gate . as christ saith , when once the masters of the house is risen up , that is , when christ hath laid aside his mediation for sinners , and hath taken upon him onely to judge and condemn : then will the wicked begin to stand without , and to knock and contend , for a portion among them that are the blessed . ah how will their hearts twitter , while they look upon the kingdom of glory ! and how will they ake and throb at every view of hell , their proper place ! still crying , o that we might inherit life , and o that we might escape eternal death ! but now to take away al● cavils and objections , that of this nature will arise , in the hearts of these men : forthwith the book of life is brought ou● for a conclusion , and a finall end of eternall judgment . as john saith , the books were opened , and another book was opened , which is the book of life , and the dead were judg●● out of those things that were written in the books , according to their works . rev. . . but this book of life , it is not at this time opened , because there are not any godly to be tryed ; for as i have shewed before , their judgment is past , and over , before the wicked rise . the book of life then , it is now opened for further conviction of damned reprobates , that their mouths may be stoped for ever , as touching all their cavils , contendings and arguments against gods proceeding in judgement with them . for believe it , while god is judging them , they will fall to judging him again , but he will be justified in his sayings , and will overcome when he is judged at this day . rom. . , , ▪ , , . yet not by a hasty and and angry casting them away , but by a legall and convincing proceeding against them , and overthrowing all their cavils , by his manifest and invincible truth . wherefore , to cut off all that they can say , he will now open the book of life before them , and will shew them what is written therein , both as to election , conversion , and a truly gospel-conversation . and will convince them , that they neither are of the number of his elect , neither were they ever regenerate , neither had they ever a truly gospel-conversation in 〈◊〉 world. by these three things then , out of this book , thou , who art not saved , must at last be judged , and overcome . first , here will be tryed , whether thou art within that part of this book , wherein all the elect are recorded ; for all the elect are written here , as christ saith , rejoyce , that your names are written in heaven ; and again , in thy book , saith he to his father , are all my members written , luk. . . psal. . . heb , . , . now then , if thy name be not found , either among the prophets , apostles , or the rest of saints , thou must be put by , as one that is cast away , as one polluted , and as an abominable branch . isa. . , . thy name is wanting in the genealogies , and rolls of heaven . ezra . . thou art not prickt for everlasting life , therefore thou must not be delivered from that soul-amazing misery ; for there are no souls can , though they would give a thousand worlds , be delivered at the day of god , but such that are found written in this book . every one of those that are written , though never a one of those that are not written shall in that day be delivered from the wrath to c●me . dan. . . but , o methinks , with what careful hearts will ▪ the damned now begin to look for their names in this book ? those that , when once the long suffering of god waited on them , made light of all admonition , and slighted the counsel of making their calling and election sure : would now give thousands of treasures , that they could but spy their names , though last and least among the sons of god ▪ but i say , how will they fail ? how will they faint ? how will they die and languish in their souls ? when they shall still as they look , see their names wanting . what a pinch will it be to cain , to see his brother there recorded , and he himself left out . absalon will now sound , and be as one that giveth up the ghost , when he shall see david his father , and solomon his brother written here , while he with all is written in the earth , among the damned ? thus i say , will sadness be added to sadness , in the soul of the perishing world , when they fail of finding their names in this part of the book of the life of the lamb , slain from the foundation of the world. rev. . . secondly , the second part of this book , is that in which is recorded , the nature of conversion , of faith , love , &c. and those that have not had the effectual word of god upon them , and the true and saving operation of grace in their hearts , which is indeed the true life which is begun in every christian , they will be found still not written in this book ; for the living , the holy living souls , are they onely that are written therein : as the prophet saith , and he that remaineth in jerusalem , shall be called holy , even every one that is written among the living in jerusalem . isa. . . eternal life is already in this life , begun in every soul that shall be saved , as christ saith , he that believeth in me , hath everlasting life . and again , who so eateth my flesh , and drinketh my blood , hath eternall life , and i will raise him up at the last day . joh. . . and hence they a●e called the living ▪ that are written in this book . here then the lord will open before thee , what conversion is , in the true and simple nature of it , which wher thou beholdest , thou wilt then be convinced , that this thou hast mist of ; for it must needs be , that when thou beholdest by the records of heaven , what a change . what a turn ; what an alteration the work of regeneration maketh on every soul , and in every heart , where the effectual call , or the call according to his purpose , is , that thou who hast lived a stranger to this , or that hast contented thy self with the notion onely , or a formal , and feigned profession thereef : i say , it cannot be , but that thou must forthwith fall down , and with grief conclude , that thou hast no share in this part of the book of life neither , the living onely , are written herein . there is not one dead , carnall , wicked man recorded here . no , but when the lord shall at this day make mention of rah●b , of babylon , of philistia , and ethiopia : that is , of all the cursed ●abble and crue of the damned : then he will say , that this man was born there , that is amongst them , and so hath his name where they have theirs ; namely , under the black rod , in the kings black book , where he hath recorded all his enemies and traytors . it shall be said of this man , of this ungodly man , that he was born there . psal. . . that he lived and dyed in the state of nature , and so under the curse of god , even as others ; for as he said of wicked coniah , jer. . . write this man childless : so he saith , of every ungodly man that so departeth out of this world , write this man graceless . wherefore , i say , among the babylonians , and phylistians ; among the unbelieving moors and pagans , his name will be found in the day when it will be inquired where every man was born ; for god at this day , will divide the whole world into these two ranks , the children of the world , and the children of zion . wherefore , here is the honour , the priviledge , and advantage that the godly above the wicked , will have at the day of their counting , when the lord maketh mention of zion , it shall be then acknowledged , that this and that ( good ) man was born in her , the lord shall count , saith the prophet , when he wrighteth up the people , that this man was born there . psal. . , . this man had the work of conversion of faith , and grace i● his soul. this man 〈◊〉 child of zion of the heavenly jerusalem ▪ which is also written in heaven ▪ blessed is the people , that are in such a case gal. ▪ ▪ heb ▪ . , . psal. . ●● ▪ but poor soul , counters will not go for gold now ; for though so long as thou didst judge thy self by the crooked rule of thy own reason , fancy , and affection , thou wast pure in thy own eyes : yet ●ow th●u must be judged alone , by the words and rule of the lord jesus . which word shall not now , as in times past , be wrested and wrung , both ▪ this way and that to smooth thee up in thy hypocrites hope , and carnall confidence ; but be thou king , or keser , be thou who thou wilt , the word of christ , and that with this interpretation onely , it shall judge thee in the last day . joh. . . now will sinners begin to cry with loud and bitter cryes , oh! ten thousand worlds for a saving work of grace , crowns and kingdoms for the least measure of saving faith , and for the love , that christ will say , is the love of his own spirit . now they will begin also to see the work of a broken and a contrite spirit , and of walking with god , as living 〈◊〉 , in this world. but alas , these things appear in their hearts , to the damned too late ; as also do all things else . this will be but like the repentance of the thief , about whose neck is the ●alter , and he turning off the ladder ; for the unfortunate hap of the damned will be , that the glory of heavenly things will not appear to them , till out of season . christ must now indeed be shewed to them ; as also the true nature of faith , and all grace ; but it will be , when the door is shut , and mercy gone : they will pray , and repent most earnestly ; but it will be in the time of great waters of the flouds of eternall wrath , when they cannot come nigh him . tim. . . matth. . , . psal. . . well then , tell me sinner , if christ shou●d now come to judge the world , canst thou abide the tryal of the book of life ? art thou confident that thy profession , that thy conversion , thy faith , and all other graces , thou thinkest thou hast , will prove gold , silver , and precious stones in this day ? behold , he comes as a refiners fire , and as full●rs soap , shalt thou indeed abide the melting and washing of this day ? examine , i say , before hand , and try thy self unfeignedly ; for every one that doth ●ruth , cometh to the light , that their deeds may be made manifest , that they are wrought in god. joh. . . thou sayest thou art a christian , that also thou hast repented , dost believe , and love the lord jesus ; but the question is , whether these things will be found of equall length , heighth , and bredth with the book of life . or whether , when thou art weighed in the ballance , thou wilt yet be found wanting . dan. . . how , if when thou comest to speak for thy self before god , thou shouldest say siboleth , instead of shiboleth : that is , though almost , yet not rightly , and naturally the language of the christians . judg. . ▪ , . if thou miss but one letter in thy evidence , thou art gone ; for though thou mayst deceive thy own heart with brass , instead of gold , and with tin instead of silver : gal. . . yet god will not be so put off . you know how confident the foolish virgins were , and yet how they were deceived . they herded with the saints , they went forth from the gross pollutions of the world , they , every one had shining lamps , and all went forth to meet the bridegroom , and yet they mist the kingdom . they were not written among the living in jerusalem ; they had not the true , powerful , saving work of conversion , of faith , and grace in their souls , they that are foolish , take their lamps , but take no oyl , no saving grace with them . mat. . , , , . thus you see how sinners will be put to it before the judgment-seat , from these two parts of this book of life . but thirdly , there is yet another part of this book to be opened , and that is , that part of it , in which is recorded those noble and christian acts , that they have done since the time of their conversion , and turning to christ. here i say , is recorded the testimony of the saints against sin and antichrist ; their suffering for the sake of god , their love to the members of christ , their patience under the cross , and their faithful frequenting the assemblies of the saints , and their incouraging one another to bear up in his wayes in the worst of times ; even when the proud was called happy , and when they that wrought wickedness were even set up . as he there saith , then they that feared the lord , spake often one to another , and the lord hearkened and heard it , and a book of rememrance was written before him , for them that feared the lord , and that thought upon his name . mat. . , , . for indeed , as truly as any person hath his name found in the first part of this book of life , and his conversion in the second : so there is a third part , in which there is his noble spiritual and holy actions recorded , and set down . as it is said by the spirit , to john , concerning those that suffered martyrdom for the truth of jesus , write , blessed are the dead that die in the lord , yea saith the spirit , that they may rest from their labours , and their works follow them . rev. . . and hence it is , that the labours of the saints , and the book of life , are mentioned together , signifying , that the travels , and labours , and acts of the godly , are recorded therein . phil. . . and hence it is again , that the lord doth tell sardis , that those among them that stood it out to the last gasp , in the faith and love of the gospel , should not be blotted out of the book of life ; but they , with the work of god , on their soul , and their labour for god in this world : should be confessed before his father , and before his angels . rev. . . this part of this book , is in another place , called , the book of the word of the lord , because in it , i say is recorded those famous acts of the saints , against the world , flesh , and the devil . numb . . . you find also , how exact the holy ghost is , in recording the travels , pains , labour , and goodness of any of the children of israel , in their journey from egypt to canaan , which was a representation of the travels of the saints , from nature to grace , and from grace to glory . king ahasuerus , kept in his library a book of records , wherein was w●it , the good service that his subjects did for him at any time , which was a type also of the manner and order of heaven . and as sure as ever mordecai , when search was made in the rolls , was found there to have done such and such service for the king , and his kingdom : esth. . . . so surely will it be found , what every saint hath done for god , at the day of inquiry . you find in the old testament also , still as any of the kings of judah dyed , there was surely a record in the book of chronicles , of their memorable acts and doings for their god , the church , and the common-wealth of israel , which still doth further hold forth unto the children of men , this very thing , that all the kings of the new testament , which are the saints of god , have all their acts , and what they have done for their god ▪ &c. recorded in the book of chronicles , in the heavenly jerusalem . now i say , when this part of the book of life shall be opened , what can be found in it , of the good deeds , and heaven-born actions of wicked men ? just nothing ; for as it is not to be expected , that thorns should bring forth grapes , or that thistles should bear as figs : so it cannot be imagined , that ungodly men should have any thing to their commendations , recorded in this part of the book of life . what hast thou done man , for god , in this world ? art thou one of them that hast set thy self against those strong struglings of pride , lust , covetousness , and secret wickedness , that remain in thy heart , like job and paul , job . ▪ cor. . , . . and do these struglings against these things , arise from pure love to the lord jesus , or from some legall terrours and conviction for sin ? gal. , . . doest thou i say , struggle against thy lusts , because thou doest in truth , love the sweet , holy , and blessed leadings of the spirit of the lord jesus , its leadings of thee i say , into his blood and death , for thy justification , and deliverance from wrath to com● phil. . , , . cor. . . . what acts of self-denyal , hast thou done for the name of the lord jesus , among the sons of men ? i say , what house , what friend , what wife , what children , and the like , hast thou lost , or left , for the word of god , and the testimony of his truth in the world. matth. . , . revel . . , . . wast thou one of them , that didst sigh , and afflict thy self for the abominations of the times ? and that christ hath marked , and recorded for such a one ? ezek. . , . zeph. . . . in a word , art thou one of them , that wouldest not be won , by neither fear , frowns , nor flatteries , to forsake the wayes of god , or wrong thy conscience ? or art thou one of them that slightest those opportunities , that satan and this world did often give thee to return to sin in secret . heb. . , . these be the men whose prayse is in the gospel ; and whose commendable and worthy acts , are recorded before the judge of all the world. alas , alas , these things are strange things to a carnal and wicked man. nothing of this hath bin done by him in this life , and therefore how can any such be recorded for him in the book of life : wherefore he must needs be shut out of this part also . as david saith , let them be blotted out of the book of the living , and not be written with the righteous . psal. . . thus i say , the wicked will find nothing for their comfort , either in the first part of this book , where all the names of the elect are , neither will they find any thing in the second part thereof , where is recorded the true nature and operation of effectual conversion , of faith , or love , or the like ; and i say , neither can any thing be found in this third part , wherein is recorded the worthy acts , and memorable deeds of the saints of the lord jesus . thus when christ therefore hath opened before them this book of life , and convinced the ungodly at this day out of it ; he will then shut it up again , saying , i find nothing herein that will do you good , you are none of my elect , you are the sons of perdition : for as these things will be found clear and full in the book of life , so they will be found effectually wrought in the hearts of the elect , all whose conversion and perseverance shall now be opened before ●hy eyes , as a witness , i say , of the truth of what thou here seest opened before thee , and also of thy unregenerate estate : now thou wilt see what a turn , what a change , and what a clinging to god , to christ , and his word and wayes ; there was found in the souls of the saved ones ! here shall be seen also how resolvedly , unfeignedly , and heartily the true child of god did oppose , resist , and war against his most dearest and darling lusts and corruptions : now the saints are hidden ones , but then they shall be manifest , this is the morrow in which the lord will shew who are his , and who they are that fear the lord , and who that fear him not , psal. . . sam. . . numb . . . mal. . . now , you shall see how abraham left his country , how close good lot did stick to god in prophane and wicked sodom ; heb. . . pet. . , . mat. . . how the apostles left all to fo●low jesus christ , and how patiently they took all crosses , afflictions , persecutions , and necessities for the kingdome of heavens s●ke ; how they indured burning , starving , stoning , hanging , and a thousand calamities ; how they manifested their love to their lord , his cause and people in the worst of times , and in the dayes when they were most rejected , slighted , abused , and abased , then shall the king say to them on his right hand ( and that when all the devils and damned sinners stand by ) come ye blessed of my father , inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world ▪ ( you are indeed the truly converted souls , as appears by the grace that was in your hearts ) for i was an hungred , and you gave me meat : ! was thirsty , and you gave me drink : i was a stranger , and ye took me in ; naked , and ye cloathed me ; i was sick , and you visited me ; and in prison , and you came unto me , matth. . , , . you owned me , stood by me , and denyed your selves to nourish me and my poor members , in our low , and weak , and most despised condition . this , i say , the world shall see , hear , and be witnesses of , against themselves and their souls for ever ; for how can it be , but these poor damned sinners should be forced to confess , that they were both christless and graceless , when they shall find , both in the book of life , and in the hearts of the holy and beloved souls , that which themselves are quite barren of , and greatest strangers to . the saints , by the fruits of regeneration , even in this world , do testify to the world , not only the truth of conversion in themselves , but also that they are yet christless , and so heavenless , and salvationless , that are not converted , tim. . . thess. . . tim. . . but alas , while we are here , they will evade this testimony , both of our happiness , by calling our faith , fantacy ; our communion with god , delusion ; and the sincere profession of his word before the world , hypocrisy , pride , and arrogancy : yet , i say , when they see us on the right hand of christ , commingled among the angels of light , and themselves on his left hand , and commingled with the angels of darkness ; and , i say , when they shall see our hearts and wayes opened before their eyes , and owned by the judg for honest hearts , and good wayes , and yet the same wayes that they hated , slighted , disowned and contemned ; what will they , or what can they say , but thus , we fools counted their lives madness , and their end to be without honour , but how are they numbred with the saints , and owned by god and christ. and truly , was it not that the world might , by seeing the turn that is wrought on the godly at their conversion , be convinced of the evil of their wayes , or be left without excuse the more in the day of god ( with some other reasons ) they should not , i am perswaded , stay so long from heaven as they do , nor undergo so much abuse and hardship as frequently befalls them . god , by the lengthening out the life of his people that are scattered here and there among men in this world , is making work for the day of judgment , and the overthrow of the implacable , for ever and ever , and , as i have said , will by the conversion , life , patience , self-denyal , and heavenly mindedness of his dear children , give them a heavy and most dreadful blow . now when god hath thus laid open the work of grace , both by the boo● of life , and the christians heart ; then , of 〈◊〉 self , will fall to the ground , their pleading what gifts and abilities they had in this world , they will now see that gifts , and grace , are two things ; and also , that whosoever is graceless , let their gifts be never so excellent , they must perish and be lost for ever : wherefore for all their gifts , they shall be found the workers of iniquity , and shall so be judged and condemned , matth. . , . that is a notable place in the prophecy of ezekiel , thus saith the lord , saith he , if the prince ( the prince of life ) give a gift to any of his sons , that is , to any that are truly gracious , the inheritance , o● the profit that he gets thereby , shall be his sons ; that is , for the exercise of his gift , he shall receive a reward ; but if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants , ( that is not a son ) then it shall be his ( but ) to the year of liberty ▪ after it shall return to the prince , &c. ezek. . , . this day of liberty , it is now , when the judg is set upon the throne to judgment , even the glorious liberty of the children of god , rom. . . wherefore then will christ say to them that stand by , take from him the pound , and give it to him that hath ten p●unds , this servant must not abide in the house for ever , though with the son it shall be so , joh. . . luke . . a man may be used as a servant in the church of god , and may receive many gifts , and much knowledg of the things of heaven , and yet at last , himself be no more than a very bubble and nothing , cor. . , , . but now i say , at this day , they shall clearly see the difference between gifts and grace , even as clearly , as now they that have eyes can see the difference between gifts and ignorance , and very foolishness : this our day doth indeed abound with gifts ; many sparkling wits are seen in every corner , men have the word and truths of christ at their fingers ends ; but alas , with many , yea , a great many , there is naught but wits and gifts , they are but words , all their religion lyeth in their tongues and heads , the power of what they say and know , it is seen in others , not in themselves : these are like the lord on whom the king of israel leaned , they shall see the plenty , the blessed plenty that god doth provide , and will bestow upon his church , but they shall not tast thereof , kings . , , , . before i conclude this matter , observe , that among all the objections and cavils that are made , and will be made , by the ungodly , in the day of the lord jesus , they have not one hump abou● election and reprobation , they murmur not at all that they were not predestinated to eternal life ; and the reason is , because then they shall see , though now they are blind , that god could in his prerogative royal , without prejudice to them that are damned , chuse and refuse at pleasure ; and besides , they at that day shall be convinced , that the●e was so much reality , and downright willingness in god , in every tender of grace and mercy , to the worst of men ; and also so much goodness , justness , and reasonableness in every command of the gospel of grace , which they were so often intreated and beseeched to imbrace , that they will be drowned in the conviction of this , that they did refuse love , grace , reason , &c. love , i say , for hatred , grace for sin , and things reasonable , for things unreasonable and vain . now they shall see they left glory for shame , god for the devil , heaven for hell , light for darkness . now they shall see , that though they made themselves beasts , yet god made the● reasonable creatures , and that he did with reason expect that they should have adhered to , and have delighted in , things that are good , and according to god : yea , now they shall see , that though god did not determine to bring them to heaven against their hearts and wills , and the love that they had to their sins : yet then they shall be convinced , that god was far from infusing any thing into their souls , that should in the least hinder , weaken , obstruct , or let them in seeking the welfare of their souls . now men will tattle and prattle at a mad ra●e , about election and reprobation , and conclude , that because all are not elected , therefore god is to blame that any are damned : but then they will see , that they are not damned because they were not elected , but because they sinned , and also that they sinned , not because god put any weakness into their souls , but because they gave way , and that wilfully , knowingly , and desperately , to satan and his suggestions ; and so turned away from the holy commandment delivered unto them ; yea , then they will see , that though god at sometimes did fasten his cords about your heads , and heels , and hands , both by godly education , and smarting convictions : yet you rusht away with violence from all , saying , let us break these bonds asunder , and cast their cords from us . psal. . , , . god will be justified in his sayings , and clear when he judgeth ; though thy proud ignorance thinks to have , and to multiply , cavills against him , psal. . . but secondly , as the whole body of the elect , by the nature of conversion in their hearts , shall witness a non-conversion in the hearts of the wicked ; and as the ungodly shall fall under the conviction of this cloud of witnesses . so to increase their conviction , there will also be opened before them all the labours of the godly , both ministers and others , and the pains that they have taken , to save , if it had been possible , these damned wretches ; and now will it come burning hot upon their souls , how often they were forewarned of this day ; now they shall see , that there was never any quarter-sessions , nor general goal-delivery more publickly foretold of , then this day . you know that the judges , before they begin their assizes , do give to the countrey in charge , that they take heed to the laws and statutes of the king : why r●bel , thou shalt be at this day convicted , that every sermon thou hast heard , and that every serious debate thou hast bin at about the things of god , and laws of eternity , they were to thee as the judges charge before the assizes and judgment began . every exhortation of every minister of god , it is as that which paul gave to timothy , and commanded hi● to give in charge to others : i charge thee before god , and the lord jesus christ , and the elect angells , saith he that thou observe these things , and again , i give thee charge in the sight of god , who quickneth all things , and before jesus christ , who before pon●us p●la●e witnessed a go●d confession , that thou keep this commandment without spot , unrebukable , untill the appearing of jesus christ ; these things give in charge , saith he , that they may be blameless , tim. . . and c. . v. . this , i say , hast thou heard , and seen , and yet thou hast not held fast , but hast cast away the things that thou hast heard , and hast bin warned of ; alas , god will multiply his witnesses against thee . . thy own vows and promises shall be a witness against thee , that thou hast , contrary to thy light and knowledg , destroyed thy soul , as joshuah said to the children of israel , when they said the lord should be their god. well , saith he , ye are witnesses against your selves , that ye have chosen the lord to serve him ; that is , if now you turn back again , even this covenant and resolution of yours will in the great day be a witness against you , and they said , we are witnesses , jos. . , , . . every time you have with your mouth said well of godliness , and yet gone on in wickedness ; or every time you have condemned sin in others , and yet have not refrained it your selves ; i say , every such word and conclusion that hath passed out of thy mouth , sinner , it shall be as a witness against thee in the day of god , and the lord jesus christ , as christ saith , matth. . , . by thy words thou shalt be justified , and by thy words thou shalt be condemned . i observe , that talk with who you will , they will with their mouth , say , serving of god , and loving of christ , and walking in wayes of holiness is best , and best will come of it . i observe again , that men that are grosly wicked themselves , will yet , with heavy censures and judgments , condemn drunkenness , lying , cove●ousness , pride , and whoring , with all manner of abominations in others ; and yet , in the mean time , continue to be neglectors of god , and imbracers of sin and the allurements of the flesh themselves . why such souls , every time they speak well of godliness , and continue in their sins ; they do pass judgment upon themselves , and provide a witness , even their own mouth , against their own soul , at the judgment seat ; out of thy own mouth , saith christ , will i judg thee thou wicked servant ; thou knewest what i was , and that i loved to see all my servants zealous , and active for me , that at my comming , i might have received again what i gave thee with increase : thou oughtest therefore to have bin busying thy self in my work for my glory , and thy own good , but seeing thou hast , against thy own light , and mouth , gone contrary ; angels , take this unprofitable servant , and cast ye him into utter darkness , there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ; he sinned against his light , he shall go to hell against his will , matth. , , , , , . the very same i say , will befall all those that have used their mouth to condemn the sins of others , while they themselves live in their sins . saith god , o thou wicked wretch , thou didst know that sin was bad , thou didst condemn it in others ; thou didst also condemn , and passe judgment upon them for their sin , thou art therefore inexcusable , a man , whosoever thou art , that hast thus judged ; for thou that judgest , dost the same thing : wherefore , wherein thou hast judged another , thou hast condemned thy self . i must therefore , saith christ , look upon thee to be no other but a sinner against thy own mouth , and cannot but judge thee as a despiser of my goodness , and the riches of my forbearance ; by which means , thou hast treasured up wrath against this day of wrath , and revellation of the righteous judgment of god , he that knoweth to do good , and doth it not , to him it is sin . rom. . , , , , . thus will god , i say , judge and condemn poor sinners , even from and by themselves , to the fire , that lake of brimstone and fire . thirdly , god hath said in his word , that rather then there shall want witness at the day of judgment , against the works of iniquity : the very dust of their city , that shall cleave to his messengers that publish the gospel , shall it self be a witness against them ; and so christ bid his servants say , into whatsoever city , ye enter , and they receive you not , go your wayes out into the streets of the same , and say , even the very dust of your city , which cleaveth to us , we do wipe off against you , &c. but i say unto you , saith he to his ministers , it shall be more tolerable for sodom at the judgement , then for that city . luk. . , , , , . it may be , that when thou hearest that the dust of the street , ( that cleaveth to a minister of the gospel , while thou rejectest his word of salvation ) shall be a witness against thee at the day of judgment : though wilt be apt to laugh , and say , the dust a witness ! witnesses will be scarce where dust is forced to come in to plead against a man. well sinner , mock not , god doth use to confound the great and mighty , by things that are not , and that are despised . and how sayst thou ? if god had said by a prophet to pharaoh , but two years before the plague , that he would shortly come against him with one army of lice , and a second army of frogs , and with a third army of locusts , &c. and would destroy his land ; dost thou think it had bin wisdom in pharaoh , now to have laughed such tydings to scorn ? is any thing to hard for the lord ? hath he said it , and shall he not bring it to passe ? you shall see , in the day of judgment , of what force all these things will be , as witnesses against the ungodly . many more witnesses might i here reckon up , but these at this time shall suffice to be nominated ; for out of the mouth of two or three witnesses , every word shall be established . and at the mouth of two or three witnesses , shall he that is worthy of death , be put to death . cor. . . deut. . . joh. . . thus then the books being opened , the laws read , the witnesses heard , and the ungodly convicted : forthwith the lord and judge proceeds to execution . and to that end , doth passe the sentence of eternall death upon them , saying , depart from me ye cursed , into everlasting fire , prepared for the devill and his angels . you are now by the book of the creatures , by the book of gods remembrance , by the book of the law , and by the book of life , adjudged guilty of high treason against god , and me ; and as murderers of your own souls . as these faithful and true witnesses here have testified , every one of them appearing in their most upright testimony against you . also you never had a saving work of conversion , and faith , past upon you , you died in your sins ; neither can i find any thing in the last part of this book that will serve your turn , no worthy act is here recorded of you . when i was an hungred , you gave me no meat ; when i was a thirsty , you gave me no drink ; when i was a stranger , you took me not in ; i was naked , but ye cloathed me not ; i was sick and in prison , but ye visited me not . i have made a thorow search among the records of the living , and find nothing of you , or of your deeds therein : depart from me ye cursed , &c. mat. . , , . thus will these poor ungodly creatures be stript of all hope and comfort , and therefore must needs fall into great sadness and wailing , before the judge ; yea , crying out , as being loath to let go all for lost , and even as the man that is fallen into the river , will catch hold of any thing , when he is struggling for life , though it tend to hold him faster under the water , to drownd him . so , i say , while these poor creatures , as they lie strugling and twining under the ireful countenance of the judge ; they will bring out yet one more faint and weak groan , and there goes life and all ; their last sigh is this , lord , when saw we thee an hungred , and gave thee no meat ? or when saw we thee thirsty , and gave thee no drink ? when saw we thee a stranger , and took thee not in ? or naked , and cloathed thee not ? or when wast thou sick , or in prison , and we did not minister unto thee ? mat. . . thus you see , how loath the sinner is now to take a nay of life everlasting . he that once would not be perswaded to close with the lord jesus , though one should have perswaded him with tears of blood : behold how fast he now hangs about the lord , what arguments he frames with mournful groans ; how with shifts and words , he seeks to gain the time , and to defer the execution ; matth. . , . lord open unto us ! lord , lord , open unto us ! lord , thou hast taught in our streets , and we have both taught in thy name , and in thy name have we cast out devils . mat. . , , . vve have eat and drank in thy presence . and when did we see thee an hungry , or thirsty , or a stranger , or naked , or sick , or in prison , and did not minister to thee ? luk. . , , , . o poor hearts , how loath ? how unwillingly do they turn away from christ ? how loath are they to partake of the fruit of their ungodly doings ? christ must say , depart once , and depart twice , before they will depart . when he hath shut the door upon them , yet they knock , and cry , lord open unto us ; when he hath given them their answer , that he knowes them not , yet they plead and mourn . wherefore , he is fain to answer again , i tell you , i know you not whence you are , depart . luk. . , , . depart ] o this word , depart ! how dreadful is it ? with what weight will it fall on the head of every condemned sinner ! for you must note , that while the ungodly stand thus before the judge : they cannot chuse but have a most famous view , both of the kingdom of heaven , and of the damned wights in hell. now they see the god of glory , the king of glory , the saints of glory , and the angels of glory ; and the kingdom in which they have their eternal aboad . now , they also begin to see the worth of christ , and what it is to be miled upon by him ; from all which they must depart , and as i say , they shall have the view of this , so they will most famously behold ●he pit , the bottomless pit , the fire , the brimstone , and the flaming beds that justice hath prep●red for them of old . jud. . their associates also , will be very co●spicuous , and clear before their watery eyes . they will see now , what and which are devils , and who are damned souls ; now their great grandfather cain , and all his brood , with judas and his companions , must be their fellow-sighers in the flames and pangs for ever . o heavy day ! o heavy word ! this word [ depart ] therefore , it looketh two wayes , and commands the damned to do so too . depart from heaven , depart to hell : depart from life , depart to death : depart from me ] now the ladder doth turn from under them in deed . the saviour turns them off , the saviour throwes them down . he hath given him authority to execute judgment also , because he is the son of man. joh. . . depart from me . i would come to have done you good ; but then you would not : now then , though you would have it never so willingly , yet you shall not . depart from me ye cursed ] you lie open to the stroak of justice for your sins ; ye forsaken , and left off god , ye vessels of wrath , ye despisers of god and goodness . you must now have vengeance feed on you ; for you did , when you were in the world , feed on sin , and treasure up wrath against this day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous judgment of god. rom. , , , ▪ . depart ye cursed into everlasting fire . ] fire is that which of all things is the most insufferable , and insupportable . wherefore , by fire , is shewed the grievous state of the ungodly , after judgment . who can eat fire , drink fire , and ly down in the midst of flames of fire ? yet this must the wicked do . again , not onely fire , but everlasting fire . behold how great a fire a little matter kindleth . a little sin , a little pleasure , a little unjust dealing and doing : what preparation is made for the punishment thereof . and hence it is , that the fire into which the damned f●ll , is called the lake , or sea of fire . and whosoever , saith john , was not found written in the ro●k of life , was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone . revel . . . little did the sinner seriously think , that when he was sinning against god , he was making such provision for his poor soul ; but now 't is to late to repent , his worm must never die , and his fire never shall be quenched . mark . . though the time in which men commit sin , is short , yet the time of gods punishing of them for their sin , is long . depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . ] in that he saith , prepared for the devil and his angels : he insinuates a further conviction upon the consciences of the damned . as if he had said , as for this fire and lake that you must go to , though you thought but little of it , because you were careless , yet i did betimes , put you in mind of what would be the fruits of sin , even by preparing of this judgment for the devil and his angels . the devil in his creation , is far more noble then you , yet when he sinned , i spared him not . he sinned also before man and i , upon his sinning , did cast him down from heaven to hell , and did hang the chains of everlasting darkness upon him , which might , yea , ought to have bin a fair item to you to take heed ; but you would not . jud. . gen. . , , , . rev. . . wherefore , seeing you have sinned as he hath done , and that too , after he had both sinned , and was bound over to eternal punishment : the same justice that layeth hold on these more noble creatures , must surely seize on you . the world should be convinced of judgment then , because the prince of the world is judged . joh. . , , . and that before they came to this condition of hearing the eternal sentence rattle in their ears ; but seeing they did not regard it then , they must and shall feel the smart of it now . depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . god would have men learn both what mercy and justice is to them , by his shewing it to others ; but if they be sottish and careless in the day of forbearance , they must learn by smarting in the day of rebukes , and vengeance . thus it was with the old world , god gave them one hundred and twenty years warning , by the preparation of noah for the floud that should come ; but for as much as they then were careless , and would not consider the works of the lord , nor his threatning them by this preparation : therefore he brought in the floud upon the world of the ungodly . as he doth hear the last judgment upon the workers of iniquity , and sweep them all away in their wilful ignorance . mat. . , , . wherefore i say , the lord chief judge , by these words [ prepared for the devill and his angels ] doth as good as say , this fire into which now i send you , it did of it self , even in the preparation of it , ( had you considered it ) forewarn you of this that now is come upon you . hell fire is no new , or unheard of thing , you cannot now plead , that you heard not of it in the wo●ld , neither could you with any reason judge , that seeing i prepared it for angels , for noble , powerful , and mighty angels ; that you poor dust and ashes should escape the vengeance . depart from me ye cursed , into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . the sentence being thus passed , it remains now , the work being done , that every one goeth to his eternal station . wherefore , forthwith this mighty company , do now with heavy heart , return again from before the judgment-seat : and that full hastily , god knoweth , for their proper center , is the hell of hell ; into which they descend like a stone into a well , or like pharaoh into the bottom of the red sea. exod. . . for all hope being now taken from them , they must needs fall with violence , into the jaws of eternal desperation , which will deal far worse with the souls of men , and make a greater slaughter in their tortured consciences , then the lions in the den with daniel , could possibly do with the men that were cast in among them . dan. . . this is that which paul calleth eternall judgement , heb. ▪ . because it is that which is last and finall . many are the judgments that god doth execute among the sons of men , some after this manner , and some after that , divers of which , continue but for a while , and none of them are eternal , no , the very devils and damned spirits in hell , though there is the longest and most terrible of all the judgments of god , yet on foot : yet i say , they must pass under another judgment , even this last , great and finall judgment . the angels that kept not their first state , but left their own habitation , he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness , unto the judgment of the great day . jude . and so also it is with damned souls ; for bo●h sodom and gomorah , with all other , though already in hell in their souls : yet they must ( as i have before shewed ) all arise to this judgement , which will be their finall judgement . other of the judgements of god , as they have an end , so the end of many of them prove the profit of those on whom they are inflicted , being i say , gods instruments of conversion to sinners : and so may fitly be compared to those petty judgements among men , as putting in the stocks , whipping , or burning in the hand : which punishments , and judgements , do often prove profitable to those that are punished with them ; but eternal judgement , it is like those more severe judgements among men , as beheading , shooting to death , hanging , drawing , and quartering which soop all , even health , time , and the like , and cut off all opportunity of good , leaving no place for mercy or amendment : these shall go away into everlasting punishment , &c. mat. . . this word , depart , &c. is the last word the damned for ever are like to hear . i say , it is the last voice , and therefore will stick longest , and with most power on their slaughtered souls : there is no calling of it back again , it is the very wind-up of eternall judgement . thus then , the judgement being over , the kingdom ceaseth to be any longer in the hand of the man christ jesus ; for as the judges here among men , when they have gone their circuit , do deliver up their commission to the king : so christ the judge , doth now deliver up his kingdom to his father . and now all is swallowed up of eternity . mat. . . the damned are swallowed up of eternal justice and wrath ; the saved , of eternal life and felicity ; and the son also delivereth up , i say , the kingdom to the father , and subjects himself under him that did put all things under him , that god may be all in all , cor. . , , , , . for now is the end come , and not before , even the end of the reign of death it self ; for death , and hell , and sinners , and devils , must now together into the lake , that burns with fire and brimstone . rev. . , . and now is the end of christs reign , as the son of man , and the end of the reign of the saints , with him in this his kingdom , which he hath received of his father , for his work sake , which he did for him , and for his elect. then cometh the end faith paul , when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to god the father : but when shall that be ? why , he answers , saying , when he shall have put down all rule , and all authority and power ; for he must reign , saith he , untill he hath put all his enemies under his feet , ( which will not be , untill the finall sentence and judgment be over ; ) for the last enemy that shall be destroyed , is death . for god hath put all things under his feet , but when he saith , all things are put under him : it is manifested , he is accepted , that did put all things under him . and when all things shall be subdued unto him , then shall the son also himself be subject to him , that did put all things under him , that god may be all in all . all things being now at this pass , to wit , every one being in its proper place , god in his , christ in his , the saint in his , and the sinner in his ; i shall conclude with this brief touch upon both the state of the good and bad after this eternal judgment . . the righteous now shall never fear death , the devill , and hell more : and the wicked shall never hope of life . . the just shall ever have the victory over these things : but the wicked shall everlastingly be swallowed up of them . . the holy shall be in everlasting light : but the sinner in everlasting darkness . without light , i say , yet in fire ever burning , yet not consumed , always afraid of death and hell , vehemently desiring to be annihi●●ted to nothing . continually fearing to stay long in hell , and yet certainly sure they shall never come out of it . ever desiring the saints happiness , and yet alwayes envying their felicity . they would have it , because it is easie and comfortable ; yet cannot abide to think of it , because they have lost it for ever . ever loaden with the delight of sin : and yet that is the greatest torture , alwayes desiring to put it out of their mind , and yet assuredly know they must for ever abide the guilt and torment thereof . . the saints are always inflamed with the consideration of the grace that once they imbraced : but the wicked , most flamingly tormented with the thoughts of rejecting and refusing it . . the just , when they think of their sins , they are comforted with the thoughts of their being delivered from them ; but the ungodly , when they think of their righteousness , will gnaw themselves , to think that this would not deliver them from hell. . when the godly think of hell , it will increase their comfort ; but when the wicked think of heaven , it will twinge them like a serpent . oh this eternal judgment ! what would a damned soul give , that there might be , though after thousands and hundreds of thousands of millions of years , an end put to this eternal judgment . but their misery is , they have sinned against a god that is eternal ; they have offended that justice that will never be satisfied ; and therefore they must abide the fire that never shall be quenched . here is judgment , just , and sad. again , as it will be thus with good and bad in general , so again , more particularly , when the wicked are thus adjudged and condemned , and also received of the fiery gulph ; then they shall find , that as he that busieth himself to do good , shall have more glory than others ; so they that have been more busie and active in sin than others , they shall have more wrath and torment than others . for as doing good abundantly , doth inlarge the heart to receive and hold more glory ; so doing evil abundantly , doth inlarge the heart and soul to receive punishment so much the more . and hence it is that you have such sayings as these , it shall be more tolerable in the judgment for sodome , than for others ; that is , then for those that had sinned against much greater light and mercy : for these , as he saith in another place , shall receive greater damnation ; yea , it standeth to reason , that he who had most light , most conviction , most means of conversion , and that was highest towards heaven , he must needs have the greatest fall , and so sink deepest into the jaws of eternal misery , luke . . luke . . as one star , that is , as one saint , differeth from another in heaven ; so one damned soul shall differ from another in hell. it is so among the devils themselves , they are some worse than others : matth. . . mar. . . belzebub is the prince ; or the chief of the devils ; that is , one that was most glorious in heaven ; chief among the reprobate angels before his fall , isa. . . and therefore sinned against the greater light , mercy , and goodness : and so became the chief for wickedness , and will also have as the wages thereof , the chief of torments . for that will be true of the damned in hell , which is prayed for against babylon . revel . . . how much she hath glorified her self , and lived deliciously ; so much torment and sorrow give her . can it be imagined , that judas should have no more torment , who betrayed the prince of life and saviour of the world , than others who never came near his wickedness by ten thousand degrees ? he that know his masters will , and prepared not himself , neither did according to his will , shall be beaten with many stripes . with many mo●e stripes , than others that through ignorance did commit sin worthy of many stripes . but what should i thus discourse of the degrees of the torments of the damned souls in hell ? for he that suffers least , will the waters of a full cup be wrung out to him . the least measure of wrath , it will be the wrath of god , eternal and fiery wrath , insupportable wrath ; it will lay the soul in the gulph of that second death , which will for ever have the mastery over the poor damned perishing sinner . and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire : which is the second death . and whosoever was not found in the book of life , was cast into the lake of fire , rev. . , . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e see more of this in their judgement . the first book opened in its first part . mans nature is a book , or law to it self . the book of gods remembrance opened . the witnesses give in their evidence . the sinners plea for himself at the judgment-seat . the book of life opened . the temple opened, or, the great mystery of the millennium and the first resurrection revealed and found to be different from all the accounts that have been given thereof by any who have hitherto wrote on the same subject : more fully and plainly opening the nature of the death humbly presented to the king and parliament by thomas brookhouse. brookhouse, thomas. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the temple opened, or, the great mystery of the millennium and the first resurrection revealed and found to be different from all the accounts that have been given thereof by any who have hitherto wrote on the same subject : more fully and plainly opening the nature of the death humbly presented to the king and parliament by thomas brookhouse. brookhouse, thomas. [ ], [i.e. ] p. printed by george larkin, jun., and are to be sold at his house ... and by j. whitlock ..., london : . reproduction of original in bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng millennium. resurrection. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the temple opened : or , the great mystery of the millennium , and the first resurrection , revealed : and found to be different from all the accounts that have been given thereof by any who have hitherto wrote on the same subject . more fully and plainly opening the nature of the death and resurrection of the witnesses , and the state of the new jerusalem , than has ever yet been done. humbly presented to the king and parliament , by thomas brookhovse . london , printed by george larkin , jun. and are to be sold at his house over-against the hat and feather upon addle-hill ; and by j. whitlock , near stationers-hall . . to the king. great potentate , under the administration of jesus , this address at first may seem an enthusiastical strain , but upon farther perusal it will be found otherwise . christ being adult , or of age , in his church , in her favour gives the kingdoms of this world to whom he pleases . during his ( or her ) minority , satanvsurped the power , and let his whore a lease thereof for years . but these expiring , all the kingdoms of the world devolved upon him , as lord in chief , heir of all things , and head over all to the church . the time of this grand devolution , happened in the time of our late harvest , when he sent a * bold herald to claim his right , and to demand of the guardians or two old anointed ones , their staves of authority : these staves are power spiritual and temporal , called by the prophet beauty and bands : these the herald took and cut in sunder before all the people , thereby cancelling the old covenant which god had made with them . this publick act was a most solemn act of abolition , and abrogated representatively all the powers in the world. the old cedar and vine being thus lopt , the immediate succeeding powers were to be considered no otherwise but as parents , or adminicula to the two new branches , or two new anointed ones , represented by the said prophet by two olive branches . the power and promises belong to these , who are to minister or stand before the lord of the whole earth , under the dispensation of a new covenant : these are foretold by the man whose name is the branch , and joshua ; the one is to be a king on his throne , and the other is to be a priest upon his throne ; and the counsel of peace is to be betwixt them both . great sir , you are the man whose name is the branch : the tree of monarchy was planted in the east , but was cut down in the west , and you are the branch that grows in its room . the lord of the vniverse hath preferred you before all the kings of the earth : his ship run a-drift , and you are the first pilot he has chose to steer it. your commission is to drive the wild beasts out of his forrest , that his flocks may feed , and lie down in safety ; and there is no doubt but he will assist you in it now since he has presented you with the first staff , and honour'd you with the first fruits of power , that he would also honour you with the first fruits of his spirit , and enable you to perform all his good pleasure , is the hearty prayer of your faithful and dutiful subject , tho. brookhouse . to the parliament . wise senators and faithful patriots , god having promised to make all things new , is now performing of it : empire and the gospel have finished their voyage , and are now about to return from whence they first set out . you have many things of great moment before you , but that of time justly challenges a place amongst the first . the sands of a new aera are now running , the last glass of time being turned : empire has made us a visit , and will stay some time with us , and we shall measure out law and time to other nations . we have long gone by a corrupt reckoning , but all things are to become new ; time and our coin seem to be joynt petitioners and beg to be regulated together , that one may give testimony to the other ? the regulation is not only very honourable and profitable , but very feasible ; the royal society would quickly perform it ; and when is it more suitable , than when a new empire commences ? this noble work would perpetuate your memory till time should be no longer . it would also be very profitable , for there might be put what price on the new ephemeris you pleased ; and every family throughout the kingdom being obliged to take one , a vast sum would be raised for the kings use . to say it would be very troublesome , is no argument ; an old house was never pull'd down without trouble and dust : when things are made new , and the house new built , all the labour and trouble is compensated . caesar thought it worth his while to correct it , and he took not his aim amiss , for it has been a faithful register of his fame : i could wish the king a partner in the same reputation . but whether the present conjuncture will admit of it or no , i can assure you it will not be long before it be done : for there is a new calendar commenced in heaven : christs reign is actually commenced . the head of the image was in the east , the feet are in the west ; and here the stone first falls upon them ; and this is the reason of all our present confusions ; which will continue till all the old building is pulled down . satan put his metal four times in the fire , and 't is yet but a lump of dross : but now the son of god takes the work in hand , and has appointed you his chief workmen . that he would give you the spirit of understanding to go thorow your present undertakings , is the prayer of your devoted servant , t. b. to the reader . reader , the four monarchies are but a copy of the four elements , and all th models of power and policy hitherto used , are no other but transcript of the divine operations in the first creation ; they answer one another at face does face in a glass : for as then the word by a fiat spake the four disagreeing elements into that beauty and order we see them in : so now , the same word ( his name is called the word of god ) comes to speak the ataxy or irregularities of the four monarchies into such an harmonious frame and model that may eccho to nature , and keep time , as it were , with her , in all her divine and most excellent administrations . the four preceding monarchies were rather heaps than buildings : men piling up mollia cum duris , sine pondere , habentia pondus ; things of a differing nature together , so that nothing less could be expected than their downfal ; the dissimilarity and disproportion of parts , to such a degree corroding and fretting the whole substance , as at last to undermine the foundation , and to tumble down the whole frame . but in this monarchy or consistency , bone comes to its bone , and flesh to its flesh , and all the similar parts will be fitted and joyned together in such a due and wise symmetry , that the building will be as lasting as nature her self , of which indeed it is but a copy . christ is the way , the truth , and the life ; he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the son or word of god , the right reason and beauty of the creation : but satan is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the father of lies , the grand patron of injustice and violence , the chief author of confusion and irregularity : these two have been at continual was since the creation : but at last the vvord gets the victory , and the last battel introduces the quiet and peaceable reign of the millennium : the millennium commences before , viz. at the expiration of the whores lease , when all the kingdoms of the world devolve on christ ; but there is no quietness to the state , though there is to his church , till after the great battel ; and christ , as all the other monarchs have done , must conquer the world before he can enjoy it : he finds it over-run with wild beasts , and his flocks cannot feed quietly till he has expelled them ; he tells the vsurpers he is heir , but they reject and despise his title ; they resolve to continue on the premises till they be thrust off . he therefore prepares for war : but after a clear differing manner from all the other months : for they made war in wickedness , he in righteousness ; they subdue it by fire and sword , he only by his word : their followers were cloathed in steel , and had their swords in thier hands ; but his only in fine linnen , with their swords in their mouths ; they ride on red bloody horses ; he and his followers on white ones : his whole equipage sufficiently declares what a sort of war he designs to make , in all the circumstances thereof intirely differing from the other . satan thought himself of ability to rule in gods throne , but he has sufficiently discovered his inability ; for he neither knew aright how to make peace or war , how to pull down , or build up . but christ will instruct the world in better methods . the text saith , in righteousness he doth judge ( minister peace ) and make war : he uses not his power , but his spirit ; not his sword , but his word : and by this way he subdues the world , and tumbles down satan from his seat like lightning , who by his ill conduct had so miserably scorch'd the earth . his way of fighting is only preaching , as the sword in his mouth doth sufficiently demonstrate . he designs to restore his gospel by an army of predicators , cloathed in the white linnen of an holy life . by these he ferments and levens the whole earth , and pulls down all the constitutions thereof . the millennium is the manhood of the world , and all the preceding governments are but the tossings and tumblings of childhood and youth . christ also being adult , or come to his full stature in his body the church , comes to claim the government thereof . but this state is rather an hierarchy than a monarchy ; jerusalem and the bride through the whole context being put in opposition to babylon and the whore : and the text saith , they shall reign as priests , which agrees very well with what our saviour saith , that his kingdom was not of this vvorld . and when thie rough work is over , she is to be empress of the vniverse , and the kings of the earth are to bring their glory and honour into her : as in the preceeding monarchies they trampled upon her , casting dirt in her face , now they are her humble servants , and bow down before her ; and this is because christ her husband rules and reigns over them , and they have a more immediate dependance on him for their titles and soveraignties ; he giving and disposing of the kingdoms of this world to whomsoever he pleases : and besure he will give no power to those that affront her . and though there is no mention made of any kings reigning with christ during the millennium , only the saints ; yet without all doubt there is a series of good kings running through the whole ; otherwise there would be none to bring their glory into it . but this is certain , that good and holy men , the members of the true regenerate church , have the greatest title to the priviledges of the millennium , because they are set in the front of it , and are said to reign with christ ; and all other powers are to hold their empire from the church in chief , as the soveraign spouse . since empire has been so fruitful in its first voyage , we cannot suppose it absolutely barren in the second : but its children will be more mansuete in their return , participating of the common renewed nature , and so exercise their power to the service and good of christ's church . farewel . the temple opened : or , the great mystery of the millennium , and the first resurrection , revealed , &c. rev. xx. . but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were ended : this is the first resurrection . before i can come at the above words , i must speak something against christs personal reign . and a literal resurrection of the saints . john saith , i saw the souls , &c. and they lived an reigned with christ a thousand years : this is b● no means to be understood in a literal senc● but in a civil ; for the witnesses were never in their grave and therefore cannot rise out of them : this is a mathematical demonstration , if i can prove these souls , &c. to be the witnesses , which from the preceding parts of the revelations is plainly demonstrated they are . this , the souls , &c. is nothing but a long complex name for a complex body , viz. the new-risen witnesses , or church regenerate : they are the same specifick body of the numerus sigillatus , in chap . who running as it were under ground for miles , rise up again in chap. . and stand upon mount sion , having their fathers name written in their forehead , so are called numerus conscriptus . and what is this name of their father , but the distinct character of their sufferings , which in their passage they underwent through every age ? this name is the characteristick by which they may be known to be the true heirs of the promises ; and therefore being now concerted into a new body , they bear them in their forehead , to shew their legitimacy . satan being overcome in a great battel , who had usurped upon their rights , and palmed upon the world a whorish church for many ages , the whore being turned out of the premises , the true heiress comes to claim her right ; and that she may be known to be the true heiress , she puts on her mothers clothes : but putting on her mothers apparel , makes only an accidental , and not a substantial alteration ; there 's no such virtue in these garments as to transubstantiate the daughter into the mother . 't is our great mistake therefore to suppose these to be the old witnesses risen from the dead , in a literal sence ; they are only the new-risen witnesses wearing the livery of the old ; and to shew that they are their legitimate off-spring , they bear the true signatures of their sufferings in their foreheads , which they have suffered under the usurpation of the whore in every age successively . and these marks confirm and ratifie their claim , and give then a passo-porto to enter into the millennium , which is the promised land of the christians . the witnesses before stood in naked and unfinish'd lines , in chiar-oscuro , as the italians call it : but here they receive their finishing strokes , and stand all in their proper colours , ranged in order successively in every age , during the whole time of satans usurpation , who after his first great defeat in constantine's time , lived again , and crept into heaven in the livery of the church , transforming himself from a dark angel into an angel of light. if what i have wrote be considered narrowly , 't will be deemed altogether as reasonable to expect that abraham , isaac , jacob , reuben , simeon , levi , &c. should all rise out of their graves , and return with their successors , the present surviving jews , into their own countrey , as that the suffering saints in all ages should rise out of their graves , and reign personally with christ in the millennium . when we give persons or things names , the name is usually adapted to the quality of the person or thing denominated : so here , the old church being brought to bed of the new-risen witnesses , they are baptized with a name which has respect to the quality of their suffering natures . when the present jews go into the promised land , abraham , isaac and jacob , reuben , simeon , levi , &c. may be said to go into it , because they go into it , who are their true and legitimate off-sping : so if the true legitimate off-spring of the old church , the old suffering saints or witnesses , enter into and enjoy the priviledges of the millennium , they themselves may be truly said to enter and enjoy it . the souls , &c. are but patriarchal names of the christian suffering tribes , and their names in their foreheads distinguishes them from the common mass , and incorporates them into a body or nation ; which sealed nation have suffered as much amongst the gentiles , nay more , than the nation of the jews ; and are and have been as much dispersed throughout the whole gentile body . these are the sheep of another fold , and tho' their genealogies be not kept so strict as the jews on earth , so as to make them a distinct nation , yet 't is better and more exactly kept in heaven , where their names are as well written , as the name of their fathers on their forehead here on earth ; and they may have as great assurance of entering and enjoying the priviledges of the millennium , tho' at present scattered through the gentile body , as the more distinct body of jews , of entering into the promised land ; for their covenant is sure , having this seal , the lord knows who are his . and when he makes up his jewels , he gives a copy , as it were , of their genealogies to the angels , who going through the four parts of the earth , look for the seal of their sufferings in their forehead , and so pick up two of a tribe , and one of a family , the whole making the regenerate church , or sealed nation ; which sealed nation enjoying the priviledges of the millennium , as the true and legitimate off-spring of the old suffering church , the old suffering church , or witnesses themselves , may truly be said to enjoy them , they enjoying them in their true off-spring ; as well as abraham , isaac , and jacob , &c. may be said to go home to their own countrey , their present surviving successors and true off-spring entering into the same . and tho' the text saith they , yet this word they , imports no more than st. paul's we , when he saith , we shall not all dye , but shall all be changed , &c. 't is plain that by we , he neither means himself , nor those he wrote to , but the saints of the same piece or body , which should be alive at the time of the general judgment . the comparison is easie . and tho' i could say much more , in confirmation of this head , in relation to the consequences , and many absurdities , which would arise from a literal resurrection , yet i will forbear , thinking what i have said to be enough to convince any reasonable man. the next thing to be enquired into , is the nature of christs reign , which i deny to be personal , since he said , when he was leaving the world , and lo i am with you always to the end of the world ; which is plain and manifest must be meant in a spiritual manner ; that we should have his influential , ministerial , or spiritual presence , but not his personal . and in the end of the revelations , the spirit and the bride say , come ; that is , they invite all to drink of the waters , in allusion to the prophet of old ; this plainly indicates that they were only in being at that time ; for had the bridegroom been come , without all doubt he would have invited the guests himself , and not the bride . 't is plain he was come only in spirit , but not in person ; for both before and after this , in the same chapter , he saith , lo i come quickly ; which would never have been said , had he been come already : and all this must be understood at the near expiring of the jerusalem-state , according to the common rule of interpretation . that he was come by his spirit influencing the bride in the whole conduct of her administration , is very plain , since the text joyns the spirit and bride together , saying , the spirit and the bride say , come ; but that he was personally come , there is not the least appearance at all . further , it being plainly proved that the saints rise not literally , his coming and reigning , must be of a piece with their rising , and therefore not literal . his coming must certainly be after a spiritual manner , as is plainly hinted in that text , god manifest in the flesh , justified is the spirit : which spirit will first be poured out on his new-risen witnesses , or church regenerate , being his body in the scripture phrase . but to look a little farther into the nature of christs reign , i must , with submission , look first into the nature of satan's reign , who from the beginning of the creation has usurped upon his rights , and been his great antagonist . now i find satan got into his temple , and sat in , and defiled his throne , that is , in the heart of man ; for 't is said , the prince of this world rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience . now christ comes and throws him out of his throne and temple , and takes possession of mans heart , influencing all his words , thoughts and actions , bringing every thought into captivity and to his obedience : and where should the remedy come , but where the disease is ? any outward application would be like brushing a mans clothes to cure him of the collick ; the plaister ought to be where the sore is . the wise man saith , out of the heart proceed the issues of life : and a wiser than solomon told the pharisees , that all defilements proceeded from within : the inward powers being purified and set to rights , the outward powers fall in of course , and so the whole creation quickly recovers its native beauty : therefore the first act of soveraignty which christ will exercise , will be to purifie the heart ; there he begins his reign of the millennium . if he should come in person , and be in the air , accompanied with an innumerable company of saints and angels , as some imagine , alas , what would this sight do ? it would surprize us , and we should gape for a little while ; but it would quickly wear off , for we have the glorious body of the sun , moon , and stars , and all the beauty of the creation without us , but they have but little influence over us ; one small ray of god in the heart , is more than all the outward aypearances whatsoever . satan therefore being a cunning adversary , when he came to conquer the world , observed the heart to be the chief post , and made his first attack upon it ; and having conquered it , and placed his black guards there , he quickly became master of the whole world. but christ comes to destroy the works of the devil , to heal where he has wounded , and to build up what he has pulled down , and to raise the creation out of that confusion in which satan by a long mis-rule has put it : the first act therefore of his reign , is to regain the heart , and that being secured , all the rest come into due subjection . and this consideration brings me to my text. there has been a continual war fince the creation , berwixt christ and satan ; but in this book particular mention is made of three great battels , ( if the last may be called one . ) in the first satan is thrown out of heaven , in the second he is thrown out of heaven . earth , taken prisoner , and bound ; and in the last he is thrown into hell : but this last is not so much a battel , as a siege or assault ; satan , in allusion to ahaziah , sending some of his captains of fifty to attack the saints camp , and fire comes own from heaven , and destroys them all . at the first battel , ( or at least at the mustering and raising his soldiers ) christ was 〈◊〉 a white horse , and at the second upon a white horse , and 〈◊〉 white-linnen-followers ; and at or after the last , upon white cloud . but before i proceed any further , i must note christ's wars are always of a two-fold nature , by the word and sword ; the word first proclaims them , and then retires into the rear , and the sword in the van leads the armies was lieutenant : as for instance , in this second battel : first the word gets upon the white horse , and proclaims the war , raising an army of white-linnen-followers , which are his own peculiar army ; and these are nothing else but preachers , proclaiming a new dispensation , as is self-evident by their swords being in their mouths instead of their hands , and of being cloathed in fine linnen instead of steel : and tho' the word's garments are dipt in blood , 't is of the wicked soldier 's , and not of he own drawing : these i say march at first in the van , proclaim the war , and bid defiance , and then draw off into the bear ; then comes up the sword or lieutenant , or the angel in the 〈◊〉 , who is the champion or goliah of the word , who like him , having first summoned the fowls of the air to a treat , presently fall on upon the dragon or satan and his armies , and totally routs them ; and when he has routed them , then comes up the word in the rear , and compleats the victory , preselyting the rest of the world by preaching : for the text saith , the remnant were stain by the sword of him that sat upon the horse , whose sword proceeded out of his mouth : 't is plain , the angel in the sun , or constantine the second , doth the rough work , and is the great executioner ; he levels the mountains , and forces open the city gates , that the king of glory may come in ; the vvord is nothing but the word preached ( and not a person as some would have ) as is plain by the sword in his mouth , which is the sword of the spirit , not by power or by might , but by my spirit , saith the lord of hosts . things standing thus , the forces of satan , who is prince of this world , being routed , and himself their generalissimo , taken prisoner ; he 's not ransomed or bailed ( since none will be accepted ) but sent to prison for a thousand years : so all the world become the kingdoms of the ord and his christ ; who is king of kings and lord of lords : the whole earth is his now , as well by conquest , as by right of inheritance ; all the inhabitants of the earth become his vassals , and lie civilly dead before him . the whole race of mankind are all concluded under death ; their power and dominion which is their life , not only devolved on him as of right ( the usurper being expulsed ) but also by conquest , by force being taken from them : now the first thing this mighty conqueror doth ( as is the custom of conquerors ) he has a respect to his own trusty followers and servants , who assisted him in his conquest ; to them therefore in the first place , he saith , rise and live ; that is , he invests them first with power , and they being the first of the civilly dead , which receive any power , are said , first to live and rise ; and this is called , the first resurrection ; which truly and really is so in a double sence , because they are the first receivers of power ; and because 't is the first time that ever holy and good men were so solemnly advanced , they being to this time not much better than civilly dead , always labouring under the death of perfection , tribulation and affliction . now as to the rest of the dead , the text saith , they lived not again , until the thousand years were ended ; that is , the 〈◊〉 of the conquered , received no power ( which is life ) till the thousand years of satans imprisonment is ended : as the 〈◊〉 and holy men do rise and live in christ , so the wicked at dead in or with satan , for imprisonment is a civil death ; and christ will let the defeated , vanquished , or dead crew of satan , to have no life or power whilst his saints reign : and he gives his saints , the church regenerate , or new risen witnesses , a royal lease or pattent of power for a thousand years ; and 〈◊〉 they may have no rival , but be undisturbed all the time , 〈◊〉 their great adversaries to their good behaviour , during 〈◊〉 time ; and here is the greatest reason for this immagi●●●● . for after his defeat in the last , ( or rather in the first ) 〈◊〉 by constantine , this cunning quack healed his wounds , and 〈◊〉 again , creeping into heaven or the power of empire , in 〈◊〉 of the church , which power he has usurped for 〈◊〉 therefore sufficient caution is now taken , by binding him , 〈◊〉 he live not again , as before , and that he may not palm upon the world any more whores , laying them like changlings , in the brides place ; and when christ grants this pattent of power 〈◊〉 bride , he seems to have respect to the time of the whores 〈◊〉 , for though it is but for a thousand years certain , 〈◊〉 is a little season uncertain ; 't is very probable , this lit●●● season may be years , to make up the thousand , 〈◊〉 ballances the lease satan granted the whore : and the 〈◊〉 is said to be loosed after the thousand years were ended , it 〈◊〉 not follow it was just after , and this little season , seems to 〈◊〉 uncertain , that men might always be on their watch 〈◊〉 prepared for the coming of the great judge : there is a 〈◊〉 rom . , . importing , that as by one mans disobedienoe , sin 〈◊〉 into the vvorld , and death by sin ; so by the obedience of one 〈◊〉 shall be made righteons , which is directly applicable to 〈◊〉 case for as the world became dead by satans rebellion , so 〈◊〉 are raised to life ( not all ) by christs victory : all rise 〈◊〉 for the text saith , the rest of the dead lived not again , &c. 〈◊〉 plain without all contradiction , that the life and death 〈◊〉 hinted , are of a civil nature ; and that it is only the life 〈◊〉 death of power and dominion : and this daniel wonderfully confirms , saying , as to the rest of the beasts their dominion was 〈◊〉 but their lives were prolonged for a season and time : satan and his crew are overcome , and their dominion is taken a●●● but still , like the conquered canaanites of old , they live for season . and time ; which plainly implies the death is not literal , this rest of the dead , answers to the rest of the beasts , exactly : all the world are supposed to be dead , those that rise , are said to live , and those that rise not , are said still to be dead : where truths are weighty , and have long been hid , as this has , tautologies and repetitions are not only excusable , but necessary ; and therefore yet once more the pencil shall go over it , least i should not make good the title , fully explained : the rest ( the other , or remaining part , or number of the vanquished , slain or dead ) lived not ( received no power or dominion ) again ( after their vanquishment or death , or ) again , ( received no power or dominion again , as formerly , after their death or defeat in the first battle in constantines time ) but still lie dead without the life of power and dominion , during the space of a thousand years ; all which time satan , their generalission , lies in the ineurabile , ( for , non est medicabile vulnus , as formerly ) but when the thousand years are ended , they live again ; then satan being loosed , these dispersed canaanites are headed by him , and attack the israelites camp , and the issue is , fire comes down from heaven and consumes them : these are plain words , as truth always requires , and i hope easily to be understood ; in the explaining of things , eloquence and fine words are not so much to be consulted , as perspecuity : when the thousand years are ended , the wicked satannical defeated troops live again , and receive power with satan for a little season ; but till then , they lie dead : the text saith , but the rest of the dead lived not again , until the thousand years were ended ; this is the first resurrection : 't is as plain as the sun in the firmament , that this resurrection is of a civil nature ; being only a resurrection of power and preferment ; and that it belongs to gods church , or good and holy men , the members of the church regenerate ; and yet in one sence it may seem to be litteral ; for 't is a ressurrection from a bloody violent and vnnatural death ; for the dispensers of the restorative gospel , are not to be martyred and butchered by persecuting emperors : those 〈◊〉 are drove off from the stage , and a new series of nursing fathers and nursing mothers arise in the going back of the em●●● , which will be so far from persecuting her , as the former , that they will assist the church in all her administrations ; and therfore dividing death into two parts , death violent , and death natural ; the church being free'd and delivered from the first , this deliverance may very well be called , the first resurrection ; the first death , is persecution , deprivation of power , and death violent ; from these the church is free'd , and therefore is said to have her first resurrection : death natural , is the seund death ; and whosoever shall so adorn himself with holiness , to be a sharer in this first resurrection , or to be admitted as a member into the church regenerate , on him the second death shall have no power ; that is , the grave shall have no power ever him , but he shall rise to life eternal ; and in a good measure it may be understood in a literal sence , for whoever are ●ound true members of this church regenerate , when christ 〈◊〉 come to judge the quick and the dead , they shall not dye , but be changed ; so in a literal sence , the second death has no power over them . now should we enquire , how this life of power and dominion now in christs possession , shall be shared ? the scriptures are plain ; the text saith , and thou , o tower of the flock , to thee it shall come , even the first dominion ; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of jerusalem : the rest of the flock , or other christian nations , shall have sister like shares ; but she as the heiress , and eldest daughter , shall have the first dominion : but it must not be forgot to be observed , that the priviledges of the millennium , are rather priestly than kingly ; and belong more to the bride , or the church , then the state : for the text saith , they shall be priests of god and of christ , &c. and in another place , a royal priesthood , a peculiar people , zealous of good works ; and 't is said , the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into the new jerusalem ; of whose particular way and method of administration , i could be very large , but this sheet will not give me leave : as to single persons , if they would have any share in this life or dominion of the millennium , they must get themselves cloathed in the white linnen of holiness ; for the text saith , blessed and holy are they that have part in this resurrection , &c. and as for nations , they must first help to kill the bear , and then they may share the skin of his power : and sure i am , at this moment the ten kings are just in a readiness to fall upon the whore , to eat her flesh , and burn her with fire : the signal from heaven is just ready to be given them : come lord jesus , come quickly . but some would willingly know , when the millennium commences : i 'll therefore tell them , it will begin with a septenary-day of years , known to the lord ( and to him that he shall reveagit ) in which it shall be neither day nor night : but in the eveninit shall be light : this septenary-day is betwixt easter and whitsontide , or betwixt the resurrection of the witnesses , and the pouring out of the spirit from on high , which invests them with power , and is the great confirmation of the new administration , or of christs reign : it really commences at their resurrection ; for christ after his resurrection , said , he had received all power both in heaven and in earth : but the charter of power is not ratified and sealed till the septenary day is ended , and that is at pentecost , when the whole world will be fully satisfied , and ser to their seal that god is true : an infant for the first week , is in a state betwixt life and death , as it were , almost as much vegetative as animal ; and that is the reason of this dark day mentioned by the prophet ; for the body and life of christ , is the grand pattern of all things , both in heaven and in earth ; the regenerate church , or new resen witnesses , are his body , and they must be conformable to the head : whatever circumstances attended the single birth in the east , will of necessity attend the complex birth , or new risen witnesses ( inter iberos ) in the vvest ; this i could make out in the east minute manner , but is not so much my present business : further confirmation of this dark septenary day , is the cutting own the tree of monarchy ; seven times passed over nebuchad●●●●er before he would acknowledge ( lew is guarda ti ) that the god of heaven was the only soveraign monarch , and disposes the kingdoms of this world to whom he pleases : all this time , monarchy was as a beast in its infantile state , rather animal than rational ; during this septenary day , there are bands of iron and brass upon the stumps of the monarchical tree , that it shall not grow ; the seed is some time hid in the ground before the blade comes up : and these are the true reasons of the darkness of our present day : but in the evening it shall be light : that is , men may think , that the corn being hid , is dead ; and that the tree of monarchy being cut down , will not sprout again ; but when they see the blade rise up , and the branches sprout out , they are then of another mind ; this enlightens them and makes them acknowledge , that this darkness was only the common effect of nature , which conceives her children in the dark ; the operations of the womb , are always in the dark . but some may ask , why should monarchy expire in the vvest , and there have a new commencement , more than in any other place ? this is easily answered ; empire is fellow traveller with the sun , and must return with him ; the whole earth seems to have as great a right and title to power , as it has to light ; the sun never stops till it comes to the vvest , and empire accompanies him in all his course : the punicks , the sons of cham , put in a caveat , and would have stopp'd this traveller , inviting him to have lodg'd in africa ; but they might as well have stopp'd the sun , their fathers prophecy and curse putting in a bar , condemning them to perpetual servility . the gospel was published in the east , and is to be restored in the vvest ; otherwise the sun goes down at noon : there is to be a repassage , or return , both of empire and the gospel ; and after some refreshments , they will set out very gloriously , and will also have other companions of a royal family , the kings of the east , i mean , who are to go back with them ; the fulness of the gentiles being come , they are to return home : for they both together , the sheep of both folds , the twelve apostles and twelve tribes , will be concerned in the administration of the new jerusalem . but the pouring out of the spirit at pentecost , will be the sign for them to return , for this took their power away in the east , and was the sign of dispersion , and it will give it them again in the west , and be the sign of their reversion ( and conversion too . ) the blood reverts not till it comes to the toes , and the stone fell on the feet of the image , and so goes on regularly breaking to pieces all before it : when there is to be a general renovation , the extream parts are the most proper to begin in . but it may easily be discovered through the whole oeconomy of this world , god in all his methods has a respect to nature , which like himself is most perfect in all her operations . now nature circulates , the light and the blood circulates , and so ought empire and the gospel : so following nature , i cannot err , and therefore do positively conclude that empire and the gospel will set , be cut down , and be dead as it were , and then rise again in the west and whatsoever things were acted in the east at the publication of the gospel at the natural birth , are to be re-acted in the west at the restoration of it at the spiritual birth , the birth of the church regenerate , or new-risen witnesses ; because there ought to be a due analogy betwixt the head and the body . the birth of the infant-church occasions one day to be neither clear nor dark , but a sort of crepusculum ; but the evening of this septenary day is approaching , and the light shall break forth abundantly . i have in some private letters to friends , prov'd from uncontestable arguments raised from the true and genuine nature of death and resurrection , that the witnesses are already risen , and that the whole world have been mistaken in the nature and quality of this great truth , which i am able to make good against all the learning in the ●niverse , and design to do it in a little time publickly . i have little more to say as to the subject of the millennium at present , only this , this glorious day dawns with the loss of 〈◊〉 to the wicked , for therein consists their power , which must be taken from them , all power and dominion belonging to jesus christ . he that has wisdom , let him calculate : eight days make up the day of circumcision , but seven days of weeks betwixt the pascha and pentecost . what i have writ on this subject is suited and adapted to the economy of this world ; and whoever calculates prophecies , if they do not first state and calculate the nature of this world , and fit one to the other , they do but reckon without their host . god takes particular care to suit all his changes and dispensations to the state of this world : and a literal resurrection hears too many absurdities in the front , to be consistent therewith . many have been the mistakes of men about the milleneium ; and at present the subject lies under such prejudices , that it the very sound of the name , men shrug up their shoulders , and throw it aside , saying with the old monks , graecum est non parest legi : but this is unmanly , and discovers their ignorance , sloth , or vice , more than any thing else : men are unwilling to vex themselves by looking into a doctrine which will turn the world upside down , and untwist all the constitutions upon earth : this is a dismal prospect to those that are at ease in their possessions , and had rather things should run on in the old corrupt account , than to have a new and just reckoning : but since these things must of necessity come to pass , ( for gods prophecies are not poets fables ) they may as well fend off the blow by a due provision , as to encrease their misery by an unexpected stroke . the ark is open , and they may enter in if they please , and prevent being destroyed by the deluge . this prophecy now no more remains a sealed book ; god has opened a door , and no man shall shut it : this mystery which has been hid from ages , is no more a mystery , being now clearly revealed ; and so it will stand to all generations . great and marvellous are thy works , lord god almighty ; just and true are they ways , thou king of saints : who shall not fear and glorifie they name , for thou only art holy ? all men shall come and worship before thee , for they works are made manifest . of the death and resurrection of the witnesses . the death and resurrection of the witnesses , is a truth almost of as great importance as the death and resurrection of our saviour : they being the counter-part of that great scene : all the empires in the world are interessed in this great truth ; 't is the pole-star by which they ought to steer ; and in not observing it , they run great hazard of splitting their vessels : i therefore take the liberty of addressing my enquiry into this weighty affair to our present powers , as before ; which may give them much light in all their counsels and consultations . 't is well known what alterations and changes the birth of our saviour made throughout the world , how it overthrew all the then-existing powers upon earth , and what method there was used to do it : this is but the same thing acted over again , in another part of the world ; that , by a simple birth ; and this , by a complex birth : the same methods of conquest will be used , viz. nothing but predication and vociferation . and we that live at so great a distance , for us to have the same scenes renewed , and the same actions re-acted amongst us , is a singular kindness from heaven : hitherto we have taken things upon credit and hearsay ; but now we our selves shall see with our eyes , and hear with our ears the wonderful things of god : to have things brought to our own home , is a wonderful condescention , for which we cannot be too thankful to heaven : and since we know on what rock the eastern nations split ; this is a blazing beacon for us , and we shall be doubly guilty if we split on the same . i cannot err in my enquiry , so long as i take christ along with me for my guide : for he is the way , the truth , and the life ; the grand pattern of all things in heaven and in earth . these witnesses are his body , which ought to be conformable to their head in all things . christ saith , except a man be born again , he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven : now christ is a man , and to fulfil all righteousness , he ought to be born again : but our nicodemus's will say , how can that be ? he is in heaven , and cannot enter a second time into the womb of mary : 't is true ; but he has a body here below , his church , which is himself ; and this may be renewed or born again , and ought to be so , before it can enter into the kingdom of heaven , or the millennium , which is a shadow of it . we are to come from strength to strength , from an imperfect dispensation to a more perfect , until we come to god in zion . christ racks off his truth from vessel to vessel , till it be perfect spirits , till man becomes an angel , whose place he is to supply . now what reason his church has to be purified and made clean , is plain ; the sun is coming to the tropick , her lord is to make her a visit ; and she is but in a filthy pickle to recive him : in her long voyage from the east , she has contracted a great many pollutions , passing through many polluted cities and countreys , over-whelmed with superstion and idolatry . there is the greatest reason imaginable that she should wash her self in the waters of purification , that being found without spot or wrinkle , or any such thing , her lord may take delight to dwell with her . in the scriptures there is mention made of the times of refreshing from the presence os the lord , and of the time of restitution of all things ; which can only be meant of an accidental change , and not a substantial , as some would have it . the times of restitution are accomplished by changing all things chengeable , by making every thing new , which can be renewed ; or in the scripture-phrase , by shaking those things which can be shaken , that those things which cannot be shaken may remain . now before i can well proceed further , i ought to divide the things of this world into two classes , viz. of changeable and vnchangeable ; and this will tell me , not only when god has renewed all things according to his promise , but how ; for his work will of necessity fall in the changeable class , as it has done in every dispensation hitherto . christ in one place is said to come with the clouds , which may very well be understood in the changeable class , in which all the thunders and tempests are formed ; but the vnchangeable class is the firmament , which is to remain , or not to be moved . and the instruments he will use in changing all things changeable , will be the church regenerate , or new-risen-witnesses ; and this by a new predication , as soldiers of the word , with their swords in their mouth ; predication and vociferation are the only artillery the lamb uses to beat down the strong holds of satan . but as to those two classes , the immutable i divide into seven heads , and the mutable into five , as follows . things immutable to remain . . religion , or the worship of that god which made the world , being an indispensible duty , is immutable : under this head i mean the christian worship . . truth , being the attributes of the immutable god , are . justice , both immutable , and must remain to the end of the world. . power or government , without which the world would be a chaos , and therefore immutable . . pleasure and pain , being the two great wheels on which all humane actions run : and i can by no means consent to his opinion , who saith , men must live without pain in the millennium . . the common effects of things natural and moral : as of the four elements ; that fire will burn , water quench , &c. that industry , piety , and frugality , will advance single persons , families , and kingdoms ; and that luxury , sloth , and profaneness , will always have the contrary effects : what accidental alterations , or differing effects , the said causes may at any time have , come not into this account , . eating and drinking , marrying and giving in marriage , buying , selling , building and planting , will continue to the end of the world , necessity making them immutable . these seven , when the great shaking comes , must all remain , and be of use and practice in the millennium , whatsoever dreams some may have to the contrary . things mutable to be shaken . . the will of man , and every thing subject thereunto , or that has dependance thereon , has been , is , and ever will be changeable . . the opinions of men , as to their differing sentiments and notions of things , have been , are , and ever will be changeable . . the differing ways amd modes of eating , drinking , marrying , and giving in marriage , buying , selling , building , planting , &c. in all ages have been , are , and ever will be changeable . . the outward forms of civil government , and the administration of justice , are changeable : witness all histories , and all the present forms now in use . . lastly , the circumstantials in religion , as to the outward administration , are changeable ; of which there needs no proof . the world being at full age , 't is time it should know its own constitution . and that the whole oeconomy thereof is comprehended under the above two classes , or twelve particulars , i think none that has had but a little converse therein , will deny me . these therefore allowed me for authentick , i have some ground to stand upon . and if i can find a body of men upon earth , which have made these five changes ; that is , whose wills are changed , whose opinions are changed ; who have made a sober change in eating , drinking , marrying , and giving in marriage , &c. and who have made an absolute and intire change in the outward from of civil and religious government ; i say , if i can find such a body of men in the whole christian world , who have made all these changes , i am in a fair way of finding my new-risen-witnesses ; for nothing else can be changed . and this will extort a confession from me , that god has fulfilled his promises , of making all things new , having changed all things that are changeable in this world. and it makes not much to have things in their perfection ; if they are truly begun , and stand upon perfect new foundations , 't is enough . good old simeon sang the nunc dimittis , when he saw christ only an infant : men cannot suppose that things should receive their commencement and perfection all at once . and the nature and progress of the kingdom of heaven , is all along to be observed in our enquiry : it ought not to be forgotten , that 't is compared to a grain of mustard seed , to leven , to a stone out of the mountain , and to waters that at first rose no farther than the ancles ; by all which the gradual increase and progression are plainly intimated . christ , being a single man , was the grain of mustard-seed ; he preached the word , and empowered the disciples , first the twelve , then the seventy , to preach the same through the towns and villages ; and in this nature , and after this manner , his gospel by degrees was published and dispersed throughout the world. this is the pattern , and after this manner the gospel will be restored . one single man of the new-risen-witnesses will first begin to preach , and so will be instrumental in collecting and raising a body of men , who tho' simple and ignorant , yet by the assistance and power of the spirit of life from god entering in them , will cast themselves into such an exquisite mold and constitution , that the most refined polititians in the world shall not be able to contrive the like . that the new-risen-witnesses will make their appearance and progress into the world after this nature , i think there is no man will be so disingenuous as to deny me : because 't is so like gods former method , and because there is a necessity the body should be conformable to the head in all things . and further , that these things ought to be so , 't is unanswerably proved by him that sat upon the white horse , followed by armies cloathed in white linnen , with their swords in their mouth , and whose name was called , the word of god. all the divinity and philosophy in the world can make nothing else of an army so equipped , but an army of new preachers sent forth to proselite the world to the doctrine of the restoration : to think that any old model should be pitched upon for a pattern , when christ said , he would make all things new , is a very inconsiderate and sensless thought : there 's no properer way can possibly be contrived , then to raise a new body of men out of the mass of the whole , who may leven the whole lump , and may be as a pattern or standard lifted up for the rest to repair to : nor is there a more proper way to raise such an army , than by beating up for voluntiers , by a new predication : this is that righteous way that christ has pitched upon to make war in , in opposition to those inadequate and unrighteous ways of all the preceding monarchies . i will therefore take it for granted that we have such a body of men amongst us , who have practised the same method , and have changed all things changeable in this vvorld ; and are a body perfectly new in temporals and spirituals , in their vvhole rise coming up to the true and genuine notion of a resurrection : and i knovv not vvhy i may not call them the new-risen-witnesses , since they have so fair and just a title thereto . and since i have given them this title , i ought to deduce it regularly from the true race of the old ones , who can only give them a just claim . it now therefore falls in my way to speak something of them. by the old witnesses , i understand , not two men , or two books nor any single church in any particular nation , but the body of true and faithful christians in all christian nations , bearing their testimony in all ages , ( during the years apostacy ) against the mystery of iniquity , and the usurpation of the whore of babylon , on their true rights . now the text saith , when they shall have finished their testimony , the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them , and overcome them , and kill them , and their bodies shall lie in the street of the great city , which spiritually is called sodom and egypt , where also our lord was crucified : and they of the people , and kindred , and tongues , and nations , shall see their dead bodies three days and an half , and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves : and they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoyce over them , and shall make merry , and shall send gifts one to another , because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth . and after three days and an half , the spirit of life from god entered into them , and they stood upon their feet , and great fear fell upon them that saw them . and they heard a great voice from heaven saying , come up hither : and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud , and their enemies beheld them : and the same hour there was a great earthquake , and the tenth part of the city fell ; and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand , and the remnant were afrighted , and gave glory to the god of heaven . now though the witnesses are already risen ; which the more judicious may easily discern , by the characteristicks before hinted , and so my labour of proof might seem to be spared , yet to satisfie others , and to make the copy agree with the original , i find my self obliged to compare them one with the other in the ensuing explication : the time of harvest ( or of finishing their testimony ) to cut down the whole earth being come ; there are two angels with sickles , one is commanded to cut down the harvest , the other the vintage : now the corn is always ripe before the grapes ; and where should the angel begin the harvest but in a corn countrey ? we have only corn england , scotland and ireland ; the grapes are beyond sea , where the vintage is to be gathered : 't is plain therefore , that 〈◊〉 angel should begin his harvest first in these parts : i think 〈◊〉 not mention when our harvest was gathered in england , there being now so many on the premises who helped to get it in by harvest , is meant constitutions civil and ecclesiastical , and a reaping is a cutting them down : now 't is plain , they have been all cut down in england ; as well the vine of the church , as the cedar of the state : first monarchy and episcopacy were cut down ; then they returned , and cut down the republick and presbytery , and all other models growing on that stock : these were but pangs of a new birth ; and though they now are both upon the stage , and exist together , yet 't is but upon sufferance ; they are but trespassers upon the premises ; the promises , the power and government belongs to the new birth , the heiress , of which they are at present but guardians : an infant that cannot go , must have some body to look after it , and who more proper than its own parents , the old witnesses ? but they are certainly civilly extinct ; their cutting down , and being reaped , is an undeniable symbol of rejection and abolition : the lease of old power being expired , the head of monarchy was cut off , and the head of episcopacy too ; and the head of the republick and presbytery ( had they had any ) would have been cut off too ; for heaven designed to shew some signal tokens of abolition ; the house of power , and symbol of the old dispensation , was burned ; this was a true type of the last conflagration , but more particularly of the expiration of the old dispensation : when the harvest is cut down , the stubble is usually burned . a new aera commencing , 't was fit there should be new habitations ; and god himself designing to visit the new powers , 't was fit a purgation by fire should be used . there was an harvest in our saviours time , which was nothing else but a cutting down all the constitutions of the world , as the effect has plainly declared : and this is the second harvest and will have the same effects ; this harvest then being first got in , in these countreys , there was reserved some of the good and best wheat for seed , to be thrown into the ground to raise a new crop. this has been done , and it comes up green and kindly , and is in a very hopeful and flourishing condition ; not rising bare grain , but with a new body such as god has been pleased to give it ; but of this more hereafter . the old witnesses observing the time of the beasts power expiring , made an attack upon the whorish retinue , and drove them out of all power and dominion ; this is their death , and they ought to dye first , the time of their end being come ; but this retinue returns with new vigor , and again assaults the witnesses , driving them out of all power and dominion ; this is the witnesses death : and there is great insulting and rejoycing over them , because they had tormented them so much before ; and many gifts are sent , and much rejoycing there is at their re-settlement : but they who were their friends , prevailed so much that they should not be buryed , in hopes they would revive ; the text saith , they suffered them not to be put in their graves ; this argues their death was not literal , and that the tree was not pulled up by the roots , only cut off by the stumps , that there might be a new ingrafting ; they lie thus civilly dead , expulsed out of all employment and power in the streets of the great city , which is spiritually called sodom and egypt , where also our lord was crucified : this city can by no means be meant rome , as some would have it , for it was never known that jerusalem was called rome , and 't is plain jerusalem is meant hereby . now jerusalem was a friendly city belonging to christs kindred and nation , and so ought this city in which his body or witnesses are to be slain ; and no city in the world can claim such a title as lond n ; being the very shadow of it in a line directly drawn , as also doth answer the same in all other respects of kindred and affinity to the witnesses ; and though it be the chief protestant city , yet in a spiritual sence ( rome almost in a literal ) it may be called 〈◊〉 and egypt , nothing hinders this : in this city therefore for three days and a half , they lie thrown out of all power spiritual and temporal ; and some of them were really and literally cast out into the street ; this was in the last persecution , just before the declaration for liberty of conscience , when the spirit of life from god entered into them , and they stood upon their feet , and great fear fell upon them which saw them : and they leard a great voice from heaven saying , come up hither ; and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud , and their enemies beheld them : this was a grievous sight to their enemies ; they had taken all care imaginable , not only to kill them , but to keep them dead : but their death was their victory , as of old their saviours was ; for now they rise again , to the amazement of them all . alas ! their care extended no farther than to the old witnesses with whom they had fought , and who had tormented them so much : and when they see new witnesses standing in the court of heaven , they stand amazed , as if they had seen a spectrum : these we know , and these we know , say they ; but who are ye ? these new enemies they never dream'd of : there 's no feeing the soldiers to say they are not risen , for they are seen of all the world. these then , as soon as they appear , being the first fruits of god and to the lamb , all other old fruit becomes intollerable to prophecy ; a sudden hurricane arises : and the text saith , there was a great earthquake , and the tenth part of the city sell ; and in the earthquake was slain of men seven thousand . it should not be of men , tho' this version is so , this favours a literal death too much : other versions have it , the names of men , or men of note : the latin version is , capita hominum septies mille ; which rendred right is , the heads or principals of seven thousand men : but the greek is nearer to the point , being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the names of seven thousand men ; being 't is only a name that is slain , it frees the text from a literal interpretation : and every name is a captain , and has under him a thousand men. any one that consults the originals , will find these things true . and the rest ( but not these ) were afrighted , and gave glory to god. what a disturbance and earthquake there was , is well known ; caused chiefly by the seven patriarchs falling ; and by their fall , seven thousand of their party . these represented the whole body , as julian the whole papal constitution : and 't is fit there should be a specimen of all the condemned and rejected powers , at the rising of the witnesses , that they might be triumphed over , and all fall together . the rest gave glory to god ; that is , they thanked god for their deliverance , tho' others repined and murmured . in this curious scene , the wisdom of god cannot be enough admired . as idolatrous julian of old , was suffered on purpose to make a three year and half 's parenthesis in the christian empire , that the jews might build their temple , and so the epoche of its desolation might be the more illustrious : so papal julian was admitted to make much the same intercalations , on purpose that the epoche of the new-risen-witnesses might be the more conspicous . there was none to reach them an hand , or to call them to heaven : so god made their greatest enemies to do it , even rome it self : and when he had done this , he had done the business for which he was raised , and presently flies away like a whirlwind , being intollerable to prophecy : for though the lion and the lamb may , the whore and the bride must not lie down together : these things i doubt not , but will be very satisfactory to many ; especially to those who seek for truth , with a resolution not to reject it when they have found it . the scene lying so near , i know , is a great prejudice to truth ; things that lie abroad , and a great way off , men sooner believe , than what is done at home . and therefore they had much rather these witnesses should rise in piedmont , germany , or france , than in england : but this cannot be ; for the gospel is the blood of the world , which never reverts till it comes to the toes ; and these nations may be called the feet or toes of the universe . and these new-risen-witnesses are to convert and proselyte the whole world , and therefore the extream parts are the most proper places to begin in . i know many would have the witnesses rise in piedmont , germany and france ; but they are under great mistakes , as to the true and genuine nature of death and resurrection , as i shall fully , and to the satisfaction of all the world , make appear , as follows . all who have wrote upon this subject hitherto , have supposed a wounding and a healing , an imprisonment and releasing , a deprivation and restoration of power , in the same numerical and identical body of men , to be a death and resurrection ; which , alas ! doth not rise up to the true nature thereof at all . though the witnesses death and resurrection are not natural and literal , yet they ought to hold a most exact and strict analogy thereto , and this analogy falls exceedingly short thereof . these are only accidental , and not substantial mutations in the same body ; and no accidental or circumstantial mutation will do the business : no , a transformation will not do the thing ; for no man will say nehuchadnezzar died and rose again . no increase or decrease , or any other accidental alteration in one and the same subject , can possibly reach the heighth of death and resurrection . a repairing an old house makes it not a new one. there must be an absolute pulling down to make it death ; and an intire new building from the foundations , to make it a resurrection . death makes a substantial alteration : 't is a total dissolution of parts , a melting down the bullion , and not a sodering the piece . in the resurrection there must be a substantial newness . a body that is said to rise again , must have nothing of the old body in it , but be absolutely new both in substance and circumstance . and a body that is said properly and truly to be dead , must be absolutely dissolved , and must undergo a circumstantial and substantial mutation . a truth of this weight cannot be made too plain . now neither the witnesses in piedmont , germany , france , or any other part of the world whatsoever , ( except in england ) have passed such a test as this . the same witnesses persecuted , and then tollerated ; wounded , and then healed ; depressed , and then re-established ; does not come up to the heighth of death and resurrection : because these are only alterations in the same body , and the same body ought not to be in the resurrection . the apostle saith , thou fool , thou sowest not that body that shall be — the body is to dye and to be dissolved , and receive an absolute new body , new in substance and circumstance , before it can be said to have a resurrection : if it rise with its old body , it may be said to be altered or changed , but not risen ; 't is only bare grain , an old house repaired , a piece sodered together , but nothing else : there is a vast difference betwixt corn raised up , and corn that is risen ; one implying help , the other none ( the stone comes out of the mountain without hands ) the one is only old corn , tho' it be raised from the ground ; but the other is absolutely new. men have hitherto called accidental alterations in the same subject to be a resurrection , and so have made their witnesses rise only bare grain ; but the grain ought to rot in the ground , and receive a new form and body , such as god shall please to give it , before it can be said to have a true resurrection . this has been done in england to an iota , and answered the true and genuine nature of death and resurrection in the most minute circumstances . for the old witnesses , and their constitution , hath been killed , melted or cut down , like the corn , and some of it has been cast into the ground , and 't is risen up with a new body , absolutely new , both in substance and circumstance ; there is nothing of the old way or method in them ; but in temporals & spirituals , a fundamentis , they have all things new ; and the name of witness is stamped all over upon them . all the nation will witness what i say to be true . i lay stroke upon stroke , because men have been miserably mistaken about this great truth ; and i had rather undergo some reflections than not be plain , so weighty a truth requiring it . if the french protestants should be restored to their lands and livings , and be priviledged to exercise their old methods in religion , this can never mount to a resurrection ; and therefore the learned jurieu is much mistaken in this matter , and so are all others who have wrote on this subject ; which the reader must of necessity acknowledge , if he impartially peruse what i have wrote . the liveliest emblem of death & resurrection , which i know of , is a silk-worm : in its first state 't is a crawling worm of a greenish colour ; and the whole business of its life ( which may instruct christians ) is to prepare for death ; for spinning a noble coffin , it dies , laying it self therein ; and after some time , it comes forth of this mausoleum a perfect new creature of whitish colour , with wings and legs . the death and resurrection of the witnesses ought to hold a due conformity thereto : they ought to be in two differing states , in two differing distinct bodies , attended with two clearly differing circumstances . the old witnesses ought to have no life , no power , no model or form at all ; but their constitution is to be absolutely dissolved , and lie dead , dead , dead : then the spirit of life and power is to enter into them , and give them a new life , model , and constitution , perfectly new in substance and circumstance , in all points and respects differing from the former , this has not been done yet , in any part of the world , but in england , and here it has been done , and is lifted up as an exemplar for all the world to copy after . what has been done in other places has been only a field of corn raised up , after it has been flatted by some boisterous wind of persecution ; this amounts not to a resurrection , it being the same old corn , not risen , but raised . but here our harvest has been cut down , and our wheat cast into the ground for a new crop , which we can say is not raised , but risen ; one implying help , the other none ; and it cannot be said that ever any one helped our new-risen-witnesses to rise ; 't is purely gods work , and is marvellous in our eyes . england is reaped , but wo to the vintage ! wo to all the constitutions of the earth ! for the angel with his sickle will cut all down before him : and where he pulls down , there will he build ; and where he reaps , there he will sow : for the doctrine of restoration must be spread over all the world. god has promised he would make all things new , which he will not do but by pulling down the old. happy england , above all the nations of the world , who art first visited by the god of heaven ! england , scotland and ireland are the reubenites , gadites , and half tribe of manasseh , which first have their lot in the promised land on this side jordan : but what they did , so must we ; we must pass over jordan : and assist our brethren to overthrow the canaanites , before we can enjoy our possessions . reading the revelations through , i observe the true church or witnesses to have several appellations , and to wear several suits of apparel , fitted to the differing ages and circumstances they are in : in chap. . they are the sealed number of one hundred forty four thousand : in chap. . the two 〈…〉 in sack-cloth : in chap. . a woman going into the 〈◊〉 . in chap : . the same number of one hundred forty four thousand , with their fathers name written on their forehead , standing on ●ount sion , being delivered out of all their calamities : and in chap. . as an army fighting under their general the word : and lastly , in chap. . every one standing in their proper colours concerted into a regular body of the church regenerate , landed safely in the millennium . thus — si liccat parvis componere magna . caius goes to his diversion , to the east end of an oblong pool , where he chooses several smooth stones , and marks them with a particular mark , then slides them over the surface of the water , where they dive many times by the way , but at last land on the western shore ; where julius going by , he calls to him aloud to throw him back his stones , telling him they have such a particular mark ; the which he doth . and this is the state of the church and witnesses , before and during the millennium : for in their passage they met with many troubles and perplexities by the way ; but in their return , they are free from all . of the new jerusalem . christ taking possession of the kingdoms of this world , as heir and conqueror thereof , and the church being brought to bed of the new-risen-witnesses , these things make such a great alteration , that there is said to be a new heaven , and a new earth : all things in church and state receive a new face : and things are so turned up-side-down , that this state is called by the apostle to the hebrews , the world to come : but it is not well translated , for the original is not cosmos , but oceonimia , which is dispensation , so ought to be rather dispensation to come , of which we speak . the millennium doth introduce a new dispensation , but not a new gospel ; by dispensation , i understand a publication of all new discovered truths , and an errecting up a new outward administration suitable thereto . light and truth breaking forth , they ought to be published ; and children being born , they must be provided for : the new bride must have a new house built for her ; and it was never known , that a king took the field , but he had a royal tent pitched for him : 't was the custome of the warriers of old , as soon as their armies were mustered , to erect a pavilion for their general , called the praetorian tent ; which being pitched in the middle of their camp , all commissions and orders were issued out from thence ; and the whole camp addressed themselves thereto in all their affairs of concern and moment . the word is in the field , riding upon his white horse , and his army of white linnen followers are mustered ; but there is no tent erected for the lamb ; there are muster-masters , but no quarter-masters , and every one bears his own charge in the war ; this ought not to be : the apostle saith , no man goes to war at his own charges ; 't is a shameful thing that the generalissimo should lye out in the field ; there was never any army yet , but had some head quarters . in all the dispensations that have hitherto happened , there was some principal place appointed for god and religion . moses built god a tabernacle and solomon a temple , and it has been the confusion of the world , that christianity has had none appointed for it in this last dispensation . the christian dispensators , having no peculiar lodgings appointed for them , fell into the baudy house of rome ; and so she that was at first a pure virgin , became a prostitute , and is now that great whore of babylon , which must be turned out of doors to make room for the true bride . this great neglect of not making due provision for gods servants , will cost the world dear ; for all that irregular building , that vile mixture of the sons of god with men , is to be pulled down ; and men must do what they ought to have done before : they must build a place for the servants of god in each nation , for the dispensers of his word to dwell in ; and it ought to be as our saviours sepulcher , in which 't is said never yet man lay . for had the spouse layen in such an one before , she had had no occasion of repentance , and had not now been called a church regenerate . so many vile idolators having lain in rome , corrupted her manners and conversation , and made her unfit for her lords presence . what irregularities and confusions there have been in the last dispensations , i think will be needless here to enumerate , they being so plain and self evident to the world , and that the principal cause and occasion of them , has been what i mentioned , i think is a like manifest . the dispensation of moses was much better than this last ; for he appointed thirteen cities for the priests , and forty eight for the levites , through all the tribes of israel . the servants of god were not left to scramble for their livings , in such a precarious manner as ours ; but had their due lot of land allowed them for a possession ; which indeed was the greatest due and justice in the world. and god appointed moses to do it . and when they came into the promised land , they applied themselves to joshua and eleazer : and they spake unto them at shiloh in the land of canaan , saying , the lord commanded by the hand of moses , to give us cities to dwell in , with the suburbs thereof for our cattel . the lord commanding this thing , not only shews the justice , but the fitness and properness of it . and i challenge all the skill and wisdom of the universe , to propose a better way and method of dispensing gods word , than what he here doth himself in this chapter of the new jerusalem . there is a river of life , and a tree of life , in the midst of this city ; which no skill or learning in the world can make any thing of , but must of necessity allow it to be the gospel , and the preachers thereof : and to what purpose can the twelve gates serve , but that the preachers may go out twelve times a years , or every month , to heal the nations ? 't is said , the tree yielded its fruit every month , and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations , and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it . this shews the millennium to be rather an hierarchy than a monarchy , as i hinted before ; and this constitution of circular and itinerant predicants , doth confirm the same : the inhabitants of the city are a royal priesthood , a peculiar people zealous of good works . but some say , this new jerusalem is heaven , because it comes down from above . the millennium is the morning of an eternal day , and this jerusalem-state is a type of heaven , but not heaven it self , because the text saith plainly it comes down from heaven , and therefore cannot be heaven it self . it is said to come out of heaven , because of the excellency of its constitution , being contrived by god himself , and because 't is a copy of the heavenly motions , answering it in all its circular revolutions . but if men consider it right , 't is a very strange opinion to make all the other scenes through the whole prophecy to be on earth , and this to be in heaven ; they may as well make solomon's temple in heaven , as to make this city in heaven : as his temple was the perfection of the tabernacle , so this city is the perfection of the last tabernaculous dispensation of babylon : the bride and the whore are always put in opposition to one another ; and to make one upon earth , and the other in heaven , is to go against the whole current of scripture-analogy . this city can be taken no other way but in a literal sence : and men that only gaze , and speak at random , may be surprized ; but whoever doth soberly and seriously consider of the matter , must needs vote for me in this case : there is such a torrent of reason and justice on my side , that i cannot well see how any one can withstand it . all men will acknowledge that god made this world as a theater to display his glory upon ; the five empires are no other but five acts : and the altar , tabernacle , temple , mock city , and true city , are the five scenes . jerusalem is but the scene of the fifth act , which always is the best : and 't is usual in the last act to have all the actors on the stage at once ; for first , there are the new-risen-witnesses , or church regenerate , then the jews , then the whore and her retinue , and lastly a set of idolaters throughout the world ; every one are to be rewarded according to their merit . the witnesses are the principal actors in this last act , and are risen , but as yet enter not publickly till the scene of the new jerusalem be drawn ; when , the stone which the builders rejected , becomes the head stone of the corner . but i spoke of the reason and justice of the thing ; is it not a most just thing , that the lord in chief , when he comes to visit the world , should be served with the best furniture , and lie in the best room in his own house ? he has had the first fruits of our flocks and our herds , an altar for the earth , a tabernacle for our tents ; a temple , for our houses ; but he has had no city yet : and 't is fit he should be presented with the first fruits of all the compositums , as well as of the simple and natural things on the earth . the kings of the earth have built to themselves many stately cities , and called them after their own name : saith one , is not this great babylon which i have built , for the house of the kingdom , and for the honour of my majesty ? and this is the cause which makes the earth mourn , and the hail-stones of a talent ( the bombs ) ruine so many cities . men build their own houses , and neglect gods. david would not do so ; he would not lie in cedar , when the ark of god was in tents . but now the word of god is on his white horse in the fields , and like jacob , must lay his head upon a stone : for he has no tent at all . but 't is hoped ere long , this thing will be considered by our david , when the wars are over , and when god shall give him peace round about . again , nebuchadnezzar calls babylon , the house of the kingdom ; every kingdom is to have a house or principal city in it . now all the kingdoms of the world are become christs , and 't is the most reasonable thing in the world , that he should have a house in every kingdom , as lord in chief , and proprietor of the whole : this is but a very reasonable sacrifice to him , who can enter upon the whole premises when he pleases . at this very time he is soveraign lord of the universe , the king of kings , and lord of lords ; and that by a decree , ordained him from eternity : no monarch in the world has a foot of ground or an inch of power , but what is given by him : he therefore who has received from him the first fruits of power and empire in england , who has been preferred before all the monarchs of the world , being constituted his first delegate ; he , i say , who has received first , ought to pay his homage first ; and to erect such a monument of gratitude , as may be a pattern to other nations to all generations . i speak not so much of a glorious city , as a tent , colledge , or tabernacle , to shew the way , and make a beginning : and was it a city , the thing is very feasible ; for if every little village can rear a church , sure a whole nation can quickly build a city . in this tent , colledge , tabernacle , or city , let there be built , as for the prophets of old , a little apartment for each prophet , putting a bed , a stool , a table , and candlestick there ; and a sufficient number being annually chose out of all the counties by lot , let them twelve times a year issue out , and heal the nation : when this is done , righteousness will quickly cover the earth , as the waters cover the sea ; we shall have no dark corners , or barren mountains , but every thing will be full of light , and every thing will flourish and be green , like the paradice of god. indeed the advantages of this most excellent administration , are inexpressible , and is worthy of the great contriver , god himself . then we shall know what the new moons and the sabbaths mean ; for earth will eccho to heaven , and we shall in a manner have a sun , moon , and stars , here below ; keeping due time in their motions and circulations , with them above . what the sun is in the heavens , or the heart in mans body , the same will this city be in every nation . but jerusalem in palestine is to be the head , for to her the great stream of promises belong : the text saith , and thou , o tower of the flock , to thee it shall come , even the first dominion ; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of jerusalem : jerusalem will be the royal seat , or house of christ kingdom ; for , the name of the city shall be , the lord is there : that is , he will be there in a most glorious manner , but not personally ; his name is called wonderful counseller : 't is extreamly probable his presence will be there after the manner he was in the temple of old , viz. oracularly . and since i am come to the city of ezekiel , it will not be amiss to observe the position of it , and of the division of the whole land , which is exactly like a man : for there are the lot of five tribes above , and seven tribes below , and the holy portion for the priests and levites in the middle ; and this city in the upper part of the holy portion answering the heart exactly , the holy portion below answers the belly and intrails , which are esteemed holy ; and the princes portion lies on both sides the holy portion , east and west , like two arms. to guard and defend it . and 't is said , they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of israel : this seem ; but reasonable , for this city being the heart , supplies the whole body with salutiferous juyces . the preachers do issue out twelve times a year to heal them , and there is the greatest reason in the world , that the whole tribes should serve it ; by administring such conveniencies and necessaries as are suitable . and that the inhabitants of this city are preachers , tho' the text be silent , yet is a thing without all contradiction : for the waters that issue out , first to the ancles , then to the knees , then to the loyns , and at last to be like a river not be passed over ; these waters , i say , do plainly manifest that the gospel and preaching is meant hereby ; and their salutiferous virtue does confirm the same . and another prophet is more apposite to the thing ; saith he , in that day , living waters shall go out of jerusalem , half of them towards the former sea , and half of them towards the hinder sea ; in summer and in winter shall it be . here is the exact method and administration pointed at , and the continuance of the same , saying , in summer and in winter it shall be : now 't is not possible to spell any thing out of this so clear an expression , but the gospel and preaching . the apostle to the jews , levels the whole of his discourse to this , new dispensation ; for , as it were , rejecting the former , he saith , leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ , let us go on unto perfection , not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works , and of faith towards god , of the doctrine of baptism , and of laying on of hands , and of the resurrection of the dead , and of eternal judgment : these all seem to be the matter of the last dispensation , and therefore he leaves them , and designs to speak of something higher , implyed by the succeeding verse , — and this we will do , if god permit . and he makes christ to be the chief administrator in it ; saying , for unto the angels he hath not put in subjection the world ( dispensation ) to come , of which we speak : and afterwards he tells them , but ye are come unto mount zion , and to the city of the living god , the heavenly jerusalem , and to an innumerable company of angels : to the general assembly , and church of the first-born , whose names are written in heaven , and to god the judge of all , and to the spirits of just men made perfect : and to jesus the mediator of the new covenant ; and to the blood of sprinkling , which speaketh better things than that of abel . this city is of a heavenly nature , ministring in spiritual things , in which the general assembly of the new-risen-witnesses do convene ; the latin version is conventum & concionem , implying a general assembly of preachers ; and their names being written in heaven , answers to that conscript number which john mentions stood on mount zion , and we cannot suppose that heaven is meant thereby . but this , as i have before intimated , for their security , in opposition to the jewish genealogies which are kept so strictly on earth : and for the ministration of angels , god has always used them to minister to those which shall be heirs of salvation : and no doubt but they will be imployed in a more especial manner in this most happy dispensation . this new jerusalem can by no means be heaven ; for isaiah after having brought in god making a new heaven and a new earth , he brings in the children of israel building houses and inhabiting them , and planting vineyards and eating the fruit of them , which are things inconsistent with heaven : and 't is said , the kings of the earth do bring their glory into it , which they cannot do into heaven ; for heaven needs no glow-worms to enlighten it : and to represent any church-state which is past , there 's too much beauty and symmetry in it for that : it must needs therefore presigure something to come . and if it be objected , it cannot be in a literal sence , because of the inestimable materials : this makes little ; for the richness and sumptuousness of the materials , is not so much to be understood literally , as to set forth that most admirable beauty and harmony it will introduce , and to make it a more proper representative of heaven , of which it is really and truly a type , and nothing else . john was set upon a mountain to see this glorious sight , and he tells us , it came down from heaven , and therefore cannot be heaven it self . he might be set on a mountain to see as far as judea , he being in patmos ; but i rather think it was to see as far as britannia , where this happy state should first dawn , and where the first pillar in this temple of god , or of the new jerusalem , should be erected ; which is a peculiar promise to the philadelphian church , which we really and in truth have amongst us : jerusalem in palestine will be the tower of the flock , or the cupola of this most magnificent structure ; and all other cittadels will be as pillars to support the main fabrick : it will be like st. peters at rome , and all the rest answering our cathedral 〈◊〉 . further , john saith , he saw no temple in it ; which plainly sets forth the changing the temple-administration for that of a city : and how excellently is this dispensation suited to the age of the world ? the world is now adult , and come to its manhood ; and what more proper scenes can we have than cities , which are the discretional and political parts of her furniture ? but further , the body of jesus christ is the grand pattern of things in heaven and in earth , and were we but well-instructed in our own frame , we might almost know any thing : the last expired dispensation has been only a fermentation in the stomach , or a preparing of the juyces to convert them into blood , which this city-heart disperses , and makes to circulate through all the body . the circulation of the blood being found out , the gospel ( which is the blood of the world ) could not be long a mystery ; and the blood coming to the extream parts , reverts , as i hinted before , proving thereby the church to be re-born , or the witnesses to have their resurrection in the west . the increment of christs natural body is the great rule of all our dispensation , or cause of alterations of all the political affairs in the world : as the flesh grows , the politicks of the world change ; the flesh is the incremental or changeable part , and the spirit the firmamental or immoveable part , being god himself . that common measure of prophetick time , of time , times , and half a time , has a peculiar respect to the age of christ . and the three grand dispensations by father , son , and holy spirit , have a peculiar regard to his childhood , youth , and manhood : in the dark shadowy dispensation of the jews , he was growing in the womb ; and to constantine's time a child ; and the last years , he was a youth , ( and what aestuations and fermentations there are in youth , is well known ; and 't is as well known how youths are corrupted and imposed upon , who are heirs to great estates . ) but now he is adult , and come to his manhood , and therefore , as is usual for heirs , makes claim to his estate , which is no less than the whole world : hitherto he has been as it were in his nonage ; but now , as the apostle expresses it , his body the church is come to the measure of the fulness of his stature ; which is not well translated , for 't is christi adulti , in the latin , which ought to be rendred of christ come to his manhood , or grown a man. before , other lords ruled over his heritage ; but now , in the millennium , being his manhood , he will rule himself : he now claims all power and authority , and gives and bestows the kingdoms of this world to whom he pleases . and whosoever henceforward exercises any power or authority on earth , if not delegated by him , 't is either permission or usurpation ; for all power and dominion belongs to him. and when kings come to their kingdoms , 't is usual to prefer some city before others , for their residence ; therefore jerusalem in palestine is the place ; he will reside and put his name there ; the text saith , the name of the city shall be , the lord is there . 't is also ( speaking spiritually ) usual for men who come to age , to marry , and take a house ; jerusalem is this house , and the church regenerate is the bride ; and blessed are those that are called to the wedding : saith john , blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the lamb : that is , blessed are those that are members of the church regenerate ; blessed are those that live in the times of this happy administration of the new jerusalem , for they ( if they be holy ) shall be sharers of the first resurrection , or be invested with the first fruits of his power ; they shall enter into , and have the priviledges of this holy city , if they are cloathed in their wedding garments , the white linnen of holiness ; but if not , they must stand without : the text saith , and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth , neither whatsoever worketh abomination , or maketh a lye ; but they which are written in the lambs book of life : and , blessed are they that do his commandments , that they may have right to the tree of life , and may enter in thorow the gate into the city : for without are dogs , and sorcerors , and whoremongers , and murderers , and idolators , and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye : and all these things are to be understood in a literal , as well as in a spiritual sence ; no indigested crude stuff must come to the heart , but pure and rarified blood. and what can men object against this most happy administration ? i know they will say , it will make strange alterations , and overturn all their old constitutions in the world : i allow this : 't is said , old things are passed away , and behold i make all things new. and men may thank themselves for this ; for if they had not built with wood , hay , and stubble , it had not been pulled down ; if they had made due provision for the infant bride , she had not turned prostitute , and so had now had no occasion to have been washed and purified ; she had been ready long ago , and had not now occasion to make her self ready . christ set the world a blessed pattern , but they would not follow it . the text saith , and it came to pass , that he went throughout every city and village , preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of god ; and the twelve were with him . and another saith , and jesus went about all the cities and villages , teaching in their synagogues , and preaching the doctrine of the kingdom . this was the way which our saviour took , and had it been continued hitherto , there had been no need of a new administration . the way and method a doctrine was first planted , is the most proper way to preserve it . this way therefore being used at the publication , ought to be used at the restoration . the running waters are living and wholesome , but the standing do putrifie . christ is the alpha and omega ; the throne mentioned in the first part of the revelations , is nothing else but this new jerusalem . this book is the most exquisite piece of paint in the world , and were the painting-art lost , it might be found here : the son of god first draws the design , then the heavenly raphael 's and michael angelo 's go on , adding line upon line , and stroke upon stroke , guided by his divine hand , till at last they finish and shew this incomparable hierogliphick in its proper colours . by throne nothing is meant but this city ; and the prophet jeremiah doth confirm the same , saying , at that time they shall call jerusalem the throne of the lord , and all nations shall be gathered into it , to the name of the lord at jerusalem . and when the text saith , i saw thrones , and they sat upon them , and judgment was given unto them ; i know not how to understand any thing else but cities , where places of judicature are usually erected . nor do i see any inconvenience to let the sword of justice and the sword of the spirit , to make their monthly circuits together , that the counsel of peace may be betwixt them both . when the prophet saith , and thou , o tower of the flock , this argues there must be many of them , else they could not be a flock . and every holy city in each nation sending annually their representatives to pay their homage , and receive instructions there , these make in council together the general assembly of the first-born , ( much greater than that at nice . ) thus saith the lord of hosts , it shall come to pass , that there shall come people , and the inhabitants of many cities . and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another , saying , let us go speedily to pray before the lord , and to seek the lord of hosts ; i will go also : yea many people and strong nations shall come to seek the lord of hosts in jerusalem , and to pray before the lord. and another text saith , that whosoever of all the families of the earth that shall not come up to jerusalem , upon them there shall be no rain . we cannot suppose that the whole number should come to the feast of tabernacles , but some representatives from the regenerate city of each nation ; and these being in a body at the feast of tabernacles , make up the general assembly of the first-born . and the prophet isaiah saith , and it shall come to pass , from one new moon to another , and from one sabbath to another , shall all flesh come to worship before me , saith the lord. this has a peculiar respect to this most excellent oeconomy , in sending out monthly preachers out of each national regenerate city , which will give birth to weekly , monthly , quarterly , and yearly solemnities , so that this prophecy will then be fulfilled to an iota . these circular monthly preachers , are plainly hinted at in the texts following . i have set watchmen on thy walls , which shall never hold their peace day nor night . thy watchmen shall lift up the voice , with the voice together shall they sing , for they shall see eye to eye , when the lord shall bring again zion . and i will set shepherds over them that shall feed them , and they shall fear no more , nor be dismayed , neither shall they be lacking , saith the lord. and i will give you pastors according to my heart , which shall feed you with knowledge and vnderstanding . then he brought me , and caused me to return to the brink of the river : now when i had returned , behold there were very many trees on the one side and the other : then said he unto me , these waters issue out towards the east countrey , and go down into the desart , and go down into the sea , which being brought forth into the sea , the waters shall be healed . and it shall come to pass , that every thing that liveth , that moveth , whithersoever the river shall come , shall live ; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish , because these waters ( these preachers ) shall come thither , for they shall be healed ; and every thing shall be healed where the river cometh : and it shall come to pass , that the fishers shall stand upon it from engedi to eneglaim : there shall be a place to spread forth nets . there fish shall be according to their kind , as the fish of the great sea , exceeding many : but the miry places thereof , and the marshes ( that is , those that will not hear , or admit of these preachers ) shall not be healed , but given to salt. and by the river on the bank thereof , on this side and on that side , shall grow all trees for meat , whose leaf shall not fade , neither the fruit thereof he consumed : ( that is , these preachers shall never fail to make their monthly circuits out of the cities ) it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months , because the waters issued out of the sanctuary : and the fruit thereof shall be for meat , and the leaf thereof for medicine . this is so full , that there will be no occasion of quoting that of john , which in a manner is a repetition of it . daniel saith in the end of his prophecy , many shall run to and fro , and knowledge shall be increased : and zacharia , we have walked to and fro thorow the earth , and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest . were but these things fixed , then might we very well say , how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth glad tidings , that publisheth peace , that bringeth good tidings of good , that publisheth salvation , that saith unto zion , thy god reigneth . these things are to be performed and done in the time of christ reign . and these preachers shall further say , ho , every one that thirsteth , come ye to the waters ; and he that hath no money , come ye , buy and eat ; yea come , and buy wine and milk without money and without price . many have paid very dear for a draught of these waters ; but old things are passed away , and all things are become new. the spirit and the bride say , come ; and let him that heareth say , come ; and let him that is athirst come ; and whoever will , let him take the waters of life freely . the gospel then is to be as free as the air , or the sun beams : then will righteousness cover the earth as the waters cover the sea : for what dry mountain will not this constant heavenly rain fall upon ? what dark corners can be hid from these ever-shining lights ? glorious things are spoken of thee , o thou city of god! but when these things come to pass , men shall say that the prophets have not told them half of the truth . that pillar of fire which led the children of israel out of egypt , and all the former glory in the tabernacle and temple administration , were but first fruits of the glory which shall be revealed in this city-administration : for god shall create upon every dwelling-house of mount zion , and upon all her assemblies , a smoak of a fire by day , and the shining of a flaming fire by night ; and upon all the glory there shall be a defence . the sun it self is to be ashamed , when god reigns in zion before his ancients gloriously . the political part of this worlds oeconomy being screwed up to the harmonious pitch of the natural , there 's a non-plus-ultra , and we can go no further : nature is the utmost bounds , and is the handmaid to that eternal bliss which is to be revealed in the presence of god for ever . the prophets are so full in their descriptions of the glory of this administration , that to come up to any tolerable measure of its commendation , i must transcribe them all , and then fall far short of it too ; for to describe the beauty of nature , is in a manner to describe god himself , who is the fountain of it , which is impossible . but there is one of the prophets put the old dispensation , and the new , in a ballance ; his words are these : before these days , there was no hire for man , nor any hire for beast ; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in , because of affliction : for i set all men every one against his neighbour . but now i will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days , saith the lord of hosts : for the seed shall be prosperous , the vine shall give her fruit , and the ground shall give her encrease , and the heavens shall give their dew ; and i will cause the remnant of this people to enjoy all these things . this is a most gracious promise ; and that god may be as good as his word , he binds satan up all the time of this oeconomy ; for should he still be loosed , things would go on as formerly , nay worse ; but being overcome in this last battel , god promises that neither he nor his crew shall live again , as formerly , when defeated by constantine ; but that they shall be as drones without stings , and lick up the dust of the earth , and lie prostrate at the feet of the new jerusalem , or church regenerate , for the whole time of this dispensation . the rest of the dead lived not till the thousand years were ended : then he and the rest of his impudent dead vassals will attack this city , and fire comes down from heaven , and destroys them . but during his imprisonment , she rules as a queen , and as the soveraign empress of the whole earth ; but in an hierarchical and spiritual manner , and not in an imperial : for , christ was a priest for ever , after the order of melchisedeck . during this reign , there will be no more appeals to rome , but to jerusalem ; for there the court of the general assembly of the first born , will be held ; every regenerate city sending yearly their members to serve in this heavenly parliament : god doth not abolish the old jewish priesthood of aaron , nor the babylonish one at rome , but puts a far better and more excellent one in their room ; and this the apostle hints all along in his treatise or his epistle on this subject to the jews ; he mentions , a rest to the people of god , which is nothing else but the millennium ; and he the heavenly melchisedeck , is supream administrator in it , as aaron was in the old dispensation of the jews : he makes a comparison all along betwixt one and the other , and prefers one in a high degree before the other ; by all which it may be plainly understood , christs reign is after a spiritual priestly manner ; and if it had not , it had never been put so much in opposition against the whore ; and as for the temporal power , he delegates that to whom he pleases , and disposes of it so thorough the whole time of the millennium ; that no king or potentate in the world , shall be able to disturb or hurt his true church : the bride has a husband , invested with all power in heaven and in earth , and is sufficient to maintain her against all whorish , beastly or satannical usurpations whatsoever ; and he will use all his power to cherish and caress her , to compensate her sufferings under former usurpations during his minority : he disposes his power so , that the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour , and lay it in her lap ; this is but their duty , and as i may say , a tythe to this royal melchisedeck , who to requite their kind protection and kindness to his spouse , blesses them , as melchisedeck of old did abraham ; and this bringing their glory and honour into it , stands in direct opposition to that evil treatment and barbarous affronts , the kings of the earth of old put upon her , who butchered her servants as sheep for the slaughter ; for which vile indignities , he now takes revenge , and casts the beast and the whore into the burning lake . men may raise many mountains of difficulties against this new jerusalem : but hear what god saith , who art thou , o great mountain ? before zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain ; and he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting , crying , grace , grace . joshua is brought in by the prophet standing before the angel in filthy garments , and satan at his right hand ; and the filthy raiment is taken away , and he is cloathed with priestly raiments , and a miter set upon his head. joshua here is the representative of the witnesses in sackcloth , or the suffering church in the old dispensation : and satan seems to be angry that she should be delivered from his tyranny ; and stands by , and accuses her of all those backslidings which he has tempted her to ; and , as it were , infers from thence that she is unworthy to be delivered ; but god rebukes him : the lord rebuke thee , o satan ; even the lord that hath chosen jerusalem rebuke thee : is not this a brand pluck'd out of the fire ? this rebuke , is that great battel fought by the word and satan , in which satan is defeated , and the virgin-church delivered out of his clutches , and a crown or miter set upon her head : the text saith ; they lived and reigned as priests with christ a thousand years ; that is , all the time which satan and his accomplices lay under the angels rebuke . by this pair of witnesses , zerubbabel and joshua , is plainly hinted to us how the millennium will commence : zerubbabel is to overthrow all the powers or mountains of opposition , and so the church regenerate is deliver'd , and he is to assist joshua in the establishment of her ; for it is said , the counsel of peace is betwixt them hoth . the text saith , that the man whose name is the branch , shall rise out of his place and build the temple ( or city : ) i know not how to make christ come from heaven personally to build this temple ; i know he is the root and off-spring of david , and so may be called a branch , but all his building is of a spiritual nature : he builds up his church spiritually , conferring spiritual gifts and graces upon his master-builders , whom he employs in the work : but it is plain , that this building is to be material , and therefore requires a man upon earth to do it . i am no theologue , and if i should be mistaken , may be excused ; but i cannot remember that the name of branch is attributed peculiarly to christ any where else in the bible : the angel saith , his name shall be called jesus ; and in another place 't is said , his name shall be called emanuel , god with us ; and , wonderful counsellor , &c. this text points directly to the mans name , and to the manner and circumstance of his rising : it saith , he shall rise out of his place , implying an ascent to honour : david rose out of his place , being but a shepherd , and he overthrew the philistines , and all the enemies of god's church round about : and zerubbabel rose out of his place , being but a thresher , and he cast down baal's worship , and overthrew the midianites , and settled the people of god in peace . this man the branch , if he could be found , must be attended with the like circumstances , because there is the same business to be done : the baalitish or babylonish worship is to be thrown down , and the philistines , and all other enemies of god's church , to be overcome ; the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ . christ finds the world in great confusion , and his church much oppressed , and therefore wants a man to overturn his enemies , and to deliver his church from oppression : therefore he raises some man or other out of his place , to perform this , as god did zerubbabel and david of old . now there is a man risen out of his place , and is already performing this great work ; on him christ has delegated the first fruits of his power in his millennian kingdom : he also rose out of his place , in another sence , being a posthume : his appellation is also from a thing that grows out of the earth , or out of its place . and so it is ordained that he who should be the first introducer of the millennian kingdom , should not have his name from a fierce ravenous creature , by which beastly emblems all the preceding monarchies were represented , but from a tree ; a tree , next to the olive tree , the only emblem of peace and prosperity in the world ; for the nature of it is such , that it has always fruit upon it , either new or old , and often both together : this happy emblem is chosen to represent to us the most flourishing and happy state of the millennium ; and possibly that this nation shall never want one to sit upon his throne . after the cutting down our harvest , and the termination of the old powers , saul was our first king , who though under great obligations did nothing ; the last , was only an intercalation ; but this seems to be our david , that must do the work. now i have brought the monarchy to a tree , it will be needless to enlarge more upon the name of branch . the first head of the fifth or western monarchy , ought to be a great hunter , to drive the wild boar out of the vineyard , and chace the lions , the leopards , and bears , out of the forrest , that the flocks of god may feed and lie down in safety . hitherto these beasts of prey have made sad desolation and havock vock amongst the lords heritage : constantine once drove them out , but they came in agatn : but now the promise is , they shall not live again . great god , when will this great battel come ? but come it certainly will , and then these beasts shall be for ever driven out . daniel saith , the rest of the beasts had their dominion taken away ; that is , they were civilly kill'd . the last tyrannical scene of lions , leopards and bears , being withdrawn , the next is , a fair and beautiful forrest ; and this comes of course : there are now no inhabitants in the forrest of the world , but trees ; the wild beasts had driven out the flocks before ; and now they themselves being driven out , the trees only are left . the millennium enters of course , and a beautiful forrest is the first scene . and then the first tree that appears , which is to have the chief dominion , is the meinreb or vitis ; the second is , the pomerancenbaum , or malus assyria ; one is to be the adminiculum or pedimentum to the other : this last with its golden fruit introduces the golden age. this in behalf of the vine is made the first king of the trees ; this has a preference to all the trees in the forrest , and has the first commission of power granted him from the sovereign lord in chief , in the first resurrection of power . which tree may next be preferred , i cannot tell : all power being christs , he chooses whom he pleases . but this i can tell , the last in succession , when satan is loosed , must be some vile bramble , only fit to be burnt ; because , suggested by satan , he attempts a rape upon the spouse of christ , the beloved city ; so he and his fellow brambles are all burn'd with fire from heaven . and in all probability this new and last aera will hold analogy to the last expired monarchies ; we shall have the best trees first , and the worst at last , as is intimated by nebuchadnezzar's image ; whose head was of fine gold , his brest and his arms of silver , his belly and his thighs of brass , his legs of iron , his feet part of iron , and part of clay . and if men should object against this new emblem of power , they ought to consider , the old tree of monarchy being cut down , a new one ought to grow in its room . the beastly monarchies expiring , and the kingdom of the forrest entering ; the powers , civil and ecclesiastical , are no more to go under the emblem of beasts of prey , but of trees , whose leaves are for shade and protection , and fruit for profit and delight ; and therefore most proper to represent the most glorious reign of the millennium , all whose officers shall be peace , and exactors righteousness . but the old tree being cut down , and the stump left in the ground , there must be some time allowed for another tree to grow up , and before it can be a tree , it must first be a zweig , a surculus , in english a branch : the old ( vine , the old church , or old tree of life and power of the gospel , has been cut down , as also the old tree of power or monarchy , and two new branches sprouts out . these two branches grow up together , the latter being the support and strength of the former , which is tender , and weak , and needs assistance ; all the world knows the nature of a young vine . and this leads me to the understanding of two texts which has been hid from ages , but now revealed to the glory of god in due time : jer. . . behold the days come , saith the lord , that i will raise unto david a righteous branch ; ( and a king shall reign and prosper , and shall execute judgment and justice upon earth : in his days judah shall be saved , and isreal shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called , the lord our righteovsness : zach. . . behold the man whose name is the branch , and he shall grow up out of his place , and he shall build the temple of the lord , even he ( because there is two ) shall build the temple of the lord , and he shall bear the clory , and shall sit and rule upon his throne ; and he shall be a priest upon his throne ; and the counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both . first there is a righteous branch born to david ; this is the spiritual birth of christ in the church regenerate , or his new-risen-witnesses : this cannot be himself personally , for he saith , i am the vine , ye are the branches . then there is a king which shall reign and prosper , and execute judgment and justice upon the earth ; and in his days judah shall be saved , and israel shall dwell safely : and this king shall give the name , or be godfather , as it were , to the righteous branch . and as if he should ask what name ? the spirit seems to make answer , this is the name whereby he shall be called , the lord our righteovsness . now nothing is more plain and evident , than that the name of the lord our righteousness , is not the name of the man whose name is the branch , for they are plainly two names , one is called the lord , and the other is called the man. the man whose name is the branch , is that king which shall reign and prosper , and execute judgment and justice upon earth ; the text levels directly at his name apellative : now what king has such an apellative name , i leave to the world to judge . but if men shall say they are both one , they very much mistake , for the text is plain and express to the contrary , making two of them , saying , the connsel of peace shall be betwixt them both . the one shall build the temple of the lord , and shall bear the glory , and sit and rule upon his throne ; and the other shall be a priest upon his throne ; and the counfel of peace shall be betwixt them both . how the translators have ordered it , i know not , but the thing is self-evident , that there is an hic & ille in the case , tho' they have render'd it he and he. god saith he will create a new thing upon earth , a woman shall compass a man ; as this relates to a common birth , 't is no new thing : this compassing a man , i know may very well be applied to the first birth , but more particularly to this second , this young tender branch creeping round , or encircling its pedimentum , expressed by the counsel of peace being betwixt them both ; the state being then the husband or guardian to the church . but here is something farther intended by the newness of this thing ; 't is not customary for the woman to caress the man , for the church to be above the state ; but in the millennium the church shall rather be uppermost , and therefore may be said to compass the man. but that this king that shall reign and prosper , is not augutus caesar , nor the righteous branch , but purely he , the man whose name is the branch , i have this further to offer : the angel gave special order what the name of the first birth should be , saying , his name shall be called jesvs ; now we cannot suppose the same birth to have two names , therefore the name of the lord our righteousness , must of necessity be the name of the second birth , the birth spiritual , or of his new-risen-body , the church regenerate . again , the name of righteous , speaks so much sanctity and holiness , as cannot well be given to a temporal prince . and that this king which shall reign and prosper , is not augustus caesar , is plain , because it saith , in his days judah shall be saved , and israel shall dwell safely : now all the world knows that in the time of augustus caesar , and the first birth , the jews were far from dwelling safely , they were under bondage , and after a little while utterly exterminated ; therefore this name of the lord our righteousness must relate to a second birth , in a little time after which , the jews shall be saved and return home . to sum up the whole , behold , the days come , saith the lord , that i will raise unto david , ( christ ) a righteous branch ; and a king shall reign and prosper , and execute judgment and justice upon earth ; and in his days judah shall be saved , and israel shall dwell safely : this king , &c. seems to come in by a parenthesis ; as if he should say , the time of the birth of the righteous branch shall be in the days of such a kings reign , in whose reign judah shall be saved , and israel shall dwell safely ; and then the parenthesis is shut up , and the childs name given . and when 't is said that kings shall be nursing-fathers , and queens the nursing-mothers of christs church , this supposes infancy and childhood , and is more particularly applicable to the birth of the church regenerate ; for when the old jewish church was brought to bed of the christian , the kings were so far from nursing the child , that they would have strangled it : and therefore this promise must relate to the birth of the church regenerate , or none at all . this child or righteous branch was born in the first year of the reign of the king that began to reign and prosper ; viz. anno . and the time of its being baptized with the spirit , or power from on high , is just at hand , and he is to be its nursing-father and royal god-father , and to call it , the lord our righteousness ; and the counsel of peace shall be betwixt them both . and so this difficult text is , by the grace and assistance of god , plainly solved ; and the event thereof , will speedily confirm its truth : and then judah will be saved , and israel will dwell safely ; for as the former pouring out of the spirit did disperse them , this will collect and gather them . the text is plain . isaiah tells the jews how long they shall be under tribulation and misery , viz. vntil the spirit be poured on us from on high , and the wilderness ( the church in the wilderness ) be a fruitful field ( be regenerate ) and the fruitful field be counted for a forrest . the temporal power is the forrest , which incloses and guards the fruitful field of the church . when this comes to pass , which is just at hand , it will confirm and sufficiently ratifie what i have asserted . the blessed pentecost cannot be far off , it must needs be at the door ; and i desire all good men to prepare themselves for it , but especially the new-risen-witnesses , on whom the great descent will be . this will arm all the world against the wild beasts of the forrest , that the arborical reign may be establish'd . the church hitherto has been in the wilderness , but when the spirit descends , it will be a fruitsul field , and yet will be counted for a forrest . the great descent opens the fountain , which by a new predication will quickly over-spread the world. this river shall receive no stop by the way , as the last . satan being bound , it shall run over all the high mountains . isaiah saith , and there shall be upon every high mountain , and upon every high hill , rivers and streams of waters , in the day of the grees slaughter when the towers fall . christ saith , every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted , shall be rooted up ; and this is the time of rooting up . but god never pulls down , but he builds up ; & where he reaps , he sows : the falling of these towers is nothing else but driving the wild beasts out of the forrest , an overthrowing the babylonsh kings , and their buildings ; and this is done by the sword : then comes the word , implied by these waters , and instructs and informs them in the ways of the new dispensation . this is the last dispensation , which hitherto was to come . the text saith , we give thee thanks , lord god almighty , who art , and wast , and at to come . this is that world or dispensation to come , which the apostle to the hebrews speaks of . it therefore being now come , no more is to be expected . four do not bear record in heaven , only three , the father , the word , and the spirit ; and god having applied himself to reclaim men by three several methods , they can in reason expect nothing else : and therefore the text saith , he that is filthy , let him be filthy still ; and he that is holy , let him be holy still ; implying thereby , that no more attempts would be made to reclaim them . the first approximation was by angels , very terrible , above them ; the second , by flesh , more familiar and kind , yet without them ; the last , by his spirit , comes nearest of all , even within them . this is a most gracious approach , and will leave the whole world without excuse : men need not step out of doors for any thing , they have all things at home . in the propagation of this last dispensation , there will be no such martyrdoms as before , the bloody beasts are driven out , or chained up ; old things are passed away , and all things are bcome new. the martyrdom will lie inward , a renouncing self , and the world , and a crucifying the affections and lusts . nothing henceforward can hurt gods true church , for christ presides over the forrestial kingdoms and makes kings the nursing fathers , and queens the nursing-mothers thereof : 't is said , the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it . 't is an amazing thing to observe how tenacious men are of their old models , thinking that god will build so lasting an empire as that of his son , upon such rotten and weak foundations ; whereas he has publickly declared to all the world , that he would make all things new. let them henceforward think of nothing else but of being broken to pieces by the stone out of the mountain . the whole civil and ecclesiastical world is now in the crucible , and the fire of gods wrath will quickly melt it down , and make it ready for a new impression . the angel has his sword in his hand , and only wants the word to fall on . christ has granted his royal pattent to his church , it wants only the sealing , and the wax is just now a melting ; when 't is sealed , when the complex birth is circumcised , or the child regenerate baptized ( with the spirit i mean ) then all the world shall know , that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the lord , and of his christ . they are truly and really his now ; and never a tree in the forrest has any legal power , but one ; but this world knows not ; but then they shall ; and all the rest shall be found to be usurpers . then wo to herod ! wo to zebah and zalmunnah ! for the sword of the lord and of gideon shall do mighty things . then the kingdom of the forest will enter , and every man will be a soldier to help to kill the wild beasts : every man then shall understand what is meant by the man whose name is the branch ; and shall confess that god has given him for a witness to the people , a leader and commander to the people . i care not to perplex the reader with numbers : when the sun is up , there is no occasion to ask when he rises : yet i could do it very exactly . but this is anothers province . before i conclude , i must desire the following writers to take particular notice of what i have wrote . the one is an ingenious man , but more a philosopher than a divine : he melts down the world literally , instead of its civil frame : this is most cruel and inhospitable : there might have been some better correction found out , than to burn mens houses about their ears : and some better entertainment , for wearied guests and strangers , than to fall on them and kill them in their lodging ; 't is not customary to turn men off , before they have said their prayers : the millennium is the repentance of the world : the counterpart of a voyage : the reversion of an estate after an others decease : but he cuts off the entail ; sinks the vessel in the harbour ; kills the weary traveller , and allows the penitent no benifit of the clergy . 't is the custom of a skilful founder to break his metal before he casts it a new : the stone out of the mountain , is said to break the metal image of the four monarchies to pieces : this breaking to pieces , is nothing but the unravelling of all the constitutions upon earth : now , had he well considered this , i believe he would have left us our good old world standing , during the time of the millennium : for there is no doubt but it would last us much longer were the heavy weight of mens iniquities swept off . the other is more a divine than a philosopher ; and would have christ to come personally and his saints with him , and to live and rule with him in a heavenly court over us , in the air , dureing a thousand years : and to have the dead-risen saints to hold a corespondence and commerce with the saints that remain alive below upon earth ; as plainly appears by his catichism and other of his writings . now having so plainly and fully proved the first resurrection not to be literal , there needs no more to be said in confutation . this castle in the air ( as he himselfe makes it ) will quickly vanish . the man is a pious and good man , and has great communications of light , but , humanum est errare . 't is much more probable , that christ will appear in an oracvlar manner as in the temple of old , rather than in a personal : on this account he is called wonderful covncellor , &c. and the prophet saith men shall say no more the bvrden of the lord , but what hath the lord answered . this plainly implies that he is to be sought to for councel and advice , and although the name of the city be , the lord is there , yet an oracular presence is more suitable to reason , scripture , and gods former methods , than a personal . the last , is ( if alive ) a good philosopher and divine , but a bad mariner ( though at roterdam ) and a worse husbandman . for he makes his vessel to return back , before it comes to its ordained port : empire and the gospel , ought to sail to the extreamest parts before they return . he makes also his witnesses to rise bare grain , whereas 't is first to rot in the ground and come up with a new body as the apostle plainly demonstrates . 't is well known france is not the extreamest nation , the witnesses therefore , could not rise there : the extrusion of the poor reffugies was only an act of secretion by him who has his fan in his hand , who being unwilling to have the wheat and chaff burned together , dispersed them abroad , not for their ruine but their safety ; sodom could not be destroyed till these lots were gone out . and now the fatal day is approaching , the french tyrant was raised up , on purpose to be thrown down , and made great , that neighbour of his might be made greater : but this runs me on another subject . i freely acknowledge , that what i have wrote on these subjects is new , but this gives it a title to truth , since all who have hitherto wrote on the same points , have been mistaken . now if persons would but lay aside their prejudices to causes and persons and consider of things sincerely , and impartially , i doubt not but they would confess , that i have made good the title , and that these things will remain no longer a mystery to all generations . to god be the praise and glory , who hath hid these things from the wise and prudent , and revealed them unto babes . see! how the heaven and earthly powers run back , this world 's the green , jerusalem's the jack , the spirit is the bias , and the name of him who is the branch , begins the game . — of time being no longer . and i saw another mighty angel come down from heaven , &c. this angel comes on a solemn embassy from the mighty god , and therefore his garb is very magnificent , he is clothed with a cloud , has a rainbow on his head , his face is like the sun , and his feet as pillars of fire : the great business of his embassy , is to instruct the world in the great concern of time , and to commence a new dispensation , which is first to be published throughout the world , and then time is to be no longer . this new dispensation is plainly intimated in the commission he gives to john , saying , thou must prophecy again before many people , &c. the open book in his hand , is the book of the old dispensation : and his commanding john to eat it up , is the cancelling of it , and the commencing a new one. this solemn act of eating it up , lays it up in a safe place , that man may come at it at all times , and so renders him inexcusable before the great judge . the king is come himself , the word is upon his white horse , and though we may regard his picture in his absence and call it the king , yet to call the written word so in his presence is something unmannerly . i have a due value for the written word of god , but a much greater for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or the eternal word , the one is the original , the other is but the copy . words printed or writen are but painted , and we have had a great many unhappy artists , who have made the copy very differing from the original : some of the draughts look more like j — than jesus . the true word is only audible and not visible : no man yet ever saw words only heard them : therefore what is written or painted in our books cannot be the true and real word . before the marriage 't is usual to send the picture , but when the bridegroom comes , 't is laid aside . if it be asked , how we shall distinguish ? i answer , the spirit is our helper and the bride knows her lord. but to return to the angel : his drapery is all hiroglyphick , and plainly declares , in what part of the world he delivers his errand viz , in the west . 't is the setting sun of the gospel which sets under a cloud : when the sun is setting , 't is usual to see the rayes dart down on the sea and earth like pillars of fire : before , the church was all-glorious without , but under this new dispensation , she is all-glorious with in , her state is now inverted : and this angel coming to proclaim a new dispensation and to usher in the refreshing times , is clothed with a cloud , which is a symbol both of change and refreshment . the eastern sun of righteousness shining on the western cloud makes the rainbow , which is a very comfortable symbol , and assures us god is mindful of his promise , which promise he performes by renewing all the old eastern images in the west : for the death , birth , resurrection , ascension , &c. of christ are again renewed in his witnesses or church regenerate : and these things being strange to the world are appointed to be published : john therefore is commanded by the angel to prophecy again . and he cryed with a loud voice as when a lyon roareth . he comes from the lyon of the tribe of judah , and therefore speaks in his masters language ; but besides his embassy being to all the world , should he not cry a loud he would not be heard . and when he had cryed , seven thunders uttered their voices , &c. since these thunders are sealed , i will not be too busie with them , 't is probable they are the seven years of the seventh angels sounding betwixt the second and third woe , which are a mystery till the last blast . and standing on the sea and upon the earth he lift up his hand and swore by him that liveth for ever and ever , &c. i never see the sun setting under a cloud with his feet like pillars of fire , but it puts me into a fit of devotion , thinking of the most solemn oath of this angel , which puts a dismal catastrophe to the world. the great god who is just in all his ways , and holy in all his works , is unwilling to surprise the world ; and therefore sends a special message to mankind by this angel , to acquaint them , that after such a time , time should be no longer ; and that he may be believed , he confirms it with an oath , that which a more tremendous and solemn one was never sworn . now since he has been so kind to send a special embassador , 't is worth our while to hear , and consider well of his message . his oath is positive and indefinite , that time should be no longer , bvt , &c. but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel , when he shall begin to sound , the mystery of god should be finished , as he hath declared to his servants the prophets . here is no mention made of time , times , and half a time , as by the angel in daniel , under the sounding of the sixth trumpet , but the death of cronos , or time indefinite , is positively swore to ; and under cronos , all the tempestates , or species of time what soever are comprehended : having swore his death so solemnly , one would have thought the angel would presently have fell upon the aged monster , but he gives him a little respite , coming in with a but , or an exception , which semper firmat regulam ; but , saith he , in the days of the voice of the seveath angel ( reckoning these days from the very time ) when he shall begin to sound , &c. did i say he gave him respite ? he gave him none , but killed him then , and raised him again to life : the oath flew both him and his issue . time , here is of a complex nature and may rather be suposed a she monster , and being pregnant , the angel rips open the belly and lets the young live out all their days , which had otherwise perished in the womb of their parent : but though these post humes live , yet their life is only a reprieve after condemnation , for they are not to propagate , their death being really swore to in the death of their parent : this but , limits their life , which is during all the days under the sounding of the seventh angel. some pious men amongst us , understand time here , in a relative and restrictive sense , affirming that the angel means no more , than that some of the same quality or sort should be no longer , than the beginning of the angels sounding ; which interpretation , though acidentally true , yet falls much short of the angels oath , being only a part of his plain indubitable sense : for nothing is more plain than that the sense extends it self farther , even to the end of the days , and consequently to the end of the world : the text at the very entrance , confirms this , making the hysteron , the proteron , or puting the days before the beginning , plainly implying thereby , that we are to include all the days under the angels sounding , before his oath of time being no longer , can take place : we cannot suppose , that god would send so extraordinary in embassador to the world , on such a slight errand , as to acquaint them , that when the sixth hour was past , it would be seven a clock , or that the time under the sixth trumpet , should last no longer than the beginning of the seventh ; such a message would be very unworthy so great a courtier ; and was his business to tell us , that the time in the sixth hour would not be the same for quality , with that in the seventh ; this would not add much to the dignity of his office. in short , time ends not ( as is vulgarly supposed ) when the angel begins to sound , but at the expiration of the whole days under his sounding : and the angels chief errand is to point out to men the period of the world , and the end of time : and methinks i hear him speaking to the world after this manner . ye sons of men take notice , the old glass of time ( viz. of ) is just run out ; and i am sent to turn it , and i here turn it in the presence of you all , and do swear , by the living god who liveth for ever and ever , that it shall never be turnd more , but when the sands are run out , or when the days of the voice are ended , ( reckoning them from the beginning of his sounding , or tuning of his trumpet ) then , the glass shall be broke , and time , ( of whatsoever denomination ) shall never be measured more , but be swallowed up , in the great ocean of eternity . two things the reader must note . first , that that time which the angel swears the death of , is of a simple and indefinite nature : and that the time which he excepts is of a complex nature , because there are days in it . secondly , that the angel is seven year in sounding viz , betwixt the second and third woe . these things being premised though there may be so me seeming difficulty when to commence the excepted time , and when it ends , or expires : yet really , there will be none at all . : for we are to begin these excepted days , not when the angel has sounded or done sounding , but when he begins to sound : not when the clock has struck all , but at the very first stroke of seven : the text is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quum futurum est ut clangat : that is , when he shall first begin , or be about to begin to sound : the very tuning his trumpet , or his preparing himself to sound , comes into the account . 't is usual to say , t' is seven a clock , when it has struck seven ; but this is our errour , for it was seven at the first stroke : at that very instant , when the sixth hour lapsed , or the second woe to the true church ended . the reign of a king commenceth , not from the time of his proclamation ; but , from the exact time of his predecessors death . there is no interregnum , time being not discontinued : so the reign of christ commenceth , from the very moment of the angels beginning to sound , which was in the later part of , when the witnesses rose . the spirit puts an emphasis on the word beginning , god being unwilling that men should be ignorant , of the exact epoche of christs reign : because it is the index , which points out the final day of judgment . now , in the second place , how long these excepted dayes will last , or when they will expire , and time be finished , is alike plain , and manifest : for , the sands in the upper part of the glass , will be no longer in runing , than in the lower part : the lease of the bride , ( if the indentures be compared ) will be found to be cut out of the same sheet of time , with that of the whores : now the whores lease , was for years , or time , time , and halfe a time ; under the sounding of the sixth angel : and the brides , under the sounding of the seventh , will be the same , viz , , for the millennium , and , for the little season , in which , satan shall be loosed , which ballances exactly . then , time shall be no longer . the turning the last glass , or the angels begining to sound , is the finishing of time inchoate , and its vacuity , ( or expiration of the years , ) is the finishing of time consummate . these things must needs be very plain . the sounding of the seventh angel , is the worlds passing bell : judgment then begins , and they are destroyed , which destroy the earth ; and in the end are thrown into hell , when the quick and dead will he judged . these last years being the dawn of an eternal day to the godly : but the dire crepusculum of an eternall night to the wicked . these days began in the latter part of , but had no solemn commencement 'till an. ' when the man , whose name is the branch , was crowned king. now , would the inquisitive know , what the last year of the seventh angels sounding will issue in : let me tell them , t is , very probable 't will terminate in a most glorious appearance of christ , pouring down the spirit from on high , at pentecost : for , he is now considered under the following relations . viz , as the son of a great king , or an heir adult , claiming all the kingdoms of the earth : as a bridegroom , come to marry his bride : as a great general , come to conquer the world , whose name is called the word of god : as an high priest , or chief administrator in his millennian kingdom , and lastly , as a young infant in his church regenerate the pouring out the spirit ( so often promised ) may refer to all these : as he is a king , 't is the great proclamation : as a bridegroom , 't is the marriage supper : 't is the sealing his commission as a souldier : his installment as he is an high priest : as he is married , 't is the sealing his bride a jointure of power for a thousand years : and as he is an infant , 't is his babtizing : and lastly 't is the temple opened , not of which the plagues do issue forth , with a full commission to destroy all his enimies , who would not have him to rule over them . no sort of christians will deny that god hath made to men a promise of a new covenant in the latter days : obliging himself thereby to write his law in their hearts , &c. now , he never makes a new covenant but he break the old one : nor is it his custom ever to introduce a new , or cancel an old one , with out the greatest solemnnity . after what manner , and with what solemnity he broke the old one ; i have plainly hinted in my preface to the king. the introduction of the new one ( there being two sede vacantes by cancelling the old one ) is but the reverse of that : and that it will be introduced with a joyous solemnity , is the rational expectation of all good men. the end . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * o. c. notes for div a -e t. burnet . t. beverly . m. jurieu . the resurrection proved, or, the life to come demonstrated being a strange but true relation of what hapned to mrs. anna atherton who lay in a trance days : with her speech when she came to life / as it came from her brother dr. atherton ... atherton, henry, m.d. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing a estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) the resurrection proved, or, the life to come demonstrated being a strange but true relation of what hapned to mrs. anna atherton who lay in a trance days : with her speech when she came to life / as it came from her brother dr. atherton ... atherton, henry, m.d. sheet ( p.) printed by t. dawks, london : . caption title. this item appears at reels : and : . identified as wing r at reel position : ; cancelled in wing cd-rom. reproduction of original in the harvard university library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng atherton, anna, ca. -ca. . resurrection. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - andrew kuster sampled and proofread - andrew kuster text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the resurrection proved : or , the life to come demonstrated . being a strange but true relation of what hapned to m ris anna atherton : who lay in a trance days , with her speech when she came to life , as it came from her brother d r. atherton , physician in caermarthen . published , now seasonably , in this adulterous , atheistical and papistical generation , wherein neither god , christ , soul , heaven nor hell are minded ; but whoring , swaring , lying , &c. and , it may serve as a curb to vice , and a spur to vertue . this maid being about fourteen years of age , fell sick in november . whereupon several physicians were called to her assistance , who consulted about her distemper ; and judg'd it to be something of an ague , though the symptoms thereof ( as they confessed ) were somwhat different from those which are usual in that distemper . . her disease , whatever it was , prov'd too hard for their skill and medicines , and brought the patient to a thinness of body , paleness of countenance , and stupidness to any thing but her devotion . she was before of a full habit of body , of a brisk and lively temper , and prone to all kind of exercise befitting her age. . under this strong alteration she continued till the beginning of february ensuing , when by little and little she felt a sensible decay of her whole body which daily increasing , prevailed at length upon all the organs of life and motion ; so that in appearance she lay void of either , whereupon she was concluded to be really dead . . the women who came to do their last office to her body , perceived more heat and warmth in her , than they thought to be usual in dead bodies , upon which they desisted a while ; and , because the room was close , and a fire had been alwayes in it , ( thinking the unusual warmth might proceed from thence ) they opened the casements to let in what air they could , and put out the fire , and then left her some time to her self . . but returning , they found the same warmth to continue ; then they left her in this manner one whole day , yet could find no alteration : whereupon they applyed a looking-glass to her mouth ▪ but not the least cloud appear'd : they put live coals to her feet , which discovered not the least sign of life or sense . . notwithstanding her mother ( it being so ordered by providence ) was very timorous which made her delay her burial ▪ and kept her uncoffin'd till sev'n days were expired , at the end of which time , her heat which before was so languid and obscure , that it could scarcely be discerned , began like some sparks of fire raked up in embers ) to glow , and more manifestly discover it self . . upon which , rubbings and other artificial helps were used , which did not prove ineffectual ; for , in a short time , they sound a trembling vibration of the pulse , afterwards she began to breath , and so at last gradually recovered all her senses . the first thing that she spake of , was that she desired to see her mother , who coming to her she thus uttered her mind ▪ the maids speech when she came out of her trance . . o mother ! since , i was absent from you , i have been in heaven , an angel went before me to conduct me thither ; i passed through three several gates ▪ and at length i came to heaven gate , where i saw things very glorious and unutterable as saints angels ▪ and the like , in glorious apparel ; and heard unparalleld music , divine anthems and hallelu-iahs . . i would fain have entred that glorious place ▪ but the angel that went before me , withstood me yet i thought myself half in ; but he told me , i could not be admitted now , but i must go back , and take leave of my friends , and after some short time i should be admitted ▪ . so he brought me hither again , and is now standing at the beds-feet ▪ mother ▪ you must needs see him , he is all in white . her mother told her ▪ it was but a dream or fancy , and that she knew not what she said : whereupon she answered with a great deal of vehemency ▪ that it was as true , as that she was there at present . she took notice also of several persons in the room by their names , to shew she did not dream , but spoke with understanding : . but for the greater confirmation , she told them of three or four persons that were dead , since she was deprived of her senses , and named each person ; ( one of them was dead , and they knew not of it before they sent to enquire : ) she said ▪ she saw them passing by her while she stood at the gtae . . one whom she named was reputed a vicious person , came as far as the gate , but was sent back again another way . all the persons she named , dyed in the time she lay in this trance . . she lived about two years after this , enjoying a perfect health , and then dyed in great assurance of her salvation ; speaking comfortable words , and giving wholesom instructions to all who came to visit her . it is worthy observation , that during the whole time of her first sickness , which was about a quarter of a yer , she neither eat nor drank any thing , besides the juyce of an orange and the yolk of an egge . 't is is then necessary all persons be kept hours before they are buried , if they be so happy as to escape the designed popish massacre . london , printed by t ▪ dawks ▪ ● the resurrection of the (same) body asserted, from the traditions of the heathens, the ancient jews, and the primitive church with an answer to the objections brought against it / by humphry hody ... hody, humphrey, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing h estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the resurrection of the (same) body asserted, from the traditions of the heathens, the ancient jews, and the primitive church with an answer to the objections brought against it / by humphry hody ... hody, humphrey, - . [ ], p. printed for awnsham and john churchill ..., london : . first ed. cf. nuc pre- . errata: p. 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in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the resurrection of the ( same ) body asserted : from the traditions of the heathens , the ancient jews , and the primitive church . with an answer to the objections brought against it . by humphry hody , d. d. fellow of wadham college in oxford , and chaplain to his grace john lord arch-bishop of canterbury . non enim levia sunt illa de quibus contendimus , sed ejusmodi ut & illa scire praestantius sit , & ignorare turpissimum . st. methodius de resurrectione . london , printed for awnsham and john churchill , at the black-swan in pater-noster-row , . reverendo admodum in christo patri ac praesuli edvardo stillingfleet , grandi nomini , historiam hanc resurrectionis corporis , sacellanus nuper , semper cultor ejus devotissimus , humfredus hody , d. d. c. to the reader . this treatise contains a history of the resurrection of the body : the grand design of it is to prove the doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body to be the doctrine of the gospel . if that be prov'd , the truth of it is sufficiently demonstrated ; and that is all the author desires should be granted him . what he lays down concerning the heathens and jews , and that which he advances concerning the resurrection , its being once a general doctrine deriv'd down from noah and the ante-diluvian patriarchs , all that is ex abundanti , and design'd only for the more curious . there is one thing more which he bad me say , and that is this , that he treads not in any man's steps ; but the entertainment which he has here prepared for thee , is wholly , and in all its parts , new , at least his own . may ●… . . the contents . part i. concerning the opinions of the heathens : that they held many opinions which were grounded on a tradition concerning the resurrection ; and that some of them hold the resurrection in the true christian sense . their gross notions concerning the soul in its state of separation , that it has all the same parts that the body has , p. . a mistake of st. justin martyr , p. . their opinion concerning the transmigration of souls , p. . their opinion concerning the duration of the soul as long as the body lasted , and its adherence to the body after death , p. . they believe th●… some men have a●…cended up into heaven in their bodies , there to live for ever , p. . that others have done so even after death upon a re union of their souls and bodies , p. . the opinion of the pythagoreans and platonists , &c. concerning the restitution of our bodies , and of all other things in the world , to their former state , after the revolution of ma●…y ages , by a new birth or production , p. . the opinion of some of the genethliacal writers , that the soul returns , and is united to the same body in the space of years , p. . the opinion of the stoicks concerning the reproduction of all the same men , &c. after the general conflagration , p. . that democritus asserted the resurrection : epicurus's opinion concerning the restauration of the very same bodies after a great space of time , p. . merick casaubon's mistake concerning the opinion of the emperor m. antoninus , p. . the resurrection asserted in the same sense as we understand it , by the ancient magi , and by the present heathen gaurs of persia , the relicts of the ancient magi , p. . by some of the ancient arabians , p. . by some of the banians of india , p. . by the present inhabitants of the island of ceylon , p. . of java , p. . of pegu , p. . of transiana , p. . by some amongst the chinese , p. . by the arderians in guinnee , p. . and by the ancient prussians , p. . these traditions concerning the resurrection , not receiv'd from the jews , but transmitted down from noah and the ante-diluvian patriarohs , p. . part ii. concerning the opinions of the ancient jews , p. . to . the doctrine of the resurrection no article of faith , or term of communion among them 'till about years after christ , p. . &c. not own'd by the essens , p. . nor by philo , p. . yet the common and general doctrine long before that time , p. . their not making it a term of communion , no argument against the certainty of it . the soul's immortality it self no term of the jewish communion in those times . the sadduces own'd as true jews , p. . the opinion of josephus , p. . of the sapientes mecar , p. . the hemero-baptists , p. . and the samaritans , p. . they that held the resurrection understood it to be of the same humane body . the opinion of some of the jews concerning the passing of their bodies under-ground to the holy land , and their custom of carrying the bones of their dead thither , p. . the transmigration of souls held by many of the jews , p. . and by some of the pharisees in the time of josephus , p. . whether held by any in our saviour's time ? p. . they that own the transmigration , acknowledge withal a resurrection , p. . testimonies for the resurrection out of the old testament , p. . part iii. concerning the doctrine of the primitive church . the resurrection of the same humane body demonstrated from the new testament , p. , &c. and from the doctrine of the primitive writers , which flourish'd before the time of origen , such as st. clement of rome , p. . justin m. , p. . irenaeus , p. . athenagoras , p. . theophilus of antioch , p. . the churches of lions and vienna , p. . clemens alex. p. . tertullian , p. . and others : and from the creeds of the primitive church , and others in several ages , p. . the inconsistences and contradictions of origen , p. , , , to . that he himself in some places of his works own'd the resurr●…ction of the same humane body , p. . that the primitive fathers would never have embraced the doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body , if it had not been evidently apostolical , . part iv. objections answer'd : the qualities of the body in the resurrection . the reason why it is to rise , p. , &c. the principal errata are these . page . line . for their souls read the soul. p. . l. . r. merick . p. . l. . r. years , which . ibid l. . r. guebres . p. . l. . r. of the number . p. . l. . r. will free . p. . l. . r. dissolution . p. . l. . for rights 〈◊〉 . rites . p. . l. . r. unwilling . ibid l. . r. do not con●…in . p. . l. . r. represent . p. . l. . r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from st. austin . the resurrection of the ( same ) body asserted . the resurrection is defin'd by maimonides to be the return of the soul into the same body from which it had been separated ; and agreeable to this definition , the catholick faith , spread throughout the whole christian world , is this , that the same body which died , consisting of the same particles , shall rise again out of its grave in the day of judgment , and be re-united to the soul. but origen heretofore , as you rightly observe , ( my dear philalethes ) and some other late opinionists , have been pleased to advance another notion , that the body to which the soul shall be united in the next life , shall not be a human body , but a thin and etherial one , and that too consisting of new particles . in asserting the truth of the catholick doctrine ( the task you are pleased to impose on me ) i shall use all possible plainness , and observe this method . i. i shall shew it to be probable from the traditions even of the heathens themselves , convey'd down to 'em from noah and his posterity . ii. i shall prove it from the authority of the old testament , and the traditions of the ancient jews , and shew it from thence to be , if not certain , yet more than probable . iii. i shall demonstrate it from the authority of the new testament , and the unanimous consent of the primitive church before the time of origen , and prove it from thence tobe certain . iv. i shall answer the objections rais'd against it . to pretend to make out the probability of the doctrine of the resurrection , from the opinions and traditions of the heathens , may seem perhaps a very vain attempt . but it is no more than what many of the ancients have endeavour'd to do ; and photius mentions an author , who published a large work in fifteen books , to prove , that the doctrine of the resurrection , with other christian doctrines , was own'd by many of the gentiles . the several ●…tions whose opinions that author produced , were , as photius tells us , the greeks , persians , thracians , egyptians , babylonians , chaldaeans , and italians . what success either he , or any other author that attempted the same , might meet with , i am not concern'd to enquire ; but i think i shall be able to shew , that many of the notions and opinions of the heathens were grounded on a tradition concerning the resurrection ; nay , that many of the heathens in ancient times acknowledged it , and that many of 'em do so to this day . i shall first lay before you some opinions embraced by the heathens , which , i think , carry with them no small resemblance of the doctrine of the resurrection . and in the second place shall present you with others which plainly express it . the first opinion which i shall take notice of , is concerning the human shape and actions attributed to the soul in its state of separation . it was anciently the common and receiv'd opinion of the gentiles , and so it is at this time throughout the whole heathen world , that the soul ( or manes which remain after death ) has a perfect human shape , and all the same parts , both external and internal , that the body has ; and that when it leaves the body , it eats and drinks , and does all the same things that a living man does . now from whence can we imagine this odd opinion should arise , and be so generally propagated all over the world ? i shall leave it to be considered by you , whether it were not grounded on an ancient tradition , that the soul after death shall be united to a human body . * justin martyr , to prove that the doctrine of the resurrection was known to homer , produces his description of tityus's punishment after death , and what he says of the punishments of sisyphus and tantalus . their punishments , says he , suppose not a soul only , but also a body . the same sort of argument he makes use of to prove , that plato held the same doctrine . he observes that plato in the story which he relates concerning eris , speaks of those that were punished in hell , as of men compounded of body and soul , with the same parts and countenances which they had when living here on earth ; that he makes aridaeus , and other tyrants , to be bound neck and heels , and to be flea'd , and then to be drag'd through thorns and briars . now , says he , for plato to say , that the soul is judged with the body , can signify nothing else but that he believ'd the doctrine of the resurrection : for how could aridaeus , and the rest , be punished after that manner in hell , if they had left their bodies , their heads , hands , and feet on earth ? sure they will not say , that the soul has a head , a skin , and hands , and feet . but this is a mistake of that excellent person . the reason why the heathens described the punishments of the damn'd after this manner , was not because they thought that their bodies were not left here on earth , but partly because it was the vulgar opinion , that the soul had all the same parts that the body has , and partly because such descriptions do more easily move and affect us ; and it is not easy to describe the torments of the soul after any other manner . our lord , in the parable of dives and lazarus , speaks of them in the same manner , as if they had bodies ; tho' what is related of 'em is supposed to be before the resurrection , and their bodies are suppos'd to be yet in their graves . i might mention others of the ancient christians that have made use of arguments of the like nature ; but it is not my business to confute those who have written for the resurrection ; i shall therefore pass them by . from what has been said concerning our saviour's speaking of the soul of lazarus , as if it had a body , tho' he did not believe it had ; you may possibly imagine that the heathens did not really believe , that the soul has all the parts of a human body , though they are wont to speak of it , as if they believ'd it . but it evidently and undeniably appears , that that was , and is at this time , their real opinion . hence the custom so general in the world of leaving meat and drink on the graves of the dead , and of burying together with the dead bodies all sorts of utensils , houshold-stuff , and weapons , which they think the soul will make use of in the next life . hence also the custom in so many countries , of putting to death the wives and slaves of the deceased , that they may wait upon 'em , and serve in the same capacities in the other world. for brevity sake , i am content to seem a little immodest , and to take it for granted , that you believe i can prove what i have asserted . the second opinion , that deserves to be consider'd , is that of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or transmigration of souls out of one body into another . 't was ( you know ) the opinion , not only of the pythagoreans , and platonists , and some of the stoicks , amongst the greeks , but of many whole nations of the ancient gentiles ; and 't is still the received opinion of the greatest part of the eastern heathens , and of many other countries in divers parts of the world , that when a man dies , his soul passes into another body , either the body of a man , or of some other creature . now , on what could this opinion be grounded , but on some broken and imperfect tradition , concerning the resurrection of our bodies ? how came so strange an opinion to obtain in so many countries ? they had doubtless heard from their ancestors , the descendants of noah , that after death , the soul should be reunited to a body ; and not knowing , by reason of the imperfectness of the tradition , how it was to be done , they invented a way for it , and imagin'd it was to be by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or by being born again . and as error is always fruitful in inventions , and , one having taken root , there is presently a superfoetation of many others , they afterwards carried it on farther , and fansy'd a transmigration of the soul , not only into another human body , but also into the bodies of other living creatures , and even into trees and plants . but the transmigration of the soul into the bodies of irrational animals was never so generally receiv'd as its transmigration into another human body . the author of the book de spermate , ascribed to galen , tells us , that the philosopher porphyry maintain'd that the soul of a beast passes into a beast , but the soul of a man , into a man. and * hierocles affirms , that the soul of a man passes only into a man. of the same opinion was timaeus locrus , with divers others of the pythagoreans : and the same was likewise the opinion of the ancient gauls , as may be gather'd from what a caesar says of ' em . imprimis ( say he ) hoc volunt persuadere : non interire animas , sed ab aliis post mortem transire ad alios ; atque hoc maxime ad virtutem excitari putant , metu mortis neglecto . appian b writes of the ancient germans , that they contemn'd death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , through the hopes they had of reviving or living again . which i understand , not immediately of the resurrection , but of the transmigration of the soul into another human body . and in the same sence i understand lucan , where he speaks of the opinion of the s●…ythians . — populus quos despicit arctos , felices errore suo , quos ille timorum maximus haud urget lethi metus , inde ruendi in ferrum mens prona viris , animique capaces mortis & ignavum rediturae parcere vitae . that the opinion of the transmigration was grounded on a tradition concerning the resurrection , will appear more probable , if we consider what * herodotus writes of the doctrine of the egyptians : that the soul being departed this body , after many removes into the bodies of all kinds of animals , and after a long time , viz. years , assumes again the body of a man. and to this day , there are great numbers in grand caire , and some in other parts of the world , that assert very near the same thing , and agree with those ancient egyptians almost exactly in the number of years . they will tell ye , that the●… soul●… having passed into several beasts , of the same kind , and wander'd out of the body of one to animate another , it will at last , after the circle of † years , return again to a human body , more purified , and refin'd than in its first principles . what is this but a broken tradition concerning the re-union of our souls with our bodies at the end of the world ? but others of the ancients come up yet more close to us : they tell us that the souls of those that are in heaven or elysium , continue there a long time , a thousand years , or the like , and then shall come again into the world , and be united to a human body . thus * virgil from the traditions of the ancients . quisque suos patimur manes : exinde per amplum mittimur elysium , & pauci laeta arvae tenemus , donec longa dies perfecto temporis orbe concretam exemit labem , purumque reliquit aetherium sensum , atque aurai simplicis ignem . has omnes , ubi mille rotam volvêre per annos , lethaeum ad fluvium deus evocat agmine magno : scilicet immemores supera ut convexa revisant , rursus & incipiant in corpora velle reverti . clauclian . . ruff. quos ubi per varios annos , per mille figuras egit lethaeo purgatos flumine , tandem rursus a●… humanae revocat primordia formae . st. austin † mentions this as the opinion of the greatest philosophers . that the souls ( says he ) of bad men pass immediately into other bodies ; and that the souls of good men are a long time in rest , but after a great while come down from heaven , and assume bodies again , hoc dixerunt valde magni philosophi . i shall add no more concerning these opinions , but only put you in mind , that a tertullian , b minucius felix , and c lactantius , no less men than they , were of my opinion , that the doctrine of the transmigration was founded on a tradition concerning the resurrection . the third opinion which i think deserves to be taken notice of , is that concerning the equal duration of the body and soul ; that the soul should indeed remain after death , but not unless the body did so too . this was the doctrine of some of the stoicks , and my author is servius . animam ( says he ) tamdiu durare dicunt , quamdin durat . & corpus . the egyptians had an opinion amongst 'em , much the same with this . it is commonly said by those that speak of the custom of the egyptians , of embalming the bodies of their dead , such as * petrus bellonius , and others , that the reason why they were so careful to preserve their bodies , was , because they expected a resurrection . but this indeed was not the reason . the true reason was this ; they believ'd the soul never left the dead body , but always adher'd to it as long as it lasted , how long soever that were ; and after the dissolution of the body they believ'd the soul was to enter into another . for this also servius is my author . so others tell us , that they were wont to keep the dead bodies of their friends in their houses , and their closets , and to set 'em at table , as guests , at meals with 'em ; believing that they had there the whole man , not only the body , but the soul too . lu●…ian † assures us , he himself had din'd in egypt with such guests . hence silius , the poet : — aegyptia tellus claudit odorato post funus stantia saxo corpora , & à mensis exanguem haud separat umbram . the fourth opinion which i shall recommend to your consideration , is this , that these very bodies of ours are capable of being made immortal and incorruptible , and of being translated up into heaven , there to inhabit everlastingly in union with the soul ? did any of the heathens believe thus much ? they did so . 't was the doctrine of the chaldaick philosophers , and likewise of the greeks themselves . psellus , in his gloss on the chaldaick oracles , tells us , that it was a doctrine of those philosophers , that a man's body may by the works of religion ( lustrations , and the like ) be so purged and attenuated , the impure matter being consumed by the heavenly fire , as that the soul may carry it up to heaven with it . that hercules , and helena , and others , amongst the greeks , and romulus amongst the romans , were translated ( like enoch and elias ) into heaven in their proper bodies , we read in divers of our ancient authors . the emperor * julian mentions the assumption of hercules . he went up ( says he ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . tho' he will not acknowledge , that his body with which he ascended was a body of flesh , but intimates , according to the notion of the chaldaick philosophers , that the gross parts of his body were consumed by heavenly fire , or lightening . that the romans , when romulus was murder'd , were made believe , that he had been taken up in his body into heaven , i need only mention , not endeavour to prove . it is what you know very well , and many of the writers of the roman history speak of it . the emperor a julian believ'd it , tho he says , as he does of hercules , that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the mortal part of his body was consum'd or lick'd up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the heavenly fire , or lightning . that helena , being like to be murdered , was taken up publickly into heaven , † isaacus porphyrogennetus relates from the traditions of the ancient greeks . * plutarch tells us that it was the common opinion of the greeks , that cleomedes astypalensis was translated in his body into heaven , and that many others had been so translated . thus * philostratus doubts whether his greatly admir'd apollonius tyaneus ever died ; and tells us of a report , that , going into a temple in lindus , he was never seen afterwards . he mentions moreover a tradition of the cretans , that he was taken up into heaven out of a temple in crete , a voice being heard in the temple as of virgins singing , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . come from the earth , come into heaven , come . fifthly , they did not only believe that many had been translated like enoch and elias into heaven , but they also believ'd that the souls of some others had been after death re-united to their bodies , and that so , by a resurrection , they had been taken up into heaven . that this was generally believed of aristaeus the proconnesian , is asserted by many † heathen writers . and * plutarch assures us , that it was commonly believ'd that the body of alcmena , the mother of hercules , was taken up into heaven after her death . it happened , as they say , when it was carried out to be interr'd . thus ( says he ) † they exalt those things which are by nature mortal among the gods. he does not believe these reports himself ; on the contrary he calls it a foolish thing to place earth in heaven . the soul ( says he ) only is from the gods , from them it came , and to them it returns , not with the body , but separated wholly from it , perfectly pure , clean , and freed from flesh. the soul , as heraclitus says , flies from the body as lightening does from a cloud . while it is in the body , like a heavy and cloudy vapour , it is difficultly kindled , and with great difficulty it ascends to the things above . therefore the bodies of good men ought not by any means to be placed in heaven , contrary to their nature , but we ought to believe that the soul alone ascends up thither . he disputes against this belief , and these traditions of the heathens , in the very same manner as he would have disputed against christians . the sixth opinion of the heathens which i shall present you with , is concerning a resurrection of the very same human body , after its dissolution . in this only it differs from our christian doctrine , that it makes the soul return , not immediately to those particles from which it was separated by death , and which were laid in the grave , so as that those who died men , should rise of the same stature , but first to those particles , which were unîted to it in the mothers womb : and afterwards those particles that constituted the body in its several ages , are , according to this opinion , to rise again , and be united all in their due time to the same soul ; 'till at last the same particles that were buried shall be all re-united together , and constitute the body in the very same manner as formerly . they tell us , that after the expiration of many thousands of years , when all the same stars and planets shall return to the same configuration and respect that they formerly had to one another , there shall be a resurrection of all things to their former state , not only of men , but all other things in the world. socrates , for example , shall be born again of the same mother , and grow up in the same manner , with all the same circumstances , teach philosophy at athens to the self-same scholars , eat the self-same diet , and wear the self-same cloths , be accused by the same accusers , condemn'd by the same judges , and die by the same poison . you and i ( my friend ) are , according to them to , live here again in all the same circumstances : our friendship the same , and the same correspondence between us . you are to send again to me , to know what i have to say for the doctrine of the resurrection : i am to send you this very same treatise , written on the same paper , and with the same pen and ink ; and the hair , that now makes this blot , must make the same again . thus all things must go on in a continual round and revolution , and by a continual successive resurrection . but who are they that tell us these things ? who were they that taught this opinion ? the pythagoreans , and the platonists , amongst the greeks , and many of the priests or philosophers of egypt , from whom the greeks learnt it . would you have me quote my author ? it is origen , and not he only ( tho' he alone were enow ) but i have likewise several others . the followers of pythagoras and plato ( says * origen ) say , that after a certain revolution of the stars , when they shall return to the same configuration and respèct to one another , which they formerly had , there will necessarily be the very same face of things here on earth , which there had been before , when the stars were in the same position . and according to this notion , when the stars shall return to the same order , which they were in in socrates 's time , socrates must be born again , and suffer the same things which he did before ; the same anytus and melitus accusing him , and the same areopagites passing sentence upon him : and the same is the dctrine of the egyptians . for pythagoras , porphyry a likewise is my witness it is well known to all , says he , first that he asserted the immortality of the soul ; and that he asserted that the soul passes into several kinds of creatures ; and moreover , that he taught , that after certain b revolutions ( of the stars ) those things which once had been , shall be again , and that there is nothing properly new . for plato i might produce his own words , and the testimonies of others , such as proclus , &c. but who has not heard of plato's great year ? i need not put you in mind , that this can be nothing else but an old tradition concerning our future resurrection , a little alter'd by the dropping of a part of it as it passed in a long series of time , through the mouths of several persons . it appears from the testimony of r. abraham bar chaia , cited by * abarbinel , that this same opinion concerning the restitution of all things to their former state , after the return of the planets to their former configuration , was likewise received by many of the philosophers of india . some of 'em held that this should happen after the term of years , other assign'd years , others , others , others , others ; and bar ch●…ia declares that he thinks they form'd this notion from the tradition which they had received from their ancestors , concerning the resurrection . m. varro , the great roman writer , in the books which he publish'd † de gente populi romani , speaks of certain authors , whom he calls genethliaci whose opinion it was , that the soul returns , and is united to the very same body , to which it had been formerly conjoyn'd , by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the space of years . his words are these : genethliaci quidam scripserunt , esse in renascendis hominibus quam appellant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 graeci : hanc scripserunt confici in annis numero quadringentis quadraginta , ut idem corpus & cadem anima , quae fuerant conjuncta in homine aliquando , eadem rursus redeant in conjunctionem . amongst others even of the greek philosophers , we find this tradition preserv'd more entire . the stoicks , though they look'd upon the doctrine of the resurrection , as preach'd by st. paul at athens , to be nothing but babble , yet they themselves , as least some of 'em , tell us all the same things that the egyptians but now mention'd , and the pythagoreans , and the platonists taught : but in this they come up nearer to us , that they do not make the world eternal , but say , as we do , that the world shall be destroy'd by fire , and that this resurrection , or restitution , of all things shall be after the general conflagration . my author for this , is first of all a origen , and he a very good one in these matters , who observes , not without good reason , that , tho they did not call it by the name of a resurrection , yet the thing was the same . the stoicks , says he , hold , that after a certain revolution of time , the universe will be destroy'd by a conflagration , and that immediately upon it all things will be restored to what they were before , without any manner of change. but there are some amongst 'em that do not come up altogether to this opinion , and they hold , that there will be some small alteration , and for some short time. these men tell us , that after the conflagration , † socrates , for example , shall be born again , an athenian , the son of sophroniscus and phenarete . and therefore , tho' they do not call it by the name of a resurrection , yet they mean the same thing . he shall be bred up , say they , at athens , and shall teach philosophy there as before . so that philosophy it self is as it were to rise again , and be in the same state as formerly . anytus and melitus shall rise again , and be socrates 's accusers , and the council of the areopagites shall condemn him . and what is more ridiculous than all this , socrates is to wear the same cloths that he did before , live in the same poverty , and with all the same circumstances . so phalaris shall again play the tyrant , and torment the same persons in his brazen bull. and alexander the pherean shall exercise his cruelty on the same persons that he did heretofore . tatianus a mentions the same opinion of zeno ; that the world shall be renewed by a conflagration , that the same men shall rise , and do the very same things ; anytus and melitus shall accuse socrates again , busiris murder his guests , hercules undergoe the same labours , &c. b lactantius produces these words of chrysippus , whom cicero stiles the prop of the porch of the stoicks , out of his book of providence . c this being so , it is manif●…st , that it is not at all impossible , but that after a certain revolution of time , even we may be restored from death to what we now are . the philosopher d numenius calls it in express terms a resurrection . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. that resurrection which makes that which is call'd the greatest year . this opinion of the stoicks concerning the renovation of things after the conflagation , is mention'd by many others , as by e tully , b philo judeus , c justin martyr , d athenagoras , e clemens alexandrinus , &c. the emperor f m. antoninus , who was chiefly addicted to the sect of the stoicks , writes doubtingly concerning the life to come , to this purpose . how comes it to pass , says he , that the gods , who have order'd all things well , and with singular love towards mankind , have neglected this one thing , to take care , that men , especially the good , and those who maintain'd as it were a frequent correspondence with 'em , and by their pious works , and holy offices contracted a kind of familiarity with 'em ; that those men when once they are dead , do no longer exist , but are extinct for ever ? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . if it be so , the reason , you must know , is , because it ought not to be otherwise . this place the learned a merich casaubon understands so , as if it had respect to the resurrection of the body , in the true christian sense , and the words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he renders thus , should never be restored to life . that antoninus ( says he ) intends it of the body ( for the soul , if not immortal , yet that it remain'd a long time after death , they believ'd ) not of the body alone , but of the body and soul to be join'd again into one and the same person , may appear , because he saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as soon as ever dead , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , not to be restored to life again ; to wit , the man , consisting ( though not a precise stoick in that ) of body and soul for ever . that the emperor intended such a resurrection , he further confirms by another passage in his book , where he says , a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . you will easily be persuaded , that i am not at all prejudiced against this opinion of that learned man : but let truth prevail above all things . it must be confess'd , that he did not understand antoninus's meaning , and that he was mistaken in two respects : . if antoninus had intended a resurrection , he ought to have been understood only of such a resurrection , as i have shewn the stoicks generally believ'd . . it is not true that he intended a resurrection in any sense . in this last place he only alludes to that opinion which the stoicks commonly taught , not asserts it : and in the other place he only speaks of the duration of the soul after death , of which he himself doubted . it must be acknowledged , that that philosopher had too mean an opinion of the body , to propose it as a thing to be wonder'd at , why the bodies of good men are not to be rais'd again . and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , on which casaubon lays a great stress , and which seems to be the foundation of his error , signifies not only , again , as he renders it , but amplius , or in posterum . so in philo judaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the time to come , in isocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies posterity . in the same sense it is used by plato , and others . i might here observe , that the philosopher heraclitus , more ancient than the stoicks , speaks not only of the general conflagration , but says , a that they that have lived ill in this life shall be purged by that fire . i might likewise observe that both he , and b anaximenes , and c diogenes apolloniates , believ'd , that after the destruction of this world , there will be another created , and so on to all eternity . but i rather chuse to entertain you with some thing that i think will be more surprizing , and more to our purpose . should i tell you that those two great atomical philosophers , democritus and epicurus , believ'd , that our bodies will hereafter be restor'd again , and be made up of the very same particles ; should i tell you thus much , you would take me perhaps to be rather pleasant than serious . but how strange soever you may think it , it is nevertheless true , at least if my authors were not mistaken . they believ'd that this will happen after a vast distance of time , and a●…ter innumerable changes , by a second fortuitous concourse of the very same particles . democritus ( as i suppose ) form'd this notion from what he had learnt concerning the instauration of all things , by conversing with the egyptians , among whom ( we know ) he lived many years to be instructed in their philosophy : and from him , it is likely , epicurus receiv'd it . but how does it appear , that those two great corporealists , who believ'd that the soul and body di●… both together , asserted this kind of resurrection ? for democritus , pliny is my author ; for epicurus , st. jerom. pliny a in his nat. hist. opposes and derides this opinion of democritus ( so he does also the immortality of the soul. ) similis est de asservandis corporibus hominum , ac reviviscendi promissa democrito vanitas , qui non * revixit ipse . quae ( malum ) ista dementia est iterari vitani morte ? s. jerom's a words concerning epicuru●… a●…e these : vide , hoc novum est , & jam fa●…um est in seculo quod fuit ante nos . cum superioribus autem congruit , quod ni●…il novum in mundo fiat , nec sit aliquis qui possit existere & dicere , ecce hoc novum est , siquidem omne quod se putaverit novum ostendere , jam in prioribus seculis fuit . nec putemus signa atque prodigia & multa quae arbitrio dei nova in mundo fiunt , in prioribus seculis esse jam facta , & locum invenire epicurum , qui asserit per innumerabiles periodos eadem & eisdem in locis & per ●…osdem fieri . there is no reason we should change the reading , and for epicurus , read , chrysippus , as a a learned man suspects we ought , since ( as has been shewn ) democritus himself , whose philosophy epicurus follow'd , and from whom the ancients tell us he borrow'd a great many of his notions , maintain'd either the same or a like opinion . i shall conclude these opinions with those receiv'd among some of the ancient arabians . the harbanists b , an ancient sect among the heathen arabians , held , that after the space of years , all the species of living creatures that are in the world shall be destroy'd , and the nature of the universe shall again produce two pair of every species for every climate of the earth . and after this manner the world is to continue by several revolutions to eternity . there were others among the arabians that agreed with the pythagoreans and platonists , or rather came up more home to the christian doctrine than they did . they believ'd , that after certain circulations of the heavenly bodies , the soul will return , and will constitute the same individual man , and that the man thus constituted anew , will remember what had past in the former life . a abrahamus ecchellensis mentions this as the opinion of some ancient hereticks amongst the mahometans in egypt , and elsewhere : and you know the mahometans of egypt were originally arabians . we have made , i think , by this time , a pretty tolerable progress , and from the view we have already taken , i believe you begin to be convinced , that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body was known and generally embrac'd in the first ages of the world. we will now extend our view , and look a little farther abroad into the world , and shew , that the heathens had not only some opinions amongst 'em which were built on a tradition concerning the resurrection , and that carry with 'em a very great resemblance of our doctrine ; but that many of 'em in several parts of the world have held the same doctrine with us , and do to this day believe it , in the same sense as we understand it ; i mean , that they hold , that the particles of the body which died will be rais'd again , and , without a new birth , be united to the soul , and constitute the very same man. i shall not here take any notice of those greek verses which are extant under the name of phocylides , that they plainly assert the resurrection , in regard those verses are by all learned men attributed , not to the ancient phocylides , but to some jewish or christian author . the first instance which i shall present you with , is that of the persian magi. i need not tell you that the magi were the priests and philosophers of the ancient persians . theopompus , and eudemus rhodius , two very ancient authors , in a d. laertius , tell us , that the magi taught , that men shall revive , and be immortal . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and b plutarch assures us out of the books of zoroastres , that according to their doctrine there will be a time , when the earth shall be made plain and level , and all mankind shall live blessedly together on earth , in one common society , and shall speak but one language . this is almost expresly the millennarian doctrine of the resurrection . they add , according to c theopompus , that this shall happen after the term of years . which is the same number of years that the ancient jews , and most of the christian fathers allow for the duration of the world , before the resurrection : and that the bodies of men in that state will not have need of food , but will be pure and pellucid , or , as he expresses it , will cast no shadow . thus aeneas gazaeus affirms that zoroastres foretold , that there will come a time , when there shall be a resurrection of all the dead . and this , says he , theopompus attests . to this i shall add what is also very remarkable , that the same doctrine is at this day preserv'd amongst the heathen gavrs , or guebers , at this time living in persia , the remains of the ancient magi , or persians . my author is a late b traveller of good credit , who gives us this account : that according to their doctrine , there shall be an universal resurrection : and at that time all the souls either in paradise or hell , shall return to take possession of their bodies ; that the earth shall be made level , and men shall have every one their apartment answerable to the good which they did in their life time , but that their chief delight shall be to behold and praise god , and ( zoroastres ) their prophet . they add that before the resurrection , those that are in paradise do not behold the face of god. they likewise say , that their prophet did not die , but was carried up in his body into heaven . my second instance is of some of the arabians . i shew'd but just now that some of the ancient arabians came up very near to our doctrine : i shall now add , that there were others of that country , ( which is very spacious and contain'd very different sects ) that made a further advance , and came up fully to us . that the most ancient arabians acknowledged the resurrection in the christian sense , we may probably gather from that noted place in a job concerning the resurrection , at least if the words be rightly understood , and were really spoken by him . i need not tell you that job was an arabian . but you perhaps will tell me , that that was spoken by him only as an inspir'd person . i see no reason for that : but this is not the only argument i have to prove , that the old arabians expresly own'd our doctrine . i have the express testimony of several arabick writers , that some of 'em did so . there were some among the heathen arabians ( says gregorius abulpharajius ) that acknowledged the resurrection of the dead . he adds , that they used to kill a camel on the graves of the dead , that when they should rise to judgment ( such was their ignorance mixt with the knowledge they had of the truth ) they might ride upon it . the same is asserted by other arabick authors . i know that one kossus ( he of whom is that arabick proverb , more eloquent than kossus ) is reported by some to have taught the arabians the doctrine of the resurrection , as also the unity of the god-head : but that is to be understood only of some , not of all the arabians that own'd it . my opinion is , that kossus was no other than a christian presbyter , who first preach'd the gospel in some part of arabia : for so the word kos or kas signifies in the arabick tongue ; i mean it signifies a presbyter , and his eloquent preaching might very well occasion the above mention'd proverb . now it does not seem very probable , that they who are spoken of by abul-pharajius , who were wont to have a camel buried with 'em , were descended from any who had been enlighten'd by the gospel . my third instance is of some of the banians of cambaia , in the east-indies . a traveller a of our own nation tells us , that a banian of cambaia gave an acquaintance of his this account of their faith , relating to the next life . law ( says he ) they hold none , but only seven precepts , which they say were given 'em from their father noe , not knowing abraham nor any other . . to honour father and mother . . not to steal . . not to commit adultery . . not to kill any thing living . . not to eat any thing living . . not to cut their hair. . to go bare-foot in their churches . they hold there shall be a resurrection , and all shall come to judgment , but the account shall be most strict , insomuch that but one of shall be receiv'd to favour , and those shall live again in this world in great happiness : the rest shall be tormented . and because they will escape this judgment , when any man dies , he is burnt to ashes , and thrown into a river . and by this means they hope to escape the judgment to come . as for the soul , that goeth to the place from whence it came , but where the place is they know not . that the body should not be made again they reason with the philosophers , saying , that of nothing nothing can be made ; beholding the course of nature that nothing is made but by a means , as by the seed of an animal is made another , and by corn cast into the ground there cometh up new corn. so , say they , a man cannot rise again except some part of him be left undissolv'd , and therefore they burn the whole . for if he were buried in the earth , they say there is a small bone in the neck which would never be consum'd . or if he were eaten by a beast , that bone would not consume , but of that bone would come another man ; and then the soul being restored again he should come to judgment , whereas now , the body being destroy'd , the soul shall not be judged . for their opinion is , that both body and soul must be united together as they have sinn'd together , to receive judgment : and therefore the soul alone cannot . their seven precepts , which they keep very strictly , they do not keep for any hope of reward they have after this life , but only that they may be blessed in this world. they say , the three chief religions in the world are of the christians , jews , and mahometans , and yet but one of them true. but being in doubt which is the truest of the three , they will be of none . for they hold that all these three shall be judged , and but few of them which be of the true shall be saved , the examination shall be so strict . they say these three religions have too many precepts to keep them all well , and therefore wonderful hard it will be to give an account , because so few do observe all their religion aright . this account is the more considerable for what it mentions of noah : and i should be glad to tell you , that i find it confirm'd by other relations of those parts . but that , i must own , i cannot as yet do . on the contrary i know that the banians of cambaia , and of other parts , do not generally talk after this manner , or own explicitly a resurrection , but the transmigration of souls into other bodies . nevertheless it is not improbable but that among those many sects of the banians , or gentiles , of mogulistan , whose opinions we find describ'd in our more vulgar relations , there may be some , particularly in cambaia , who have these traditions and notions . and this is th more credible , because ( as i shall by and by shew ) there are other nations in the indies , which assert a resurrection . those brachmans of india , of whom we read in the histories of alexander the great , were either of that country which is now call'd cambaia , or of a country bordering upon it : and palladius , in his treatise of the brachmans , makes dandamis , the most famous and considerable amongst 'em , speak of the resurrection . he , in his discourse with alexander , has these words : thou shalt not lie hid from god , neither shalt thou have any place to which thou mayest flee at the time of the a resurrection . neither shalt thou escape his vengeance . but as that discourse is altogether fictitious , so the author's judgment , who makes him talk after this manner , deserves not to be regarded . my fourth example is the inhabitants of the island of ceylon , in the east-indies . these people , says another b traveller of our own nation , ( who liv'd amongst 'em no less than years , and could not but be very well acquainted with their belief ) do firmly believe a resurrection of the body , and the immortality of souls , and a future state. they hold that in the other world , those that are good men , tho' they be poor and mean in this world , yet there they shall become high and eminent ; but wicked men , they say , will be turned into beasts . the fifth is the inhabitants of java , another of the east-indian isles , who believe , as a le blanc affirms , that after their flesh is wholly consum'd , their souls will re-unite to the body , and remain in peace to all eternity . the sixth is the people of pegu , another country in the east-indies . it 's , affirm'd by a b roman missionary , who lived amongst 'em some years , that they believe a vivification of the body after death , and re-union with the soul. the seventh is the people of transiana , a country adjoining to pegu , on the north of it ; who , when they bury a dead body , burn the heart and bowels , as a sacrifice to their duma or god ; then put the ashes within the corpse again , a that nothing , as they say , may be wanting at the day of resurrection . the eighth is some of the chinese . gaspar da cruz c gives us this account of the opinions of some of that nation . they make ( says he ) many heavens , some where there is meat and drink , and fair women , whither all living things do go . and to these they say , all men do go , that are not of the religious . they place others higher , whither they say the holy priests do go that live in the wildernesses , and all the felicity they give them there , is to sit refreshing themselves with the wind. they place others yet higher , the gods of which they say have round bodies like bowls ; those that go to these heavens have round bodies as the gods themselves have . the same author tells us , that they wear their hair long , holding , that by it they shall be carried to heaven . that the priests are generally shaven , for they say , they need no help to carry them to heaven . this might pass , i presume , with many for a full and sufficient proof , that they own a resurrection : but i do not my-self rely on it . these opinions might be grounded on the gross notion they might have of the materiality of the soul. i mention'd in the beginning of this discourse , that the heathens generally believe , that the soul has all the same parts that the body has : they believe that the parts of the soul , when the soul is united to the body , are diffused throughout all the parts of the body , that if a man's body has hair , his soul has hair too ; and that if you cut off his hair , you cut off together with it the hair of the soul. that some in that great and populous empire acknowledge a resurrection , is more plainly asserted by others . pinto a tells us of a sect named trimechau , who are of opinion , that so long as a man lives in this world , so long shall he remain under ground , 'till at length , by the prayers of the priests , his soul shall reassume the body of a child of seven days old , wherein he shall live again till he shall grow so strong as to re-enter into the old body which he left in the grave , and so be translated into the heaven of the moon ; where , they say , he shall live many years , and in the end be converted into a star , which shall remain fixt above in the firmament for ever . the same author ( if he deserve that name , and be not rather in this , as he is in a great many of his stories , a romancer ) has another relation which makes directly to our purpose . it is somewhat long , and i fear you will think it tedious , perhaps ridiculous ; but however i shall here present you with it , because , as i remember , you have not the author in your library . i must ingenuously confess , i do not my-self much believe it : but i must not make my judgment the rule of other men's . it may perhaps be true , at least some part of it , tho' the prejudice which i have against the relator , makes it seem very doubtful to me . if after you have read it , you think it unworthy of this place , before you shew these papers to any of your friends be pleas'd to strike it quite out , or let it be lookt upon only as a parenthesis . he tells us a of a place in pequin , the chief city of china , called the treasure of the dead , in which are many little houses , according to the report of the chinese , no less than , full of dead men's skulls , with two great mounts of their other bones : that there is a register kept of those bones and skulls , to whom they belong'd . in that place , says he , there are two great idols , call'd the blowers of the house of smoak , ( so the chinese use to call hell ) and the figure of a monstrous serpent , call'd , the gluttonous serpent of the house of smoak , with a great bowl of iron on his head , as if it had been thrown at him from some other place ; and near it another great figure in the form of a giant holding a great iron bowl aloft in his hands , and beholding the serpent with a frowning and angry countenance , he seems as if he would throw his bowl at him . round about this figure is a number of little idols on their knees , with their hands lifted up as if they would adore it . but what means all this long story ? what ( you will say ) are these houses of skulls , these giants , serpents , and bowls , to our purpose ? the explication he gives of all these things , is this : all this great edifice , says he , was consecrated to the honour of this idol , call'd mucluparon , whom the chinese affirm'd to be the treasurer of all the dead bones , and that when the gluttonous serpent before-mentioned came to steal them away , he made at him with the bowl which he held in his hands , whereupon the serpent in great fear fled away to the bottom of the profound house of smoak , whither god precipitated him for his great wickedness : and farther they affirm'd , that he had maintain'd a combat with him years already , and was to continue the same years more ; so that from to years he was to employ five bowls , wherewith he was to make an end of killing him . hereupon , they added , that assoon as this serpent should be dead , the bones that were there gathered together , would return to the bodies to which they appertain'd formerly , and so should go and remain for ever in the house of the moon . to these opinions ( adds my author ) they join many others such like , unto which they give so much faith , that nothing can be able to remove them from it . for it is the doctrine that is preach'd unto them by their bonzees , who also tell them that the true way to make a soul happy , is to gather the bones of the dead together into this place ; by means whereof there is not a day passes but a thousand , or two thousand , bones are brought thither . now if some for their far distance cannot bring all the bones whole together , they will at leastwise bring a tooth or two , and so they say , that , by way of an alms , they make as good satisfaction as if they brought all the rest : which is the reason that in all these charnel-houses there is such an infinite multitude of these teeth , that one might lade many ships with them . thus far pinto : i wish i could quote you a better author . tho the silence of all other travellers who have given an account of that country , and particularly of the city of pequin , and the oddness of the story it self , be enough to perswade one that the whole is no better than an idle fable ; yet that which he says of the combat maintain'd with the devil years already , and to be continued years more , comes up so near to the opinion of the ancient magi , those great theologists of the east , which * plutarch gives an account of , that from thence it may be concluded that the whole is not fabulous , but that there may be some truth in it . for it is not likely that so illiterate a person as pinto , knew what plutarch relates of the magi. i shall leave the whole to your judgment , and to the enquiries of such as shall hereafter visit that city . kircher a mentions a sect of the chinese call'd lanzu , which , says he , paradisum spondet , ex animâ & corpore constitutis , & in suis templis quorundam effigies exponunt , quos hac ratione ad coelos evolasse fabulantur . ad eam rem consequendam exercitationes quasdam praescribunt , positas in vario sedendi ritu , certisque precationibus , imo etiam pharmacis , quibus spondent unà cum suorum divorum favore vitam in mortali corpore longiorem . we read in b joh. ludovicus gotofridus , that the chinese celebrate the memory of twelve certain philosophers , who , they say , were for their vertue translated into heaven . and c another affirms of the chinese in general , that they believe a resurrection : and he brings this argument to prove it , that sometimes they will lend money to be repaid 'em in the other world. this is reported of some amongst 'em by several travellers : but whether it be a sufficient argument , i leave to the judgment of others . the ninth is the eastern tartars , who inhabit on the north of china . a pinto , whom i but now quoted , has a relation concerning them much the same with what he has given us of the chinese . he tells us that he saw in that country , about the temple of a celebrated idol , a great many houses full of the skulls and bones of dead men ; the idol very vast and monstrous , with a great bowl of iron in his hands ; and this is the account he gives of it , from the mouth , as he says , of a tartar of no mean quality : that that idol , or god , is the treasurer of the bones of all those that are born into the world , to the end that at the last day , when men come to be born again ( he means rise again ) he may give to every one the same bones which he had upon earth . and that the bowl he holds in his hands , is to fling at the devil , when he should come thither to steal away any of those bones . i have told you my author , one ( as i have already hinted ) whose relations i dare not insure . out of asia we will pass , if you please , into africa , and then into the other two parts of the world , and see if those parts afford us any other examples . my tenth instance is the people of arder , a country in guinnee near rio da volta . they believe ( as the dutch relations assure us ) that the bodies of such as are slain in the wars , do rise again within two days after they are buried , and go to another life ; and this they averr they have found by experience . this opinion is cherish'd by their fetisero's , or priests , who steal ( as we may suppose ) the dead bodies out of their graves . they say that in the bodies of those that are not slain in the wars , the blood congeals , and therefore they are not to expect a resurrection . the eleventh is the prussians here in europe . that they , before they were converted to the christian faith , believ'd , not only the immortality of the soul , but also the resurrection of the body , is asserted by christophorus hartknochius a , in his borussia vetus & nova . the twelfth is the virginians in america . a french b author tells us , that they have a small glimpse of this sacred truth . and a c traveller of our own , who lived long among 'em , and has written a large account of their country and manners , seems to intimate the same thing . his words are as follows : they think that their werowances ( i. e. their governors ) and priests , when they are dead , go beyond the mountains towards the setting of the sun , and ever remain there in form of their okee ( i. e. their god , to whom they attribute a human shape ) with their heads painted with oyl and ponones ( a herb so called ) finely trimmed with feathers , and shall have beads , hatchets , copper , and tobacco , doing nothing but dance and sing , with all their predecessors . but the common people they suppose shall not live after death , but rot in their graves like dead dogs . in a marginal note he calls this expresly their resurrection . the inhabitants of louisiana , another country in the northern america , lately discover'd by the french , seem to hold , that the soul after death shall be re-united to its body . my author's words are these , a animas superstites esse corporibus fatentur , & in regione amoena , resumptis corporibus , venaturos esse mortuos , nugantur ; eâque de causâ instrumenta , & arma sepultis addunt , horumqúe utensilium spiritum etiam revicturum esse aiunt . jarricus b relates , that the brasilians , enslav'd by the portuguese , used to boast that their friends who died some centuries of years ago , would come thither again in a ship , and free their posterity from slavery , and root out the portuguese : and had this opinion current among 'em , that no one that believ'd this would be excluded heaven ; but they that did not , would be rent in pieces by wild beasts . it 's storied b of the people of hispaniola , and the adjacent isles , that the spaniards carried away many of 'em to work in the gold mines , by persuading 'em that they should be carried away to the seats of the blessed where their deceas'd ancestors were , and there live among them . but these things may be resolv'd into that gross notion which those ignorant people entertain'd of the materiality of the soul. that the peruvians acknowledged the resurrection of the body , before ever any christians came into those parts , is confidently asserted by several authors , by a joh. hugo linschoten , b honorius philoponus , c le blanc , d lerius , and others : and a e french writer tells us , that most authors affirm it . but i fear there are few , or none , that speak upon their own knowledge . he , whom all the rest follow , is the author of the f general hist. of india , cited for it by lerius . that historian relates , that when the spaniards rifled the graves of the dead for the treasures that were wont to be buried with 'em , and carelesly threw about their bones , the peruvians entreated them not to scatter the bones of the dead , lest it should hinder their resurrection . this is very plain and express . but i cannot ( i confess ) but doubt of the truth of it . for i find that g josephus acosta , a very good author , expresly asserts the quite contrary ; that tho' the peruvians held the immortality of the soul , and that the good are rewarded after death , and the wicked punished , yet they were not come to the knowledge of that point , that the bodies shall rise , and be again united to their souls . neither do i find any thing concerning the resurrection in the large royal commentaries of the inca garcilasso . you see ( philalethes ) i am not willing to abuse you , by imposing upon you an argument , which i think i have reason to doubt of . and moreover , i must tell ye , that it is not improbable but that there may be some others amongst the modern instances which i have laid before you , as particularly that of the virginians , that hereafter may be found to be grounded on mistakes . the truth is , the first authors of reports of this nature are oftentimes such as are either too ignorant of the language of those whose opinions they give an account of , to understand 'em aright , or not sufficiently knowing and judicious to distinguish rightly one opinion from another . but , upon the whole , if you please to reflect on all that has been hitherto said , and consider all things together , i am of opinion you will be very apt to lay down this proposition at the foot of the account , that the doctrine of the resurrection , as we now understand it , is an old universal doctrine , deriv'd down from noah , and grounded on the more ancient revelations of the antediluvian patriarchs . but why deriv'd down from noah ? why grounded ( perhaps you may ask ) on the ancient revelations of the antediluvian patriarchs ? might not the heathens receive this notion from the jews ? i know many modern writers , and some of the ancients , who contend that the doctrine of the resurrection was in some measure known to the gentiles , give this account of it , that they learnt it of the jews by reading the scriptures , or by conversing with some of that nation : but i leave it to your serious judgment , whether this account which i have given you of it , be not much more probable . how could so many different nations , nations so ancient and so remote from judaea , receive this doctrine , or their broken traditions concerning it , from the jews ? i could offer you many arguments , and , i think , pretty good ones , to confute that common and ill-grounded opinion , that most of those notions in which the ancient heathens agreed with the jews , were borrowed from them . but this is not a proper time for it . are you apt to suspect that the notices of the resurrection which we find among the heathens of these present times were received from the missionaries which the church of rome has of latesent abroad into the several parts of the world ? i must needs say , that , if i know any thing of these matters , i know that that could not be . will you say they were received from some christians , or mahometans , who in former times arriv'd in those countries ? this i grant may be true of some of ' em . but if you consider that before the times of christianity there were manifest foot-steps of this doctrine to be found amongst the heathens in divers parts of the world as well as in these days ; and that the ancient magi of the east did plainly assert it ; as you will be forced to acknowledge that the whole cannot be accounted for that way , so ( i think ) it will seem very probable that the present heathens themselves are beholding to their first ancestors , and not to any christians or mahometans , for what they know concerning it . i take no notice of another opinion very common amongst the fathers , that the doctrine of the resurrection may be learnt from natural reason . i should be very glad to have it well prov'd , that the doctrine of the resurrection might be discover'd to those heathens of whom we have spoken , by that light of nature . but for my part i utterly despair of it . i know of no natural reason , no light of nature so bright and shining as to discover this mystery ; and have therefore purposely forborn to make use of any of those arguments which the fathers , and some a of our modern writers are wont to produce from it . i look on this doctrine as one of those that could never be discovered but by an extraordinary revelation . should god be pleas'd to ask me , as he did the prophet , son of man , can these dry bones live ? i can only appeal to him for the truth of it , and must humbly answer in the prophet's words , lord god , thou knowest . i shall conclude this argument with a testimony of ( a ) st. peter , which confirms the notion which we have advanc'd . he affirms , that the resurrection was foretold by the prophets from the very beginning of the world. the heavens ( says he ) must receive christ untill the time of the restitution of all things : of which god hath spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , since the world began , or , from the beginning of the world. these traditions preserv'd among the heathens , i have placed here in the first station , as an out-guard upon my main force , the authorities of scripture which contains the same tradition of the resurrection derived down first from noah , and again confirmed and ratified anew by other revelations . i shall now in the next place draw this out , and give you a full view of it . i begin with the testimonies of the old testament , and the common opinion of the ancient jews . 't is confidently asserted by a menasseh ben israel , that the doctrine of the resurrection was always so receiv'd by the ancient jews , as that any one that denied it was rejected out of number of the israelites . but this is an assertion which i cannot undertake to defend : on the contrary , it must be confess'd that among the ancient jews there were many that did not ac-acknowledge it , who were lookt upon nevertheless as true israelites . 't will be worth our while to enquire into this matter , and the love of truth , which has all along been , and , i hope , will always be my guide , obliges me to do it . i shall shew , . that it was not always receiv'd among the jews as a necessary article of faith , or term of communion , and who they were that did not acknowledge it . . that tho' there were some amongst 'em that did not acknowledge it , and it was not always lookt upon as a necessary article of faith , yet it was the common and receiv'd opinion of that nation about the time of our saviour , as well before as after . . that the doctrine of the immortality of the soul was not receiv'd among the jews of those times , as a necessary article of faith , or term of communion : from whence it follows , that the doctrine of the resurrection is not therefore the less certain , because it was not always lookt upon by the jews as a necessary article of faith. . i shall shew that the doctrine of the resurrection is plainly alluded to in the prophecies of the old testament , and by them confirm'd . first , that the doctrine of the resurrection was not always receiv'd among the jews as a necessary article of faith , or term of communion , will appear from some of the following examples of such as did not acknowledge it . . the essens , a famous sect among the jews , consisting of no less than about * in number . that they did not acknowledge a resurrection , nor the re-union of the soul with any kind of body , may be easily gather'd from that account which josephus gives us of their doctrines concerning the soul. in his second a book of the jewish war , where he speaks very largely of 'em , having taken an occasion to speak of their being tormented by some of the roman soldiers ; in the midst ( says he ) of their sufferings they smil'd , and laughing at them that inflicted their torments , they gave up their souls with a great deal of constancy and chearfulness , as men that expected to * recover 'em again . this last expression may seem to intimate that they expected that their souls would be again united to their bodies , but from that which follows it appears that our author's meaning was otherwise . for they have ( says he ) a most certain opinion amongst 'em , that their bodies indeed are corruptible , and that their matter shall not be perpetual : but that their souls shall always have a being ; that , coming from out of the subtle ether , they are drawn down into their bodies by a natural sort of attraction , and there are detain'd as it were in prisons : but when they are freed from the bonds of flesh , as it were from a long enslavement , with a great deal of joy they ●…ee away on high . and as for good souls they agree with the greeks , that they dwell beyond the ocean , in a perfect enjoyment of happiness in a country free from all kind of grievance , from showers , snows , and heats , made insinitely pleasant by the western gales arising out of the ocean . but as for the souls of the wicked , they are sent into certain places expos'd to cold and tempests , there to remain in everlasting misery and torment . josephus a tells us , that in his youth he had made it his business to enquire into the doctrines of the particular sects , the essens , the sadduces , and the pharisees , and to learn their customs and ways of living , being conversant amongst 'em with great perseverance and application , that having inform'd himself of their several rules and placits , he might adhere to that sect which should please him best . it is therefore evident that he could not be ignorant of the true opinion of the essens : and this we must of necessity grant , that those essens at least with whom he had convers'd , profess'd the aforesaid opinion . it is not enough to say that josephus was a court-writer , and likely to misrepresent their opinions that they might seem to agree with the greeks and romans , among whom he liv'd : for that the aforesaid opinion might be really the opinion of the essens , will appear very probable from the next example , which is that of philo judaeus . secondly , that philo , the famous jew , who liv'd in the time of the apostles , and is call'd by his country-man josephus a a man every way glorious , and was in his own time so highly esteem'd by the jews of alexandria , where he liv'd , as to be sent their chief embassador to rome , to defend their cause against their enemies ; that he did not own the resurrection of the body , or that the soul is hereafter to be united for ever to another body , is from many places of his works undeniably evident . it is certain that according to the doctrine of plato , he look'd on the body as the prison of the soul , and he expresly asserts , that the purer sorts of souls do fly from the body as their gaol , and live for ever in a state of separation . if on any account it be true what was commonly said of him by the greeks , it is chiefly so in relation to the soul , a either plato philonizes or philo platonizes , either plato learn'd his philosophy of the jews , or else philo was a follower of plato . the last is the truth . let us hear now what philo says . in his book b concerning dreams , his philosophy is this 〈◊〉 that the air between the surface of the earth and the concave of the moon , is the place of the habitation of souls , which are there innumerable : of these there are some which descend to be join'd and united to mortal bodies , as many as are nearer to the earth , and desirous of union with ' em . after the time of separation assign'd by nature , and their return again up into the air , there are some still retain a desire of life and re-union , and these are again united to a body ( by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ) but others are weary of the vanity of life , and flee from the body as a grave or a prison , and nimbly flying into the upper regions of the ether , there fix their abode and habitation . in another a place of the same book , having cited those words which god spake to jacob in his dream : b and behold i am with thee , and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest , and will bring thee again into this land : for i will not leave thee until i have done that which i have spoken to thee of : on those words , and i will bring thee again into this land , according to his allegorizing way , he thus comments : this place ( says he ) is perhaps to be understood of the immortality of the soul ; for the soul having left its heavenly place , and travelling into the body , the father promises it , that he will not always suffer it to be held in prison , but will free it from its bonds , and bring it into its ancient country , neither will he cease to keep it till his promise be perfectly fulfill'd . and agreeably to this in another c book he says , that of the souls which are dwelling in the air , some are angels , and others descending into the body , as it were into a river , are sometimes overwhelm'd in its rapid gulphs , and sometimes bearing briskly up against 'em do first swim out , and then fly back to the place from whence they came . these ( says he ) are the souls of those who are taught some philosophy from on high , which continually from the beginning to the end desire the dissolution of that life which is by conjunction with the body , that they may obtain an incorporeal and an incorruptible life , with the unbegotten and incorruptible ( god. ) but those which are drown'd , are the souls of other men ; who neglecting wisdom , give themselves up to the uncertain blasts of fortune , which do not appertain to our better part , but only to our bodies , or else to such things as are voider than they of life , such as glory , and riches , and power , and honour , and those other things which men , that look not on that which is truly good , do fansie and paint to themselves by false and erroneous notions . thirdly , that many of the jews who held the immortality of the soul , did not own the resurrection of the body , may be further gather'd form a place of cornelius tacitus a the roman historian , where he describes the customs of that nation . he says thus of 'em in general : animasque proelio aut suppliciis peremptorum , aeternas puta●…t . they believe that the souls of such ( jews ) as are slain in battle , or put to death ( by the enemies of their religion ) are immortal . tho' he speaks in the same place of their custom of burying their dead bodies ( contrary to that of the romans , who were wont to burn their dead ) yet he speaks not a word of their believing the resurrection of those bodies . which he could not have omitted , if he had known that they believ'd it , it being so singular and extraordinary a thing ; and he could not ( one would think ) have been ignorant of it , if the jews had so generally held it as they did the immortality of the soul. fourthly , there were among the ancient jews certain natural philosophers , whom the rabbins are wont to call sapientes mecar , from their searching or enquiring after natural causes : to which appellation st. paul the apostle seems to have had respect in those words to the corinthians a : where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? where is the searcher ( or enquirer , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which we in our translation render the disputer ) of this world. so st. jerom indeed has render'd it * ubi enim sapiens ? ubi grammateus ? ubi causarum naturalium scrutatores ? of them it s affirm'd by * one of the learned rabbins , that they denied the existence of daemons , and that some of them asserted that all living things ( not only men , but all other animals ) shall after death rise again , their souls returning into other bodies after a certain space of many thousands of years . this opinion concerning the revolution of souls they borrow'd of the heathens , and tho' it were originally grounded on a tradition concerning the resurrection , yet the doctrine is not the same . fifthly , another sect that denied the resurrection was that of the sadduces . that they denied it i need not endeavour to prove . i shall only here tell ye , that tho' they did so , yet in the time of our saviour and his apostles , they were not look'd upon as hereticks by the jews , but were properly members of their body and communion . this i shall prove by and by . sixthly , there was another sect of the jews call'd hemero-baptists , who agreed , as epiphanius assures us , with the sadduces in denying the resurrection , and in their other tenets ; only in this they dissented from 'em , that they esteem'd it necessary , for the cleansing themselves from sin , to bathe themselves every day , both winter and summer : from whence they had their name . seventhly , that the prophet ezechiel himself did not fully rely on the doctrine of a future resurrection , but doubted once a little of it , as a doctrine at that time not sufficiently reveal'd , or almost forgotten , may be gathered from the answer which he return'd to that question of god almighty , son of man , can these ( dry ) bones live ? if the doctrine of the resurrection had been at that time the common and receiv'd doctrine , as it was afterwards in the time of our saviour , and the prophet had been fully assur'd of it , he would not have answer'd , as he did ; lord god , thou knowest : but roundly , as martha answer'd our saviour concerning the resurrection of her brother lazarus , i know , lord , that they can and will. 't is true , the words , thou knowest are capable of another interpretation , and may be so understood as to signifie , thou knowest that they can . but the true meaning seems to be otherwise , and they seem to import thus much : thou knowest whether they can or no ; i do not . eighthly , to these we may add the samaritans , who tho' they were not of the communion of the jews , were however the followers of the law of moses . if we may believe some of those ancient writers , who have given an account of their opinions , they were not only ignorant of the doctrine of the resurrection , but rejected likewise that of the immortality of the soul. this is positively asserted by a leontius , and long before him by b origen . but it does not seem to be true : for in the chronicon samaritanum they expresly own the immortality of the soul , and rewards and punishments in the next life ; and it 's plainly intimated by c st. cyril bishop of jerusalem , that they did not deny the immortality of the soul , but only doubted of it . but tho' they did not deny the immortality of the soul , yet certain it is , that they deny'd the resurrection of the body . in this all authors agree with origen and leontius above-cited , as st. cyril a , epiphanius , the author of the b recognitions ascrib'd to st. clement , and the c talmudists . secondly , tho' the doctrine of the resurrection was not always receiv'd by the jews as a necessary article of faith , or term of communion , as appears from some of the foregoing instances , yet 't is certain that about the time of our saviour , as well before as after , it was the receiv'd and common doctrine of that nation . this evidently appears from the following examples . . in the answers which the seven martyrs give their tormenters , which we read recorded in the second book of maccabees , there 's a clear and open profession of this doctrine : and it plainly appears from the answer of the third of those martyrs , that the resurrection which they expected was of the same humane body . being call'd to his torments , and holding out his hands , a these i had ( says he ) from heaven , and for his laws i despise 'em , and from him i hope to receive 'em again . this happen'd about years before christ. 't is true , i am not fully perswaded that these words were really spoken by that martyr . since there were not any jews then present who might think it worth their while to commit the words of those several martyrs to memory , it may be reasonably suppos'd that the speeches ascrib'd to 'em were made by the author of the history , as is usual with other historians . thus josephus in his history of those martyrs makes 'em speak quite different speeches ; so likewise the arabick history which is extant in the polyglot bible , and ( if i well remember ) the hebrew ben gorion ; all differing both from the book of maccabees , and from one another . yet this at least is to be concluded from these words , that when the second of maccabees was written , this doctrine was generally receiv'd , and 't was also then taken for granted , that at that time when those martyrs suffer'd , it was the general and receiv'd doctrine . how ancient that book is , we do not certainly know , but we know from clemens alexandrinus , who cites it , that it was extant within years after our saviour's pas●…ion ; and from the first and second chapters it may easily be gather'd , that it was written long before his nativity , before the jews were conquer'd by the romans . . we read in the same a book , that razis the jew , when he pluck'd out his own bowels , and cast 'em with his hands upon the throng , call'd upon the lord of life and spirit to restore him those again . . b i know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day . thus martha concerning her brother lazarus , when our saviour had told her that , tho' he then lay dead and buried , yet he should rise again . she knows it , she says , and does not at all doubt of it . . that it was the common and receiv'd opinion of the jews at that time , that the body in the resurrection would be truly a humane body , is farther evident from that question of the sadduces concerning the woman that had been married to seven brethren a , whose wife she should be in the resurrection ? . it 's evident likewise from that saying of one of the jews at the feast where christ was present in the house of one of the chief pharisees . when christ had told the pharisee that if he invited the poor , &c. he should be recompens'd at the resurrection of the just ; one of those that sate at meat with him made him this answer , b blessed is he that shall eat b●…ead in the kingdom of god. their opinion was , that they should eat and drink in the next life as well as in this . . josephus , the learned jew , who was born in the thirty seventh year after christ , professes himself a follower of the pharisees ; and in another place he tells us ( the place i shall produce hereafter ) that the pharisees own'd a transmigration of the soul out of one body into another : it should therefore seem that he himself also held it . but it is not necessary that because he chose rather to adhere to the sect of the pharisees , than to that of the essens or sadduces , he should therefore be in all things a pharisee . in his third * book of the war , he seems to intimate that the souls of the wicked shall not after death be re-conjoin'd to a body , but he plainly asserts that those of the good shall . and from this consideration he endeavours to disswade his companions from laying violent hands upon themselves . such souls ( says he ) as are pure and obedient , obtain the most holy place of heaven , whence after the great revolution of the world , ( or , after the circumvolution of many ages , ) they shall return , and again inhabit chast bodies . but they who lay violent hands upon themselves , their souls are cast into hell , and god punishes their sin in their posterity . whether he held the resurrection , or only the transmigration of the soul , we cannot from this place certainly conclude . but from another place of his works , ( if he were the true author of the book call'd maccabaica ) it appears very evidently that he own'd the resurrection . for he cites there that place of the prophet ezechiel a where he speaks , of the raising up of the dry bones . he tells us that the maccabees were encouraged by their mother with the hopes and assurance of a future life . she propos'd ( says he ) to her sons the saying of solomon , that god is the wood of life to them that do his will : and that of ezechiel : can these dry bones live ? neither did she omit that saying of moses in his song : i will kill , and i will make alive . and from hence it likewise appears , that josephus believ'd , that at that time when those martyrs suffer'd , the doctrine of the resurrecti●…n of the same humane body was the common and establish'd doctrine . and that this was the common opinion in his time , may be further gather'd from what he says concerning the opinion of the sect of the essens , that they had a most certain opinion amongst 'em , that their bodies indeed were corruptible , and that their matter should not be perpetual . this had been a very idle observation , if some others had not asserted the perpetuity of the body as well as of the soul. he therefore takes notice of that opinion of theirs , because it was contrary to the receiv'd and general opinion . . in the targum , or chaldee paraphrase of jonathan , who is placed by some in the same age with the apostles , there is mention made of the second death in hell , and that too of the body . for thus he paraphrases the sixth verse of the sixty fifth chapter of isaiah ; their vengeance shall be in hell , where the fire continually burns . behold it is written before me ; i will not give 'em an end in this life , but will be revenged on 'em for their sins , and deliver their bodies to the second death . and here i shall observe by the bye , that tho' josephus seems to intimate that the wicked are not to rise ; and many of the rabbins affirm the same thing : yet from hence it is manifest , that among the ancient jews , there were others of the contrary perswasion . and that in the time of the apostles this was the general and receiv'd opinion of the jews , is apparent from those words of st. paul in his apology to felix a : but this i confess unto thee , that i have hope towards god , which they themselves ( the jews ) also allow , that there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and unjust . . the chaldee paraphrase of the canticles has these words , c. . v. . the prophet salomon said , when the dead shall revive , it shall come to pass that the mount of olives shall be cleft , and all the dead of israel shall come out from thence : and the just too that died in captivity shall come through the way of the caverns under the earth , and shall come forth out of the mount of olives . it asserts that famous opinion , that the jews that die out of judaea , when they rise from the dead , are to pass through the caverns of the earth so far as judaea , and are there to rise . this shews that they believ'd the resurrection of the same humane body . this devolution of the dead , or rowling of the caverns ( as they are wont to call it ) is asserted by many of the ancient rabbins , and particularly in both their a talmuds . and tho' some of the moderns , as menasseh ben-israel , and several others , reject it , and are willing that what the ancients say concerning it , should be taken not literally , but in an allegorical sense , yet 't was certainly the opinion of many amongst ' em . and even at this day there are many that acknowledge it . and that ( as they tell us ) was the reason why jacob and joseph who died in egypt , were carried into canaan to be buried there , that they might not be obnoxious to the trouble of the caverns . hence it is that the bones of so many jews , who die in foreign countries , are carried by their friends into judaea . we are told by a a traveller of our own , that in what part soever they die , and are buried , their bodies must all rise to judgment in the holy land , out of the valley of jehosaphat , and that therefore the greater and richer sort of 'em , have their bones convey'd to some part thereof by their kindred or friends . by which means ( says he ) they are freed of a labour to scrape thither through the ground , which with their nails they hold they must , who are not there buried , or convey'd thither by others . b another assures us , that whole barks full of jews bones are wont to arrive at joppa to be interr'd at jerusalem . the reason he gives is this , because they imagine that the soul is delighted by it , and at the general judgment , they shall have a quicker dispatch . the same reason is given by a others . and by b thevenot we are told , that the jews who now live in jerusalem , give a chequin a day for permission to bury their dead in the valley of jehosaphat , that they may be the sooner dispatch'd at the day of judgment , because , as they believe , it will be held in that place . they think that they who are there buried will be sooner dispatch'd , because they are the first that will make their appearance , it requiring some time for those who are buried elsewhere , to come thither . . the a talmudical doctors declare , that to deny the resurrection is so great a sin , that they who deny it shall never rise . they tell us , b that cleopatra , queen of egypt , believ'd the resurrection , and that she propos'd r. meir this question , whether they that rise , shall rise naked , or with cloths on ? r. meir affirms , that they shall rise with their cloths on , the same in which they were buried . and the same is asserted by another very ancient doctor , c r. elieser . the d talmudists add , that one of the roman emperors objecting to r. gamaliel the difficulty of the resurrection of a body reduced to dust , a daughter of the rabbi undertook to give him an answer , to this purpose : there are with us ( says she ) two potters ; one makes vessels of water , the other of clay ; which of them is the best ? he that makes 'em of water , says the , emperor : then she : did god make man out of water , and shall he not much more be able to make him of clay ? a that a certain heretick ( or sadduce ) objecting the same difficulty to r. ammin , he return'd him an answer by this parable : a certain king ( says he ) commanded his servants to build him a palace in a place , where there was neither water nor earth , for mortar . it was done . that falling down , he commanded it to be built in a place where there was good store of both . they tell him , that they cannot do it . he in anger replies : what , when there was neither water nor earth for mortar , you could build one ; and now you have both , can you not do it ? if thou believest not ( says r. gamaliel ) get thee into the field , and see there a mouse , which to day is partly flesh and partly earth , but to morrow by a quick and sudden generation is become all flesh. perhaps thou may'st say , that that is done in some space of time. go therefore out upon the hill , thou shalt there see at present , but only one snail : to morrow when it has rain'd , thou shalt see the whole hill cover'd with snails . a that one saying to gebiha ben-pesisa , woe to you , ye villains , that say , that the dead shall live . what , do the living die , and shall the dead live ? he answer'd ; woe to you , ye wicked wretches , that deny that the dead shall live . since they , who once were not did afterwards exist , shall not they much more exist , who once had a being before ? thus the ancient doctors in the gemara . . of the articles or foundations of faith collected by a maimonides , and receiv'd by the whole nation of the jews long before his time , the last is this : that there will be a resurrection of the dead . and maimonides tells us that whoever denied any one of those articles , he is rejected out of the number of the israelites , and is branded with the name of heretick , and epicurean , and ought to be destroy'd . in the office of mourners , which is extant in the jews common-prayer-book entitled , the mahzor of the holy roman synagogue , they are directed , when they look upon the graves of any of their nation , to offer up this prayer : blessed be the lord our god , the king of the world , who form'd you with judgment , nourish'd you , preserv'd you alive , deliver'd you up unto death : who knows the number of you all , who will raise you up again , who will restore you again with judgment . blessed art thou , o lord , who givest life to the dead . † may thy dead live , with my dead body may they rise again . awake and rejoice ye that lie in the dust , because the a dew of the light is your dew , and the earth shall cast out the dead . the same prayer , or benediction , is pronounc'd likewise by the hazan , or minister of the synagogue , at the grave of one to be buried . in the prayer which is sung at the grave by the hazan , together with the rest of the congregation , ( which they call the justification of judgment ) they have these words : god is perfect in all his works . who will say unto him , what dost thou ? he who governs in things beneath , and in things above , who delivers up to death , who gives life , who brings down to the grave , and brings back again . to which they add those out of moses's song in b deuteronomy . see now that i , even i , am he , and there is no god with me . i kill , and i make alive . i wound and i heal . neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand . after the dead body is put into the grave , they bow themselves backward three times , and throw grass over their heads , signifying their hope of the resurrection with these words , out of isaiah , and your bones shall bud as the grass . after that , in the porch of the synagogue ; god shall destroy death for ever , and wipe away all tears from their eyes , and will take away their reproach from all the earth , for the lord hath spoken it . if i had a mind to transcribe the observations of a others , i could add to these , the testimonies of other rabbinical writers , but i content my-self to have presented you with my own observation . and from what has been laid before you it abundantly appears , first , that the doct●…ine of the resurrection has been look●… upon by the jews as a necessary article of their creed , from before the date of their talmuds . secondly , that tho' it was not receiv'd by 'em as an indispensible article of faith in the time of our saviour , and for some time before and after , yet even in those times it was the common and receiv'd doctrine . thirdly , that by the resurrection they always understood , not barely the re-conjunction of the soul with a body after death , but the resuscitation of the same humane body . i shall only add that the resurrection is acknowledged not only by the rabbinists or the followers of the talmud , which are much the greater number , but also by those that are call'd karraites , who follow only the scripture , disallowing traditions , and are therefore reckon'd by the talmudists as hereticks . these are said to be descended from the ancient sadduces . if so , it appears , that the sadduces themselves were at last convinced of their errour , and made proselytes to the doctrine of the resurrection . 't was about the end of the first century after our saviour's nativity , that the doctrine of the resurrection began to be reckon'd among the jews , as a necessary article of faith. i gather it thus . that it was not an article of faith till after the time of josephus , who liv'd till near the end of that century appears from hence , that neither the essens , nor the sadduces , were in his time accounted hereticks . and that it was receiv'd as a part of their creed before the year , appears from what we read in justin martyr's dialogue with trypho , p. , . it appears from thence that the doctrine of the resurrection , and that too of the same humane body , was at that time acknowledged by all such jews as were accounted orthodox , and that the sadduces , who denied it , were at that time rejected as heretioks . i should here ( philalethes ) have dismiss'd this point , but it comes now into my mind , that there are two things relating to the opinion of the jews , of which you desire particularly to be satisfied , which ought to be consider'd in this place . your queries are concerning the transmigration of souls out of one body into another by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whether that be not held by many of the jews ? and if so , whether they , that hold it , do not deny the resurrection of the body ? how that opinion can be consistent with this ? to the first of these queries i must answer in the affirmative . it is very true , that the transmigration of souls out of one body into another , is by many of the jews , both ancient and modern , maintain'd . they call it the revolution of souls , or the secret of the revolution . leo modena speaks of it as of a common opinion , but he adds withal , that there are many that do not believe it . and the author b of the present state of the jews in barbary , takes notice of it as receiv'd by the jews of those parts . another traveller observes that it 's likewise receiv'd among the jews of asia . of the learned jews that assert it menasseh ben-israel is one , and the famous abarbinel another . it 's likewise asserted by the ancient cabbalists in the zoar , and by the c talmudists themselves . the cabbalists tell us , that the soul of adam , david , and the messias , is one and the same . we are told by others , that a phineas , the grand-son of aaron , and elias the prophet were the same man : by which they must mean , either that the soul of phineas pass'd into the body of elias , or that phineas did not die , but that having lain hid for many ages , or having been translated , he afterwards appear'd again , and was call'd elias . it may seem more probable , that they believ'd the first , and it 's generally taken for granted by learned men that they did so : yet i cannot be confident of it : for i find that some of the rabbins b had this tradition and opinion amongst 'em , that phineas liv'd many ages . the reason they give for the transmigration of souls , is the same with that which is generally assign'd by the heathens , viz. that the soul may be purg'd and amended . but they do not hold , as the heathens did , that the soul transmigrates into many bodies . they restrain it to three . thus the soul of adam ( they will tell ye ) was purg'd by passing into the body of k. david , and by passing again into the body of the messias , will be fully and perfectly purified . a modern * traveller tells us that this was the opinion of certain jews of asia , with whom he convers'd ; that the soul , if it has not at first forgiveness , is twice more sent into a body to amend and become better , and then is rejected or receiv'd by god according to its deserts . that the soul is to pass into three several bodies , they prove from those words of job : † lo , all these things worketh god thrice ( which we render , oftentimes ) with man. and of the transmigration they understand the chaldee paraphrase of isaiah , chap. . v. . where mention is made of the * second death . neither is it only the transmigration of the soul into other human bodies that is own'd and receiv'd among the jews . there are some amongst 'em , that , like thorough-pac'd pythagoreans , make it pass into the bodies of brutes . a holstenius assures us that he himself had convers'd with some in italy , that asserted it very zealously , and prov'd it from the story of k. nebuchadnezar , whose soul they affirm'd to have really past into the body of a beast . they prov'd it likewise from those words of the psalmist b deliver my soul from the sword , my darling from the power of the dog. where the prophet ( say they ) begs of god , that his soul being loos'd from its body , might not pass into a dog , or any other brute . it appears from the testimony of josephus , that the opinion of the transmigration of the soul into another humane body by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , was receiv'd among the jews even in his time , and that too by many of the pharisees themselves . in his second book concerning the jewish war , where he gives us a particular account of the dogma's of the several sects among the jews , he affirms of the pharisees ( in general ) that they held a that all souls are immortal , that those only of good men pass into another body , but those of bad men are eternally punished . and agreeably to this , in the eighteenth book of his antiquities , where he likewise gives an account of the opinions of the several sects , b the pharisees ( says he ) believe that the souls of men , both good and bad , are immortal , that they have judgment pass'd upon 'em under the ground , according to their behaviour in this life , and that those of bad men are retain'd in perpetual imprisonment ; but to those of the good there is given the power of returning to life . from the words of philo judaeus , which i but now produced , it appears that he likewise acknowledg'd it . 't is believ'd by some learned men , that this opinion of the transanimation was commonly receiv'd , even in the time of our saviour , among the jews . but i am rather of opinion , that this part of the platonical philosophy began to be receiv'd just after our saviour's time , and that philo , and those pharisees with whom josephus had convers'd , were the first that taught it . that it was not known to the jews in the time of our saviour , i gather from the answer which nicodemus , the pharisee , made him , when he had told him that no man can see the kingdom of god , except he be born again . a man be born again ! it seem'd to the pharisee a very strange saying . * how ( says he ) can a man be born again ? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb , and be born ? had the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , whereof we discourse , been at that time known and acknowledged among the jews , how could he who was a master in israel express so much wonder at the hearing of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned ? to this we may add , that there is not any argument produced to shew , that this pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was receiv'd among the jews in the time of our saviour , but what is ineffectual , and grounded on a mistake . in the gospel of † st. matthew , it is said , that our lord asking his disciples , whom do men say , that i the son of man am ? they told him , that some said he was john the baptist , some elias , and others jeremias , or one of the prophets . in the gospel of * st. mark it is plainly intimated , that the most common opinion concerning him was , that he was john the baptist. he askt his disciples , whom do men say that i am ? and they answer'd , john the baptist. but some say elias , and others , one of the prophets . this opinion of the people concerning our saviour , some learned commentators , as munster , maldonatus , and drusi●…s , take to be grounded on the pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as if they imagin'd , that the soul of john the baptist , or of elias , or some other of the prophets , had entred into his body in his conception . but how could they imagine it of the soul of john the baptist , whom they knew to be just then put to death ? 't is very certain , that they who took him to be john the baptist , believ'd that john , who was beheaded a little before , had risen again out of his grave . and that this was their opinion , appears moreover from what † st. matth. says of king herod , that hearing of the fame of jesus , he said unto his servants , this is john the baptist ; he is risen from the dead , and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him . st. luke expresly asserts , that the people who took him to be john the baptist , believ'd that the baptist had risen from the dead * : now herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him : and he was perplext , because it was said of some , that john was risen from the dead : and of some that elias had appeared : and of others that one of the old prophets was risen again . as for those that thought him to be elias , their fancy was grounded on the expectation the jews had of the coming of that prophet again upon earth , according to that of the prophet malachi † : behold i will send you elias the prophet . they believ'd he would come again , not by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but in the same body in which he was translated . when st. luke says , that they thought elias had appear'd , he plainly intimates , that they thought he had descended in his body , not been born again . it is said in † st. john , that the jews sent priests and levites from jerusalem to john the baptist , to know who he was , whether christ , or elias , or that prophet ? grotius in his comment on this place , believes , that when they askt him , whether he was elias ? they imagin'd he might be elias sent down from heaven , but they ( says he ) that askt him that question , shew'd plainly that they did not ●…ow , of what father and mother he was born , or at least doubted of it . but in another place of his * comments his opinion is otherwise . he proves from this place that the jews before christ , acknowledged a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and from them he thinks that pythagoras borrow'd his opinion . that they could not think john to be elias any otherwise than by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he proves from this consideration , that , he being of the sacerdotal order , they could not but know him very well . but to this i answer , that tho' he was of the sacerdotal order , yet he might very well be unknown to the jews that then dwelt at jerusalem . how could that be ? † st. luke will answer for me : from his youth he was in the deserts , 'till the day of his shewing unto israel . another place from whence * some inferr , that the transmigration of souls was receiv'd among the jews in those times , is st. john ix . . where we read that jesus passing by , and seeing a man who was blind from his birth , his disciples askt him saying ; master , who did sin , this man or his parents , that he was born blind ? but it is not necessary , that , because the disciples believ'd that he sinned before he was born , they should therefore believe , that his soul had been before that united to a body . it is much more probable , that they thought his soul might have sinned in its solitary state of pre-existence , and was therefore sent down into such a body . that this was their fancy , is agreed by most commentators , st. cyril of alexandria , and grotius himself ; and it cannot be denied but that the doctrine of the pre-existence of the soul was in those times receiv'd among the jews . sure i am , it is at this time their common and established doctrine . i mention'd but now certain natural philosophers among the jews , who were call'd sapientes mecar , and that there seem to have been some so call'd in the time of the apostles . it is probable there were such even before those times . it may seem from what i said of 'em , that some of 'em believ'd the pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . but granting that some of 'em did so , yet it does not appear , that those that did so were some of the most ancient , such as lived in our saviour's time , or before . they might live long after those times , and i am of opinion that they did . to your second query , which is concerning the consistency of the two opinions , this of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and that of the resurrection , how one can be consistent with the other ? my answer is this : those jews that hold the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , do all , as well as the rest , acknowledge the resurrection , but with this difference : they do not acknowledge the resurrection of all humane bodies ( for that cannot be ) but they tell ye , that either the first or the last of those bodies , to which the same soul has been united , shall rise . abarbinel is of opinion that the resurrection is to be of the first ; but so is not menasseh ben-israel ; he alledges , that this does not agree with the doctrine of the ancient zoar. the cabbalists there declare for the last . and their words are these : r. hisquiha says , if you tell me that all bodies shall awake and rise again , pray tell me what will be become of those bodies which were inform'd by one and the same soul ? r. joseph answer'd : as for those bodies which have deserv'd nothing , nor done any good , they shall be so dealt with as if they had never had a being , and because they were as a dry tree in this world , they shall also be as such in that which is to come . but the last body that was inform'd by the soul , shall rise again , because it was planted , and brought forth fruit , and took root as it ought . i am now in the next place to shew , that , tho' the doctrine of the resurrection was not receiv'd by the jews as a necessary article of faith 'till after our saviour's time , yet it ought not to be lookt upon as the less certain on that account . and this i shall make out by shewing , that 'till after our saviour's time there was nothing among them thought a necessary article of faith , or term of communion , but only the believing and owning the law of moses , and the worshipping in the temple of jerusalem ; that the immortality of the soul it-self was not receiv'd by 'em as a necessary article of faith , or term of communion . the truth of this will evidently appear , if we can prove , that the sadduces , who denied not only the resurrection of the body , but also the immortality of the soul , were admitted by the jews of those times as members of their communion and true israelites . now that this was so , is apparent from these following considerations . first , in the acts of the apostles it is said , that , when peter and john were preaching to the people in the temple , * the priests and the captain of the temple , and the sadduces came upon 'em , being griev'd that they taught the people , and preach'd through jesus the resurrection of the dead . and in the chapter following , that there being a continual flocking of the people to the apostles , the high-priest rose up and all they that were with him ( which is the sect of the sadduces ) and were fill'd with indignation . by which two places it appears , that the sadduces in those days were the companions and associates of the captain of the temple and the priests ; and not only so , but were also the most intimate associates of the high-priest himself . which surely could never have been , had they been look'd upon as hereticks and out of their communion . secondly , it appears from the chap. of the same book , that a part of their sanhedrin it self , their great and sacred council , consisted of sadduces , that one part was pharisees and the other saddnces . nay , from thence we may gather that the doctrine of a future life might as well have been condemn'd by the sanhedrin as the contrary doctrine : else how could st. paul cry out to the pharisees , that concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead he was there call'd in question . he means not strictly the resurrection of the body , but the immortality of the soul and the life to come . thirdly , the sadduces were not only the intimate associates of the inferior priests and the high-priests themselves , and members likewise of the sanhedrin , but they were also advanc'd to the dignity of high-priests , and own'd as such by all the jews in general . josephus is my witness that † ananus the younger , who was high-priest in the time of the emperor nero , was by sect a sadduce , and that long before him , ( above years before christ ) ( a ) hyrcanus , the first of that name , from a pharisee became a sadduce . fourthly , josephus tells us , that though the sadduces were but few in number , yet generally the b better sort of people , or persons of considerable quality , were of that sect. a learned jew , with whom i once discours'd concerning this point , in answer to these arguments , was pleas'd to tell me , that the reason why in those times the sadduces were admitted into the sanhedrin , and into the high-priesthood , was because of the over-ruling and arbitrary power of the heathen governours , and that sect being in an especial manner encouraged by the supream governours , it was on that account embrac'd by such as were of the greatest quality . in answer to which , i might observe , that , in the time of hyrcanus , judaea was not in subjection to any heathen governour ; neither does it appear that the sadduces were peculiarly favour'd and promoted by the roman prefects . if they were , how came it to pass that in so long a time , and among so many high-priests , there was only one sadduce advanced to that dignity . but i pass by these considerations , and for a full reply to this evasion , shall referr you to the following arguments . fifthly , though ' the sadduces were members even of the holy sanhedrin , and one of the high-priefts had openly declar'd for that sect , and another , that openly profess'd it , had been advanc'd to that honour , yet we do not any where read that any of the learned jews thought it unlawful or remonstrated against it . josephus indeed tells us , that a the sadduces had not any power to speak of in the government , but that when they were advanc'd to any place of command , though unwillingly and by compulsion , they profess'd themselves pharisees , because the common people would not otherwise endure ' em . this place may seem to make directly against me : but in reality it does not . on the contrary it makes directly for me : for first , it appears from hence , that they were not peculiarly favour'd and upheld by their heathen governours . secondly , it appears that it was not the learned part of the nation , but only the common people , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that would not endure to be under ' em . though ●…t was not a matter of conscience , yet the people who had firmly embrac'd the doctrine of the resurrection and a future life , so much hated the opposers of it , as not to endure to be under their government . that it was not through a principle of conscience ( as if it had been unlawful and a sin to be govern'd by 'em ) that the people were so averse to 'em , but only because the people were acted and govern'd by their passions , may from hence appear , that they could not endure to be under 'em in matters purely civil , such as did not relate to any of their religious ri●…ts . josephus speaks of government in general . to this we may add , that it plainly appears that even the common people themselves were sometimes contented to be under their government , and to obey 'em as high-priests and members of their sanhedrin . josephus speaking of the high-priest hyrcanus his turning sadduce , observes , that on that account the a common-people hated both him and his sons . he does not say , that they thought it unlawful to be subject to such a high-priest : but that they hated him . it should seem by what he says of their hating his sons , as well as himself , on the account of his turning sadduce , and abolishing the institution of the pharisees , that his sons themselves as well as their father , adher'd to that , sect : yet at least two of 'em were after their father successively high-priests . sixthly , josephus , though himself a pharisee , is so far from thinking hyrcanus a heretick and uncapable of the high-priesthood , because he was a sadduce , that just after the account which he gives of his conversion to that sect , he has these words concerning him . having appeas'd the sedition , ( which was rais'd for the sake of the pharisees ) and living afterwards happily and governing excellently well , he died after he had been high-priest one and thirty years , leaving behind him five sons , being judg'd by god worthy of the three greatest honours , the government of the nation , the dignity of the high-priesthood , and the gift of prophety . for he had communication with the deity , and had given him the power of foreknowing things to come . in somuch that he fore-told that his two eldest sons should not long enjoy the principality after him . the same author speaking of the three several sects of the jews , the pharisees , sadduces and essens , calls 'em the three several sects of the jewish philosophy . a there were three sorts of philosophy that obtain'd long since among the jews , that of the essens , that of the sadduces , and a third of the pharisees . again in another place a , there was one simon , a galilean , that instituted a particular sect , not at all agreeing with the rest . for there were three sorts of philosophy profess'd among the jews , one by the pharisees , another by the sadduces , and a third by the essens . 't is plain that he look'd upon these three sects to be no other among the jews than those several sects of philosophers were amongst the greeks ; and that the sadduces were no more accounted hereticks among the former , than the epecureans or stoicks were among the latter . i must here add what i have already observ'd to you , that josephus tells us , in his life , b that he had applied himself in his youth to these three several sects , that having fully inform'd himself of their several placits and institutions , he might adhere to that which should please him best . so indifferent a thing was it to the learned jews , whether they were of this , or that , or the other . he might have profess'd either of 'em , and been still a true jew , but the tenets of the pharisees best pleas'd him . i have already told you what time it was that the sadduces first began to be condemn'd and rejected as hereticks by the rest of the jews , that it was about the end of the first age after christ , just after josephus's death : i shall now only remark , that the day on which they were ejected out of the sanhedrin , which was the seventh of the month sebat , or january , is remembred in the jewish kalendar as a holy-day . the fourth and last thing i propos'd to do , relating to the opinions of the jews , was to shew , that the doctrine of the resurrection , and that too of the same humane body , was not only the common and receiv'd doctrine of the jews in the time of our saviour , and as well before as ever since , but is likewise alluded to by the prophets themselves . eusebius in his comment on the fifth verse of the first psalm , where there is mention made of the resurrection and judgment ; * observe ( says he ) that david first clearly taught a resurrection and judgment , and a promise of a future life , moses having deliver'd no such matter . another of the ancients will not own that david himself speaks any where of the resurrection . 't is the greek scholiast on the sixty . fifth psalm , which has this inscription * , the song of the psalm of the resurrection . on this inscription , or title , he has these words : † the resurrection of the dead is not here meant ( for david does not seem to have taught it any where ) but they that made this title , by the word resurrection seem to have meant the return of the jews out of the babylonish captivity . the author of the * clementine recogni tions makes abraham the first that taught it . what my opinion is , that it was revealed and known to the prophets before the flood , and by noah transmitted down to his posterity , i have already told you : i doubt not but that it was known by that means to abraham , and from him convey'd down to the jews , who were his posterity . but as this tradition was clearly worn out , and utterly lost in some nations , and in almost all others much alter'd and corrupted , so even among the jews , tho' it was always ( so i think ) the common and receiv'd doctrine , yet the certainty of it , and the necessity of believing it , was doubted of by many . that abraham believ'd , that god was able to raise the dead , and that his son isaac should have been rais'd up again , if he had been sacrificed , the author to the † hebrews assures us . by faith abraham when he was tried offer'd up isaac : and he that had receiv'd the promises , offer'd up his only begotten son , of whom it was said , that in isaac shall thy seed be called . accounting that god was able to raise him up , even from the dead . i shall not trouble you with those several places which the a jewish doctors are wont to produce out of the books of moses , to demonstrate the resurrection . they are generally very idle and impertinent observations . and so ( to speak the truth ) are many of those which are wont to be produc'd by some of our own b writers . i shall lay before you only some few places out of the old testament , which seem to me to contain very manifest allusions to , and proofs of , this doctrine . . see now , that i , even i , am he , and there is no god with me ; i kill , and i make alive ; i wound and i heal . thus god , by the mouth of moses in his song . deut. . . . the lord killeth and maketh alive , he bringeth down to the grave , and bringeth up . hannah , the mother of samuel , in her song , sam. . . . thy dead shall live , together with my dead body shall they arise : awake and sing , ye that dwell in dust : for thy dew is as the dew of herbs , and the earth shall cast out the dead , isaish . . . the fourth place is that of ezech. where he speaks of the valley full of dry bones , that at the word of the lord , the bones came together , bone to his bone , the sinews and the flesh came up upon 'em , and the skin cover'd 'em above , and the breath came into the bodies , and they liv'd , and stood up upon their feet . 't is agreed among the rabbins , that in all these four places of scripture , the resurrection is foretold : and the first , and this last are cited for it by josephus himself . the rabbins have amongst 'em an opinion , that the bones , of which ezechiel here speaks , were really rais'd up , and restor'd to life , and they mention the names of some , who ( they say ) were descended from those that were then rais'd to life . menasseh ben-israel tells us , that the sadduces were wont to interpret these places of isaish and ezechiel , of the temporal redemption of the people of israel . and so this prophecy of ezechiel is expounded by origen , against whose opinion concerning an ethereal body , it would make directly , if understood of the resurrection . the same dry bones are said to come together bone to its bone , and to be cover'd with flesh , &c. i am not unwillingly to grant , that both those prophecies are primarily intended of a temporal redemption of the people of israel : i freely own that they are . but at the same time , i dare appeal to any unprejudiced person , whether they do contain a clear and evident allusion to the doctrine of the resurrection , and are secondarily intended of it . . another place is that of the prophet daniel : * and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth , shall awake , some to everlasting life , and some to shame and everlasting contempt : which is generally understood of the resurrection , not only by our own writers , but likewise by all the rabbins . i must freely acknowledge , that the word many makes this text very difficult . i know what the expositors say , but i am not satisfied with any thing that i have hitherto met with . some tell us , that many is sometimes used in the scripture to signify all , as in the fifty third of isaiah , where christ is said to bear the sins of many , and afterwards it is said that he bare the sins of us all : so , say they , in the ninety seventh psalm , verse . the many isles ( as it is in the original ) signifies all the isles . but this does not clear the difficulty . for there is a great deal of difference between many and many of . all they that sleep in the dust are many : but many of them that sleep in the dust , cannot be said to be all they that sleep in the dust. so , the many isles , and , many of the isles , are two quite different expressions . many of , does plainly except some . i was once enclin'd to believe , and the fancy was grounded on this text , that there may be some who shall not be rais'd up at all at the last day : and who were they ( think you ) who i fansied were not to rise ? such heathens as live morally well , and according to the light that is given ' em . i was loath to rank 'em among the miserable , and i could not see how they could be sav'd . i was willing therefore to believe that there might be some middle way contriv'd by providence , and that was annihilation . i was willing to believe , that as all wicked men , of whatsoever sect or denomination , are to rise to damnation , and all good men that are within the covenant of grace , are to rise to salvation ; so those good men , who are not within the covenant , shall not rise at all , but be utterly annihilated . but this was a fancy of but one moment only . it was presently dash'd and confuted by our saviour's express assertion , that all they that are in the grave shall rise , some to salvation , and others to damnation . on these accounts i should willingly close with those expositors who understand this text , not primarily of the resurrection , but of the deliverance of the jews from those burdens and pressures they were under in the reign of king antiochus ; and so by the word everlasting , understand only long , as ( you know ) it is often used . but on this side too there occurs a very great difficulty . for if it were spoken of the deliverance of the jews from their sufferings and persecu●…ions , how could it be said , that some shall awake to shame and contempt . i must own my ignorance , how confident soever some others may be ; and shall only make this remark , that if it were meant of the temporal restitution of the jews , yet in the expression there seems to be a plain allusion to the doctrine of the resurrection . 't is at least a metaphor taken from that doctrine , which was then entertain'd among the jews . and grotius himself acknowledges , that though not primarily , yet secondarily it is a prophecy concerning it . i know that my redeemer liveth , and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth . and though after my skin , worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall i see god : whom i shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another , though my reins be consum'd within me . job xix . , &c. this place i have already mention'd , to shew that the resurrection was known to the ancient arabians , supposing that it is rightly translated ( which i am not very confident of ) and that they were really the words of job . i now produce it , ( on the same supposition ) as the testimony of an inspired writer . it is generally understood by our writers of the resurrection , so it is by our church in the office of burial ; so it was by a st. clement bishop of rome , and by b origen himself : but so it is not by any of the jewish doctors , though to prove the resurrection they are wont to catch at very small things . they all understand it of the happiness of the next life without any respect to the resurrection of the body . if we follow the vulgar latin , we cannot understand it any otherwise than of the resurrection . for i know that my redeemer liveth , and that at the last day i am to rise from the earth . and i shall be again cover'd with my skin ; and in my flesh i shall see my god. whom i my-self shall see , and my eyes , and not another , shall behold him . this hope is fixt in my bosom . the greek translation is thus : for i know that he is everlasting , who shall deliver me on earth , and raise up my skin that suffered these things . for all these things have been done upon me by the lord. of all which i am conscious ; my eye has seen 'em , and not another : and they have been all done unto me in my bosom . for , raise up my skin , the alexandrian copy has , and he shall raise up my body . but origen's copies agreed with that which is published . st. clement of rome reads it thus : thou shalt raise up my flesh , which has suffered all these things . the chaldee paraphrase has it thus : and i know that my redeemer lives , and hereafter his redemption will arise upon the dust. and after my skin shall be puft up , this shall be . and in my flesh i shall see god again . whom i am to see for my-self , and my eyes shall see him and not another . my reins are consum'd within me . the syriack thus : i know indeed that my saviour lives , and that in the end he will appear upon earth . and these things straiten'd ( or encompass'd ) my skin and my flesh. if my eyes shall see god , they will see light . my reins are quite perish'd within me . this has nothing at all relating to the resurrection . and the learned grotius , and others , are very positive , that this place cannot be understood of the resurrection without wresting the hebrew very much . the a translation , which he gives us of it , is different from all others : and he expounds it of job's sudden restitution to his former health and temporal prosperity . you may read this exposition oppos'd in our learned bishop pearson's comment on the creed . he calls it a very new one : but in that he 's mistaken : for 't is no more than what a st. chrysostom long ago thought on , and did not dislike . having laid these several translations and expositions before you , i shall leave this text to your judgment , without pretending to decide the controversy . if you will not understand it of the resurrection , yet what i undertook to make out , seems from other places sufficiently clear . i shall close this part of my discourse , which is concerning the traditions of the jews , and the testimonies of the old testament , with an observation concerning that argument , which our saviour makes use of out of the books of moses , to prove the resurrection against the sadduces . as touching the resurrection ( says he ) of the dead , have you not heard that which was spoken unto you by god , saying ; i am the god of abraham , the god of isaac , and the god of jacob ? god is not the god of the dead , but of the living . the most that this argument proves , is the immortality of the soul , that the souls of abraham , isaac , and jacob did not die with their bodies , as the sadduces believ'd : from whence i observe , that it was not so much the resurrection of the body , as the immortality of the soul , that the sadduces stuck at , and that if it could be once prov'd out of the books of moses that the soul was immortal and did not die with the body , they were ready and willing to grant that there would be a resurrection of the body . our saviour thought it would be enough to convince 'em of the resurrection of the body , if they could but be convinc'd of the immortality of the soul. if the doctrine of the resurrection were not so clearly reveal'd to the jews as to be always own'd as a necessary article of faith , if they saw it through a glass but darkly and obscurely ; yet it is not so with christians . if they knew but in part , and prophesy'd but in part , yet he being come , which is perfect , that which was only in part , is to us done away . i shall now in the next place demonstrate the doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body to be the doctrine of the gospel . and this i shall do by shewing , first , that it is the doctrine of the new testament . secondly , that it is the doctrine of the primitive fathers . the arguments which i shall draw from the new testament , are these : first , our saviour's own testimony concerning the place from whence the resurrection is to be . a marvel not at this : for the hour is coming , in the which all that are in the graves , shall hear his voice , and shall come forth , they that have done good , unto the resurrection of life , and they that have done evil , unto the resurrection of damnation . this is a plain and express declaration that the body that lies in the grave is to rise again . to the same purpose st. john in the revelations b , and the sea gave up the dead which were in it , and death and hell ( i. e. the grave ) deliver'd up the dead which were in them : and they were judg'd every man according to their works . 't is confess'd by origen himself , that the bodies , to which our souls are to be united in the resurrection , will be rais'd up out of the graves where the dead are reposited : yet he advances an hypothesis , which supposes a diversity of particles . he tells us , as c st. methodius and d st. jerom represent his opinon , that as a grain of corn , that is sown , has a a natural principle or faculty , by which it attracts the particles of matter that lie near it , and so grows up , and produces new corn : so in the substance of our bodies , that lies dissolv'd in the grave , there remain certain semina resurrectionis ; a certain power and faculty , by which , in the day of judgment , at the sound of the trump , the dead shall in a moment grow up . there shall spring up , he says , from those seeds not the same flesh , but another , and with a form different from what we now have . the same hypothesis he maintains in his work against celsus c : we say that as the blade springs up from a grain of wheat , so in the body there is a certain natural principle or faculty , which as it is never corrupted it-self , so there springs up from it an incorruptible body . and the same we find again in a † fragment produced by pamphilus , out of his second book concerning the resurrection . yet there he says , that after the resurrection we shall be the very same men. the foundation of this hypothesis of origen , is st. paul's comparing our resurrection to the growing of corn ; of which i shall speak by and by , and shew how unreasonable it is to argue against the identity of the body from that comparison . to shew the absurdity of this hypothesis , let us suppose that the body was never buried , but expos'd in the air , or perfectly burnt to ashes , or drown'd and dissolv'd in the sea , and let this be done some thousands of years ago : i would ask an origenist , where are then his principia resurrectionis ? 't is impossible to conceive any such semina resurgendi , unless we will suppose that there always remains some little part of the body undissolv'd . and therefore some of the jews , who will have the body to be made up in the resurrection by growing as out of a seed ( and from whom origen seems to have borrow'd his notion ) tell us , that there is a certain little bone in the body of a man ( they call it * luz ) which can never be dissolv'd . but in such cases as we suppose , it is highly probable , that there may not be remaining , after so many motions and transmutations , any two particles or atoms united together , which were united in the body when alive . at least it cannot be imagin'd , that there can remain so many particles united together as are necessary to the making up of such a semen . to this you may add , that the earth is the proper and natural matrix of the seeds of corn , and the like , in which it is design'd by nature that they should germinate , and produce their kind : but the body of a man is naturally begotten and form'd after a quite different manner . it is therefore very absurd to imagine , that because the grains of corn contain such semina within 'em as may germinate and bring forth in the earth , therefore likewise in the particles of a man's body there may be such natural semina from whence a new body may rise . i need not observe , that if our bodies had any such natural semina , it must thence follow , that the body which rises or springs up , would be , not of a different kind from that which was buried , as origen would have the rising body to be , but altogether of the same , since the seeds of all things do naturally produce their own kind . from a humane body there would spring up a humane body , not a subtle and ethereal one . the socinians ( who deny the resurrection of the same body ) to avoid the force of this argument which has been urg'd for it , are forc'd to deny that our saviour there speaks of the real resurrection . they affirm , that he only spake of a spiritual resurrection , and that only the graves of ignorance and impiety are there intended . but this evasion is very well confuted by a * very great man , who observes , that this exposition cannot possibly agree with what christ says . he speaks expresly of bringing men to judgment , and divides those which are to come out of their graves into two ranks , neither of which can be so understood . the first are those which have done good , before they come out of the graves ; these therefore could not be the graves of ignorance and impiety , from which no good can come . the second are those which have done evil , and so remain as evil doers , and therefore cannot be said to have come sorth out of the graves of ignorance and impiety , or to rise by the preaching of the gospel , to newness of life , because they are expresly said to come forth unto the resurrection of damnation . and that those words ought to be understood not of a spiritual resurrection , but of that which shall be at the last day , is confess'd and proved by * some of the socinians themselves . i need not add , that the words of st. john , which i have cited out of the revelations , are beyond all dispute concerning the real resurrection in the day of judgment . neither shall i observe , that if both these places were to be understood in a metaphorical sense , yet even the allusion or metaphor would afford a sufficient argument : for our saviour , or st. john , would not have alluded to this doctrine after such a manner , if it had not been true . ii. my second argument shall be taken from those words of our saviour in st. mat. † and fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. here he plainly declares that the body which will be in hell is the same with that which might have been kill'd . iii. my third argument is those words of our saviour in the same evangelist * , and if thy right eye offend thee , pluck it out , and cast it from thee : fot it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish , and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. and if thy right hand offend thee , cut it off , and cast it from thee : for it is profitable , &c. he tells us here , not only that the body , which will be cast into hell , is numerically the same , but also that it will have all the same limbs and parts . to these express testimonies of our lord , we may add these two following observations concerning him : iv. first , that when he had told martha that her brother lazarus should be rais'd up out of his grave to life , and she replied , that she knew that he would rise again in the resurrection at the last day , speaking plainly of the very same body that then lay dead ; he seems by his silence , to assent to what she said . v. secondly , that when the sadduces propos'd him the question concerning the seven brethren who had married the same woman , whose wife she should be in the resurrection ? he does not take notice of any error the jews were guilty of in supposing the body would be a humane body ; but only corrects 'em as to their fancy concerning marriages in the next life : for in the resurrection they neither marry , nor are given in marriage , but are as the angels of god in heaven . — as the angels of god in heaven ? yes : but he does not mean , as † origen understands it , in respect to the nature and substance of their bodies , but in reference to * marriage , which was the subject of the question . had he intended the nature and substance of their bodies , or if he had dislik'd the common and receiv'd opinion concerning the humanness ( if i may use that word ) of the rising body , he would not have used those words , but such as these : for in the resurrection they neither marry , nor have humane bodies , as your question supposes , but are , &c. vi. my sixth argument shall be the express testimony of st. paul , ‖ this corruptible must put on incorruption , and this mortal must put on immortality . that body which in this life is mortal and corruptible , * the same in the next life shall devest it-self of those qualities , and put on others , those of immortality and incorruptibility . to the same purpose are several other places of the same apostle . vii . the seventh shall be taken from the testimony of the same apostle concerning those that shall be living at the day of judgment . he tells us that they who are then living shall not die , but only be chang'd or alter'd . it is therefore certain that the bodies of those that shall be then living , will continue the very same as to substance , tho' changed or alter'd as to qualities . it cannot be imagin'd that the change will be of all the substance ; that the whole body will be in a moment destroy'd , and the soul be invested with new matter . for the soul to be separated from all the substance of its body together , what is that else but to die ? but the apostle expresly assures us , that we shall not all die , but some will only be chang'd . what can be more plain than those words of the same apostle a ? the dead in christ shall rise first , then we ( i. e. they ) which are alive and remain , shall * be caught up together with them in the clouds , to meet the lord in the air : and so shall we ever be with the lord. now since the bodies of that generation which shall be living at the last day , are to consist of the same individual particles , how is it credible that the bodies of those that are rais'd shall be made up of new ? is it credible that there will be in heaven such a disparity ? that some shall retain their old bodies , others have new ones ? a the dead ( says the apostle ) shall be rais'd incorruptible , and they that are living shall be chang'd : the reason he gives is the same for both ; for this corruptible must put on incorruption , &c. and from thence it is evident , that as are the bodies of those that are only changed , such will be the bodies of those that rise . but how does this agree with that comparison , which the same apostle makes , between the resurrection of our bodies , and the growing of corn ? the apostle observes that the corn which is sown , is not the same with that which shall be , and he plainly applies this to our resurrection . does not that prove , that the body , which rises , will be no more the same with that which died , than corn is the same with that from whence it sprung ? this is that place ( as i have already said ) on which origen , and the rest of our adversaries , chiefly groun'd their opinions . my answer is this : there is no necessity we should take the comparison in all respects strictly . you know , we have a maxim in the schools , that no similitude walks on four feet : the meaning is , that similitudes , and comparisons , are always lame , and ought to be understood loosly , and only in some respect . and so ought this comparison , which the apostle uses . all that he means by it , is this , that as a grain of corn , which springs up , differs from that which was sown ; so the body which rises , shall not be altogether the same , but shall differ in some respects from that which was buried . i observe that the question which the apostle answers , is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; with what sort of body the dead shall rise ? i observe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; with what sort of body as to its qualities ? and as the question is only concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or quality , of the body , so ought the answer to be understood to intend no other . there is nothing more certain than that of all arguments , the weakest are those that are taken from comparisons ; so loosly are comparisons wont to be used . i shall crave your leave to give you here a few instances , relating to the subject now before us . the resurrection of our bodies is compared to the growing of corn , not only by the apostle , but by almost all the fathers , yet they at the same time own expresly the identity of the body . the greek church uses boil'd wheat as a symbol of it . in their great festivals , after the sacrament , they have usually an entertainment for the congregation which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the offering of the colyba , which is boil'd wheat , mixt ( for the better relish ) with some other things . the priest goes about with a charger full of it , and distributes it to all that are present , as a symbol of the resurrection , and in a memory of the dead . the arch-bishop of philadelphia , gabriel severus , has left us a particular treatise concerning this rite of the greek church . we are told indeed by some writers that in the beginning this custom had no respect to the resurrection : but whatever was the meaning of those that first instituted it , 't is certain , that they who now continue it , referr it to the resurrection . the muscovites are wont to use eggs as symbols of the resurrection . b every year against easter they die or colour red a great number of eggs , of which every man and woman gives to the priest of the parish upon easter day in the morning . the common-people use to carry in their hands one of these red eggs , the persons of quality gilded ones , on easter day , and three or four days after . and , meeting their friends , one takes the other by the hand , and one of 'em saying , the lord , or christ , is risen , the other answers , it is so of a truth : then they kiss one another , and exchange their eggs. the jews make grass to be a symbol of it . some of the ancient fathers are pleas'd to tell us , that a trees and plants putting forth leaves and flowers in the spring-time , and bearing fruits , are types and emblems of it . some compare it to the healing of wounds : others , and c those too some of the chief of the ancient doctors of the church , to the revolution of night and day , darkness and light , to one month's following another , and one year's arising from another . nay , they tell us that these alternations are manifest proofs and demonstrations of the resurrection . now from such symbols and comparisons as these , who would not be apt to conclude , that they do not believe the resurrection of the same body ? yet certain it is , that they all profess and assert this doctrine . that st. paul meant the very same body as to substance will further appear from what i shall observe hereafter concerning the incredulity of the corinthians in the time of st. clement bishop of rome . viii . my eighth argument shall be taken from the example of our saviour's resurrection . the apostle tells us , that christ was the first fruits of those that slept ; that by him came the resurrection of the dead ; that , as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive : every man in his own order ; christ the first-fruits , afterwards they that are christ's at his coming . again , to the romans , he says , that he that rais'd christ from the dead , shall also quicken our mortal bodies : and in his epistle to the philippians , he assures us in the most express terms , that jesus christ , whom we look for from heaven , shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like to his glorious body . from all which i inferr , that † as was our saviour's body after his resurrection , such will ours be in our resurrection . now that the same body of christ which was crucifi'd and buried , was rais'd again , and that it continu'd a true humane body , there is no one , i think , can doubt who truly believes the scripture , or our saviour's own words . for what if by his divine power he was pleas'd to convey himself into a room , when the doors were , or seem'd to be , shut ? what if he vanish'd away out of the sight of those that convers'd with him ? this was done * to demonstrate his power . i shall not alledge with a late learned and ingenious a author , that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not meant that the doors of the room , into which our saviour entred , were then actually shut , but only that it was then night . though indeed it was in the night that he appear'd , yet because it cannot be prov'd ( as i think it cannot ) that that phrase is any where else us'd to signifie the night-time , and 't is likely that the doors of their houses were wont to be shut ( tho' perhaps not bolted ) as well in the day-time as at night , and therefore it could not be well us'd to signify the night-time : i am content to understand the words in the common acceptation . yet ( i say ) it cannot be thence prov'd that our saviour's body was not then a true humane body . but if the doors were then really shut , and his body were truly of the nature of man's , how was it possible for him to enter into the room ? in answer to this i ask another question , how was it possible for our saviour to walk on the water as he did , and to make st. peter do the like ? was not that contrary to the nature of a humane body ? i shall not pretend to prescribe a way to the almighty . but this i am sure of , it was easie for omnipotence to effect that miracle several ways . he might either open a passage into the room which the disciples did not see , or rarefy his body for that present moment . so likewise he might vanish away , either by an exceeding swift motion , or by altering the medium , or the sight of the spectators . and thus st. luke tells us , that when he appear'd to some of his disciples in the way , and convers'd with 'em , they did not know him . what was the reason of that ? st. mark says that he appear'd in another form : but was it really so ? no , the difference was in † their sight , not in his conntenance . st luke expresly affirms , that their eyes were held that they should not know him : and as soon ( says he ) as their eyes were open'd , they knew him . whatsoever means his almighty power was pleas'd to make use of , we have his own express testimony for it , that his body was the very same with that which was crucified , and that it was still truly humane , consisting of flesh and bones . he ate with his disciples as a man , and had the holes , which the nails had made , in his hands and his feet , and his wound still remaining in his side . which he therefore was pleas'd to preserve , that st. thomas , and all unbelievers , might be fully convinc'd of the reality of his resurrection . when he enter'd into the room amongst his disciples , and they thought he had been a spirit , because they did not see the door open'd . * why , says he , are you troubled ? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? behold my hands and my feet , that it is i my-self : handle me , and see , for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have . and according to this we declare in the fourth article of our church , that christ being dead and buried , took again his body , with flesh , bones , and all things appertaining to man's nature . clemens alex. in a fragment of his comments on the ep. of st. john , which is extant in cassiodorus , tells us of an odd sort of ‖ tradition , that st. john once touching christ's body , thrust his hand into the inward parts of his body , the hardness of the flesh not at all resisting it , but giving way to it . but this tradition was not concerning his body after his resurrection , but even before he was crucified ; and to this they imagin'd that st. john had respect in these words : that which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have look'd upon , and our hands have handled of the word of life . to prove the humanness of christ's body after his resurrection , i might add , if need were , the testimony of * st. ignatius . i know ( says he ) and believe that even after his resurrection he appear'd in the flesh. and when he came to peter and the rest , he said unto them , take hold of me , handle me , and see that i am not an incorporeal spirit . and immediately they touch'd him , and believ'd . instead of those words in our creed , and ascended into heaven , the primitive church asserted expresly in their creed , that he ascended into heaven in the flesh . the church ( says st. † irenaeus ) spread throughout the whole world , to the ends of the earth , hath receiv'd this faith from the apostles and their disciples , that there is one god , — that jesus christ the son of god was incarnate for our salvation — and that he was taken up in the flesh into heaven . &c. ephremius * , patriarch of antioch , affirms that christ is now known in the flesh . st. athanasius affirms that he carried up into heaven the very same † flesh that he had when living . and ( to mention no more ) in the synodical epistle of the church of rome , under pope damasus , there 's an anathema denounced against any one that shall not confess , that a he sits on the right hand of the father in the flesh , which he had when living , and that he shall come in the same to judge the quick and the dead . the same anathema you may read in b vigilius tapsensis . ix . that our resurrection will be of the same nature with our saviour's , and our bodies the same as his was , that is , numerically the same with those that died , consisting of the same particles , and still truly humane , i shall farther prove from the example of those who rose out of their graves at the time of his resurrection . and the graves were opened ( says st. matthew ) and many bodies of saints which slept , arose , and came out of the graves after his resurrection , and went into the holy city , and appear'd unto many . this was to shew , that christ by his resurrection had conquer'd death , and the dead were then rais'd as an earnest of our future resurrection . we may here observe , first , that the bodies of those that appear'd were not form'd of other matter , but the same that lay buried in the graves , arose . secondly , that the graves were open'd that the bodies might arise , and come forth ; which demonstrates that those bodies were not subtle and ethereal , but of a gross humane substance . and this is likewise evident from those words , and appear'd unto many . for what else can be understood by those words , but that they so appear'd as to be known . x. to these examples we will here add those types of our resurrection which are mention'd in the old testament ; i mean the translations of enoch and elias . the author to the hebrews , tells us that enoch was translated that he should not see death : and the same is true of elias . 't is the opinion , i know , of some of the rabbi's , that the bodies , in which enoch and elias were translated , were immediately dissolv'd , and that new ones were created for 'em after the same likeness . but this is a conjecture altogether groundless and precarious . and it is not , i think , to be doubted , but that as they were translated in their bodies , so they still retain the very same , and will always retain ' em . and this to me is another very clear * demonstration , that the bodies to which our souls are to be united in the next life , will be numerically the same . xi . i shall conclude all these arguments with another drawn from the proper signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or resurrection , which is every where used in the new testament , and signifies rising again . if the same particles of matter that were buried be not to rise , if the body is to be altogether new as to its substance , how can it be said to be a † resurrection , a rising again ? that body which rises again , must be that which once died : for nothing can be said to rise again , but that which once fell . if a new body be to be created , and united to the soul , if all that we are to expect be only this , that after death our souls will be again united to a body , certainly they would never have chosen so very improper a word to express it , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or resurrection . it 's generally suppos'd by natural philosophers , that in the space of about seven years , all the particles of a man's body are chang'd : now suppose ( you will say ) that a man should keep his bed for above seven years together , and at last should recover and rise again , tho' there be not one particle in his body , when he rises , the same that he had when first he began to keep his bed , yet the body with which he rises may properly be said to be the very same . the body in such a case may properly be said to rise again . i answer , that there 's a great deal of difference betwixt a body whose particles are gradually chang'd in a continu'd union with the soul , and a body whose particles are chang'd , not gradually , but all together . altho' in the case suppos'd , the body is understood to be the same , and may properly be said to rise again , tho' it has not any the same particles , yet when the soul is separated from the body , if that body be dissolv'd , and new particles be form'd into a body and united to the soul , it cannot be said to be the same , or to rise again . i appeal to the common sense of mankind . i proceed now to shew in the second place , that our doctrine of the identity of the body in the resurrection , is the doctrine of the primitive fathers , the successors of christ and his apostles . the fathers and ancient writers of the primitive ages , whose testimonies i shall produce , are these which follow . i. st. clement , bishop of rome , the companion and fellow-labourer of st. paul the apostle . in his first epistle to the corinthians he endeavours to convince that people of the possibility of the resurrection , by the example of the phenix , which he says ( according to the opinion of those times ) was produced out of the same matter of which the dead one was compounded . he intimates that the phenix was design'd by god almighty as an emblem of our resurrection , to assure us that he will certainly raise us up . why therefore ( says he ) do we esteem it a great matter , and wonderful , that the creater of all things should raise up all those that have serv'd him holily , † since by a bird he manifests to us the magni●…cence of his promise . and tho' he makes use of several other comparisons , yet he ehie●…y in●…s on this , as the most apposlte , and is very long and particular upon it . secondly , he endeavours to eonvince the corinthians of the possibility of it , by representing to 'em the almighty power of god , and his veraeity , that nothing is impossible to him , but to lye , and the like . thirdly , to prove the doctrine of the resurrection , he produces those words of job ; thou shalt raise up my flesh. i observe the word flesh. in the greek translation of the book of job it is skin : this st. clement thought ●…it to change , to express the thing more fully ; and 't is worthy to be observ'd , that when he changed the word , he call'd it not body , but flesh . fourthly , in his second epistle he has these words : * let no one of you say , that this flesh shall not be judg'd , nor rise . do you know in what you were saved , in what you were converted , unless it were in this flesh ? we ought therefore so to keep our flesh as the temple of god. for as ye were call'd in the flesh , so shall ye come in the flesh . the lord jesus christ , who has saved us , being first a spirit , was made flesh , and so call'd us : so we likewise in this flesh than receive a reward . i know this second epistle is by some suspected not to be st. clement's : but as it is suspected , so 't is only suspected , not * proved ; and this at least is certain , that it is exceeding ancient . having thus shewn what was st. clement's doctrine , i shall now subjoin some few remarks . . that the first epistle was written by st. clement , not in his own name only ( tho' his authority alone were enough to demonstrate our doctrine to be the doctrine of the church ) but in the name of the whole church of rome . this appears from the title of it , and from the testimony of st. a irenaeus , b clemens alexandrinus , c eusebius , and others . clemens alexandrinus quotes it in one place , by the title of the epistle of the romans to the corinthians . . that d in most churches it was wont to be read together with the canonical scriptures , not only in eusebius's time , about the end of the third centry , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as he himself asserts ) in those times which to him were the ancient times . from hence it is evident , that the primitive church in general profess'd the same doctrine . it appears from e st. epiphanius , that in his time , not only the first but the second too was wont to be read in the same manner . st. clement ( says he ) in his circular epistles , which are read in the holy churches , &c. and in the last of the canons ascribed to the apostles , the same is mention'd ( together with the first ) as part of the canonical scripture . . that st. clement writes to the same church to whom st. paul had written before concerning the resurrection . now since he found that some of the corinthians persisted still in their unbelief , notwithstanding what st. paul had written to 'em , if the doctrine of st. paul and the catholick church had been only concerning a new ethereal body , he would have told 'em so in the plainest terms that possibly he could , not have written so to 'em as plainly to intimate ( if not assert ) the quite contrary . why are you so hard of believe ? has not st. paul already told you , that the body in the resurrection shall not be the same humane body , as you imagine , but a new one and of a quite different kind ? . it manifestly appears from this obstinate unbelief of some in that church , that they did not understand st. paul of a new ethereal body . that the soul after death is invested with an a ethereal body , was the common and receiv'd opinion of the greeks themselves , the pythagoreans and the b platonists . and though they commonly believ'd , that the soul has an ethereal body or vehicle , in its state of prae-existence , and that it retains the same even whilst it is united to the humane body , and also after death ; yet they did not think it necessary that it should always be invested with the same which it had before its separation from the humane body . plato asserts ; that the soul will always have a body , but sometimes of one kind , and sometimes of another . and porphyry d affirms , that according as the soul is affected , so it assumes a body suitable to its present condition ; that being thoroughly purged , it assumes a body of the purest sort , the next in degree to immateriality . and with that , according to his philosophy , it lives for ever in heaven . the conclusion is , that if the apostles had intended not the same body that died , but another ethereal one , 't is impossible that their doctrine should meet with so great opposition as it did . was this the doctrine that the corinthians could not believe ? could that which their own philosophers had taught 'em , seem so strange and incredible a thing , when preach'd by the apostles ? it is plain from st. paul , that the corinthians to whom he wrote , thought the resurrection a strange and incredible thing ; and after they had receiv'd st. paul's epistle , they still continued to think it so . they still thought it , as is evident from what st. clement answers , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 strange and wonderful thing : was the union of the soul to an ethereal body after death , so strange and wonderful a thing to the corinthians , that they could not believe st. paul , but forced st. clement to write again ( and again ) to 'em to convince ' em ? was it for this that st. clement to convince 'em was forc'd to insist so much on the almighty power of god ? if the epistle ad tarsen●…es were genuine , to st. clement we might add st. ignatius , who was constituted bishop of antioch by the apostles themselves . in that epistle they who assert that † this flesh is not to rise , are reckon'd amongst the ministers of satan . but since that epistle is spurio●…s we must pass by him , unless you will grant that those words of his concerning his being condemn'd to be devour'd by wild beasts , had some respect to the resurrection of the body . a i am the wheat , says he , of god , and am ground small by the teeth of beasts , that i may be ●…ound pure bread. ii. at the same time flourish'd st. poly●… , who was disciple to st. john the ev●…ngelist . when he was bound to the s●…ake to be burn'd , he thanked god , that he was now to suffer martyrdom , and to partake of the cap of christ b in order to the resurrection of everlasting life , both of soul and body . you may read his prayer in the epistle of the church of 〈◊〉 , which is extant in eusebius . iii. at the same time also lived papia●… bishop of ●…rapolis . b st. iren●…s tells us that he was disciple to st. john ( the evangelist ) and a familiar acquaintance of st. poly●…p's . this is certain c that he liv'd in the time of those who had been conversant with the apostles , and had made it his business to collect the doctrines of the several apostles , from the mouths of such as had convers'd with ' em . now that he asserted the resurrection of the same humane body eusebius plainly intimates , when he tells us , that according to his opinion * christ is to reign here corporally upon earth , after the resurrection from the dead , a thousand years . st. maximus b affirms that he held , that after the resurrection we shall eat and drink as before . such an opinion as this could never be built on meer air. whether true , or false , it plainly shews that the apostles did not preach the resurrection of an airy or ethereal body . iv. the sibylline oracles publish'd by some christian not long after these times , within about thirty years after st. john the apostle's death , say , that god after he has destroy'd the world and all mankind by fire , will restore their ashes and bones , and form 'em again as they were before . and the † verses , which tell us thus much , are extant not only in the volume which now we have , but also in the ancient a apostolical constitutions , where they are cited . v. st. justin martyr , who flourish'd in the year , and was first instructed in the christian faith by one that was not only of man's estate , but of a considerable age , when st. john was yet living , not only speaks in * several places of his works of the rising body , as of the very same , and truly humane , but in his dialogue with trypho the jew , he gives him this caution , that if he met with any that had the name of christians , but denied the resurrection of the dead , he should not esteem them christians . for i ( says he ) and all those christians , who in all respects hold the true opinions , do know that there will be a resurrection of the † flesh . he says expresly the resurrection of the flesh . and the same word he used in the title of a book , which he wrote professedly on this subject : concerning the resurrection of the flesh . they did not call it in those days the resurrection of the body , because some of the hereticks who denied the resurrection of the flesh , pretended however to believe the resurrection of the body ; but that all might know that they intended the ver●… same humane body , they call'd it in downright terms the resurrection of the flesh . vi. tatianus syrus , who was disciple to justin m. in his oration against the gentiles a : we shall be restored ( says he ) to what we are , and be judg'd by god the creator . this we believe tho' you look upon us as silly triflers and bablers for it . for as once i had no being , and then was begotten , so being born , and again reduced by death to what i was , i i shall be restored to my being again . tho' all my flesh shall be consum'd by fire , yet the world contains the evaporated matter . though i should be drown'd and dissolv'd in a river or the sea , or be devoun'd by wild beasts , yet i am laid ●…p in the repositories of god. the ignoran●… indeed and the atheist know not where my substance is reposited ; but god who reigns , and who alone sees it , will restore it in his due time to its former state. vii . st. iren●…us , who was born before the death of st. john , and was scholar to st. polyc●…rp , one of his disciples , affrms that this was one of the articles of the creed receiv'd b by the church throughout the whole world to the ends of the earth , from the apostles and their disciples that christ shall come and raise up all flesh . and he spends a great part of his a fifth book in proving , against the hereticks , that we shall rise perfect men with the same body of flesh. viii . and to prove the same against the heathens , is the whole endeavour of that excellent treatise concerning the resurrection of the dead ; written by athenagoras , the christian philosopher , who was professor in the divinity school of alexandria in st. irenaeus's time. ix . athenagoras tells us there were b many that had written before him on this subject ; and that they were all asserters of the doctrine of the identity he plainly intimates . he takes no notice of any thing in which they differ'd from him , but the reason which they assign'd for the resurrection . the same author observes , that the objection concerning one man's feeding on another , was in those days a c common objection against the doctrine of the resurrection . from thence it appears that the doctrine of the identity was the common and receiv'd doctrine . he adds , that that objection perplex'd even d some of those that were admired for their wisdom . this doctrine therefore was the common and receiv'd doctrine , not only of the vulgar , but also of the m●…st wise and learned . x. theophilus bishop of antioch , who flourish'd at the same time with st. irenaeus and athenagoras , in his first book to autolycus ( a heathen ) maintains the same doctrine . e but you deny ( says he ) the resurrection of the dead , and say , shew me but one , that has risen from the dead , and when i see him , i will believe . but what great matter is it , if you believe when you see a thing done ? do you believe that hercules , though he burnt himself , is yet living , and that aesculapius revived after he was struck with the thunder-bolt , and yet disbelieve those things which are revealed to you by god ? &c. xi . in the same age , viz. in the year , the churches of vienna and lions wrote that epistle to the churches of asia and phrygia , which is extant in eusebius * , concerning their persecutions . in that epistle they complain , that their persecutors would not suffer the bodies of the martyrs to be buried , but threw 'em to dogs to be devour'd , and burn'd that , which remain'd undevour'd , to ashes , and threw the ashes into the river . and † this ( say they ) they did , as if they could master god , and hinder their resurrection , that ( as they said ) the christians might not have any hopes of a resurrection , through the belief of which they despised the greatest torments , and came willingly and with joy to their deaths . let us now see ( say they ) whether they will rise again , and whether their god can deliver 'em out of our hands . the holy pothinus , bishop of the church of lions , who was martyr'd at that time , was not only born , but was almost of man's estate , before st. john the apostle's death . xii . clemens alexandrinus , who flourish'd at the same time , tho' in those works which are now extant he speaks but very little of the resurrection , no where professedly , yet that he held the same doctrine , may be gather'd from his conjecture , * that plato when he tells the story of eris's reviving after he had been dead twelve days , had respect to the resurrection . xiii . tertullian , who flourish'd towards the latter end of this second century , has left us a whole book concerning , and in defence of , this doctrine , entituled , de resurrectione carnis . in another book he affirms that this was one of those * articles of faith which were receiv'd by the whole church with one accord , and which were immoveable and unalterable , that christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead , and that by the resurrection of the flesh . xiv . the compiler of the apostolical constitutions , who lived about the end of this century , has a large † chapter in defence of our doctrine against the heathens . god almighty ( says he ) will raise us up through our lord jesus christ , according to his promise that cannot fail . and he will raise us up , together with all those that have died from the beginning of the world , ‖ in the same form which now we have , without any mutilation or corruption . for we shall rise uncorrupted . for whether we die in the sea , or have our particles dispers'd in the earth , or are devour'd by beasts or birds , he will raise us up by his power , by which he holds the whole world in his hand . not a hair , says he , of your heads shall perish . — through this certain † perswasion we endure stripes , persecutions , and deaths . and in vain have we endured these things , if we have not full assurance of those things which we preach . — as god created the world , in the same manner he will raise us up by his good pleasure , not standing in need of any assistance . for 't is an effect of the same power , to make the world , and to raise up the dead . when man had no being , he made him of different parts , giving him a soul created out of nothing . and in the resurrection he will restore to our souls that do not die , their bodies which are dissolv'd , &c. xv. the author of the recognitions of st. clement , who lived in the same age , and is thought by * a very learned man to be bardesanes of syria , affirms , that the souls in the resurrection of the dead will receive ‖ their bodies that were dissolv'd . xvi . about the middle of the same age , celsus , the great adversary of the christians , publish'd that book , which origen in the following age answer'd . he disputes against this , as the receiv'd and avow'd doctrine of the christians , that a the dead shall rise again out of the earth with the very same flesh. 't is true he adds , that b there were some even among the christians that did not embrace this doctrine , but shew'd it to be horridly impure , abominable , and impossible . but what sort of christians those were whom he speaks of ; that they were only such as were condemn'd as hereticks , there is no one can doubt . we know that many of the hereticks denied it , and wrote professedly against it ; and it 's usual with celsus , to mention those as christians without any note of distinction , who were even the vilest of hereticks , and own'd by none of the orthodox . he says , for example , in one place , that * the christians affirm that christ did not really suffer , but only in appearance : which was only the opinion of some of the hereticks . in another place † he lays to the charge of the christians a certain opinion , which was only receiv'd by the ophiani , a sort of hereticks that were so far from being christians , that they hated christ as much as celsus himself , and never admitted any one into their society but such as first curs'd him . such as these perhaps , or not much better , were those who denied the resurrection , as impure and abominable ; such perchance of whom we may say , what origen does in this latter case : see what absurdity celsus is guilty of , who mentions those as of our religion , who cannot endure to hear the name of jesus ! xvii . lucian * , the noted atheist , a writer of the same age , has these words concerning the christians : those wretches perswade themselves , that they shall be the whole man , ( both body and soul ) immortal , and shall live for ever . and on this account they contemn death , and many of 'em offer themselves voluntarily to be put to death . xviii . minucius felix , who lived in the beginning of the following age , who ( says * he ) is so foolish and brutish as to deny , that god who first made man , can form him again as he was before ? 't is harder to make that which before had no being , than to restore that which once had a being . all bodies when dissolv'd , whether crumbled to dust , or dissolv'd into moisture , or reduced to ashes , or rarefied into vapour , are lost to us , but to god , the keeper of the elements , they are still preserv'd . he brings in his heathen objecting against the christians , that they believ'd this doctrine of the resurrection with so great and firm an assurance † as if they themselves had risen to life . xix . the author of the book entituled , concerning the cause of the universe against the heathens , tells the heathens , that god will raise us all up , not shifting the soul out of one body into another , but raising up the same bodies . you , o ye heathens , ( says he ) because you see that these bodies are dissolv'd , do not believe that they will rise again . but learn you to believe . for since ye believe , according to plato , that the immortal soul was made by god , you ought not to disbelieve but that god is able to raise up to life this body which is compounded of the elements , and to make it immortal , &c. the author of this book was either caius , the roman presbyter , or st. hippolytus ; who both flourish'd in the begining of the third age. st. hippolytus wrote a book besides with this title , concerning the resurrection of the flesh . we are now come down to the time of origen , who left the receiv'd traditions of the worthy fathers his predecessors , and endeavour'd to accommodate the doctrine of the resurrection to the notions of the heathen philosophers . he himself owns that * the resurrection of the flesh was the doctrine preach'd in the churches : but he says that by the more wise it was not understood in so gross a sense as celsus represented it . if he means that the wiser and learneder sort of christians did not believe that the same humane body is to rise , it appears from the foregoing testimonies that that is not true . we have sought for christ not among the ignorant common-people , but among the doctors in the temple : and the authorities which we have produced are those of the mo●… wise and learned . but this was not origen's meaning . he means only thus much , that the wiser sort understood that the flesh in the resurrection would not be just the same in quality with that which was buried , but would be alter'd for the better . neither we ( says he , † in his answer to celsus ) nor the holy scriptures , say , that the dead shall rise out of the earth with the same flesh , without any alteration for the better . so firmly establish'd in the church was the doctrine of the resurrection of the same body , that origen himself , tho' in some places of his works he advances an hypothesis not agreeable to it , yet in many other places he very plainly asserts 〈◊〉 . in the proem of his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , where he reckons up the several doctrines which were own'd to be certain and firmly grounded on the tradition of the church , he lays down this for one , that there shall be a time of the resurrection of the dead , when this body that is sown in corruption , shall rise in incorruption . in the second book of the same work , chap. . where he treats professedly of this doctrine , he disputes against the hereticks that denied the resurrection , after this manner : there are some ( says he ) especially among the hereticks that are offended at the church's belief of the resurrection , as if we believ'd foolishly and absurdly concerning it . to whom we may answer thus . if even they themselves confess that there will be a resurrection of the dead , let 'em answer us this question , what that is which died ? is it not the body ? the resurrection therefore will be of the body . let 'em tell us besides , whether they think that we shall have bodies in the resurrection , or not ? i think , since the apostle st. paul says , that it is sown a natural body , and shall be rais'd up a spiritual body , they cannot deny but that the body is to rise , or that we are to have bodies in the resurrection . now since it is certain that we are to have bodies in the resurrection , and the body that fell are said to rise again ( for nothing but that which fell , can properly be said to rise again ) there is no doubt but that our bodies are therefore to rise , that we may be again cloath'd with ' em . for this by a natural consequence follows from that . for if our bodies rise again , without all doubt they therefore rise , that we may be again cloath'd with ' em . and if it be necessary that we should be in bodies , we ought not to be in any other bodies but our own . now since it is true that they rise , and that they rise spiritual bodies , there is no doubt but that they are to rise again without their corruption and mortality : for it would be in vain for any one to rise from the dead , that he may die again . in his first book concerning the resurrection , as his words are produced by pamphilus in his apology , he thus disputes for it . is it not absurd that this body which bears the scars of wounds receiv'd for christ's sake , and which , as well as the soul , endured cruel torments in persecutions , and suffer'd the punishments of prisons , and bonds , and stripes , which was burnt by fire , cut with the sword , devour'd by wild beasts , tormented on the cross , and many other ways , should be defrauded of the rewards due to it for so great sufferings ? for does it not seem contrary to all reason , that the soul which did not suffer alone , should be rewarded alone , and its vessel , the body , which serv'd it with great labour , should obtain no reward of its contentions and victory ? that the flesh , which resists its natural vicious inclinations and lusts , and preserves its virginity with a great deal of labour , which labour is more the labour of the body than of the soul , or at least full as much , should be rejected as unworthy in the time of retribution , and the soul only obtain the crown . to the same purpose are those words produced by st. jerom : * we confess the resurrection of bodies , and of those too which were laid in the graves , or burnt to ashes , that the body of paul shall rise , and be united to the soul of paul , and that the body of peter shall rise , and be his body again , and so for all others . for it is not equitable that the soul , which sinn'd in one body , should be punish'd in another : neither does it become a just judge to reward a body , when it was not that , but another which suffer'd for christ. in his second book concerning the resurrection , he had these words : † that the promise of the resurrection of the dead , is concerning this body that ●…en , appears from many places of the holy scriptures , and particularly from the resurrection of our lord jesus christ , who is styl'd the first-born from the dead . in the same book he adds , that it is certain that our saviour arose with that very body which he receiv'd from mary . again in the same . if the bodies of mankind be corrupted , they are able to exist again , being kept and preserv'd by the power of god to the time of their resurrection . now that they are to be restor'd wheresoever they are , in whatsoever place they be , john thus declares in his revelation : and the sea gave up the dead which were in it , and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them . for by sea there seems to be meant all waters in general ; by hell the air seems to be understood ; by death the earth . innumerable other places ( says pamphilus ) he has to this purpose in his work concerning the resurrection . to these i shall add another out of the th book of his comments on esaiah , on those words , the dead shall be rais'd up and they that are in the graves , shall rise . it is better ( says he ) to say , that we shall all rise , that the wicked may go into that place where is weeping and gnashing of teeth , and the just may receive , every one in his order , according to the merits of their good deeds , when their mortal bodies shall be fashion'd like to his glorious body . — by the graves of the dead here in this place , and in many others , are to be understood , not only those which are made on purpose for the reception of the dead bodies , either cut out in rocks , or dug in the earth , but all places whatsoever , in which either the whole body of a man , or any part of it lies . and though it may happen that the several parts of one and the same body , may lie dispers'd in many places , yet it is not absurd to call all those places in which any part of the body lies , the graves of that body . for if we do not so understand it , they that are not bury'd in a grave , but are drown'd in the sea , or lie expos'd in some desart place , could not be reckon'd amongst those of whom it is said , that they shall be rais'd up out of their graves . which would be very absurd . as he asserts in these places the resurrection of the same numerical substance , so in many other places of his works he plainly asserts , that the body , when it rises , will be truly flesh , and retain its old form and shape . his apologist in * photius , reckons this as one of those tenets , which were falsly charg'd upon him , that he denied the resurrection of the flesh . so also his apologist pamphilus , who produces the following places to prove that he asserted it , in his comment on the first psalm : † as we retain ( says he ) the same species ( of body ) from our infancy to our old age , though the characters may seem to be much alter'd ; so we ought to understand , that the very same species which now we have , will remain in the life to come , but chang'd very much for the better . for 't is necessary that the soul , which inhabits in corporeal places , should have such bodies as are suited to those places in which it lives . and as if we were to live in the sea , our bodies would be doubtless so order'd and constituted as is proper for such an habitation , as the bodies of those creatures are , which do there inhabit ; so now , since we are design'd for the celestial habitations , it follows that the qualities of our bodies should be suited to the glory of those places . notwithstanding this the former species will not be destroy'd , though it be made more glorious . for as the species of the lord jesus , or of moses , or of elias , was the same in their transfiguration with what it was before , so the species of the saints will remain the same though made more glorious . in his comment on the xvth psalm , on those words my flesh shall rest in hope : the lord jesus christ , says he , speaks this , whose flesh first rested in hope . for being crucified and become the first-born of the dead , and ascending up after his resurrection into heaven he carried up with him his ●…arthly body , so that the heavenly powers were amaz'd and astonish'd seeing flesh ascend up into heaven . for of elias it is written , that he was taken up as it were into heaven ; and of enoch , that he was translated , yet it is not said that he ascended up into heaven . let who ever will be offended with what i say : i confidently affirm , that as christ was the first born from the dead , so he first carried up flesh into heaven . hence they say , who is this that cometh from edom , i. e. from among those that are born on the earth , ) with garments died red from bozrah ? for they saw the marks of the wounds which were made in his body : from bozrah i. e. in the flesh which he took upon him . — alittle after . because my flesh shall rest in hope . in what hope ? not barely that it shall rise from the dead , but that it will also be taken up into heaven . here pamphilus deservedly cries out ; what can be said by any one more evidently and clearly concerning the resurrection of the flesh ? which he says will not only rise from the dead , but will also be taken up into heaven ( if it were the body of a good man ) following him who being the first begotten from the dead , first carried up the nature of flesh into heaven . there were some that fansied that our saviour ascended up in his body no farther than to the sun , and that there he left his body . which ridiculous fancy they grounded on those words of the psalmist ( according to the greek ) in the sun he placed his tabernacle . this opinion was ascribed by some to origen , but pamp●…ilus shews that he was so far from maintaining that opinion , that he expresly opp●…s it , and confutes it . pa●…lus concludes his defence of origen concerning the resurrection , with these words : let them now cease to be impudent , who say that origen confesses indeed the resurrection of the body , but denies the resurrection of the flesh. let them now leave off reproaching him when they see that he places the flesh of god the word in heaven together with god the word . i shall not here take notice of the dialogue against the marcionites , which is extant under origen's name , in which the catholick doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body , is zealously asserted and maintain'd against those hereticks . i do not take it to be origen's . yet t is certain that it is very ancient . there are some that reckon origen among the asserters of the millennarian doctrine , which doctrine supposes a resurrection of a true humane body : but i think it is a mistake . quis haec audiens , resurrectionem carnis eum negare putet ? so st. jerom , after those words of origen , which i but now transcrib'd from him . who would believe , that origen , who in so many places of his works acknowledges the resurrection of the same humane body , should in others advance quite contrary notions and opinions ? whatever pamphilus alledges in his behalf , it is too too true that he did so . you desire me to give you a particular account of his opinions relating to the resurrection : huetius , i remember , in his origeniana treats largely of 'em : but i have not that work at present by me . you must therefore be contented with what i have to present you of my own . in short they are these . . that in some places of his works he advances this opinion , that the body in the resurrection is made up of new particles , by growing , as corn does , out of a seed , i have already shewn . in the first canon of the council of trulla , it is said that he , and his followers , evagrius and didymus , spoke wickedly and contumeliously of the resurrection of the dead . aristinus tells us more particularly , that they foolishly said , that these very bodies that we now have are not to rise . they denied , says the anonymous author de synodis , the resurrection of that body which now we have . they taught , says another a anonymous writer de synodis , that our bodies are not to rise . epiphanius b tells us that the followers of origen acknowledg'd the resurrection of the dead , and of our flesh , and of the body of our lord , the same that was conceiv'd of the virgin mary ; yet they did not own that the same flesh shall rise , but that another will be substituted by god in its place . and the same d he says was the opinion of the hereticks call'd hieracites , that there will be a resurrection of the flesh , but not of this which now we have , but another which will be substituted in its place . . st. jerom e says , that the followers of origen , when urg'd by the catholicks , would acknowledge the resurrection , not only of the body , but also of the flesh , and if they were press'd very hard and were ask'd whether they own'd the resurrection of this same flesh which we now have , which is seen , and touch'd , and walks and speaks , they would assent even to that too : but if they were ask'd whether they own'd that the body in the resurrection will have hands and feet , a belly , breast , teeth , and the other parts which make up a humane body ; that they denied . . the same ‖ author tells us that origen in many places of his works , especially in his iv. book concerning the resurrection , and in his exposition of the first psalm , and in his stromata , denied that the body will rise with bones , blood , and flesh , and such parts and members as now we have , or with difference of sexes ; and affirm'd that it will be aereal , ethereal , intangible , and invisible , and that whereas we now see with our eyes , hear with our ears , work with our hands , and walk with our feet ; we shall then be all sight , all hearing , &c. that the body will be subtle and ethereal , he asserts in his comment on st. matthew : and in his second book against * celsus , we are told that the body of christ after his resurrection , was so constituted as to be of a middle temper between the fineness of the soul , and the grossness it had before his death . st. maximus likewise observes that in some of his books ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , so i read it , as a manuscript has it , not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in one of his books ) he made the rising body to be ethereal . . the account which st. methodius gives of his opinion , is this : he tells us in one † place , that origen taught , that in the resurrection we shall have the same species of body , the same form or appearance , yet it will not consist of the same matter ; as our bodies in old age retain the same species , yet have not any the same particles which we had in our youth . in another * place he says , that origen in his comment on the lxv . psalm , compared our bodies to a bladder full of water ; if you let the water run , and keep pouring in new , the bladder retains the same form , though the water be all chang'd ; so ( says he ) it is with the body in the resurrection , it is not numerically the same body , yet the form and figure is the same , tho' made more glorious . . the same author ‖ adds , that according to origen , tho' the body in the resurrection retains the same intire species ( or form ) yet it throws off its earthly qualities ; and tho' it has the shape and figure of a body of flesh , yet it is not flesh . and this ( says he ) he proves from that assertion of st. paul , that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven ( which is spoken only of the infirmities and corruptions of flesh and blood ) and from other texts of that kind . . the same author tells us , in * photius , that origen made the body in the resurrection , to consist of air and fire . . from the a same and b other authors , it appears , that he asserted with the platonists , that the body is no part of the man , but the soul alone is the whole man ; and that the body is the p●…ison * of the soul , into which it is sent by way of punishment for some sin it had committed in a state of pre-existence . . agreeable to this is that fansie of his concerning the creation of our first parents , adam and eve , that they were created nudae mentes , and had not any † bodies 'till after their fall ; that then god cloath'd 'em with bodies by way of punishment . and this he says is meant by that place in genesis , where 't is said , that unto adam and to his wife did the lord god make coats of skins , and cloath'd them . by coats of skins he understands bodies . . in his books a against celsus , he tells us that the reason why the body is to rise , and be united to the soul , is because the soul cannot move without a material vehicle . . in other places he tells us that the soul is b never without a material vehicle , and that it is not capable of being rewarded or punish'd but in a body , and that before the resurrection it is rewarded or punish'd in an ethereal body . . in other places he proceeds so far as to deny that the soul will after death be united to any body whatever , and to asfirm that at the end of the world all corporeal substance will be perfectly annihilated . photius * tells us that he , and his followers , evagrius and didymus , asserted , that our bodies are not to rise , but our naked souls alone without bodies . so also says † constantinus harmenopulus . and a anastasi●…s sinaita intimates the same . we are told by b leontius , that he own'd a resurrection of the body , but held withal that the soul being punish'd in the body , is purg'd by degrees , and at last freed wholly from it , and restored to its primitive state and condition . theophilus alexandrinus c assures us , that he made the rising bodies corruptible and mortal ; and asserted , that after many ages they will be annihilated . that all corporeal substance will be at the end of the world annihilated , he affirms in several places of his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , translated by st. jerom in his epistle to avitus . so st. maximus * observes , that tho in some of his books he taught a resurrection of an ethereal body ; yet in others he denied it , affirming that all corporeal substance will be annihilated . . in one place of his work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he tells us , that at the time of the dissolution of the world , all matter will be chang'd into the same substance of which god himself consists . in the same he asserts , . that as soon as the world is dissolv'd , and all matter annihilated , there will be new matter , and a new world created just like this , and after that another , and so on to eternity ; and that before this world was created there had been innumerable others . . that in the next world he that is now a man may be an angel , and that which is now an angel may be a man , by being , for it's offences , thrust down into a humane body . if , after it is sent down into a body , it does not behave it-self so as to deserve to be restor'd to its former state , it will then ( says he ) become a devil ; and according to its merits , be employ'd in divers offices in the other worlds . if after this it desires to amend , and become better , it is sent again into a humane body , and being there punish'd and purified , it at last becomes an angel , as it was at first . these were the opinions of origen , relating to the resurrection ; these his strange contradictions and inconsistences . how dangerous a thing it is in matters of religion to forsake the traditions of the church , and to build upon ones own private fancy , we may learn from his example . if once you begin to indulge your own fancy in matters of religion , without a due regard to the traditions of the primitive church , you know not where it will end . 't is odds but the head-strong thing will at last , after many turns and wanderings , bring you to a precipice . no sooner were these opinions advanc'd and publish'd , but the church began to be alarm'd . liberatus diaconus affirms , that origen was a condemn'd for 'em in his life-time . his apologist pamphilus , who flourish'd and wrote about the latter end of the same century , tells us , that that which made the greatest noise , and was chiefly oppos'd b was his opinion concerning the resurrection . the same author tells us that c several had written against him on that subject . one of them was st. methodius , ( he whom i have several times quoted ) bishop of tyre , who was martyr'd about the year ccciii. he wrote a book with this title against origen , concerning the resurrection : of which a great part is preserv'd in d epiphanius and e photius . the opinion , which he opposes and confutes , is , first , that the rising body will not consist of the same substance that was buried : secondly , that it will be not a body of flesh , but an ethereal one . another that wrote against origen concerning the resurrection was antipater , bishop of bostra in arabia , who flourish'd long after , about the year . a third was f ammon hadrianopolites , whose age i know not . to these i might add theophilus bishop of alexandria , who writes against him in his paschal epistles ; g epiphanius , h st. jerom , the emperor i justinian , and others . in the year , he , and his opinions , were condemn'd and anathematiz'd by c a synod of alexandria under the patriarch theophilus ; who at the same time expell'd all those that profest 'em out of egypt . in the year , he was condemn'd by a synod call'd at rome by p. anastasius ; after that by a d synod of antioch under the patriarch ephraemius ; a little after , by a e synod of constantinople under the patriarch mennas ; and at last by a general council , the fifth , which was held in the year . i could easily fill you a volume with the testimonies and authorities of the doctors of the fourth and the following ages ; and could shew you with how great a zeal the doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body has been always maintain'd by the church : but i remember i am to send you , not a folio , but a manual ; and i think the history of the resurrection , which i have brought down through the two first and purest ages of the church , to the time of origen , may suffice to clear the truth of this article of our faith , by shewing that the fathers of those primitive times were seconds to the apostles , and abett the same doctrine which we deduced from scripture . the later doctors of the church we will call all together to a general council by their creeds , and so seal our doctrine with the great and venerable seal of the whole catholick church . we have shewn already from the testimony of irenaeus and tertullian , that in the creed of the catholick church in their time , the resurrection of the flesh was one article . it is so in that which is extant in the † apostolical constitutions . it is so likewise in that which we commonly call the apostles creed , which was generally believ'd even before the time of a ruffinus , to have been written by the apostles themselves . in our english translation we read , the resurrection of the body ; but in the originals , the greek and the latin , it is , the resurrection of the flesh . so 't was read , as b russinus affirms , in all churches . that the latin churches read carnis resurrectio , appears not only from rufsinus , but likewise from c st. jerom , st. austin , chrysologus , and maximus taurinensis , whose expositions on the creed are now extant , and from divers others , that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the resurrection of the flesh in the creed of the ancient church of jerusalem , is apparent from a st. cyril bishop of that church . it is so in the greek creed , which is extant at the end of k. ethelstan's psalter in sir john cotton's library ; and in that of the bodleian library which is written in saxon characters , at the end of the acts of the apostles ; a manuscript of above a thousand years old . in the church of aquileia they had one word peculiar to themselves . for instead of the resurrection of the flesh , they read , to make it more express , ( because some of the origenists would talk of a new flesh ) b the resurrection of this flesh. the several councils which were call'd in the fourth century , relating chiefly to the controversies of the arians , the confessions of faith , which they publish'd , have not , for the most part , any thing express concerning the resurrection of the flesh. the nicene creed , and those of most of the synods of that age , express only thus much : that christ will come to judge the quick and the dead . but that the resurrection of the flesh was the doctrine of the council of nice , may particularly appear from that confession which the heretick arius , and the rest of his party of alexandria , presented to the emperor constantine , after they had been condemn'd by that council , to perswade him that they were truly orthodox , and came up fully to the doctrine of the council . in that a confession it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . so also in the confession b of the synod of antioch , and in that of c marcellus bishop of ancyra . and in that of the eighty d eastern bishops who sided with the arians at sardica . in the creeds of the second and sixth general councils , and in that which in the time of * epiphanius was wont to be recited by the converts that were to be baptized , it is only , the resurrection of the dead . in that ascribed to st. athanasius we profess that all men shall rise again with their bodies . that of p. damasus delivers it thus : † we believe that we shall be rais'd up in the same flesh in which we now live . i need not mention ‖ that of st. jerom. what his belief was , appears sufficiently from the several places where i have already cited him . he is positive in this , that it is not possible to understand the doctrine of the resurrection as profest by a the catholick church , any otherwise than of a true humane body . ruffinus in the same age , being suspected with john bishop of jerusalem , as favouring the opinion of origen , to clear himself , and the bishop , from that scandal , makes this profession of faith in his own and the bishop's name , in the preface to his translation of pamphilus's apology for origen . b we believe , as it has been deliver'd down to us from the holy fathers , that the son of god arose from the dead in the very same flesh in which he suffer'd , by which he gave us also hope of a resurrection . we speak of the resurrection of the flesh not in a shuffling and deceitful manner , as some falsly accuse us , but we believe that this very flesh , in which we now live , shall rise , not another instead of it , neither do we mean any other body besides this of flesh. if therefore we say that the body shall rise , we speak according to the apostle , for he uses that word : if we say that the flesh is to rise , we make our confession according to the tradition of the creed . 't is a foolish thing to accuse us as if we thought a humane body could be any thing besides flesh. whether therefore that which shall rise be called flesh , according to the creed , or body , according to the apostle , it is so to be believ'd as the apostle has set it forth , that that which shall rise , shall rise in power and glory , and shall rise an incorruptible , and a spiritual body , that corruption shall not inherit incorruption . saving therefore these prerogatives of the body or flesh in the other life , the resurrection of the flesh is to be believ'd wholly and perfectly , so that both the same nature of flesh may be retain'd , and the state and glory of an incorrupted and spiritual body may not be violated . for so it is written . these things are preach'd in jerusalem in the church of god by the holy bishop john. these things i , together with him , profess and maintain . if any one either believes or teaches any other doctrine , or thinks that we believe any other than this we have now set forth , let him be accurs'd . the creed of the * first council of toledo , in the year has thus : we believe there will be a resurrection of the flesh of mankind . that of the fourth council of toledo in the year . † we are to be rais'd up by christ in the same flesh in which we now live , and in the same form in which he himself rose . that of the eleventh council of the same church in the year . a according to the example of our head , ( i. e. christ ) we confess that there will be a true resurrection of the flesh of all the dead . neither do we believe that we shall rise in an aereal or any other kind of flesh , ( as some have delirously fansied ) but in that in which we live , have our being , and move . boetius in his confession of faith : b this is principally requir'd in our religion , that we believe , not only that our souls do not perish , but also that our bodies themselves which are dissolv'd by death , are restored in the life to come to their former state . vigilius tapsensis : c if any one says that a man will not rise in the day of judgment in the body , as god made him , let him be accurs'd . to conclude , tho' the church of england in the vulgar translation of the apostles creed , uses only these terms , the resurrection of the body , yet in her form of publick baptism , the person to be baptized is askt , in his representative the godfather , dost thou believe the resurrection of the flesh ? i have now — but i cannot yet say , i have now done . before i put an end to this history , i shall crave your leave to offer to your consideration , what i had almost forgotten , an observation , or two , relating to some of those primitive writers whose authorities we have above produced . my first observation is this , that the greatest part of 'em were not only bred up in the prejudices and infidelity of the heathens , but were likewise by profession philosophers and lawyers : and what opinion the philosophers , and learned greeks had of the doctrine of the resurrection , as profest by the christians , is very notorious . i have shewn in the beginning of this discourse , that even among the greeks there were many opinions which were founded on an ancient tradition concerning the resurrection , and that it was in some sense believ'd by many of their philosophers : notwithstanding it is certain , that , as it was understood by the christians , it was by all the greeks in general exploded . not any one christian doctrine so generally , and with so much contempt , rejected . there was not any one sect ( says * tertullian ) among all the philosophers , but what denied it . they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with all imaginable opposition , contend against it , says the author of the questions and answers ad graecos . thus st. b austin affirms that there was nothing in the christian religion , so vehemently , so pertinaciously , and with so much contention and earnestness opposed as the resurrection of the flesh. of the immortality of the soul ( says he ) many of the heathen philosophers have discoursed at large . and in very many of their writings they assert it . but when they come to the doctrine of the resurrection of the flesh , they do not so much as hesitate about it , but vehemently oppose it , and they say that 't is impossible that this earthly flesh should ascend up into heaven . c pliny affirms that 't is beyond the power even of god himself to raise up a body to life when once it is dead . and 't is d madness to him to believe there will be any such thing . to celsus this doctrine seem'd abominable , or * worthy to be spit at , as extremly impure . a st. cyril of alexandria tells us , that the emperor julian b derided this above all the tenets of the christians . they c mock'd at it , says the author of the apostolical constitutions . and origen d says it was a common subject of laughter . cecilius in minucius felix calls it e an old wife's tale. and tatian assures us , that the heathens were wont to look upon the christians as f pitiful triflers and bablers for asserting it . my conclusion is this : that if the doctrine of the identity , or resurrection of the very same body , had not been lookt upon in those primitive times as firmly establish'd on the authority of christ and his apostles , if it had been look'd upon only as a scholastical doctrine , or a dogma that might be dispensed with , those learned and acute men ( of whom we speak ) when converted from their heathenism , would never have embraced it , as i have proved they did . in the second place it is worthy to be observ'd , that those books out of which i have taken their testimonies , were many of 'em written professedly in answer to the objections of the heathen philosophers . and if the doctrine of a new ethereal body , which origen afterwards made bold to advance , could have been warranted by the scripture , and the traditions of the apostles , how gladly would those fathers have taken hold of it ! that the soul is never without an ethereal body , was ( as we have already observ'd ) a common opinion of the greek philosophers : now how easie had it been for those fathers to answer all the cavils and objections and flouts of their insulting adversaries , by proposing this notion ! how easie had it been to remove that great stumbling-block which lay in their way to christianity ! they were too learned and too acute philosophers , not to think on it ; but they knew it was not agreeable to the doctrine deliver'd to the saints . perhaps it may be alledged , that the reason why the primitive fathers believ'd the resurrection of the same humane body , was because they believ'd that after the resurrection christ is to come upon earth , and the saints are to abide with him here a thousand years . perchance you may be apt to suspect , that this was the chief foundation of that gross notion which they so generally entertain'd of the rising body . to remove such a suspicion as that is , i need only tell you , that not only the patrons of the millennarian doctrine , but such also as rejected that doctrine , asserted the resurrection of the same humane body . tho' many of those ancients whose authorities we have produced , asserted the millennium , such as papias , the author of the sibylline oracles , justin m. , iren●…us , tertullian , and hippolytus : yet others there are amongst 'em , that did not embrace that doctrine . it does not at all appear , that either st. clement of rome , or st. ignatius , or theophilus of antioch , or tatian , or minucius felix , were asserters of it . on the contrary it appears that the wise and learned athenagoras did not believe it . i observe that he asserts , that after the resurrection there will be no such things as inanimate beings , which is plainly repugnant to the doctrine of the millennium . in his discourse of the resurrection , he argues after this manner : if god ( says he ) is unwilling to raise the dead , it is either because it is unjust , or because it is unworthy . but it is not unjust , for if it be so , it must be an injury either to those that are rais'd , or to some other being . it cannot be an injury to any other being : for intellectual beings ( or angels ) are not at all damnified by it , a neither can it be an injury to irrational or inanimate beings : for after the resurrection there will be no such beings . and to that which is not , there can be no injury done . but admit that there should be such things then in being , yet the resurrection of mankind would be to them no injury , &c. neither was clemens alexandrinus an asserter of the millenium : i know it is suspected by some learned men that he was : but that he was not , i gather from a place in his treatise concerning the salvability of rich men. he was b made ( says he , speaking of the young-man re-converted by st. john ) a trophy of the resurrection that is hoped for , when in the end of the world the angels shall carry up those , who are truly penitent , to the supercelestial habitations . i have now done with my history and proofs of the doctrine of the resurrection . and by this time , i hope , you are so well satisfied of the truth and certainty of it , as to be ready to ask me that question of st. paul : how say some among you that there is no resurrection ? the fourth and last thing i propos'd to do , was to answer the objections of such as say , there will be no resurrection . and this i shall now in the next place endeavour to do . the first objection is taken from the difficulty of it . there are not only many men whom necessity and famine have forc'd to devour one another , but there are many whole nations in the world that are wont to feed ordinarily on humane flesh. you may add that we are all in some sense canibals and man-eaters , we devour one another , we eat our dead neighbours , our brothers , our fathers , the succeeding generation swallows down the former , though we prey not upon 'em , in the same manner , as some other canibals do , yet , by a subtle cookery of nature , we eat 'em at second hand . this is true in some measure : from the bodies of the dead springs up grass , this when eaten by the ox , is turn'd into flesh ; this we eat , and the flesh of the ox becomes ours . plutarch a tells us that when the cimbrians were defeated by marius , there fell so great a number of 'em that the whole field was dung'd ( as one may say ) with their dead bodies , and afforded the next season an extraordinary rich and plentiful crop. others tell us of a certain roman who fed his fishes with the bodies of his slaves , whom he threw into his ponds , that he might feed at second hand on man's flesh. now since the substance of one man's body , becomes the substance of another man's body , how ( you will say ) can the bodies of both be rais'd again ? this objection is a very considerable one , and has been all along urg'd against the doctrine of the resurrection , not only by our later scepticks but anciently ( as i but now observ'd ) by the heathen philosophers . i shall not deny , as athenagoras seems to do , that the substance of one man's body , when eaten by another , turns to nourishment and becomes the flesh of that other that eats it . it sufficiently appears that they that eat humane flesh to satisfie their hunger , are reliev'd and cherish'd , and , of consequence , nourish'd by it . but my answer is this : that god almighty who has engag'd his promise that the bodies of all men shall rise again , will take care so to order all things relating to our nourishment , as that that may not hinder his promise from being fullfill'd . he will take care that the particles of one man's body shall never so become the particles of another man's body , as that the resurrection of either should be thereby render'd impossible . 't is an observation of the most accurate sanctorius , grounded on infallible statick experiments , that not above the fiftieth part of what a man takes into his body turns to nourishment . from hence i make this following inference : should an ox , for example , feed only on such grass as grew in that field which was impregnated by the dead bodies of the cimbrians ( but now mention'd ) as the grass would not consist wholly of those particles which belong'd to the dead bodies , but would chiefly consist of other more common particles , those of rain and the like , so not above the th part ( perhaps a much less proportion ) of the grass which is eaten , would become the flesh of the ox , and not above the th part of that flesh of the ox which is eaten by a man , would be turn'd into the substance of the man. should a man feed on corn that grew in such a field , as the corn would consist not wholly of the humane particles , but chiefly of others ; so not above the th part of the corn so eaten would become the flesh of him that ate it . the same may be said of him who ●…ed his fishes with the bodies of his slaves : as the fish must be suppos'd to receive their nourishment from those bodies , not wholly , but only in part , so not above the th part of the substance of the fish ( you may say much less , considering the unfitness of fish for nourishment ) would become the flesh of the eater . it is plain , that even according to the common course and nature of nutrition , were there no particular providence concern'd in the matter , there would be in such cases but very few particles in any man's body which belong'd before to another . should one man devour another wholly ( in this the great strength of the objection lies ) it appears from sanctorius's observation that not above the th part of the flesh of the person devour'd would become the flesh of him that ate it . and besides the other parts of the flesh , there would remain all the bones untouched , which make up a great ( the most substantial ) part of the body . it is further to be consider'd , that though the same body that died is to rise again , yet it is not necessary that all the particles of it should be rais'd up . 't is enough that such particles are rais'd as made up the integrant and necessary parts of the body . by necessary parts , i mean those which remain after the utmost degree of maceration , without which the body would not be integral , but imperfect . and these are chiefly the bones , the skin , the nerves , the tendons , the ligaments , and the substance of the several vessels . as long as these , and all that are necessary to life , remain , the body is truly whole , though never so much macerated . all the flesh that is added makes nothing at all to the wholeness or integrality of the body , tho' it conduce to strength and ornament . and this is that flesh which would chiefly turn to nourishment if the body were devour'd . the substance of the vessels , tendons , &c. are not so apt for nourishment . if the dying body be extremely macerated , i do not doubt but that in the resurrection it will be restor'd by foreign and adventitious matter to its due and just proportion . so in bodies that are full and fleshy , there 's a great deal of substance that is not necessary , which if it become the flesh of another man , the body may be rais'd up without it , and yet be still physically whole and truly the same . in bodies that are fat and grass , there is doubtless a great deal superfluons , which will never be rais'd up , though it were never made the ingredient of another man's body . to sum up all in a word : i say that god almighty , who has promis'd that the bodies of all men shall be rais'd up again to life , will so order all things relating to our nourishment , as that those particles , of which the necessary parts of one man's body were compounded , shall never become the particles of the necessary parts of another man's body : at least he will take care that they may not continue to be so at the time of his death . if providence has decreed that not only the necessary particles , but that all the particles of the dying body shall be rais'd up again , it will take such care of our nourishment , as that the particles of one man's body shall never continue to be part of another man's body at the time of his death . god will take care that no one shall die whilst his body contains any particles that belong to another . but ( as i said ) it is not at all necessary that we should believe thus much . mr. boyle in his treatise concerning the possibility of the resurrection , in answer to this objection , which we have now examin'd , alledges , that it is not necessary that any of the same flesh should be rais'd up : 't is enough , he says , if the bones are rais'd up and cloth'd with new flesh. and this he proves from the prophet eccechiel's description of the mystical resurrection , where ( says he ) only the same bones were rais'd up , and the flesh , &c. was made up of new matter . but how does it appear that in that resurrection the flesh is to be understood to be made up not of the former , but of new particles ? he alledges moreover that the body , which rises , may be said to be the same with that which was buried , though it contain in it but a very small part of the same substance . he observes that st. paul's comparing the resurrection to the growing of corn , seems to justifie the supposition of a plastick power in some part of the matter of a deceased body , whereby , being divinely excited , it may be enabled to take to it self fresh matter , and so subdue and fashion it , as thence sufficiently to repair or augment it-self . this is wholly the hypothesis of origen . he adds , that the alcalisate ashes of a certain plant like our english red poppy , being sown in a garden , has been known to produce certain plants larger and fairer than any of that kind that had been seen in those parts . which seems , says he , to argue , that in the saline and earthy , i. e. the fixt particles of a vegetable , that has been dissipated and destroy'd by the violence of the fire , there may remain a plastick power enabling them to contrive dispos'd matter , so as to re-produce such a body as was formerly destroy'd . however to this plastick power , residing in any portion of the destroy'd body itself , he is not willing to have recourse . he rather believes , that god by his omnipoten●…e will perform the thing , and work up some of the particles of the deceas'd body , together with the adjacent matter , into a humane body . and the body which is so work'd up may be call'd ( as he tells us ) the same body . this is not to de●…end the doctrine of the resurrection , but to give it up to it's adversaries , and to advance another doctrine instead of it . for it is not true that a body so made up , may be call'd the same with that which died . how can a grain of corn , that is grown up , be said to be the same with that which was sown ? i have own'd already that the identity of our bodies in this life , does not consist in the identity of particles : i have granted that our bodies in our old age are the same with those which we had when infants , or in our mothers womb , tho they have not in 'em any one particle the same . but i said withall , and the same i say here again , that it does not therefore follow that the rising body may be the same with that which was buried , tho it have not any , or but few , of the same particles . the identity of the body here in this life consists in a sit construction and organization of successively fleeting particles of matter . the identity of the rising body , or it's sameness with that which died , can consist in nothing else but in the restauration of the same particles of matter , which made up the necessary parts of the dying body , to their former construction . another objection concerning the difficulty of the resurrection , is this : we are told by some , that allowing five or six foot deep in church-yards and burying-places , and one foot deep in other parts of the earth where the particles of humane bodies may be supsos'd to have been drop'd and scatter'd by the wind , there will hardly be fit matter enough in the whole surface of the earth to make up so many humane bodies as there have been , and will be , in the world. should i shew that here in england alone , which is but a very small part of the globe of the earth , if you go but one single foot deep , there is as much substance as would make up all the bodies of mankind that ever were , or ever will be , tho' the world should last in all years ; should i shew thus much , i suppose it would be granted that the weakness of this objection would be sufficiently expos'd . i shall not only undertake to prove that , but i shall undertake to demonstrate that in less than the th part of the kingdom ( which is much less than the biggest of our counties ) there is more than enough to do it . i demonstrate it thus : . it appears by the best calculations , that there are in england about forty millions of acres : in every acre there are square feet . there are therefore in the whole kingdom about square feet . . it s suppos'd by the most judicious , that in all the world there may be living at one time , old and young , about three hundred millions of people . it appears by the weekly bills , that there are born and die every year about the thirtieth part of mankind . therefore thirty years must be allow'd for one age. now if we multiply three hundred millions by as many thirties as are contain'd in years , the whole number of mankind in years will amount to but little more than , which is not the seventeenth part of the number of square feet contain'd in england . by allowing three hundred millions one age with another , i have allow'd much more than three hundred millions to be at this time living in the world. for in the first ages of the world , and after the floud , there were but very few . . a solid foot of common earth contains in it substance more than enough to make up a humane body , men , women , and children consider'd one with another . for it weighs about fivescore and thirteen pound ; whereas the weight of an ordinary man is no more than ten stone , or sevenscore pound . if therefore allowance be made for the bodies of women , who generally weigh much less than men , and for those of children under sixteen years of age , who are half the number of mankind ( infants under five years of age , who weigh but very little , are reckon'd one quarter of mankind ) i say , if we make this allowance , it will plainly appear that the weight of a humane body , taking one with another , is not so great as the weight of a solid foot of common earth . it is manifest therefore , that in less than the seventeenth part of england , if you go but one foot deep , there is as much substance as would make up all the humane bodies that ever were , are , and will be , tho' the world should last in all years . we will give the objector leave to suppose that the world will last in all years , and that there are in the world , one age with another , six hundred millions of humane bodies , yet in less than one quarter of the kingdom of england , there would be within a foot of the surface , more earth than would weigh down all . i need not here put him in mind that the sea has devour'd many millions of bodies . it appears from what has been said , that the resurrection of all the bodies of mankind is not impossible . and since it is not impossible , there is not any difficulty in it . for all things that are possible , are equally easie to an omnipotent agent . 't is an assertion of * pliny's ( as has been already observ'd ) that god himself is not able to raise up a dead man to life . but whatever he thought of his gods , and whatever were his notions concerning the power of the deity , there is no one now can doubt of god's power and sufficiency . i need not endeavour to demonstrate that he is able to distinguish and to gather together the confus'd and scatter'd particles of our several bodies , howsoever blended , and workt in with other matter , and to range and mould 'em as they were before . i need not endeavour to demonstrate that he is able to provide that the particles which compounded the necessary parts of one man's body , shall never belong to the necessary parts of another , or that they shall not be the particles of another at the time of his death . he that created all the particles that are in the universe , he that made all the bodies , that ever were , out of 'em , he in whose book are all our members , and our particles , written , how can he be ignorant to what uses each particle has been put , and where they are all reposited ? he who first created our bodies , and form'd 'em of the dust of the earth , how can it be difficult for him to raise up the dust of the grave , and make it declare his truth ? he that first commanded man to come as it were out of nothing , what can hinder but that he should be obey'd when he shall be pleas'd to command the children of men to come again ? if so mean a thing as a loadstone can distinguish and gather together the little particles of iron that lie confus'd and undistinguish'd in the dust ; how much more shall the almighty magnetism of him that made the loadstone , be able to distinguish and raise up together the confused and lost particles of our bodies ? if mercury , when dead and dissolv'd , can , even by the power of nature , be reduced and restor'd to its life and being , how much more shall the great god of nature be able to reduce and restore our dead and dissolved bodies to their former state ? i shall not any longer insist on these things . there is no one can doubt of the resurrection on the account of the difficulty of it , but such as with the athenians worship an unknown god. the third objection is taken from the unworthiness of these our bodies , and from their unfitness to be made the habitation of the soul in the next life , which is to be in heaven , and everlasting . the consideration of the impureness of these our bodies made the heathen philosophers deride and abominate the doctrine of the resurrection . to hope for the resurrection of the body , says * celsus , becomes rather the worms , than men : and what man's soul , says he , would ever desire to be re-united to a body that is already rotten ? thus a † late author , to disgrace this doctrine , is pleas'd to call the body a load of carrion , and to compare it to course nasty rags . i shall not say , in answer to celsus , that the soul will ever desire to return to the body purely for the body's sake , neither are we to regard what the soul might perhaps desire , but what god has order'd to be done . were the soul to wish without any regard to the will and good-pleasure of god , i am apt indeed to believe she would hardly desire to be re-conjoined to her body . but neither would she wish to be in any body whatever : she would not be what she is , not a soul , but a seraphim . but is the clay to say to the potter , why dost thou make me thus ? the ambition of the soul must stoop to the pleasure of god. her wishes and desires must all con-center in the will of her almighty maker and preserver . as she must be contented with that middle degree of glory in which god has placed her , so likewise she must be contented with that collegue and companion which he shall think fit to assign her . when he shall be pleas'd to command her to return to her old habitation , tho' it were as to a prison , she must humbly and resignedly submit to his good pleasure : behold the handmaid of the lord , be it unto me according to thy word . but why should we imagine that the soul , when she shall be remanded to her body , will look upon herself as sent to a prison ? that house , which was once a prison , may be turned to a palace , and such a one too as the owner of it would be glad to live in forever . were the wretched and disorderly house , in which my soul now lives , to continue always just such as it is , she would doubtless think herself happy in being sent for abroad , and , with reason , be glad to continue always from home . this flesh , in which we now live , may at present be deservedly styl'd a prison , or a burden , or an enemy , or whatsoever else is not declamation and irreverence . 't is our church in her office of burial that calls it the burden of the flesh : and 't is the author of ecclesiasticus , that tells us , that the corruptible flesh presseth down the soul. such indeed is our earthly house of this tabernacle , so foul , so inconvenient and ruinous , that i know not who would be very fond of it . who is there that can say , it is good for us to be here ? * i know that in my flesh , as at present it is , there dwelleth no good thing . we are now in a body of death , as the apostle himself calls it , and well may we desire with the apostle ( and with much more reason than he ) to be deliver'd from it . but is this body to be always thus constitution'd ? is it always to remain this needy and impure , this passionate , lustful , restive body ? we have hitherto look'd but on one side of it ; let us now look upon it in the reverse . immortal , incorruptible , powerfull , spiritual , celestial , glorious ! these are the attributes of the body that shall be rais'd . and where is now the unworthiness of it ? where is the unfitness to be made the habitation of the soul ? was there heretofore a law in our members warring against the law of our minds ? were there heretofore continual feuas between the flesh and the spirit ? there is now a perpetual peace : their quarrels and bickerings are all at an end : they are now no longer enemies , but loving and faithful friends . it is not properly in the nature of flesh to oppose it self to the soul , and to revolt from its duty and subjection . it is naturally quiet and passive , and though in this life the wheels and movements of the noble machine are sometimes disorder'd , yet in the next they will all move regularly and in obedience to the intelligence that governs it . when god shall be pleas'd to raise it up out of the grave , it will drop all its passions and restiveness , together with its impurities , and carry up nothing with it but its natural gentleness , and a will to be govern'd . those traces , which sensible pleasures had imprinted on it , will be all perfectly obliterated , and the new impressions which it will receive will be truly worthy of heaven and eternity . had our bodies heretofore many infirmities ? were they sickly , or maim'd , or crooked , or old , or otherwise deform'd ? these infirmities and all imperfections are now done away . the body is new-cast , the mold work'd better , and the mettal refin'd : the whole figure comes out with vast improvements ; though the same as to all the ideal rudiments , yet a much more curious and delicate piece of workmanship . whatever it was heretofore , it has now no real deformity , no wrincle , or blemish , but all is turn'd to comeliness and beauty . at least we shall then have a truer notion of beauty and deformity , and that which now passes for ugliness will then appear to be no such thing . hoec est vera resurrectionis confessio , quoe sic gloriam carni tribuit , ut non auferat veritatem . so † st. jerom. and that confession we must stand to . now , how far these bodies of ours are capable of being exalted and glorified , so as still to continue truly humane , i shall not presume to determine . i am not fond of walking in the dark , especially when it is to little or no purpose : but because you desire to know what my sentiments are concerning our future state , and are pleas'd to ask me that question , how are the dead rais'd up ? and with what body do they come ? i must own my-self inclin'd to believe that our bodies in the resurrection will be , as to their purity , constitution , and liveliness , the same with that of adam when first it came from the hands of its maker with the stamps and characters of the divine goodness and wisdom fresh upon it . that was the true exemplar and original and perfection of humane nature . all the difference , i think , will be this , that adam's body after some little time stood in need of meat and drink to supply its evacuations , and was fitted to make him the father of mankind ; ours in the resurrection will continue always the same , without perspiration , or any other evacuation . the springs will always have the same bent , the motions will all be equally regular , the same continual round of the same pure vigorous spirits , and the same blood moving forever in a brisk but even circulation . the apostles epithets ' of powerful , and spiritual , and celestial , and glorious , and all that the scripture says of our transformation into the divine likeness , i take to signifie no more , than this even , and pure , and dispassionate , and incorruptible state of the body , with a perfect refinement of all our faculties . this perhaps is much less than what some others are willing to allow to a glorified body : but i see no reason why we should expect any higher exaltation . and if such be the state and condition of it , i know no reason why we should desire any higher . this heavenly frame is enough to make us truly happy and blessed , no less than if our bodies were ethereal , and our souls were carried in those fine celestial chariots which the heathen philosophers talk of . if adam had not sinn'd , these very same bodies had then been immortal and wholly exempted from death : why then should we think it strange that the immortal bodies which god will bestow on us in the resurrection , should be truly humane ? the immortality of these bodies was then intended as a blessing ; and shall we not think it a blessing worthy of the donor , to have the same body restored to a better state than that from which it was fallen ? yes ! this is enough , and this is all i desire , and this i hope to obtain . let this my body , this very same body , be made pure , my pollutions wash'd away , my passions subdu'd my wants remov'd , my understanding clear'd , my sense of true pleasure enliven'd , let this be but done , and my soul will desire no more . her old acquaintance , when blessed with these happy transmutations will be truely welcome to her . neither she nor the angels will ever be asham'd of his company . let this be but done , and i shall not think the grossness of it to be any diminution of my happiness . i shall not envy the glory of incorporeal beings , but shall heartily thank god , that i am what i am . a fourth objection is concerning the unfitness of a humane body to be plac'd in heaven on account of its gravity . how can a humane body , that is naturally heavy , be sustain'd in a pure ethereal heaven ? i answer , . if those regions of heaven , where the saints are hereafter to have their habitation , be all fluid and ethereal , or even void space , yet our bodies may without the least difficulty , and without any miracle , or particular care of omnipotence be there supported and sustain'd . there is no such thing as gravity in regions purely ethereal which are above the reach and activity of particular orbs. there is no high and low in such places . our bodies will be there sustain'd , as the globe of the earth , and the several celestial orbs , are now sustain'd in the air and ether . which is not done by a miracle : for they are naturally sustain'd there , and there is not any low to which they may encline . there is nothing indeed ( properly speaking ) heavy in its own nature , as there is not any thing light in its own nature . and our bodies even here in this world do not of their own natures tend towards the center of the earth ; but they are violently haled of push'd down . had there been no external causes of what we call gravity contriv'd by the creator , there would have been no such thing , no high and low , in the universe . this no one can deny that considers the system of the world. . that the place in which we are to have our abode in the next life , is all pure ether , or immaterial , is perhaps not so true as generally suppos'd . perhaps after all , our heaven will be nothing but a heaven upon earth , or some glorious solid orb created on purpose for us in those immense regions which we call heaven . it seems more natural to suppose that since we have solid and material bodies , we shall be placed , as we are in this life , on some solid and material orb. neither is this a new opinion , but embrac'd by many of the ancients . that after the resurrection we are to live for ever on a new earth , was , as maximus tells a us , the opinion of many in his time . and the same was asserted in the third century by st. b methodius , bishop of tyre , in his treatise concerning the resurrection . a st. peter himself tells us that after this world is dissolv'd there will be new heavens , and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness . he adds , that this the saints look for ; with a plain intimation , that there they are hereafter to inhabit . st. john also in his revelations b makes mention of a new earth , where the blessed are to have their happy abode after this world is destroy'd . these places the chiliasts produce to confirm their opinion ; but they ought to be understood of the everlasting habitation of the blessed . our saviour tells his disciples : c in my fathers house are many mansions : i go to prepare a place for you . and if i go to prepare a place for you , i will come again , and receive you unto my-self , that where i am , there ye may be also . in the regions of heaven , tho' before our saviour's ascension there were many mansions of angels or immaterial beings , yet those ( it seems ) were not thought fit for the habitation of men. there was no mansion proper for men , none sufficiently suited to their nature , till christ ascended up thither in his body . he then created one proper for the reception of his own humane nature , and for the habitation of our bodies . this i take to be that new earth , or habitable orb , which is spoken of by st. peter and st. john. there christ at present remains ; from thence ( as he says ) he will come to judge this world , and the good he will carry up with him , to live there for ever in unspeakable happiness . i know that st. john seems to intimate that that new earth , which he speaks of , is not in heaven : for he says that the new jerusalem came down on that earth from heaven . but we ought not to understand the descriptions contain'd in the revelations too strictly . by the new jerusalem coming down from heaven on that new earth , he seems to mean only this , that in that new earth the throne of god , or his most especial presence , will be among men. i leave these things to your consideration , and proceed to the fifth and last objection , which is concerning the uselessness of a humane body in the next life , and the unnecessariness of raising up the same that died . our adversaries perhaps are willing to grant that there is no impossibility in the resurrection , and that the body being purified and exalted to the highest degree of humane perfection , may be worthy of the heavenly mansions : but however , say they , it is not agreeable to the divine wisdom to raise up the same humane body . why not ? why , he acts , says the etherealist , in all things wisely , and for some end : but to what purpose should he raise up the same body , when a new one will serve as well ? and to what purpose should he again invest the soul with a humane body , when the several parts of it are useless ? in answer to this , it s commonly alledged , that the same humane body must rise again , and be united to the soul , that together with the soul , it may be either rewarded or punish'd for the good or evil we did in this life . it would be injustice ( they say ) for god to punish or reward the soul alone for what it did not alone , but together with the body . this argument is commonly made use of not only by the school-men , and other modern divines , but by almost all the ancients , a athenagoras , b tertullian , c greg. nazianzen , d st. chrysostom , the author of the e ecclesiastical hierarchy , f epiphanius , g st. ambrose , h theodoret , i aeneas gazaeus , k johannes damascenus , l nilus , m photius , and several others of the ancient greeks and latins . they all agree , that god is obliged in justice to reward or punish the body together with the soul. the same is asserted in one place ( which i have produced ) by origen himself . and this is the reason assigned for the resurrection by the talmudists in the tract n sanhedrin . i desire as much as any man to pay a just deference and regard to the judgments of the ancient fathers : but it must be confes'd , that tho' their authority be great in matters of tradition , yet the reasons and arguments which they produce to confirm their doctrines , are not always convincing . if we seriously and impartially consider this assertion , we shall find it not to be true . my reasons , in short , are these . first , to speak properly , the body is not capable either of sinning , or doing well . it is only the instrument of the soul. and the arm that stabs , sins no more than the sword. 't is the soul only that is the murderer . neither , secondly , is the body capable of any reward or punishment . 't is the soul only that is sensible , and nothing but what is sensible can be capable of rewards and punishments . thirdly , if it be injustice in god to punish the soul alone without the body in conjunction with which she committed the sin , then all the matter which constituted the body when the several sins were committed , must be rais'd again , and be re-united to the soul. for if some , why not all ? but what monsters of men should we be in the resurrection , if all the substance of which our bodies consisted from our childhood to our deaths , should be gather'd together and form'd into a body . 't was the opinion of some of the ancient hereticks , that the souls of men die , and are dissolv'd together with the body , and revive and rise again with it in the resurrection . which opinion supposes the soul to be material as well as the body , which many of the ancient christians , who were not look'd upon as heretical , believ'd . eusebius a tells us of certain christians of arabia , in the third century , who advanc'd and taught this opinion concerning the soul's dissolution and resurrection , and that it was condemn'd by a synod there call'd on purpose , in which * origen was present , by whom , he says , they that maintain'd it were re-converted . gilbertus gaulminus * , in his notes on the book de vitâ & morte mosis , says , that the arabick historians ascribe this opinion , that the soul dies together with the body , to origen himself . but that origen did not hold that opinion appears very evidently from a hundred places in his works . tatianus , who was scholar to justin m. and lived before these times , tho' he held that the souls of the good do not die together with the body , yet he † asserts that those of the wicked do , and that being dissolv'd , they are rais'd up again , together with the body , in the day of judgment . there were others who maintain'd , that the soul , tho' it does not properly die together with the body , yet after its separation from the body it sleeps as it were , and remains altogether insensible : that it is not capable of any perception without the concurrence of an organical body . these are call'd psychopannychites . st. maximus * speaks of this as a prevailing opinion in his time , which was about the middle of the seventh century . we are told by some ( but i think * untruly ) that p. john xxii . maintain'd it . stephanus gobarus * speaks of some who maintain'd , that the soul never leaves the body , but remains always in it , and is buried together with it , and is raised up with it in the resurrection . whether these maintain'd that it properly dies , and is dissolv'd , or that it only remains insensible , he does not say . tertullian himself , tho' in † other places he asserts the sensibility of separated souls , and that of it-self it is capable of rewards and punishments , and is actually in some measure rewarded or tormented before the resurrection ; yet in his apology against the heathens , he expresly affirms that a the soul is not capable of suffering at all , but in union with the flesh , and that that is one reason why the flesh is to rise . again in his book b de testimonio animae : to enjoy everlasting happiness , or to sustain everlasting torments , it is necessary that thou shouldest be restored to thy former substance , because thou art not capable of feeling either pleasure or pain without flesh. if this opinion were true , that the soul is not capable in its own nature , without an organiz'd body , of any perception , ( i take no notice here of that other opinion concerning the death and dissolution of the soul ) we should not need to look any further for a reason why god has ordained that the soul should be again united to a humane body ; since it would not otherwise be capable after death of being either rewarded or punished . and it must be confess'd that this notion is very consistent with the doctrine of the resurrection , and the general judgment , which is to follow the resurrection . but here lies the difficulty : i know not how to make it consistent with some other places of the scripture . the scripture is plainly against it . when our saviour tells the penitent thief upon the cross , this day thou shalt be with me in paradise , he seems to intimate that he should be sensible of that happiness . that wish of st. paul in the st of the philip. that he might depart and be with christ , seems yet more clear and convincing . the apostle seems plainly to intimate , that being with christ , he should be sensible of it . that st. paul believed that the soul after its separation from the body remains sensible , and is capable of perceiving without any organs of sense , i inferr moreover from that place where he speaks of his being rapt up into heaven , which others ( i think ) do not usually take notice of . he says that he could not tell , whether he was rapt up into heaven , and saw there those unspeakable sights in the body or out of the body . now he could not have doubted of that , if he had not believed that the soul is sensible when out of the body . to this we may add that place of st. john in the revelations , where he says a that he saw in heaven the souls of them that were slain for the word of god , and they cried with a loud voice , saying , how long , o lord , &c. there are other places in that book which confirm the same thing . tertullian in his book de resurrectione carnis , where he owns that separated souls do not sleep , but are sensible , and are actually punish'd or rewarded before the resurrection , says a they are punish'd or rewarded before the resurrection for those good or bad things which they did without the concurrence of the body , as for good or bad thoughts , desires , and contrivances ; and he seems to intimate that tho' the soul is in its own nature capable of rewards and punishments , yet it is not in its own nature b so capable as when it is united to the body . it is capable , he says , of greater pleasure or torment when united to the body , than when in a state of separation , and therefore for those things which the actually did in concurrence with the body , the must be punished or rewarded in the body , that the pleasure or torment may be perfect . but this is very precarious ; and if once it be granted that the soul is in its own nature , without an organiz'd body , capable of rewards and punishments , it cannot be denied but that it is of its self capable of being fully rewarded or punished . we have not yet found out a reason for this decree of god almighty concerning the resurrection : if we would give a true account of it , it is necessary we should mount a little higher , and look a little farther . i shall pass by many conjectures which we find in the schools , and in some of our ancient writers , and among the jewish a masters , and shall lay before you my own thoughts . if it be not presumption to take upon one to search into god's counsels , and the reasons of his decrees , i should think that one reason why he has been pleas'd to decree that the soul in the day of judgment shall be again united to a humane body , may be this ; that as we are men when we sin or do well , so we may be men when by a judicial sentence we are punish'd or rewarded for it . but we cannot be men unless we have humane bodies . st. paul a tells us , that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , that every man may receive the things done in the body , according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad . and as we are to give an account for what we did in the body , so in the body we shall give an account . if it be reasonable that we should be men when we are punish'd or rewarded for what we did when men ; it seems much more reasonable that we should be then the same men : but we cannot be the same men unless we have the same bodies . 't is a great mistake to imagine that the identity or sameness of a man consists wholly in the sameness of the soul. if euphorbus , and homer , and ennius , had had one and the same soul , yet they would not have been one and the same , but three distinct men. in what the identity or sameness of the body consists , that that of the rising body can consist in nothing else but in the restauration of the same numerical particles , which made up the dissolved body , to their former construction , i have already told you . another reason why god has been pleas'd to ordain that the same humane body that died shall rise again and be reconjoin'd to the soul , i take to be this : ( and this indeed i take to be the first and the chief reason of that decree . ) we had all been immortal men , if adam had not sinn'd ; 't was god's design that we should never die , but that our souls should remain for ever united to their bodies . this gracious design being frustrated by adam's transgression , he was graciously pleas'd to ordain , that as in adam all die , so by the merits of christ , the second adam , we should all at last triumph over death , and be restored to those bodies , and that humane nature which he first design'd should be immortal . by the death and resurrection of christ our losses are to be repair'd which adam's sinning occasion'd ; but our losses cannot be repair'd unless we are restor'd to those bodies which by his sinning we lost . will neither of these reasons satisfie the etherealist ? well , then i will give him another . i will give him a most certain reason why god will restore us to our humane natures , and why he will raise up the very same body . he will because he will. a very bad reason to be given for the actions of man , but a very good one for god's ! he will because he hath promis'd . i am the lord , and i have said it ( says he ) and who can say , what doest thou ? there is nothing , that god does , but he does for a very good reason : but who are we , that we should call him to an account for what he does ? his ways and his counsels are many of 'em unsearchable to us , and as a job tells us , he giveth not account of any of his matters . 't is his part to act , ours to admire and submit , and as long as our reason and our senses are not plainly contradicted , we are only to enquire what , not how , or why ? i would fain know of those who deny the resurrection of the same humane body , because they do not know what use we can have of the particular parts of such a body in the life to come , whether they deny or doubt of the existence of all other things , the reason of which they cannot comprehend ? i should undertake to quiet all the scruples of those men , and to satisfie all their queries , if they would be but pleas'd to undertake to answer a few questions of mine . i could ask 'em the reason of a hundred things both in nature and divinity , but to bring my questions home to the case before us ; if they will not believe that in the life to come we shall have humane bodies , because they cannot see to what uses our several parts can then serve , let 'em tell me to what real uses all the parts of our bodies serve here in this life . by that time they are able to do that , i believe i may be able to assign them the uses of the several parts of our bodies in the life to come . if they please to cast their eyes down on their own bodies , they may there see certain parts of which there is no real use ; such as were bestowed on their bodies for resemblance sake only . why therefore might not god give us humane bodies in the next life , meerly for this reason ( suppose , if you please that there is no other ) that they that rise may resemble or be like those that died , or be such as they were ? i would ask the etherealist a question or two more . let him tell me for what reason god gave us a body here in this life , why he made us corporeal beings , since only to have created so many souls or spirits , might have conduced as much , or , for ought we can see , more , to his glory , and our happiness , than to make us , as he has done , of body and soul. let him tell me for what reason we shall have in the life to come any body at all ( as he himself grants we shall have an ethereal one ) since the soul is in its own nature , and without any sort of body , capable of rewards and punishments ? in a word , the same reason god had for making us what we are , the same he will have for making us what we shall be , viz. his good pleasure . — ●…om readest thou ? — go , learn to be modest . enquire first what god has promis'd , then judge of his wisdom by his promises . i fansie my-self talking ( philalethes ) to a bold refiner on the promises and decrees of god almighty , one of those little dothings that call themselves philosophers , who first form to themselves notions and idea's , then deal with revelation as the tyrant did with the poor innocents on his bed , either violently stretch it beyond its natural reach , or chop off a part to make it commensurate to their inventions . this ( i know ) is what you are not guilty of . you pursue the quite contrary method . as a real lover of truth , and as becomes a true christian philosopher , you first search the scriptures , and then the traditions of the primitive church , and on these agreeing together , as on a sure and certain foundation , you raise and build the system of your belief . those doctrines which you find clearly reveal'd , you do not endeavour to puzle with nice objections and scruples , nor pervert with anyp rivate glosses and conceits of your own : but as you find 'em so you embrace ' em . you firmly believe , and humbly acquiesce , and leave the contrivance and the reasons to god. concerning the doctrine of the resurrection of the same humane body , which , in obedience to your commands , i have endeavour'd to confirm and establish , i shall here , for the close of all , add , that among all the doctrines of christianity ( you understand me of such as are grounded only on revelation ) there is not any one either more plainly deliver'd in scripture , or more clearly convey'd down to us by the traditions of the primitive fathers , or more universally receiv'd by the catholick church , than this is . 't is indeed so clearly deliver'd down to us and so universally receiv'd , that to deny it , and yet at the same time profess the christian faith , seems to imply a contradiction . he that would preach the one must likewise maintain the other . we must do as st. paul did at athens : preach jesus , and not only the but this resurrection . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * cohort . ad grac. p. . * de provid . & fat●… ap . phot. cod. ccxiv. a bel. gal. 〈◊〉 . . c. . b bel. celtico . * l. . c. . † sir paul ricaut of the turkish empire , l. . c. . p. . * aen. . v. . † de tempore , serm. & . a de resur . c. . sed platonici immortalem animam 〈◊〉 contrario reclamant : immo adhuc proxime etiam in corpora remeabilem affirmant ; etsi non in eadem , etsi non in humàna tantummodo , ut euphorbus in pythagoram , homerus in pavum , recenseantur . certè recidivatum animae corporalem pronunciaverunt ; tolerabilius mutatâ quàm negatâ qualitate : pulsatâ saltem , licet non aditâ veritate . ita saeculum , resurrectionem morcuorum , nec quum errat , ignorat . b sic etiam conditionem renascendi sapientium clariores , pythagoras primus , & praecipuus plato , corruptâ & dimidiatâ fide tradiderunt . nam corporibus dissolutis solas animas volunt & perpetuò manere , & in alia nova corpora saepius commeare . addunt istis & illa ad retorquendam verjtatem , in pecudes , aves , belluas , hominum animas redire . non philosophi sane studio , sed mimico vitio digna ista sententia est . sed ad propositum satis est , etiam in hoc sapientes vestros in aliquem modum nobiscum consonare . c l. . c. . quâ de anastasi philosophi quoque dicere aliquid conat●… sunt ; tam corruptè quàm poetae . nam pythagoras transire animas in nova corpora disputavit , &c. * observ. de locis memorab . in asiâ , &c. † de luctu . * orat. . p. . & orat. . p. , . a orat. . p. . † de praetermissis ab homero . * in romulo . * vitâ apollonii , l. . c. . † plutarch in romulo . herodotus , l. . c. , , . * l. c. † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . * contra celsum , l. . p. . a vita pythag. p. . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ap. pecock . not. in portam mosis , p. . † ap. s. aug. de civ . xxii . . a c. celsum , l. . p. . † p. . he says it was the opinion of the stoicks not that things should be numerically the same , but only in likeness ; not that socrates e. g. should be born again , but some one exactly like him , with all the like circumstances . a cont. graecos , p. . b de vita beat●… , l. . c. . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . d ap●… eu●… . p●…p . xv. , . e . de nat. de●…rum , c. . b quod mundus sit corruptibilis . p. . c apolog. . p. . d apolog. pro christ. e strom. . p. . . f l. . c. . § . a notis in m. antonin . and in his book of credul . and incred . p. . a l. . §. . a see clem. alex. l. . p. , . b simplicius com. in arist. phys. l. . c ibid. a l. . c. . * the author seems to intimate that democritus spoke of a resurrection which was to be in a little time : but i believe he had not duly consider'd his opinion . a com. in ecclesiasten , c. . a meric . casaub. of cred. and incred . p. . b pocock . specim . hist. arabum , p. . a eutyc●…io vind. p. . a pr●…mio . b de is. & osir. p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c ap. plut. loco cit . theophrasto , p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b ta●… nier . l. . c. . p. . a c. . 〈◊〉 . . hist. dynast . p. . pocockius specim . hist. arabum , p. . fuisse ex arabibus dicit sharestanius alios qui nec praecessisse creationem crederent , nec futuram resurrectionem ; rerum or●…um naturae , interi●…um seculo deberi asterentes ; alios , qui res omnes creatas agnoscerent , at restitutum iri mortuos negarent ; alios demum qui utrumque ●…aterentur . a mr. rich. wrag in hackluit tom . . p. . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b knox hist. of ceylon . p. . a trav. part i. c. . p . b bomferrus cited by sir tho. herbert in his trav. p. . a le blanc . c. p. . c treatise of china . a voyag . p. . a c. . 〈◊〉 . . p. . * de is. & osir , p. . theopompus ai●… de sententi●… magorum vicibus annorum alterum deorum superare , alterum succumbere : et per alia annorum bellum eos inter se gerere , pugnare , & alterum alterius opera demoliri : tandem plutonem deficere , & tunc homines fore beatos , neque alimento utentes , neque umbram edentes . a chinâ illustr . p. . b hist. indiae orient . l. . p. . c herbert in his trav. p. . a p. . a apud acta eruditorum lipsiensia . vol. . p. . b hist. of the caribby isles , l. . c. . c smith in hi●… virginia , l. . p. . a ap. acta lips. vol. . p. . b reru●… indicarum thesauro , to. . c. . b reru●… indicarum thesauro , to. . c. . praefat . in benzonis hist. a trav. p. . . b hist. missionis benedictinorum in america . c trav. part . c. & . d hist. navigat . in brasiliam p. . e hist. of the caribby isles , l. . c. . f l. . c. . g hist. of the west-indies , l. . c. . a bishop paerson on the creed , p. . acts . . a de resur . initio epistolae dedic . * philo jud. quod omnis probus sit liber . p. . a c. . p. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a in his own life . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 antiq. l. . c. . a st. hieron . catalog . photius cod. . b p. . edit . colon. a p. . b gen. . . c de gigantibus , p. . a hist. l. . c. . a epist. . c. . v. . * proaem . in l. . com. ad galatas . * vide drusii observ . l. . c. . a de sectis , act. . b com. in mat. p. . c catech. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . a har. . b l. . c. . c tract . sanhedrin , c. . § . a c. . v. . a c. . v. . b st. 〈◊〉 jo. . . a mat. . ●… . mark . . luke . . b luke . . * c. . ( graec. ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a ad finem . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. a acts . . a vide menasseh ben-israel de resur . l. . c. . vorstii animad . in pirke r. elieser , p. . pocockii not as in portam mosis , p. . a john sanderson voyage to the holy land. b sandys travels , p. . a morison's trav. p. . b travels , p. part . a tract . sanhedrin . c. . §. . b ibid. §. . c in pirke c. . d l. c. a l. c. a l. c. ( b ) l. c. a ap. pocockii portam mosis , p. . † isai. . . a de rore quo futurum est juxta rabbinos ut deus vitae restituat mortuos . vide pocock . in portam mosis , p. . b c. . v. . a vide not . pocockii in portam mosis , p. . ad . & menasseh ben-israel per totum opus de resurrectione . b dr. addison . c vide hornbeckium de convertendis judais . p. . ad . menasseh ben-isr . de resur . l. c. a vide seld. de succes . pont. p. , . b vid seld . l. c. p. . * john sanderson trav. to palestine . † c. . v. . * the paraphrast means damnation , as appears , c. . v. . a not. in 〈◊〉 vitam pythagorae , p. . b ps. . v. . a c. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b c. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * john . . † c. . v. . * c. . v. . † c. . v. . * c. . v. , . † c. . v. . † c. . v. . * st. mat. . . † c. . . * drusius , beza , piscator , &c. in comment . * iv. . † antiq. xx. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( b ) antiq. xiii . . b ant. xviii . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a ant. xviii . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a ant. xiii . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ant. xviii . . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . bel. l. . c. . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * l. . c. . † c. . v. . a vide menasseh ben-israel de resur . l. . c. , , . & talmudistas in s●…nhedrin , c. . § . & p. , . ed. cocceii . b vide epiphaniu●… , vol. . p . & vol. . p. ●… , , , ●… , eulogium ap . phot. ] p. ●… . † c. . * c. . v. . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ep. i. ad cor. p. . ed. jun. b com. in mat. p. ●… . a christiani non pauci hoc textu usi sunt ad probandam resurrectionis fidem , sed ut id facerent , coacti sunt in versionibus suis multùm ab hebraeo discedere , ut notatum mercero aliisque . hebraea sic sonant : scio ego redemptorem meum vivere , & illum postremo staturum in campo , ( i. e. victorem suturum . ) e●…iamsi non pellem tantùm meam sed & hoc ( nempe arvinam quae sub pelle est ) consumerent , ( morbi sc. ) in carne tamen meâ deum videbo ( . propitium experiar : ) ego , inquam , hisce meis oculis ; ego , non autem alius pro me . defecer●…nt renes mei in sinu meo , ( . intima mea vorantur ex indignatione ob maledicta vestra . ) a catenâ in job , p. . . a st. john , v. . b xx. . c ap. epiphan . haer. . §. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. sed dicet aliquis : quomodo resurg●…nt mortui , aut quali cum corpore venient ? palam illud ostendit ; primam subjectam materiam nullo modo resurgere . nam si rectè propositum ab apostolo exemplum accipimus , dicendum est , seminis naturam , quae frumenti grano insita est , vicinâ correptâ materiâ , totam illam pervadere atque illius pariter correptâ specie , vires suas in id , quod antè terra , aqua , aer , ignisque fuerat , transundere , earumque superatis qualitatibus , in illam ipsam cujus est artifex , convertere : atque hoc modo perfici spicam , quae à priore grano mirum in modum , & magnitudine & figurâ & varietate dissideat . d adv. jo. hiero. sol . p. . est , inquit , singulis seminibus ratio quaedam à deo artifice insita , quae futuras materias in medullae principiis tenet . et quomodo tanta arboris magnitudo , truncus , rami , poma , folia , non viden●…ur in semine , sunt tamen in ratione seminis , quam graeci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocant : et in grano frumenti est intrinsecus , vel medulla , vel venula ; quae cum in terrâ fuerit dissoluta , trahit ad se vicinas materias , & in stipulam , folia , aristasque consurgit , aliudque moritur , aliud resurgit ; neque enim in grano tritici , radices , culmus , folia , aristae , paleae sunt dissolutae . sic & ratione humanorum corporum manent quaedam surgendi antiqua principia , & quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , id est , seminarium mortuorum , sinu terrae confovetur . cum autem judicii dies advenerit , & in voce archangeli , & in noviss●…mâ tubâ tremuerit terra , movebuntur statim semina , & in puncto horae mortuos germinabunt : non tamen easdem carnes , nec in his formis restituent , quae fuerunt . c l. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † nos vero post corruptionem mundi eosdem ipsos futuros esse homines dicimus , ●…cet non eodem statu , neque in iisdem passionibus . non enim iterum ex conventione viri & mulieris erunt , sed verbi gratiâ : ea ratio quae continet pauli substantiam , pauli autem nunc dico corporalis quae salva per●…inet : et cum voluerit deus secundùm ea quae dicta sunt , per sacramentum tubarum in novissimâ túbâ facere ut mortui resurgant , per illam ipsam substantiae rationem quae salva permanet , ut de terrae pulvere rescuscitentur à mortuis ex omnibus locis , in quibus ratio illa substantiae corporalis in ipsis corporibus permanebat , quae in terram prolapsa dei voluntate iterum rescuscitantur . et hoc arbitror asserere volentem dixisse aposto●…um in ep. ad cor. post assertionem enim resurrectionis mortuorum , cum proposuisset sibi ea quae possent ab aliis objici ; de resurrectione m●…rtuorum sic ait : sed dicit aliquis , quomodo resurgunt mo●…tui ? quo autem corpore venient ? stulte , tu quod seminas non vivificatur , nisi prius moriatur ; & quid seminas ; non quod futurum est corpus seminas , sed nudum granum ut puta tritici , aut alicujus caeterorum , deus autem dat illi corpus prout vult . cùm enim manifestissimè ostendisser quia mortui resurgunt , & certum esset quia salvator noster cum ipso corpore resurrexisset , quod susceperat ex mariâ , non autem satis clarum esset quomodo resurrecturi essent caeteri , vel quale corpus habituri : comparat resurrectionem seminibus quae seminantur in terrâ , ut puta grano frumenti , quod quum ceciderit in terram corrumpitur : sed rationis illius virtus est insita in interioribus ejus medull●…s : ipsa rationis virtus assumpra adjacentem sibi terram , vel aquae humorem , seu aeris circumstantem temperiem , caloris quoque sufficientem recipiens fomitem per divinam potentiam co-operantem culmi vel spicae consurgunt : et hoc est quod dicit : tu quod seminas , non vivificatur nisi priùs moriatur : et quid seminas , non corpus quod futurum est seminas . ergo hoc quod cadit in terram corpus nostrum , comparatum est grano frumenti . * vide poco●…k . in portam mosis , p. , . * bishop pearson on the cr●…ed , p. . * vide slichtingii com. in locu●… . † . . * v. , . † com. in mat. p. . * st. hieron . j. . adv . jovin . in resurrectione mortuorum , non ●…bent , neque nubentur , sed similes erunt angelis . quod alii postea in coelis futuri sunt , hoc virgines in terrâ esse coeperunt . si angelorum nobis similitudo promittitur : inter angelos autem non est sexûs diversitas ; aut sine sexu erimus , quod angeli sunt ; aut certè quod liquido comprobatur , resurgentes in proprio sexu , sexûs non fungemur officio . idem adv . joan. hierosol . angelorum nobis simili●…udo promittitur ; id est , beatitudo illa , in quâ sine carne & sexu sunt ang●…li , nobis in carne & sexu nostro donabitur . mea rusticitas sic credit , & sic intelligit , sexum confiteri sine sexuum operibus ; homines resurgere , & sic eos angelis adaequari . — similitudo autem ad angelos , non hominum in angelos demutatio , sed pro●…ectus immortalitatis & gloriae est . vide st. methodium ap . epiphan . haer. . §. . ‖ cor. . . * st. hieron . adv . joan 〈◊〉 . quod verò dicit apostolus corruptibile hoc & mortale , hoc ipsum corpus , id est , carnem , quae tunc videbatur , ostendit . quod autem copulat , induere incorruptionem & i●…mortalitatem : illud indumentum , id est , vestimentum , non dicit corpus abolere quod ornat in gloriâ ; sed quod antè inglorium fuit , efficere gloriosum : ut mortalitatis & infirmitatis viliore veste depositâ , immortalitatis auro , & ut ita dicam , firmitatis atque virtutis beatitudine , induamur , volentes non spoliari carne , sed supervestiri in gloriâ , & domicilium nostrum , quod de coelo est , sup●…rindui desiderantes , ut devoretur mortale a vitâ . certè nemo superinduitur , nisi qui antè vestitus est . epiphanius h●…r . . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. non dixit m●…rtale solum , neque corruptibile solum , nec immortalem denique animam . sed corruptibile hoc & mortale , addito utrobique pronomine hoc . a 〈◊〉 . iv. , . * epiphanius hae●… . . §. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. apostolus ai●… , nos rapiemur nu●…ibus in occursum illius : ut hoc ipsum corpus verè esse , non praeter ipsum aliud , o●…tenderet . nam qui rapitur , nondum est mortuus , &c. a . cor. xv. . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ap . eucholog . p. . b description of russia ap . hackluyt to . . p. . a st. macarius hom. . st. cyrillus hierosol . catechesi . c st. clemens rom. ep. ad cor. p. . st. theophilus antioch . ad autol. i. . p. . tertullian . apolog . c. ult . & de resur . c. . st. ambros. de resur . orentius in commonitorio . chrysologus serm. , , . † passionem quoque ejus in cruce & mortem ac sepulturam , quae universa servavlt , ac resurrectionem veritate & non putative confitemur : qui & primo genitus ex mortuis , primitias massae corporum nostrorum , quas in sepulchro positas suscitavit , pervexit ad coelum , spem nobis resurrectionis in resurrectione proprii corporis tribuens , unde & omnes sic speramus refurgere ex mortuis , sicut ille resurrexit . non in aliis quibusdam peregrinis & in alienis corporibus quae assumuntur in phantasmate : sed sicut ipse in illo corpore , quod apud nos in sancto sepulchro conditum resurrexit : ita & nos in ipsis corporibus , quibus nunc circundamur , & in quibus nunc sepelimur , eâdem ratione & visione speramus resurgere . joannes episc. hierosol . ap . s. hieron . in l. adv eum . eodem argumento , viz. exemplo resurrectionis christi primogeniti mortuorum ac primitiarum dermientium utitur st. methodius ap . epiphan . haer. . §. . & ipse epiphanius in ancor . c. . * st. hieron . 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . adv . jovin . certe in resurrectione ●…adem erit corporum substantia , qu●… nunc utimur , licet auctior gloriâ . nam & salvator in tantum ipsum corpus habuit post inferos , inquo & crucifixus est , ut manus perforatas clavis & lateris vulnus ostender●…t . p●…rro si clausis ingressus est oftiis , quod humanorum corporum natura non patitur , ergo & petrum & dominum negabimus vera habuisse corpora , quia ambulaverunt super aquas , quod contra naturam est . idem adv . joan. hicros●…l . dic mihi , acutissime disputator , quid est majus , ●…antam terrae magnitudinem appendere super nihilum , & super aquarum incerta librare : an deum transire per clausam porta●… , & creaturam cedere creatori ? quod majus est tribuis : quod minus est calumniaris . petrus super aqúas ambulat gravi & solido corpore , mollis unda non cedit : paululum fides dubitar , & statim naturam suam corpus intelligit : ut sciamus super aquas non corpus ambulâsle , sed fi●…em . a dr. wallis of the sabbath . i. part , p. . † st. hieron . adv . joan. hierosol . noli potentiam domini magorum praestigiis adaequare , ut videatur suisse quod non fuit , & putetur comedisse sine dentibus , ambula●…e sine pedibus , fregisse panem sine manibus , loquutus esse sine linguâ , & latus monstrasse sine costis . et quomodo , inquies , non cognoscebanteum in itinere , si ipsum habeba●… corpus quod ante habuit ? audi scripturam dicentem : oculi eorum renebantur , neeum cognoscerent . et rur●…um , aperti sunt oculi eorum , & cognoverunt eum . nunquid alius fuit quando non agnoscebatnr , & alius quando agnitus est ? certe unus atqueidem ●…rat . cognosce●…e ergo & non cognoscer●… , oculorum fuit , non ejus qui videbatur , licet & ipsius fuerit , &c. — * st. luke xxiv . . ‖ fertur in traditiobus , quoniam joannes ipsum corpus quod erat extrinsecus tangens , manum suam in profunda misisse , & ei duritiem carnis nullo modo relu●…tatam esse , sed locum manui prebuisse discipuli . propter quod & insert : et manus nostrae contrectaverunt de verbo vite ; contrectahilis utique factus est qui venit in carne . * ep. ad smyrnaeos , ap . eus. hist. iii. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . st. jerom in catalogo script . eccles. understands his words so as if he had meant that he himself saw christ after his resurrection . super person●… christi ponit testimonium , dicens : ego verò & post resurrectionem in carne eum vidi , & credo quia sir , &c. † adv. haer. l. . ecclesia per universum orhem usque ad fines terrae seminata , & ab apostolis & à discipulis eorum accepit eam fidem quae est in unum deum — et in unum iesum christum dei f. incarnatum pro nostrâ salute . — et in carne in coelos assumptionem dilecti iesu christi domini nostri , &c. * lib. de sacris antiochae legibus ap . phot. bibl. p. . * orat. . c. arianos . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a ap. theodoreti hist. v. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b l. . de trinitate inter opera st. athanasii , p. . si quis confitetur filium dei quasi phantasma , sic in homine visum fuisse , anathema illi . si quis confitetur , verum hominem , quem assumpsit , non verè manducâsse , aut bibisse , aur lacrymatum fuisse , sanguinem sudâsse , & passum fuisse , & resurrexisse , & in coelis ad dextram patris consedisse , anathema illi . heb. . . * the same argument is produced by st. jerom , adv . joan. hierosol . enoch translatus est in carne . elias carneus raptus est in coeium : ne●…dum mortui & 〈◊〉 jam coloni , habent membra cum quibus rapti sunt , a●…que translati . quo●… nos imitamur jejunio , illi possident dei consortio , vescuntur coelesti pane , & saturaneur om●… verbo dei : ●…undem habentes dominum quem & cibum . p●…ulo p●…st : en●…ch & elias tanto tempore in eadem permanent aetate , quâ rapti sunt . habent dentes , ventrem , genitalia ; & tamen nec cibis nec uxoribus indigent . and by epiphanius in ancorato , c. . & pa●…rio haer. . c. . † st. methodius , ap . epiphan . haer. . §. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. voca●…ulum ipsum ( resurrectio ) haec resurrectura esse corpora ostendit . nam resurrectio non de co , quod nunquam ce●…dit , sed de eo quod cecidit , atque iterum assurgit , usurpatur . non enim quod non moritur , sed quod moritur , inclinare dicitur . at moritur caro . anima quippe immortalis est . quaprop●…er si immortalls est anima , corpus verò cadaver est : qui ita resurrectionem fore confi●…entur , ut cam nihil ad carnem pertinere putent , resurrectionem funditus negant . quandoquidem non illud quod-●…at , sed quod cecidit , & inclin●…t , exurgere dicitur : pro●…o ac scriptum est . num qui cecidit , non resurgit ? jer. . . eodem modo argumentatur photius epist. . ad ●…inem . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * see cotelerius in scriptores apostol . p. , &c. a adv. haer. l. . c. . b strom. l. . p. . c hist●… l. . c. . d euseb. l. c. e haer. . num. . a see cudworth's intellec . system . p. , &c. b st. aug. de civ . xx. . plato dixit ●…ine corporibus animas in aeternum ●…sse non posse . d sent. c. . † 〈◊〉 . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . st. iren●…us adv . h●…r . l. . c. . & ap . eu●…eb . hi●… . l. . 〈◊〉 . . b ap. euseb. hist. l. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b l. . 〈◊〉 . . c see euseb. iii. . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . l. . c. . b schol , in eccles. hi●…r . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . vide st. irenaeum 〈◊〉 . . c. . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. l. . ad fine●… . a l. . c. . * ad graecos cohor . p. . apolog. . p. . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a p. . b l. . c. . ecclesia per universum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a●… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seminata , & ab apostolis & discipulis ●…orum accepit eam fidem quae est in — adventum christi ad recapitulanda universa , & resusci●… 〈◊〉 carnem humani gen●…ris . a c. . ad . &c. . &c. b p. . c. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . p. . d. d ib●…d . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e p. . * hi●… . v. 〈◊〉 . † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * strom. i. . p. . * de virgin . velandis , c. i. regula qui●…em fidci una omnino est , sola immohil●…s & irr●…formabilis , credendi sc. in christum venturum judicare vivos & mortuos per carnis etiam resurrectionem . hac lege fidei manente , caeterajam disciplinae & conversationis , admittunt novitatem correctionis . de pr●…script . haret . c. . regula est autem fidei , ut jam hinc quid desendamus proficeamur , illa sc , quâ creditur — christh●… venturum cum claritate , ad sumendos sanctos in vitae aeternae , & promissorum coelestium fructum , & ad profanos adjudicandos igni perpetuo , factá utrisque partis resuscitatione cum carnis restitutione . † l. . c. . ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . † p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. * dr. cave hist. lit. ‖ l. . c. . ut in resur . morruorum cum corpora sua receperint , ●…psa jam resolutione purgata ; pro his quae bene gesserant , aerernâ haeredi●…ate potiantur . a ap. orig. l. . p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * l. . p. . † l. . p. . * de morte peregrini , p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * octavio , p. . † p. . renasci se terunt post mortem & cineres & favillas : et nescio quâ fiduciâ mendaciis suis invicem credunt , putes eos jam revixisse . * c. cels. l. . c. . † p. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * ad pammachium adv . joan. hierosol . † ap. pamphil . apol. apud pamphilum . * cod. . p. . † the same place is produced by st. methodius . ap . epiphan . haer. . c. . a ap. lambecii . notas in codinum , p. . b ancorat . c. . d ibid. c. . e de erroribus origenis . ‖ ad pammach . adv . joan. hierosol . * p. . † ap. epiphan . her. . c. . * ibid. c. . ‖ ibid. c . & ap. phot. p. . * p. . a ap. photium , p. . b anastasius sinaita in hexaem . . ii. p. . theophilus alex. epist. pasch. . p. . * st. methodius & theophilus alex. locis cit . epiphanius epist , ad joan , hierof . vol. . p. ●… . † methodius ap . photium , p. . & ap . epiphan . haer. . c. . ad . &c. . epiphanius ibid. c. , , , & in ancorato , c. . anastasius sinaita in hexaem . i. . p. . anonymus de synodis . alii . a l. . p. . b methodius ap . phot. see cudworth's intellect . system , p. , &c. * epist. . † de sectis . a in hexaem . p. . b de sectis . c epist. pas●…h . . * in. eccles . hierarch . c. . a bre●…iario c. . origenes damnatus , est mortuus , quivivens olim fuit an●…e damnatus . b et qu●…niam inter cateras criminationes quas eiinferunt , est et●…m , quam maxim●…m ponunt , quod resurrectionem , scilicet mor●…uorum , deneget . c eos , qui e●…iam scripta de hoc edere adversus eum non pepercerunt . d her. . e cod. . f cited by s. maximus in coelest . hierarch . by the same author in eccl hierarch . c. . p. . he is cited by the name of olympius hadr. g vide her. . & epist. ad joan. hierosol . h vide librum ejus ad pammachium adv . errores joannis hieros . & librum de erroribus origenis . i vide tracta●…um ejus contra origenem ad mennam patr. ap . concil . to . . p. . & epistolam ad concilium v. gen. ibid. p. . c vide theophili alex. epistolas ad hieronymum & epiphan nium . d cyrillus scythop . vita sabae p. . . e ibid. † l. . c. . a expos . in symb. b cum omnes eccleliae ita sacramentum symboli tradan●… , ut postquam dixerant peccatorum remissionem , addant , carnis resurrectionem . apol. adv . h●…eron . see pearson on the creed p. . c he intimates that it was so in the creed of the whole catholick church : in symbolo fidei & spei nostrae , quod ab apostolis traditum , non scribitur in chartâ & atramento , sed in tabulis cordis carnalibus , post confessionem trinitatis , & unitatem . ecclesiae omne christianae dogmatis sacramentum , carnis resurrectione includitur . adv. joan. hierosol . a cateches●… . b ruffinus . see pearson p. . a socr. . . sozom. . . b socr. , . c epiphan . har. . c. . d ap. s. hilarii fragmenta , p. . * ancorato , c. . † ap. op. b. hieron . to . . p. . in hujus morte & sanguine credimus emundatos nos & ab eo resuscitandos die novissimo in hac carne quâ nunc vivimus . ‖ ibid. p. . resurrectionem etiam carnis consitemur , & credimus , ut dicamus nos in eâdem in quâ nunc sumus veritate membrorum esse reparandos , qualesque semel post resurrectionem fuerimus effecti , in perpetuum permansuros . a adv. joan. hierosol . ego liberè dicam , & quanquam torqueatis labia , ●…hatis capillum , applaudatis pede , judaeorum lapides inquiratis , ●…idem ecclesi●… apertissimè consitebor . resurrectionis veritas catholicae , sine carne & ossibus , sine sanguine & membris intelligi non potest . b nos autem , s●…cut traditum est nobis à sanctis patribus , retinemus quod fillus dei in eâ ipsâ carne in quâ passus est , resurrexit à mortuis , propter quod & resurrectionis spem humano generi tribuit . carnis verò resurrectionem non per aliquas praestigias , sicut nonnulli calumniantur , dicimus : sed hanc ipsam carnem in quâ nunc vivimus resurrecturam credimus , non aliam pro aliâ , ●…ec corpus aliud quàm hujus carnis dicimus . sive ergo corpus resurrecturum dieimus , secundum apostolum dicimus , hoc enim nomine usus est ille : sive carnem dicimus secundùm traditionem symboli confitemur . stulta enim adinventio calum●…iae est , corpus humanum aliud putare esse quàm carnem . sive ergo caro secundum communem sidem , sive corpus secundum apostolum dicitur quod resurget , ita credendum est sicut apostolus definivit , quia quod resurget in virtute , resurget & in gloriâ , & incorruptibile refurget , & spiritale corpus , quia corruptio incorruptionem non possidebit . salvis ergo his prerogativis futuri corporis ve●… caruis , resurrectio carnis credenda est integre atque perfectè , ut & natura carnis 〈◊〉 servetur , & incorrupti ac spiritalis corporis status & gloria non in●…ringatur . sic enim scriptum est . haec in hierosolymis in ecclesiâ dei à sancto sacerdote ejus joanne praedicantur , haec nos cum ipso & dicimus & tenemus . si quis praeter haec vel credit , vel docet , vel a nobis aliter credi quam exposuimus putat , anathema sit . * resurrectionem verò fu●…uram humanae credimus carnis . the same council : si quis dixerit vel crediderit corpora humana non resurgere post mortem , anathem●…●…it . † resuscitandi ab ●…o in quâ nunc vivimus carne ; & in eâ quâ resurrexit idem dominus form●… . a hoc ergo exemplo capitis nostri confitemur veram fieri resur . carnis omnium mortuorum . nec in aerea , vel , quâlibet aliâ carne surrecturos nos credimus ( ut quidam delirant ) sed in istâ quâ vivimus , consistimus , & movemur . b et hoc est principale religionis nostrae , ut credamus , non solum animas non perire , sed ipsa quoque corpora , quae mortis adventus resolverat , in statum pristinum futurâ beatitudine reparari . c l. . de trin. ter op . s. athanasii . si quis confitetur quod deus animam hominis tantum fecerit , & satanas ei corpus plasmaverit , quod ab●…it , anathema illi . si quis confitetur animas hominum in revolutionem ●…rsus in mundo , aut in hominibus , aut in pecudibus , aut in serpentibus reverti , anathema illi . si quis consitetur hominem in animâ tantum in diem judicii , resurg●…re , & non cum corpo●…e , quemadmodum deus illum fecit , anathema illi . * u●… carnis resurrection negetur de un●… omnium philosophor●…m scholâ sumitur . b in nullà re tam vehementer , tam pertinaciter , tam obnixe , & con●…entiosè contradicitur fidei christianae , sicut de carnis resurrectione . nam & de animi immortalitate multi etiam philosophi gentium multa disputaverunt , & immortalem esse animum humanum , pluribus & multiplicibus libris conscriptum reliquerunt . quum ventum fuerit ad resur . carnis , non titubant , sed apertissimè contradicunt & contradictio eorum talis est , ut dicant fieri non posse , ut c●…ro ista terrena possit in coelum ascendere . expos . psal. . c hist. nat. l. . c. . imperfectae vero in homine naturae praecipua solatia , ne d●…um quidem posse om●…ia . namque nec sibi potest mortem consciscere , si velit , quod homini dedit optimum in tantis vi●… poenis : nēc mortales aeternitate donare , aut revocare defunct●…s ; n●…c facere , ●…t qui vixit , non vixerit , &c. d vide supra ubi de democriti dogmate . * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ap . orig. . . p . a cont. jul. . . ad finem . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , . . c. . d c. cels. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . e fabu●…as aniles f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , p. . a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. p. . ed. oxon. . b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 . . ed. oxon. . a 〈◊〉 marii . * hist. nat. . . c. . * ap. orig. 〈◊〉 . . p . † naked gospel . * rom. vii . . a tomo . p. . , . b ap. epiphan . haer. . c. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , &c. et verò perturbandam esse creaturam , velut in illâ con●…agratione perituram , ut iterùm creetur non tamen extinguendam esse , putandum est : ut in instaurato mundo ipsimet instaurati ac doloris expertes habitemus ; quemadmodum in . psalmo proditum est . emittes spiritum tuum , & creabuntur , & renovabis faciem terrae . quod nimirum ambientem a●…rem temperatissimum deinceps facturus sit deus . cum enim post saeculi praesentis exitum adhuc terra perseveratura sit , habitatores in eâ quosdam inesse necesse est ; qui nec morituri sunt amplius , neque copulandi nuptiis aut procreandae foboli operam daturi , sed angelorum more fine ullâ mutatione immortalitatis statu optima sint quaeque facturi . proindeque stultum est quanam vitae ratione usura sint corpora quaerere , si nec aer , neque terra , neque quicquam caeterorum sit amplius futurum . a epist. . c. . v. . b c. . v. . c s. joh●… xiv . . a de resur . p. . &c. & in legat. p. . b de resur . c. , . & al●…bi . c orat. in caesarium . d serm. . in genesin . e c. . § . f har. . c. . & in ancorato , c. . g de resur . h de provid . orat. . p. . . tomi ti . i theophrasto , p. . k de orthod . fide , c. ult . l hemil. . in pascha ap . photii bibl. m epist. de synodis , p. . n p. , . edit . coc. a hist. vi. . * eusebius intimates that it was the famous origen , and so it is commonly taken for granted . but the author of the synodicon , c. . seems to intimate that he was one of the arabian bishops ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . * l. 〈◊〉 . c. . † orat. c. grac. p. . * vide ejus opera , to . . p. , &c. * he only held that the soul does not at all enjoy tl . e beatifick vision before the resurrection : which was indeed the general opinion of the primitive fathers . * ap. photii bibl. p. . † de animâ , c. . omnes ergo animae penes inseros ? inquis . velis ac nolis , & suppliciajam illic , & refrigeria . — cur enim non putes , animam & puniri & foveri in inferis interim sub expectatione utriusque judicii , in quadam usurpatione & candida ejus ? quia salvum debet esse , inquis , in judicio divino negotium suum , sine ullâ praelibatione sententiae , tum quia & carnis operienda est restitutio , ut consortis operarum atque mercedum . quid ergo fiet in tempore isto ? dormiemus ? at enim animae nec in viventibus dormiunt . corporum enim est somnus , quorum & ipsa mors cum speculo suo somno . — semper autem expectat anima corpus , ut doleat , aut gaudeat ? nonne & de suo sufficit sibi ad utrumque titulum passionis ? — novit & apud inferos anima & dolere & gaudere sine carne ; quia & in carne illaesi , fi velit , dolet , & laesa , si velit , gaudet . hoc si ex arbitrio suo in vitâ , quanto magis ex judicio dei post mortem , &c. de resur . carnis , c. . simplicior quisque fautor sententiae nostrae , putabit , carnem etiam idcirco repraesentandam esse judicio , quia aliter anima non capiat passionem tormenti seu refrigerii , utpote incorporalis : hoc enim vulgus existimat . nos autem animam corporalem & hic profitemur , & in suo volumine probamus , habentem proprium genus substantiae , soliditatis , per quam quid & sentite & pati poss●… . nam & nunc animas torqueri , foverique penes inferos , licet nudas , licet adhuc exules carnis , probavit lazari exemplum , &c. a certé quia ratio restitutionis destinatio judicii est , n●…cessario idem ipse qui fu●…rat exhibebitur , ut boni seu contrarii meriti judicium à deo referat . ideoque repraesentabuntur & corpora . quia n●…que pari quicquam potest a●…ima sola sine materi●…●…tabili , id est , carne , c. . b c. . affirmamus te manere post vi●…ae dispunctionens , & expectare diem judicii , próque meritis au●… cruciatui destinari , aut refrigerio , utroque sempiterno . quibus sustinendis necessariò ●…ibi suostantiam pristinam , ejusdémque hominis materiam & memoriam revers●…ram , quod & nihil mali ac boni sentire possis sine carnis passionalis facultate . a c. . p. . a c. . b porro 〈◊〉 haec ( cogitatus , concupiscentia , voluntas ) satis essent ad plenitudia●…m meritorum , ut non requirerentur & facta , sufficeret in totum anima ad perfectionem judi●… , de his judicanda , in quae agenda sola suffecerat . quum verò etiam facta devin●…●…at meritis ; facta autem per carnem administrentur ; jam non sufficit animam sine carne soveri ; five cruciari , pro operibus etiam car●…is , etsi habet corpus , etsi habet membra ; qu proinde illi ●…n sufficiunt ad sentiendum plene , quemadmodum nec ad ag●…ndum perfecte . denique , haec erit ratio in ultimum finem destina●… judicii , ur exhibi●…ione carnis omnis divina censura perfici possit . a vide menasseh ben israel de resur . 〈◊〉 . . c. , , , . quare futura est sexus differentia in altera vitâ , rationem vide assignatam ap . quaest. a d orthod . inter opera s. justini m. p. . b. . a cor. c. . v. . a . . the doctrines of the resurrection and the reward to come, considered as the grand motives to an holy life. discoursed of, from . cor. xv. . / by the late pious and learned john worthington, d.d.. worthington, john, - . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing w estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : or : ) the doctrines of the resurrection and the reward to come, considered as the grand motives to an holy life. discoursed of, from . cor. xv. . / by the late pious and learned john worthington, d.d.. worthington, john, - . [ ], p. printed for awnsham churchill, at the black-swan in ave-mary-lane., london, : . item at reel : identified as wing w (number cancelled). reproduction of originals in the henry e. huntington library and art gallery and university of illinois (urbana-champaign campus). library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection -- history of doctrines. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - judith siefring sampled and proofread - judith siefring text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion imprimatur ; junii . . guil. needham , r. r. in christo pat. ac d. d. wilhelmo archiep. cant. a sacr. domest . the doctrines of the resurrection and the reward to come , considered as the grand motives to an holy life . discoursed of , from cor. xv. . by the late pious and learned john worthington , d. d. london , printed for awnsham churchill , at the black-swan in ave-mary-lane . . to the honourable sir paul whichcot knight and baronet . sir , iam emboldened by the singular vertues and other worthy endowments i have been an admirer of in you , to make choice of yourself to be the patron of the following discourse . and the law of gratitude commands me likewise , to take this occasision of making a thankful acknowledgment of the many favours , which , as unworthy as i have been of them , i have received from you . as to this treatise and its authour , silence best becomes me in regard of the near relation i bear to him . onely this i would suggest , that since he had not prepared it for the press , that accuracy and exactness ought not to be lookt for in it , which otherwise might be expected : but i doubt not , 't will have the approbation of all good men , as a discourse well adapted to the promoting and furtherance of true piety . and that it may be successful to this best of ends , is the hearty prayer of , sir , your most obliged kinsman and humble servant , john worthington . a discourse on cor. xv. . therefore , my beloved brethren , be ye stedfast , unmoveable , always abounding in the work of the lord , for asmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the lord. these words are a most just inference from that great fundamental truth of another state , another life after the death of this body , a reward and blessed immortality after this present life ; which grand important truth the apostle doth assert , largely confirm , and illustrate in this chapter ; and that in opposition to those that denyed the doctrine of the resurrection , or of any other life besides this present life ; as appeared by that wicked speech of theirs , mentioned in vers. . let us eat and drink , for to morrow we shall die ; that is , let us live in pleasure , be merry and delight our senses , let us take our fill of the good things of this world ; for to morrow we die , for within a little while we shall be taken out of this world , death will come ' ere long and seize on us , and then there will be an end of us . this is at large and in very lively expressions described in the book of wisdom , where wicked men are brought in speaking out the inward atheism of their hearts , chap. . , , , . come on , let us enjoy the good things that are present , and let us speedily ( or earnestly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) use the creatures like as in youth . let us fill our selves with costly wine and qyntments ; and let no flower of the spring pass by us . let us crown our selves with rose-buas before they be withered . let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness ( or jollity ) let us leave tokens of our joyfulness in every place . all this is a larger account of that , briefly exprest by the apostle , let us eat and drink . and as it follows , for to morrow we die ; so upon the like consideration do these in wisd. . encourage themselves to a sensual life , vers. . our life is short ; vers. . our time is a very shaddow that passeth away ; and after our end there is no returning . and the like in vers. . , . but let the sensual ones , those that are atheistically disposed , talk at this rate , and rejoyce in their youth ; let them walk in the ways of their hearts , and in the sight of their eyes ; let them mock at the righteous , and account his life madness , ( wisd. . . ) they shall one day know , that verily there is a reward to the righteous , and doubtless there is a god that judgeth in the earth ; the righteous shall live for evermore , their reward is with the lord , and the care of them is with the most high ; they shall receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown from the lords hand , ( wisd. . , . ) or as the apostle here , their labour is not ( shall not be ) in vain in the lord. the words may be easily resolved into these propositions . . christians must be stedfast , well-grounded and rooted in the faith , established in the truth . . christians must be vnmoveable in the profession of the truth , particularly in the profession of the faith of the resurrection and a life to come . . christians must always abound in the work of the lord. . christians have good ground to be assured that their labour shall not be in vain in the lord. they that abound most in god's work , in the labours of religion , may perswade themselves that they shall not lose their reward , their labour is not lost , is not fruitless ; but shall certainly be rewarded . in speaking to which propositions , we shall not need to seek for proof elsewhere then in the text : for the following proposition doth fully and pertinently prove the former , as thus . christians must be sted fast , for else they cannot be vnmoveable . christians must be both stedfast and vnmoveable , for else they will not , they cannot be abounding always in the work of the lord. christians must abound in the work of the lord , for their labour will not be in vain in the lord. proposition i. christians must be stedfast , well-grounded and rooted in the faith , established in the truth . that the soul be without knowledge , it is not good , saith solomon , prov. . here is a litotes , not good , i. e. it is a sad and miserable condition . but in heb. . . it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace ; that is , in the gospel , be grounded in the truth of the gospel ( which is frequently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , grace , in the new testament ) in opposition to the mosaical law , which is here described by meats , and in chap. . . 't is said to stand only in meats and drinks and diverse washings , &c. it is s. paul's advice to timothy , hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me , tim. . . the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a short form or draught , a summary , no long and tedious business for the memory , nor made up of many nice and subtle speculations : the main substantials of religion lie in a little room ; they should be delivered briefly , and in an easie and evident way ; not clog'd with obscure and intricate notions , with unnecessary or doubtful opinions ; sound or wholesome words and doctrine , and what that is , is plain in tim. . . where wholesome words , and the doctrine which is according to godliness are the same : that doctrine which is proper and powerful to beget and to encrease a godlike disposition and life , this is sound doctrine , and it makes sound and healthful christians : being well digested , it makes strong men in christ , it strengthens the heart , it makes the soul lively and cheerful , able to run a race , the race set before us , it mends the constitution and complexion of the soul. it was the commendation of the believers at rome , that ye obeyed from the heart that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , form of doctrine delivered unto you , or unto which ye were delivered up , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , rom. . . it becomes christians to be ready to give an answer to him that asketh a reason of their hope and faith which they profess , pet. . . they should be knowingly religious , cor . . be not children in understanding : howbeit in malice , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in wickedness , be ye children ( as to innocency and harmlesness ) but in understanding be men. reason , christians must be stedfast , for else they cannot be unmoveable . there can never be erected and reared up a firm and lasting structure of religion , except a good and sure foundation be first layd . in building , that which requires the first and exactest care , is the foundation and groundwork ; if that be not well ordered , the builder builds in vain , does as good as nothing . the foolish man that built his house upon the sand. ( as it is matth. . . ) is said to build without a foundation , ( luk. . . ) the sand was a fluid and uncertain bottom , nothing could be fasten'd to it , as good as no foundation at all : and therefore it was no wonder that the house built upon the sand fell immediately , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith luke ) when the rain , floods and winds beat upon the house : as on the contrary , the house which the wise man built , was unmoveable , the winds and floods could not shake it , ( saith luke ) because it was well built upon a sure foundation , for it was founded upon a rock , ( say matthew and luke ) he digged deep , saith luke , till he came to a natural mine of stone , a rock ; and his structure was sure and firm , it fell not , but held out , though it was assaulted by the rain , and winds , and floods ; by which three words , are meant all sorts of difficulties and trials in this life , that try the strength and reality of our christian profession : rain and hail falls with violence upon the roof and upper part : winds try the sides of the house , the walls : the floods , and rushings of water , torrents and land-floods , caused by the immoderate rain , try the lower parts ; ( so that the house was tryed every way , how sure and firm it was ) yet it fell not , but stood unshaken and unmoveable , for it was founded upon a rock . the house built by the foolish man , might to the eye seem a fair and goodly building , and as well built as the other ; the formal christian may make a fair show , and his outward profession may have the praise of men ( as our saviour speaks of the vain glorious performance of several duties in religion , matth. . ) but when afflictions and temptations came , the difference between these two buildings ( though when all was quiet and calm , they seem'd so like and equally exact ) easily appeared : the wise builder's house stood , his structure of religion was firm and lasting : but the meer outward profession of the other , the foolish builder's house , fell immediately when the rain came , and the winds blew , and the floods beat vehemently upon it ; and great was the fall of it ; it made a great show while it stood , and it made as great a noise when it fell : the fall was the more notorious , by how much the former profession was more specious . the same truth [ that we must be stedfast and well grounded in the faith , else we cannot be vnmoveable ] may be illustrated from another similitude , in the parable of the seed and sower . mark . . we read of some that receive the word , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , immediately , and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with gladness : so herod heard john baptist gladly , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( nay , further ) and did many things , mark . . some things he did , and not a small some , yet he was but partial in obedience ; his herodias he would not part with , his peccata in delicijs ; in some less beloved sins he would reform . so they in ezek. . , . heard with gladness . but even these that with gladness , with some gust and affection , receive the word immediately , when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake , immediately they are offended . observe the double immediately here . they for a while believe , ( saith luke chap. . . ) and in time of temptation fall away . what 's the reason of all ? see it in mark . . they have no root in themselves , and so endure but for a time . they were not rooted , grounded and setled in the faith ; and being not stedfast , they could not be vnmoveable . there may be such outward christians as may receive the word immediately with some kind of affection , yet such sudden flashes and motions and appearances of good affections are not to be trusted to ; nor are they from thence to think highly of themselves . see an example in luke . when christ was preaching in a synagogue at nazareth ( the place of his education ) they all in the synagogue did bear him witness , and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth , vers. . and yet on a sudden , presently after , the same persons , all they in the synagogue , were filled with wrath , and rose up and thrust christ out of the city , and led him to the brow of the hill , that they might cast him headlong , vers. . such an uncertain , slight and inconsiderable a thing is all that affection , that is begot by a slight , superficial and formal knowledge . before i conclude this , i shall only add , that to be unmoveable or unchangeable , fixed and setled , is not simply and necessarily a praise-worthy quality and disposition , but onely as the matter and object thereof is , as the things are wherein we are unmoveable . gal. . . it is good to be zealously affected in all good things . to turn from errour to truth , from evil to good , is vertue and praise ; and an happy change . whereas to persist , to be stiff and unmoveable in an opinion and tenet , after strong reason to the contrary , and all because it has been their opinion and way , is a fault , and that no small one ; it argues a great self-love , self-seeking , and undue affection to their own praise or profit , and a greater regard to their credit , then to truth it self . nor is it vertue or praise to be unmoveable as to all external indifferent things ; for the apostle paul himself , for the promoting a greater good , was not so strictly tyed up and confined in his own spirit to these lesser things of an indifferent nature , but he put himself into all shapes ( yet so as to keep from what was sinful ) and became ( as far as lawfully he might ) all things to all men , that he might by all means ' save some , and win them unto goodness . it was not out of ambition or love to the world , but out of a serious regard to the good of others , and that he might be in a capacity , and have the fairer advantages to promote the interest of christianity among jews and gentiles , that he denyed himself the use of his christian liberty , and framed himself to the observance of certain mosaical and jewish rites , as on the contrary he behaved himself otherwise among the gentiles , cor. . . proposition ii. christians must be unmoveable , particularly in the profession of the faith of the resurrection , and a life to come . be not moved , . by any hardships and troubles from the world. the apostle that here exhorts christians to be unmoveable , was so himself ; as he speaks of himself , acts . he knew that bonds and afflictions did abide and wait for him , but none of these things move me ( saith he , vers. . ) neither count i my life dear unto my self ; so that i might finish my course with joy : and having thus bravely quitted himself , he could say with triumph a little before his death , i am now ready to be offered , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i am already poured out , i am as it were wine ( for a libamen or drink-offering ) poured out upon the sacrifice ; the time of my departure is at hand ; i have fought a good fight , i have finished my course , i have kept the faith ; and therefore he had a holy confidence , that god the righteous judge ( as the judge or rewarder in the graecian games did adjudge the crown or prize which hung over the goal to the conquerour ) would give to him the crown of righteousness , as the reward for behaving himself well in his christian combate , tim. . , , . the same apostle in rom. . fortifies and encourages believers against afflictions and hardships upon this score , that they should reckon and make account , that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which should be revealed ; bear no proportion with the glory to come . for if sufferings be laid in one ballance , and the glory or reward in the other , the glory will far outweigh them . for , . the sufferings or afflictions are but momentary , for a moment , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , cor. . . and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the time now , of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the glory is eternal , an eternal weight of glory . and vers. . the things which are seen are temporal , or temporary , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but the things which are not seen ( the things of the other world ) are eternal . . the sufferings and difficulties here are but light , our light affliction ; but the reward to come is a weight of glory , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; and therefore it is far beyond , and beyond compare doth exceed , the sufferings ; yea a far more exceeding , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a super superlative weight of glory . such forms of speech use not to be met with in other authors ( either philosophers , poets or orators ) for they never had such great things , such high and excellent objects to think and speak of , as the holy and heavenly apostle , who had another perception of things heavenly and divine , and who was caught up into the third heaven or paradice , and there heard words unspeakable . nay further , the sufferings and hardships which the better sort of men meet with in this world , should rather fortifie in them the belief and hope of a resurrection and glorious reward , then any way abate it ; for verily there is a reward to the righteous : if lazarus has evil things here , he shall have his good things hereafter , and infinitely better then those good things which dives had here , as the evil things lazarus had here were nothing to the evil ( those worse ) things that dives was to feel hereafter . 't is not possible that the better sort of god's creation , his best servants , his friends and faithful ones , should always be in a calamitous condition ; that there never should be a difference between them that fear god , and them that fear him not . what ? shall it never be better with those that love god , and whofe serious care is to please him and obey him , who endeavour to be like him , purifying themselves as he is pure ? shall it never be better with them then commonly it is in the world , where they suffer for righteousness sake ? shall it never be worse with the wicked , who live in enmity against god and disobedience , who live after their own lusts and own will , who make no conscience of their ways , but respect themselves wholly , their profit , pleasure , interest , &c. and love not god nor their neighbour , but are onely lovers of themselves , not caring how they rebel against god , and oppress men ? certainly it is easie to infer hence , there is a god who will judge the earth , and a time coming when it shall be well with the righteous . . be not moved by the allurements of the world , the blandishments of this present life , the tentations of pleasure or profit , any worldy or fleshly lusts whatsoever . the glory and lusters of the world , honours and greatness , the pleasures of the sensual life , softness and ease , these and the like have a very bad influence upon the minds and hearts of men , upon their apprehensions and affections ; they are apt to enfeeble and darken the notions of a future state and life . prosperitas effaeminat virtutem fidei , saith tertullian . the good seed of truth ( as also good principles and purposes ) is stifled and made unfruitful by the thorns , which in the parable of the seed and sower are said to be the cares of this world , the deceitfulness of riches , and the lusts of other things , mark . . luke adds , the pleasures of this life : these worldly and fleshly lusts call men off from what is spiritual and the things above , fasten and nail them down to the earth ; unqualifie men for either apprehending or relishing what is heavenly and spiritual . sensual men that provide for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof , are very untoward and unfit to frame an idea ( a right notion ) of what is spiritual . the more a christian lives godly , soberly and righteously in this present world , the more easily will he apprehend the things of the world to come : to such a one the things which are eternal and concern the life to come , are more clear . the more thou art purged from all inordinate desire to the things of this world , and the less earthly and sensual thou art ; the better thou wilt conceive what is heavenly , the better thou wilt apprehend the state of the life to come . the more thou art spiritualiz'd , spiritually-minded ( and to be so is life , rom. . ) the more thou livest a life worthy of thy soul , and art not enslaved to thy body , the sense , to this outward world ; the more thou livest a lise of purity , temperance , humility and sobriety ; the better thou wilt conceive of what is spiritual and immaterial , of life and immortality . immersion ( or a being sunk ) into the body , sensuality eagerly pursued ( as if there were nothing higher , nothing better then what is common to man and beast ) as also those more dry and seemingly cleaner sins , viz. earthly-mindedness , anxious cares and busie endeavours about geting and encreasing , and keeping much of the things of this outward world ; a spirit of earthy self-seeking policy , an ambitious spirit after glory and the splendours of titles and places ; these and the like make men that they cannot relish or tast ( so neither clearly apprehend ) what is heavenly and spiritual , they cannot receive the things of god. such sensual epicureans , and also worldlings , are great strangers as to heaven , so to any clear and full apprehensions of what is spiritual and immortal . of such there is this account in wisdom . , . their own wickedness hath blinded them ; as for the mysteries of god they knew them not , nor discerned they a reward for blameless souls . men must live better lives , if they would know these things as they ought to know . . be not moved by the apostacy and falling away of others . that some even in the apostles times were moved and fell away from the stedfast belief and profession of this grand fundamental truth [ the resurrection and life to come ] appears by some passages in s. paul's epistles . three are mention'd by name , hymenaeus , philaetus and alexander , who as they are said concerning faith to have made ship-wrack , tim. . . and ( in ep. . . ) to have erred concerning the truth , particularly that great truth and article of the resurrection and any future state or life , ( for they said , that the resurrection is past already ) and thus as they , were far from being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , stedfast and vnmoveable , so did they unsettle others and cause them to back-slide , overthrowing the faith of some , vers. . for their words ( their speech or discourse , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) did eat , or spread , as a canker or gangrene , their wicked principles did spread and corrupt many , vers. . and therefore the apostle bids timothy to shun , to look to and avoid them , vers. . that which the apostle did fear and warn the christians of in those times , is still very seasonable ; and it is strange that many , who are otherwise shy and wary , are not aware of the devils cunning and devices . it is the great policy of the devil to amuse the world with things of less moment and consequence , and about these things to provoke the zeal , enflame the passions and choller of men , and heighten differences about things either more obscure , or less necessary , and that into such heats , as if the whole stress of religion or salvation were to be laid upon such or such notions and opinions , as if the kingdom and honour of christ and glory of god were mainly concerned herein : and all this the devil is so busie at , that so some more dangerous principles might be more secretly and undiscernably conveyed and spread amongst christian professours ; viz. such principles as tend clearly to the advancing of his kingdom of sin , to the bringing in and cherishing of all ungodliness and unrighteousness , to the eating out and consuming of any good principle left in the conscience , which testifies for god ; in a word such as tend to the corrupting of good manners , to the debauching of the world , such as strike at the fundamentals of religion and christian life , ( as gnosticism , sidducism , atheism do ) that these may be more secretly conveyed and spread in the world. is it not matter of just wonder , that amidst the many animosities and eager contentions and bitter strifes amongst christians about the externals or extra-essentials of religion ( for which they un-saint and un-christian one another ) that they are so little sensible of that gnosticism , that sadducism , that atheism that hath grown and spread in the christian world ? but to speak more particularly , such doctrines and notions as these , [ that the soul is extinguished and perisheth with the body ; that there is no other state or being but in the world ; that there is no angel nor spirit , no immaterial or spiritual being , nothing but body or matter ; that there is no resurrection , no judgment to come , and therefore no punishment or reward hereafter ( which doctrines are the leaven of the sadducees of old , and the modern sadducees ; sowre and unwholesome sadducism ) as also those corrupt doctrines , viz. that nothing is intrinsecally good or evil ; that religion is onely a politick device , a trick of polititians to keep people in awe . ] these doctrines and opinions , as well as those that deny there is a god , ( as the atheists do ) or , if there be a god , that he sees no sia in such who conceit themselves to be his people , to be nearly allyed to him ( as the gnosticks of old , and the ranters of late ) that men may be free to any thing : such doctrines and principles as these tend clearly to the advancing of the kingdom of sin and satan , to the bringing in and cherishing of all ungodliness , &c. and therefore there is good reason for the apostles advice , that every serious christian that minds the salvation of his soul , would take heed and flee such , keep at a distance from men of such corrupt minds , and beware of the leaven of the sadducees . and if others go a whoreing after such doctrines pleasing to flesh and blood , if others apostatize and fall away from the truth , yet ( as s. peter speaks ) do ye beware lest ye be led away with the errour of the wicked , and fall from your own stedfastness , ep. . . reason . christians must be stedfast and vnmoveable in the belief and profession of the truth , those great things of the christian faith , the resurrection and life to come ; because else they cannot , they will not be always abounding in the work of the lord. clear and strong persuasions of the resurrection of the dead and of a future state , are a root and principle full of sap and lise , and holiness is the kindly fruit thereof . whereas on the contrary , the denial of the resurrection and judgment to come , is the principle of sin and disobedience , and opens the way to all manner of wickedness . they that banish out of their minds all sense of a future state , will ( instead of abounding in the work of the lord ) abound in every evil work ; all that being taken away which onely is able to lay a powerful restraint upon the unbridled lusts of men. and here i may appeal to the experience and observation of discerning and serious persons ; let it be considered and observed whether those that can hardly imagine , or cannot conceive any thing but body , flesh and matter , those that slight the notion of spirit , immaterial and immortal substance ; whether the commandments of god are not grievous , and religion a burden something to them , whether it be not more desireable to them , to be epicuri de grege porci , to wallow in the mire of sensuality , then to be of christ's little flock , to follow christ in innccency and purity of life and universal obedience ; although perhaps some of the more crafty epicureans may have some care to live inoffensively , that so they may keep out of danger of the laws , and keep up a reputation in the world for their advantage , and they may abstain from some sins for their bodies sake , to keep themselves in life and health . both the apostles peter and jude , and other apostles ( saith s. jude in vers. . ) did in their epistles foretel , that in the last times should come scoffers , walking after their own lusts , ( . pet. . . ) after their ungodly lusts ( so saith jude , vers. . ) and what the apostles did fear and forewarn of , is come to pass : such mockers as these are even to this day to be found , and where christianity is profest : but observe the character of these men , they are such as have a mind to walk after their own ungodly lusts , such as would not be restrain'd from the forbidden fruit , such as would gratifie their self-will , and would live as they list ; to these men , the doctrine of the resurrection and judgment to come , is very unpleasing ; and therefore they scoff at it and oppose it withal their might . but as we are to shun them , their principles and their practices , so let it be our care to shun the giving any occasion or advantage to them . for know that men may condemn atheism and sadducism in words , and yet by their lives and conversations give great advantage and countenance thereto : both atheism and sadducism 〈◊〉 steal nourishment and advantage from the lives and practices of those who seem to be far removed from them as for atheism ; the 〈◊〉 presenting god and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foolishly , the attributing to god what is unworthy of god , what is most unlike god , and that fair idea of him represented in the holy scriptures ; the attributing to him the very imperfections of sinful man : the representing him in such a way as is not consistent with his infinite goodness and mercy , his holiness and his justice . and again , mens professing that they know god , and yet denying him in their works ( as the apostle speaks tit. . . ) their so living in the world , as if there were not in them any powerful and real sense of god's all-seeing and pure eyes , nor of his justice and righteousness : this is that which hath given too much advantage to the spreading and strengthening of atheism . and for sadducism , which slights the notion of spirits or immaterial beings , and denys the existence of souls after their separation from this earthly body , and dis-believes the doctrine of a future state , of glory and a reward in heaven , of misery and punishment in heli. how are the modern sadducees and epicureans the more hardned and confirmed in these their notions , by considering that men generally mind earthly things , their belly is their god , they mind and seriously take care for the things on earth , and do but little relish and set their affections on things above . they see also that generally men ( who profess to believe a future reward and punishment ) seem not much to be sensible of any danger to the soul by sin , nor much to be affected with the hellish misery that is threatned : for most men are very secure , and manifest but little watchsulness over themselves , and little care to break off from sin , to subdue their passions , to mortifie their lusts and inordinate affections : all which may seem to argue that they do not heartily believe what they profess , and that they have no such thoughts of the danger of sin hereafter , as men have of the danger to their life by drinking a cup of deadly poyson . nor do they seem to be much sensible of the future reward and felicities of heaven , the happiness of another state : for they are generally unwilling to leave this present world , and it is very unpleasing to them to think that they must die. they do not seem to account heaven their home and country , and themselves to be but pilgrims and strangers in this world : their hopes of such a glorious state do not seem so much to enravish and strongly affect their spirits as the hopes of some outward accommodation or enjoyment would do , which would tickle , and overjoy them and transport them to excess , when possest : and the hope of obtaining these outward things does engage them to far greater endeavours then the hopes and expectations of heaven , and the reward to come , do usually put men upon ; which indeed are but slight , and formal , and very cold , if compared with the other , and far from a worthy seeking of the kingdom of heaven , and as becomes those that believe there is a glorious reward there to all eternity . thou therefore that sayst there is a god , dost thou in works deny him ? dost thou live without god in the world ? dost thou mis-represent him , and so report of him as to make him like to sinful men ? or short of men in those things wherein he requires they should imitate him ? thou that sayst there is a resurrection and life to come , a reward and punishment , heaven and hell : dost thou so live as one that looks after no other portion , consolation and reward then what is in this life ? art thou swallowed up in the cares and ambitions of this world , hasting to be rich and great in the world ? and art thou immerst and sunk in the pleasures of this world , so as not to relish the things above ? be it therefore your care to make it appear by your life and spirit , your conversation and disposition , that you are stedfast and unmoveable in these fundamentals of christian religion ; that so living agreeably to these truths , ye may be the children of the resurrection and counted worthy to obtain that world , the world to come , luke . . learn therefore to die to this present world , as s. paul was crucified to the world , and the world to him . to die to this world here , to leave it in affection , makes the physical death , the going out of this world less strange and less uneasie . count your selves to be but as pilgrims and strangers here , and therefore as pilgrims abstain from flesbly lusts which war against the soul , pet. . it is remarkably said of abraham , isaac and jacob ( who confessed themselves to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth , or the land of canaan ( heb. . . ) and accordingly behaved themselves in all points as such , sojourning in the land of promise as in a strange country ( vers. . ) that they that say such things ( say and do , for it was not a meer verbal profession ) they declare plainly ( or make it appear , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) that they seek a country , even a better country , that is , an heavenly ( vers. . . ) accordingly do ye so live , be so affected , that ye may plainly declare and make it appear to others that ye seek and desire a better country , a better inheritance , a better portion at the resurrection of the just ; and accordingly prepare for it . let not the word [ heaven ] be in your mouths onely , but let it be in your hearts . let us do the will of god on earth as it is in heaven , and then we shall make it appear , that the kingdom of god is come , is come into us . but if thou art swallowed up in the cares and ambitions of this present world , making hast to be rich and great , loving and seeking onely thine ease and pleasure , and a soft life ; if thou art either overjoy'd or over grieved at the abundance or want of earthly things , as if thy hope , thy portion and consolation were in this life ; doest thou live as becomes one that is stedfast and vnmoveable in the belief of a better life , the life to come ? nor do they think so worthily as they ought of that future reward and glory , that think it so easily attainable , as by a death-bed repentance . nor do they who would seem better , think so honourably of it , who from some outward performances in religion , or some partial obedience , would flatter themselves that they are the heirs of that kingdom ; whereas their dispositions are wholly unsuiteable to that state , and unfit for converse with the spirits of just men made perfect . these make that glorious reward to come , all that great and rich prize to be but a mean and cheap thing , who think they shall have it , and win the crown , though they have not overcome , and though they do not earnestly strive for the mastery over their lusts and corruptions , and are not temperate in all things , nor keep under their body and bring it into subjection to the law of their mind . certainly it would argue more humility in them , and more wisdom ( as being the safest course ) to think more of inward preparations for that heavenly state , that their minds might be purified and wrought into a temper suiteable to it , that they might be made meet for the inheritance in light ; then to flatter themselves into an hope and conceit that such great glory and happiness should be cast upon them for some lip-labour in religion , for outward sanctimonious shows , for external performances , while in the mean time they so little mind that which is the due and necessary preparation of their souls for such enjoyments . although this reason be sufficient to perswade christians to be stedfast and vnmoveable in the belief and profession of this truth ; yet i shall here superadd four reasons , the more to confirm it , and perswade them . . it is a main fundamental truth of the gospel , and indeed , one of the first principles of religion . accordingly the apostle speaks in cor. . . i have delivered to you first of all , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 principally , or as that which is to be counted amongst the first and principle articles of christianity . that god is a rewarder of those that seek him diligently , is one of the first things to be known and firmly embraced ( heb. . ) without which belief all the motions in religion will be very weak and slow . but if the joy be set besore a christian , he will then run with patience and perseverance the race that is set before him , and endure the cross ( as christ did , hebr. . ) and despise the shame : as the apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of christ , acts . . that is , for teaching and preaching jesus christ , as it is in vers. . sor teaching the people , and preaching through jesus the resurrection from the dead , at which the sadducees ( being then in power ) were grieved ( acts . . ) and filled with indignation or envy , chap. . . if there be a prize to be received at the end of the race ; and this prize a crown of life and glory , incorruptible , unfading ( cor. . . pet. . . ) not like those corruptible and withering crowns and garlands made of oaken leaves or olive-branches , but this made of the leaves of the tree of life in the paradise of god ; there will then be wrestling and striving , and ( the better to prepare and enable for the winning of it ) a being temperate in all things , a keeping under of the body and bringing it into subjection ; as the apostle tells the corinthians who well knew the sitness of those allusions , the isthmian games being celebrated here , in that isthmus or neck of land on which corinth was built . so great an insluence and power hath the due consideration of the recompence of reward to the raising and animating of a christian to the greatest atcheivements ! to conclude this particular , we may observe that the author of the epistle to the hebrews ( chap. . . ) in that short institution consisting of six articles , which christians were first to be acquainted with , mentions these two , viz. the resurrection of the dead , and eternal judgment , when god the righteous judge of all the earth shall dispence eternal rewards ( undefiled rewards , as the phrase is , wisdom . . . ) to those that believe and obey , and eternal punishments to every soul that doth evil tribulation and anguish , indignation and wrath to them that obey not the truth , but obey unrighteousness , rom. . it may be fit also to observe , that this truth of the resurrection and a future state is called the gospel , cor. . and the truth , and the faith , in tim. . where it is said of hymenaeus and alexander , who denyed the doctrine of the resurrection and life to come , that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , concerning the faith , of or in the faith , they have made shipwrack ; and in ep. chap. . it 's said of hymenaeus and philaetus , that they have erred concerning the truth , ( the faith and the truth , by way of eminency ) and in tim. . . they are said to blaspheme ; and therefore for these their principles destructive to religion , to all honesty and godliness , and to a good conscience the great apostle delivered them up to satan . one thing more we may observe , that the doctrine of the resurrection ( as being a truth of great importance and influence in christianity ) was from the first by christ himself and his apostles strongly asserted and profest against the sadducees , and against those false christians that fell from this truth : and the so early falling away and revolting from this truth ( one of the truths of christianity which was so soon and first of all departed from ) was an ill omen and prognostick of that wickedness which followed after . the apostles ( after christ was ascended ) took great care to preserve and promote this truth : and therefore when judas was fallen from his apostleship , and one was to be chosen into his room ; what 's the work he was to be chosen to ? it is thus described in acts . . — must one be ordained to be with us a witness of his ( that is , of christ's ) resurrection ; and not onely of his , but of ours through him . s peter and s. john preached through jesus the resurrestion from the dead , acts . . and both these are largely insisted upon ( and no part of the christian faith more largely elsewhere ) in cor. . if there be no resurrection of the dead , if we rise not , christ is not risen : and if we rise , christ is risen . if christ be not risen , we are yet in our sins , vers. . we may observe also that all the four evangelists are very particular and full in the history of christ's resurrection , upon which ours doth depend . . this great truth and doctrine of the resurrection and life to come ( an hope more then in this life ) is worthy to be embraced , and that we should be stedfast and vnmoveable in it , because it is a truth and doctrine of sweet and strong consolation , full of strengthening joy , the most soveraign cordial and restorative , when our flesh and heart may begin to fail through either inward or outward griefs . and therefore not without great cause our saviour christ repeats this four times in one of his sermons ( john . ) i will raise him up at the last day , vers. , , , . where it is repeated as being a truth full of comfort and encouragement . and further it is observable , that the resurrection , with the appendant glory and reward in the world to come , is called in scripture more then once the hope . acts . . saith s. paul , of the hope and resurrection of the dead i am called in question : which words [ of the hope as being no new , no other thing , are omitted in chap. . . where that former speech of his is mentioned again and refer'd to . see this also in acts . . and more fully in acts . , . which will clear that in acts . . for the hope of israel ( that is , for asserting the resurrection ) i am bound with this chain . and hence it is , that christians , who believe that jesus died , and rose again , and that those who sleep in jesus ( die in the lord ) will god bring with him : they are not to sorrow concerning them which are asleep , as others which have no hope , no such knowledge and assurance of a glorious resurrection and reward to come ; and therefore the apostle having treated hereof , might well conclude , wherefore comfort ye one another with these words , thes. chap. . in titus . . are mentioned together the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our saviour jesus christ , which they may look for with comfort who are wrought upon by the grace of the gospel to live godly , righteously and soberly in this present world , as it is in the foregoing words . the primitive christians thought it the most welcome morning-salutation , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the lord is risen . of mary magdalene and the other women that had the first notice by an angel of christ's resurrection , it 's said , that they went from the sepulcher with great joy ( matth. . . ) to tell it to his disciples as they mourned and wept , ( mark. . . ) s. paul did die dayly , fought with beasts at ephesus , was in jeopardy every hour ( as he speaks in cor. . ) now what did comfort and encourage him in all this ? it was this , that the dead should rise . but there is one famous instance for the further illustrating of this particular , which i may not omit ; and it is , that of the seven brethren with their mother , mentioned in maccab. chap. . to which that passage in hebr. . . doth clearly refer , where it is said , others were tortured ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) not accepting deliverance , that they might obtain a better resurrection . in the story it is said , that they were tormented with scourges and whips , verse . their tortures are called extreme tortures , vers. . ( as appears by the description of some of them in vers. , , , , , . ) and all this they suffered unto death at the hands of antiochus epiphanes ( that monster of cruelty ) because they would not transgress the law in eating svines flesh , vers. . they might have been delivered , if they had yielded to do it ; nay , antiochus exhorted the youngest brother with words , and also assured him with oaths , that if he would yield , he would make him both a rich and an happy man , and also take him for his friend , and trust him with affairs , vers. . now what was it that did make them stedfast and unmoveable unto the last , what was it that did comfort them in the midst of all their bitter pains , what was it that did animate and fortifie them against all the either allurements or terrors which the king did try them with ? it was clearly this , the hope and belief of a resurrection to everlasting life after the death of the body . and this doth evidently appear by six passages in the story . the first is , the second brother's speech to antiochus ( in vers. . ) thou like a fury takest us out of this present life , but the king of the world shall raise us up , who have died for his laws , unto everlasting life . and this he is said to speak , when he was at the last gasp . a second passage is that speech of the third brother ( in vers. . ) who said courageously , these ( meaning the members of his body , his tongue and his hands , which he held forth manfully , vers. . ) these i had from heaven , and for his laws i despise them , and from him i hope to receive them again . a third passage is the fourth brother's speech , which is more full , ( in vers. ) it is good , being put to death by men , to look for hope from god , to be raised up again : as for thee , thou shalt have no resurrection to lise . and this will explain the speech of the youngest , which is , the fourth passage ( in vers. . ) our brethren who now have suffered a short pain , are dead under god's covenant of everlasting life . a fifth passage is the speech of the mother , who was marvellous above all , and worthy of honourable memory ; for being filled with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , courageous spirits , she exhorted every one of her seven sons , and stirring up her womanish thoughts with a manly stomach , she said unto them ( in vers. . ) doubtless the creatour of the world , will also of his own mercy give you breath and life again , as you now regard not your own selves for his laws sake . a sixth passage is her speech to her youngest son , who was most of all tempted by antiochus to accept deliverance , and it was this ( in vers. . ) fear not the tormentour ; but being worthy of thy brethren , take thy death , that i may receive thee again with thy brethren . this is part of her excellent speeches to her sons , and an illustrious proof of her great faith and hope as to the life to come ; for when she saw her seven sons slain within the space of one day , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , she bare it with a good courage , because of the hope that she had in the lord ; as it is exprest in vers. . and last of all , aster the sons , the mother died , vers. . thus we see by this admirable instance how this noble mother and her sons , rather then transgress one commandment of god , forbidding to tast swines flesh , suffer'd the most exquisite tortures with a magnanimous patience , despised their bodies , ( vers. . ) regarded not their own selves for his laws sake , ( vers. . ) offered up their bodies and lives for the laws of their fathers , ( vers. . ) loved not their lives to death ( as it is said of the faithful in apocal. . ) reproched , or disdained , disesteemed , their lives unto death , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as it is said of zibulon and napthali , judg. . . ) or as it is in hebr. . would not accept of deliverance , which was offered to them . and that which enabled them thus to choose rather to die gloriously was this , that they might obtain a better resurrection , a resurrection to life , which the fourth brother plainly told antiochus that he should not have ( chap. . . ) a resurrection far more acceptable to them then to be delivered from their present sufferings , and to have their life prolonged and respited for a while upon earth upon the terms offered , to live a little time and a moment longer , as the phrase is chap. . . and the same spirit of faith hath no less shined out in the faithful martyrs of jesus under the new testament , who loved not their lives unto death , ( apocal. . ) who did bear in their bodies the dying of the lord jesus ( cor. . ) in weariness and painfulness , in watchings often , in hunger and thirst , in fastings often , in cold and nakedness , in stripes and imprisonments , ( as s. paul saith of himself , cor. . ) and were faithful unto death ; not accepting of deliverance upon the terms of scattering a little incense upon the altar , or puting a little incense into the censors . and all this they suffer'd willingly , as being mindful of that of our saviour's , i will raise thee up at the last day ( jo. . ) or that in apocal. . . be thou faithful unto death , and i will give thee a crown of life . consider therefore ( o faithful christian ) and often consider the great encouragement and strong consolation , that it stored up in this fundamental doctrine of the resurrection and life to come . if thy body lie in a dungeon , in cold irons , and perish here ; yet it shall be raised up and sit upon a throne . if it be ioden with chains ; it shall hereafter put on robes of glory , and be clothed with the royal apparel . what though thou be here ( as christ was ) crowned with thorns , yet hereafter thou shalt have a better crown then a crown of gold , then the richest crown that ever any king or emperour did wear . what though wicked men eat the flesh of gods people , as it is in micah . . . yet their flesh doth rest in hope , psal. . to conclude this second particular , i might observe , that the doctrine of christ's resurrection ( upon which ours doth depend ) is full of the greatest comfort and encouragement : for as he was delivered ( to death ) for our offences , so he rose again for our justification , rom. . . his resurrection did evidence his death to be an acceptable sacrifice to god , and availeable to the making of atonement and expiation of our sins . for had it been otherwise , had not christ our surety fully satisfied , had he not done and suffered all that god required at his hand to the making atonement for our sins ; god would not have loosed the bands , or cords of death , in raising him up again , but he should have been holden fast by death ( acts . ) and still detain'd in the dark prison of the grave ; he had not been taken up into heaven , and seated at god's right hand : but his being raised from the dead , and received up into glory , and his interceeding there in the vertue of his death , and presenting his sacrifice in the behalf of all who truly believe and repent , are evident proofs of the acceptableness of his sacrifice , and that god was well pleased , and fully satisfied , and that christ had fulfilled all that god required of him to make reconciliation for iniquity ( dan. . ) the apostle therefore in rom. . . saith , that christ was declared ( or demonstrated ) to be the son of god , by the resurrection from the dead . and this ( if duly consider'd ) makes much for comfort and strong consolation unto all sincere christians : hence that of the apostle ( in rom. . ) who is he that condemneth ? it is christ that died , yea rather , that is risen again , who is even at the right hand of god , who also maketh intercession for us . . this doctrine of the resurrection and life to come is such as properly and powerfully tends to , and engages a christian to the greatest self-purification , to all manner of purity , inward and outward , in soul and in body , to the cleansing of himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit ; which is to perfect holiness in the fear of god , cor. . . and because it makes so much for the advancement of holiness and purity in heart and life , it is most worthy to be firmly believed and profest . accordingly its said , in john . . he that hath this hope ( the hope of seeing god as he is , vers. . ) purifies himself even as he is pure : he endeavours after the greatest self-purification , as knowing that onely the pure in heart shall see god , who is purity it self , holy , holy , holy , as it is thrice repeated in apocal. . . but in some greek copies nine times these two are therefore joyned together [ we shall be like him , and we shall see him as he is . the soul must first become like unto god in purity and holiness , before it is capable of seeing god as he is , of enjoying him and having any near and blissful communion with him . the onely means to behold the face of god , is to behold it in righteousness , and purity , and holiness ; and such a christian shall be satisfied , when he awakes from the sleep of death , with god's likeness . it was to this purpose well observed by plotinus , one of origen's schollars ( in ennead . . lib. . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . let every one that would see god ( who is holy , and pure , and good , the original and fountain of all beauty , and excellency , and goodness , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) make account first to become god-like ; his soul must first be purified as ever he would hope to seé and enjoy god. and now as the soul sets it self in good earnest upon self-purification , as that which is a necessary preparation for the enjoyment of god ; and as it prospers in its sincere and earnest endeavours to purge and cleanse it self from all that within which is contrary unto god ; by the same degrees and proportion , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( as hierocles to . wards the end of his comment upon pythagoras his golden verses , speaks of the great privileges of a purified soul ) it revives , and becomes more lively , active and vivacious , is more collected within it self , and is filled with divine strength and power : now it is that the locks of samson are grown again ( judg. . ) and the strength which went and was gone from the soul by its yielding to the blandishments and softnesses of the sensual and animal life ( that most dangerous and enveigling delilah ) is return'd again : now it is that the wings of the soul grow again and better , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and it moves more freely , being delivered from what did hitherto clog and stop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it s heavenly slight and journey upwards . there are some indeed ( and they not a few ) who seem to acknowledge this belief and hope of the resurrection and life to come , who yet do only reach to a slight and superficial purity , in outward appearance , answerable to their slight and superficial knowledge of this grand and important truth , such as was that knowledge of the pharisees . the power of sin within is stronger and more operative then the form of godliness without ; and be the form never so glorious to the eyes of men ( as the pharisaick purity was very specious and taking with the vulgar in our saviour's time ) yet there is little security , no confidence concerning such men , but that they will shamefully prejudice the truth and the religion professed by them : for they all this while under this disguise do cherish , and foment , and make much of diverse lusts and pleasures ( which they serve , titus . . ) and such sins as are most gainful : these are uncrucified , alive and strong , for they have all provision made for them ( rom. . ult . ) and are ready to break out when there are tempting occasions ; and hereby the name of god is blasphemed ( tim. . . rom. . . ) and by christians of this temper is the holy doctrine of the gospel , the way of truth , evil spoken of , pet. . but where there is the power of godliness within , there will also be the form of godliness without , and a better form then that meer external righteousness which the spiritual pharisees boast of , who would make a fair shew in the flesh , as the apostle speaks , galat. . when christians have purified their souls in obeying the truth through the spirit , ( as s. peter speaks in ep. chap. . ) there is no doubt but this inward purity of the soul will be emproved to the purity of the body , the purity of outward conversation . there is the greatest security concerning their ordering the outward conversation aright , whose hearts are purified , and where there is a living fountain and principle of holiness within : for as the heart is , so will the words and actions be , matth. . . it was therefore absolutely the best counsel and the right method for self-purification , which our saviour delivered , matth. . . cleanse first that which is within , that the out-side may be clean also . that the streams be pure and chrystalline , it 's necessary that the spring and well-head be clear . purity in heart is purity in the spring , purity in actions is purity in the streams . god requires self-purification as to both ; clean hands and a pure heart , psal. . . the cleansing of the hands and the purifying of the heart , isa. . . where the hands , as being the most active parts of the body , and the instruments most used for action are put for all the members of the body , and denote all outward actions which are visible to others , the outward visible course of life and conversation . and as god requires both the inward and outward purity , and the doctrine of the resurrection obliges a christian to the inward , so likewise to the outward , that of the body : he that longs and waites for the redemption of the body ( rom. . . ) he that hopes for a glorious and spiritual body , believing that it shall be raised in power to such purity and glory , must needs infer from hence that it becomes him to possess his vessel ( his body ) in sanctification and honour , and not in the lust of concupiscence , or passion of lust , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as the greek hath it : that so the body may be in a fit and capable condition of being raised to eternal life , an incorruptible and heavenly state. and therefore the apostle paul ( in cor. . ) where he hath many arguments to perswade to chastity , and to discountenance uncleanness , argues from christs resurrection and from ours , vers. . god hath raised up the lord , and will also raise up us by his own power . as we believe and expect that god will raise up our bodies , and that to an incorruptible , spiritual , pure and undefiled state , as he raised up the body of christ to such a one , and so we shall bear the image of the heavenly , the last adam , the lord from heaven ( for as is the heavenly , such are they also that are heavenly , cor. . they shall have such a body as christ now hath ) it becomes us to keep our bodies undefiled , and in a state of purity here on earth . and in vers. . know ye not , that your bodies are the members of christ ? shall i then take the members of christ , and make them the members of an harlot ? god forbid . . the fourth and last argument to perswade to a being steadfast and vnmoveable in the belief of the resurrection and life to come , is taken from the excellent properties and effects of this doctrine , so adequate to the several needs and exigencies of a christian here , and furnishing him with such considerations as may be greatly helpful to him in the several tryals and exigencies he may meet with in this world. as particularly . . this doctrine firmly and heartily entertain'd , begets in holy souls the greatest equanimity and contentedness of spirit , in opposition to the disturbing and wasting cares and ambitions , which other men have experience of . for the lord is at hand , and therefore let your moderation be known unto all men , phil. . your moderation , ] in the largest and most comprehensive sense of the word ; moderation as to the desires and pursuits of worldly things , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of this life , ( cor. . ) or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( jo. . . ) worldly goods : for how indecorous is it for that christian to be anxious or eager about the getting and having much of this world , who looks and hopes for the better and enduring substance in heaven , ( heb. . ) who expects treasures of glory and goodness , which christ hath to bestow on his faithful servants ; and these are not far off , the lord is at hand to dispense them ; and ' ere long thou shalt tast and see how good and gracious the lord is . moderation ] as to the great things of this world ; for how little and mean are these things to that crown and kingdom which the righteous judge will give ? what are they , what is the glory of this world and the glory of men , to the glory of god ( jo. . . ) the reputation with god himself , the honour that cometh from god onely ( jo. . . ) that glory and honour with which god will reward the patient continuance in well doing ? rom. . . it begets a sober cheerfulness and joy in them . to such it is said , rejoyce in the lord alway , and again i say rejoyce , phil. . and this joy is accompanied with the forementioned equanimity and contentedness of spirit ; for if our delights and satisfactions be ( as they should be ) in god , he will give us what is best for us to have , either in kind what we desire , or else that which he knows to be better , and is more fit for us to desire and have . delight thy self in the lord , and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart , ( psal. . . ) whereas if our delights be placed chiefly in other things which we desire , it s better we should not have them ; or if we have what we desire , god may give it us in judgment : as it is said in psal. . . he gave them their own desire ; they were weary of manna , and slighted it : they would have flesh ; and for manna he gave them quails : but while their meat was in their mouths , the wrath of god came upon them , &c. but the sober chearfulness and joy ( we speak of ) arising from the belief of the resurrection , this together with a due moderation and equanimity , is a safe repast , and is greatly availeable to the health and well being even of the body in this state , as the doctrine of the resurrection assures of a better , an heavenly and spiritual body hereafter . . it secures us against the most winning and dangerous tentations and allurements of this present world ; as it did moses in pharaoh's court , who when he was come to years , refused to be call'd the son of pharaoh's daughter , choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season , &c. ( heb. . ) the instance is remarkable , and what is here said of him , is fit to be a little more consider'd . moses when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , when he was grown big , a grown man ( not a novice , not a child ; nor when old and doting , not when weak and decrepit , and unfit to tast the pleasures of the court , as aged barzillai speaks of himself , . sam. . . but ) moses in his ripe years and setled strength , being then full forty years old , acts . . this moses refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter . thermutis ( that was her name , as josephus relates ) pharaoh's onely daughter , and much beloved of him , that saved his life , and caused him to be nursed , and afterwards took care for his ingenuous education , in all the wisdom and learning of the egyptians , ( philo jud. in his de vitâ mosis , saith , she was at great charges in procuring men from forreign parts to instruct him . ) she took him for her son ( exod. . . acts . . ) intending him to inherit her father's kingdom : she that took him ( when an infant ) out of this ark of bull-rushes , where he was laid , would have set him in the throne , adopting him for her son. but he refused to be called her son , and consequently to be the heir of a kingdom ; he rejected the offer of a throne and kingdom , the hopes of the greatest dignity upon earth ; and chose the cross rather then crown ; or if a crown , he would rather have a crown of thorns then a crown of gold , he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season , or ( to render it more closely to the greek ) to have the temporary enjoyment of sin , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . he chose rather to be in the wilderness , then in the court ; yea in that great and terrible wilderness , wherein were fiery . serpents and scorpions , and drought , where there was no water , ( as it is described , deut. . . ) he chose rather to endure the hardships of the wilderness , then to enjoy the delicacies and pleasures of the court , to live there in all ease and softness , to enjoy the delights and sensual satisfactions which courts afford , to have riches , and honours , and dignities , and the great things and outward glory of this world , which others so much scramble for ; to have these , and what he would ( if egypt could afford it ) heaped upon him ; all this would have flowed in upon him , if he would have been willing to be adopted by pharaoh's daughter for her son. and besides his own personal worth and accomplishments , the unordinary amiableness of his person , the excellency of his parts emproved by the best education , the singular sweetness of his spirit ( meek and gentle above all men upon earth , numb . . . ) would have won and gain'd him all love and respects and venerations , and the good words and applause of all ; and made him more capable of gratifying and pleasing himself , and emproving the advantages which the court-life might afford . but for all this , he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of god , and as it follows in vers. . he esteemed the reproach of christ ( for christ is meant by the angel that did lead them and keep them in the way , and brought them to canaan ) greater riches then the treasures in egypt , of which wealth and power he had been possest , had he been content to go for the son of pharaoh's daughter . but what was it that enabled him to do all this , to deny himself at such a rate as this , that he was worthy to be famed for the most self-denying man ( as he was for the most meek man ) upon earth ? it was his faith : heb. . . by faith moses when he was come to tears , refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter . he did it not out of sullenness , or in a pet or humour , but deliberately , and upon choice , and upon the best reason and ground , the hope of the reward to come ; and it was faith that enabled him to eye it . this is the account given in vers. . for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the expectation of better treasures in heaven , a better crown then what thermutis could have helpt him to , a better kingdom then that in egypt ; the expectation of better pleasures , and a more happy condition hereafter , infinitely above the temporary delights of sin , the pleasures of sin for a season , for a little while in this world , which if he had given up himself to , he had lost those purer and permanent pleasures at gods right hand ; the belief of better things that he should be heir of , if he approved himself as a son of god , then he could ever be heir of in egypt , if he were called the son of pharaoh's daughter ; this was it which enabled him to do all this , and to suffer all the hardships and difficulties he met with , which were not few nor small . grotius interprets ( as the socinians do ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the possessing of canaan , the land promised to their fathers . but the word being used in the foregoing chap. vers. . for the heavenly reward , where it follows what is said in vers. . a better and an enduring substance ( or being ) in heaven , we may well here also understand it in the same sense . but had it been onely an earthly canaan that moses had respect to , we may hence argue ; if an earthly inheritance , which is uncertain , and short ( as our life is ) and not secured from troubles and crosses , could thus far affect moses , and prevail with him to do and suffer all this , and secured him against the tentations of the court , and made him to choose piety with afflictions , rather then pleasures accompanied with sin ; how much more should the heavenly inheritance , the land of the living ( as heaven may be better call'd so then earth , as being the land and country of the living to eternity ) how much more should the upper canaan ( of which it may be rather said then of the lower and earthly canaan , deut. . that it is a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness , thou shalt not lack any thing in it ) a land that floweth with what is sweeter and better then milk and honey ; how much more should it prevail with us to deny our selves , and to overcome the temporary delights of sin ! . this doctrine of the resurrection and the life to come , makes the spirit of a believer impregnable , when assaulted with the greatest difficulties and dangers from without . it arms and fortifies him against the most threatning terrours of the world , as well as against the most alluring tentations ; an instance and eminent proof whereof we have in the seven brethren and their mother who suffer'd under antiochus ; of which we spake before . . it enábles christians to take patiently the loss of friends , the decease of nearest and dearest relations that die in the lord , and sleep in jesus : as knowing that god will bring them again with christ at the last day , god will raise them out of their graves , and they shall as soon be with christ when he descends from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel and the trump of god , as those that are alive upon the earth at his coming ; who shall not prevent them which are asleep ; but the dead in christ shall rise first , and so all of them ( both the newly raised saints , and the then living who shall be changed in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye ( cor. . ) their bodies being to be made incorruptible and immortal , and so qualified for heaven , as well as the bodies of them that were raised from the dead ) i say , all of them shall at once be taken up in the clouds , to meet the lord in the air , to attend upon the judge , the king of glory ; and so shall they ever be with the lord. all this we have in thes. . and are not these words of comfort in the case of christian friends deceased ? and it enables also to take patiently , yea , and joyfully , the spoyling of their goods , the loss of their worldly goods , their estates and possessions , as it is expresly said of the believing hebrews , in chap. . . where also is mention'd that which enabled them to such a joyous patience , for it immediately follows in the same . verse , knowing in your selves that you have in heaven a better and more enduring substance , better treasures , and such as cannot be taken away , none can spoile them of ; and that for their losses and sufferings here , they shall be infinitely rewarded and recompensed at the resurrection of the just. . it makes believers more mindful of , and faithful to , the great ends of life and being in this world ; it melts them into softer compassions to the souls of others , and enlarges them into greater desires of and endeavours after the good of others every way ; that they also may with them be the children of the resurrection , and accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead ( luke . . ) and to stand before the son of man ( chap. . . ) . these are those that love the appearing of christ ( as it is in tim. . ) and prepare for it , and they would fain have others also so minded , and therefore while they are in the world , they endeavour to do what good they can . these long and look for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our saviour jesus christ ( tit. . ) then shall the shadows of this dark life flee away ; then shall the day break , and the night be gone ; then will the eyelids of that morning begin to open , when they shall awake and see the face of god in righteousness ; the morning to that calm and fair day of eternity ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , pet. . ult . ) the day that shall have no sun-set , no evening ; the day which the lord hath made , we shall rejoyce and be glad in it , ( psal. . ) to these children of the resurrection is that encouraging passage of scripture in luke . . where , after the mention of christs coming in a cloud with power and great glory , it is said , and by christ himself , when these things come to pass , then look up and lift up your heads , for your redemption draweth nigh . the phrase is like to that in rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , exerto capite facta expectatio creaturae : where the apostle by a pathetical elegant prosopopeia brings in the whole creation expecting , looking and longing for , with head lifted up , the manifestation , and vers. . the glorious liberty of the sons of god , and to be delivered from the bondage of corruption and the being subject unto vanity , under which it groanth and travellèth with pain until now . but the word in luke respects rather the then becoming temper os the mind then any gesture of the body , it imports the greatest longing and most joyous expectation : and therefore the syriack attending to the sense of the place , rather then to the letter , doth not unfitly render the greek [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 look up ] by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be of goood cheer , have a good heart . but this comfort is onely for the children of the resurrection , for those that love the appearing of christ ( as the apostle characterizes those christians to whom god the righteous judge will at that day give the crown of righteousness : ) and such onely can love the appearing of christ , his illustrious appearing , his coming then with power and great glory , who have already endured and felt with patience the day of his coming , and the power of his spiritual appearance within them , when he was not disturb'd , nor opposed in his refining and spiritual work , for he is like a refiners fire , and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver ; as it is in mal. . proposition iii. . christians must always abound , or excel , in the work of the lord. the greek word [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] signifies not onely to abound , but to excel : so in cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that ye may excel ; and matth. . . saith christ to his disciples , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ; what excellent , or what singular , what extraordinary thing do ye ? both come much to one , christians must excel others , or abound more then others , and they must excel themselves , or abound more then themselves , in the work of the lord. and what herein s. paul exhorts others to , he himself practised ; he excelled others , he abounded more then others , so he saith of himself in cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , i laboured more abundantly then they all , then the rest of the apostles ; and in cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in labours more abundant : witness his preaching from jerusalem and round about even unto illyricum ( rom. . . ) three hundred and fifty german miles ( as paraeus upon the place observes ) particularly , in arabia ( gal. . . ) at damascus ( gal. . ) at antioch ( acts . . ) at seleucia ( acts . . ) in cyprus ( acts . . ) in pamphilia ( acts . . ) in pisidia ( acts . . ) in lycaonia ( acts . . ) in cilicia ( acts . . ) in phrygia ( acts . . ) in galatia ( acts . . ) at troas ( acts . . ) at athens ( acts . . ) in achaia ( acts . . ) in macedonia ( acts . . ) besides other places , and those places especially where christ was not named ( for to preach here was his holy ambition , rom. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) which made his labour the greater , which would have been far easier , if he had onely preacht where others had laid the foundation of christian knowledge . and as he excell'd others , so he excelled himself also . so he saith of himself , phil. . . forgeting those things which are behind ( not looking at that which was behind , to see how much of the race i have passed , or how much others are behind me ) and reaching forth unto those things which are before ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stretching as hard as i can to get to the end of the race which is before me , and to overtake and out-run others ) i press towards the mark , or goal , for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus . thus we see what the blessed apostle taught , and what he practised ; and in conformity to his doctrine and his example ; . christians must excel themselves , must abound more then they have done , in the work of the lord : their last works must be more then the first , as it is said of the church of thyatira , in revel . . . they must not be weary in well-doing , but go on and mend their pace , still making a sarther progress in religion , and going onto perfection ( heb. . . ) and the nearer they are to the goal , the end of their race , the faster they must run thus the same apostle writing to the thessalonians ( chap. . . ) doth beseech and exhort them by the lord jesus , that as they had received ( had been taught ) how they ought to walk and to please god , so they would abound more and more . and truly the more excellent christians have a spirit of great ingenuity in them , for . they are sensible of the much god hath done for them already . he hath blessed them with all spiritual blessings in christ , ephes. . and spiritual good things are the choicest of blessings . and they judge themselves less then the least of gods mercies , as jacob did , gen. . . i am less then all the mercies , and then all the truth , which thou hast shewed unto thy servant , which the chaldee paraphrast fitly renders , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my deserts are less then all the mercies , and all the benefits which thou hast done to thy servant . . they are sensible of the much more he hath promised to do for them , and is reserved for them in heaven ( pet. . . ) they have cause to say with david ( psal. . . ) o how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee : as they have cause also to reckon with s. paul , that the sufferings of this present time , all their labours and services , are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed . . they are sensible of the little they have done for god , what mean and poor returns they have made to god who hath dealt bountifully with them . none are more deeply sensible of their omissions , none are more apt to judge themselves unprofitable servants ( luke . ) then they that have abounded most in the work of the lord. it was the speech of that holy and learned bishop , bishop vsher , not long before his death , lord forgive me my omissions : and yet he was a most industrious and diligent labourer in god's vineyard . admirable is the humble ingenuity of those good and faithful servants of god , who when christ at the day of judgment before angels and men doth remember to their honour what they had done for him in their life time , reply , lord when saw we thee an hungred , and fed thee ; or thirsty , and gave thee drink ; or a stranger , and took thee in ; or naked , and clothed thee , or sick , or in prison , and came unto thee ? a lover of god , who serves him not out of mercenary regards , but from an ingenuous spirit , doth not score up his duties and keep an account of his performances , does not register and then reckon how many good offices he hath done for the cause of god in the world , he keeps no catalogue of his services ; and then sits still and applauds and pleases himself in what he hath done . but he forgets the things which are behind ; he is as little elated as if he had done nothing ; and therefore presseth hard forward , and reacheth to the things that are before . whereas on the contrary , formal , meer outward christians , being of a pharisaick and servile spirit , they that are far from serving god acceptably ( heb. ) they set an high value upon their performances ; and ( like the shallow streams which are most loud ) they boast of their outward services , and please and pride themselves in their often reflections upon what they have done ; and they would also be applauded by others ; for all their works they do , for to be seen of men ( matth. . . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the word [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] used here ( and in matth. . . ) is very proper and fit to express hypocrites , stage-players and actors of a part in religion , and it imports such a seeing , such a looking on by men , as in a theatre or stage , a looking on with admiration and applause : and to this purpose is that other word in matth. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that they may be glorified , or honoured of men ; yea , and of god too . and yet it is but some outward service , void of inward life , that they perform to god. but it is their all , it is all that they will part with ; and they would have it valued at no mean rate ; they have no small opinion of their lip-devotion , and the bodily exercise of religion ; their honouring god with their lips , some good words , or some good works not proceeding from a right principle , nor directed to a right end : and hereby they think they do demereri deum , and oblige him for ever . and yet all is but an empty shell which they bring , a shell without a kernel , a cabinet without the jewels . but such is their high esteem of it , that they are ready to take it ill , and to challenge god for not taking due notice of the honour and service they do him ; and he is not , as they think , so sensible and regardful thereof as he should be , when things go otherwise with them then they wish . the inward language of their hearts is fully exprest by isa. chap. . . wherefore have we fasted , say they , and thou seest not ? wherefore have we afflicted our soul , and thou takest no knowledge ? and yet this was but a meer outward humiliation , as it is exprest in vers. . the bowing down the head as a bul-rush for a day , and the spreading of sackcloth and ashes under them . but alas , what is the hanging or bowing down the head , while the heart is unbowed and unhumbled ? and what is sackcloth and ashes , whenas pride compasseth them as a chain , ( psal. . . ) ? here then is the difference between those that are christians outwardly , and those that are christians inwardly ( as the the apostle speaks of the jew ( rom. . ) the former make great account of their trifles , as if they were the most solid realities , and the most precious rarities : the other account themselves , and their best performances , their most substantial services , to be as nothing before god ; but though it becomes them to think thus humbly and meanly of themselves , yet god who weighs the spirits of men and tryeth their hearts , he hath an high esteem of them ; god is not unrighteous to forget their work and labour of love , which they have shewed toward his name , ( heb. . . ) but he will remember them and their performances , and an honourable commemoration shall be made of them at the last day , matth. . . . as they are sensible of the little they have done for god , and are grieved at their omissions ; so they are sensible of the little time they have to repair their neglects of those fair advantages which they have had for doing good : they are apprehensive of the shortness and uncertainty of their life and continuance here ; that their time is but short here to testifie their love to god in their love of others , and caring for their good , they have but a short space to labour in ; and it is but short , ( and as nothing to eternity ) if they be in the morning of their age , or in the afternoon ( and indeed such serious thoughts as these do more commonly possess those that are in the afternoon of their life : ) and therefore they rouse up and excite themselves to a greater diligence , awake , awake , up and be doing , they say unto their soul ; stir up the gift of god in thee , be strong in the grace that is in christ jesus : and show forth that strength in a power to do more , and to endure more bardness , as becomes a good souldier of jesus christ , ( tim. . ) while it is day , while the light of life shines , thou must work the works of him that sent thee , the works of god , the business of religion must be heeded by thee ; for the night cometh when no man can work , ( jo. . . ) the sunfet of thy life , the night of death approacheth , and then the seasons and advantages for an active employing thy self about the good of others , and glorifying the name of god in this world , will be over and past . and therefore , because there is no work , nor deliberation , nor wisdom in the grave whither thou art going ; whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might , ( eccles. . . ) love god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( a more emphatical word then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) with all thy strength , with all thy mind , with all thy heart , and with all thy soul ; with whatsoever is in thee , and in thy power ; all thy faculties must be raised up to their best pitch : and the best expression and proof of this love is in serving the will of god in thy generation to the best of thy skill and abilities . live much in a short time , for the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought our own will ; but christ hath suffered for us in the flesh , that we should no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh , to the lusts of men , ( to the gratifying of those appetites which men generally indulge themselves in ) but to the will of god , which is worthy to be obey'd and complyed with in all things by us . let it be our wonder and our grief , that we were for so long a time ( the shortest time is too long ) strangers to god and the ways of religion , that we should for any time live without god in the world , and be unacquainted with the best of services and employments , which are the services of religion ; that we should be estranged from the life of god , which is the noblest and sweetest lise , a life of the highest excellency , and of the most satisfying pleasure : and therefore being now restored to god , and having found him whom our souls love , and whom our souls should ever have loved , him who loved us first , how should we cleave the more close to him , even with full purpose of heart ; how should we live wholly to his will ; and walk worthy of him unto all pleasing , being fruitful in every good work ; studying to know what will please him , what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god , and then to do it with all alacrity and faithfulness . live then much in a short time , redeem the time , repair thy omissions in some measure by redoubling thy diligence . let the book of thy life ( the book that must be opened at the last day ) be full of sense and worthy matter ; let there be no void spaces and empty lacunas ( idle words and an idle life are such ) in it : let every page of it ( every day ) be fill'd with what is significant , intelligible , rational , and worthy to be transcribed and copyed out by others . live in an exemplary way , and follow that best exemplar , the holy jesus , of whom s. peter gives this short character , ( in his sermon to cornelius , acts . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he went about doing good . think thou hast lost a day ( as it s said of the emperour titus vespasian ) if thou hast not done some good in it . think thou hast not lived , if thou hast not lived to the service of religion : as that courtier who retired from the vanities of this world , and seriously applyed himself to the services of religion seven years before his death , would have this epitaph , hic jacet septuagenarius qui septem vixit annos . let that speech of the apostle ( rom. . . ) be often in thy thoughts , let it be written in fair letters upon thy heart , not slothful in business , fervent in spirit , serving the lord. we must not be slothful in business , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as to diligence and industry in our calling and what concerns us . whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , as the occasion shall offer it self , and the thing shall require ( so the phrase is used in judg. . . and sam. . . ) do it with thy might , do it as well as thou canst : as we have opportunity , let us do good unto all men , or as we have ability , gal. . but especially do not the work of the lord negligently ( jer. ) be not negligent and lazy in religion ; make that thy business , let it be thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , make it not thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as if the work of the lord were to be done onely by the by ; be serious and in good earnest in it , it is for the life of thy soul. we must be fervent in spirit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the like is said of apollos , acts . . ) burning in spirit , not coldly affected towards god's service and honour , but with enflamed affections and earnest endeavours ever following that which is good ; this the apostle calls in titus . zealous of good works . it follows , serving the lord , or the season , or opportunity that is before us ( for not a few greek copies instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the time or season ) embracing and emproving all the advantages that present themselves to us for procuring the good of others , and winning others , and doing honour to god. and this indeed is a good time-serving , free from the least self-seeking ; and we serve the lord , when we serve the time or season , that is , lay hold on and improve the present opportunity , and every advantageous occasion of doing good . and indeed , the more excellent christians , such as are more emproved in grace and spiritual wisdom , account themselves more obliged to this abounding in the work of the lord , from the consideration of what the apostle intimates in rom. . . that our salvation is now nearer to us then when we believed , when we were first called and converted to the faith of christ ; we are now nearer to the end , or reward of our faith , the salvation of our souls ; we are nearer to the coal and end of our race , and consequently nearer to the prize of our high calling in christ jesus . this life of action draws nearer to its period , and the life of reward is more near , the kingdom of heaven is at hand ; and therefore knowing the time , that this is the season of loving our neighbour , of doing all the good we can to others , ( of which the apostle speaks in the foregoing verse ) it is high time to awake out of sleep , to shake off all drowsiness , to awake out of a lazy profession , to be up and be doing : for we have not long to live in the world , and e're long we shall lay hold on eternal life , and receive the reward far beyond all our services , infinitely above all our labours here . and here it may not be unfit to take notice of a three fold self-denyal , full of nobleness and ingenuity , in the more excellent christians . . though they are sensible of a better state in the other world , of better enjoyments , and satisfactions more pure and permanent then in this present life ; and though they are full of comfortable hopes of their safe arrival and happy entertainment in that world of souls ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the jews call it ) when they shall be gathered to the spirits of just men made perfect : yet they are not unwilling , nay rather desirous , to stay longer for their reward , so that they may do more service here , and minister to the good of others ; they would labour more in god's vineyard , they would abound more in the work of the lord. they are not over-hasty to receive their wages , their penny for labouring in the vineyard . they do not complain of their bearing the burden and heat of the day . they are willing with jacob to serve seven other years for rachel . they are not impatient of the length of the way to canaan , nor do they murmur that they are kept from tasting the fruits thereof . they are not eager to enter upon the full pleasures of the heavenly jerusalem . they are content with some clusters of grapes here , to hearten and strengthen them for their work and labour . they would not go to rest , to their beds too soon ( so the grave is called , isa. . . he shall enter into peace , they shall rest in their beds . ) they are desirous to work longer ; and when they have labour'd more , and finished the work which they desired to do for god , then they can better sing with old simeon , nunc dimittis , lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : and when they lie down , their sleep shall be sweet unto them , prov. . . and now for the verifying of all this that hath been said , we have an evident proof in s. paul , an illustrious example of this kind of self-denyal , who though he was assured of a better state after his decease , yet he was content to stay longer for his reward , he was willing to be absent from the lord , to be out of heaven , and to abide longer here ; that he might do more service in the world , and minister to the good of others : he rather consider'd what was more needful for others , then what would be more gainful for himself . this is plain out of philip. . from vers. . to . the whole paragraph is worthy to be opened and further explained . in vers. . he professeth , to me to live , is christ ] that is , if i live , my life shall be wholly spent in the service of christ , this is the main design and business of my life ; this is my choice , and i do not count it worth the while to live in the world , life is not valuable , but onely on this account , that i may bring honour to christ , and win souls to the gospel . it follows , and to die is gain ] that is , if i die , i shall be a gainer by it , eternal life and happiness being infinitely above all the enjoyments in this present life ; and if i die a martyr at rome ( where i am now a prisoner of the lord , ephes. . . a prisoner for the cause of christ ) if i seal and confirm the truth of christ by my blood , the service and glory of christ shall be advanced by my sufferings , yea and my death shall be more eminently gainful to me ; this suffering and martyrdom being rewarded with a further accession of glory , and a more rich encrease of happiness : so that i am resolved , that christ shall be magnified in my body , whether it be by life or by death , ver. . vers. . but if i live in the flesh , this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruit of my labour ] our translation makes the place obscure , which otherwise is clear enough , if it be consider'd that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with operae pretium ( and several such latinisms there are in the new testament ) and it signifies worth the while , worth my labour . and so the sense of this verse is this , if i continue in this fleshly tabernacle , is i yet live in the world , it is worth the while , it will not be altogether unprofitable to me , nor to others , because thereby i may gain some to christ ; and as for you philippians and other christians , i may be helpful to you and them , for your and their furtherance and joy of faith , ( vers. . ) it follows in the same verse , yet what i shall choose , i wot not ] : there are weighty and pressing reasons on both sides : so that i know not well whether i should choose and desire to live or die , if the choice of both were given me . vers. . for i am in a streight betwixt two ] here are two different desires , each have their reasons to move ; on the one side , having a desire to depart ] i have a great desire to return home . for so the greek word should be render'd , rather then to depart ; and the fitness of the metaphor doth by the way suggest this to us , that this life is a state of banishment , or a pilgrim-condition , a state of absence from god ( cor. . ) and from our fathers house , and that heaven is the proper country and seat of souls , it is their home . it follows , and to be with christ , which is far better ] our english translation is not here so full , and leaves out a word ; it is exactly thus , for this is much better by far , or this is far better by a great deal , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and here by the way may be observed ; that the soul hath a being and doth also act , and is capable of joy or pain , and sensible of the good or evil condition she is in , after the death of the body ; and that therefore she doth not fall into a deep sleep , and continue ( as the body doth ) in a senseless condition for many hundreds , if not thousands , of years , till the sounding of the shrill trumpet of the archangel at the great day of judgment : otherwise it had not been exceedingly much better for s. paul to depart this life , but to have lived and continued in the flesh till the coming of that great day ; s. paul had not been in a strait between two , nor at a loss whether to choose , but he would easily have preferr'd it as more desireable to be awake and alive here to the service of christ , and to the endeavouring the good of others ; to act for god in the world , and to be sensible of that satisfaction , and to reap that joy and pleasure which would follow ( and did flow into his soul ) upon such labouring and abounding in the work of the lord , being plainly more eligible and a better state ; and to fall asleep , which is to be in a condition of doing nothing for christ , and of being uncapable of that joy and pleasure which accompanies the doing of good , being as plainly a worse estate . if to be with christ , be to fall asleep , to do nothing , to feel nothing , not to be sensible of his being there , it were better for him to be from christ ; and to be ministring to the good of others in the world ; considering also that it was so needful for the philippians and others that he should abide in the flesh : to live and to act , and to enjoy the comfort of such acting being simply better , then for the soul to sleep , that is , to do nothing , to perceive nothing , which is all one for the time as if the soul were really dead , or did sleep the sleep of death . and whereas some ( as grotius and others ) understand no more by this phrase [ to be with christ ] then this , to be in christi custodiâ quoad partenpotiorem , i. e. animam , to be received by christ into safe custody , to be committed to his trust and keeping ; i answer , first , that so the faithful were in this life kept by him and by god , jo. . , . and chap . , . pet. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , which implys a safe custody , and chap. . . which plainly is meant of this life ; and therefore if this be meant by being with christ , they might be said to be with christ here , in this sense . secondly , that though the souls of the faithful be after death received into christ's custody and keeping , yet this doth not imply nor infer their falling into a senseless , unactive , dead sleep . in jo. . . christ promiseth to every one that serves him and follows him , where i am , there shall also my servant be ; and afterwards , him will my father honour , that is reward , so the greek word imports . so that the being where christ is [ or the being with him ] and god's rewarding , go together . when s. stephen at his death said , lord jesus rceive my spirit , this doth no more prove that his spirit fell asleep , as soon as it was received by christ into his custody , then that the spirit or soul of christ was asleep for three days , after his death , immediately before which he said , father , into thy hands i commend my spirit , luke . . thirdly , i add , that this phrase [ to be with christ ] doth in the style of the scripture imply a state of life and sense ; not a senseless sleep , but such a state wherein the faithful enjoy christ , and perceive the good of being with him : as appears by comparing several passages of scripture . thus in jo. . . it is joyned with their beholding the glory which god hath given him . and it is made use of by christ as an , argument to comfort his troubled disciples , jo. . and by the apostle paul to comfort christians when grieved for the decease of friends , thes. . . where , to be for ever with the lord , that is with christ , is more then to be taken into his custody , and is far from signifying for ever to be asleep . in all these places it signifies a state of activity and sense , and perception , and a perception of that joy and happiness , which being considered should fortifie christians against all trouble and sorrow . and so to be with christ , is the same with to live with christ , tim. . . and to reign with christ , vers. . and although their being with christ , after they have received their spiritual and heavenly body at the resurrection , doth signifie a greater degree of happiness and a fuller measure of reward , of which they are now more capable by reason of their spiritual body : yet their being with christ in the intermediate space , between their death and the resurrection or last judgment , is far from signifying nothing at all , no lesser degree of happiness , no enjoyment of christ , no comfortable and joyous perception of their being with him , nothing but a being kept safe or kept in being , nothing but being in a dead sleep in his arms. but to return to the rest of the paragraph . vers. . nevertheless , or but , to abide in the flesh is more needful for you ] though it would be more advantageous and gainful to me to die , to go home and to be with christ ; yet it is more for the advantage of you philippians , and of others , that i should live and continue longer in this world. and thus we see how s. paul was plainly divided between two desires ; the one of his own happiness , in returning to his father's house and being with christ ; the other of his doing good to others ; and he inclines at last rather to this latter : upon this score , of being in a capacity to do good to others , he is inclined to live ; as appears by the following verse , where he expresseth his hope ( which argued his desire ) that he should abide and continue with them , live a while longer , for their furtherance and joy of faith. he is willing to stay for his reward , he is content to be absent from christ , to have his more immediate and blissful enjoyment of him deser'd , he is willing to be out of heaven , that he may do the more good upon earth ; content to be less happy for the present , that he may be the more serviceable in the world. he would not so soon be at rest from his labours ; though his continuing in the world was likely to bring him more suffering and hardships : he was now at rome , a prisoner for christ , and in the days of nero , that lion ( as he calls him , tim. ) and he never stir'd out of his hired house there , but with a souldier which held him fast to him by an iron chain ( of which he speaks acts . ) and therefore it were far better for him , and especially in these circumstances , to be with christ , the lamb , who is said ( in revel . . . ) to feed those that are his , and lead them unto living fountains of water , so that they shall neither hunger nor thirst any more ; yet he is willing to stay at rome , and to await the fury of the lion , that monster of raging cruelty , nero ; before whom he was brought once at least , and he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion , ( tim. . . ) good stood with him and strengthened him , when he stood at the bar before the emperour , and delivered him , and to this end ( as it follows in that verse ) that by me the preaching might be fully known , and that all the gentiles might hear ( might receive the gospel ) and there were even in caesar's houshold those that received the gospel ( phil. . ) christ had a flock near the lions den , a church in nero's house . this was that which was most in s. paul's eye , for this he valued his deliverance , and the preservation and continuance of his life ( as we observed before ) and that according to his hope and confidence mention'd to the philippians , of his coming again to them , he was delivered and restored at his first being at rome , is proved by some writers . in a word , though it were more for his ease to be freed from his chain and his bonds in ( or for ) christ , which ( he saith phil. . . ) were manifest in caesar's court ; as well as to be freed from the bonds and fetters wherewith his soul was encompast , while it was in the prison of this terrestrial body ; though it were more for his advantage to move in the free air and spacious regions of immortality and bliss ; yet he chooseth rather to wear these chains and bonds ; and to wear this great fetter of the body , then to wear that royal apparrel with which the king of heaven will invest those whom he delights to honour , and to partake of that . glorious liberty of the children of god in heaven ( that i may borrow that phrase in rom. . ) he chooses rather to continue in the number of those who groan in this earthly taternacle , being burdened , then to sing joyful hallelujahs in the jerusalem which is above and is free ( gal. . ) and it was his love to the good of souls , his zeal for the being more instrumental to the service and honour of christ , that was a stronger chain to hold him here : this was his great business while he was at rome in chains , to preach the kingdom of god , and to teach those things which concern the lord jesus christ , acts . . he calls his philippians ( in chap. . . ) his joy and crown ; and that he might for some time longer abide in the flesh for their furtherance in christianity , he is willing to be without the crown of life reserved for him in god's kingdom . and was not this a rare and remarkable peice of self-denyal in him ? and it will appear the more remarkable , if we consider that s. paul had been rapt up into the third heaven , he had been caught up into paradise , and there had heard unspeakable words , which it is not lawsul , or possible , [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] for a man to utter ; and consequently he knew more of the felicites and glories of that place and state. . a second instance of the self-denyal of the more excellent christians is this . though they are sensible of the inward delights and sweetnesse● which accompany a contemplative life , and are enjoy'd by a soul withdrawing it self from the noise and cares of the world ; though they are sensible what an heaven it is upon earth to have more inward communion with god , and in great stillness and quietness of spirit to contemplate the divine excellencies and perfections , as also to contemplate the divine favours and kindnesses , which he hath already bestowed on them , with the much more that he reserves in heaven , and designs there to bless them with ; and though by such contemplation of the divine excellencies and favours , though by such a seeing of god and tasting how good the lord is , they are melted into love , and ravisht into holy joys ; and though in this deep silence of the soul they hear the still voice of the holy spirit , the comforter , speaking peace and love unto them : yet they are willing to abate of those spiritual satisfactions and delights in communion with god ( which are to them far better ) that so they may bestow themselves upon services and labours for the good of others ( which are to those others more needful . ) they are willing to abate of the sweetness of contemplation , that they may apply themselves more to action ; they account it the greatest charity to abound in the works of the active life , and prefer the advantages which thereby may come to others , before the contentments which might come to themselves by a life more contemplative . when s peter with the two other disciples saw christ transfigured on the mount , together with moses and elias , who appeared in glory ; he was so transported and enravished with this glorious sight , ( this model os heaven upon the mount ) that he said , lord , it is good for us to be here , let us make three tabernacles , one for thee , one for moses , and one for elias : he wisht that he might always stay upon the mount , and was loth to return to converse with those below ; though in saying this , he knew not what he said , luke . but the more excellent christians though when they are retired and upon the mount of contemplation , they sometimes see christ transfigured before them , though they see him in his glory and beauty , and are enravished hereby with love and delight , and could ever dwell on the mount : yet they do not talk of building tabernacles there ; they are willing to descend to those in the valley , to converse with the meanest and lowest in order to their spiritual good . and though they gain a more divine splendor by such contemplations , and are raised up to more spiritual heights and accomplishments ( as moses his face did shine by being with god on the mount ) yet they are ready to put a vail over their face , and to the weak they will become as weak , that they may gain the weak ; they are willing to make themselves servants unto all , that they may gain the more , as the great apostle speaks of himself in cor. . they consider that they are not to please themselves , but to please their neighbour ( every other ) for his good to edification , rom. . it 's more pleasing to god that , rather then spend most of thy time in silent affectionate contemplation of him , thou shouldst earnestly apply thy self to the works and labours of love for the good of others ; which are proper to the active life : and that thou shouldst testifie and express thy love to him in loving thy brother who more needs the effects of thy charity , then god doth thy afsections and praises , and without loving of whom god doth not account that thou lovest him , as we read in john . where its also said , vers. . that god is love , and he that dwelleth in love , dwelleth in god , and god in him . and the more there is of this hearty good-will , and endeavours for the good of others , the more of this enlarged benignity and love to mankind ; the more is the love of god perfected in us , vers. . the more shall we have of gods peculiar presence , his shechinah is in such souls , he dwells in them , he makes his abode with them , and will manifest himself unto them . there is a season for all things ; the contemplative life is beautiful in its season , and so is the active life in its season : and contemplation should the more engage , and enable us to action . the more we fix our inward eye upon the divine excellencies , the more we adore and love him , the more we consider his goodness and benignity towards all his works , and in particular his mercies to us ; the fitter we are to speak of his glory , and the more should our love of god awaken and excite us to endeavour the spiritual good of others , that they also may adore and admire , and love , and praise him who is worthy to be praised . there is great need of observing fit seasons for religious retirement , and withdrawing thy self from the noise and busie cares of this world : but this is more or less to be used , according as the state of thy soul requires it , and as christian prudence shall direct . thou art not to dwell upon the mount , this is but one part of thy duty ; it must be done , but there are other duties which must not be left undone ; which though not so sweet to thee as the other , yet it concerns thee to mind them ; and by minding them thou mayst do more good in the world , and consequently glorifie god more . thou art not onely to consider what is comfortable to thy self , but what is profitable to others , to thy family , to the church or common-wealth thou livest in . it was a fault in the euchite ( a sort of mistaken and unskilful christians of old ) to account themselves obliged to pray without ceasing : whereas god would rather that they should have been up and doing ; and instead of being so much on their knees , their feet should have been swift to charity , to procure the good of others , as it s said of the feet of wicked men , they are swift to shed blood , ( rom. . ) to conclude , the best example for our direction in this kind is the life of christ. he was for the mixt life , the life both contemplative and active . as s. peter said , he went about doing good , and his life was full of action , full of the effects and proofs of his good will towards men , in doing good to their souls and bodies : so also at seasons which seemed most fit to him , he would send away the multitudes , and withdraw himself from his disciples , and retire into the wilderness , to pray ( luke . . ) or to a mountain , luke . . where it is said he continued all night in prayer to god ; and that the mount of olives was a place he made use of for the ascending of his heart in prayer to god , as it was made choice of by him for the place whence he would ascend to heaven , appears by luke . . where it is said , that in the day-time he was teaching in the temple , and at night he went out and abode in the mount of olives . and thus much for the second sort of self-denyal , which is a lesser self-denyal then the other , in that this foretast of heaven , this heaven upon earth , in communion with god here , is less then the enjoyment of god hereafter , then those larger tastes of the river of life , the river of pleasures , the fulness of joy in that greater heaven above . . a third instance of their self-denyal is their disvaluing of their own services and labours ( of which i spake before ) and their looking up to god for the encrease and blessing . though they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , god's fellow labourers , ( cor. . . ) yet they acknowledge with s. paul ( vers. . ) that neither is he that planteth any thing , neither is he that watereth : nothing is to be attributed to either ; but all the praise is to be ascribed unto god. so far are they from the the vanity of theudas , who boasted himself to be some body ( acts . . ) or of simon magus , who gave out that himself was some great one ( acts . . ) but rather are they the followers of the humility of s. paul , who accounted himself nothing , though he was in nothing behind the very chiefest apostles ( cor. . ) they desire that all the praise may run in the right channel , may go the right way , that is to god : as for themselves , they are nothing , and their services are nothing in their esteem . instead of applauding themselves in reflecting upon the much they have done , they rather complain of their little of the much they should have done . to conclude , as a christian grows in grace and advances in religion , there is in him more of a godly sorrow , more of an holy shame and ingenuous blushing at his little . ii. as christians are to excel themselves , and abound more and more ; so they are to excel others , to abound more then others in the work of the lord. if others are coldly affected , yet they are to be a people zealous of good works : else they will not answer the full intendment of christ's death and sufferings , who gave himself for them , and redeemed and purified them to this end , as it s said , titus . let then christ see of the travail of his soul , the fruit and desired effect of his great sorrows and sufferings ; let him see of the travel of his soul with joy and delight , and be satisfied , taking full content , and being highly pleased in seeing the fruit of all his labours and pains . shall a dull and dead , lazy and liveless profession of religion be all the fruit of christs sufferings ? will he be satisfied where he sees no better fruit then this ? did christ sweat in the garden , that we should freeze ? is there no sap , no more life in the tree of the cross , then to put forth onely leaves or blossoms ? assuredly the due consideration of christ crucified , is that which will make a christian fruitful in holiness and in every good work. christians must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , patterns of good works , titus . and examples , they must shine as lights in the world , ( phil. . ) if others are lazy , and content themselves with doing a little ; yet they must be exemplary in diligence , go early into the vineyard , and work hard . they must do more then others , not onely more then publicans and sinners , but more then the seemingly-strict scribes and pharisees , more then formal christians ; for they are men of another spirit ( as god said of caleb and joshua , and must follow god fully . they have received from god other helps and advantages ( spiritual light and strength ) god has made all grace to abound towards them ; that so they may abound to every good work , cor. . they have other hopes and expectations , better grounded hopes of a glorious reward : they have received mercies more peculiar then others : and therefore they should do more then others , they should not live as others ; as they said ( wisdom . . ) his life is not like other mens , his ways are of another fashion . yea amongst real christians , one must strive to excel another ; a good strife this is ( — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) to provoke to love and good works , not onely by words but deeds ; to strive who shall do most for god , who shall most abound in his work , labour most in his vineyard , who shall live best . but then they that abound and excel others , must also excel in humility ; so s. paul in cor. . . and cor. . . proposition iv. christians have good ground to assure themselves , and to be perswaded , that their labour shall not be in vain in the lord. i. they may be assured from the revelation of the gospel , whereby light and immortality is brought to light ( tim. . . ) light and immortality , that is , immortal life , eternal blessedness both for soul and body , is now more clearly revealed and fully assured by the gospel . s. paul had preached at corinth the chief city of achaia for a longer space of time then he used to do in other cities , ( for he continued there a year and six months , acts . . ) and god encouraged him hereunto , notwithstanding the many troubles and oppositions he met with from the jews , who unanimously and with one accord set themselves against paul , ( vers. . and . ) god spake to him by night in a vision , that he should not be afraid nor hold his peace ; for though some did oppose , yet ( saith god ) i have much people in this city , ( vers. . ) and accordingly its said ( vers. . that many of the corinthians believed and were baptized , yea crispus , the chief ruler of the synagogue , believed on the lord , with all his house . and in obedience to this heavenly vision , s. paul did for a long time ( a year and an half ) preach the gospel to them of corinth clearly , and freely , and with much affectionateness to them ; his whole heart was set wide open to them , they had a great place in his affections ; this he means , when he tells them in ep. . . . o ye corinthians , our mouth is opened to you , our heart is enlarged , ye are not straitned in us . and what was it that s. paul took such care to preach amongst them , and which he did first of all deliver unto them ( cor. . . ) ? it was this , that christ died for our sins according to the scriptures , and that he was buried , and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures : and this last-mentioned article of the resurrection of christ ( on which our resurrection doth depend , thes. . . ) he particularly enlargeth upon , proving it from eye-witnesses , and they not onely some single persons , as cephas , and james , but above five hundred brethren , of whom he was seen at once ; there were five hundred christians , and more , that at one and the same time saw him after his resurrection from the dead ; of whom although some were fallen asleep or were dead , yet ( saith he vers. . ) the greater part remain ( most of them are alive ) unto this present , or ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) until now , and therefore from some of them they might know and be satisfied about his resurrection , and that he who was dead , was alive again . yea , they might assure themselves of this from s. paul's own testimony ; who though he was no disciple , not a christian , nor an apostle while christ conversed upon earth ; yet he was afterwards at his conversion an eye-witness of christs being alive again ; last of all ( saith he vers. . ) he was seen of me also ; and by this appearing of christ from heaven was s. paul converted : the remarkable story we have recorded by s. luke in acts . where christ in glory and power , with dread and awful majesty ( for there was thunder , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers. . and lightning which flash'd and shone about him , vers. . ) appeared to paul who was still breathing out threatnings and slaughters , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( aristophanes in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . hath a like phrase , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) thunder and lightning was in his mouth ; and christ to meet him in his fury , appears in dread to him , makes him to tremble ( vers. . ) strikes him down to the earth ( vers. . ) and turns this raging lion , this ravening wolf , into a meek lamb ; lord , saith he , what wilt thou have me to do ? the men that were with paul , saw no man ( vers. . ) not him that spake , but paul saw him , and he declared himself who he was ; i am jesus whom thou persecutest , vers. and besides this testimony from his own seeing of christ to be alive , he useth other arguments in this . chap. to the corinthians to prove the resurrection of christ. but what is this to the resurrection of christians ? very much . for our resurrection depends on christ's . if christ be risen , then there is a resurrection from the dead , vers. . . and then shall we also rise again . for we must know that christ is become the first fruits of them that slept or were dead . he is twice in this chapter called the first fruits ( vers. . . ) and col. . . the first born of every creature , or more sully in vers. . he is the head of the body the church , he is the beginning , the first born from the dead , as he is also styled apoc. . . and these three titles and peculiar prerogatives of his ( for in all things he was to have the preeminence , saith the apostle ) evince the doctrine in hand . . that of first-fruits [ the first-fruits of them that slept . ] for as by the consecrating and offering up to god the first-fruits , the whole lump or masse , the whole encrease was sanctified and consecrated ( for if the first-fruits be holy , the lump , or masse , is also holy , rom. . ) so if christ be risen , all true believers who are fallen asleep , shall also be raised . . that of the head , [ he is the head of the body , the church ] christ is the head , and he and true beleivers make up one body . and as adam is consider'd as the head of mankind , in whom all die , all that come from him and partake his nature : so is christ the second adam to be consider'd as the head of all believers , in whom all shall be made alive ; all that partake of him , of his nature and spirit , and are like him in spirit and life , they shall also bear the image of the heavenly adam in having an immortal and glorious body , such a one as christ now hath . . that of the beginning , and the first-born from the dead , or more plainly ( and without a metaphor ) acts . . the first that should ris● from the dead . he is the first among those who shall rise from the dead unto glory , the first which from the grave was raised and exalted to heaven : the first , as being the cause of the resurrection of others ( in which sense he saith , jo. . . i am the resurrection and the life ) and the first in order of time , — christ the first-fruits ( he first was to rise ) afterwards they that are christ's at his coming ; and at his coming to judgment they shall then rise who are his members , who belong to him , and are his peculiar possession . but not onely from the resurrection of christ doth the apostle labour to prove and clear to the corinthians the resurrection of christians , but from several other arguments and proofs , of which there are not a few in this chapter ; and he doth more largely insist upon this doctrine here , then he doth elsewhere in his epistles upon any other : he speaks also more particularly here about the nature and quality of the body to be raised , of its being spiritualiz'd and immortaliz'd , as also in his ep. to cor. chap. . and something he tells them that was a secret , undiscovered heretofore , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , behold , i shew you a mystery , or i tell you a secret , cor. . . and the same he told to the thessalonians , in ep. chap. . which he ushers in with this preface , the more to assure them of it , vers. . [ for this we say unto you by the word of the lord. ] and there was great need that the apostle should be so large and earnest in the confirming of this truth , because there were some at corinth that having before received it , began to deny the resurrection of the dead , vers. . and indeed this leaven of the sadducees , the denyal of the resurrection and life to come , was likely to spread there , such a doctrine there were many that were apt to receive in this place , and to wish it true ( and generally men from wishing such a thing to be true , in time think it to be true ) because corinth the metropolis of achaia being grown a wealthy city by merchandise ( for the which it was excellently fitted by its scituation ) and as luxurious and voluptuous as wealthy ( riches usually ministring to luxury and lust ) so that it grew to a proverb , non est omnibus corinthum appellere ; which horace hath exprest in this verse , non cuivis homini contingit adire corinthum . there was a temple in this city dedicated to venus , and ( as strabo relates , geogr. l. . ) so richly endowed , that above a thousand whores were dedicated and devoted for her lustful service , and they were very costly , demanded great wages for their luiquity ; which gave occasion to the forementioned proverb ; and because of the uncleanness that did abound here , and to which the corinthians were addicted ( so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , was as much as scortari ) there was great reason for the apostle ( in ep. chap. . ) to heap up ( though in few words ) so many arguments against fornication . now to such a sort of people as these were , the doctrine that denyed all resurrection and the judgment to come , was very pleasing . to conclude therefore , from the arguments used by the apostle in this epistle for the proof of the resurrection , and from what he preached at other times ( as he intimates in vers. . ) concerning it ; the corinthians might well be assured that their labour should not be in vain in the lord ; and therefore he might well say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for as much as ye know , &c. and the rather because ( as he tells them in vers. . . ) ye have received the gospel which i preached unto you , this great evangelical truth , and ye did stand or had stood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it , it had been firmly embraced by them ; and he might well also exhort them to be stedfast and vnmoveable , to stand firm in the profession of it ( as he doth in the last verse ) and to the like purpose he tells them , in vers. . therefore , whether it were i or they , so we preach , and so ye believed : where having before spoken of cephas and the other apostles , all which were eye-witnesses of christ's resurrection ( for to them he appeared more then once upon earth ) and having also spoken of himself , to whom christ appeared from heaven , and therefore he of his own knowledge could testifie that christ was alive again ; he adds whether it were i or they , whether ye look upon my own testimony , or upon the testimony of his apostles ( of whom he speaks in the foregoing verse ) so we preach ( both i and they preach the same thing ) and so ye believed ; ye did receive this truth , and held it without wavering , as indeed there was no cause after such ample and clear proof and testimony to doubt of it . this doctrine of the resurrection and a reward to come the corinthians might also know from the preaching of cephas or peter , or of some of his disciples : and from the preaching of apollos , who was an eloquent man and mighty in the scripture , and being fervent in spirit , ( an instance of which is that in vers. . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , with great vehemency he convinced the jews ) he taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly ( with exact truth ) the things of the lord , or concerning the lord , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the lord jesus ( this he did at ephesus ) and being more perfectly instructed in the way of god by aquila and priscilla whom s. paul did highly value and calls his fellow-labourers in christ jesus , rom. . , . he went into achaia , and coming to corinth the metropolis thereof , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , he helped them much ( or he much advantaged and emproved ) them that believed through grace ( vers. . ) viz. upon the preaching of s. paul ; for paul planted and apollos watered , ( cor. . ) and as some might know this from the preaching of paul , and cephas , and apollos , so some from christ himself pretended to have been instructed in the christian doctrine : as appears by those divisions amongst them , in saying , i am of paul , and i of cephas , and i of christ ; as we read in cor. . . and no wonder that s. paul and the apostles were so much upon this : for the doctrine of the resurrection , of christs resurrection first , is a doctrine of greatest importance , as it makes for the encouragement of our faith and hope in god ( for he was raised for our justification , rom. . ) and as it makes for the justifying and confirmation of the gospel , the doctrine that he taught ; there being no greater proof or evidence that the most doubting and sceptical and prejudiced could desire or expect to have , to prove one to be a true prophet , a teacher sent from god , and that his doctrine was from god , then this , if the prophet or teacher should foretel and give it them for a sign to believe in him , that after his being put to death by those that would not believe him , he should arise and live again in the world , and within such a time ; which was fulfill'd and verified in our saviour ; and this was his last sign superadded to the other signs , the miracles which he wrought , and is called the sign of the prophet jonas ; for as jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly , so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth ( matth. . . ) and indeed this sign of the prophet jonas was was very fitly remarkeable , briefly to gloss upon it . in this great sea of the world it s no wonder if the great tempest of god's anger doth arise by reason of mens sins , so that all are in danger to be cast away and perish : and therefore it was expedient that one should die ( as caiaphas the high-priest spake , and more prophetically then he was aware of , jo. . ) jonas was cast into the sea , that the rest might be saved , and the sea calmed . he offered himself to them , to stav the raging of the sea , and to save them from perishing ; and christ offered himself to those that came with judas to apprehend him and bring him to his suffering , which was designed and agreed on by the chief of the jews ( jo. . . ) i have told you that i am he . if therefore ye seek me let these ( his disciples he means ) go their way : i am the man that must stay the storm . jonas was in the belly of the whale ( jon. . . ) and in the heart of the seas , ( vers. . ) and this belly of the whale he calls the belly of hell , so that he was as good as lost or dead , it was a wonder that he was not consumed , he was dead in a figure ( as t is said of isaac , heb. . ) and christ was in the heart of the earth , in the belly of the grave , he was dead not in a figure onely , but really dead and buried . jonas was restored the third day to the dry land alive [ thou hast ( saith he ) brought up my life from corruption , o lord my god ] and so was christ restored the third day to the land of the living . and to cast in and superadd one resemblance more , though not of this kind , jonas arose and went to nineveh ( a great and populous city ) to preach repentance to them : and christ being risen from the dead , repentance and remission of sins was to be preached in his name , among all nations , not to one city or one nation onely , though first it was to be preacht at jerusalem , luke . . and as the apostles preached jesus , and his resurrection , and did it with great power , as it is exprest in acts . vers. . and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the lord jesus . s. peter preacht it at pentecost before the jews then assembled at jerusalem , from every nation under heaven , and this he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , acts . . freely and openly : and again he did it , at the temple in solomon's porch besore the jews ; and with a boldness that astonished them . he and s. john asserted it before annas the high-priest , and caiaphas , and the rulers and elders and scribes , acts . . and this they did again , and in the temple , as we read in acts . in obedience to gods message sent them by an angel , vers. . go , stand and speak in the temple to the people , all the words of this life . so the apostles also preacht our resurrection ( which is consequent upon christ's ) with all freedom , though it gall'd the sadducees , who were grieved that they preached through jesus the resurrection from the dead , acts . . and s. peter in his preaching to cornelius and his near friends and kinsmen ( the first converted gentiles ) as he preacheth christs resurrection ( acts . , . ) so he tells them that christ commanded us ( viz. the apostles ) to preach unto the people , and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of god to be the judge of quick and dead ; whence it follows , that christ was to rise from the dead , and that the dead shall rise again : the words suppose both the resurrection of christ , and our resurrection . but to return to our apostle paul ( who by the grace of god laboured more abundantly then they all ) he very largely and freely , preached christs resurrection , and ours : that this was his constant employment , he affirms it in his defence before king agrippa and festus the roman governour , acts . vers. . i continue unto this day , witnessing both to small and great , that christ should suffer , and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead ; and in the beginning of his apology or defence , why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that god should raise the dead ? ( vers. . ) and as here before the greatest persons , so before the greatest judicatory in greece , the judges in areopagus , before the philosophers at athens ( that famous university , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the greece of greece , as it was called ) he preached jesus and the resurrection , acts . . for the which he was opposed by the epicureàns , and counted at athens no better then a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a babler , a trifler , a despicable fellow ; and the same entertainment he met with after he had preached the same before the judges in areopagus , as we find it in vers. . and when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some mocked , for he had said in the words immediately foregoing , that now god commandeth all men every where to repent , because he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world with righteousness , by that man whom he hath ordained ( viz. by christ ) whereof he hath given assurance , in that he raised him from the dead . though he had seen before how this doctrine was entertain'd with scorn , as idle talk and for which he was counted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( and for such and no better it was esteemed by pliny ( in hist. nat. l. . c. . and l. . c. . ) pnerile deliramentum , and also by the heathen cecilius in minutius felix , christianorum aniles fabulae ) yet he knowing of what great importance and weighty consequence it was to preach this necessary doctrine of the resurrection and ( that which it is in order to ) the judgment to come , and what the power of it was , as it afterward made felix , the roman governour , to tremble ; he thought it seasonable to declare it before that grave and severe senate and judicatory of the areopagites at athens . and what he did here assert and preach before them , was very fit and seasonable ; for that court or judicatory was a little figure and emblem of the great day of judgment . this court was the supreme court of justice at athens , the judges were persons of great note , and renown'd for their wisdom and integrity , able and fit to judge of the most weighty matters , and therefore were the most difficult causes wont to be refer'd to them ; they sat in the dark , that they might not be moved to any undue affection and compassion upon sight of the malefactor ; they would not permit him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , to use any rhetorick to move their affections , but onely to make a plain and bare narration : they were also very strict and severe in enquiring into the lives and manners of men ( for this was another end to which this court was appointed ) and taking an account hereof , ubi quid quisque atheniensium ageret , diligentissimè inquiri soleb at , ut homines honestatem ( vitae rationem memores reddendam esse ) sequerentur ( as valerius maximus describes it ) they were strictly inquisitive what any one of the athenians did , how he demean'd himself , that men might see it to be their interest to live well , as considering that they were to give an account of their lives and behaviour ; and therefore it was called sanctissimum consilium , the most holy council or judicatory ; and by this it seem'd a little representation of the great tribunal of christ and solemn day of judgment , at what time the books shall be opened , the rolls wherein mens actions are recorded ; and when all must appear before the judgment-seat of christ , that every one may receive the things done in his body , according to that he hath done , whether good or evil , as the apostle speaks in cor. . . and upon this account and consideration ( as a proper and powerful perswasive to a good life ) he would have christians to make it their great design and holy ambition to live so as to be acceptable unto god , in the foregoing verse , as he adds also in the following verse , knowing therefore the terrour of the lord ( this dreadful appearance of the lord at the last day ) we perswade men. thus we see how the apostle made it his great care and business to preach the resurrection of christ , as also the general resurrection , or ( which amounts to as much ) the great day of judgment . what ever doctrine , more smooth and flattering , and complying with mens e●e and carnality , others might teach , yet this is that which s. paul with all faithfullness preacht unto the world , this was his preaching of the gospel , he made sure always to clear , and confirm , and inculcate this great evangelical truth , this fundamental article of christian religion , the doctrine of the resurrection . concerning which , i shall onely add this one consideration more ( and it s worthy to be well consider'd by us ) that though in this fifteenth chapter to the corinthians he useth many arguments to evince and perswade the belief of our resurrection , yet first of all , and principally , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) he makes use of the resurrection of christ for the proof of it , who rose as the head of the church ( the second adam being a common head , as well as the first , in the sense we have shewed ) and as the first fruits of them that slept , and the first-born from the dead . and further consider . that the argument drawn from christs being raised to life , and to a life of immortal blessedness ( rom. . ) is a most plain and easie argument to prove that there is a blessed life and immortality hereafter . there are other arguments to evince this , but some of them are too sublime for every capacity ; but the meanest are capable of understanding this ; for the man christ , one in our nature and flesh , died , and rose again , and is now alive , and liveth for ever ; which is an evident proof of a future life after the death of the body , and a fair pledge of a blessed immortality hereafter , which god will reward the faithful with , those that have the spirit of god dwelling in them , as the apostle speaks , rom. . . and now having seen how christians have good ground to hope for , and expect a future reward of soul and body from the light of revelation , we shall shew ( in the following arguments ) how they may hope for it from the light of reason . . from the justice of god , they may know their labour is not in vain . his justice manifests it self in rendring to every one according to his works , and this without any respect of persons : both maximes are much insisted upon in the scriptures both of the old and new testament . the first is acknowledged by david the royal psalmist , in psal. . . by that royàl oracle of wisdom , solomon his son , prov. . . by the prophets , jeremy . . ezek. . . and by one greater then solomon , and the prophets , even christ jesus , the judge himself , in matth. . . revel . . . and by his apostles , s. paul , rom. . . cor. . . and s. peter , ep. . . now the ways or works of men are either good or evil ; and god who rewards , cannot be deceived or mistaken ; ( as not corrupted or wrought upon by fear or flattery ) but he has a perfect knowledge , and just value of mens works , knows the inward springs and principles of their actions : and he which is lord over all , shall fear no mans persons , nor shall he stand in awe of any mans greatness , &c. wisdom . . he seeth not as man seeth , for man looketh on the outward appearance , but the lord looketh on the heart , sam. . . the righteous lord tries the reines and heart , psal. . . and this , that he may give every man according to his ways , and according to the fruit of his doings ; which is mention'd with god's searching and pondering the heart , and trying the reins , jer. . . prov. . . and that god renders to every one without respect of persons , is a maxime frequently also asserted in scripture , in the old testament , deut. . . chron. . . job . and in the new testament , acts . . rom. . . gal. . . ephes. . . colos. . . we read in prov. . . that a false ballance is abomination to the lord , surely then god will not practise that himself , which he abominates in men ; but he will weigh the actions of men in a true ballance . he will be far from all partiality and respect of persons , which are false weights and measures , and ballances of deceit . he will not accept or respect persons in judgment . in the dispensation of rewards and punishment , he will not regard or look at any thing but the temper of their minds , and their actions , whether good or evil . now the justice of god requires ut bonis bene , malis male sit . isa. . , . say ye to the righteous , that it shall be well with him . wo unto the wicked , it shall be ill with him . but we often experience it otherwise to be in this world , yea good men in the old testament found it not seldome to be otherwise ; and yet under that dispensation there is more abundant mention of temporal good things in the promises there recorded ; and hence were those complaints in mal. . . and in psal. . from verse . to . ( as job . . ) and in jer. . . and holy david observ'd the like of wicked men , the men of the world , psal. . . and in the epistle to the hebrews the calamities of the most eminent in goodness are described , vers. . , . the israelites ( god's people ) gather straw . make brick , live a life of bitter affliction , when as the egyptians live at ease , and in pleasures . when jacob and his children were afflicted , partly as being in a sojourning and uncertain condition , and partly while they were strangers and servants in egypt , esau and his posterity flourished in honour . lazarus ( a son of abraham ) had many evil things , was in hard circumstances , not onely poor , but full of sores , a sick weak thing , unable to get his bread with labour and sweat of his brows ; desired but the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table . dives the rich man , and wicked , had his good things ; he was richly attired , and fared deliciously every day , ( luke . . ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , every day he enjoy'd all that made for pleasure , and not onely at some great or solemn times ; he and his five brethren with other jolly company : while others ( as lazarus ) fared hardly . so that sin is not alway punished in this life , nor holiness rewarded . god did not render unto lazarus , and those of whom the world was not worthy , he did not render unto them in this life according to what they had done or suffered . god did not render unto dives here according to the evil he did , his unmercifulness , his luxury and riot , with the sins attending thereon ; he had the good things of this life , lived in ease and pleasure , he received in full measure his good things : now this was not a reward according to what he did ; he reaped what was better then he sowed . and therefore if divine providence does not equally distribute rewards and punishments here ; it follows , since god is just , that in the world to come he will dispense rewards and punishments according as they have lived here ; that every one may receive according to what they have done in the body , whether good or evil . there is therefore a time , a day to come , wherein the judge of the world will make it appear that he did weigh and consider the spirits and lives of all men , and now they shall be dealt with according as they have done well or ill here , and therefore this time is called , rom. . . the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of god. this argument taken from the justice of god , is mention'd by the apostle in thes. . , . it is a righteous thing with god to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you : and to you who are troubled , rest with us , when the lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven , with his mighty angels . in short thus , god the wise and righteous law-giver and ruler of the world , hath given us a law and rule to walk by and govern us , and he hath shewed us what is good , and what the lord our god requires of us , ( and his will is holy , and wise and perfect ) this law he hath written in mans conscience , and hath more fully declared it in his word : now he will not let the transgression of his righteous law , the open and constant violation of it by wicked men , go unpunished ; tho' he may bear with them here for a while , he will not suffer them to devour and cruelly to treat his obedient servants ; the rod of the wicked shall not always rest upon the lot of the righteous , ( psal. . ) but they shall know that there is a god that judgeth in the earth , and shall find that tribulation and anguish , indignation and wrath , will be to every soul that doth evil , rom. . nor will god forget the faithful and sincere obedience of his servants , but will render eternal life to them that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for honour , and glory , and immortality . so in hebr. . . god is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love. he hath his book of remembrance , mal. . he hath promised and eternal reward , a crown of life ; and this crown of life and glory is also a crown of righteousness , tim. . and god as he is the righteous judge ( as well as a god of mercy ) will give it , because he hath promised to give it upon the terms of faith and sincere obedience , or patient continuance in well doing : and he who hath promised , will be just and righteous to perform ; as he is abundantly merciful in pardoning our infirmities and imperfections , and also in rewarding us and doing for us exceeding abundantly above all that we have done . so rich is his mercy , and so noble his goodness : and so far are our works , our doings or sufferings from any merit or any worthiness , to be compared with the reward and glory to be revealed , rom. . it is a merciful justice , and therefore it s said in psal. . . also unto thee , o lord , belongeth mercy : for thou rendrest to every man according to his work. human judicatories and tribunals cannot take notice of all sins and offences ; and where they do , they may be corrupted or bribed , or they may be deceived and mistaken . but the judge of all the earth , he regardeth not persons nor taketh reward , deut. . . nor can he be deceived by false pretensions ; for the lord is a god of knowledge , and by him actions are weighed , sam. . and before him all things are naked and open , heb. . humane laws onely restrain words and outward actions ; but the divine law reacheth the spirit of man , his inward thoughts , and secrets of the heart . there are spiritual sins , as hypocrisie , pride of heart , envy , lusts of the heart , murder of the heart ; these , and the like , are not punished by human laws , but are greatly criminal before god. there are speculative sins ; sins acted over in the phansy , and there repeated and remember'd with delight ( when the outward act is past ) which are highly provoking to god , and shall be judged : for , for men to do this , to recal in their thoughts with pleasure and delight such and such sins , is to act over the same sins in phancy and speculation , to aggravate their sins by new and fresh guilt , it is to stand to and make good their former transgressions , instead of repenting of them ; for then they would be remembred with sorrow and abhorrence . these sins not falling under mans cognisance ; as onely words and actions do , but not thoughts ( which yet are the first contrivers of that sin and evil in words and actions ) and these sins escaping the judgment and punishments of humane judicatories ; yet shall not escape the judgment of god. the day of judgment is described by this , cor. . . judge nothing before the time , until the lord come , who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness , and will make manifest the counsels of the heart ; and then shall every man have praise of god ; that is , every one that hath done well ; as on the contrary , they shall have shame and everlasting contempt ( dan. . . ) that have done evil , how cunning and close soever they were , and whatsoever fair pretences they might make before men. the day of judgment is described here by the time when christ shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness , and make manifest the counsels of the heart : and so in rom. . . its call'd the day when god shall judge the secrets of men by jesus christ. . from the testimony of conscience . conscience is god's deputy and vice-gerent . the voice of conscience is god's voice , and it does powerfully witness a future state , and the rewards and punishments to be dispensed therein , according to what we have done here , good or evil. upon the consciousness of doing their duty , there arises within men a peace , and satisfaction , and comfortable expectations from god who is the father of mercies . and there is no such satisfaction , no such joyous reflections as those ; as 't was said of the athenians , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . a continual feast is a good conscience ; but this feast is but an antipast , a foretast of a better in heaven . now on the contrary , there follows upon sin , inward trouble , and anguish , and fear , a fearful expectation of a sad after-reckoning and judgment to come . hae sunt impijs assiduae domesticaeque furiae ( saith tully . ) and these inward fears and troubles , terrors of another world , are not imprest upon men by politians and statesmen , for secular ends and interest of state , to awe men into obedience ; for , ( . ) they follow upon such sins as are not punishable by human laws , as secret sins , sins of the heart , speculative sins and spiritual wickednesses ; which are such sins as no earthly judges , no magistrates can have cognisance of , and no human laws can reach : it would be a vain thing for the supreme powers to make laws about what its impossible for them to know , and consequently impossible for them to punish . ( . ) yea , they follow upon such sins as are hid from men , if punishable by laws when discovered , such sins as no man can accuse the malefactor of , or not prove them against him . ( . ) yea , they follow upon such sins , as being known by man , yet are not punishable by the laws of that country , nay sometimes are applauded and esteem'd by men. judas his sin was so far from being punished by the jewish powers , that he was rewarded for it ; but the reward he had , and all the applause and encouragement they could give him , could not ease and sree him from the anguish in his conscience , and fear of what was to come . ( . ) yea these fears and terrors are found to be amongst them in whom is no policy , nations that are rude and barbarous , and not governed by crafty polititians ; yet even in such appear'd magna vis conscientiae : so universally have they possest men , and in all ages ; whereas vain and causeless and panick fears are of a short and uncertain continuance , and not so universal , as these inward fears and troubles of conscience . nor are these fears pleasing and grateful to men ( as is easie for any man to judge and acknowledge ) but contrary to the inclinations of men , who are carried out to the love and practise of such sins ( as revenge , injustice , lust , and the like ) whence these inward troubles arise . ( . ) to what hath been said , i shall superadd this , that the deepest polititians and greatest statesmen , the greatest potentates of the earth are not more free and secure from these inward fears then the populus terrae , the mean peasants and those of low degree ( which yet these grandees could not have been disturbed with , had they known that these were but arts and a juggle invented by them for state-reasons ) yea the great men of the earth , men of policy and power , have been rather more severely lasht caeco verbere , with these secret and unseen lashes : they have been more severely assaulted and haunted by these domesticae furiae and inward horrors , though they would fain have been delivered from them , and have used all arts to be freed from this evil spirit , a self-corroding and tormenting conscience , which troubled them . . from the souls inward sense in good men. there are certain instincts and sympathies and propensions in the soul of man to religion , to god and the enjoyment of him ; and these are more especially enlivened , and vigorous , in holy and renewed souls . there is a vehement thirst and longing in such souls after union with god , the father of spirits : their souls pant after god , after the living god , that they may see and enjoy him whom their souls love , whom they have chosen for their portion , for whom they have forsaken all the vanities of the world , and denyed all to enjoy him ; they have none in heaven but him , none in earth in comparison of him. as for this present life and state , they groan being burdened , while they are in this tabernacle ; this is their state of pilgrimage ; while they are here , they are absent from the lord , cor. . and hence it is that these holy souls perswade themselves that the father of spirits , god who is love , that implanted these instincts and affections in them , that hath awakened them by his grace , that hath drawn out their hearts after him , so that the love of god hath constrain'd them to count nothing that he commanded them grievous to do , nothing hard to suffer for him , they perswade themselves that god will satisfie these desires and affections of his own begetting in them , i shall be satisfied when i awake , with thy likeness ( as holy david speaks psal. . ) and that their souls who cleave to god in love , who desire and love him above all things , and do more thirst after a full enjoyment of him from the lesser tastes and relishes of his goodness here , and hope to see him as he is , face to face hereafter , shall not be frustrated of their desires and hopes ; but god will satisfie these by the manifestation of some better state and enjoyment then of this world , which is not their portion , nor did they mind earthly things . they perswade themselves that god will not forsake them , nor thrust away the soul that thirsts after him , and loves and desires him above all , and places her felicity in him ; and when it has most prepared her self , as a bride adorned for her husband , for the other state , and is more near to enjoy him , as it is when the death of the body is near . that such a soul should be cut off from god , and cast into the place of forgetfulness and be no more , so as she should never enjoy god ( nor indeed any thing else ) is not to be conceived , it being manifestly contrary to the divine goodness . hath god implanted in brute beasts such and such propensions and instincts , sympathies and antipathies , the passions of fear and aversation , the affections of hope , and desire , and joy , with real and proper objects for them to be respectively exercised upon ; so that they naturally fear and avoid what is for their hurt , and they hope and desire and delight in what is for their welfare and pleasure ? and is it to be imagined that the same passions which are implanted by god in better and higher beings , the souls of men , and in holy and renewed souls ( the best souls ) have not suiteable objects for them also ? is the hope of enjoying god , and a blessed immortality , and the future state ( and the joy thence arising , or , as the apostle speaks , rom. . the rejoycing in hope of the glory of god ) a vain hope , a vain joy ? do the best men act like fools , and unwisely , in denying themselves as to many advantages and pleasures in this world , for an vtopian paradise , for a nothing , for that which is not ? are all the religious instincts and propensions towards god , which are rooted in the souls of men , and are most active in the souls of holy men , and especially towards the end of their life , are they frustraneous and vain ? but we cannot imagine things to be thus , without highly reproaching the god of nature , god most wise and most good , who made all his works in wisdom , ( psal. . . which wisdom reacheth from one end to another , and sweetly orders all things , wisdom . . . ) and who saw every thing that he had made , that it was good , very good ( genes . . ) and accordingly fitted every creature for its end , which it knows , and observes the proper means to attain it ; this wise and good god did not surely do otherwise in making of man , but he hath excellently fitted him for the highest and best end ; and holy souls are in the readiest capacity for it . hence that in cor. . . he that hath wrought us for the self same thing , is god , who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit . and thus much for the arguments from the light of reason : concerning which , if any shall object , that this last argument ( as also the former ) seems not so much to prove the resurrection of the body , as a life to come , or a blessed immortality of the soul after the death of the body ; i answer , be it so , yet they are of force to prove that which was the matter in hand , viz. that those who abound in the work of the lord , their labour shall not be in vain in the lord. the end . the resurrection founded on justice, or, a vindication of this great standing reason assigned by the ancients and modern wherein the objections of the learned dr. hody against it, are answered : some opinions of tertullian about it, examined : the learned doctor's three reasons of the resurrection, inquired into : and some considerations from reason and scriptures, laid down for the establishment of it / by n.b. ... beare, nicholas. approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing b estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the resurrection founded on justice, or, a vindication of this great standing reason assigned by the ancients and modern wherein the objections of the learned dr. hody against it, are answered : some opinions of tertullian about it, examined : the learned doctor's three reasons of the resurrection, inquired into : and some considerations from reason and scriptures, laid down for the establishment of it / by n.b. ... beare, nicholas. [ ], p. printed for thomas helder ..., london : . half title: the resurrection founded on justice. attributed to nicholas beare by wing and nuc pre- imprints. page misnumbered as . errata: p. [ ]. reproduction of original in the bodleian library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection -- early works to . future life -- history of doctrines -- early works to . - tcp assigned for keying and markup - aptara keyed and coded from proquest page images - ali jakobson sampled and proofread - ali jakobson text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the resurrection founded on justice . the resurrection founded on justice : or , a vindication of this great standing reason assigned by the ancients and modern : wherein the objections of the learned dr. hody against it , are answered : some opinions of tertullian about it , examined : the learned doctor 's three reasons of the resurrection , inquired into : and some considerations from reason and scriptures , laid down for the establishment of it . by n. b. m. a. si resurrectio non est , neque deus , neque providentia . damasc . lib. . non sit particeps in sententiâ caro , si non fuerit & in causâ . tertul. de resur . carn . cap. . london , printed for thomas helder , at the angel in little-britain . mdcc . to the reader . this small tract is sent into the world without the shelter and protection of any patronage ; if it be truth , it needs none ; if otherwise , it deserves none ; such as it is , 't is well meant , and humbly submitted to the judgment of the learned . being sensible of my manifest insufficiency , no ways furnished with abilities or advantages to manage the dispute with the learned author ; i laid all thoughts of it aside , presuming that some worthy hand would undertake it : but after a long expectation , finding nothing but a deep silence , the great opinion that i have of the argument grew so mightily upon me , as that it has by a strong impulse compelled me to say somewhat for it ; not out of any fond conceit of my own performance , but to provoke others to appear in vindication of that doctrine , which has been taught , approved , applauded by all without exception , in all ages ; and always represented as the basis and pillar of this great article of our faith. for my apology i have the practise of the long robe , which allows the puisney lawyer to open the great cause which afterwards is taken and maintained by the most able counsel : and in martial discipline , nothing more usual than for a private sentinel , seeing the enemies approach , to give the allarm to the more generous commanders to come in to the relief of that post , which himself was no ways able to maintain . this in truth is the design of this small essay , to cry out for help , and call in the assistance of men of conduct and learning . it matters not though he who gave the first charge , fail in the engagement , as too impotent to withstand the more powerful arms of his mighty adversary ; ●ut he has this satisfaction , that he has appear'd in a good cause , has according to the proportion of his talent , contributed his utmost aid , has withal the honour to fall by a great hand , and like scaeva in the poet , overpowered by an unequal force , he sinks with his assurance , — veniet qui vindicet arces dum morimur — that some noble caesar with his puissant auxiliaries is at hand , some accomplish'd pen will take up the argument and do it right , which here ( tho' i can truly say , is heartily , yet must confess ) is very weakly attempted . farewel . the contents . chap. i. sheweth the import of the resurrection . chap. ii. what oppositions it hath met withal . chap. iii. on what grounds it stands , and how the objections against it are answered , with a brief analysis of this discourse . chap. iv. sets out the state of the argument , and shews how it has been the great reason assigned by all jews , fathers , schoolmen , and moderns . chap. v. containeth the three objections of the learned author against it , with an answer to the first . chap. vi. gives a further answer . chap. vii . offers satisfaction to the second objection . chap. viii . from several topicks proves our bodies to be more than instruments only . chap. ix . contains an answer to the third objection . chap. x. examineth three opinions of tertullian about it . chap. xi . inquireth into the three reasons of the doctrine assigned by the learned author . chap. xii . sheweth the third reason to be the same with that which is here contended for . chap. xiii , alias xiv . laies down several arguments from reason for the esablishment of it . chap. xiv , alias xv. vrges several authorities from scripture to the same purpose . with the conclusion . advertisement . this one error the reader is desir'd more especially to correct , pag. . line . after not , add fully . errata . page . line . read lirinensis ; p. . l. . r. concession ; l. ultr r. detected ; p. . l. . for peter r. paul ; p. . l. . r. dispossess'd ; p. . ( notes ) l. . after deos dele and the , ib. l. before old add and the ; p. . l. . r. graces ; p. . l. . r. implied . these and what other errors may have pass'd the press , the candid reader is desir'd to correct and excuse . chap. i. the resurrection of the dead , is the grand and most important article of our religion ; the ground-work and foundation of our faith , hope , and expectation : to fix men in the belief of which , was the main business , design , and province of the apostles , as st luke once and again has noted this is assigned as the chief reason of st matthias's admission into the apostleship , in the vacancy of judas iscariot ; that he might be a witness of the resurrection , acts . . and the whole colledge is frequently described by this character , witnesses of the resurrection , acts . . . . . . and acts . . they preached through jesus the resurrection of the dead : this was the first , and great argument of st. peter's sermon upon his inspiration , on the day of penticost , which was attended with the blessed success of the conversion of more than three thousand souls , acts . . it filled a great part of the rest of his , and their discourses . this was the principal topick of st. paul upon all occasions : in his sermon to the people , acts . 't is interwoven through every part : in his disputation with the most learned philosophers , the epicureans and stoicks , in the most learned university of the whole world , he preached unto them jesus and the resurrection , acts . . in his conferences with the scribes and the pharisees , he discourses of the hope and resurrection of the dead , acts . . in short , he keeps this text and theme still before the rulers and governors , felix , festus , and agrippa ; and drift , design , and nerves of his discourses meet and concenter in this great article : nay it seems plain and undeniable that this was in a more peculiar and especial manner given them in charge , by their great master , who ordain'd them , as it is clearly intimated by st. peter , acts . . he commanded us to preach unto the people , and to testifie that it was he that was ordained of god to be judge both of the quick and of the dead ; the reason of this is visible at the first glance , from the repeated description which st. paul gives of the resurrection : in one place he calls it the hope and resurrection , acts . . in another , acts . . the hope of the promise made of god unto our fathers , unto which promise our twelve tribes , instantly serving god day and night , hope to come ; for which hope's sake , king agrippa , i am accused of the jews : the apostle in the words next , and immediately following , explains himself beyond all doubt . why should it be thought a thing incredible with you , that god should raise the dead ? the resurrection then is , the hope of the promise , or rather the reward hoped for at the resurrection , which in truth is the life and soul of religion , the most effectual and powerful motive to piety , which makes every good man ( notwithstanding the multitude of difficulties and discouragements , with which he is at present surrounded ) in love with it , and ingages him chearfully and immovably in god's service . the encouragements of all our actions and labours here is the expectation of some what lovely which attends them in the end : wherefore doth the ploughman sweat and toil , dig and delve , engage early and late in the painful labours of husbandry through the whole circuit of it , is it not because he has a prospect of a joyful harvest ; when the vallies shall st and so thick with corn , that they shall laugh and sing , psal . . ult . wherefore doth the soldier run through so many hardships , engage in so many difficulties , expose himself to so many imminent dangers ? what think you ? are not the considerations of the rich spoils , the glorious victory and triumph , on the other side of this scene of blood slaughter and death , the strong magneticks to draw him on ? can it be imagined that the combatant at the olympicks would put himself at the expence of that oyl , exercise and pains , which are indispensibly necessary to his character , were it not for the allurement of that crown at the end of the goal , which appears in his eye most beautiful and charming . take away the resurrection , and you cut asunder the nerves and ligatures of religion , secure it and you have set it up ; the denial of this shocks , and overturns the other articles of our faith. the establishment of it fixes them : this i take to be the import of the hope of the promise , and i am confirmed in it from the use of the hebrews , who were wont to call the resurrection the seculum mercedis , the great time of recompense . this argument is professedly and largly handled by the apostle , in cor. . on both sides ; where from the negative , he acknowledges the folly , the vanity , the madness of preaching , setting up for , or pretending to religion ; then i. e. if this great truth labour , all that is built on it must of course fall to the ground ; then is our preaching vain , our faith vain : the great heralds of the gospel are false witnesses , we are in our sins : then those that are fallen asleep in christ are perished . the apostle goes on , ver . . if in this life only we have hope in christ , we are of all men most miserable . whereas christians , with a supposition of a resurrection and the immediate attendants of it , must be confess'd to take the best , and the wisest course , to have the start and advantage of all mankind besides : the contrary does most justly charge them with weakness , folly , and distraction ; and in the prosecution of the argument , he plainly lays open the reasons of the same , ver . . else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead , if the dead rise not at all ; why are they then baptized for the dead , and why stand ye in jepordy every hour ? the true intent and meaning of which place ( without engaging in the intricacies and difficulties of it , which is a thing excentrick to my present purpose ) i take to be this . to what end do men tye themselves up to the strict observations of this way of worship , and willingly expose themselves to all manner of butcheries , to most cruel tortures , racks , and deaths ? if there be no resurrection , this way is the most sensless and ridiculous : if so , the saints were fools , the martyrs were fools , those that crucified their bodies by the severities of mortification and self-denial , must be confessed weak in their intellectuals ; and those that expos'd themselves to fire and faggot , to the torments of the amphitheatre , the most cruel and barbarous usages which men or devils could invent to treat them with , were egregiously deceived and deluded . the apostle brings home the argument to himself , ver . , . i protest by your rejoycing which i have in christ jesus our lord , i die daily ; if after the manner of men i have fought with beasts at ephesus , what advantageth it me if the dead rise not ? let us eat and drink , for to morrow we die ; where the apostle counting his practise , his perils , his sufferings , readily grants all these to be mistakes and miscarriages , without the resurrection ; and prefers the doctrine and practise of the epicure before it . to what end should men fast , watch , and pray , and deny themselves the injoyments of this world , keep under their bodies , and bring them into subjection ? to what end should men indure the contradictions of sinners ? to what end should men expose themselves to all the hardships , and misusages of men of a wicked and barbarous world if there be no resurrection ? but on the contrary , to our everlasting comfort and encouragement , he assures us of a resurrection ; and that a most glorious one too , which is the grand subject of the remaining part of the chapter ; on which , as on a foundation impossible to be shaken , he endeavours to fix the faith and practice of the corinthians , and with them , of all that embrace this holy profession : wherefore , my beloved brethren , be steadfast , immovable , always abounding in the work of the lord , for asmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the lord : go on with courage , resolution , and perseverance , in the conscientious discharge of your profession , assuring your selves that there are golden remains of goodness , and incomparable rewards that await holiness in the other world. chap. ii. however this great article of our faith , hath met with ill treatment in the world ; it has in a great measure been made the scoff , derision , and laughter of mankind , the subject of the pastime of the scorner's chair . when st. paul at athens preach'd it up , he was , by the learned professors and philosophers , there called babbler , and a setter up of strange gods for his pains , acts . , nor did it find a kinder reception among the people ; for so we are expresly told , ver . . when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some mocked , others said we will hear thee again of this matter . neither had it a more civil fate among the governors , for upon this account festus declares him beside himself , and pronounces him mad , acts . . the great naturalist has given his opinion much after the same rate , and has confidently averr'd it to be beyond the power of god himself to bring it to pass . nat. hist . lib. . cap. . the great emperor and apostate julian , though he generally ridicul'd all the doctrines of our religion ; yet this more especially . the ingenious , though atheistical dialogist makes himself merry more than once upon this subject . it would be too tedious to recount the like behaviour of porphiry and celsus , and other the professed adversaries of christianity , in this matter : i shall therefore give it you in a lump and whole-sale from the known testimonies of tertullian and st. austin ; the first tells us , there was not one sect of philosophers whatsoever but oppos'd it : the last assures us , there was no one point of our religion so vehemently , so pertinaciousty , so stifly , so contentiously rejected ▪ they entertain'd some other doctrines with respect and favour ; but for this of the resurrection , they are not meal-mouth'd , they no sooner hear it but it raises their indignation , they instantly reject , censure , condemn it , and with open mouth boldly proclaim it impossible , in psal . . chap. iii. notwithstanding all those sarchasms and contradictions of sinners , this heavenly doctrine is fixt on immovable foundations , and will , and must stand impregnable amidst all the shocks and assaults made against it : 't is built on a rock , against which the gates of hell shall not prevail . we are as strongly secur'd here as of any one article of our faith , and that without being beholden to the ludicrous stories of the jews , or the idle and fabulous reports of pinto and the heathens , which do the doctrine no kindness , but disservice rather . 't is supported on the unanimous testimonies of the fathers , of the councils , of the creeds : the plain and undeniable authorities of the old , and more especially the new testament . the word and promise of an alknowing , infallible , omnipotent god. so that all , or at least the most considerable objections that have been brought against it , are dash'd in pieces and laid even with the dust ; from the consideration of the veracity and alsufficiency of that god , who has bound himself and his attributes for the performance . i am not ignorant how many learned and ingenious men have taken much pains to solve , from the principle of philosophy , the arguments brought against it . i honour and admire them for their preformances ; but i must freely say , i much question whether the attempts of this kind come up to the point , whether they are not too low and inferiour to give it satisfaction . my reason is this , the resurrection is confessed by all to be a work above nature , and how it can be made out by natural philosophy , i cannot understand . our reason must be beholding to revelation in this matter , and call in the assistance of faith , without which there can be no assurance . in short , if we believe the creation , i cannot see any stumbling block here , that power who made the world and man at first , out of nothing , must be readily acknowledged able to raise him from the grave , and to joyn together the scattered particles of his dissolved body . the one seems more easie than the other : this is the great , the common argument of the ancients , and has without doubt been more effectual to the purpose than a cart-load of chimical experiments , than all the notions of the most subtile philosophers . but this i have said to make way to my design , which is to enquire into the strength of the argument for the resurrection from a principle of justice ; in which i shall take this method , . i shall briefly lay down the state of the argument . i shall shew how it has been the great , the principal , the most topping , and chiefest argument of all ages . . i shall offer to answer the objections which are levied against it . . i shall examine his reasons of the resurrection . vlt. i shall endeavour to establish the doctrine by such considerations as i hope will secure it . chap. iv. the state of the argument in short is , the body and the soul are here joyned together as sharers in all the concerns and actions of this life which is a state of probation , and therefore they are to stand or fall together in the next , which is a state of remuneration . the body of the saint and good man concurs with his soul in the exercise of vertue and piety in this world ; and can there be any thing more equitable than that they should be joyned together in that which is to come ? on the the other hand , the body of the sinner must be allowed a partner with the soul in evil ; and is there not all the reason in the world that it should stand forth at the bar , and be joyned with it in the punishment ? the contrary must be pronounced downright injustice . can we have such hard thoughts of the most righteous judge , that he should admit the soul of the martyr upon his dissolution , to that glorious crown which he has promised in the highest heavens ; and mean while have no regard to the crucified tortured , body that has born the heat and burthen of the day ; been the saddest patient in all the tragedy ; but suffer it to lie neglected in the grave ? vlt. how can we imagine that the soul of the reprobate should be condemned to the torments of tophet , for those sins it committed in conjunction with the body ; and that the body it self should escape scot-free , sleep undisturbed in the grave , and neither know nor feel any thing of those flames . in this case have we not reason to cry out with the prophet malachy , . . where is the god of judgment ? for justice carries in the very nature of it a due and impartial distribution of rewards and punishments . if two work together , both have a right to the wages ; 't is downright injustice to give all to one , and nothing to the other . this is the substance of the argument , of which i must take leave further to acquaint the reader , that it has been the great , the standing argument of all perswasions of men in all ages : in the first place i affirm this was the great reason which the jews still used and applyed to the same purpose . i would not boast of what i have not , i cannot pretend to rabbinical learning ; yet i am sure of what i assert , because many learned men have told me so , and i have seen maimonides their second solomon , their renowned epitomizer in latin ; and many times met with the famous fable of the rabbins , which because it comes home and pat to the purpose , i here insert : there was a great lord who planted a delicious garden , wherein he placed two keepers , a blind man and a lame man , that he might be secure of his fruit on all hands ; but so it was that after some time he found himself robb'd : he charges the keepers with the theft ; they both offer very plausible excuses ; the blind man pleads he could not see the fruit , and therefore could not steal it : the lame man alledges the infirmity of his feet , he could not reach it , and so could not take it away : at last the fallacy was found out , viz. 't was done by the mutual combination of both : the blind man takes the lame man on his back , by whose direction and assistance he is guided to the trees , lifted up to the fruit , and so enabled to take it away ; whereupon the master after all their excuses , to no purpose , gives them their doom ; both were joyned in the sin , and both must share in the punishment . this is the case of the body and the soul , saith the jewish masters : the one acts in conjunction with the other ; one could not sin without the other , and therefore both must stand and fall together ; and i cannot forbear to add , nec lex est justior ulla . . i do affirm this to be the constant , profest , most solemn reason , most often and upon all occasions made use of by most , if not all the fathers without exception . the learned and vastly read author in his elaborate treatise , has given us a considerable number of them , p. . athenagor as , tertullian , gregory nazianzen , st. chrysostom , epiphanius , ambrose , theodoret , aenaeas gazaeus , damascenus , nilus , photius ; and has cited the places . and though i cannot pretend to any degree of the doctor 's knowledge in the fathers , yet i can easily give him a much larger list , and produce the places too ; but this i industriously avoid , because every common-place-book will afford it ; and because it would be justly liable to censure , and because in the present case 't is altogether needless , forasmuch as the learned author has liberally granted , that all the ancient greeks and latins agree in this , that god is obliged in justice to reward or punish the body together with the soul : nay , origin himself who has set up a different hypothesis makes use of the same . 't is beside my intention to stuff this small essay with a multitude of great names and quotations . in the next place i take leave to say that this is the great and main reason , made use of in the present argument , by the master of the sentences . the angelical doctor , and the whole tribe of the schoolmen , as any one that has but look'd into them must acknowledge , and the doctor himself has owned . in the last place , i affirm this to be the main , chief , and constant reason urg'd by all modern writers , commentators , and others , not only of our own , but other nations : for my part i speak it uprightly , i can cast mine eyes on no book on the subject , but i meet with it ; and that not among the scriblers of the lower rank , but amongst the masters of the assemblies , the most celebrated authors , men of renown in their generations . i could easily fill a great deal of paper here , but i shall dismiss this consideration with one authority only , and that is of the learned grotius , on mat. . . inter omnia argumenta quae ad probandam resurrectionem adhiberi solent , &c. — amongst all the arguments which are brought to prove the resurrection , i know none more effectual and proper , than that which clement the bishop of rome was wont to urge , having received it from st. peter , that if god be just there must be a resurrection ; and this doctrine this great man approves of , and in that place establishes with no mean authorities . whither ( not to transcribe ) i refer the reader ; and because he tells us , 't was the doctrine which st. clement received from st. peter , i could heartily wish that i could find out this passage in st. clement , in order whereunto i must confess i have sought after it , and have found it , but not to my satisfaction , among the dialogues of st. peter and simon magus ; the d . dialogue which bears the name of st. clement , but no doubt is spurious , and therefore not to be insisted on , nor recommended , however it may bear some consideration , that so great a man as grotius gives this reason the right-hand , the priority , and precedency to all others ; beside we have his word and reputation for it , that it was the express doctrine which the first bishop of rome taught his disciple and successor ; and if we were assured that it was thus delivered down and derived ; we are bound to believe it , notwithstanding all the quircks and niceties of philosophy to the contrary : for the great apostle's tongue was guided by an infallible spirit . upon the whole i take , leave to say ( upon a much better account than bellarmine did of the annals of baronius ) here 's turris fortium solomonis , a mighty tower of strong men which in reason may be thought able to maintain the argument and secure it ; defendit numerus juctaeque umbone phalanges , was thought a strong allegation in a much lesser cause . methinks , the authorities of so many learned men in all ages , should uphold it , and not suffer it to be lost at this time a-day : methinks here , the standing rule of vincentius liricensis , if any , where , ought to sway ; quod semper , quod ubique , quod ab omnibus , what all men , in all ages , at all times , have asserted , must stand . chap. v. but the learned author , in his treatise of the resurrection , has been pleased to lay it aside ; and having paid his respect and deference to the ancient fathers , the avowed patriots of it ; he immediately censures and condemns it in the words following , pag. . if we seriously and impartially consider this assertion , we shall find ▪ it not to be true , and he gives us those reasons for it ; st , to speak properly the body is not capable either of sinning or doing well , it is only the instrument of the soul , and the arm that stabs , sins no more than the sword ; 't is the soul only that is the murderer : neither dly , is the body capable of rewards or punishments , 't is the soul that is sensible : nothing but what is sensible only , can be capable of rewards and punishments . dly , if it be injustice in god , to punish the soul alone without the body , in conjunction with which she committed the sin ; then all the matter which constituted the body when the several sins were committed , must be raised again and reunited to the soul ; for if some , why not all ? but what monsters of men should we be in the resurrection , if all the substance , of which our bodies consisted from our childhood to our death , should be gathered together and formed into a body . this is the sum of the charge , which the learned doctor has to lay against the doctrine which has been allow'd of by all , and is the attempt of this paper to cover and fecure : there are other passages in the following part of his discourse , which shall be accounted for in their proper place . and here i take it for granted , that there are no other difficulties that lie in the way ; no other objections , at least of any moment , against it , because they come from so accomplished an author , who must be supposed to have said the most that can be against it . without making any apology , i shall endeavour to give satisfaction to all , according to the method in which they lye . and first , i answer by way of confession , that the body , properly speaking , is not capable of sinning , or of doing well , considered in its own nature , abstractively in its self ; 't is a passive principle , and can pretend to no life , energy , sense , or motion in a single state : 't is likewise granted that the body without the soul , is a dull , stupid , senseless clod of earth , a stinking carcass , a sink of rottenness and corruption , uncapable of acting , doing , suffering , injoying all whatsoever , or more than the doctor can suggest ; but in a state of conjunction with the soul , 't is far otherwise , so that it injoys life , sense , and motion ; shares and ingages with it in all its concerns : so that in the two first reasons there is a manifest fallacy of division , which runs through every part , visible to every common eye ; and is no sooner de●●rted , but the whole fabrick of his subtile argumentation sinks , and falls even with the dust : though the body alone cannot , yet in conjunction with the soul , it may . when a noble lord takes to wife one of the meanest extraction who has no pretensions of her own , to any thing that is great ; yet upon her marriage she is dignified and indowed , with all the privileges of her right honourable spouse : this , as near as i can represent it , is the case of the soul and body : the heaven-born bridegroom stoops to the earth for a partner ; advances , exalts the beggar , confers life , sense , motion on her ; admits her to bed and board , allows her a share in all his dignities and injoyments . the body without the soul can neither sin nor do well : but the happy wedlock has ennobled this piece of clay , and empowered it in conjunction to act with it . so that i fancy the doctor to be under a mistake , when he calls the body only the instrument of the soul : certainly 't is more , 't is an essential part , and the man can as well be without the soul as without the body ; to call the body therefore an instrument , is too low a term , when 't is manifestly the collegue and companion of the soul , and together with it , constitutes the great prince and lord of the creation i shall challenge the most acute of philosophers to give me the definition of a man without a body : nec caro sine anima homo , quae post exilium cadaver est , saith tertullian , the soul without the body is no more the man , than the body without the soul. if then it must be acknowledged a physical , indispensible principle of his constitution , the one half of the man ; what a disparagement is it to call it an instrument only ? now that it is so , the learned doctor himself expresly tells us , pag. . 't is a great mistake to imagine , that the identity or sameness of man consists wholy in the sameness of the soul ; if euphorbus , homer , and ennius had had one and the same soul , yet they would not have been one and the same , but three distinct men. it seems then it is the constituting , the essential , and most distinguishing principle , it can make three men of one soul ; and so by consequence threescore : and how worthily 't is called an instrument only , let the world judge . i confess 't is often by philosophers and divines set out by this expression , the instrument of the soul , to denote , as i suppose , the transcendent excellency of the soul above it , and all that life , sense , and activity it can pretend to , as derived from the soul , and dependent on it ; yet , that it is more than an instrument , is acknowledged by the learned author , who calls it pag. . the collegue and companion of the soul ; and pag . her old acquaintance ; and is undeniably proved from cor. . . he that comitteth fornication sinneth against his own body : here it is manifestly a party , and so interpreted and understood by commentators on the place . the like might be observed of other sins , as of gluttony , drunkenness , &c. which are properly called the lusts or sins of the flesh . but 't is farther objected , that the arm that stabs , sins no more than the sword. here then is a good plea for criminals at the bar , and 't is much it has never been made use of : but i believe the homicide suspects that it would do him no kindness ; it would be received by the court with laughter , and rejected with scorn and indignation ; and reason good , for the sword is a tool in its self innocent and harmless , 't is the arm that weilds it , that impresses it , that ' gives it force and vigour to destroy ; so that if to gratifie the objection , we allow the arm to be an instrument , yet that it is no more concerned in the matter than the sword , is notoriously false , because the one is a dead , the other a living instrument ; and there must be a vast difference between these . the arm considered a-part , is no more able to kill , than the sword ; nay , less able , because that has not so fit a disposition to pierce thro' the bowels as the other , being made acute for that purpose : but the arm united to the body has strength , vigour , motion in every part , and must be allowed the true efficient cause of the murther ; whereas the other is the means , the weapon to effect it : and here also the fallacy of division is very plain and visible . chap. vi. but the objector adds , 't is the soul only that is the murtherer . if it be so , i wonder then what the judge , jury , and executioner , the gaol , or gallows have to say or do to the body ; if it be so , there is an horrible scene of injustice all the world over ; if so , delirant reges , plectuntur achivi , was not the single case of the poor grecians , who went to pot for the miscarriages of their generals , but the common and deplorable fate of all mankind . certainly if the soul only be the murtherer , the body is free , ought not to be touch'd , is by all laws whatsoever , discharg'd both from the guilt and punishment of that crime in which it had no hand . for as 't is injustice on one side , not to punish the guilty ; so 't is no less on the other to punish the innocent . if this quaint notion of the philosopher could be made good before the bench , it would bring him in more gain than all the preferments beside : but alas , this nail will never drive . he will never be able to perswade the world of the truth of it . and indeed it does exceedingly labour : for , 't is not the soul , but 't is the man that is the murderer . and here also is a manifest tang of the old sophism . true indeed , the soul is the first , chief , and principal actor in the tragedy , but we can by no means excuse the outward part. 't is the soul that bestows on the body life , and sense , without which it could not possibly lay claim to either ; and even here 't is ridiculous to imagine , that the more spiritual and noble part , uses the terrestrial and earthy , as a tool and machine , an instrument only , i. e. barely agitates and moves it , as the snail does his shell ; the waterman his boat ; the rider his horse ; the fencing-master his weapon ; the man his cloaths . no , this has been sufficiently exploded by the philosophers and schoolmen , in the colebrated question on the present subject , being by both , constantly maintained in the negative . the soul , during its residence with its beloved bride , is liberal in his endowments towards her , ( as in the foregoing comparison ) furnishes and sets her up with great accomplishments , bestows sense , vigour , activity , perception , on on her , so that derivatively she has the benefit , use , and enjoyment of all these . this is a doctrine disputable ; and i believe will not go down with all ; but for the truth of it , i appeal to the sense of mankind , and for its support i briefly offer these considerations . . the soul diffuses it self through every part of the body , according to the known maxim of the great peripatetick , and certainly to no other purpose , but to bestow its largesses . the vegetable soul gives life to every particle of the plant or tree , and the rational soul cannot be supposed to be less liberal . . 't is undeniable , that there is a mutual and reciprocal influence of each toward other . the soul impresses the body ; on t'other hand , that impresses the soul. the loving pair mutually give and receive from each other ; the noble spouse makes his bride the generous presents so often mentioned ; she , on the other hand , guides and directs the soul in his behaviour ; according to the known axiome , mores animae sequuntur temper amentum corporis , which i confess i do not understand , unless it come home to the purpose . the different constitutions and complexions of our bodies have a powerful influence on our souls , and do , in a great measure , over-rule and command them . this is allowed by all , and manifestly appears in the behaviour of children suitable to their progenitors : they do , for the most part , follow their way , and tread in their steps . the body is the perpetual dictator , and prescribes to the soul the manner and method of its government . thus , according to the peculiar composure of the outward , we find the dispositions of the inward man. he in whom the sanguine complexion is predominant , proclaims his constitution by his port and actions , is bold , couragious , magnanimous and heroick ; whereas the cholerick man tells the world what he is made of , by his peevishness and petulancy : and so in all other cases as all here agree . and least the suspicion of traduction which prevails with some , should enervate the force of the argument , to put it altogether without dispute , i lay down this as an undeniable position , that the manners of children are not only influenced by their parents , but nurses too . the concessions of philosophers , physicians , and confirmed experience of all , do give me a supersedeas here , and pronounce the proof of it altogether needless . there is a curious dissertation in aulus gellius , lib. . cap. . of favorinus the philosopher on this subject , to a noble woman , perswading her to give suck to her own child , and not endanger the corrupting of his manners by a strange milk. the discourse is so full , excellent , and nervous , that i can hardly forbear to transcribe it ; and whereunto , for full satisfaction i refer the reader . . that the body is endowed with life and sensation , is undeniable from the common and daily experience of it in every part : even the extream parts are endued with a ready and most exquisite sensation . and , . the truth of it is abundantly confirmed from this usual experiment , that if at any time there happens a sphacelus , a mortification in any extreme part , instantly there is recourse to the surgeon and his saw , to take off the dead part , for the preservation of the whole ; which to me is little less than a demonstration , that the other parts are truly and actually alive . the body even of adam ( if the supposition may be allow'd ) before its union with its heavenly partner , was a senseless clod of earth ; but when god breathed into him the breath of life , then man became a living soul ; a living man , though we allow it a carkass , upon its separation . chap. vii . the objector goes on : neither is the body capable of any rewards or punishments , 't is the soul only that is sensible ; and nothing but what is sensible can be capable of rewards and punishments . here again we are assaulted with the old paralogism , and therefore must dismiss it with the same answer . the body without the soul is capable of neither rewards nor punishments ; but in conjunction with it is exquisitely sensible , and enjoys either . what have we to do to consider the body in a separate state ? this is foreign , impertinent , and beside the argument in all respects . our dispute lies about the good or evil that men do in this life , and that remunaration which according to their deserts , shall attend them at the resurrection : in both which the whole man is concerned , and not one part ; neither the body without the soul , nor the soul without the body , but both in conjunction . and though i will not deny ; that the soul while in the body , may , and does sometimes act abstractively , without the concurrence of the body , in a spiritual and intellectual manner , in good or bad desires , cogitations , and contrivances , which are by the philosophers call'd immanent acts ; and so by consequence has a separate , distinct enjoyment of pleasure or pain , according to the result and nature of them , wholly peculiar to its self , and altogether independent from the body ; yet all other rewards and punishments here , are conferred on the soul by the mediation of the body ; so far is the objection from being true , as that the contrary is undeniable . as the body is beholden to the soul for the capacity of rewards and punishments , so all the rewards or punishments that are or can be placed on the soul in this life , are owing to the body , without which 't is altogether impossible it should be invested with either . how is the soul of the most deserving courtier preferr'd , but by the body ? how is the soul of the valiant soldier advanc'd to higher dignity of command , but by the body ? how is the soul of the learned doctor bless'd with plurality of preferments in the church and vniversity , but by the body ? and so in all other cases whatsoever . on the other hand , the same is no less visible in the distribution of punishments : how is the soul of the malefactor brought to suffer , but by the body ? ask the prisoner in the dungeon , with his heavy load of fetters on , how the place and irons come to affect his soul ; he will readily tell thee , 't is by the body . ask the petty thief at the the cart's tayl , how his spiritual part does rue for his transgression , and he 'll tell thee , 't is by the painful stripes inflicted on his back . ask the man that has undergone the shame and torment of the hot iron , how the principal actor in the crime comes to have a share , he will immediately by his woful experience resolve the question , viz. by the scandalous stigma in his hand or cheek ; which to his anguish he has felt , and to his disgrace must retain . in short , ask the man in the cart , tyed with the fatal halter , and just ready to be turn'd over , how the first and chief contriver of the offence for which he is condemned , is brought to suffer , and he can give thee no other answer . the soul is a spiritual , intellectual , invisible being , no way subject to the pleasure , or jurisdiction of any power on earth ; 't is no way capable of the preferment of a palace , nor of the confinement of a prison , but above , and out of the reach of both , and can have no colour of pretence to any rewards or punishments whatsoever , at present , ( excepting those before mentioned ) but in conjunction with , and by the mediation of the body . in conclusion , our answer here is , 't is neither the one nor the other , in a divided or separate sense , that has a claim or title to rewards or punishments here ; 't is the compositum , the soul and body in vnion and conjunction together ; i.e. 't is the man that can challenge this : and as for an answer to the objection , with reference to the body after the resurrection , ( which is the main subject of the present discourse ) if the body be not capable of rewards or punishments , i would fain have the learned dr. to tell me , what doth the body of the saint in heaven , or what makes the body of the reprobate in hell ? sure i am , because so taught by christ himself , as two evangelists have recorded it ( matt. . . luc. . . ) that men are able to kill the body , and god is able to destroy both body and soul. now you cannot be said , with any congruity of speech , to kill that which has no sense , no life ; and what is liable to be destroy'd in hell-fire must be allow'd capable of punishment , and by unavoidable consequence , of sin , whereof this is the wages . in short , this sacred authority lays the axe to the root of the two first objections , and fells them to the ground . if the body can be kill'd , can be destroy'd in hell-fire ; it cannot be deny'd to be sensible , capable of sinning , of doing well , of rewards and punishments . all these are manifestly imply'd here . chap. viii . that our bodies are more than instruments only , is a truth that clearly shines forth from the make and creation of them . man was brought into the world last of all , and therefore must be acknowledg'd the most perfect and compleat of all the creatures ; he is upon this account , called by the philosophers , the microcosm , the little world , the epitome of the greater : and tho' the fabrick of all others , ( tho' never so mean ) must be own'd to be stupendous ; yet there is certainly somewhat in humane bodies , surpassing and transcendent ; if not in the matter , yet in the manner and figure of ' em . the consultation of the eternal trinity about this affair , imports somewhat singular ; a product more than ordinary . — come , let us make man , ( gen. . . ) the prince , the emperor of all the rest . this is taught us in that passage of elihu in job . . the spirit of god hath made me , and the breath of the almighty hath given me life . the expression elegantly notes the exactness of his frame : man is the master-piece of the creation , ( as his immortal commentator ( caryl ) has observ'd . our bodies are temples built , and temples sanctify'd : a living man , genes . . . man became a living soul : and upon this account the royal psalmist breaks forth into this sublime rapture , psal . . . i will praise thee , for i am fearfully and wonderfully made : marvellous are thy works , and that my soul knoweth right well . my substance was not hid from thee though i were made in secret ; and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth ; thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect , and in thy book were all my members written , which day by day were fashioned , when as yet there were none of them . — the fabrick of man is of all other the most exquisite : this the great mrster of physick has professedly asserted , in a most admirable treatise of books ; which gassendus thinks was penn'd with a spirit of enthusiasm , for the refutation of the atheistical doctrines of epicurus : and the mirrour of of learning , ( orig. sacr. lib. . cap. . ) calls it the hundred and nineteenth psalm in philosophy ; or , a perpetual hymn in praise of the great creator ; a just commentary on the former passage of the psalmist . the whole work is a full and pregnant demonstration of a deity , to which end 't is apply'd by that incomparable prelate , who thereupon thinks it strange that physicians of all men should be atheists ; who from the subject of their science have powerful arguments to the contrary . when we shall consider the admirable contrivance of man's body , the curious formation of all its parts , in order to the various designs , services , and uses of 'em ; its astonishing , and innumerable excellencies , methinks we should account them more than barely instruments . the philosophers and divines have entertain'd nobler sentiments of it : they have proclaim'd it aloud to be the one half of that finishing piece , which came last out of the almighty's hands ; the one half of him , for whose sake and service all others were made ; the one half of him , who had the dignity to be lord over all ; who by his frame , endowments , and advantages , is directed to devote , and conseerate his whole self , all that he has , or is , to the honour and glory of his bountiful master . . but if this consideration will not do , let us for a while contemplate the assumption , the incarnation of our blessed saviour . he took such a nature as ours , such a body as ours , with all its organical parts . to this purpose he stoop'd to bethlehem ; to the womb of a poor virgin , to the stable and the manger ; to this purpose , he that was in the form of god , and thought it not robbery to be equal with god , made himself of no reputation , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) emptied himself , disrob'd himself of his divine dignity , and took upon him the form of a servant , and was made in the likeness of man. st. john tells us , john . . that the eternal word that was in the beginning , and created all things , was made flesh , and dwelt among us : and the author to the hebrews , chap. . . gives us a confirmation of it , with an asseveration , verily he took not on him the nature of angels , but the seed of abraham ; i.e. he was an entire man like any of us ( sin only excepted ) . nay , what is more , that very body which he assum'd , in which he lived , and in which he was crucified , is ascended up into heaven , where he sitteth at the right hand of god , and by the powerful rhetorick of his wounds , the impression of which he now retains , is our eternal expiatory sacrifice , incessantly transacting the great work of advocation with his father , still making intercession for us . by this there is conferr'd on humane nature , the highest honour and dignity imaginable ; and this must teach us to put a value on our bodies , and to look upon them as more than machines and tools only . this ( if i mistake not ) is an inference most genuine , and naturally flowing from the premisses ; and 't is most certainly the express use which the ancients would have us to make of it . thus st. austine , on the present subject , ( de verit. relig. cap. . ) demonstravit nobis deus quàm excelsum locum inter creatur as habet humana natura , in hoc quod in hominibus , in vero homine apparuit : god ( saith the holy father ) hath given us a demonstration of the dignity and transcendent excellency of humane nature , in that christ , a very man , lived among men. and to the same purpose another great author , ( leo , serm. . de nat. dom. ) agnosce , o christiane , dignitatem tuam & divine consors factus naturae , noli in veterem vilitatem degeneri consuetudine redire : i. e. christ , by taking such a body , has shewn thee the dignity and excellency of thine ; taught thee not to disparage , dis-esteem it , or use it unworthily . . but if neither of these be sufficient , come we in the third place , to cast our eyes a little on the redemption ; and in that great work the whole man is concern'd . the prince of our salvation submitted himself to the cross , and all its shameful , miserable , painful appendages , to become a propitiation for both. our bodies as well as souls are the price of his blood : and can any one then account 'em no more but instruments only ? the thing is so evident , as that i think it needless to say any more for it ; nor can i imagine what can in the least colour be said against it . . wherefore i pass to the next argument under this head , for confirmation of the doctrine in hand ; and that is bodily worship . have not all the orthodox pulpits echo'd and sounded this aloud . how often have we been told , that we are to serve god in our bodies as well as souls ; the one is but maimed and imperfect without the other ; the great creator has an undeniable and manifold right to both. how much , the true sons of the church have labour'd in this argument , cannot be unknown to any who know any thing of the controversies about the modification of worshipping god , which has been the grand subject of the dispute of this last age. — how zealous , good men have been to relieve that abused and misapply'd place , john . . from captivity , and to discharge it from that hard and unworthy service which the dissenters would have imposed upon it , and compelled it to bear ; still asserting , that to serve god , as ( in truth ) we ought , we must serve him more than in spirit only ? how often has that of the apostle been made the text , cor. . ult . that in god's service regard must be had to decency and order ? how often have we been told , that we must not make our approaches to the most high in a slovenly manner , but in the most humble and becoming postures : to give testimony of our inward , by the uniform port of our outward man , and to make the worship acceptable and compleat , to be careful to join both these together ? the truth is , the body by its self is altogether incapable of the least performance ; for as the psalmist has observ'd , the dead praise not god , neither they that go down to silence . but yet we have the same infallible assurance , that the living can and do praise him : do not our lips , tongue , and mouth shew forth his praise ? do not our hands serve god when we lift them up toward the mercy-seat of his holy temple ? do not our feet bear a part also here , when they make chearful and direct paths to the place where his honour dwelleth ? do not our eyes and ears go sharers here , when they behold and hear the wondrous things of god's law , when they are attentively exercised in his statutes ? in a word , do not our whole bodies engage in this divine work , in their submissions , adorations , and prostrations before his altar ? what nonsense is it for any man to imagine the contrary ; when we are so often and pathetically commanded and called upon by god , in his holy word to do it ? not to multiply authorities here , the winning and endearing entreaty of the great apostle alone is sufficient , rom. . . wherefore i beseech you , brethren , by the mercies of god , that you present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , and acceptable unto god , which is your reasonable service : and if it be here said , that the apostle by bodies means the whole man , i have no mind to deny the allegation ; but i reply , that the body is also concerned , and ( as must be acknowledged from the allusion to the legal sacrifices ) in an especial manner pointed at : and if this be not proof enough , there are other places which cannot be understood in any other sense , which refer peculiarly to the body . thus the same apostle , speaking of the abominable sin of the gentiles , says , rom. . . that they did dishonour their own bodies between themselves ; and to the same purpose he calls upon his corinthians to glorifie god with their bodies which are his ; and thess . . . he prays , that their spirit , soul , and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our lord jesus christ : where both the objections of the learned author are put to silence , and quashed by one word , blameless ; which clearly supposes our bodies capable of doing well , or evil , of rewards and punishments ; otherwise there can be no congruity in the discourse of the great doctor of the gentiles ( who was brought up at the feet of gamaliel , was so accomplish'd an orator , as that 't was one of the three celebrated wishes of the great st. austin , that he might have seen him in the pulpit ; nay , what is more , was inspir'd from above ) : and he must be allow'd by all , to speak at a very impertinent rate . i cannot see any doubt or difficulty here : the wicked sin and dishonour god with their bodies , and that , properly speaking , by the lusts of the flesh , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by the lusts of the lower belly , as the father calls them : the sins of gluttony , drunkenness , vncleanness , and a multitude of others . nay , st. john seems to fix sin more especially on the body , in his first epistle , chap. . . where he reckons them up under three heads , all that is in the world , the lust of the flesh , the lust of the eye , and the pride of life . on the other hand , the case is altogether as undeniable : the good man serves , honours , worships , and glorifies god with his body , in adorning it with sobriety , temperance , chastity , and other exercises of vertue ; in keeping it clean , swept , and garnished ; a fit receptacle and mansion for the holy spirit , in a ready compliance and conjunction with the soul in all the offices of religion . this most evidently appears to be the doctrine of our church , when we are admitted to the highest and nearest communion with god in the eucharist , by that clause which is inserted and repeated in both forms of administration ; when the priest delivers the bread , he prays , that it may preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life ; and again he uses the same form when he gives the cup , the blood of our lord jesus christ , which was shed for thee , preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life . now to reason fairly ; unless our bodies are capable of everlasting life , i know not what sense we can make of the prayer : and if our bodies are capable of everlasting life , as must be allow'd , they are necessarily imply'd subject to everlasting death , and by unavoidable consequence , must be allow'd capable of doing good or evil . to conclude this , st. paul was so throughly convinced of both , as that he rallies together a multitude of arguments , to prevent the one , and engage us in the other . first , in cor. . . the body is for the lord , i.e. 't was made by him , and therefore ordain'd and devoted to his service . secondly , the lord for the body , i.e. he redeemed and sanctified it , and so has a farther and improved right to it . thirdly , god will raise our bodies , v. . i.e. the resurrection lays a farther obligation upon us . fourthly , our bodies are the members of christ , and therefore they ought not to be the members of an harlot : we ought to keep them clean and pure for his sake , as parts of that society whereof he is the head. fifthly , he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body ; i.e. though there are some sins without the body , yet the sins of vncleanness are properly sins of the body . sixthly , our bodies are the temples of the holy ghost , ver . . the sins of our bodies turn this holy gu●st out of doors , and admit another master , making them the devil's brothel-houses , and styes . lastly , our bodies are bought with a price , ver . . therefore not to glorifie god in own bodies as well as souls , since by a manifold right they are both his , is not simply sin , but sin of an high degree , and deep dye ; no less than the sin of sacrilege . after all this , to corroborate the argument , i might here expatiate upon the great cost and expence which the primitive christians bestowed in embalming their dead bodies ; of which tertullian , st. augustine , and others , give us a large account , which comes home fully to the point in hand , and can be apply'd to no other purpose . by this practice of theirs 'tis plain , they look'd upon their bodies as perfumed with their graces here , smelling sweet in their dormitories , deposited as in a bed of spices , and resting in full hope of a glorious retribution . but i conceive i have no need of it ; and therefore it may suffice only to have noted it . chap. ix . i pass to the examination of the third and last objection , which as a bar lies in our way , and ought to be removed . if it be injustice in god to punish the soul alone without the body , in conjunction with which she committed the sin ; then all the matter which constitued the body when the several sins were committed , must be raised again , and reunited to the soul ; for if some , why not all ? but what monsters of men should we be in the resurrection , if all the substance of which our bodies consisted from our childhood to our deaths , should be gathered together , and formed into a body ? without taking notice of the severity of the objection , i shall endeavour to give satisfaction to it : and , first , i answer ; that the resurrection depends upon an all-sufficient and omnipotent power ; and though i cannot tell with what matter the bodies shall arise , yet every good man ought to rest satisfy'd in this , that a god of infinite abilities will take care to make good his word ; for there are an hundred things ( as the learned author has asserted , p. . ) both in nature and divinity , the existence of which we cannot doubt , and yet the reason of them we cannot comprehend . of which he there gives us a multitude of instances , ( whereunto i refer the reader ) and at last resolves the resurrection into god's good pleasure , as the highest reason . 't is altogether surprizing , how he came to be so positive here , and in this difficult point impossible to be understood or resolved by the wisest of men , to be so magisterial ; especially considering that unlucky passage which drops from his pen , in the words immediately following , p. . i fansie my self ( philalethes ) talking to a bold refiner on the promises and decrees of almighty god , and one of those little nothings that call themselves philosophers , that form to themselves notions and idaea's , then deal with revelation as the tyrant did with the poor innocents on his bed , either violently stretch it beyond its natural reach , or chop off a part to make it commensurate to their intentions . i will make no animadversions here , though i have a fair opportunity ; but i cannot forbear to say , that the learned author has made monsters of all men at the resurrection , if it be founded on justice contrary to his own reasoning , in the places foregoing , where he professes his ignorance , and challenges the world to give an account of ; as supposing it impossible : and yet boldly asserts here , that all the matter which was of the body of the man from his childhood to his grave , must be rallied together at the resurrection , or else there can be nothing of justice in the case . but , secondly , i answer ; this assertion runs counter to the doctrine of the schoolmen and ancients , who have with one mouth determin'd , that the child shall not arise a child , nor the corpulent man with his great bulk ; nor he who sunk under a marasmus , peep out of his grave a skeleton . nor the old man appear at the resurrection with his grey hairs , or any symptomes of age ; but all shall arise ( inter incrementum & decrementum humanae naturae ) about the age of , in a perfect state ; staturā quam habuit vel habiturus est , as lombard , sent. . dis . . aug. civ . dei , lib. . cap. . thirdly , i answer ; that this is altogether beside the question ; we are to consider the body fallen , and to prove the resurrection of that same body , to be joined to the same soul , in order to a judgment ; and this is all that in reason can be expected : we are no ways concerned to look back to its various and different states , from his childhood to his death ; if we can produce the same prisoners before the supreme tribunal , there can be no injustice in the thing ; for the learned author has granted , and proved that our bodies , from our childhood to our graves , notwithstanding their constant , innumerable , great , and wonderful changes , are still the same . pag. . moreover he has granted , that ( according to the supposition of philosophers ) tho' the body be changed once in seven years ; ( which , obiter , i can never believe , and am sure is impossible to be proved ) yet he grants it is still the same . that a man that has kept his bed for above seven years , upon his recovery rises the same man , tho' he have not now one particle the same that he had when he took his bed ; and he gives us the reason of it , because the particles of the body are gradually changed in a continual vnion with the soul. the body ( he says ) in such a case is the same , and may properly be said to raise again . and yet the learned author in his argument here , exacts all the matter which constituted the body , when the several sins were committed , to be raised again , to be re-united to the soul ; which how congruous to himself , and how reasonable in its self , i leave others to judge . fourthly , i answer ; this objection is too strict and subtile ; it impeaches , destroys , and overturns all justice upon earth , and renders it altogether impossible : the reason is irresistible ; for there are fleeting particles of matter , which constantly come and go , ebb and flow in our bodies , through the whole course of our lives , so that the man is not to day what he was yesterday , nor will be to morrow what he is to day . this is more manifest in long imprisonments ; the malefactor frequently comes into gaol , plump and hail , full of flesh and blood ; but by his long confinement is emaciated , and appears at the bar quite another thing : yea often times it so happens , that he is so much impair'd in his health , strength , constitution , and complexion , that he is unavoidably dropping into the grave without the help of the gallows ; and yet no man ever questions the justice of his execution . sir walter rawleigh was beheaded for a crime committed above years before , and though ( according to the imagination of the philosophers above-mentioned ) this body must be thrice changed in this interval ; yet the equity of his sentence was never doubted . the like might be observed of mary queen of scotland . — the annals of all nations overflow with examples of criminals whose punishments have been a long time protracted without the least suspicion of injustice . fifthly , therefore i answer plainly , by denying the consequence , viz. that it does no way follow from the principles of justice , that all the matter which constituted the body when the several sins were committed , should be raised up again ; my reason is , because much if not most of this matter is accidental to the body ; forasmuch as 't is plain , the body can be , and oftentimes is without it . what frequent and considerable alterations all men undergo in this respect , is abundantly confirmed by the experience of all . most men generally are well fleshed in summer , but in the time of winter fall away . and this is more visible in the cattle of the field , being for the most part fat and full in the hot season of the year , which affords plenty of grass and food : but when the frost and snow comes in upon them , and diminishes their pasture , then they pine away , and are often starved . men owe the dimensions of their bodies in a great measure to their ease , health , prosperity , and affluence : whereas hunger , cold , want , poverty , diseases , will make them dwindle and bring them down to nothing but skin and bones . to this purpose i am sure , i have long since met with the determination of the royal society in their philosophical transactions , namely , that the fat and corpulency of a creature is nothing but the repletion of the parenchyma : and that they would undertake to make a dog or an horse , fat , fleshy , and full in a very few days . there is no necessity then for all the matter to be rallied together at the resurrection ; because much of it is accidental , not essential to the body : it has been , is , and may be without it . our doctrine then must stand in spight of this shock and assault . the justice of god is secured , and the saint in no manner of danger of mounting from his grave a monster ; nor the sinner neither in this , though he must be acknowledg'd such in the worst of senses . lastly , if all that has been hitherto said cannot put the objection to silence , i will presume to borrow the mighty sword of our opponent , which alone can do the work , and as effectually as that of goliah , cut off this monstrous head. pag. . his words are these ; it is farther to be considered , that though the same body that died is to rise again , yet it is not necessary that all the particles of it should be raised up ; 't is enough that such particles are raised , as made up the integrant and necessary parts of the body . by necessary parts , i mean those which remain after the utmost degree of maceration , without which the body would not be integrant , but imperfect ; and these are chiefly the bones , the skin , the nerves , the tendons , the ligaments , and substance of the several vessels ; as long as these , and all that are necessary to life remain , the body is truly whole , though never so much macerated ; all the flesh that is added makes nothing to the wholeness or integrality of the body , though it conduce to strength and ornament . — and by and by he adds , if the body be extremely maciated , i do not doubt but in the resurrection it will be restored by foreign adventitious matter , to its due and just proportion : so in bodies that are full and flesby , there is a great deal of substance that is not necessary , which if it become the flesh of another man , the body may be raised up without it , and yet be physically whole , and truly the same . in bodies that are fat and gross there is doubtless a great deal superfluous , which will never be raised up ; though it were never made the ingredient of another man's body . chap. x. having consider'd the objections , i 'm to wait on the learned author in what remains , who is labouring to find out a reason of the resurrection of the body , as indeed he is obliged ; since he has taken away the main pillar , and laid that aside : in order whereunto he tells us , pag. . that the soul does not die with the body , as some ancient hereticks and arabians held . — this is an opinion too ridiculous to be confuted . then pag. . he tells us , that the soul does not sleep until the day of the resurrection , as the psychopannychists imagined . all that is to be said here is , that this is a notion so manifestly false , so contradictious to scripture , and has been so fully confuted by many learned pens , particularly by the incomparable divine of geneva , in a treatise professedly written against it , as that there is no more to be said here . he comes thence to consider the opinions of tertullian , and they are divided into three ranks . first , he asserts the sensibility of the separate * soul , that it is of its self capable of rewards and punishments ; is actually in some measure comforted , or tormented before the resurrection . there are a multitude of other passages of the same father which testifie the same † . and no doubt but that this great father is orthodox here . secondly , notwithstanding in other places he seems to set up a quite opposite doctrine , viz. that the soul is not capable of suffering without the body ; and this he makes the reason of the resurrection a . and elsewhere he asserts the necessity of the resurrection , because the soul without the body is not capable of feeling either pleasure or pain b . i shall reserve what i have to say to this , to the last place , and take leave to invert the order , and consider the other opinion before it , conceiving it more suitable and methodical to the argument in hand : and that is , thirdly , he owns , that separate souls are actually c rewarded or punished before the resurrection ; and he says 't is for those good or bad things it did without the concurrence of the body . he farther says , that tho' the soul be in its own nature capable of rewards or punishments ; yet it is not so fully capable as when united to the body . it is capable of greater pleasure or torment when united to the body , than in a state of separation ; and therefore for those things which the soul did in concurrence with the body , must be punished and rewarded in the body , that the pleasure or torment may be perfect . the learned author's animadversion on this is , p. . but this is very precarious ; and if once it be granted , that the soul is in its own nature , without an organized body , capable of rewards and punishments , it cannot be denied , but that it is of it self capable of being fully rewarded and punished . i answer : not to take any notice of the tertullianicum ( as his learned commentators call it ) of the gross naevus here , etsi habet corpus , etsi habet membra , which the father applies to the soul in a separate state , and is by no means justifiable : nor to undertake a defence of him here or elsewhere , in an exact , strict and rigid sense ; for 't is well known , that this african father is the most dark , abstruse , and intricate of the latin fathers , makes use of uncouth , obsolete words , which will no way bear a full and exact , but require a moderate and sober interpretation . premising this , i cannot see how he is in the main here precarious ; to my understanding there is no begging at all in the case : the doctrine seems found and approvable , supported and maintained by the ancients , who accordingly have placed the departed souls in abraham's bosom , in paradise , in outer porches , in receptacles , under the altar , the promptuary of saints , the earnest of the kingdom ; with a multitude of other such expressions to the same purpose . 't were easie here to fill up a great deal of paper with the names and authorities of the most considerable pillars of the church , who have espoused this opinion ; but i industriously avoid the vanity of it , and think it altogether needless in the present dispute , because the learned author , speaking of the opinion of pope john xxii . tells us , that he only held that the soul does not at all enjoy the beatisick vision before the resurrection ; and for confirmation of it , adds , pag. . this indeed was the opinion of the primitive fathers . and albeit this doctrine was censur'd and condemn'd in the council of florence , yet this can have no influence on us , who know too well what this council was , and the age of it . and though it prevail with those of the church of rome , yet 't is observable , how that even the learned men that are bigotted to that way , do not stick to give us their approbation of it . meminerint hunc errorem non efficere pietati , & eruditioni tam illustrium scriptorum , saith pamelius , i.e. this opinion is no prejudice to the piety and learning of those great men : and another eminent writer of that church calls it , pia & beata opinio veritati facile reconciliabilis per duplicem beatitudinem perfectam & imperfectam ; an holy and blessed opinion , easily reconcileable to the truth , by the distinction of a perfect and imperfect happiness : so that the difference between the opinion and council seems to be only about the place , in the condition both agree . about the capacity of separate souls , i am not willing to dispute , 't is too sublime a subject , and above our mortal reach . nor will i eagerly contend for the place , where ( upon their dislodging here ) they are dispos'd of : but this opinion i readily embrace , that before our saviour's ascension they were not admitted into heaven , whatsoever they are since : nor will i presume to determine for what things the happy soul is rewarded ; nor on the other hand , for what the soul of the reprobate is punished ; but so far i conceive it to be plain , and allowed by the concurrence of all , that both at present have their different enjoyments , though imperfect . so that in my apprehension the consequence of the learned author does claudicare , stand in need of a crutch ; it is and always will be a cripple . the soul of the saint is at present admitted to happiness , i see nothing in reason from hence to infer ; — therefore 't is capable of being fully rewarded : on the other side , the soul of the sinner is in its separate state capable of punishment , ergo , 't is capable of being fully punished . i must freely say , i cannot see the least colour for the inference ; where-ever the soul of lazarus now is , it must be ( without doubt ) allowed by all to be happy ; but that it is as happy as it will be after the resurrection , i utterly deny . on the other side , that the soul of the rich glutton is now in a state of punishment , must be readily assented to ; but that it is in a full , compleat state , will , can , must never be granted . this assertion runs against the stream and current of reason , scripture , and antiquity ; as will most manifestly appear in the examination of the other opinion of tertullian ; which i now come to consider . thirdly , he seems to affirm in the passage above-cited , that the soul is not capable without the body of pleasure or pain , of punishments or rewards , and therefore concludes for a resurrection : 't is beside my intent to attempt the defence of this doctrine , tho' the centuriators have undertaken it : and if the fire of hell be real , ( as i believe no one will deny , because constantly so represented in the scriptures ) it would gravel the most accomplish'd of philosophers , from the principles of natural philosophy only , to resolve how this fire can affect , and reach the soul ; how a material can act upon an immaterial . beside there are no mean authorities , and not a few neither , to be produc'd , who have asserted much the same thing : thus maldonate , as learned a man as most , and incomparably well read , assures us , in matt. . . mirum quanto consensu plerique veteres authores docuerint , daemones ante diem judicii non torqueri — it was , it seems , the general doctrine , that the damned were not punished before the day of judgment ; which how it is to be understood he there tells you . notwithstanding all this , i think the foresaid passage , in a strict , literal , gross sense , by no means defensible ; we must give some grains of allowance to the writings of this father , or else we shall make mad work. we must consider the drift and carriage of the discourse , expound one passage by another , and judge charitably of all ; and then the meaning will be plain . one while he allows the departed souls , according to their different deserts , a present portion of pain or weal : other while he says , that the separate souls are rewarded or punished at present for the good or bad things they did without the concurrence of the body ; and that tho' they are capable without the body of pleasure or pain , yet they are not so fully capable as when united to it . in other places he seems to affirm the quite contrary , viz. that the soul is not capable of suffering at all without the body ; that in a divided state it can feel neither pleasure nor pain , and upon this account concludes the necessity of a resurrection . now to a favourable reader , who shall govern himself ( as in reason he is obliged ) suitable to the method but now laid down ; here will upon mature deliberation appear no contradiction , no inconsistency in all this ; the one leads us to the understanding of the other . the separate souls tho' in some measure they do now partake of rewards and punishments , yet they are in a manner nothing , in comparison to what they shall be ; the height and accomplishment of both awaits the resurrection ; when body and soul shall be again united , then and then only the condition of all shall be compleat . and that this is the meaning of this ancient writer , is abundantly evident , not only from the whole thread of the discourse , but also from some plain passages in it : as , ad perfectionem judicii , the body is required to make the judgment compleat . — and again , quae proinde illi non sufficiunt ad sentiendum plaenè quemadmodum neque ad agendum perfecté : i. e. the members of the soul ( as he expresses it ) are not of themselves sufficient to enjoy or suffer fully . nay , there are many other passages frequently occurring , which as a key open the door to the sense here ; as the places above noted , where he again and again allows the separate souls capable of pleasure or grief without the body : that they can feel , or suffer any thing , licèt exules carnis , without the body . i shall neither trouble my self nor the reader but with two places more , and they are both in one chapter , ( resur . carn . cap. . ) non quâ sentire quid sine carne non possit , sed quâ necesse est illum cum carne sentire : and again , ad perficiendam autem operam carnis expectat , sic itaque ad patiendam societatem carnis postulat , ut tam plaene per eam pati possit , quàm sine eâ plaene agere non potuit : the blessed soul to make up its happiness full , requires the society of the body ; and on the other hand , the condemned soul in its torments , calls for the fellowship of the body , that the punishment might be compleated in both parts , in conjunction of which their sins were committed . this then being allowed to be the sense of the father ( as i do not see how it can well be denied ) viz. that the soul is not capable of rewards and punishments without the body : but by no means ( as the learned dr reports it p. ; ) that the soul is not capable in its own nature without an organized body of any perception ; how , that it is not capable without ar humane body of either . rewards or punishments . this seems to be a too rigid , extream , and unreasonable construction of those passages , and woud unavoidably involve the father in the other errors of the death of the soul , or the slumber of it . but though the learned author does represent the opinion of tertullian in this matter thus severely , yet he confesses this notion very consistent with the doctrine of the resurrection , and the general judgment that is to follow after it ; but he has this to object against it pag. . i know not how to make it consistent with some other places of scripture ; here lies the difficulty , the scripture is plainly against it . i confess it does not well accord with it , as it is here represented ; and i cannot for my heart imagine how he came to interpret the father so grosly erroneous here who has produced so many places wherein he loudly proclaims the contrary , and plainly and fully expresses himself : in which if we take him , as by all means we are obliged to do , viz. of the imperfect state of the soul in its separation , that it is not capable of being fully rewarded or punished without the body . i see nothing amiss here , this opinion must be allowed consistent with the doctrine of the resurrection and the general judgment which is to follow after it , harmoniously correspondent with the analogie of faith , and the holy scriptures ; even those very places which are alledged by the learned author pag. . thus , in that of our saviour to the penitent thief , this day shalt thou be with me in paradise ; in which words there is a promise of an happy injoyment to his dislodging soul , but an imperfect one , for we can understand paradise in no other sence but what imports either the place or condition of the happy separate souls , a place , undeniably different from heaven ; a condition of happiness in hand , but far short and inferiour to that hereafter . the soul of the celebrated penitent was immediately upon its departure , invested with a state of bliss , but the full measure of it cannot be expected before the resurrection , thus also in the second scripture , phil , . . where st. peter wishes to depart and to be with christ , which is far better . the expression clearly intimates an happiness which would accrue to his soul by his dissolution , far above any thing that this world could afford , as is emphatically expressed in the original by the double comparative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul of the great apostle where-ever he be , is without dispute gloriously happy ; yet ( this is certain ) that it cannot arrive to the fulness of it , before it be united to that body which was his faithful companion and partner , in all his perils , dangers , hardships , sufferings , conflicts , labours here . and so in the third place , rev. . . in which the souls of the martyrs are represented from under the altar , loudly crying for judgment . this text to me is one of the most undeniable and adaequate proofs of both the doctrines under present consideration ; for as on the one hand it strongly establishes the blessed injoyment of the separate souls , so on the other it will not suffer us to doubt of their imperfect state : the completion and height of happiness is put off to the great day of recompense . the text is full , and deserves to be considered : i saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of god , and for the testimony which they held ; and they cryed with a loud voice , saying , how long , o lord , holy and true , dost thou not judge and avengé our blood on them that dwell on the earth : and white robes were given to every one of them , and it was said unto them , that they should rest yet for a little season , until their fellow servants also and their brethren , that should be killed , as they were should be fulfilled . where every word and clause makes for our purpose . whether we understand it ( as some ) of their bodies , by a prosopopeia , speaking from their graves , or of their souls which are said to be under the altar , i.e. vnder the protection of christ , as a learned critick does comment it : and they cryed with a loud voice , which in my apprehension imports not so much the multitude of them ( an interpretation much esteemed by some ) as the vehemency and intention of their desire which is for justice ; and that chiefly in reference to themselves ; namely , that god would translate and advance them to that happiness which he has promised , and they desiringly do desire . this exactly suits with all that follows after . they had at present the character , the livery , the priviledge of saintship , the earnest of it : but the full of their reward , they were not to receive until the time of harvest , the last day , when both parts were to meet again , and when the noble army of martyrs ( all conflicts and fighting being for ever done away ) should in one body assembled , be crown'd and triumph together . excellent is the animadversion of gregory the great on this place ( praef. in job . ) singulae stolae quia adhuc solâ mentis beatitudine perfruuntur , binas vero accepturi sunt quando cum gaudio perfecto animarum , etiam incorruptione corporum restituuntur , i. e. the souls under the altar have single robes now , their souls are admitted to an incohate imperfect happiness ; but double robes hereafter , at what time , their bodies made incorruptible shall be restor'd to their souls ; the glory and joy of both shall be complete . in short , that the injoyment of those blessed souls here at present is imperfect ; is plainly intimated by their cries , ( both the matter and manner of them , they are represented crying with a loud voice , and that for vengeance ; ) and is formally expressed in the answer made them — they were to rest yet for a little season , until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed , as they were , should be fulfilled . for farther confirmation of this doctrine , which is of no small moment in our present argument ; i cannot but recommend that most full and excellent passage of the learned * grotius , in that place above cited . the natural love which we all by experience find our souls to have toward the body , is an undeniable evidence that the soul is in it self an imperfect substance , which by perfecting the body , is it self also perfected by obtaining its end . besides justice will not allow , that the body , which by the conduct and command of the soul has endured much , born the greatest part of all difficulties and conflicts here ; should have no share in the reward . — add to this , that it is not to be imagined but that the supream creator should propound some great end in erecting humane nature ; and that can be conceived to be no less than the happiness of the whole man : now the happiness of a part cannot be the happiness of the whole ; but god made the whole man. thus this most excellent man reasons on our side . to the same purpose we may not omit the * notion of the philosophers and schoolmen , ( which the learned author knows much better than i can tell him ) viz. that the soul hath as natural an inclination to be united to the body , as a light thing to mount upward ; beside , if the philosopher had been silent , this truth is undeniably established from the sacred authority but now alledg'd , viz. the earnest cries , and longing desires of the souls under the altar , to be again united to their bodies . nay this doctrine has not only been constantly maintained , but also carry'd on and advanced by the schoolmen ; who in this point are express and full , that the happiness of the saints shall be greater at the day of judgment than now it is or can be ; and they are so liberal withal as to give us the manner and reasons of it , why it is so , and how it is brought about ; † i. e. it is extensively augmented in the body which before lay in the grave under the enjoyment only of a negative happiness ; in an exemption from pain and a rest from all its labours : but is in reunion admitted to a positive one ; is after a long separation placed in copartnership with the soul , ly , 't is extensively augmented in the soul which rejoices at the new nuptials ; has no small satisfaction , complacency , pleasure , in the advancement and injoyment of his bride , after so long a separation and divorce . when two intimate friends that have not for many years seen one another , happily meet again , how great , how ravishing , how superlative is their joy ? if there be joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth , as we are sure there is , luk. , if it be one part of the happiness of the inhabitants of that jerusalem that is above , that they shall know their ancient acquaintance and relations with whom they have lived on earth , and sit down with them there , praising , exalting , congratulating each others condition , as is by many asserted , and is not at all improbable . this offers fairly for the proof of what the shools have here determined ; who in the procedure of the argument further tells , viz. that the happiness is intensively also advanced : forasmuch as the soul makes the body perfect ; for the support of which they produce the known axiom which is allowed of in all other cases , and therefore ought to pass muster here ; that every part is by its self imperfect , 't is perfected in the whole . 't is true , if we consider the body as it is represented by the school of plato , a sepulchre , a prison ; or really as it now is , a sink of infirmities , diseases , and indispositions ; an heavy load and weight , pressing down the soul. i do confess i see nothing beautiful or charming to make the soul in love with it . but when we shall draw the curtain , and change the scene , when we shall contemplate the glorious qualities wherewith it shall be enobled after the resurrection , when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption , and this mortal have put on immortality ; when it shall have obtained a most perfect victory not only over death , but all its troublesome antecedents and consequences also : the known miseries of this life , and the calamities of the grave ; when , i say , the body has surmounted all these , and sits above 'em ; this must induce us strongly to conclude for the argument in hand . if this be the case , ( as in truth it is ) the happiness of the saint must be advanced to such a degree , as surpasseth our understanding : all that we have to do is for ever to admire and adore . to conclude this part , 't is a truth too plain to be disputed , that the separate soulson all hands are not under the full injoyment of either rewards or punishments : that this is the case of the damned spirits , needs no laboriousness of proof , the single interrogation of those disposed in the gospel , mat. . . art thou come to torment us before the time ? alone is sufficient ; nor have we less evidence on the other hand . where-ever the souls of the departed saints under the law were , 't is certain they were not in heaven ; for the captain of our salvation was the first that opened those everlasting doors , and made his entrance there ; that went before to provide mansion places for his faithful ones . wherever the souls of the gospel-believers , since departed , have their residence , though ( as i believe , notwithstanding the determination of the council of florence , and others ) we can conclude nothing of certainty here ; nevertheless we have so much evidence that their state is imperfect ; as that i do not see how any man can have the forehead to deny . the nail of this doctrine is immovably fastned by the author to the heb. . and last , where after he had given a large catalogue of the most renowned saints departed , together with the records of their most noble atchievements ; says expresly , that all these having obtained a good report , through faith , received not the promise ; god having provided some better things for us , that they without us should not be perfect . in the meaning of which place there can be no doubt , because the stream of interpreters here run in one channel , altogether undivided ; all agreed that this is the sence . — the consummation of the happiness of those under the law shall not prevent those under the gospel ; the day of judgment is the stated time of both , whenthere shall be a general resurrection : the accomplishment of the great patriarchs under the old dispensation , must await ours under the new ; the labourors that entred the vineyard the first hour of the day , shall not be paid off before those that came in the last hour ; the wages of all is not to be expected before the end of all ; the promise refers to the resurrection , ( as was noted in the preamble ) and is put for the thing promised ; which can be no other than the glorification of our bodies in conjunction with our souls , and this makes the happiness compleat ; which shall not be conferr'd on some , before others , but shall be bestowed on all assembled together in a grand consistory at the last audit. this also is the professed doctrine of our church , as she has taught and injoyned us in her liturgy to pray , — beseeching god of his gracious goodness , shortly to accomplish the number of his elect ; and to hasten his kingdom ; that we , with all those departed in the true faith of his holy name , may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in thy eternal and everlasting kingdom . a most heavenly prayer ; this being incomparably the best shield , buckler , the best antidote and preservative against the loss of friends , or the consideration of our own approaching mortality , ( with respect both to our selves and others ) to bouy up our spirits amidst the melancholy apprehensions of the rottentenness and miseries of the grave , and exalts us above the worms , and corruption of it ; directing us assuredly to know and believe that there is a time coming , when there will be an happy meeting of both ( though they are now with grief and rluctancy divided ) when the happiness of both shall be complete : and this is an authority undeniably authentick , and must ( for any thing i can see to the contrary ) strongly and irrefragably establish the doctrine contended for , viz. that our bodies are capable of cewards and punishments hereafter of doing well or evil here . chap. xi . the learned author having laid aside the opinions of tertullian , as not serviceable to his purpose ; not affording him a satisfactory reason of this decree of almighty god concerning the resurrection : to give a true accounr of it , thinks it necessary to mount a little higher , and to look a little farther and passing by many conjectures , which he finds in the schools , and in some of our ancient writers , and among the jewish masters ; p. . lays before you his own thoughts ; and here he assigns three reasons why god has been pleased to decree , that the soul in the day of judgment shall be again united to a humane body in discussing of which , i shall beg leave to invert the order of them , as more suitable to the method of my discourse , and for the advantage of my present argument ; which ( if i mistake not ) will gain one of those reasons over to our side and party , as falling over to it , and therefore ought to go together . the last reason , which i here place first , why god will restore us to our humane nature , and why he will raise up the very same body is , p. . he will because he will , a very bad reason for the actions of man , but a very good one for god's ; he will because he hath promised : which the learned author irrefragably confirms from what follows , p. . which i conceive my self obliged to transcribe ; and is as follows , — i am the lord , i have said it , and who can say , what dost thou ? there is nothing that god does , but he does for a very good reason : and who are we , that we should call him to an account for what he does ? his ways and his counsels are many of them unsearchable to us ; and as job tells us , chap. , . he gives not account of any of his matter● 't is his part to act , ours to admire and submit ; and as long as our reason and our senses are not plainly contradicted , we are only to enquire what , not how , or why . i would fain know of those who deny the resurrection of the same humane body , because they do not know what use we can make of the particular parts in the life to come , whether they deny or doubt the existence of all other things ; the reason of which they cannot comprehend : i would undertake to quiet the scruples of these men , and to satisfie all their queries , if they would be pleased to answer a few questions of mine : i could ask them the reason of an hundred things in nature and divinity . — which he there supposes unaccconntable ; and particularly in the case about the resurrection , p. . he acknowledges a multitude of difficulties altogether inextricable , i. e. for which there is no reason to be given , and therefore must of necessity be resolved into this , viz. the will and pleasure of god. i willingly concur with the learned author here , and presume there is no one that will oppose him . for this without paradventure is the highest and most supream reason which must put to silence all objections ; remove all difficulties whatsoever , and make things which seem to us impossible , easie . though with mary we do not know how this can be , luke . , though our reason cannot fathom , cannot comprehend it , yet our faith must give us an assurance that it will be ; and teach us , with the mother of the holy jesus , with submission to conclude , — behold the handmaid of the lord , be it unto me according to thy word . this is a reason above all reasons , allowed and approved of by all , and to which all others ( however philosophical and plausible ) must submit . this i gladly and readily note , because i expect to receive some advantage from it in the subsequent part of this discourse , for i am in hopes to prove the doctrine i have attempted to defend , to be the express determination of god's revealed will and word , and then all the most powerful arguments of the profoundest philosophers , must truckle under , and fall to the ground : but ( if i mistake not ) this reason of gods word or decree of the resurrection of the body , was not in the least the subject of the dispute : the question only arose from the reason of this decree . there can be no doubt but that the resurrection will be , because god hath said and ordained it : the subject of the enquiry can be no other than the reason of god's will and pleasure here ; namely why god has decreed the resurrection of the same body ; and this obliges the learned author to look farther ; and therefore , secondly , in the the next place he tells us , ( p. . ) that another reason why god has been pleased to ordain that the same humane body that died , shall rise again and be reconjoined to the soul ; i take to be this ( and that indeed i take to be the first and chief reason of that decree ) we had all been immortal men if adam had not sinned ; 't was god's design that we should never die , but that our souls should remain for ever united to their bodies ; this gracious design being frustrated by adam's transgression ; he was graciously pleased to ordain , that as in adam all die ; so in christ the second adam , we should all at last triumph over death , and be restored to those bodies ; and that humane nature , which he first designed should be immortal ; by the death and resurrection of christ our losses are to be repaired which adam's sin occasioned , but our losses cannot be repaired , unless we are restored to those bodies which by his sinning we lost . to this second reason i say , first , i have no mind to implunge my self , or reader in the decrees of almighty god , which is an abyss or ocean never to be fathomed : nor am i disposed to concern my self about the examination of that question , whether adam and his posterity had died if they had not sinned ? only i shall briefly and freely deliver my opinion in this matter . that it seems to me very probable that ( allowing the supposition of his and their continuance in their spotless purity ) he and his race after some time , like enoch or elias , or some other way , ( with analogy and resemblance to these , ) should have been translated ; for 't is no way conceivable , how that paradise , ( which was but a garden , as the word imports , and by the boundaries and description of it must be acknowledged a very small and inconsiderable part of the earth ) should have held , and contained him and his numberless issue in the state of innocency , which state must unavoidably by all be allowed , perfectly and intirely prolifick , absolutely free and dischargeb from all false conceptions or abortions , all impediments or indispositions whatsoever , on either side ; passing by all this , i say , that that which the learned author takes to be the first and chief reason of this decree of the resurrection , i take to be no reason at all , or at least to be no adequate reason of the general resurrection ; the utmost that it can pretend to , ( as it is here stated ) is only the resurrection of the just ; the reason is undeniable , for the learned author here sets it forth , and expresses it , by a gracious design , and the gracious pleasure of god. now how this can agree with , and include the resurrection on of the reprobate , let the world judge . the subject of our discourse is the resurrection of all men , of which the wicked are allowed by all to be by far the greater number . and this is a doctrine that can meet with no opposition ; that these are to be called out of their graves to an everlasting death , to be taken out of the common prison ; to be delivered over to tormentors ; to be cast into that dungeon whence there is no redemption ; where the worm dieth not , and the fire never shall be quenched ; where there is utter darkness and uninterrupted , weeping and gnashing of teeth . in a word , the resurrection of the wicked is only in order to a judgment that is altogether insupportable . he is like the worst of criminals taken from the gaol to undergo a much severer doom . his resurrection ushers in the tremendous sentence , depart , ye cursed , into everlasting fire , prepared for the devil and his angels . here the designs carry in them the advancement of divine vengeance , justice , and glory , without the least mite or crumb of grace or favour . the undone reprobate placed on the other side of the great gulf , is for ever excluded from all hopes of these ; not all his cries , in his greatest extremity , can prevail for one drop of water . there is no place for favour or mercy in hell , so that it seems to me somewhat strange , how the learned author came to take up this for a reason , and to alledge for confirmation of it , that passage of the apostle , ( cor. . . ) as in adam all die , so in christ shall all be made alive . i am verily perswaded , that this place was never before understood of , or applied to the resurrection of the wicked , but of the righteous only . neque vivificantur omnes in christo , sed tantum qui christo adhaeserunt , saith the excellent cameron , ( eccl. tom . . ) and all commentatators go the same way : and indeed no one without offering manifest violence to the sacred text , can put any other interpretation on it , it being the chief design of the apostle in that chapter , ( as is evident from the whole carriage of it ) to set forth the glorious qualities attending the bodies of the righteous at the resurrection , without touching in the least on the other side : beside , we have most plentiful assurance , that christ's coming , his merits , death , and resurrection , are so far from being advantageous to all , that the quite contrary is undeniable . these ( greatest of favours ) shall sink those that have despised them into the lowest , deepest , darkest , and most dismal place of hell. to this purpose the prophet isaiah delivers himself expresly , chap. . ver . . he ( christ ) shall be for a stone of stumbling , and rock of offence to both the houses of israel ; for a gin and a snare to the inhabitants of jerusalem . which great truth two evangelists have left on record , matth. . . luke . . whosoever shall fall on this stone shall- be broken ; but on whomsoever it shall fall , it shall grind him to powder . the very self-same doctrine is taught us by st. paul , rom. . ult . and prosecuted and amplified at large by st. peter , epist. . , seq . … beside , 't were an easie province to discharge this also from being a reason of the resurrection of the righteous , for 't is a truth that shineth as clear as the sun at noon-day , that this blessed change advances the saint to a state of happiness and glory , beyond what man could ever pretend to , had the still continued in his primitive purity . but this is not my business . wherefore i come to consider the third and remaining reason , assigned by the learned author , why the soul at the day of judgment is again to be united to the body ; which is as follows : p. . — that as we are men when we sin , or do well , so we may be men , when by a judicial sentence we are punished or rewarded for it : but we cannot be men , unless we have humane bodies . st. paul tells us , that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , that every man may receive the things done in his body , according to that he hath done , whether it be good or bad . and as we are to give an account for what we did in the body ; so in the body we shall give an account , if it be reasonable that we should be men when we are punished or rewarded for what we did when men ; it seems much more reasonable , that we should be then the same men : but we cannot be the same men , unless we have the same bodies . chap. xii . i cannot here forbear with the philosopher , to cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and with an extasie of joy most willingly and gladly receive it . this certainly is a reason which must be allowed , approved of and applauded by all : a reason , which deserves the inscription of capital golden letters ; and , as job speaks , to be graven with an iron pen and lead in a rock for ever , job . . or , as the prophet jeremy expresses it , tho' in a different sense , to be written with a pen of iron , and the point a diamond , jer. . . this is that reason which , being in love with , i do earnestly contend for , and am very unwilling to lose , the great and standing reason of the resurrection , in all ages embraced , and commended by ael : which tho' the learned anthor has been pleased to censure , condemn , and throw aside as false and untrue , and to give us no less than three reasons for his justification ; yet here he ●akes it up again ; and notwithstanding his former reflections on it , give it a new reputation , and in his most studied , refined , and last reasons of this most important doctrine of the resurrection recommends it to the world in the first place ( as no doubt the flower and prime of all ) . nay , what is more , he sets it on the foundation of an infallible authority , ( cor. . . ) which at present i shall wave , because i design to consider 〈◊〉 it at large in the latter part of this discourse , industriously reserving it , as the finishing and concluding nail wherewith to fix the doctrine , and render it immoveable . there is ( i confess ) some variation in the words , and manner of expression ; but in the sense there is very little , or none at all ; if it be otherwise , i must openly confess my ignorance : i appeal ( in this as in other cases ) to the impartial reader . i always have , and ever will pay the learned authora just deference and regard . i honour and admire him for his great worth , his vast reading , and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , his manifold learning , and i look upon it almost an offence to differ from him . but i hope he will pardon my presumption , for i cannot help it : and 't is no small comfort to me , tho' we formerly differed , yet we are now perfectly agreed , ( the variation of a few words only excepted ) : what he calls reasonable , i call equitable and just ; what he calls man , that i can understand no other than his soul and body united , ( which are allowed by all to be the two essential parts of his constitution ) for my part , i see no other difference . the ancients and modern , and in a manner all divines , ( as has been above acknowledged , and proved at large ) say , that the resurrection is founded upon justice ; i. e. that the same body is to be united to the same soul hereafter , that both may receive either rewards or punishments , according to their merits or demerits here . the learned author says expresly , that 't is reasonable we should be men when , we are punished or rewarded for what we did when men. and further adds , that it seems much more reasonable that we should be the same men : which to my understanding is all one . chap. xiv . having hitherto attempted the vindication of this great catholick doctrin , to give some satisfaction to the objections brought against it , and to rescue it from captivity . having also considered at large the opinions of tertullian to this purpose , and the three reasons assigned by the learned doctor . that which remains now is to lay down some considerations for the safeguard and protection of it for the time to come , and i shall divide them into two ranks , viz. considerations drawn from , first , reason . secondly , scripture . i begin with the first , in order whereunto i beg this as a modest postulatum which i conceive cannot be denied me , verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtless he is a god that judgeth the earth , the judge of the whole earth must do right , gen. . . justice is one of the most signal attributes of the divine nature , more frequently and eminently ascribed unto him above the rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , justice ( says the heathen ) is the eye of god , he will and must sooner or later render unto every man ( without respect of person ) according to his doings . first , now it is undeniable both from the frequent assertions of solomon and other holy penmen , together with the universal experience of all ages ; that the course of it is interrupted , suspended , darkened , nay inverted in the present administration of affairs here . all things come alike to all , there is one event to the righteous , and to the wicked , to the good and to the clean and to the unclean , to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not , as is the good so is the sinner , and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath , eccl. . . here just men perish in their righteousness and wicked men prolong their lives in their wickedness , eccl. . . with a multitude of other places to the same purpose . the matter of fact has always appeared so plain and visible as that there has no attempt at any time been made against it ; but constantly allowed as an undoubted aphorism . upon all occasions taken up and made the out-cry , the stumbling block , the grand objection against providence . it were an easy matter to enlarge here ; and to report the loud and heavy charges of the * heathens in this arguments as also the frequent complaints of holy men † it may suffice to my purpose only to note how that the wicked are so far from being treated according to their deserts in this life , as that the contrary for the most part is bestowed on them , they go away with the riches , pleasures , honours , are accomodated with the prosperity , pomp , and grandure of the world. secondly , t is also certain that the wickedness of some is so superlatively great , as that it cannot be sufficiently punished in this life , by all that can be inflicted on them , the repetition and accumulation of a multitude of crimes , each of which is in its own nature and by the law , capital , must be acknowledged too great to be compensated by one single death . he that has ran through the whole circle of sin ( as the case may be stated ) tho he be handled according to the severest method , both of shame and punishments can make no equivalent or tolerable satisfaction for the same . the firebrand of the world , who with the furys of war has destroyed countrys , depopulated nations , sent thousands of souls to the other world in their blood and sins , can make no sufficient attonement , by all that he can do or suffer here . thirdly , nor is it less evident on the other side , that the good man does not ( i may safely say ) oftentimes cannot receive a just recompence for all his doings and sufferings here ; he is encompassed with so thick a cloud of miseries , that his whole life is but one continued conflict , with hardships and difficulties , from the first to the last scene , the most doleful of tragedies . like the poor begger in the gospel , he has a full measure of evil things , is pinched with cold , hunger , nakedness , boyls and sinks under his complicated calamities : or like the great apostle ( cor. . , &c. ) can give us a black role of miseries that have on every side attended him thro the whole race of his life , and have been his inseparable companions to the grave : this was more especially the case of these devout christians that lived in the fiery days of persecution , and has been and will always be , more or less , of pious souls to the world's end . now if we reflect on these passages with a thorough , and serious consideration , what conclusion can we possible draw from hence ? shall we take an occasion upon this account as the heathens have done , to arreign the justice of heaven , with open mouth to charge god foolishly , or as we find holy men sometimes muttering . tush ! god hideth away his face , and he doth not see , there is no knowledge in the almighty , then have i cleansed my heart in vain , and washed my hands in innocency , it is vain to serve god , what profit is there in it . no , verily these are illogical and false inferences , from these irregularities and failures here , we must firmly conclude there is a time approaching , when the supreme judge will set all things at rights , i. e. there is a resurrection , which is attended with impartial justice to all , this i am sure is the great use which the royal psalmist points at and directs us to , psal . . , . the lord will not cast off his people , neither will he forsake his inheritance , but judgment shall return unto righteousness . tho now they are at a distance , yet they shall shake hands and meet again , and then the wicked shall be punished , and the godly rewarded . this i am sure is the improvement st. paul makes of it , thes . . . where speaking of the persecutions and tribulations which the saints endured , calls them a manifest token of the righteous judgment of god. not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not an example but demonstration ; tho' now the order of justice be inverted , tho' the wicked which deserve punishment are far from it , tho they prosper and triumph , are florishing and spreading like the cedars in lebanus , and you that are well deserving , are rudely and barbarously treated , you are to look on this as an undeniable evidence , that there is a day of review approaching , when justice shall be done to all ; this is undeniably the meaning of our apostle here , as appears not only from the expression but also from what follows , where he expatiates on the argument . that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of god , for which ye also suffer ; seeing it is a righteous thing with god to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you , and to you who are troubled rest , when the lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven , with his mighty angels in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god , and obey not the gospel of our lord jesus christ , who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power , when he shall come to be glorified in his saints , and to be admired in all them that believe in that day . the natural and genuine interpretation of which place can be no other than if the apostle had said , have but a little patience and the scene will be inverted , those who afflict and persecute you shall pay dearly for it , and you that now suffer shall be gloriously rewarded at the resurrection of all , which is designed for justice to all men , and to every part of man. lastly , from the foregoing experiences ( which must be allowed ) there can no inference be thought on more reasonable than that which the same apostle has elsewhere repeated , acts . . that god hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness . for the farther improvement of the argument , i think fit to recommend in the next place those various parables in the gospel so often mentioned ; of the labourers , of the talents , of the husbandmen : for 't is undeniable that all these have a manifest tendency to the business in hand . all these are to be considered , and according to their behaviour treated , upon the return of the great lord at the end of the day , and of their work , in all which we have a special and exact account of every man's recompence according to his works ; justice in all the proceedings being made the standing rule and measure , and the resurrection , the unalterable time , and so by consequence appositely answers our present design . in all these cases we have the repeated declaration of that great judge , that he will give to all what he promised , what is right , what properly belongs unto him . he that hid his talent meets with a hard but equitable doom : he that improved it is advanced : in a word , the loiterer ( eo nomine ) is punished as such , and the faithful labourer is promoted . the treatment of all here is proportioned to their former doings and deservings . so we find it expresly noted by st. luke . . he who had received five pounds , and by his industry had gained five more , is kindly received with the character of a good and faithful servant , and because of his ten pounds , has authority given him over ten cities ; and so with proportion in the next example , he whose pound had gained five , has a suitable command over five cities . nor have we less evidence of the point in hand , from the rewards , the wages , the recompense of reward ; which are phrases that ever and anonoccur in holy writ . all these are well known to be metaphorical and relative terms ; and therefore for a right understanding , necessarily direct us to the correlative ; and that can be no other than the whole man : all his actions , all his deeds , all his merits , shall be taken into consideration ; the traffick of his whole life is brought upon examination , and accordingly he shall receive the returns of them ; at the setled time of the resurrection . nor may we omit the diversities and degrees of rewards and punishments , which attend the bodies of men in the other world , and can result from nothing but justice ; for as it is the essence of it to take care to punish the evil doer , and to reward the man of merit : so is it no less to dispence both with respect to the deservings of either . this is the method of all tribunals here below , and is industriously observed ( as himself has assured us ) by the judge above . to this purpose all governments have provided great varieties of all kinds , to answer the infinite cases that come before them , and how plentifully in this the supream governour is accommodated , the magna charta of heaven will not suffer us to be ignorant . forasmuch then as there are in that everlasting dungeon below different stations , or at least punishments provided for such as shall by a dreadful sentence be fixed there ; of which ( to pass by all others ) the tremendous woes pronounced against corazin and capernaum , tire and sidon , the outer darkness and greater damnation are undeniable evidences ; it roundly follows that the hand of justice is conspicuous in all this : on the other side , forasmuch as there are many mansions , higher and lower places of honour and glory prepared for the bodies of the saints in the empyraean heaven , of the truth of which we are so abundantly secured , as that it would be a weak ●upererogation to attempt the proof . we are by all the rules of reason and logick to make the same conclusion as heretofore ; it being scarcely possible to derive it from any other cause . if the bodies of the twelve apostles ( for the promise cannot be applied to their souls only , because it is to be made good after the resurrection , and at the day of judgment ) are hereafter to be seated upon twelve thrones , as judges and assessors of the twelve tribes of israel , i. e. of all mankind . if the sons of zebedee ; the martyr'd saints , some of those of the highest form shall fill those immediate places of the right hand , and of the left hand of christ of his kingdom . if the eminent christians in the gentile world shall come from the east and from the west , and take their places next to abraham , isaac , and jacob , the great patriarchs of the promise . if those that have beaten down their bodies , and brought them into subjeicton ( by their unwaried wrestling with the flesh have obtained a victory over it here ) shall receive the advantage thereof in their exaltation above : if ( as the apostle speaks ) every man shall receive his own reward according to his labour , cor. . . if those that have done and suffered more in this life ; are carried on and encouraged thereto , from an infallible assurance of a suitable retaliation : that is to say , of an emminent and proportionable recompence at the resurrection of the just ; it is i think to any man who will not shut his eyes against the light , a plain case , viz. in all this the justice of god is signal and conspicuous . hither tend the advancements of glory appropriated and applied by the ancients and schoolmen to three sorts of men ; more especially , first , to the famous preachers of the gospel , who with the great apostle did very gladly spend and were spent , laboured more abundantly in the vineyard . of the truth of this there can be no doubt , since truth it self has assured us , that they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament , and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever , dan. ult . . and that the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of the father , mat. . . and this is farther and more fully confirmed in the above mentioned promise of twelve thrones to the first heralds of the gospel . secondly , to such as have kept themselves unspotted from the flesh , have adorned their conversation with purity and chastity , and have fought valiantly and victoriously in this warfare . this is asserted by the prophet isaiah , in a lofty and rhetorical strain , ( as his custom is ) chap. . , . thus saith the lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths , and chuse the things that please me , and take hold of my covenant , even to them will i give in mine house , and within my walls , a place and a name , better than of sons and of daughters : i will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off . this is alluded to by our blessed saviour , mat. . . and emphatically noted by st. john , rev. . . where those pure virgins that were not desiled with women are represented , dignified with extraordinary marks of glory above others , v. . they sung a new song which no man could learn , they were admitted to follow the lamb whithersoever he goeth , and are called expresly the first fruits unto god and unto the lamb. thirdly , the noble army of martyrs , who have chearfully for the testimony of the faith and a good conscience , suffered the most cruel torments that men or devils could inflict given their bodies to the● wild beasts and to the flames . there can be no dispute of the truth of this point neither , forasmuch as that it is 〈◊〉 confirmed by the testimony of the infallible spirit which assigns an eminency of happiness to those that were slain for the word of god , and for the testimony which they held , white robes were given unto them , rev. . , . and positively pronounces the right hand , and left hand , the principal places in the kingdom of heaven to belong to those that have drank of christ's cup , and been baptised with his baptism , mat. . . to this purpose excellent is the animadversion of st. augustine , videbimus in illo regno in corporibus martyrum vulnerum cicatrices , quae pro christi nomine pertulerunt non enim deformitas in eis , sed dignitas erit & quaedam quamvis in corpore non corporis sed virtutis pulchritudo fulgebit . civ . dei l. . c. . we shall see in heaven in the bodies of the martyrs , the marks of those wounds which they received for christ's sake ; and these will be no deformity , but an honour to them ; the beauty of their grace● will gloriously shine forth through these impressions . and again this great father to the same purpose has noted , in cicatricibus martyrum , sole fulgidioribus extabit martyrii gloriosissimum monumentum , non autem ullum corporis glorificati dehonestamentum . civ . dei , l. . . cap. . in the scars of the bodies of the martyrs , brighter than the sun , shall shine forth the most glorious trophy of martyrdom . we all allow it for the honour and reputation of a souldier to shew the foot steps of those wounds which he received in fighting valiantly for his king and countrey . and indeed this consideration makes this opinion very probable ; 't is generally admitted by the schools and others , and in the main , cannot be denied ; and in my apprehension does not a little contribute to the support of that doctrine which is our business to establish ; if the bodies of some of the saints in heaven shall be signalized with characters of advancement of glory , they are certainly capable of rewards . for the farther improvement of the argument , i desire that it may be observed , how that the resurrection and judgment are so interwoven and twisted together , as that the one cannot be separated from the other ; 't is a truth which neither can nor will be denied ; that the one is in order to the other ; and as at the assizes here below , when the court is set , the persons concerned are brought from preson to the bar , in order to their trials : so it is in this last and general assize , the supream judge sends out his officers to remand all out of their graves , from all quarters of the world , to make their personal appearance , to answer to their charge , and abide the final determination of this last audit. and though there may and will be to the end of the world , prevarications , failures , and deviations , in the proceedings of all earthly tribunals , yet this highest court of justice must be acknowledged by all to be altogether exempt from these : 't is placed beyond the possibility of the least miscarriage . well then , the reason of the resurrection is the judgment which is immediately to follow after it ; and if our bodies are not concerned in the business transacted , what do they make here ? if they are no other than instruments only , their appearance is altogether needless , of which we have a full assurance by all the methods of judicature upon earth . to what purpose should almighty god put himself to the expence of a miracle , which must be allowed by all equivalent with the creation ? to what purpose , i say , does the omnipotent power in a more extraordinary and eminent manner exert it self , in rallying together ther the confused and scattered atoms of all mankind , in bringing them back to their ranks and files , to the same station and order in which they formerly stood ; would he ( think you ) do all this were our bodies no more than tools ? credat judaeus apell● ..... is this suitable to the solemnity of this great day when all the world shall be present , and all the concerns of all mankind from first to last adjusted ; what must the archangel be sent before to prepare the way , with his mighty voice and trump of god to rouze all out of their graves , to make their personal appearance ? what must the son of god leave the bosom and right hand of his father , and now a second time come down in the clouds of heaven , attended and environed with miriads of his holy angels , exalted on his throne to sit in judgment on things altogether insensible , altogether incapable of doing good or evil , altogether incapable of rewards and punishments ? i cannot conceive how such an imagination should find any the least entertainment with a man of reason ; was there ever such a thing heard of as a most magnificent tribunal erected , with all the most solemn preparations and attendants , to examine , arraign , try , and condemn meer stocks and stones , senseless clods of earth ; which never were capacitated either to commit sin , or feel pain ? now the no●ion of phylosophy with which we are at present engaged , seems to charge the supreme tribunal with all this , for it , says expresly and totidem verbis , viz. the body is not capable either of sinning , or doing well , the arm which stabbs sins no more than the sword , the body is not sensible , is not capable of any reward or punishment , page . if then it can be made appear , that our bodies are in an especial manner concerned in the business and determination of this great and terrible day , there needs no farther proof , to bring the former absurdities home , and fix them here . now , that they are so , seems abundantly evident , and undeniable . . because the souls of all men departed had passed their judgment before ; immediately upon their respective dissolutions , the eternities of them all were stated , and they accordingly invested ( tho their bodies slept in their dormitories ) . secondly , all the apparatus , the concomitants , and attendance of this day proclaim this aloud . this the effectual call of the heavenly pr●●o that commands them out of their ●eds of dust , this that irresistable power which brings them to the bar , this their place and posture of standing there , this the examination and inspection into their former lives , this their remuneration accordingly , in a word , this the whole process of the day doth abundantly testifie . when a person is remanded from the goal , and brought directly before the bench , when his indictment is read , when he is impleaded , when the witnesses are examined , when an exact scrutiny is made , when he is found guilty , and sentence is pronounced against him : no one in his right senses can doubt who was the party concerned at the tryal . nor is it less than a contradiction in terms to imagine that this party thus handled , thus proceeded against , properly speaking , was not capable of doing good or evil , was not sensible , was not capable of rewards or punishments . thirdly and lastly , to strengthen what we have here asserted , and to secure it from the attack of the philosopher , i desire it may be observed : how that the holy , scriptures are on our side , and seem to countenance this truth . st. john does frequently tell us that the dead were judged — and our blessed saviour in no less than three places , is described by this periphrasis , a judge both of the quick and the dead , act. . . tim. . . pet. . . there is no need of a comment here . the word dead puts all out of doubt , it being properly applicable to our bodies only . our souls are ( by the allowance of all ) pronounced immortal ; and in the sense of the scripture here , neither are or can be subject to death . so that here , if any where , the caveat of the apostle ought duly to be regarded . col. . . beware least any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit . from this passage we are plainly taught that there is a sort of philosophy , both vain and deceitful , and how prejudicial it has been to divinity , no one ( any way conversant with the learned ) can possibly be ignorant . hence valentinus owes his heresie , hence marcion his , the jews ( in our saviour's time ) has suckt in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of pythagoras to the corrupting of their religion . and without doubt the aereal notions derived from the school of plato led the most learned origen aside in his doctrine about the resurrection , upon this account it was that the jews in the days of the maccabees enacted a prohibition against philosophy , and the known character that tertullian gives them ( petriarchas haereticorum ) can be derived from no other cause . of this stamp ( if i mistake not ) is the philosophy before us , fallacious and deceitful ( as i have above represented it , ) and therefore we ought to be careful , and fearful of it ; the surest way not to be entangled with it , is to lay it aside : what , tho the subtile philosopher , urge me with a syllogism which i am not able to answer , nor , ( as is by him ingeniously confessed ) himself neither ? what , tho he by his logick entangles me in a difficulty which is not easily effoyled ? i am notwithstanding all his quirks to be tenaceous of that truth , which i have all the reason in the world ( except his fallacy ) to believe . when the philosopher urged a strong and as was supposed an irresistable argument against motion , the respondent gave him a sufficient answer and confutation by his walking . the case comes home , the body is expresly summoned to appear and must be concluded a party , notwithstanding all that the philosopher has to say against it . the sophister then here labours in the fire , all his deceitful logick will never be able to perswade men of understanding that the body is barely the instrument of the soul , t is ( as he has been often told ) a part , an essential part , the one half of the man , which as such is properly and directly concerned in the negotiations traffick and actions of this state of probation , and so unavoidably interested in the account and as a party together with the soul to answer for all ; and to stand or fall accordingly . t is not to be denyed that our senses are the great inletts of sin , and therefore ought to be allowed the proper subjects of punishment , in order whereunto t is observable how that the greatest part of the torments of hell which we find mentioned in its black catalogue seem in a peculiar and proper manner to be marked out , and intended to this very purpose , as most offensive and displeasing to them : for example here is darkness , than which nothing can be more offensive to the sight , and to make it full here is utter darkness . is fire injurious to the touch ? here t is with a witness most frequently assigned as the greatest severest part of hell. and that the smell should not escape scotfree , here is an addition of brimstone . and farther to affect the organs of seeing and hearing ; there are two other punishments expresly assigned to the damned , viz. weeping and wailing , which ( unless we will interpret all these metaphorically , contrary to the judgment of all ) must be applyed to the body . in a word , the argument is clearly on our side , it being the doctrine of all ( without exception ) that there are in that dungeon below , punishments provided for and appropriated to both parts . lastly , the elaborate treatise of the learned author seems to me a full answer and confutation of the objections . he has proved the resurrection of the same body , from the antidiluvian patriarchs , the jews , the abissines , peruvians , prussians , brasilians , &c. — from all the heathens — he has proved it to have been the doctrine of the primitive fathers ; of the councils ; of the creeds ; of the scriptures : answered all the objections against it , and can it be supposed that he should take so much pains to no purpose , does he in all this learned undertaking contend de lana caprina ? it must be confessed and allowed nothing less if the body be barely an instrument , a machine ; if it be not sensible ; materiam superabat opus , certainly he has stooped his noble pen to too ignoble a subject , he might very well have spared his labour : to what end should the same body arise if it never were capable of doing good or evil , neither can be of rewards or punishments ? no verily , by this accomplished work , he has obliged the world , and done the church good service , effectually proclaimed aloud the truth , which is here contended for . the resurrection of the same body carries in the very bowel of it a judgment , together with the consequences of it . and if it be necessary that the same body should appear , the actions of the former life , are unavoidably fastned to it , together with the sutable rewards of that which is to come . chap. xv. if these sentiments were not ( as we conceive them to be the suggestions of reason ) to mount in the argument a little higher , come we to divine revelation , and to enquire what authorities we can find here for the support of it . for if our reason of the resurrection receive any countenance from the sacred oracles ; it s above the shock of the philosopher , and can no more be impressed by all his notions , than the creation of the world could be overturned by the known axiom of the great stagyrite , ex nihilo nihil fit , out of nothing nothing can be made . i begin with two noted authorities of our saviour , which because of a near affinity to each other , i shall join here in one : that of our saviour in his sermon on the mount , mat. . . together with that of the twelve apostles when he gave them their commission , and instructed them in their duty , mat. . . for if thy right eye offend thee , pluck it out and cast it from thee ; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish , and not thy whole body should be cast into hell : and if thy right hand offend thee cut it off , and cast it from thee , for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. and in the second , fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the soul , but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell — in both which places we are again and again assured that the bodies of men , as well as souls are liable to the punishments of hell , unless we can imagine that christ here intended to alarm the world with a brutum fulmen , an ineffectual threat ( which is most impious to conceive . ) to what purpose should he give such frequent advertisements as those , if hell were not to be the portion of evil bodies ? the casting into hell and destroying in hell are applied to bodies ; it can be understood in no other sense but as a commination or affirmation , that they shall be doomed upon their miscarriages here to the severest torments in that region below . if men do not pluck out their right eyes , cut off their right hand — they are in danger of implunging the whole in the lake that burns with fire . if men do not fear god above men , their bodies as well as souls are in danger of hell fire . so that from these two places , all those conclusions follow , and appear as clear as chrystal diametrically contrary to what the learned author would have us to believe , viz. first , that our bodies are capable of punishments because liable to be cast into hell. secondly , that they are capable of doing evil at present , because that portion of misery is here denounced against them , hell being provided for none but the wicked . and the two opposites to these are altogether as apparent . first , our bodies are capable of doing well here , we can cut of our right hand — we can fear god , or else it had never been here intimated as our duty . and lastly , if we live in the discharge of our duty , our bodies shall be admitted to glorious enjoyments in the other world. for this in the antithesis is manifestly applied . the first authority that i produce , shall be that of the apostle , rom : . where after he had pronounced the sinner inexcusable who committed the same sins which he condemned in others ; and charged him with the sure judgment of god , which is according to truth from his impenitency and perseverance in it , tells him , verse . that he thereby treasureth up to himself wrath against the day of wrath , and revelation of the righteous judgment of god , who will render to every man according to his deeds ; to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory , and honour , and immortality , eternal life ; but to them that are contentius , and do not obey the truth , indignation and wrath , tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil , of the jew first , and also of the gentile : but glory , honour , and peace to every man that worketh good , , to the jew first and also to the gentile , for there is no respect of persons with god. if this text be well considered , it will afford a good argument ; in order whereunto it is worthy our observation . first , how that the man is through the whole course of it charged both with the sin and consequences of it ; as in the , , , and . verses . o man. … secondly , that he is said to treasure up wrath , by which elegant metaphor , nothing less can be signified , than that his sins are kept in a safe reconditory to be brought forth against the man in the great day of reckoning . thirdly , he is also here infallibly certified of the justice of all the proceedings then , and that st , from the nature of the judgment it self , 't is righteous . dly , from the character of the judge set forth by this paraphrase , who will render to every man according to his deeds ; which most certainly carries an accent and emphasis with it , being so often in scripture repeated , as psal . . . mat. . . rev. . . dly , by another property which makes his justice altogether as conspicuous . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is no respecter of persons . fourthly , we have here withal a large amplification of the different states which attend all according to their deserts . lastly , so universal is this last scrutiny as that no man whatsoever is exempt from it , neither jew nor gentile ; that is , no person at all , the argument from this authority runs thus . there is a time coming when all men ( which unavoidably supposes the conjunction of both parts ) shall make their personal appearance before a most righteous judge , when all their deeds , of what kind soever , shall be brought upon the stage , and they impartially treated without any other respects but their deservings . when , as st. athanasius's creed expresseth it , all men shall rise with their bodies , and give an account of their works ; and they that have done good , shall go into life everlasting , and they they that have done evil , into everlasting fire . and what is this but justice both with respect to body as well as soul ? for both are here joined together , and one is the inseparable concomitant of the other . the second authority which i offer for the confirmation of the doctrine which i endeavour to vindicate , is john . . marvel not at this , for the hour is coming in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth ; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life , and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation . to bring my text home to the argument , we are necessitated to look back into the context ; where we find the occasion to be the cure of a paralitical man , who had laboured under this chronical disease for no less a space than years , at which the spectators deservedly wonder ; whereupon our blessed saviour gives them an account of a much stranger thing than this — namely , of the resurrection of the bodies of all men from the first to the last , at the end of the world ; marvel not at this , for the hour cometh when all that are in their graves , &c. my observation from this place for the advantage of my argument , is , first , we have here a resurrection ( how strange soever and impossible it may seem to be ) confirmed and established from the mouth of christ himself ; and secondly , we have here the consequence of the resurrection , and the main reason of it ( which is the matter of our dispute ) and i most willingly appeal to the reason of all mankind , whether it be not manifestly held forth in the latter clause ; for tho the illative be suppressed , yet t is manifestly implyed , and the latter part is exegetical , i. e. gives us the reason of the former . the bodies of good men are to rise again , and to enjoy everlasting happiness , and the bodies of the wicked are to be united to their souls , to suffer those punishments , in conjunction now , which their sins , committed in their former union , have deserved . the most natural sense of the place is , as if christ had said , all men shall rise , that they that have done good , may go into life everlasting , and that they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation . the third and next text is rev. . , . i saw the dead , small and great stand before god , and the books were opened ; and another book was opened , which is the book of life , and the dead were judged out of these things which were written in the books , and the sea gave up the dead which were in it , and death and hell deliver'd up the dead which were in them , and they were judged every man according to their works . in this vision st. john represents the general resurrection , under the popular scheme of a grand assize ( with allusion in all probability to the like passages of the prophets daniel and malachy , dan. . . mal. . . ) at which time the books of records , containing the indictments and charges of those summoned to appear , are produced , faithfully read and examined : and as these are found , so do the persons at the bar , either stand or fall : even so is it to all intents and purposes at the resurrection , tho there will be no real written books of registers , but the metaphorical ones of god's omniscience , and every man's conscience ( which carries in it the whole work of the court , all the officers of it ) we are hereby infallibly secured of the accuracy of justice in all the proceedings . every line and clause of this text affords us ample evidence of the doctrine we contend for : as the bodies of all men shall arise to be brought to judgment , so shall all their actions be laid open , carefully scanned , weighed and exaamined , to make the sentence righteous . of which the books ( that is , the accounts , charges , and works contained in them ) are the unvariable measure and rule inviolably to be observed by the supreme judge in the final determinations of all men. now that the force of the argument of this text may not be eluded , i desire the reader to consider these three remarks . first , the dead are raised in order to their tryal , and therefore must by all be allowed in a special manner concerned . secondly , 't is said expresly that the dead were judged , which cannot be referred to the souls of men ( which are immortal , no ways subject to death in the sense here ) it must therefore by an unavoidable necessity be understood of the bodies , and so by consequence all the business of this judgment , from first to the last , both the works and remuneration fastned here . and for the full assurance of which , it ought to be , thirdly , farther noted , how that 't is twice repeated in the close of both the verses — the dead were judged out of these things which were written in the books — and they were judged every man according to their works . fourthly , after these i cannot pass by that of heb. . . god is not vnrighteous , to forget your work and labour of love in ministring to the saints . for our encouragment in well doing , the apostle directs us , to cast our eyes on the recompence of reward which shall attend good and charitable men at last , and secures us in this , that righteousness ( which is the same with justice ) shall be the standard of it , and clearly implies that if god should forget , should not recompense the saint according to his works , he would be unrighteous . fifthly , nor may we omit that infallible assurance which we have received from the mouth of our blessed saviour in that full place mat. . . &c. where we have a large account of the resurrection and judgment , together with the method , rule , and reasons of both . the cursed sentence which shall be passed on the bodies as well as souls of the wicked ( for they are now both joyned together ) has respect to the sins which in their former conjunction they committed , the one is assigned the express reason of the other . so it runs , depart ye cursed into everlasting fire , &c. for i was an hungred and ye gave me no meat , &c. here the illative , for , is allowed by all perswasions , protestants as well as papists , to be causal . and the whole man was concerned in the sin and must be joyned in the punishment , and tho' in the adverse part , when the welcome invitation is given , come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdom , &c. for i was an hungred and ye gave me meat . … some divines of the reformation , will not have it here to signifie the cause but the consequence , to avoid the force of the argument for meritoriousness of good works , which seems to me a very strange distinction ( and as i conceive in the present case altogether needless ) for god may , ought , and will reward us for our good works ; not for any real merit of condignity in them , but because he hath been pleased out of his goodness and bounty , to give us his gracious promises so to do , and upon this account is obliged to make good his word ; but be this how it will , so much is certain , and must be acknowledged by all , it is the main drift and design of our blessed saviour in the whole discourse , to represent our actions here done in the body , to be the square and measure of that judgment which suitably shall attend both body and soul hereafter . sixthly , after all this i might here call in to our assistance , the profess●d argument of the apostle , cor. . on the present subject ; but i have considered this in the beginning of this discourse : i shall therefore now dismiss it with a remark , or two . as , first , how he represents the resurrection , as the basis of christian religion : he secures us of the certainty of it , displays for our comfort the glorious qualities of bodies then : encourages us to persevere in doing good here , from an assurance that our labour will not be in vain hereafter ; intimating in the expression by an elegant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most transcendent incomparable reward : which must of necessity be applyed to the body , whereunto the design of the whole chapter tends . for it must be acknowledged by all , the main end of it : now the reason of all , can result from no other principle , or at least none so considerable as this , viz. that we have to do with a god who will reward every man according to his work ; which fully comes up to what i am to prove . can any one imagine that there would be so much ado about our bodies , if they were not capable of an exalted injoyment in heaven ? no verily , we may depend upon the truth of the contrary ( let the philosopher say what he pleases ) for the same apostle has elsewhere assigned this as the reason of it , phil. . last , god shall change our vile body , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body ; because our conversation is in heaven . our citizenship lies there ; we are free of that jerusalem above , and this angelical alteration is in order to our investiture into all the unspeakable privileges of it . in short , the tendency of the whole chapter resolves it self into this . that christians , notwithstanding all the discouragments in the way , ought to go on with resolution and chearfulness in the discharge of their duty , upon the assurance of a resurrection ; when their bodies as well as their souls shall receive a recompence for all ; and if this be the case of the saint ( as it is here plainly and fully represented ) what the state and condition of the sinner will be upon his resurrection we may easily conclude , not only from the topick of contraries , but also because he is to bring his works along with him to the judgment-seat , and according to these shall receive his sentence of him , who will , must , and can do no other , than judge the world in righteousness . seventhly , i shall mention but one text more , cor. . . for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of christ , that every man may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done , whether it be good or bad . this is the very scripture which the learned author alledges for the confirmation of his reason for the resurrection , viz. that as we are men when we do well , or sin , so 't is reasonable that we should be men , when we are rewarded or punished for it . which , as was intimated before , is the same doctrin with ours . and this is that invictus cunaeus , that invincible fort which can never be taken , which will and must maintain the great standing reason of the resurrection against the assaults of the philosopher , being above them all . this is that place which we have industriously reserved as the last and surest nail , to fix the doctrine , and render it immoveable : this is that place which expresses and proclaims it as loudly and plainly as letters , words , and syllables can do it . i do not see how 't is possible for any one ( that is not irresistibly perverse ) to avoid the force of it . for here our bodies are cited before this tribunal , and all the actions of our lives are brought with them , to be reviewed , scanned over , sentenced and judged ; all the actions of all sorts of men , without exception — whether good or bad. and the proper wages of either is to be given accordingly , and that in statu composito , the whole man , his body as well as soul. there are a multitude of elegancies observable in the words , the chief of which i cannot forbear to note . as , first , the necessity of the resurrection in order to a judgment , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , we must appear , which gives us sure grounds to conclude that our bodies are more than instruments , that they are in an especial manner concerned in the business of the bench. no upright , full judgment can be passed without them . secondly , we have here the manner of it , significantly set out in the idium of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , appear clearly as in the light , manifestly to be laid open in every part , all that ever was done in the body must appear with it . thirdly , the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some copies read it ; the body is brought to answer for the proper things it did here , and ea quae corpori debentur , as another of the learned has paraphrased it : the body shall receive the things which are due , which of right belong unto it ; sicut justitia dicitur , suum cuique dare , as another of the criticks comments it ; and this is the very nature of justice , that every body shall have the proper reward which is exactly suitable to his work . and congruenter ad id quod gessit , as another of no small repuration has given us the sense of it : the judgment of every body shall be tongruous and correspondent to his actions . we see the main indictment is against the body , and all the deeds done in the former life are applied to it , and according to these it is we are either to stand or fall . fourthly , 't is farther to be noted how that st. paul expresses himself by a trope a metonymie of the cause for the effect , the works for the wages , the things done in the body , for what is due unto them and if this be not plainly enough exprest to remove all scruples , cavils , doubts and gain-sayings , we have here , lastly , the reason of all this assigned by the infallible spirit , — that every man may receive the things done in his body , according to what he has done , whether it be good or bad . … which sounds to me , as if the apostle had said , to this very end , to this very intent , for this very purpose , for this very reason , the process of the day of judgment requires the appearance of our bodies , as well as souls , that justice may be done to both . i can make no other construction of it . that every man may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done , whether it be good or bad. upon the whole i declare , that ever since i met with the objections of the learned author against it , i have been scarcely able to put the thoughts of it out of my head ; and the more i considered it , the more i am in love with , the more i am established in it : and whereas the learned author would enervate , throw it aside , and make it no reason at all ; i on the contrary must confess ( beside the will and pleasure of god ) that i look on it , as the first and great reason of the resurrection : i do give it the supremacy and precedency to all others . i must freely acknowledge , that i cannot , after my utmost search and inquisition , possibly find out any reason that can pretend to equal or rival it , that can stand in competition with it . the resurrection is in order to judgment , and judgment and justice here are all one . i cannot for my heart divine upon what other account but this , the resurrection of the same body , should be so constantly by all the ancients contended for , and expresly asserted , resurrectionis vocabulum non aliam rem vindicat quam quae recidit . tertullian lib. . cap. . ad mart. and the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( as the learned doctor has also noted ) clearly implies the rising again of that which fell , according to the vulgar saying , resurrectio est ejus qui recidit : suitable to this the creed of aquileia has expressed this article by the resurrection of this flesh ; and accordingly their bodies were particularly pointed at by those of that communion as ( ruffinus tells us ) when they made publick confession of their faith. i will not dwell upon this , nor light a candle to the sun ; but refer you to the elaborate treatise of dr. beaumont on the present subject , who has proved it to have been the constant doctrine of the fathers , beyond a possibility of denial . now i desire the philosopher to give me a reason of this doctrine of which the ancients have been so tena●e●us ; why this body , why this flesh must arise ? ( for 't is but equal that i should give him a question to answer who in his objections has made a precedent , and done the like ) if the body be no other ways concerned than an instrument only , if it be not sensible , if it be not capable of doing good or evil , rewards or punishments , as he has in down right words affirmed . if this be so , i earnestly request him to tell me , why it must be the same body that must arise ? why not another body ? why not an aereal body ? why any body at all ? dic sodes , dic aliquem , dic quintiliane colorem . i do verily believe he will have an hard task of it , and however he may be himself persuaded , it will ( i presume ) be a a difficult matter for him to persuade or convince others . for my part , i look on the doctrine as a most divine truth , and am immoveably fixt in the belief of it , notwithstanding all the arguments the learned author has brought against it ; and i presume the greatest part of mankind are and will be of my opinion . 't is most certain that this doctrine has a most natural tendency to the advancement of piety and suppression of vice. there can be no antidote or cordial , no shield or buckler more sovereign than this to defend and support the devout christian , amidst all the difficulties and hardships with which he is engaged in his present pilgrimage ; they are all silenced , mastered , disappointed and overcome by one word , resurgam . there can be no more powerful motive to engage us in the pursuit of holiness than this , viz. the consideration of that plenteous recompense which shall be conferred on the whole man hereafter , with respect to his labours here , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , saith st. cyrill : the hope of the resurrection is the root of well-doing . this must carry us on with courage and resolution thro all the difficult , rugged , and uneven passages we meet withal in our present race ; this must reconcile , soften , and sweeten all the assurance that we serve so good a master , who will not fail fully to reward all his faithful labourers in the next world , with respect to their deservings in this . lastly , there can be no more effectual dissuasive against sin , than the argument before us : if men have any sense of their state , any love for themselves , any kindness or regard for their bodies as well as souls , they are carefully to avoid those ways which will inevitably implunge both , in everlasting torments , in the great and terrible day , when they shall be again united , to the intent that they may be sharers in the wages , who have been confederates in the work. finis notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e * omnes ergo animae penes inferos ? inquis . velis ac nolis , & supplicia jam illic , & refrigeria . — cur enim non putes animam & puniri & foveri in inferis , interim sub expectatione utriusque judicii . — novit anima apud inferos & dolere & fovere sine carne . de anim. cap. . again . simplicior quisquis fautor sententiae nostrae , putabit carnem etiam idcirco repraesentandam esse in judicio , quia aliter anima non capiat passionem tormenti seu refrigerii , utpote incorporalis : hoc enim vulgus existimat . nos autem animam corporalem & hic profitemur , & in suo volumine probamus , habentem proprium genus substantiae , soliditatis , per quam quid & sontire & pati possit . nam & nunc animas torqueri , foverique penes inferos licet nudas , licet adhuc exules carnis , probavit lazari exemplum . de resurr . c. . † de anima , cap. . & . , , . & alibi . a apol. cap. . certè quia ratio restitutionis destinatio judicii est , necessario idem ipse qui fuerit exhibebitur ; ut boni seu contrarii meriti judicium a deo referat . ideoque repraesentabuntur & corpora . quia neqne pati quicquam potest anima sola fine materiâ stabili , id est , carne , c. . b testim . anim. c.ult. affirmamus te manere post vitae dispunctionem , & expectare diem judicii , próque meritis aut cruciatui destinari , aut refrigerio , utroque sempiterno . quibus sustinendis necessario tibi substantiam pristinam , ejudsdémque hominis materiam & memoriam reversuram , quod & nihil mali ac boni sentire possis fine carnis passionalis facultate . c de resurr . carn . cap. . porrò si haec ( cogitatus , concupiscentia , voluntas ) satis essent ad plenitudinem meritorum , ut non requirentur & facta , sufficeret in totum anima ad perfectionem judicii , de his judicanda , in quae agenda sola suffecerat . quum verò etiam facta devincta sint meritis ; facta autem per carnem administrantur ; jam non sufficit animam sine carne foveri ; sive cruciari , pro operibus etiam carnis , etsi habet corpus , etsi habet membra ; quae proinde illi non sufficiant ad sentiendum plenè , quemadmodum nec ad agendum perfecte . denique , haec erit ratio in ultimum finem destinati judicii , ut exhibitione carnis omnis divina censura perfici possit . * in mat. . . naturalis amor corporis quem in animo omnes deprehendimus , oftendit animam humanam esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae corpus perficiendo ipsa simul perficitur finis sui adeptione : — aequitas non patitur ut corpus , quod animi imperio multa molesta sustinet non etiam partem ferat premii . adde quod humanae naturae a deo condita necesse sit finem aliquem propositum , qui ne fingi quidem potest alius quam beata vita totius hominis , nam finis partis alterius non est finis totius , at totum hominem deus condidit . * anima aptitudinem & inclinationem habet , ad corporis unionem sicut leve sursum . aquinas ae . q. . & m . † extensive augetur in corpore extensive in animâ quia anima gaudebit de bono corporis : intensive quia est corporis perfectibile omnis pars imperfecta est & completur in toto . aquin. suppl . q. . notes for div a -e * marmoreo licinus tumulo jacet at cato parvo pompeius nullo credimus esse deos — statius . and ovid upon this account , sollicitor nullos esse putare deos. and the and propertius , et queritur nullos esse relicta deos. old tragedian , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . and claudian , saepe mihi dubiam traxit sententia mentem curarent superi terras an ullus in esset rector , & incerto fluerent mortalia casu . but the most nervous and gravest of all is that of cotta in cicero d. de nat. deorum . † job . . chap. , , . psal . . psal . . psal . . jer. . , &c. habak . . mal. . . a testimony against that false & absurd opinion which some hold viz. that all true believers and saints immediately after the bodily death attain to all the resurrection they expect, and enter into the fullest enjoyment of happiness : and also that the wicked, immediately after death, are raised up to receive all the punishment they are to expect : together with a scriptural account of the resurrection of the dead, day of judgment, and christ's last coming and appearance without us : also, where, and what those heavens are into which the man christ is gone, and entered into / by george keith. keith, george, ?- . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; oxford (uk) : - (eebo-tcp phase ). a wing k estc r ocm this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the early english books online text creation partnership. this phase i text is available for reuse, according to the terms of creative commons . universal . the text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. early english books online. (eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) a testimony against that false & absurd opinion which some hold viz. that all true believers and saints immediately after the bodily death attain to all the resurrection they expect, and enter into the fullest enjoyment of happiness : and also that the wicked, immediately after death, are raised up to receive all the punishment they are to expect : together with a scriptural account of the resurrection of the dead, day of judgment, and christ's last coming and appearance without us : also, where, and what those heavens are into which the man christ is gone, and entered into / by george keith. keith, george, ?- . p. printed by william bradford, [philadelphia : ] signed: g.k. caption title. reproduction of original in huntington library. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - apex covantage keyed and coded from proquest page images - simon charles sampled and proofread - simon charles text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion a testimony against that false & absurd opinion which some hold , viz. that all true believers and saints immediately after the bodily death attain to all the resurrection they expect , and enter into the fullest enjoyment of happiness . and also that the wicked , immediately after death , are raised up to receive all the punishment they are to expect . together with a scriptural account of the resurrection of the dead , day of judgment , and christ's last coming and appearance without us . also , where , and what those heavens are into which the man christ is gone , and entered into . by george keith . whereas many hurtful and dangerous errors have taken place among too many called christians , which are some of the tares and evil seeds that sathan hath sown while men have slept in the dark night of apostacy , and that now some do think they are awakened and come to the day , and in the light of gods day see into the true christian doctrine , and pretend to great openings , and discoveries , and revelations , and yet some even of such hold some false and unchristian opinions ; of which there are not a few concerning the resurrection of the dead , although the testimony of the holy scriptures is very full and clear against these dangerous and hurtful opinions and principles , imbraced by some as if they were true christian doctrines . some alledging , that there is no resurrection of the body at all , or that there is nothing of the body that dyeth that riseth again . others alledging , that the resurrection is past already , and all the resurrection they expect they have already attained , being ( as they pretend ) risen with christ in all respects . others say , their vile or low body is already changed , and made conform to his glorious body . others say , they receive all the resurrection they do expect immediately after death . all which are most dangerous and unchristian principles , and are directly contrary to the holy scriptures ; for there were in pauls time who said , the resurrection was past already , and did overthrow the faith of some , such as hymeneus and philetus , whose words did eat as a canker , as he declared , tim. . , . and such who say , their 〈◊〉 body is changed , and made conform to the glorious body of christ , contradict the scripture , and speak reproachfully , but ignorantly against the lord jesus christ ; for paul useth these words by way of prophecy , as a thing not then fullfilled , but a thing to be fulfilled at the resurrection of the dead , phil. . . who shall change our vile ( or low ) body , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body , &c. he doth not say , that the body was already changed , and made like to the body of christ , but by way of prophecy related it as a thing to come ; for the washing and cleansing of the body from sin , is not that change , but it is necessary to prepare unto it ; for even after the bodies of the saints are washed and cleansed from sin , they remain low , and weak , and mortal , and corruptible , subject to hunger , cold , heat , diseases , and death , and therefore are not made like to his glorious body until the resurrection of the dead . and such who say , nothing of the body that dyeth riseth again , do plainly contradict the testimony of the holy spirit recorded in scripture , and especially cor. . , . for according to the example that the wisdom of god giveth of the grain of corn , whereby to open the mystery of the resurrection , as the true body of the seed in the grain riseth , so that out of the old body a new body doth arise , but the husk or drossy part riseth not ; even so is the resurrection of the dead : therefore the new resurrection body is raised out of the old body , as the new grain of corn riseth out of the old ; but if the body of the grain of corn did wholly perish or come to dust , nothing could arise ; which is a plain example given us by the the wisdom of god ; and that which rises is the mortal that putteth on immortality , and the corruptible that putteth on incorruption , and is not raised flesh and blood , such as men now have , but yet a true body ; for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god , neither doth corruption inherit incorruption ; but the true body of man and woman that shall arise at the resurrection of the dead , lieth hid within this visible gross appearance of flesh and blood , even as the true body of the seed in the grain of corn lieth within the husk , or as the precious gold lieth within the course mineral or mine until the pure and precious metal be seperated from the dross . and because this seperation is not immediately effected , but requireth a time after death , and that even when the seperation is made , the body remaineth , and is lodged by the divine providence , that giveth to every thing its proper place , as in a certain invisible grave or sepulchre , that was mysteriously figured by the burial place called machpelah , ) that signifieth a double or two fold sepulchre ) gen. . which abraham purchased from ephron the hittite , ( which word ephron signifieth the dust-eater ) for four hundred pieces of silver : the which , as it is litterally true , so is an allegory , and points at the resurrection of the body out of the mystical and invisible machpelah or sepulchre in hebron ( which signifieth bordering ) in the land of israel , figuratively and mystically understood ; and by four hundred pieces of silver , as by so many virtues , signified by silver , this most excellent burial place is purchased from ephron ; but he who hath not these virtues cannot have the priviledge to be buried in this most excellent burial place , and therefore an vntimely birth is better than he , as the holy scripture declareth , eccles . . . for it is no such misery nor unhappiness not to have an outward and visible sepulchre , which many of the dear children of god have not had ; but surely they have this other more excellent burial in the mystical hebron , in the mystical land of israel , where all the dead bodies of the saints shall be raised up , and stand with the lamb upon mount zion , to wit , not the litteral zion , but the mystical now , that the bodies of the saints are not raised up immediately after death , or after the spirit goeth out of the body ( although the souls and spirits of the righteous , and of all the faithful , both men and women , who dye in the faith of the lord jesus christ , do immediately go unto god and christ in heaven , and enter into a very great and large enjoyment of the heavenly blessedness , after the bodily decease ) is clear from many express testimonies of the holy scripture . for the deceased saints , though their souls and spirits are alive with the lord in heaven , and do not sleep , but are awake , and praise god continually ; yet they are said to be a sleep in respect of their bodies , which are rather fallen a sleep than dead , and are said to sleep in christ , to wit , under his divine care and protection , until he awaken them ; for which , i shall cite these following scriptures , kings . . so david slept with his fathers , and was buried in the city of david ; deut. . . behold , thou shalt sleep with thy fathers , said the lord unto moses ; cor . . now is christ risen from the dead , and become the first fruits of them that sleep , viz. because he arose from the dead the third day ; thes . . . for if we believe that jesus dyed , and rose again , even so them also which sleep in jesus , will god bring with him ; for this we say unto you by the word of the lord , that we which are alive , and remain unto the coming of the lord , shall not prevent them which are a sleep ; for the lord himself shall descend from heaven , with a shout , with the voice of the arch-angel , and with the trump of god , and the dead in christ shall rise first . all which places plainly show , that though the saints , as with respect to their souls , are raised up , and ascended , and are with god and christ in heaven , yet as to their bodies they are a sleep , and have not attained to the resurrection of the body ; for if they had attained to the bodily resurrection ; paul would not have writ of them by way of prophecy ; in the future , or time to come , saying , the dead in christ shall rise first , to wit , at the voice of the arch-angel , and trump of god. now what this trump or trumpet is , both paul and john declareth , and the time about which it is to found , cor. . . in a moment , in the twinkling of an eye , at the last trump , and the dead shall be raised incorruptible , and we shall be changed . rev. . , . and the seventh angel sounded , ( which seventh is the last trumpet ) &c. and vers . . thy wrath is come , and the time of the dead , that they should be judged , and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants , the prophets , and thy saints , and them that fear thy name , both small and great . and because paul , cor. . layeth down the resurrection of christs body from the dead , as the ground why true believers , which are his members , shall attain to the resurrection of their body , it manifestly appeareth , that they are to attain unto it at the end of the world , or at the last trumpet , as above mentioned ( yet it may well be allowed , that some did attain to the resurrection of the body immediately after christs resurrection , according to mat. . , and the graves were opened , and many bodies of saints which slept , arose , and came out of the graves after his resurrection , and went into the holy city , and appeared unto many , ) and therefore the deceased saints , have not generally attained the resurrection of the dead , as touching the resurrection of the body , but do wait for it until the sound of the last trumpet ; nor did any of the saints attain the resurrection of the body before christs body rose from the dead , because he is expresly called , the first begotten from the diad , and the first fruits that goeth before the harvest : and therefore none did attain the bodily resurrection before him , neither aenoch nor elias ; for though they were taken up , yet it is not said , they had attained the resurrection of the body ; it only implieth some particular priviledge , that they did not taste of death , as other men ; and the like may be said of moses , whose body was more pure and excellent than that of other men , and therefore michael the arch-angel did contend with the devil about the poly of moses , and would not let him touch it , as being more excellent ; and therefore it is said , god buried him , and no man knoweth of his burial place to this day . moreover , it is very plain from scripture , that the deceased saints , who lived from the beginning of the world , although their souls and spirits did ascend unto god and christ in heaven , yet waited for the resurrection of the body , and that more abundant glory that should follow thereupon ; for it is said , heb. . . these all dyed in faith , not having received the promises , but having seen then afaer off , and were perswaded of them , and imbraced them , &c. and vers . , . all these having obtained a good report through faith , received not the promise , god having provided some better things for us , that they without us should not be made perfect . now what this promise is ; is clear from vers . . and others were tortured , not accepting deliverance , that they might obtain the better resurrection ; which is the resurrection of the just , that is better than the resurrection of the unjust . now if some say , the promise that they waited for was christs coming in the flesh . i answer ; as it was that in part , so it was not only that , but all that felicity and happiness that should come unto them by the coming of christ in the flesh , and his death and resurrection , to wit , the perfect victory over death , which is not fully obtained until the mortal put on immortality , and the corruptible put on incorruption , as it is written , so when this corruptible shall put on incorruption , and this mortal shall have put on immortality , then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written , death is swallowed up in victory , o death ! where is thy sting ! o grave ! where is thy victory , &c. and that very first promise that god gave to mankind after the fall , did relate to this victory over death , that the seed of the woman , ( which is christ jesus ) should bruse the head of the serpent ; for though the head of the serpent was inwardly bruised , as in respect of the inward redemption , salvation and deliverance of the souls of all the faithful in all ages of the world , both before and after christ came in the flesh , yet until they attain unto the resurrection of the body , the head of the serpent is not , in all respects , bruised , because the last enemy , that is to be destroyed , is death , who is not fully destroyed until the bodies of the saints be raised from death ; for by adams fall , death , both of soul and body came upon him , and his posterity , ( as is at large demonstrated in another treatise of g. k's ; ) and by christ's death and resurrection , to all who sincerely believe in him , and obey him , that twofold death is removed , the death of the soul , through faith in him , and that inward quickening , and being raised with him , who is the resurrection and the life , now in the morta state ; but the death of the body at the resurrection of the dead , [ see this twofold resurrection , the one of the soul the other of the body , expresly mentioned john . , . ] and who say , that the faithful immediately after death , receive the resurrection of the body , and all that fullness of glory and happiness that they are to expect forever : as it doth tend to overthrow a principal article of the christian faith , touching the resurrection of the dead , so it tendeth to overthrow that other great and principal article of the christian faith , touching the great day of judgment that is to be in the end of the world , called in scripture , [ the last day ] and [ the great day ] and [ that day ] by way of distinction from other dayes , and which is frequently mentioned in scripture ; for even the fallen angels have not as yet received their final sentence and full and absolute punishment , but are reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day , jude . compared with pet. . . and mat. . . many will say to me in that day , lord ! lord ! have not we prophecyed in thy name , & c ? and thes . . , , , . when the lord jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god , and obey not the gospel of our lord jesus christ , who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the lord , and from the glory of his power , when he shall come to be glorified in his saints , and to be admired in all them that believe ( because our testimony among you was believed ) in that day : note well these words , [ in that day ] again , acts . . because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained , having offered faith ( as the greek and margent of the english bibles hath it ) unto all men , in that he hath raised him from the dead . and vers . . and when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some mocked , and others said , we will hear thee again of this matter : and these were some philosophers of the epecureans and of the stoicks , to which this doctrine of the resurrection of the body seemed strange . — and so great an article and doctrine of the christian faith was this of the resurrection , that paul calleth it , the hope of the promise made of god unto the fathers , as plainly appeareth , comparing acts . v. . with vers . . why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that god should raise the dead ? and vers . , . witnessing both to small and great , saying , none other things than those which the prophets and moses did say , should come , that christ should suffer and be the first that should rise from the dead , &c. note these words , where it plainly appeareth , that none of the saints deceased , before christs resurrection , were raised from the dead , although their souls and spirits did go unto god ; for the resurrection of the dead , as a general thing , is joyned with the great day of judgment , when the son of man shall come in the glory of his father , accompanied with his holy angels , and shall sit upon the throne of his glory , and before him shall be gathered all nations , and he shall seperate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats , and first appointeth the reward of the kingdom , ( viz. in the full possession of it ) unto the sheep , which is the first resurrection ; and then be passeth the sentence of condemnation to the everlasting fire , or fire of ages , unto the goats on the left hand , that is the resurrection of the vnjust . but if all men , both good and bad , receive their final sentence immedately after death , there is no occasion for a day of judgment in the end of the world , for that is prevented by what cometh to pass both to good and bad immediately after death , according to this absurd opinion . but again , as concerning that great day of judgment to come , wherein both the righteous and the wicked shall receive according to the works done in the body , christ doth plainly else-where declare , as mat. . . but of that day and hour knoweth no man , no , not the angels in heaven , but my father only . and mark . but of that day and hour knoweth no man , no , not the angels in heaven , neither the son , but the father ; which is to be understood of christ , the son , as man , to whom then it was not known ; the which day and hour cannot be the time immediately after mens decease ; for though after death there is a judgment that followeth every one , according to heb. . . yet that is not the great and last judgment , nor universal , but particular : and of this last day , christ said , john . . and this is the will of him that sent me , that every one which seeth the son , and believeth on him , may have everlasting life , and i will raise him up at the last day . note , he doth not say , i will raise him up in the body immediately after death , but in the last day , to wit , in the end of the world. and with a respect to this martha made a good confession of her faith , touching the resurrection of the dead , saying , i know that he shall rise again in the resurrection , at the last day ; the which christ doth not in the least contradict , but opened a further mystery unto her , to wit , that he was the resurrection & the life , he that believeth in me , tho' he were dead , yet shall he live ; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me , shall never dye ; and because he was the resurrection , viz. the author of it , therefore he could and would raise lazarus her brother from the dead at that time ; which yet was not the resurrection in the last day ; for he was but raised at that time a mortal man , to dye again . and whereas he said , he who believeth in me shall never dye , containeth a great and most comfortable mystery , to wit , that neither the souls nor the bodies of true believers strictly dye ; their souls sleep not , but are awake ; and their bodies , though they sleep , dye not ; their sleep is not the sleep of death , strictly taken : and therefore christ ●…oved against the sadduces the resurrection of the dead , from the words of god to moses , i am the god of abraham , isaac and jacob , and god is not the god of the dead , but the god of the living ; and therefore nothing of abraham was strictly dead or perished , neither his soul , nor yet his true body ; for even his body did but sleep , as when the body of a man sleepeth that is not dead ; for the bodies 〈◊〉 of such dye ( in the worst sence of the word death ) who dye in final unbelief and impenitency , on whom death feeds , and whose iniquities are upon their bones , and whose bodies are called , the carkasses of them that have transgressed against the lord , whose worm dyeth not , and their fire goeth not out , &c. see for this psal . . . ezek. . isa . . . but as concerning the dead bodes of the saints and true believers in christ jesus , it is prophecyed , thy dead , my dead body shall arise , ( so the hebrew hath it ) for the bodies of the deceased saints are the body and temple of christ , and members of hi●… and therefore cannot perish ) awake and sing , ye that dwell in the dust , for thy dew is as the dew of herbs , and the earth shall cast out the dead ( to wit , the earth not vulgarly understood ) isa . . . and that job had a firm ard stedfast belief of the resurrection of his body after death , is clear from his words , viz. and though after my skin , worms destroy this body , yet in my flesh shall i see god , &c. job . . which is not to be understood of the gross corruptible body of flesh , but of the resurrection body , that may be called flesh in a more excellent sence , than that vulgarly understood ; as paul said , all flesh is not the same flesh . so the flesh that is mortal , gross and corruptible , is not that flesh that shall be raised up immortal and incorruptible ; for the word [ flesh ] is taken sometimes in a very high sence , where it is said , vnless ye eat my flesh , &c. and all flesh shall see the salvation of god ; and i will give them hearts of flesh , &c. and lastly , that there is yet a resurrection of the dead to come , of all such generally who have dyed in the faith , is clear from rev. , , . and they lived and reigned with christ a thousand years ; but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished , this is the first resurrection , blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection . where note well , that the resurrection of the saints in the thousand years , is called the first resurrection , &c. which every true believer , who is inwardly risen with christ , as to his soul and inward man , is interested in , and hath a right unto , but is not possessed of until the resurrection of the dead ; and therefore if any will call the inward rising of the soul from the death of sin , the first resurrection , yet it is not that first resurrection , mentioned rev. . , . moreover , concerning the nature and manner of the resurrection of the bodies of the saints , how that the body is not raised a mortal corruptible body of flesh and blood , but immortal and incorruptible , paul doth plainly declare ; and it is altogether safe in this and all other matters of faith , to hold to scripture words , cor. . from v. , to . and here note , first , that paul doth not call him a fool that did believe either the truth of the resurrection of the body , or the true manner of it , but called him a fool , that not believing the truth of it , nor the true manner of it , and by arguing against it , did enquire , how are the dead raised up ? and for the instruction of this fool , paul sendeth him to learn the manner of it from the sowing and rising of the grain of corn ; and he reproveth such at corinth sharply , who did not believe the resurrection of the body , 〈◊〉 not having the knowledge of god , cor. . . awake , said he , to righteousness ; i speak this to you shame : so that according to pauls doctrine , such who have not the true faith of the resurrection of the body , greatly fall short of the knowledge of god. note , secondly , that the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment , belonging to the first principles of the doctrine of christ , according to heb. . . as well as repentance and faith , are necessary to be known and believed , in order to the perfecting , if not the beginning , the work of our sanctification and salvation . note , thirdly , that as the bodies of the saints , that shall be raised up at the resureection of the dead , shall not be raised mortal and corruptible , but immortal and incorruptible , so they shall not need any meats or drinks , or other things that this mortal and corruptible world doth afford , nor the light and influence of the sun , moon and stars : and in the resurrection , they shall neither marry nor give in marriage , but be as the angels of god , mat. . . and the place of their abode or habitation shall be that new heavens and earth , mentioned by isaiah , cap. . . and cap. . . and pet. . . which is not , as some weakly imagine , this visible heavens and earth that waxeth old , but those which are far more excellent , and shall not wax old , rev. . . but yet , it is clear from scripture , that at the coming and appearance of christ without us , in his glorified body , which all good and sound christians joyfully wait for , even that he shall come in the clouds of heaven , accompanied with his holy and glorious angels , that all the raised saints shall appear with him in their glorified bodies , ( signified by the coming down of the new jerusalem from heaven , rev. . , . ) being made like unto his glorious body , according to jude . and enoch also , the seventh from adam , prophecied of these , saying , behold , the lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints , to execute judgment upon all , &c. and whereas some say , the greek beareth it in ten thousands , i say , he both cometh in them and also with them ; for the greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth frequently signifie ( in the new testament ) with or among , as well as in , as is clear from mat. . . luke . . rom. . . cor. . . where the greek particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth among , and cannot be good sence otherwise translated . note , thly , that the belief of christ's being in heaven now in his glorified nature of man , both of soul & body , hath such a necessary connexion with the belief of his coming and appearance without us to judge the quick and the dead , that these two stand or fall together , and every one that believeth the first , cannot but believe the latter ; for it were strange to think , that christ hath , and forever shall have the glorified nature of man in heaven , and that the saints should not see him at the day of judgment . but as for such as do not believe that christ hath any being in the glorified nature of man now in in heaven without them , they cannot believe that ever he will appear unto them or any other ; and it is nothing but giving way to carnal dark reasonings , and wisdom of the flesh , called by paul , vain philosophy and worldly rudiments , that hinder men to believe the truth so plainly declared in the holy scriptures . and thly , from the like dark imaginations doth proceed , that they believe no heaven nor hell but within them , while they enquire , where is that heaven into which the man christ is gone ? and hath any of us seen him , or spoke with him ? to which i can easily answer ; that heaven is both near to us , and far from us , and is of a far more large extent than that it can be contained within us , tho' we have a heavenly seed , plant and birth in us , that is daily nourished with heavenly food , and is watered daily with the heavenly dews & rains ; and this heavens , tho' not visible to our weak mortal eye , of flesh , yet are visible to the eyes and sight of our faith , and is that new heavens that never waxeth old , and the paradise of god , cor. . . compared with rev. . . & gen. . . which are the throne of god & the house of god , that hath many mansions , concerning which , christ said , john . , . in my fathers house are many mansions , if it were not so , i would have told you ; i go to prepare a place for you , and if i go and prepare a place for you , i will come again , and receive you unto my self , that where i am , there ye may be also : and tho' we have not seen the man christ with our carnal & bodily eyes , yet with these concerning whom peter writeth , pet. . . whom having not seen , ye love , in whom , though now ye see him not , yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory : and that the saints shall see the man christ , and be with him forever where he is , to behold his glory , shall be a great part of their eternal felicity , joh. . . and because of which they shall the more abundantly see and enjoy him inwardly , & god in him & through him : and jesus said unto thomas , after his resurrection , john . . thomas , because thou hast seen me , thou believest , blessed are they that have not seen , & yet have believed . and how can all nations stand before the son of man , mat. . if he shall not appear without us at the day of judgment ? g. k. finis . the doctrine of a general resurrection wherein the identity of the rising body is asserted against the socinians and scepticks : in a sermon preach'd before the university at st. mary's in oxford, on easter-monday, apr. / by tho. beconsall ... becconsall, thomas, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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[ ], , [ ] p. printed by leon. lichfield for george west ..., oxford : . reproduction of original in union theological seminary library, new york. created by converting tcp files to tei p using tcp tei.xsl, tei @ oxford. re-processed by university of nebraska-lincoln and northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. eebo-tcp is a partnership between the universities of michigan and oxford and the publisher proquest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by proquest via their early english books online (eebo) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). the general aim of eebo-tcp is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic english-language title published between and available in eebo. eebo-tcp aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the text encoding initiative (http://www.tei-c.org). the eebo-tcp project was divided into two phases. the , texts created during phase of the project have been released into the public domain as of january . anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source. users should be aware of the process of creating the tcp texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data. text selection was based on the new cambridge bibliography of english literature (ncbel). if an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in ncbel, then their works are eligible for inclusion. selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. in general, first editions of a works in english were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably latin and welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so. image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in oxford and michigan. % (or pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet qa standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. after proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of instances per text. any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of tcp data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a tcp editor. the texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level of the tei in libraries guidelines. copies of the texts have been issued variously as sgml (tcp schema; ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - john latta sampled and proofread - john latta text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the doctrine of a general resurrection : wherein the identity of the rising body is asserted , against the socinians and scepticks . in a sermon preach'd before the university , at st. mary's in oxford , on easter-monday , apr. . by tho. beconsall , a. m. and fellow of brasenose college . oxford : printed by leon. lichfield , for george west , bookseller , an. dom. . the preface . the biass of humane nature towards those things we in any sence call our own , is so notorious and remarkable , that it often influences our judgments in the affairs of states and kingdoms , no less than families and private persons . but certainly there 's a parental kind of affection exercis'd towards the off-spring of our own minds , as well as that of our bodies , that often transports us into over-weening fondnesses , and unaccountable partialities . hence writing of books , or publishing of thoughts from the closet , or pulpit , is by the rest of the world generally pronounc'd a piece of affectation and vanity , founded in an opinion of some extraordinary intrinsick worth or merit . men are not content to conceive and bring forth in a private apartment , and view and admire their own productions ; but height of admiration sends 'em forth into the open world , to exercise the same faculties in others , no doubt with an intention , that the praises of all should be return'd back on the original . i must confess this is a censure , which may sometimes carry a great deal of truth in it , tho' at last it seems to be a very uncharitable truth ; unless every short-sighted mortal can pretend to be a searcher of the heart and reins , or unless no attempts of this kind could be acted by any other motive , that is truly just and honourable . but however this doctrine may prevail in common cases , certainly the special obligations i 'm unfortunately under , in doing justice to my self and others , will at this time free me from the imputation of it . it has been more than once represented , how much i lie under the displeasure , not to say the reproaches of some men , for shamefully mis-representing the author of the essay concerning humane understanding , for branding his notions of identity , with little less than the imputation of heresy , whilst at last i was forc'd to have recourse to 'em , to establish my own hypothesis : this is a charge form'd on a transient delivery of a sermon , and for the truth of the greatest part of it , i submit it to every ingenuous reader , upon a view on both sides . but certainly it seems to reflect as much positiveness and presumption on its authors , as it industriously fixes folly and disgrace on me . it might have been considered who presides in the university-church , to censure all such notorious miscarriages , and consequently they might at least have expected a reprimand from authority , before such a severe sentence had passed upon me . this would have given them , not only an opportunity to express their resentments or indignation , but added weight and force to ' em . as the case stands , i 'm not now to be a judge ; i can only declare , i 'm as yet so unhappy to be wholly unsensible of any misrepresentations , and consequently of any injustice committed against mr. lock . and therefore being so highly charged , i thought the best expedient to set both sides to rights , to put the one into a condition of vindicating himself , and the other of being informed of an errour , was to publish the whole discourse , which ( as far as concerns mr. lock ) i 've done without the least alterations . having said thus much , give me leave to offer something by way of pre-caution . i can safely declare , i am acted by no personal prejudices , no more than unchristian designs , for this author is as absolute a stranger to me , as i am to him . the subject i was engag'd on , directed me to the controversy , and the duty i owe to what appears to me to be truth , and especially a fundamental christian truth , obliged me to enter the list with those that have advanc'd positions , that apparently shake or over-turn it ; and perhaps the duty and obligations are justly heightned in an age , when the assailment of the most important articles of faith is become so exquisitely fashionable . but now , if in the defense of truth , it at last appears , that i have done this author the least injustice , either in mis-representing , or mis-applying his sence or notions , i shall heartily and freely make him satisfaction , and that too as publick , as he or his friends shall think fit to make my mistakes . a sermon , &c. joh . chap. v. ver . , . the hour is coming , in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth : they that have done good , unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil , unto the resurrection of damnation . the present solemnity has engaged me on a subject , which as 't is the support and glory of the just and faithful , so it has always been the contempt and laughter of the impious and unbelieving . it s true , the learned have often attempted to trace the foot-steps of a general resurrection , from certain resemblances in the book of nature , or from certain doctrines advanced ( i know not how ) in the schools of philosophers . thus the earth hath been represented as a kind of grave or sepulchre to the vegetable world , where the vital powers are sealed up , and stifled all the winter , and yet at spring are actuated , expand , and send forth a lively verdure : thus every grain of corn , that ministers life and sustenance to our own species , must suffer death , in order to receive a new vital principle . thus the doctrine of transmigration , in the schools of plato and pythagoras , has been sought to , to speak out that of the resurrection : and the doctrine of a general conflagration among the stoicks , must usher in the restitution of all things . these are arguments , by no means the product of any modern wits ; but of the earliest apologists and advocates for the faith. as if the doctrine of the resurrection had been legible , in the very frame and constitution of nature ; and to deny it in the old schools of philosophy , were to renounce their own avowed principles . but yet for all this it s well known , the most powerful assailants of the christian faith , made their greatest efforts against this christian bulwark . it did not become the subject of drollery and ridicule to the stoicks at athens alone , but it engaged the wit and malice too , of lucian and celsus , of julian and caecilius . in a word , when it came to the test , neither the most improved doctrine of transmigration , nor of the soul's immortality , nor of a future state , was sufficient to introduce the belief of it : for the whole tribe of gentile philosophers , tho' otherwise sufficiently distinguish'd in their notions and principles , do here unanimously conspire to pronounce it absurd and impossible , and its professors , for this very reason , vile and despicable . in a word , tho' the doctrine of a resurrection , particularly that of the just , had obtain'd in the jewish schools , except those of the sadducees , yet the notion of it was vastly different from that glorious resurrection , which the christian institutions ratify and establish , for none of 'em could ever arrive to a strict numerical resurrection ; and therefore it s in this sence one of those doctrines , which stands to the jews a stumbling-block , and to the greeks foolishness . but notwithstanding these extravagant insults , it s to those that believe , the power of god , and the wisdom of god. it s a doctrine as powerful in the evidence of it , as it has been mighty in its successes ; and tho' we cannot assert it from the established course of nature , nor desire to rake it up out of the rubbish of heathen , or jewish traditions , yet it rests upon an unshaken foundation , even a sure word of prophecy , unto which we shall do well to take heed ; for we have before us the words of him , that is become the lord of life and glory , and has the keys of hell and death : he it is that assures us , the hour is coming , in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice , and shall come forth : they that have done good , unto the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil , unto the resurrection of damnation . this famous passage is almost universally allowed to be a description of a general resurrection . indeed the learned bishop pearson observes , that it strikes so closely at the socinian notion of a resurrection , that some of 'em are forc'd to apply it to a spiritual resurrection , and pronounce the grave to be the regions of heathen ignorance and impiety , and the reception of the gospel , to be the resurrection from ' em . but we must do socinus , and the most considerable of his followers , crellius and schlictingius , a piece of justice here ; for tho' they will not allow the words to prove the identity of our rising bodies , yet they reject the conceit of a spiritual resurrection , and assign the same arguments against it , that are advanced by this eminent prelate . since then we are thus far agreed , that the thing pointed at is a general resurrection , we may venture to affirm , that they instruct us in two important circumstances of it ; first , the extent , and secondly , the manner of it . here 's a distinction of allotments , life and damnation , and they are founded in distinct works and actions , good and evil , and both imply distinct classes of persons , the righteous and the wicked , and consequently a resurrection of both : the wicked must certainly bear a part in the resurrection , for every soul that sinneth , and every body that dyeth , and is committed to the dust , must rise again : yes , as surely as he dyeth and enjoys a sepulchre , he must be forced from his lodgment , and rise again ; for neither the grave , nor rocks , nor mountains shall cover , much less secure him , since all that are in the graves must come forth : thus we have the extent of the resurrection . again , if we demand with what bodies shall we come ? why certainly since our resurrection is to be made from the grave , and since our bodies , even flesh and blood were committed to the grave , the very same bodies will rise again ; the substance will not be changed , tho' the quality's altered : and thus we have the manner of the resurrection , for all that are in the graves shall come forth . i shall endeavour to assert both these important truths , and that in opposition to the adversaries of ' em . i begin with the first , i mean the extent of the resurrection . as for the extent of it , the socinian doctors are not yet agreed , tho' the most judicious declare for a general resurrection . it s observable smalcius , the author of the racovian catechism , only describes the resurrection of the just , without taking the least notice of that of the wicked ; whilst others allow the former , but expresly deny the latter . but an impartial reader , one would think , could not have wished for a clearer decision of this matter , than our saviour's words afford us , when we are told , that all that are in the graves shall come forth , part to the resurrection of life , and part to the resurrection of damnation . so that he that disputes the truth of a general resurrection , must allow no distinction between the righteous and the wicked , no more than their future allotments ; or he must deny the wicked the most common office of humanity , that of burial , or excuse it , by asserting an immediate annihilation : for if the wicked at the point of death , do not immediately vanish into soft air , or if mankind do not usually judge before-hand , and thereupon deny 'em the office of burial , or if the allotments of life and damnation are not indiscriminately ascertain'd ( to affirm any of which would be a gross and palpable absurdity ) then the wicked must come forth of their graves , and make their resurrection , tho' a most fatal one , even the resurrection of damnation . we may add to this leading authority another of st. paul's , and its the more considerable , since this great apostle industriously pursues our saviour's methods in representing it , and that too with respect to the universality , design and manner of it : for we must all appear ( no doubt from our graves ) before the judgment-seat of christ , that every one may receive the things done in his body ( no doubt in that very body they were committed ) according to that he hath done , whether it be good or bad , cor. . . but to conclude this argument from express authorities of scripture ; the divine author of the book of revelations hath so accurately described a general resurrection , that he seems to have industriously ransackt all the corners of the world , in order to advance a challenge , to produce one single mortal , that has not his summons to it . and i saw the dead , both small and great , stand before god ( no doubt with that very part about 'em , for which they were once esteem'd dead-men ) and the sea gave up the dead which were in it , and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them , chap. . ver . , . here we see the prince and peasant , the infant and man of years , must obey the summons of a general resurrection ; and all the repositories of art and nature , are forc'd to surrender up their dead , or disgorge the mortal part of 'em : and will any socinian pretend to contrive a shelter for the wicked ? i 'm afraid he 'll leave himself , as well as them , miserably expos'd , especially when the text assures us , that the very heavens shall flee away , and there shall be no place found for them , ver . . but farther , not to rest any longer in generals , i shall endeavour to prove it from the nature of the thing , and that too in its particular instances . and first , as for the resurrection of the just , it s on all hands agreed , that they are virtually raised in christ , for since the head is risen , and as such styled , the first-born from the dead , the members that are united to him , by a spiritual , vital principle , his holy spirit , shall certainly be raised , for he that raised christ from the dead , shall also quicken our mortal bodies , by his spirit that dwelleth in us , rom. . . again , christ is expresly styl'd , the first-fruits of our resurrection . and as the first-fruits offered to god , consecrated , or blessed the whole lump , so this first-fruit having purchased to himself a vital principle , by fulfilling the divine compact , it will be convey'd to all those that have an interest in him ; so that the resurrection of the just , or faithful , is in a spiritual sence , or the way of grace , derived from that of our saviour , as absolutely as light or warmth from the sun , in the way of nature . but then here 's the foundation of the miscarriages of our adversaries , the rock which they carelesly split upon : for since they are not able to discern any such connexion , between the resurrection of our saviour , and that of the wicked , they are apt to imagine , he can have no just right or title to it , and consequently there 's no real foundation for it . but the mistake is extremely obvious : for as our blessed saviour became a mediator between god and man , and this mediation , in the original design of it , extends to all the sons and daughters of adam , he challenges an unquestionable right of dominion over the whole species , upon the performance or execution of it ; for to this end christ both died , and rose , and revived , that he might be lord both of the dead and living , rom. . . this is so clear , that it extends even to heathens and unbelievers , for by virtue of it he becomes their proper judge , and as he 's their judge , he can rightfully summon 'em from their very graves , in their proper bodies or persons . and therefore he hath an uncontroulable authority to rouze even once the most potent sinner , and oblige him to account for his actions , with those eyes , and hands , and heart , that so grosly dishonour'd him . and since in the distribution of rewards and punishments , he has signified a special regard to the body , as well as soul , we might without st. paul's express declaration conclude , that there shall be a resurrection , both of the just and unjust , act. . . it is true , they move upon a different foundation ; the first is an act of infinite grace and mercy , an act that carries the most joyful invitations in it , for its the glorious consummation of christ's espousals with his church ; but the second , an act of sovereign power and justice , and implies a kind of forcible entry on the tombs of the wicked , who shall be haled forth , to receive the sentence of disobedience in a personal and bodily appearance . and thus much for the extent of the resurrection . i proceed to examine the second general , which respects the manner of it ; and 't is , that we shall all be raised in our own proper bodies : and for the clearing of this argument , i shall first evince it from the nature of the thing from scripture , and antiquity . and for as much as the resurrection of our own proper bodies will appear from these authorities , i shall in the second place , endeavour to state the nature of humane identity , and consequently the identity of our rising bodies ; and from both these conclude what is proper to be believ'd , and make some returns to the possibility of such a resurrection . and first , that we shall all be raised in our own proper bodies : this is a position which the socinians unanimously reject ; it s true , schlictingius places humane identity purely in the identity of a rational spiritual soul ; and tho' he doth not expresly deny the resurrection of the body , yet he makes the identity of the body no way material in the resurrection . see comment on rom. . v. . as for the nature of humane identity , i shall speak to it in its proper place ; and therefore i shall prosecute my present design , and prove , that the christian faith is , we shall be raised every one in his own proper body . and first this is indisputably evident from the very notion of a resurrection , and the receiv'd use of the word . now certainly a resurrection is the restoring a dead creature to its former state of life , by a re-union of its first principles . the constituent principles of a man are a soul , and a body , and death primarily consists in the separation of 'em ; or rather , as death is the fore-runner of corruption , in the dissolution of one , or both of 'em : if therefore lazarus , or any other person is to be raised again , those two numerical principles of which he was originally compounded , must be united ; and then , and not till then , is lazarus raised from the dead . the notion sufficiently discovers it self in the case of lazarus , and our blessed saviour ; where the body was not dissolved , and the same is absolutely required , where the corruptible principle is actually dissolved . man is certainly compounded of a corruptible , and incorruptible principle , the incorruptible principle cannot suffer death , or dissolution , and therefore men are chiefly said to be dead , in respect of their corruptible principle , that usually suffers corruption ; certainly then if any particular person is to be raised from the dead , that principle which properly dies , and is corrupted , is to be restored to its former state , and united to the incorruptible principle , without which there can be no resurrection . for if the corruptible principle , which properly dies , and is dissolved , is not restored , but a new one formed , or created in the room of it , and united to the incorruptible principle , it may be properly esteemed a new production , but by no means , a proper resurrection ; and to assert the contrary , is to confound received terms , as well as notions . in a word , when a new body is formed out of the common mass of matter , and united to the soul of any particular person , it s in reality no more but the pythagorean transmigration , which tho' perform'd after a new manner , yet by no greater a share of divine influence , than that which gives a plastick power , to form a body in the womb , and unites a particular soul to it . shall the socinians then , those pretending masters of reason , call this a resurrection ? this is to obtrude a notion contrary to the sence of mankind , when the great argument for rejecting the true resurrection , is because they cannot reconcile it to their scanty measures of reason . but that , what hath been hitherto asserted , was the true notion of a resurrection , not only the testimony of scripture , and christian antiquity , but the joint suffrage of the learned heathens abundantly assures us : for it was on this account the doctrine of the resurrection was loaded with so much contempt and scorn ; when they considered so many various transmigrations of matter , they esteemed it impossible for omnipotence it self , to range every particle into its own peculiar place and order , so as to restore and make up every individual body . hence it was they triumphed in their barbarities exercis'd upon some of the martyrs of christ , since they designedly committed 'em to the jaws of wild beasts , to defeat ( as they thought ) omnipotence , and infinite truth at the same time , in disabling him from performing what he had solemnly promised . indeed had the resurrection , in the most strict and proper sence of it , implied a restitution of the same individual body , it could not have extorted such severe censures from most of the learned heathens ; for since they allowed the immortality of the soul , and a natural tendency to assume a new vehicle , they might easily allow that omnipotence could without any difficulty prepare a new body , if that had been sufficient , ( as the socinian would have it ) to give it the denomination of a resurrection . for in a word , this would have passed off as a specious kind of transmigration , and consequently a doctrine that would have met with a very easy reception in most of the greek schools . but to proceed : let us in the next place examine what scripture says to this matter , whereby we shall prove our main design , as well as confirm this very notion . and first from the passages already cited on another argument , where the resurrection is said to be made from the grave , from the sea , and hell , and death ; where the dead are said to stand before god , and death and hell are said to give up their dead . see rev. : , . joh. . . i think its indisputably evident , the holy spirit directs us to the corruptible principle , the body , which alone suffers death , and is committed to the grave , and consequently the resurrection must imply a restitution of this very principle , in conjunction with the incorruptible principle , the soul. indeed it seems absurd , to send us to all the repositories of the dead , to establish the belief of a resurrection , if a new corporeal part is to be framed , or rather if the mortal part , that was laid in the prison of the grave , is not to be given up again , and actually restored . the argument is so obvious and convincing , that neither socinus nor crellius , upon these passages of scripture , are able to make any other reply , but non sequitur , or it does not appear , that the rising body is the same numerical body with that which fell . it s true , socinus appeals to a passage of st. paul , which proves nothing ( as will appear by and by ) but what we freely grant , that our corruptible bodies ▪ cannot inherit incorruption . see comment o● joh. . . and therefore it concludes nothing against the present argument . but the identity of our rising bodies is evinced from yet more express authorities of scripture ; in one place we are assurred , that the holy spirit shall quicken our mortal bodies , rom. . . in another , that our saviour shall change our vile bodies , that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body , phil. . . in a third , that this corruptible shall put on incorruption , cor. . . here we have the notion of a resurrection asserted in express terms , as well as the identity of the rising body . for is it not that mortal corruptible principle , or that body which suffered corruption in the grave , that is said to be quickened , or restored to life ? crellius i know has the face to affirm , that they are not our mortal bodies , that are quickened , but new ones assigned us . [ see comment on the place . ] but can a new body , substituted in the room of my mortal body , without solecism and nonsence , be called my mortal body , or this new body quickened , the quickning of my mortal body ? but to proceed , the remaining passages carry the absurdity higher : can a new body , as to matter or substance , plac'd in the room of my corruptible body , be fairly reconciled with this corruptible ? or can my corruptible principle , or dead body , tho' never to be restored , be said to put on incorruption , only because my soul is after a certain period united to a new incorruptible body , diametrically distinct from my corruptible body ? my soul , in such a case , puts on incorruption , but by no means my corruptible body , that still rots and moulders in the dust . again , our vile bodies may be fashioned , or changed into the likeness of christ's glorious body , by reducing 'em from a natural , to a spiritual , and from a corruptible , to an incorruptible frame ; but if perfect new bodies are to be fashioned and substituted , then our vile bodies are not the things fashioned or changed into the likeness of glorious bodies , but exchanged for ' em . we therefore freely grant , that the substance is transform'd by a change of qualities , from natural to spiritual , and from corruptible to incorruptible bodies : and this is all the apostle intends , when he tells us , that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven . a great truth no doubt , as it is encompassed with humane infirmities , and corruptible qualities ; for the close of the verse gives us the sence of the whole , nor corruption inherit incorruption . [ cor. . . the place cited by socinus . ] but now we have gone thus far , it would be highly absurd to affirm , that a vile corruptible body puts on incorruption , or is fashioned or changed into a glorious body , when it remains in an eternal state of corruption . therefore , the resurrection , which changes a vile and corruptible body into a glorious and incorruptible one , must imply a restitution of the corruptible principle , and consequently the same numerical body is the undoubted subject of the resurrection . but farther , that i may not dwell too long on this general , i shall only have recourse to scripture for one argument more ; it s the resurrection of our saviour's body : now it s well known , the history of all the evangelists , the print of the nails in his hands and feet , and of the spear in his side , demonstrate , that our blessed saviour rose in that very body which was crucified , dead and buried ; but now it s on all hands agreed , that our saviour was a type and pattern of our resurrection ; yes , he 's more to the righteous , for its christ's the first-fruits , afterwards they that are christ's at his coming . the apostle all along carries the analogy between him and us , and therefore as christ rose in his own proper mortal body , so we shall all rise in ours . the socinians are pressed here , and therefore endeavour to evade the force of it , by pretending , that tho' our saviour rose in his crucified body , yet upon his ascension he received a glorious and spiritualized body . but this evasion proves nothing , unless it appear from scripture , that christ deposited his crucified body , and assumed a new body in the room of it . but this is a conceit that 's destitute of all foundation from scripture , and indeed so much , that i do not find any socinian that peremptorily asserts it . therefore this glorified body can be nothing but the crucified body , refin'd , adorn'd and beautify'd , and it s no more but what we allow in the resurrection of our vile mortal bodies , for they shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body : therefore as christ the first-fruits is risen in his own proper body , so shall every one of us be raised in our own proper bodies at his coming . thus far it appears , that the current of scripture , as well as the nature of the thing , declares for the identity of the rising body . but that we may confirm the one , and not be mistaken in the sence of the other , give me leave to reflect a little the sentiments of the primitive church . and because it would be impertinent in this place , to produce particular passages of authors , i shall only endeavour to represent this argument in a few observations . and first its evident , the suffrage of the primitive church determined for the resurrection of the same body ; since the belief of this very article was the great prop to the constancy and perseverance of martyrs and confessors . their very persecutors observ'd it in 'em , and they resolutely attested the power and efficacy of it at the place of martyrdom . they were perswaded , that the very hairs of their head were all number'd , and should one day be restored to 'em ; and therefore they powerfully bore up under the cruelties of their executioners , tho' torn piece-meal by racks and saws , or devoured by wild beasts . again , it s well known , the grand objection from the various transmigrations of matter , was in being in the first ages of the church , and taken notice of on both sides ; and the heathen persecutors ( as was observed before ) took care to improve it , by exposing the faithful to the ravage of wild beasts . it s well known , the fathers fix the resurrection of the body on the justice of god , in the distribution of rewards and punishments . it s well known , they contended for the resurrection of the flesh , and expound most of the fore-cited passages of scripture , of that very body and flesh , that was committed to the grave ; nay , which is more than all this , the style of most of the ancient creeds was , i believe the resurrection of the flesh . and therefore since these are unquestionable truths , we must conclude , that the doctrine of a numerical resurrection constantly prevail'd in the primitive church . give me leave to add but one word more . the judgment of the primitive church , for a numerical resurrection , is indisputably evident from the censures that passed upon origen ; since we find him more than once condemned as heretical , ( sometimes by councils ) for asserting , that we shall , make our resurrection in an aethereal body , or rather that our rising body is only formed from a seminal principle of the corruptible body . upon the whole then it appears , that the voice of reason , scripture and antiquity , jointly declare for the resurrection of the same body , and therefore we have all the authorities which a matter of this nature is capable of , that we are not mistaken in our notions of it : therefore we must not only believe , that we shall all be raised in our own bodies , but earnestly contend for this faith , as originally delivered to the saints . and now since it is concluded , the resurrection we are to make will be a resurrection of the same body , it remains that we enquire into the nature of its identity , or wherein this sameness consists . and that we take just measures of the identity of the rising body , i think it will be necessary to offer something concerning the nature of humane identity , or which is all one , the identity of a humane person , because the identity of the rising man will certainly be formed upon the same rules and principles with that of the living man. and first , since man , or which is the same thing , a humane person , is certainly a being compounded of two distinct principles , an animal , and a spiritual principle , a soul , and a body ; i cannot comply with a late reformer of humane vnderstandings , that places personal identity purely in consciousness , or a faculty of reflecting on our own thoughts and actions , and ascribing 'em to our selves as such . i shall take liberty to consider it , because this author speaks of it only as applied to a humane person , and expresly applies it to the resurrection ( no doubt ) as an expedient to solve the difficulties of it . it s true , for as much as consciousness is an incommunicable property of every intelligent being , it will easily be granted , that there cannot be personal identity without consciousness ; but we can by no means allow , that consciousness is the sole principle , or foundation of personal identity , as this author plainly asserts . indeed he gives it such an absolute sovereignty in this affair , and discovers such an over-weening fondness for the notion , that the little finger cut off from the body , if conscious , must be the same person , sect. . that consciousness inhabiting successively several bodies , must be all one and the same humane person : that two distinct consciousnesses acting in the same body , one by night and the other by day , must make a night-man and a day-man , and two distinct persons , sect. . in a word , he fairly suggests , that transmigration is a doctrine no way absurd , but very probable , and a good piece of christian platonism . and in plain terms , that socrates after this life can no way be the same man , but by consciousness , sect. . now certainly , as for the doctrine of transmigration , it will be readily allow'd to be a good piece of platonism , but he that owns himself an advocate for it , renders his christianity justly suspected . for whosoever admits the resurrection of the same body , must pronounce transmigration extravagantly absurd ; for certainly , if socrates's soul has successively inform'd , presided , and acted in several bodies , there will be as great a contest at the resurrection , which body shall be married to socrates's soul , as the sadduce foolishly supposed , when he demanded whose wife shall she be of the seven ? as for the identity of socrates's resurrection , i hope to make it appear , that it does not consist in consciousness . but to return , personal identity can never consist in consciousness , tho' we take person for an intelligent being , without any regard to any particular substance wherein it exists ; since it is only a reflex act , or faculty of an intelligent being , and supposes several faculties antecedent to it , whereas the identity of any being must arise from the first principles of its existence . but now its evident , person implies an intelligent being , with regard to the particular substance , and the parts and principles of it , whereby it exists ; for otherwise i would fain know , how its possible to distinguish a humane , an angelick , and a divine person . mr. lock will reply , that they are only to be distinguisht by distinct principles of consciousness ; but thus far every particular humane person is distinguisht ; and consequently there must be something else than consciousness , to distinguish the several species of persons . i am sure an angelick , and humane person must be distinguisht by diversity of substance , as well as consciousness , in as much as the one is a pure spirit , the other a substance compounded of spirit and matter , or an animal and spiritual part. these are positions that answer to the most uncontroverted idea's or notions of a humane person . but now if a humane person , in the true notion of it , implies an existence of the animal , as well as the immaterial or spiritual part , the identity of a humane person , or which is the same thing , personal identity , as apply'd to a particular man , must consist in the identity of the animal , as well as immaterial part , whereinsoever that happens to consist ; and consequently consciousness , which is only a property of an immaterial soul , and in the judgment of mr. lock , may be communicated to any new body , or animal part , cannot reach the identity of a humane person . in one word , i dare appeal to all the world , whether mr. lock , throughout his whole chapter of identity , doth not speak of personal identity , as apply'd to a humane person ; and certainly consciousness , which may exist with the soul in a state of separation , can never be the adequate principle of personal identity , unless we can imagine , that the body contributes nothing to the making up of a humane person ; or indeed , that it is not an essential principle as well as the soul. i am sure such notions , such assertions as these , would have done signal service to the sect called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that resolv'd our saviour's humane nature into mere phantasm ; for if consciousness is alone sufficient to constitute the identity of a humane person , or if the animal part of a humane person is not an essential , as well as the soul , it was unpardonable injustice in the primitive church , to pronounce this set of men hereticks . i remember mr. lock very learnedly assures us , that person is a forensick term , apply'd to a being capable of judicial punishment , as well as rewards : but certainly such a person , in the judgment of the bench , contains an animal part in the idea of it , as well as consciousness ; else the person may be conscious of a thousand crimes , and stand convicted too , and yet defy the judicial power in inflicting personal punishments . but to conclude this argument in a few words , if consciousness is the sole principle of personal identity , suppose we should find it , at the general resurrection , united to a little finger , to an indian tortoise , or a body made up of the remains of heliogabalus's hogs , ( instances of his own culling ) it may be the very ingenious author of the essay concerning humane vnderstanding risen from the dead , or the very same numerical person he was in the land of the living . i am sure all this literally agrees with his own language , when he tells us , sect. . in the name of an apostle , that at the great day every one will be the same by consciousness , in whatever bodies they shall appear , or consciousness adheres to . if therefore he 'll be content to make his resurrection on these terms , i leave him to enjoy his beloved notion , so that he 'll allow others to expect a resurrection according to the catholick faith. and now i am ready to accuse my self , for dwelling so long upon a single notion : but yet i think it was absolutely necessary to my present undertaking , which is to state the nature of humane identity , or which is the same thing , personal identity , as apply'd to a humane person , to assert the catholick doctrine of the same rising body ; and in a word , to rescue it from downright socinianism in a new dress . for what is all this but to act the socinian in masquerade , or under the disguise of new names , rather than notions ; for if consciousness alone constitutes the identity of the rising person , what doth it differ from the socinian notion , that places the identity of a humane person in the same individual spirit , and allows the rising body to be formed of common matter . i shall not peremptorily affirm , that this is a notion which deserves the name of heresy ; but certainly , if origen's notion of an aethereal body , or a seminal principle , was justly condemned as heretical , i am sure it must be a signal favour to exempt consciousness thus apply'd , from as severe a censure . thus we see the wonderful product of free thinking , when it acts without the least regard to the canon of scripture . but to return to the decision of the nature of humane identity : as for the spiritual principle , the soul , tho' it doth by no means consist in consciousness , yet it s abundantly concluded , it consists in the same individual intelligent spirit . the remaining difficulty then is to fix the identity of the animal part , the body ; and certainly the identity of the animal part must in one word consist in a sit construction and organization of certain particles of matter , whereby one common principle of life is begun , continued , and the integral parts of the man are perfected and maintained . if it be demanded , which are the integral parts of a man , certainly they are either to be measured by this common principle of life , as they are more or less serviceable to the maintainance of it , or at least from the received idea of the animal part. under the first head are to be reduc'd the vessels and instruments of concoction , and the elaboratories of the blood and spirits , or vehicles of life , such are nerves , veins and arteries . under the second are the skin , flesh , bones , and their appendages , and even shape and proportion ; for tho' as to bones and flesh , there may be no express standard , with respect to weight , dimension , or number , no more than in nerves or arteries , yet its impossible to make up the idea of the animal part of a man , without something of each of these ; for we can no more conceive a humane body , without flesh and bones , than without life : feel , for a spirit hath not flesh and bones , as ye see me have , and the same is to be said of figure and proportion , since it would be absurd to pronounce a tortoise , or a little finger , the animal part of a man , or humane person . this is a truth so indisputable , that were the body of the author of the essay of humane vnderstanding , transform'd into a tortoise , or little finger , and consciousness joined to it , i 'm perswaded he would scarce think himself the same humane person , unless it was done when his brain was exceedingly warm'd with this uncouth notion . again , as to those fleeting particles , whether vital spirits , or other more subtle parts , that are carried off by more nice and delicate sorts of evacuation , tho' we cannot esteem 'em integral , constituent parts of a man , because humane identity is not destroy'd by the loss of 'em , yet they are justly to be esteemed proper appendages of every particular man ; inasmuch as during their abode in the body , they were instrumental to the carrying on of life and action , and often ministred to a man's vices , as well as virtues . and now having fixt the identity of the animal part , in this life , together with its integral parts and appendages , it will be easy to determine wherein the identity of the rising body , and consequently of the whole man consists , and how it may be preserved . and , first , i think we are not obliged to proceed upon the aristotelian principles of generation and corruption , which pronounce every little transmutation of matter , a total destruction of the individual , and tho' the same particles are re-collected and formed into a being of the same model , yet make it to be a new individual . with submission then , the most direct method to assert the identity of the rising body , is to resolve it into its first principles , dust , for dust we are , and unto dust must we return ; and certainly dust must be the materials of the rising body . if therefore there are sufficient materials of this kind left in the chambers of nature for each respective body , it s the special business of omnipotence to form 'em into the integral parts of a humane body , and in this sence , give to every seed it s own body . but as for the original of this stock of matter , i do not think it necessary , that socrates's rising body should be wholly compounded ( as some would have it ) of those particles which are the remains of socrates's dead body , for its certainly sufficient , if to these a supply be called in from any evaporated particles , that were once real appendages of socrates's living body . secondly , it cannot be sufficient to establish the identity of socrates's rising body , if it only enjoys so many particles of his animal , or dying body , as serve to make up the bones and principal vessels , and the rest ( as others contend ) by a plastick power , or seminal principle , made up from forreign adventitious matter . in a word then , i think it s absolutely necessary , that all the necessary integral parts of socrates's rising body , even flesh and blood , should be made up of the particles of socrates's dying body , or at least of those evaporated ones of his living body ; and and when substance , life , lineaments , and the proportion of a humane body are formed out of the aforesaid mass of matter , god may add what embelishments he pleases from the stock of common matter , and yet socrates's body is undoubtedly raised , and when the individual soul or spirit of socrates is united to this rising body , socrates is certainly raised the same man , and the same person he was in the land of the living . and thus much for the nature of humane identity , as well in the resurrection , as before it . from hence we may , in a few words , discover what is fit to be believed concerning the resurrection of the body , and remove the sceptick's mighty objection advanc'd against it . and as to the first , i think we may leave the school-men sweating in the midst of objections and answers , about hairs and nails , the state of infants , and adam's rib too , for i do not think it matter of faith to determine , whether children shall rise grown men , or whether we are to enjoy the same number of ribs , nails , or hair , or whether they shall be compounded of forreign matter , or no. we may in general conclude , that it seems most agreable to the infinite wisdom of god , to restore at least the elect , or blessed , in the utmost perfections of humane nature . but secondly , from the premises it may justly be presum'd pursuant to the ancient faith , that we are to believe the resurrection of the flesh ; for tho' no certain quantity or proportion can be prescribed , yet man was originally created in flesh and blood , and it s to be esteem'd as much an integral part , as nerves and arteries , and consequently an identity is to be observed in this , as well as in other cases . i know there are two passages in st. paul's famous discourse on the resurrection , which seem to interfere with it ; where we are told , that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god , and the body is said to be sown a natural body , but raised a spiritual body . the first of these hath been in some measure reply'd to , and the second is certainly to be expounded the same way ; it s sown a natural body , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or an animal body , or a body that is to be supported by food , sleep and warmth , and carries the seeds of corruption in it ; but it s rais'd a spiritual body , refin'd , or freed from its corruptible qualities , or from that continued flux of parts , whence the imperfections and infirmities of an animal body are derived ; or again , it s not a body of that gross allay , which our animal bodies were created in , since its parts will be wonderfully attenuated , refin'd and spiritualiz'd , and in a word , fashioned after the manner of a glorified body . so that here seems to be no foundation to reject the resurrection of the flesh ; i 'm sure it cannot be that of corruption , for that almighty arm , that raises the body out of the dust , can by the same act , render flesh and blood incorruptible , as well as the most refin'd particles of matter . and thus much for what is proper to be believed . in the last place we come to make a return to the sceptick . does he with triumph , and a scoffing infidelity demand , how can these things be , after such repeated transmigrations of matter ? the reply is easy , when we have demanded what he can by no means reject : and first , will he allow that the evaporated particles of the living body , as well as those of the dying body , may be fit materials for the rising body ? will he allow the received doctrine of nutrition , that scarce the fiftieth part of what is eaten , turns to real nourishment , or is assimilated and consubstantiated with the several parts of the feeding body , so that the rest is cast forth into the draught , or common stock of matter ? will he allow , that the principal parts of those bodies that are expos'd to the mouths of wild beasts , such as bones , ligatures , cartilages , and almost the whole genus of vessels , are very unfit materials for food ; will he allow , that the devouring animal may live so long , as to disgorge most of his prey , i say , to disgorge by insensible evacuations most of those particles that turn'd to real nourishment ? will he allow , that the parts of the glorified body may be attenuated to that degree , that half the matter which made up the animal body , may serve to give it all the features , lineaments and proportions of a humane body ? lastly , when infidelity industriously exposes the bodies of his saints to ravage or spoil , to defeat the engagements of the almighty , will he allow that this all-wise all-powerful being may for that time invert the course of nature , and send forth the greatest part of that matter , which would otherwise have turn'd to nourishment ? these are all concessions , which the original notices of a god , and the common principles of philosophy , will warrant and confirm . but now since all these must be allowed , tho' the most avowed sceptick , or infidel turn tyrant and devil too , and exert his utmost wit and malice , in defeating the designs of the almighty ; in a word , tho' he out-do the most improved cruelties of former persecutors , and tear infants from the womb , to sacrifice to wolves and tygers ; yet after wit and malice , and cruelty have spent themselves , there will still be materials enough for omnipotence to perfect his own designs , in a glorious and triumphant resurrection . and thus i have in some measure performed what i at first engaged in . but certainly this is a very vile way of practising upon our faith ; suppose we were not able to form any manner of an hypothesis , to represent the possibility of a general resurrection , must the clearest revelations be rejected , and the fact pronounced impossible , because we are not able to form a modus , to demonstrate the possibility of it . certainly this is to measure omnipotence , by the shallow projections of a finite understanding . but before any man pretends to fix impossibilities upon reveal'd matters of fact , he must be able to give an exact account of the various modes , by which its impossible for on all-wise and an all-powerful god , to execute and perform ' em . till this is done , to pronounce any thing of this nature impossible , is the heighth of impudence , folly and presumption ; and shall any man pretend to trace the different workings of omnipotence , when he 's baffled in every little phaenomenon in natural causes ; a finite understanding is not able to comprehend the one , and nothing less than knowledge , as extensive as infinite power , is able to fathom or unravel the other . let no man then be bubled out of his faith , by such extravagant pretences : but let him consider , that god who comprehends the dust of the earth in a measure , and weigheth the mountains in scales , and the hills in a ballance , can not only marshal together , all the dispersed particles of each respective body , but reserve such a stock of each in the chambers of nature , as will enable him to answer , and make good his promises . and since he has plainly assured us , that we shall all rise in our bodies , let not any seeming difficulties shake our faith , but rather let his infinite power and wisdom answer and remove them ; for we may be sure of this , that his infinite power and wisdom will conspire to assert his veracity . in a word , it ought to be considered , that the sacred canon expresly place's the article of a general resurrection upon the infinite power of god ; and therefore tho' the doctrine of future rewards and punishments , may not discover the necessity of the same rising body , yet in as much as it resolves it self into the infinite power of god , it ought to be looked upon as a special attestation of the divine authority of the gospel institution : and consequently we may conclude , that god will find out methods to accomplish his own designs , so that neither the power of hell , death , nor the grave shall be able to baffle and defeat ' em . and then we need not fear , but god will give to every seed his own body , and in the same act , change our vile bodies , that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body , according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself . a postscript . since the composure of this discourse , there 's an attempt made to over-turn the numerical identity of the rising body : [ see latitudinarius orthodoxus , de mysterio resurrectionis , cap. . sect. . ] and tho' a great deal is offered — — — from the justice and wisdom of god , yet i think there 's nothing considerable , besides the argument drawn from the instance of seed or grain , given by st. paul upon the subject ; and because it seems to clash with the hypothesis i have advanc'd , i think my self obliged to make some return to it . the words are these : but some man will say , how are the dead raised up ? and with what body do they come ? thou fool , that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die ? and that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that body that shall be , but bare grain , it may chance of wheat , or of some other grain : but god giveth it a body as it hath pleased him , and to every seed his own body , cor. . ver . , , , . upon the words we may very justly premise , that the apostle argues by way of allusion and example , and therefore the parallel is to be carried no farther than the design and scope of the apostle's argument ; for when instances come up to the main design of an argument , tho' in other cases there 's an apparent disparity , they have serv'd the intention of 'em , and to extend 'em farther is illogical and vnjust . again , there can be no force in alluding instances , when apply'd beyond their primitive design , if the application is inconsistent with other express positions of scripture . this is a limitation so just and reasonable , that where any doctrine is express and clear , it s to be a rule or interpretation to any allusion that seems to interfere with it ; especially as long as the interpretation concludes any things , and is not forced and unnatural . this i offer , because i hope i have produc'd express authorities of scripture , which prove the numerical identity of the rising body , beyond all dispute or controul : but now for the apostle's design , i think its only to represent the nature of that change , which is to be made on our mortal bodies at the resurrection : how are the dead , or how is the mortal part of 'em raised up ? with what bodies do they come ? how shall these mortal bodies be chang'd , alter'd , or model'd ? the instances represent a a change , but its only in qualities and perfections , not in matter or substance ; this is apparent from the whole catalogue of instances , which ought to be uniform and consistent . as one sort of flesh differs from another sort of flesh in frame and contexture , and consequently in qualities and dispositions ; so doth the rising body differ from the mortal body , as the glory of the sun , moon and stars is vastly different , so is the glory and perfections of the rising body from those of the mortal body ; and the leading instance is apparently subject to the same application . the seed sown , viz. of wheat , or some other grain , is sensibly different from the product of it : the first is but bare grain , the second grain with root , blade and ear to it ; and no doubt the difference between the rising and mortal body is as visible , as to its frame and qualities , for its god that models our mortal bodies , or gives them bodies as it hath pleased him . and its plain , the parallel is design'd thus far , and no farther , for thus it is expresly apply'd : so also is the resurrection of the dead . it is sown in corruption , it is raised in incorruption : it is sown in dishonour , it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness , it is raised in power : it is sown a natural body , it is raised a spiritual body . here 's indeed a very considerable change , but it s a change of the same body , and consequently a change of contexture , quality , or disposition , not a change of matter and substance ; and therefore its absurd to carry the parallel any farther : for tho' the production of corn supposes only a seminal principle in the seed , whilst the greatest share of matter is adventitious , and only prepared by proper vessels ; yet it can be no argument that our rising bodies are to be made up of adventitious matter , unless it were expresly apply'd thus far : besides , this instance of seed can be carried no farther , than those of the sun , moon and stars , and the different kinds of flesh ; and as these cannot , without absurdity and non-sence , be apply'd to represent any thing , but the different qualities and perfections of the rising body ; so that of seed cannot , by the rules of logick , or right reason , extend any farther . upon the whole then , the identity of the rising body is established on the clearest authorities of scripture , and there 's nothing in the argument before us , that can be thought to invalidate , or weaken the force of 'em : the refore what is before asserted , concerning the identity of the rising body , is still in force , and may be esteem'd consosonant to the canon of scripture , and the catholick faith. finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e see mr. lock 's essay concerning humane vderstanding , book . chap. . sect. . . . the earnest of our inheritance together with a description of the new heauen and the new earth, and a demonstration of the glorious resurrection of the bodie in the same substance. preached at pauls crosse the second day of august. . by thomas draxe bachelour of diuinity. draxe, thomas, d. . approx. kb of xml-encoded text transcribed from -bit group-iv tiff page images. text creation partnership, ann arbor, mi ; 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the earnest of our inheritance together with a description of the new heauen and the new earth, and a demonstration of the glorious resurrection of the bodie in the same substance. preached at pauls crosse the second day of august. . by thomas draxe bachelour of diuinity. draxe, thomas, d. . 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conversion the earnest of ovr inheritance : together with a description of the new heaven and of the new earth , and a demonstration of the glorious resurrection of the bodie in the same substance . preached at pauls crosse the second day of august . . by thomas draxe bachelour of diuinity . by wisdom·peace by peace plenty· at london , imprinted by f. k. for george norton . . to the right honorable learned and religiovs lord , william lord paget , grace , peace ; and all happines both temporall and eternall . albeit ( most noble sir ) the doctrine of the restitution of this whole vniuerse , and the renouation of the principall creatures therein contained , may be thought to bee curious , intricate , doubtfull , and to minister occasion of scorne , or errour to the ignorant and those that are carnally minded ; and albeit the doctrine of the glorious resurrection of the bodies of the saints in the same matter and substance , be doubted of , by the curious ; denied by infidells ; and impugned by diuers heretikes and atheists , yet both these doctrines and assertions , whereof the latter is an article and maine foundation of faith , are plainely proued by plentifull and pregnant testimonies of scripture , euinced by euidence of arguments , and subscribed vnto by consent of the best diuines both ancient and moderne . that there shall be , at the second comming of our lord iesus ( which shall not bee before rome be ruinated , and the dispersed iewes generally conuerted to christianitie ) a glorious restorement and reformation of the world : of these visible heauens , with their lights , eyes , starres : and of the earth , and ( in all probability ) of all such , plants , trees , beasts , birds , hearbs , which were created by god in the sixe dayes , and which shall be found remaining at the day of the lord , it is sufficiently proued in this present sermon . yet that i may giue your lordship some tast and touch , these places and arguments immediatly following , are forcible , and duly to bee considered . first , there shall be a newe ( outward ) heauen , and a newe earth , ( new i say for qualitie but not for substance ) wherin dwelleth righteousnes , ( that is ) righteous men , yet by entercourse , and not by any continuall residence . secondly saint paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is , wee know , that euery creature groaneth after this glorious libertie , therefore the apostle taketh this restitution as a thing granted . thirdly , the creatures shall bee changed , namely into a better forme , ergo they shall not bee eternally abolished . fourthly , the inward supernaturall and constant desire of the creatures , to be fully and finally freed from vanity and the bondage of manifold abuses , and withall ( in their maner and proportion ) to be restored into the glorious libertie of gods children , doth euince as much . fifthly , sinne , the corrupting cause of the creatures , shall at the last iudgement wholy cease , therefore the corruption and abuse of the creature ; shall then likewise cease . sixthly , god who is the god of order , and not the author of confusion , will at length , rectifie and reforme whatsoeuer hath bin and is , disordered and deformed . seuenthly , christ our mighty sauiour , the second adam , and the lord from heauen heauenly must & shal cure euery wound , that the first adam , and that sinne and sathan haue inflicted . eightly , the apostle proueth the certaintie of eternall life , by the secret desire of the creature after this time ; wherein it shall bee gloriously renewed . ninthly , gods elect must , and shal wholy recouer the dominion ouer other creatures , which by adams fall , they haue ( in great part ) lost , and then the mecke shall ( in their maner ) inherit the earth , and none but they , but now for the most part , tyrants , and gods enemies vsurpingly possesse it . lastly , ( to omit the generall consent of later and most worthy writers ) saint theodoret , ambrose , oecumenius &c. hold and acknowledge this particular restitution . neither must it be thought that the creatures renewed shall engender , or multiplie ; for as there is , and shall be no engendring , nor multiplication of the saints in heauen ( notwithstanding the distinction of male and female shall remaine ; ) so shall there be no multiplication , much lesse in infinitum , of plants , beasts , birds , in the renewed earth . touching the vse and end of the creatures , they shall serue to set forth gods power , wisedome , mercy , goodnes , and shall serue for the saints delight & contemplation , and not otherwise . and as for al other cauils and obiections of any moment . i suppose i haue sufficiently answered them in the booke . now that the bodies of gods children ( though for the present vile , mortall , deformed , miserable &c , shall at the last day arise againe in power , glorie , incorruption , and that in the same substance with all their parts and dimensions , in few words i thus demonstrate . first , the scriptures of the old and new testament do abundantly declare it . secondly , sundry types and figures of the old law , and the rising of diuers saints , both in the old and also the new testament , ( at least ) to a temporall life , are good inducements hereunto . thirdly , the saints bodies , being the temples of the holy ghost , and being redeemed by christ , as well as their soules , must of necessitie bee glorified , as well as their soules . fourthly , the resurrection is grounded vpon gods almightines , and vpon his infallible promises . fifthly , christ our head , to whom we must be made conformable , arose againe in the same bodie and substance that hee died in ; therefore our bodies shall in like sort , arise againe . lastly ( not to exceed the skantling of an epistle ) the bodies of the saints must come to iudgement , as well as their soules ; and therefore they must needes rise againe . concerning the sundry and sweete comforts that the holy meditation of the resurrection affordeth vs. i haue distinctly laid them forth in the treatise . wherefore the matter being so vsefull , so desirously heard in the greatest auditorie , and worthy of an honourable and iudicious patron , i haue vpon iust causes , and due deliberation presumed to entitle it to your honour , and to commend it to your patronage : for first , to whom should the dedication of it , of better right appertaine then to a noble caedar in gods church : a mecenas of learned men , a sheild of iustice , a sincere israelite , and to one that in stafford-shire shineth , as the sunne amongst the lesser starres . secondly , your lordship is knowne to be very learned , and studious & a diligent hearer of your painefull and godly preaching minister master macham : lastly , it hath pleased the right reuerend father in god , and my singular good lord , the bishop of couentry and lichfieild , in his respectiue compassion towards mee , to procure for mee , and seate mee in the vicaredge of coll-wich , a fewe miles distant from your honours dwelling house , and therefore i would be glad to haue so noble a protector neere mee . and thus , most humbly requesting your lordships fauour , and gratious acceptation of these my meditations , i betake your blessed lordship , together with your most vertuous , and zealously religious ladie , vnto the continuall tuition , and heauenly gouernment of the almightie . your honours in all dutie and seruice , ready at command , thomas draxe vicar of coll-wich . the earnest of ovr inheritance . rom . . chap. v. . . for wee know that the whole ( or euery ) creature , groaneth and trauelleth together in paine , vntill now . and not onely they , but our selues also , which haue the first fruits of the spirit ( euen wee our selues ) groane within our selues , waiting for the adoption ( to wit ) the redemption of our bodies . the epistle of saint paul to the romanes , wherein is enclosed the quintessence and perfection of sauing doctrine , may not vnfitly be compared to the paradise of god , the place of all pleasure and happinesse : the . chapter , which like a conduit pipe conueyeth vnto the church , the waters of life , may be likened to the tree of life , ( i. the sacrament and instrument of it , ) in the middest of the garden , and this my text in regard of the spirituall nourishment and soules phisicke that it ministreth ( as it were ) a goodly branch of this blessed tree , whose fruit serueth for food , and whose ( very ) leaues , for shade and medicine . and this parcell of scripture , is so ample and copious , that like the riuer of eden , that watered the garden , it doth diuide it selfe into foure heads , or parts . for first the apostle in the beginning of the chapter , vnto the first verse , absolueth his large and long dispute of our redemption and iustification by christ and faith in him onely . secondly , from the first verse vnto the eighteenth , he by powerfull and perswasiue arguments exhorteth the romanes to holinesse and newnes of life . thirdly , from the . vnto the . verse , hee by sundrie , sound and substantiall reasons , doth arme , comfort , and confirme them against the manifold miseries , and troubles of this life . lastly , from the . verse vnto the end of the chapter , he concludeth his doctrine , partly by a braue challenge of all aduersary power , and partly by way of triumph and exclamation . touching the coherence and dependance of my text , with the verses immediately going before , we are to vnderstand that the apostle in the eighteenth verse of this chapter , affirmeth that the excellency of eternall glory , doth ( whether wee respect quantity , quality , or continuance ) farre exceed and surmount the afflictions of this present life . in the three verses next ensuing , hee proueth the certeinty of the same glorie , by the secret instinct and earnest desire of the ( reasonable and brutish ) creature ; yea of the whole vniuerse : which like a spye out of a watch tower , or like to a captiue , that doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( i ) put it head out of a grate , and carefully expect the comming of the deliuerer , doth desire and waite for the manifestation of gods children , when it shal be freed from the bondage of corruption and abuse , and be restored into it former purity and perfection , ( and in it proportion and degree ) be made partaker of their glorie : and in the two and twentieth verse , hee repeateth , and further explaneth the creatures desire and waiting for it restitution ; and in the three and twentieth verse , he enforceth the certainty of immortality , by the inward groning , and serious expectation of gods children , for their redemption and saluation : and the scope and drift of the apostle in this place is , by the ioynt and mutuall groning and expectation both of the creature , and also of gods children , to demonstrate the assurednesse of the glory to be reuealed . touching the order and method of the apostle in my text , we haue a double description , first of the creature , secondly of gods children . in the creature to be restored , three things are to be noted , first , the generality of it , euery creature , secondly , the earnest and carefull desire , and waiting of it , groaneth and trauelleth in paine together , lastly , the extent , or continuance of this groaning and trauelling , vntill now . in gods elect , who are in the three and twentieth verse described , three points are like wise to be obserued . first their spirituall and sauing graces , wherby they know themselues to be gods children , and wherby they are distinguished from heathens , from hypocrites , heretickes , and all prophane and vntegenerate persons : in these words , which haue the first fruits of the spirit . secondly their deepe desire , and hopefull expectation , arising from the aboue named graces in these termes , groaning within our selues and waiting for , &c. lastly , the obiect and end of their desire and hope , epitomized in this worde adoption , which the apostle by interpretation , calleth the redemption of the body , to wit , the finall and full deliuerance of it , from mortality , death , and all the miseries of this temporary life , and thus much our blessed sauiour intimateth when and were he saith , when yee see these things begin to come to passe , then looke vp and lift vp your heads , for your redemption draweth nigh . now it remaineth that i lay downe , and prooue , and apply the speciall doctrines lessons and obseruations , that this scripture naturally yeeldeth and presenteth to our considerations . but that i may worke vpon a sure foundation , and build vpon a sure ground , and proceede orderly , i am first , ( so farre forth as i conceiue it either manifestly reuealed in gods word , or ( at least ) in some particulars very probably to be gathered out of it ) to remoue all rubs out of the way , and to determine what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that is , euery creature is ; whether that it is generally , or specially to bee vnderstood ; and what , or which this creature is , ( or creatures are ) : and in the handling heereof , i will deale and proceede , first negatiuely , shewing what creatures shall not bee restored , and deliuered , and then positiuely and affirmatiuely : by resoluing what creatures shal vndoubtedly be deliuered and restored , and what also in likelihood , and the iudgement of probability onely , shall bee repaired and renewed . therefore from the number of the creatures that doe groane and trauell in paine together , after , and for their deliuerance and restorement , are to bee abstracted and deducted these creatures , whose speciall kinds follow . first , the blessed and sinlesse angels : for they are not capable of , much lesse , subiect to such bondage of corruption and abuse , but doe alwaies behold the face of god the father which is in heauen . indeed , they so long as they attend vpon , & minister vnto the saints in earth , haue not that perfection of glory and ioy , which they shall haue , when they shall be discharged of this ministery , and shall be in rest and contemplation , but yet they are not made subiect to vanity , nor in any bondage of corruption : and what if they , as they reioyce of the conuersion of a sinner , so they ( in a sort ) mourne for , and labour vnder so great peruersenesse and frowardnesse of gods children , whereof they are beholders ; may bee said to groane and trauaile in paine : yet this groaning and trauelling , is not in regard of their essence and nature , which admitteth no blemish or abuse , but onely in respect of their office and ministerie . secondly , the diuels ; and all euill spirits , whom god hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse , vnto the iudgement of the great day , and that haue no possibilitie of anie better condition , are in no wise to be rancked in this number : they daily expect a time of torment , but not of triumph ; and they doe not condole with gods children but continually seeke to deuoure them . thirdly , the reprobates , or so manie as god hath in his eternall counsell reiected , cannot liere be imploied : for none of the reprobate persons groane or sympathise with gods children ; and to none of these belongeth deliuerance , but to all of them , is damnation ; decreed , denounced , prepared . fourthly , from this number , are distinguished and deducted the verie elect of mankinde : for first , this word creature , in the scriptures doth not signifie mankinde vnlesse some other word , or words be added to it . secondly , the elect onely haue the denomination of the sonnes of god , and so hath not the creature ; thirdly , in my text , the elect of god are discerned and seuered from the creature , by the discretiue coniunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , but , and by the graces of saluation which the apostle calleth the first fruites of the spirit , and lastly , by the expectation of the resurrection and redemption of their bodie . now these graces and this hoped for resurrection are proper to the elect onely , and doth not at all appertaine to the creature . fifthly , hornes and thistles , briars & brambles , weedes and nettles , &c : are none of the creatures that are by s. paulmeant , or , intended : for , instantly vpon mans transgression and fall , the earth being cursed for his sinne , brought foorth all these euill things . sixthly , all creatures that haue their being from an equiuocall , mixt and confused generation , and not from the proper male and female , and therefore are , in kinde and name diuers and different , as mules , wolfe-dogs , wolfe-birches , and all monstrous creatures come not into the number of the creatures , to which deliuerance and renouation is promised . seuenthly , all creatures that haue their beginning from , and are bred of corruption and putrefaction , as frogs , flies , wormes , mouldes , mise , crickets , bats , barnacles , haue no part in this restitution . eighthly , the ocean , and all seas , for there shall bee no more sea , and consequently no sea-fish : take away the subiect , take away the adiunct : and take away the proper element , and then take away the creature that liueth in it . ninthly , all those ( or such ) plants , beasts , foules , that either are alreadie dead and dissolued , or , that afterwards , and at christ his second comming shall bee found deed and without life , are to bee deducted out of this number . lastly , amongst other things , all houses , buildings , cities , townes , villages , monuments , inuentions and deuises of man shall be vtterly dissolued , for the earth and the works therein ( whereof these are parts ) shall be vtterly burnt with fire . now because affirmatiue knowledge , whereby a thing is knowne positiuely , is farre better , then negatiue knowledge , whereby a thing is knowne priuatiuely , and confusedly , let vs , with warrant of scripture , and waight of reason ( according to our skantling , ) see and set downe what is the creature that groaneth and trauaileth in paine together vnto this day , and shall at length be restored . first , whether we render these words , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the whole creature , and so take it collectiuely , for a magnitude , or a continued quantitie , in which sense the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not seldome vsed , as matth. . . &c. and marke . . or according to the current of scripture , and geneall consent of most interpreters , auncient and moderne , take it for euery particular , or , the general of euery particular : then it must needes be graunted , that the whole vniuerse shall continue : the foure elements shall be purified , renewed , made more subtile and be ( in all likelyhood ) eternally preserued in this happie estate . it is most manifest and apparent out of scripture , that there shall be a new heauen : i. a new or renewed , starrie , ayrie , visible and externall heauen , ( for this heauen onely and not the third heauen is subiected to the bondage of corruption ) and a new earth , and certaine it is , that these haue from the beginning to our time continued groaning and trauailing in paine for their deliuerance . or let vs take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , either collectiuely , for the whole frame of the world , or , distributiuely for euery kinde , manie kindes , or ( at least ) some kindes of creatures , then the sunne , moone and starres , those eyes , lights , and lampe of heauen , are to be restored to a better state and condition , and that vpon these grounds following . first , we vnder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , comprehending the maine parts and principall creatures , then the sunne , moone , starres with their orbes , must necessarily be heerein included and vnderstood . for they haue neuer since their first creation ceased to be , and haue from mans fall , continued in groaning , and painefull trauaile , and so shall continue vnto the consummation of the world . secondly , the sun and moone ( & by the same reason , the starres ) shall at the last day receiue a manifold addition of brightnesse and glorie ; for the sunne shall be seauen times more glorious ( then it is now ) and the moone shall be as glorious as the sunne ; which place of scripture , as it hath his allegoricall interpretation , in regard of the ( begun ) reformation of the christian church , so it shall be literally fulfilled , when the church and other creatures shall be perfited : as might bee instanced and euidenced by manie scriptures of the like nature and extent . lastly , the perpetuitie of christ his ( spirituall ) kingdome , is shadowed and set foorth by the continuance of the sunne and moone : his throne shall be as the sunne , and ( it ) shall be established for euermore as the moone , gods children shall feare him so long as the sunne and moone endureth : and christ his name shall endure so long as the sunne ergo , these creatures shall be restored , and so continue without decay , or corruption . but if the sunne , moone and starres shall be glorified , and so continue , then it may be demaunded to what vse they shall serue ? i answere , that they shall cease from all motion , ( for they shall haue a perfect rest or iubily , ) and they shall not serue for signes seasons and for daies and yeeres , nor to distinguish times , ( for there shall be no more time , neither night nor darkenesse , summer nor winter , nor shall they bee anie more vsed as instruments to impart and communicate light to the world : for god by his speciall presence shall enlighten the new heauen and the new earth , and the saints very bodies shall be as light as the sunne , not needing anie sunne , moone or starre-light . there shall be no neede of , or , such vse of anie creature , when we shall enioy the creator himselfe . but they shall remaine as most glorious and lightsome bodies , and as so manie monuments of gods eternall power , wisedome and goodnesse , the beholding and contemplation wherof , shall not onely affect and wonderfully delight the saints , but also occasionably stirre and prouoke them to extoll and magnifie the creator . touching the continuance and reparation of such plants , beasts , foules , as shall haue a life and being , at the glorious appearing of our lord , it seemeth verie probable ( if not demonstrable , ) by these testimonies of scripture and arguments ensuing . first , this particle ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) is commonly and vsually ( in the new testament specially ) taken for a discontinued quantitie , and for specials and particulars , as for example sake christ healed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . that is , euerie sicknesse and euery disease amongst the people : euery sinne and blasphemie shall be forgiuen vnto men : godwill haue all , that is , ( some of euerie kinde , calling , condition ) men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth ▪ and god is not willing that anie should perish , but all should come to repentance , and why may it not bee vnderstood in this my text ? especially seeing amongst the ancient . saint ambrose , oecumenius , theodoret. &c , and amongst later writers , most noble and famous diuines , caluin , peter martyr , oleuian , tossanus , faius , cooper that learned scotish britaine , and pererius , extend this restitution and reformation , not onely to things and creatures that are senselesse and without soule : as doth irenaeus and hilarie : and also beza , bucan , rollocke . but also to the verie beasts and birds themselues . secondly , gods children that do , & haue in this mortal life recouered by regeneration , the title & interest in , & to all the creatures : the light wherof they wholy lost by adams fal , and the dominion in great part ( they must semblably at the last day recouer and obtaine the full lordship and dominion ouer them : then they shall accord together ( as they did at their first creation ) and bee subiect vnto man : if adam being lord ( vnder god ) of the earthly paradise , had ( for the time ) the rule and command of them , how much more shall men the heire of the heauenly paradise and of the new heauen , and the new earth , wherein dwelleth righteousnesse ( that is , righteous and iust men ) haue the eternall dominion ouer them ? at such times , and in such manner , as god shall appoint : especially , seeing that we in christ , not onely recouer that we lost in adam ( i meane so much as shall make for our eternall happinesse ) but are gainers , and improue our estate many waies ? thirdly the saints shall ( at the day of the lord ) inherite the earth , wherein most of them , for the present , haue no free hold , nor actuall possession , yea , they shall raigne on the earth , to wit by enter course and in manner that god shall see good , yet their ordinarie place of residence and rest shall be the highest heauen , the throne of god , and the promised kingdome ; which they shall eternally inherite . lastly , shall these outward and visible heauens , and their transparent lights & gēmes , the sun , moone , starres , &c. be renewed and shall the renewed earth be wholy dispossessed and depriued of their necessarie and conuenient ornaments and furniture ? is there not reason ( or at least ) great probabilitie as well for this , as for that ? but plants , birds , beasts , &c. shall serue no longer for mans necessitie , or to helpe his infirmitie , for there shall be no vse of them , for labour , lodging , building , meate , drinke , apparell , phisicke , ergo these ends and vses ceasing , the creatures must , and shall likewise cease . i answere : the argument followeth not : for though their naturall , ends , and vses which serued for mans infirmitie shall cease : yet their spirituall and principall ends , to witt , the setting forth of gods glorie : the matter of mans delight , and the exercise of his meditation and thankfulnesse , may and shall continue and abide . these ends are the perfection of the creatures in which they shall rest . the soundnesse of this my answere may more plainely appeare by these particulars following : the brasen serpent that moses , by gods commandement set vp in the wildernesse ( if we respect the supernaturall next and speciall end of it ) was to be a signe of cure vnto the israelites , that as manie of them as were stung by fiery serpents , might looke vpon the brasen serpent and liue and withall to be a figure of christ , by whom alone we are cured and healed of the deadly sting and poison of sinne and condemnation , and though it was no signe of cure nor figure of christ , anie longer ( for ought we reade ) then the iewes were in the wildernesse , yet it remained as a monument of gods mercifull goodnesse , vntill ezechiah his time , who , when it was peruerted to idolatrie , did in ( an heroicke zeale ) breake it into peeces . christ our head at , and after his resurrection retained , and now being ( in heauen ) glorified , hath , and retaineth , all the parts and dimentions of a true humane body , as , hands , feete , flesh , sinewes , bones , blood , sides : naturall parts . now that which is affirmed of , and verified in christ his naturall bodie , hath his truth , and accomplishment in all his ( mysticall . ) members : the tong , nose , the mouth , stomach , bellie , and diuers other parts of mans bodie , shall want all such former vses as serued for mans infirmities and natures necessities ; but shall haue spirituall vses , and shall remaine , as parts of the whole , without which , it cannot consist , or be perfect . manie hearses , haue their armes , flags , and diuers captaines haue their armour hanging ouer their tombes , for monuments : but it will be obiected , that plants , birds , beasts , haue not continued groaning and trauelling in paine from the beginning of their bondage vntill now , much lesse , to the worlds end , and therefore none of them are to be restored ; answer : it may be sufficient , that christ our lord finde one generation of them groaning and trauelling in paine together , at his comming ; and then he may , or will ( as he is a free and absolute agent ) renue and continue all the particulars , or ( at least ) the generalls of euerie speciall , plant , beast , foule : as shall seeme good to his heauenly wisedome . but the full and certaine truth hereof shall be reuealed vnto vs in the last day : and therefore it is not good to approach neerer this holy flame of gods secrets , least we be therewith consumed , nor diue anie deeper into this bottomelesse depth for feare of drowning ; we herein must not be ouer curious , but be wise to sobrietie : and specially labour to know those things that more concerne vs , and that are more euidently discouered vnto vs , that we and our children may doe them . thus much therefore let it suffice to haue disputed of this difficult question ; hauing therefore opened with the key of interpretation , the chest wherein the treasure of doctrine and exhortation is contained , let vs now view the treasure ( id est ) gather the chiefest and choisest heads of doctrine , which are ample and vsefull , and hereunto let vs specially bend and applie our hearts and eares . we know that euery creature groaneth and trauelleth together in paine vntill now . ovt of the whole verse , iontly and generally considered , i gather and obserue , that at christ his glorious appearing , the world shall be repaired and all things shall be made new , and the creatures , whereof i formerly entreated , shall be restored to their first and originall integritie ( if not to a better condition . ) there shall be a new heauen and a new earth wherein shall dwell righteousnesse . and what if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( i ) the outward hew and habite , forme & fashion , & the corruptible qualities of the world shall passe , and bee scoured away by the fire of the last iudgement , yet the matter and substance shal remaine ( but purified , renewed , and refined ) for the scripture in no place saith that the substance shall perish . the heauens in deede shall passe away with a noise ( or rustling ) or shrinke together like a skroule of parchment : the elements ( like lead ) shall melt with heate , and the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp , yet the world shall not be consumed to nothing , but only transchanged into a new forme and conuerted to a sabbaticall and better vse : god out of the very ashes of it , will produce a new world : the truth here of may by a familiar similitude be made more light some and easie to bee conceiued : as when the gold or siluer is cast into , and so tried in the fire , the substance remaineth , but the drosse perisheth : so in the last day , the fire of the iudgement shall consume and abolish the corruptible and drossie qualities of the creature , but the substance ( being subtilised and refined ) shall abide and continue . the first reason . the apostle taketh it for a matter known to , and confessed of the romanes , for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , for we , that is , i and you know ; ( namely by gods word which is more stedfast and sure then the earths foundation ) and where the same word in other places of scripture is vsed , it importeth a certain and demonstratiue knowledge , as . cor. . . . iohn . . and chap. . v. . & . the second reason . god that hath put this secret desire , restlesse motion , and inward groaning into the creature ; for it restitution and end , which doth determine it desire and operation , cannot , and will not be frustrate of his end : for hee cannot repent , and no creature can alter , hinder or preuent him of his purpose : and therefore the creatures shall at length be perfectly restored . and heereupon the creature so feruently desireth it deliuerance and restauration : for as the nedell of a diall beeing touched with the loadstone , moueth northwards , and neuer resteth , nor standeth still , vntill it come to that point : so the creature by a secret and inward motion and instinct , neuer ceaseth it motion , vntill it haue attained vnto it ende . the third reason . god that is not ( the author ) of confusion but the god of order , and that hath already begun , and daily doth continue , goe on with , and perfit this promised reformation , spiritually , in the church and in the members thereof , will also at length both begin and finish it ( at one moment ) in the creature : the creatures vanity and bondage hath not beene alwaies , neither shall it so continue : for when mans sinne that caused and occasioned it , shall be ( at the last day ) wholly blotted out and abolished , then of necessity must the creatures bondage of corruption and abuse which is the effect of it , cease . the fourth reason . christ our all sufficient sauiour that strong man , that bindeth and spoileth sathan , and that putteth and will ( further ) put sathan , death , and all his enemies vnder his feete , that dayly doth repaire his image ( of grace and holinesse ) in vs ; purifieth our hearts by faith , and will vndoubtedly deliuer our bodies from the graue : will heale euery wound that sinne and sathan hath caused and inflicted : ( otherwise he would not appeare to be so perfect and omnipotent a sauiour and deliuerer , as he is ) but the creatures vanity and bondage , is one of these wounds and one of the deuils works , which christ came into the world for to dissolue . the fifth reason . the spirituall marriage that is on earth concluded and contracted betwixt the lambe and his spousesse , christ and the church , shall bee eternally consummate and solemnized in heauen : and then the creatures , their attendants , seruitors and followers , shall ( in their measure and proportion ) be partakers of their magnificence , glory and maiestie : no otherwise then at the marriage of a mighty monarchs sonne , all the court and euery person , officer , attendant , according to his place , office and dignity , is gay and glorious . the first vse . if the fillie and harmelesse creature , that so farre forth as it is not by a superiour power ouerruled , retaineth the order in which it was created , and that is made subiect to vanitie , not willingly , but by reason of god , who for the punishment of mans transgression hath thus subiected it , must be notwithstanding ( by fire ) refined , altered , changed , and bee rid from the dregs and drosse of corruption ? how much more then , ought we that haue so infinitely sinned , and that haue beene the occasioners of the creatures vanity and bondage , be renued in the spirit of our minds , become new creatures , repaire our decaies and cast off the olde man which is corrupt through the deceitfull lusts , and put on that new man , which after god is created in righteousnesse and holinesse ? otherwise we haue no part in christ , if we be not new creatures wee shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen , and when the creature shall bee restored , wee shall bee condemned . the second vse . seeing the world , and all the creatures therein conteined , are by reason of mans sinne , so blemished and corrupted and bained , so fading and fleeting , so full of vanitic and abuse , and daily tend to ruine and destruction , let vs not set vp our rest heere , much lesse seeke certainty in vncertainty , purity in infection , life in death , and eternity in mortality . nothing doth giue that which it hath not , neither is there more in the effect , then was in the cause ; the world hath not blessednes in it , neither inhaesiuè nor effectiuè , that is , neither in it , nor by effect , and operation : wherefore , ( if we will rise with christ ) let vs seeke the things that are aboue , and minde them , but let vs not affect the things of the world . heere we are strangers and pilgrimes , and haue no abiding citie , therefore let vs seeke one to come , and let vs by the preseruatiues of grace striue to keepe our selues vnspotted and vntainted of the world : christ our treasure is in heauen , therefore let our hearts be there also , and seeing that the time is short , let they that haue wiues bee as though they had none : they that weepe as though they wept not : and they that reioyce as though they reioyced not : and they that buye , as though they passessed not , and they that vse this world , as though not abusing it : for the fashion of this world passeth away : to whome christ beginneth to become sweete , to him the world must needs grow bitter and distastfull . groaneth and trauelleth in paine . heere the apostle by a figure called prosopopeia , whereby life and sense is ascribed to things without life and sense , bringeth in the creature groaning , as a man that is heauy laden with a burden , whereof he desireth to be eased ; and also trauelling in paine , like a woman great with child , neere her houre , and there upon crieth and is pained to bee deliuered : from which metaphoricall and emphaticall words , i note and obserue , that mans sinne hath so corrupted , enthralled , peruerted , and daily paineth the creature , that it , weary of this intollerable bondage doth in it kinde , make pittifull complaint vnto god , and groaneth for it deliuerance , and if god should open the mouth of it , as hee did the mouth of balaams asse , it would expostulate and reason the case with man , and say master , what haue i done , that thou hast thus corrupted mee ; and tormented mee so many times , am not i thy seruant which thou hast vsed and employed since the first time vntill this day ? the first reason . the creature knoweth ( in it kind and manner ) that it shall neuer be freed , nor finally deliuered from this bondage and abuse , vntill sinne be wholly rooted and remooued out of mans bones , nature , and bowells , which shall not come to passe , before the day of iudgement , which is the day of the restitution of all things , and the day of regeneration , when euery member of christ shal bee finally and wholly deliuered and purged from all sins : and hereupon the creature is so pained and so panteth , and so earnestly continueth in desiring and carefully waiteth for this time . the second reason . the creature is ( in a sort ) sensitiue , of , and taketh notice of it miserable and mortall condition : of it weakning and decay in it vertues and powers : of it manifold abuse and bondage : and how it tendeth to ruine and death , as in the seuerall parts , so in the whole ; the parts are alterable , ergo the whole , that receiueth his beeing from the parts , cannot be perpetuall : and it knoweth that the older it is , the worser , the weaker and more ruruinous , it must needs bee : all things are the worse for wearing . the spring , summer , and autumne of the world is past , and the winter and decrepite age is begun : for now we may truely affirme , that the euill dates are , and the yeares approach , wherein wee shall say wee haue had no pleasure in them . but now because the vanity , decay and tottering state of the whole , will more sensibly and euidently appeare by the vanity , decay and ruine of the parts , let vs a little insist in the particularising heereof . first therefore , the sunne , moone , stars , those eyes and lights and gemmes of heauen , are much altered & mightily decayed in their light , strength , vertue , influence , and are often in their times made gods instruments and executioners to correct and chastise vs : thus the starres in their courses and regions ( effectiue ) fought against sisera . the sunne & moone haue their frequent and fearfull eclipses : the sunne hath his maculas or spots ( as mathematicians obserue ) from ptolomeys daie vnto our time , is worne and wasted in his course , and neerer the earth by some germane miles : the moone hath her changes and wanes , and is often changed into blood . secondly , the aire with his seueral quarters & regions is much corrupted , distempered , and suffereth many alterations , and is made hurtfull & noy some to man , birds , beasts . the ayre is sundry times darkened , ouercast , infected with a contagious quality , and ( now and then ) strange , ominous and prodigious sights and apparitions are discerned in it : as , new sunnes , new moones , armies of men fighting . comets and blazing starres , &c. from the vpper region of the aire , and the distemper of it proceede immoderate droughts ( as late and lamentable experience hath verified ) in england ; & scorching heats whereby the grasse and hearbe is burnt and singed , beasts famished , mortality caused , and much hurt done : from thence are heard and seene sometimes prodigious ratling and roaring thundrings and lightnings : in the middle region of the ayre are not seldome seene blacke foggy and darke clouds and from thence descend ( sometimes ) such immoderate and excessiue raine as if heauen and earth should goe asunder , and as if the world should bee againe drowned : yea , ( sometimes ) the ayre raineth downe milke , bloud , fishes , frogs , iron , wooll , crosses , engendred by a violent generation , the suns heate working vpon the pliablenes of matter , or at least drawn thither by the violence and vehemency of the winds , and so fall downe vpon the earth : from the lowest region of the ayre , are sometimes caused and descend such tempests of hayle as beate downe corne , yea and destroy man and beast : and thence come such cruell , long continued and killing frosts , as nips fruit in the head and blossome : and destroy fish , birds and other creatures . thirdly , the earth is many waies accursed , weakned , corrupted , deformed in it selfe , and in it waters , plants , beasts , hearbs : &c. sundrie parts of it lye waste and without inhabitants . it is cursed with barrennes in sundry parts , and slow in bringing forth good fruit , but it is fertill and fruitfull in thornes , briars , brambles , nettles , thistles , weeds , vermine : it is shaken by earthquakes , yea and ( in some places ) sunke , or remoued : it is not seldome by fires , heats , inundations of waters and sea-breakes , spoiled and corrupted : it bringeth foorth ( sometimes ) monstrous and prodigious birthes : and sendeth out dangerous , yea and deadly dampes : the riuers and streames are ( now and then ) dried vp , or else change their channels , and alter their courses . lastly , there is a mortality in plants and beasts , and they continually are weakened and decay in their beauty , goodnes and other vertues . fourthly , the sea hath his ebbing and flowing , whereof aristotle could assigne no reason ( or cause : ) it is often so troubled , boisterous and tempestuous , that it sinketh and drowneth both men and ships : it continually altereth his course , eateth into the earth , incroacheth vpon the continent and maine land , and gaining one way , looseth an other : for if it ouerflow certaine ilands , townes , cities , villages : yet it maketh other ilands in it bosome , so that cities and townes are built where the sea earst flowed . lastly , there is a dayly change , decay , alteration , climactericall yeere and fatall period , not onely in men , in apparell , buildings ; but also in states , empires , kingdomes : all these haue their beginning , their endings , their risings , their settings , their infancie , youth , flourishing and best time , and their drooping and decaying olde age : in a word , the world and all the parts of it , are in a secret , dayly and vnrecouerable consumption . the third reason . the last reason and cause that enforeeth the creature so greeuously to groane , and with such terrour to trauaile in paine , to be deliuered , is a three-folde abuse , that by reason of mans disobedience and rebellion it is subiect to : first , not onely amongst the rude pagans and infidels , but also amongst ( those ) nominall and equiuocall christians the romanists , the creature is made the matter and instrument of the grossest idolatry : whereby the diuine maiesty is wholy estranged from it , and they are laid open to all temporary and eternall plagues and punishments : the purity of gods seruice and idols , can neuer stand together : where there are images ( worshipped ) there is no ( true ) religion saith lactantius : for in the substantiall worship of god , we must from the canonicall scriptures , haue a commaund for it , for euery particular : otherwise our seruice is a will worship and after the vaine traditions of men . secondly , the creature is constrained to be the executioner of ( the ) wicked mens malice , against gods children : heereupon the loathsome prison and dolefull dungeon keepeth them in bondage ; the fire burneth , the sea and waters drowne : the sword killeth , and the wild beasts deuoureth them . lastly , the creature , full sore against it will and stomach ( for the time ) serueth and ministreth vnto gods enemies : for the sunne shineth vpon them , as well as the good , the raine maketh their ground fruitful , the aire affordeth them breath , the water matter of drinke , the hempe , flaxe , sheepe and silkeworme , yeeldeth them cloath and garments , the earth whiles they liue , serueth them with meate , drinke and places of habitation , and when they die , it affordeth vnto their corps a burying place . but at the day of the lord and thenceforward , they shall all with an vniuersalitie of consent , concurre and conspire to worke their torment . the first vse . if the sinnelesse creature , so groane vnder the burden of our sinne , which hath made it so much miserable , and if it so wonderfully doth hope , desire and waight for it deliuerance , then how much more ought wee , that by our sinnes , are made so odious and loathsome , to god and all his creatures : to crie out and say o miserable men ●ho shall deliuer vs from this bodie of sinne ? o therewise we are more blockish and brutish then the very creature : and it shall ( as the dumbe a●●● rebuked balaam the wisard , for his follie ) checke vs for our senselessenesse ; and if the creature so couet and expect it restitution by the verie instinct of nature , or ( perhaps ) by supernaturall motion ; then how much more should we , that haue receiued the light of reason , yea and of grace , and expect certainely the light of glorie , and that are so fettered and clogged and laden with sinne and miserie ; deepely desire and vnweariedly waite for our redemption and deliuerance ? according to the superexcellent and incomparable obiect of our hope , so should our hope and desire be . otherwise , we make it more then manifest , that wee haue no faith , no hope , no comfort , no promise , and the verie creature shall rise vp against vs in iudgement , and condemne vs : the second vse . if the creatures originally made and ordained for our seruice , benefit and good , occasionally at anie time , preiudice , annoye , hurt or endammage vs , in our persons , familie , goods , or outward estate , let vs not bee wrath against , much lesse transferre the fault vpon them ( for they are but gods ministers seruants , officers , to maintaine his quarrell , correct his children and to take vengeance on his enemies ) but let vs descend into our selues , consider the plague in our hearts , blame and condemne our selues , and figuratiuely applie that confession of dauid to our selues and say , it is we that haue sinned , and haue committed euill , but these creatures ? what haue they done ? and withall at such times , when god doth correct vs by them , let vs runne vnto god , let vs by serious and seasonable repentance , pacific his displeasure , and inuocate and implore his mercie and helpe , then god will heare in heauen , bee mercifull vnto vs , and worke perfit peace betwixt vs , and the creature . the third vse . if we would not encrease the creatures groanes and torments , nor cause them ( in it manner ) to crie out and exclaime , yea and to preferre a bill of enditement vnto the iust iudge against vs ; let vs then neuer ( at least for the time to come ) abuse , peruert and misapplie them to anie idolatrous or superstitious vse ▪ or , to hurt and hinder ( much lesse to ruinate and vndoe ) our neighbour , or to serue our vnlawfull and inordinate lusts whether of pride and pleasure , gluttonie and drunkennesse , or of wrath and reuenge , &c. for then the iust lord will punish our enormous abuse , and will either depriue vs of the vse of the creatures , or make them his instruments and rods to scourge and plague vs. groane together , trauail in paine together , namely , with vs. these words groane and trauaile in paine together , haue a relation vnto man , with whom they suffer and sympathise , whence i draw this instruction and conclusion , namely , that there is a certain secret sympathie , fellow feeling , mutuall affection and agreement of nature , betweene the creature and gods children : which simpathie and agreement is not onely and ordinarily discouered by their ( naturall ) effects , as by the shaking and trembling of the earth , eclipses of the sunne and moone , whizzing and singing of the winds , roaring of the seas , seruiceablenesse and dutifulnesse of the creatures as when the dogs licked lazarus his soares : but also sometimes by rare , vnusuall , and miraculous motions , effects and actions . instances heereof we haue in the hard rocke that moses smote with his rod which powred foorth water for gods people in great abundance : in the red sea , that shrunke aside : and in the flood iordan that yeelded backe , and made a way and passage for the children of israell : namely , the redde sea made a way into the wildernesse , & the riuer iorden into the land of canaan : in the sun that at the prayer of ioshua stood still a whole day , vntill he and the israelites were auenged of the amorites : in the sunne : that at the prayers of esaias and ezechias , went backe ten degrees : in the rauenous rauens that brought elias bread and flesh in the morning , and in the euening : in the fire that would not hurt sadrach , meshach & abednago : in the hungry lions that would not deuoure daniel the prophet : in the vaile of the temple , that at christ his death , rent into two peeces : in the earth that then quaked : and in the rocks that claue asunder : and at the point of christ his second comming , the sunne , moone , and stars shal darken by degrees : and the powers of heauen , that is , the foure elements , and the worlds foundation shall be shaken . the first reason . if there be a naturall and mutuall , ( though secret and inward in respect of causes vnknowen ) sympathy & mutuall affection betweene the creatures themselues , why then may not there be the like , ( though more supernaturall ) betwixt the creatures and man ? but there is such a sympathy and secret compassion and affinity of nature , betwixt the creatures themselues for the loadstone by a secret and vertuall power draweth iron vnto it : the marigold openeth and shutteth with the sunne and followeth the course of it : the north east wind draweth vnto it clouds : the iett ( or amber ) pulleth to it straw : the fish remora , sucke-stone or sea lamprey , sticking to the keele of the shippe , doth stay and stop the course of it : the wild bull tied to a figg-tree groweth tame , and by this sympathy the vines and elmes reioyce to dwell together . the second reason . they are ( as it were ) our sworne seruants , they are our confederates , allies and good friends & kind neighbours , and ready to doe vs any office and seruice , therefore they reioyce with and applaud vs , when it fareth well with vs : and doe condole , mourne and suffer with vs , when it goeth ill with vs , or when wee are any way hardly bestead . the first vse . diuers haue doubted ( yet without any great reason ) whether that there are any antipodes , that is , people directly vnder vs , whose feet in respect of situation goe against our feet , but they haue lesse reason to doubt whether that there by any antipathites , that is , men that are opposit to men & contrarily affected : for the world , yea and our little world of great britaine , aboundeth with such , who though they haue the forme and shape of men , yet in regard of their vncompassionate nature , they are rather monsters then men , & rather fiends then friends : of which i wil giue some tast & some general instances . first then , by this doctrine are condemned the merciles brood and diuelish generation of papists , iesuites , seminary priests , and the like , whose faith is fact on , whose religion is rebellion , and whose badge is bloud : these crie poison , poison , kill , kill , crucifie , crucifie , these mouldy pioners , and sulphurious hell-hounds , crie raze the parliament , house , raze it to the ground : these seduce and peruert many hundred of the kings maiestie his liege subiects . o what massacres haue they not made in france , italy , america , haue they not embrued and bathed themselues in the bloud ▪ of the prophets and of the saints , and of all protestant and perfect christians that haue beene slaine in europe ? haue not they their masses in sundry places of the kingdome ? o where is become the zeale of magistrates ciuill and ecclesiasticall in many places , that should preuent and restraine our english papists from resorting thither . god grant that euery one may timely beware of their sugred seducements , damnable doctrine , and pestilent practises , that they be not partakers in their sinne , and that they receiue not of their plagues : and god stirre vp the hearts , and kindle the zeale ▪ of all that be in authority , and whom it specially concerneth , to looke to the maine chance , to take these foxes that deuoure the vines , to tye vp these mad dogs : to cut off this dead flesh , and to dispatch these worrying wolues : otherwise , if too much conniuence ( be still ) vsed , the tares will ouerspread and ouergrow the good corne : the wolues will deuoure the lambes , the foxes will destroy the vines : and the papists ( which god forfend ) will get the start of vs. seuerity in the due execution of law herein , non crudelitas sed pro deo pietas , is not cruelty ( as some mis-intitle it , ) but zeale for god , and a publicke or common euill hath need of a common remedy : secondly , to this number of apathites , antipathites , or peruerse minded people , belong the great nimrods of our time , whether knights , gentlemen , or others , that haue within this twenty or thirty yeares last past , hedged in , and inclosed , ( for their priuate vse and aduantage ) common grounds , fields , pastures , & haue withall ( for it must needs follow ) decayed and ●●populated many hundred burroughs , towneships , villages . hereby the kingdome is weakened , the kings most excellent maiesties subiects are in their number decreased : tillage decayed : in any dearth of graine the multitude sterued , or hard bestead : and the tenants turned out to shift for themselues , or to feede on the bare commons : hospitalitie marred , pride professed , sheepe empastured , but men impouerished . the fathers get their enclosures by oppression , and the heires and successors wil make no restitution : what will bee the ende and issue ? god will and doth curse and crosse these canniball enclosers , in their states , persons , stockes , and posterities : and of ill-gotten goods the third heire shall haue no fruition . god graunt that authority may herein respectiuely tender the poore , and reforme the common abuse , & god grant vnto the poore and oppressed , patience , and giue them grace by prayers and teares , to commend their cause to god , who will in time right and reuenge them . thirdly , hereby the lawyers are reproued : who hauing such an attractiue hand and siluer touch , are but faint in their poore clients cause , except they feele him : the better monied that the client is , the better is his matter . doe not many of you vndertake more causes then you haue time to follow ? and doe you not take fees of diuers , for whom you haue either no leisure or at the least no pleasure to speake and plead ? where is your christian compassion become , and who will plead your cause , or intercede for you at the last day before the great iudge of heauen and earth ? doe you , if you perceiue that your clients cause is naught , and that hee is like to be cast in the suite , plainely tell him the truth , and charitably aduise him what course he were best to take ? nay doe not some of you keepe your clients , ( especially ) if it be a chancery matter ; in a long and tedious suit for your owne aduantage , as some vncompassionate and vnconscionable physitions , keepe their rich patients in long cure , for their further gaine and profit ? in the name of god , thinke seriously of these faults , amend them , let the feare of god be before your eyes : take no reward against the innocent , pittie the poore , looke to the cause rather then the client , and haue no respect of persons in iudgement , then shall you prosper and doe well . heereunto ( if time would permit ) i might adde and adioyne the greedy engrossing merchant who hath not onely , his darke lights , and his mingled wares , whereby he deceiueth many , but most of all beguileth his owne soule , but like a monopolist selleth his wares at an vnreasonable rate and reckoning : where ô man is thy mercie to thy poore brother ? where is thy sympathy and compassion ? marke the end and bee wise , remember that ill gotten goods doe not long prosper , and that he that sheweth no ( mercy ) shall haue iudgement without mercy . lastly , of this ranke and rable of mercilesse men , the griping and biting vsurer , the church deuowring and the church robbing latron ; i would haue said patron , sed lapsa est lingua ; the market-badger , the corne-munger and corne-hoorder , and the pittilesse and sheepe-pining dumbe dog , and the idle , lazy , vnprofitable non-resident , these are one of sort and suit , and neuer a barrell the better herring : god amend them al ( if it be his wil ) and grant that when they lie open to law , it may be duly excuted vpon , them and against them , to gods honour and to the good example of others . vses of exhortation . the second vse . let vs in no wise curse , banne , lame or misuse any of the poore creatures , knowing that if there bee any defect or vntowardnes in their nature ; or any want of duty and obseruance in them , towards vs , our sin hath beene and is the cause and occasion of it : and if the poor dumbe creature , ( bird or beast ) bee in any paine and miserie , let vs not ioy , nor sport our selues in it paines and torments , but rather be sorry for it , and be greeued for our owne sinnes , which the filly and sinlesse creature smarteth for . and in this action let vs imitate and follow the example of the sonnes of kings and great nobles , who when they see any of their schoolefellowes , playfellows , or attendants , beaten and scourged for their default and offence , take it as greenously , and as much to heart , as if they were corrected and chastised in their owne proper persons . the third vse . let vs from the very creature learne to be mercifull and compassionate one towards an other : let vs not bee wolues one to another , but instruments and examples of good : let vs feeling members of that mysticall body whose head is christ , reioyce with them that reioyce , and mourne with them that mourne : let vs condole and suffer with our persecuted brethren in any kingdome , country , place : let vs pray for them , and ( if opportunity serue ) counsel , comfort and releeue the bowels of christ. finally , if christ be hungrie in his ( true ) members , let vs giue him meate : if he thirst let vs giue him drinke : if he bee a stranger let vs take him in : if he be naked let vs cloath him : if he be sicke , let vs visit him : and if hee be in prison , let vs come vnto him : for euery man is so much the more compleat , the more perfectly that he feeleth an other mans sorrow , then shall we in this world , and at the day of iudgement , find mercy at gods hands ; and if any of ours be in need and distresse , god will for our sakes and his promise sake , stirre and raise them vp friends : and will be mercifull vnto them : i will conclude with that saying of s. ierome : i to my remembrance ( saith he ) neuer read , that hee died an euill death that willingly practised the works of charity . for hee hath many intercessors , and it cannot be but that the prayers of many ( saints ) should be heard . vntill now . in this place the apostle doth illustrate and setteth forth the creatures desire and hope , by the circumstance of time , and so successiuely , shall continue groaning and trauelling in paine together , vnto the ende of the world , whence we are taught , by their example , not to be disheartned in our long continued and tedious afflictions , but to practise patience and long sufferance , and to waite in hope for our full and finall deliuerance . the first reason . because that wee are more drawne with examples , then mooued with commandements , and doe rather heede and practise presidents then regard precepts , the mercifull god tendring our infirmitie , hath for our help and imitation , made the creature a guide and example vnto vs , in so much that if we suffer the creature herein to out-stride , and out-strip vs , wee are altogether vnexcusable . the second reason . in a common calamity , and in suffering for any good cause , the more company , the greater comfort , by how much more common the suffring is , by so much more easie and tolerable it is : wee haue then no ( iust ) cause to complaine with elias , that wee are left alone , nor with the iewes in ieremy his lamentations , to demand , whether that there is any sorrow like vnto ours which is done vnto vs : nor curiously with peter , to say what shall become of iohn , what shall this man doe ? nay , ( if wee respect the date and terme of time ) our afflictions are but momentany , being compared with those of the creatures : for some of them haue groaned and trauelled in paine , fiue thousand and ( almost ) sixe hundred yeares : and it is more rare then vsuall , if wee continue groaning fourescore yeeres : for not one ( i am perswaded ) of tenne , or of many , attaineth vnto that length of yeares : and therefore wee haue the more cause , more quietly and contentedly to vndergo them . the third reason . the longer that our afflictions are , the lighter and lesser they are : the sharper that they are , the shorter will they be : no violent thing is perpetuall : if our affliction bee caused by persequutors and oppressors , then god will not let the rodde and scepter of the wicked to rest long vpon vs , least we tyred by their tyrannie , should put forth our hands vnto wickednesse , and if it come by anie other meanes , god ( such is his indulgence and faithfulnesse ) will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue that we be able , but will euen giue an issue with the temptation , our miserie is the obiect that moueth god to shew mercie : he knoweth wherof we be made , and he remembreth that we are but dust ; and therefore the more priuie that wee are of our owne impietie , and the more sensible that we are of our owne sinfulnesse , the more readie and resolute will god bee to shew mercie . the vse . first , the long patience and waiting of the creatures for their restorement : and their long attendance and patient desire to be deliuered from the bondage of corruption , serueth to checke and condemne the gracelesse gallants and the swearing swaggerers and thriftlesse tobackonists of our time , whether men of sort , or otherwise so abhorring holy assemblies , and distasting all practise of pietie ; who meeting in tauernes and gaming-houses , and that often at vnseasonable times , fall a drinking and dicing so long : that the liquor being in and the wit out , the blood vp , and the diuell at their elbow , fall to wrangling and quarreling , challenging and stabbing one an other : in so much that many loose both their liues & their soules , and lands and liuings at one instant : and the murtherers , though they escape mans iudgement , are plagued and pursued with the furies of an euill conscience , and the vengeance of god followeth them at heeles . these men will put vp no wrongs , but offer them ; patience neuer grew in their garden : but rankor and wrath possesseth their hearts . o yee mercilesse murderers that will shew no mercie , nor if ( perhaps ) you bee wronged will make god , the law and the magistrate your auengers : but you will reuenge your owne quarrell , and that without ground , reason or moderation : the verie brutish and reasonlesse creatures that do so patiently put vp so many wrongs and indignities offred them & call and crie onely vnto god for helpe and deliuerance , shall at the latter day , rise vp in iudgement against you , and condemne you , and in the meane time leaue you without all excuse . secondly , it serueth to reprooue and condemne our fainth eartednesse in trouble , and our repining and impatient spirits : euerie triall doth trouble vs , ouerie menace doth amate vs : euerie ( church ) tempest maketh vs ( for verie feare ) to crie saue vs lord , we perish , yea , euerie crosse doth cast vs downe : surely , if we faint in the day of our aduersitie , our strength is not great , nor our hope liuely ? wherfore let the verie creatures example put life and spirit into vs : and let it bee a shame for vs ( who are the sonnes of god , not onely by creation ; but also by redemption , and that are heires apparent of heauen ) to let the poore and brutish creature so greatly to exceede and excell vs in long suffering and patient expectance for a better condition . let therfore the approach of the lords comming to vs by death , or , the generall iudgement ; and the due and deepe meditation of the infinite waight of glorie prepared for vs , keepe vs from falling and fainting ; let it kindle and prouoke our desire and longing after it , and make vs stedfast and vnmoueable , alwaies abounding in the worke of the lord , for as much as wee know ; that yet a verie little while , and he that shall come , will come and will not tarrie , and that our labour is not in vaine in the lord , shall the husbandman waite for the pretious fruite of the earth , and haue long patience for it , vntill hee receiue the first and latter raine ? and shall not wee much more patiently and thirstingly , expect the fruitfull shewers of gods preuenting and confirming grace , and settle our hearts for the comming of our lord , when the angels shall reape vs downe , and carrie vs as sheaues of good wheate into gods barne ? the lord , grant vs , faith , hope and patience , and giue vs the hearts and wils to vse all the holy meanes , whereby they may be quickned , encreased and confirmed . amen . but also we our selues , which haue the first fruites of the spirit . in this metaphore of ( the ) first fruits the apostle alludeth to the custome and practise of the iewes in the time of the old testament , who ( that they might testifie their obedience to gods commandements , make proofe of their thankfulnesse , and procure a blessing to the rest of their fruites ) did offer their first fruites vnto god : by the performance of which duetie , they were assured to receiue and enioy the residue , in due season : so gods children referring , dedicating and conuerting the first fruites of grace , which they haue receiued from god , to his honour and glorie ; conceiue and entertaine certaine hope , that they shall at length receiue the accomplishment of them , and with all eternall blisse and glorie : now in that the apostle doth here describe gods children by their gifts and graces , which he calleth the first fruites of the spirit , and which are the earnest of their immortalitie , we learne that euerie childe of god , must in this life , truely haue and be possessed ( in some competent measure ) with the graces of saluation : they are , or must be partakers of spirituall blessings in heauenly things : euerie member of christ must haue his measure of grace and faith . they must know the truth , that is , according to godlinesse : and know the mysteries of gods kingdome , they must haue the spirit of prayer and thanksgiuing : they must bee sprinkled in their hearts from an ill conscience : their bodies washed with pure water : they must loue the brethren , because they are gods adopted children : they must with godly sorrow bewaile their manifold sinnes , and from the bottome of their heart , repēt of thē : they must be rooted , groūded and established in faith , & haue that liuely hope that maketh them not ashamed : and ( not to bee tedious ) they must euerie one of them in his proportion and according to his meanes , calling , imployments , haue the first fruites of loue , ioy , peace , long suffering , gentlenesse , goodnes , faith , meckenesse , temperance : and as saint peter reckoneth and numbreth them , faith , vertue , knowledge , temperance , patience , godlinesse , brotherly kindnesse , charitie : &c. these and the like , spirituall graces and endowments are the breathings and impressions of gods spirit : and the rebound or reflexion of the beames of the sunne of righteousnesse vpon vs : these are the bright , white and shining garments where with the lambs spouse and bride is clad and attired : these are the myrrh , aloes , cassia , incense and powders of the merchant , wherewith the saints are perfumed : these are the bracelets , ouches , pretions stones , rings and iewels , wherewith christ his church is beautified and adorned : and the hidden treasure wherewith they are enriched . the first reason . except , we partake of these graces , we are no members of christ : wee haue no part , interest and portion in him : and shall neuer inherite the kingdome of heauen , nor see gods face in glorie : christ is the sonne of righteousnesse : if we receiue no light from him , we remaine in deadly darkenesse : he is the welspring and fountaine of grace , from whom if we by the buckets of faith draw not the waters of life from it , we are but drie & dead sticks : christ is the head of his members , and doth impart and communicate spirituall sense , life and motion to them , which if we receiue not from him , wee are no members of his : because we are not quickned by his spirit . lastly , if we remaine in our pure naturals , and are not new borne of water and the holy spirit , christ will not acknowledge vs , for anie of his , but disclaime and renounce vs : for , as the eagle doth not take notice of , nor acknowledge her young ones for her owne , so long as they are naked , implumed and without feathers : so in like manner , christ iesus our lord , doth not take nor acknowledge anie for his members , all the while that they are in their naturall corruption , and are without the wings of faith , and the feathers of gods grace . the second reason . gods children must ( euen in this mortalitie ) bee by these graces separated and essentially , discerned and distinguished , from all meere naturals and ciuill men , from all heathens , hypocrites , hereticks , and from al that are only politicians , linguists , and those that haue the laudable knowledge of all the liberall artes and sciences : for common and naturall gifts , and those that the reprobates may partake of as well as the elect ( common gifts i say ) make not the formall and essentiall difference betweene them , but those that are proper and peculiar to the elect : to wit , the gifts and graces of iustification and sanctification : for hereby gods image , which consisteth in knowledge , in true holinesse and righteousnes , is renewed and repaired in them . the third reason . gods children before that they can be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light , must be washed from their sinnes and sanctified by faith in the lord iesus , and they must liue iustly , godly , and soberly in this present world , that they may bee made meere for it : for as the kingdome of heauen is prepared for them , so they must be prepared for it . the first vse . let vs not rest in , nor content our selues with the naturall gifts of ciuilitie , policie , or that we are good artists , philosophers , linguists : for the commō gifts ; though in themselues , and for substance they are good , yet in all those who are destitute of faith and sanctification , they are sinfull and polluted , and are as rotten rags , and a bodie without a soule ( or spirit . ) neither let vs content our selues with a temporarie and fleeting faith , with a pharasaicall , seeming , and hypocriticall holinesse , or with a bare tast of the heauenly gifts , and with an outward reformation of maners when the heart is not changed , nor the affections sanctified : for , god that is true , sincere and holy in his nature , and all his attributes , and that requireth truth in the inward parts and will be serued in spirit and truth , will not accept of these for current paiment : those persons haue no oile in their lamps , nor light in their workes , nor are not readie for the mariage , and therefore shall be shut out from it , and those wanting the wedding garment of faith and holinesse , shall be cast bound hand and foote into vtter darkenesse : but let vs , though with losse of all that we haue , purchase the field wherein this hid treasure lieth , and buye this inestimable pearle of grace : and conscionably vse and plie all holy meanes , both to gaine these graces , and to encrease and confirme them . let vs therefore not ( as manie doe ) content our selues with a dombe , ignorant and vnteaching ministerie , where that is wanting that serueth ▪ vsually to worke effectually vpon our consciences , and be get vs vnto god , and build vs vp in faith ( for if the blind lead the blind , both must needes ( without gods extraordinarie mercie ) fall into the pit of eternall destruction ) but because ( ordinarily ) faith onely commeth by bearing of the word preached , and encreaseth daily by it , 〈◊〉 also by the administration of the sacraments and prayers , let vs be deuout and diligent in the vse of all these blessed meanes , and then carefully frequenting sermons , and vsing all the other exercises of religion , god will blesse his owne ordinance , and conferre grace vpon vs , and hauing begun this good work● in vs : will performe it vnto the day of christ. the first fruites of the spirit . the apostle doth not say that we haue receiued the perfit , full and whole fruites ( for those we shall receiue at the haruest of the great day ) but alluding to the vsage of gods people in the time of the old testament , saith , that we haue the first fruites ( id est ) certaine sheaues ( or rather eares ) of corn , in respect of the whole haruest ; & certaine small clusters , in comparison of the whole vintage ; whence it is apparent , that gods children , though they haue the truth of grace in their hearts and all the parts of it : yet they are not compleat , or accomplished in grace , and haue not the fulnesse , nor all the degrees of it : if we regard quantitie , there is more ignorance of heauenly things in them , then knowledge , more sinne then sanctitie , and more rebellion then obedience : the gifts and graces of god in them ; are but ( as it were ) certaine beames of the sunne of righteousnesse , certaine graines of gold , in comparison of the whole mine and mountaine , & certaine drops of the water of life , in regard of the maine ocean of gods grace . the first reason . from a partiall ( or vnperfit ) cause , cannot proceede a totall and full effect ( for there is not more in the effect then was in the cause ) but the next and immediate causes of their thoughts , words , actions , to wit , the enlightning of their , minds , and the change and sanctification of their wils and affections , are but partiall , they are begun , and in motion , and in the way towards perfection , but they are not yet perfit : for their knowledge and vnderstandings are mixt with ignorance : their wils and affections with rebellion : their faith with vnbeliefe : their hope with doubting : and so their thoughts , words , actions are soiled and defiled with sinne : in so much that what they would doe ? they doe not , but what they hate , that they doe ! sinne is condemned in them , but not destroyed ; lessened , but not abolished , weakened , but not wholy wasted . the second reason . our spirituall birth , and the growth of it ( ordinarily ) followeth the order of our naturall birth : for in sundrie places of scripture , it is compared and resembled to it : but our naturall birth , is not perfitted all at once , but by times and degrees , & when the childe is brought forth , it doth not forthwith attaine vnto his ripenesse and perfit state and stature : but hath his infancie , his childhood , his youth , and then it full strength and perfit man : and thus it fareth with our new birth and new man : it hath his forming and framing , his growth and encrease , and shall aspird vnto the pitch and point of it full age before the iudgement day : they are in their way , but not yet at their iourneies end and rest . the third reason . they ( during this mortalitie ) are not fitted for it ; nor worthie to receiue it , and therefore god will haue them exercised before that hee put them into full possession of absolute perfection : and that partly , by reason of their shallow apprehension of grace offered , and partly by reason of their diuers decayes , losses , arreareges . for , first , gods children ( though vessels of grace , and of gould and siluer , seruing for honourable vses ) are but like narrow-mouthed pots , and cannot at once receiue all the grace that is by the ministerie of the word offered , but by little and little receiue it , and here that rule of the philosopher : hath his place viz , whatsoeuer is receiued , that same is receiued , according to the measure of the receiuer and not of the thing receiued . the law is spirituall , and doth require spirituall and perfit obedience , but they are carnall that is , full of sinnes , slips , imperfections ; secondly , their passions lead them hether and thether ; thirdly , their manifold temptations , are like so manie rubs and hubs , blockes , and stones , in their waies : where at they est soone stumble , & are let in their iourney & especially they in the ( daily ) combat betwixt the flesh and the spirit , though at length they preuaile , yet they receiue manie foiles and fals , and often ( for the time ) lose somewhat of that they formerly had , and are troubled and terrified in conscience . an example hereof , wee haue in iacob , when he all the night wrestled with the angell ( iesus christ ) for , as the angell , when iacob wrestled with him , touched , loosed and vnionted the hollow of his thigh ; in so much that he halted all his life after it , and yet notwithstanding by reason of his importunitie , he preuailed : so gods children ( euen the stoutest and strongest of them ) receiue ( for their correction and humiliation ) in the spirituall combat and conflict , some losse and lamenesse , and some hurt and wound : yet ( because god will perfit his power in infirmitie ) they are more then conqeurours , through christ that loueth them . neither must gods purpose and proceedings herein seeme strange , and much lesse offensiue . for his will is , that there shall be a notable and remarkeable difference betweene mortalitie and immortalitie , betwixt the childhood of his church in this life , & the perfit manly estate of it in the next : i say betwixt the church warring in earth , and it triumphing in heauen , the first vse . hence is discouered the conceiued vanitie and vaunting veine of manie that are but nouices , petites , and incipients in christ his schoole , who being but low shrubs imagine that they are tall cedars : being but windie bladders conceite themselues to be full of all the spirit : hauing hardly gotten the true beginnings of pietie and puritie , beare themselues in hand , that they haue the perfection and pith of it . these men measure not themselues by their inward state , whereof they are ignorant , but by their outward appearance : they measure themselues by themselues , which is a partiall and lesbian rule , but not by the touch stone and standard of gods word : and hereupon these emptie caskets , and these tinckling cymbals make the greater sound , but in the winde and tempest of triall and trouble ( these ) leaues and chaffe will be scattered , and at the comming of the lord ( if not before ) they shall bee vnmasked and vncased , and their nakednesse shall appeare to , and their shame be seene of all men . the second use. secondly , these are also , by the authority of this doctrine , taxed and reprooued , who confounding all things , vaile and hide all want and absence of grace in themselues , vnder the curtaine and colour of imperfection , as though there were no difference betweene blindnes and dimme sight , between nakednesse and apparell , betwixt life and death , betwixt bondage and liberty , something and nothing : heere it is true , hee that maketh no distinction , ouerthroweth art : and they that cannot , nor will make no difference betwixt light and darknesse , naturall gifts and spirituall , and between presence of grace and want of it , do put out the eies of faith and make all sinnes equall , and so destroy all diuinitie : these peeuish persons wittingly and wilfully seduce their owne soules : and their fond excuses will not holde out water , but faile them in death , and at the day of iudgement leaue them without excuse . the third vse . heere is matter of endlesse comfort for all them , that haue the sound beginnings , and parts of sauing grace , and that are carefull and constant by the vse of all good meanes , namely by hearing of sermons , receiuing of the sacraments , the vse and practise of prayer and thanksgiuing , reading of the scriptures and of all learned diuines , disputes and treatises : by holy conferences ; and by conscionable walking in their ciuill and christian callings , to cherish and strengthen the same . god will accept them for the better , and not the greater parts : hee will more esteeme them for the graces of the spirit , then dislike or distast them for their corruptions : if they bee no stronger then bruised reeds , christ will not breake them : and if their faith do but smoake , he wil not quench it : hee accepteth in them , the desire for the deede : and will in his due time finish the spirituall building begun in them : his grace is sufficient for them , and hee will perfit his power in their manifold infirmities . groane within our selues . ovt of these words , groane within our selues , this instruction offreth and presenteth it selfe to our consideration , namely , that the very inward sighes and groanings in gods children , are certaine and infallible signes , and testimonies of their adoption , and are much respected of god : * nehemias , dauid , the children of god in their captiuity in aegypt , moses : exod. . . anna , ezechias , paul , yea and our lord iesus himselfe are in the scriptures noted and ennoble for their sighes and groanings . the first reason . the inward groanes : ( which often times breake out into outward passions ) are a part of gods spirituall worship , whereby they are distinguished from al hypocrites , whose seruice and holinesse is onely outward : for they proceed from a broken and contrite heart , and are speciall effects of gods spirit , which hee cannot but highly esteeme of . the second reason . they are weary and heauy laden : they feele their sins like a milstone to presse them downe : they labour vnder the burden of their manifolde falls , and faylings : they see in what danger they stand : and how mightily the diuine maiesty is , or may be offended : no known sinne seemeth light to them : they striue to shake it off , and would faine bee eased of it : for it breaketh their hearts , and forceth them to crye out with blessed paul , o miserable man , who shall deliuer vs from this body of sinne ? but contrariwise the wicked make but a iest and sport of sinne , it is meate and drinke to them : and they receiue it into their soules and bodies , as the gallant and swaggerer doth his indian weede , that is , his idle , idoll , tobacco : it seemeth honie in the taste , but it is more bitter then wormewood and gall in the triall . the third reason . the eclipse of syncerity : decay of piety : freezing of charity : the oppression of the innocent , the encroaching of superstition : the intollerable breach of the sabbath , and inundation of atheisme and profanenes , do compel their hearts to melt and to mourne for the abom inations that are done in the land , and when they see and heare the wicked conuersation of the vngodly , to vexe their righteteous soules from day to day : they as good subiects cannot abide that their heauenly king : as good seruants that their heauenly master : and as dutifull and louing sonnes that their heauenly father , should bee so blasphemed , dishonoured , offended , and prouoked to anger . the fourth reason . the manifold troubles , and persecutions of the ministers and members of christ of all sorts and in ( all ) places , where sin and satan reigneth , doe draw fighes from their hearts , teares from their eies , and complaints from their monthes ! they are greeued , troubled : yea and martyred ( in affection ) to see gods deere seruants so indignely handled ! hence they crie , helpe lord : and vp lord , let not man preuaile : and how long lord holy and true ? and remember the enemie and the auenger . they know that it cannot goe well with the whole , when it fareth so ill with the parts . but the enemies of god , whose badge and cognizance is cruelty and pittilesse compassion , reioyce at their troubles , make merry , and send gifts one to another : their song is , downe with them , downe with them : but their sinnes are scored vp : and they fulfill the measure of their sinnes : and their damnation steepeth not . and though god commeth with woollen feet , yet he striketh with iron hands : and the slower that his vengeance is , the more seuere will it be when it is to be executed . the first vse . heere we haue very iust cause and occasion to weepe for , and to bewaile the more then stony hardnes of our senslesse and dead hearts , that when so many occasions and obiects of groaning are daily offered , yet our hearts will not come downe , send forth groanings , nor distill into teares : surely , surely , our hearts are harder thē the adamant : for though neither fire not iron , can separate nor dissolue the parts of it , yet the hoat and fresh bloud of a goat doth cause it to yeeld , and to dissolue . our hearts are harder then the rocke that moses did smite with his rod , for when he smote it , it powred forth abundance of water : but neither mercies nor miseries , rods nor rewards , can draw groanings from our hearts , nor sinne , teares from our eies : wherefore let vs most humbly and heartily entreat the lord , to giue vs a new heart , and to put a new spirit into vs , to take away the stony heart out of our bowels , and to giue vs an heart of flesh ; that may melt at gods iudgements as iosias his heart did , and that may yeeld it selfe pliable and frameable to god , by his spirit , to worke vpon . the second vse . if wee in our griefes , agonies , distresses and extremities , can but groane & crie inwardly vnto god for counsaile , ease and deliuerance ( though with our tongues we cannot tell how to speake or pray : as wee would and should ; nay , if tyrants and persecutors , should cut our tongues out of our heads : let vs not be dismaid , nor discouraged , but comfort and cheere our hearts : god that hath taught vs by his spirit , thus to groane , & that knoweth and approoueth what his owne spirit desireth and coueteth , taketh notice of these groanes , accepteth of them , and will heare and deliuer the oppressed : these proceede from a broken and contrite heart , which sacrifices god despiseth not : but most affectionately tendreth : but woe to those wicked ones that by their oppression , and by their scandalous life and iniurious dealing , cause gods children to groane & grieue : they heere in touch the apple of gods owne eye : and better were it for them that a millstone were hanged about their necks , and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea , then thus to offend one of gods children . waiting for the adoption . the word adoption hath a threefold signification : first it is ( sometimes ) taken for the adoption of election , whereby we are ( gods ) sonnes in his eternall decree and counsell : secondly , for the adoption of iustification , for as soone as wee actually beleeue in christ , we are actually made the sonnes of god : lastly , ( as in s. lukes gospell , and also in this place ) it is vsed for the adoption of glorification . from this last notion & sense , i draw this collection : it is a proper marke and character of gods children to desire , hope , and wait for their glorification and full saluation . they wait for their masters returne from the wedding : they looke for the blessed hope , and for the glorious apearance of the lord iesus : they pray for the comming of christ : they sigh for it ; and prepare themselues against that day . the first reason . it is the nature and property of hope with patience to waite for that which is promised and not seene : and so much the more carefully to attend it , as the thing hoped for , draweth neerer to his date , and accomplishment : for this hope is built vpon the powerful and vnchangeable promise of god in the scripture ; yea , and vpon his oath , and it is the anker of the soule both sure and stedfast , to stay the shippe of their conscience , that it be not carried away by the stormes & tempests of troubles : wherfore where there is no desire and expectation , for full redemption , there is no hope , no faith , no comfort , no religion . the second reason . they are soiourners , strangers and pilgrimes in this present world , they haue no setled seate , nor abiding-citie heere , but they seeke one to come : and in this their pilgrimage , partly , the view of their owne sinnes , and of the abominations of the world , and partly , the manifolde , yea and remedilesse wrongs and indignities , that they heere vndergoe , and doe make them loath this wretchéd life : and to long and looke for a better , where they shall rest from all their labours , and enioy fulnesse of pleasures at gods right hand for euermore . the third reason . the contemplation and serious consideration of the more then excellent waight of the eternall glory that shall be reuealed in their soules and bodies , and also of that most blessed and immediate fellowship and communion , that the saints shall haue mutually , not onely one with another , but also with the whole trinity ( that is ) with god the father , sonne , and holy ghost , doth put an edge and life to their desires ; & encreaseth their hopefull expectation . if no workeman worketh for nought , but euery one looketh to some certaine end : if the hyred seruant waiteth for his dayes wages : if the husbandman for the pretious fruits of the earth , if the traueller desireth the end of his iourney that he may rest : and the souldier haue respect to the victory and vnto the spoile : then how much more should we that tarry for such a kingdome , exercise and stirre vp our hope and patience ? qu. but why do many of gods children more feare the last iudgement then desire it ? ans. first , they by reason of the dregs of corruption , doe not sufficiently distast the world : secondly , many of them are babes and nouices in christianity : thirdly by the violence of some tentations . the first vse . fearefull and ( almost ) forlorne , vnhappie , yea and hopelesse is the estate and condition of many , yea euen of those that liue in the bodie & bosome of the church , whose thoughts , meditations and desires are taken vp only with earthly profits and pleasures : they set vp their rest here and so liue , as if there were no generall resurrection , and neither heauen for reward , nor hell for punishment to bee expected : they , falsly imagine , that there is a certainty in vncertainty , they make the world their paradise , and as for the glorie to be reuealed , they beleeue it not , and therefore they hope not for it , and shall neuer be partakers of it . the second vse . let this be a caution vnto vs , that we make not the outward state & condition of gods children in this life the rule , squire , & touchstone of their hope & happines , ( for thē we measure them with a lesbian rule , & weigh them in a false ballance ) their present life is but a toylesome & troublesome pilgrimage , and a painfull ( yet no popish ) purgatory , yea a continuall cresse and martyrdome : their life of glory is hid with god in christ , it doth not yet appeare , neither to themselues nor others what they shall be though they walke by faith , and not by sight : finally , they , though gods good corne , yet they are so hid in the mountaines of the worlds chaffe , that few of them are knowen ( in person and face ) and by experimentall knowledge , one to another , but let vs measure , esteeme and iudge of them by their blessed hope : by their title to eternity , and by their glorious state to come ; for then they shall be enstated and put into the possession of heauen : where there is the absence of all euill , and fulnesse of ioy and glory vnspeakeable for euermore . the third vse . let the hopeful expectation of this promised and prepared glory , make vs patient in all perplexities , comfortable in crosses , and firme and forward in euery good worke : for , we serue the most honourable and bountifull lord and master of all others : who procureth and reioyceth in the prosperity of his seruants : and will ( especially in the life to come ) such is his fauour and mercy , abundantly and euerlastingly reward our sufferings and our well doings : if the due consideration heereof will not put life , spirt and courage into vs , what will do it ? euery worke ( saith ierome ) is wont to bee accounted light , when we thinke on the reward of it ; and the hope of reward , is the comfort of the labour . the redemption of our bodie . by redemption of our body , is not in this place ment , the price and ransome of it , for christ our sauiour paide it to god his father in our behalfe , aboue . yeares agoe : but in this place , as in that of luke cap. . . it signifieth the full and finall effect and consummation of it , to wit , the regeneration and glorification of the body : whence i note that god doth obserue a certain orderly and graduall proceeding in accomplishing our adoption and redemption : the adoption ( or sonneship ) of election goeth before the adoption of iustification , and that of iustification , goeth ( in time ) before the adoption of glorification . the first reason . the soule first sinned in harkening and assenting vnto satans suggestion , and the body afterward sinned in being the instrument to put it in execution ; therefore the wise and mercifull lord , doth in this life begin and forward the regeneration of our soules : but the regeneration and glorification of our bodies , ( whether wee respect their substance or properties , ) is reserued to the day of iudgement : the body may ( in a sort ) be said to bee regenerate and is truely regenerate and sanctified in this life , but that is onely in the holie dispose , vse and application of the whole and the seuerall parts : but not in the substance and qualities , for the senses are not hereby refined ; nor the body kept from decay , death , mortalitie and temporall miserie . the second reason . god in the worke of our redemption will make a notable and manifest difference beeweene christ his first and his second comming : christ , at his first comming , paid our perfit ransome , and then did , and daily doth by degrees , renew and repaire our soules : but at his second comming , he will not onely absolutely and eternally free our soul●s from all sinne : but also deliuer our bodie from the very remainders of it , and from all miserie and mutabilitie : and hereby make it like vnto his glorious bodie : and in this last acception and sence the day of the lord is called the day of the regeneration : and the resurrection of the iust . the vse . let vs in the worke of our saluation , imitate gods order and proceeding , let vs first get , confirme and encrease the true knowledge of god , and true holinesse and righteousnesse : for then we renew gods image in vs , which adam lost : and then let vs yeeld our ( bodily ) members as instruments of righteousnesse vnto god , and carefully endeuour to subiect them in obedience to our regenerate soules : then god will in the time appointed , complete the regeneration of our soules : and will raise vp our bodies in glorie . blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection , on such the second death hath no power : but they shall be priests of god and of christ , &c. the adoption ( i ) the redemption of the bodie . here the apostle interpreteth himselfe , and expoundeth adoption to be the redemption of the bodie , by whose example , and by warrant of many places of scripture , wherein one and the same verse expoundeth it selfe ( specially in dauids psalmes ) i might ( to the consounding of the lying hereticall papists ) shew that it was not gods purpose to make the scriptures so hard to be vnderstood , as they would beare the world in hand : but i purpose onely to prosecure the maine points , and to follow the apostle his scope and drift : here then the comfortable doctrine of the glorious resurrection of the bodie is auouched and auerred ; which because it is so maine & fundamentall an article of faith and saluation ; & hath bene and is so much impugned by heretikes and atheists : i purpose to proue the doctrine of it , the more largely , and distinctly . i will therefore stand vpon , and soundly and succinctly prooue these foure points following : first , that the saints bodies shall rise againe : secondly , that they in matter , number , kinde , substance , shall rise the same that they were before , and no other : thirdly , i will shew in what stature they are likely to arise : fourthly , i will lay open the principall properties and qualities of a glorified bodie : lastly , i will make a briefe applie of the whole doctrine . the redemption of the bodie . first , that there shall be a generall resurrection of the bodies both of the iust and vniust , it is plaine and demonstrable by scripture of them that sleepe in the dust ( saith holy daniel ) some shall awake to euerlasting life , and some to shame and perpetuall contempt . saint paul before felix professeth his hope towards god , viz. that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the iust and vniust . the lord by his prophet isay saith thus . thy dead men shall liue , with my bodie they shall arise . saint iohn in his apocalips saw the dead both great and small stand before god : and the sea , death and hell to deliuer and giue vp their dead . now , that the bodies of the elect and saints , to whom onely the glorious and blessed resurrection is proper and peculiar shall arise , thus it by scripture appeareth : saint luke appropriateth y e resurrection to the iust : saint iohn saith that they that haue done good shall come forth vnto the resurrection of life : and that christ will raise vp , at the last day , them that come to him ( by faith ) christ in regard of the saints his mysticall members , is the death of death , and the graues destruction , hee hath taken away the sting and condemnation of death , and the victorie of the graue , iob saith that he shall see his redeemer ( not his condemner ) with the same eyes : the flesh of the saints rest in hope ; namely , that hope which they conceiue whiles that they liue in earth . lastly , the bodies of the saints ( though sowen in corruption , yet they shall bee raised in incorruption : though sowen in dishonour , they shall bee raised in glorie : though sowen in weakenesse , they shall be raised in power . but it may be demaunded if the bodies both of the iust and vniust shall in differently rise againe ; then what shall be the difference ? ans. there ( as may be gathered out of the testimonies alleaged , and by the reasons that prooue the resurrection , and by the properties of a glorified body whereby it is distinguished from the bodies of the reprobats ) is ( or shall be ) a threefold difference : first , the bodies of the saints , which only are christs members , shal arise by christ his quickning virtue and power ; but the bodies of reprobates shall arise onely by the power of gods curse , to wit , in the day that thou shalt eate ( of the forbidden fruite ) thou shall die the death ( to wit temporall and eternall ) and by the power of christ as the iudge , effectually summoning them to appeare before him , that gods threatning may bee accomplished in , and vpon them . secondly , the saints bodies shall arise glorious : but the bodies of the reprobates , shall arise in shame and disglorie . lastly , they differ in the end , for the bodies of the saints shall arise to eternall life , but the bodies of the wicked to eternall torment , that , god his glorious mercie may be fully manifested in the one , and his glorious iustice in the other . the first reason . god to whom nothing is impossible , that in the beginning brought forth and fashioned all things of nothing , can and will raise vp their bodies out of the same matter : by that word , whereby he created all things , by the same he will repaire all things : he that did the greater worke , cannot he doe the lesser ? for , it is farre more hard , to create that which before was not , thē to repaire ( or restore ) that which was . hee that could fashion a new creature : shall not he be able , to repaire it when it is dead ? he that could bring forth that which was not , that it might be some thing , cānot he restore that which now is , when it is fallen ? the second reason . christ our head , being the first fruites of them that sleepe , and the pawne of our resurrection , did in his true humane body rise againe , and therefore the saints his members shall rise againe , for that which was performed and fulfilled in christ the head , must also ( in proportion and in due time ) be performed and fulfilled in the members ; for he rose in our roome and stead , and for vs his bodie felt no corruption , and therefore ours shall not feele eternall ! he hath ( as a pawne ) carried our flesh into heauen , therefore we shall ascend after him , but this cannot come to passe before that our bodies be raised . cassidore saith well : there is in christ ( as he is man ) the flesh and blood of each of vs : therefore where my portion raigneth i thinke i raigne : where my blood hath dominion , there i finde that i haue dominion : and where my flesh is glorified , there i know my selfe to be glorious . the third reason . christ hath by his death and obedience redeemed their bodies as well as their soules : therefore they must needes rise againe , or else gods purpose , christ his passion in that behalfe had beene forcelesse and fruitlesse , and our saluation not perfit , but vnaccomplished . the fourth reason . the continued and continuall groanes of the saints for their full saluation , and their feruent desire and expectation of it ; doth inferre the resurrection : for these are rare fruites of gods sanctifying spirit : but gods spirit cannot be frustrate of his end and scope , nor the saints of their desire and expectation . the fifth reason . there shall be a day of iudgement wherein all men in their whole persons , viz. in their soules and bodies must appeare before the iudgement seat of christ ; and there receiue a due reward or punishment , therefore there must needes be a rising againe of the bodies : take away the subiect and obiect , and take away the end . the sixth reason . one absurditie being graunted , many follow . now if there bee no resurrection ; then god should not , and could not be omnipotent : his promise should be of no vertue and vigor : the vnseparable vnion betwixt christ his bodie & ours , dissolued : the blessed ministerie of the word and sacraments ; all practise of pitie , repentance , iustice , charitie , yea all confession , suffering and martyrdome . yea , and the very death , resurrection and ascension of our blessed lord and sauiour should be all in vaine and to no purpose : yea , and we dead in our sinnes . the seuenth reason . we in the volume of gods booke haue manie types , figures and resemblances hereof : viz. in enoch & elias ( though instantly transchanged ) rapt aliue into heauen , the one before the law was written , and the other in the time of the law : in the widdow of sarepta her sonne raised to life by elias his prayers : in the synamites child raised by elizaeus : in the dead souldier that being cast among , and touching elizaeus his dead bones , reuiued : in the dead bones ( whereof we read in ezechiel ) that began to shake and come together , bone to his bone , and to be couered with sinewes , flesh and skinne , and that being breathed on by the foure winds reuiued and stood vpon their feete : in iairus his daughter : in the widdowes sonne of naim : and in lazarus , all raised vp to a temporall life by our lord and sauiour : and most eminently , in the bodies of diuers saints , which by vertue of christ his resurrection , and to euidence it the more , rose out of their graues , and walked vp and downe in ierusalem , and appeared to manie ; touching whom it is most likely , that as they rose with christ , so when christ ascended , it is likely ( or thought ) that they ascended with him : for , they rose to this end to manifest the quickning vertue of his resurrection , there vnto as resemblances may be added , the sparing of isaac that should haue beene slaine and sacrificed : from death abraham receiued him in a figure . secondly , aarons drie rod , or sticke , that budded and blossomed : and the deliuerance of ionas out of the whales bellie , wherein he had beene three daies and three nights , captiuated and enclosed . the eighth reason . types and enducements in nature , from whence wee may conceiue some possibilitie of the resurrection , are ( or may be ) these , and the like : first , kernels and seedes of anie kind cast into , and buried in the earth , where in they seeme for the time to die ; appeare and spring out of the earth and grow to a perfit bodie : secondly , plants , trees , hearbs : that in the winter are ( as it were ) dead and haue no appearance of life ( in them ) but in the spring when the sap ascendeth from the rootes vpward , they grow tender , bud and blossome : and in their kind , bring forth , leaues , flowers , fruites : thirdly , swallowes , wormes , flies , who lying dead in the winter , do in the spring time , by vertue of the sunnes heat , reuiue : fourthly , and singularly , in the phaenix of arabia : of whom philosophers and diuines haue written , that when she hath passed , or outlined ( the space of ) sixe hundred yeeres , she gathereth cynamon , casia and other sweet woods , and maketh her selfe a case , couert , or neast , which being set on fire by the sunnes heate , she burneth her selfe , and out of her ashes a new phaenix ariseth whereby she is renewed , and her kind preserued . pomp. mel. desitu orbis lib. . c. . yea and it is verie probable and agreeable , that a phaenix being seene before the last yeere of nero , did signifie the resurrection of christ , and of all the beleeuers , after they had from heauen receiued life from death . that the bodies of the saints , shal arise again the same that they were before , in mattet , substance , number , with the same parts and members , the same flesh , skinne , veines , blood , bones , sine wes , head , eies , eares , hands and feete , sides , and not new bodies be created , as the maniches hold ; albeit the former scriptures and reasons which euinced the resurrection , may sufficiently proue ; yet that the truth may more euidently appeare , i adde & adioyne these testimonies and arguments following . blessed iob saith , that his redeemer liueth , and that he shall see him with the same and with no other eyes . the graue shall open , and the bodies shall come forth , ergo the same bodies and no other shall arise . the same bodie that is sowen in corruption , in weakenesse , in dishonour , shall arise againe in incorruption , power , and honour : lastly the godly daily , and ( especially ) in death commit themselues vnto god , as vnto a faithfull creator : ergo , he will as well ( in time ) raise vp their bodies , as he then receiueth their soules , otherwise he could not be faithfull . the certaintie hereof we may in some sort conceiue by a familiar comparison . as diuers seedes , or cornes cast and mingled together in the earth , doe at the length , spring out of it , grow to a perfit bodie , and each in his kind bring forth proper and distinct fruit : so the seedes of the bodies of the saints , though cast into the earth and there consumed , mingled and confounded together ; shall bee raised and rise againe in distinct members and parts , the same that they were before , that they died . the first reason . that which riseth againe first fell ( for to fall and rise ( againe ) are relatiues , the one whereof doth consist of the mutuall affection of the other ) but these our naturall bodies , first sell by death , ergo , they and no other , shall rise againe . the second reason . christ his bodie arose , the same , that it was before in matter and substance : hee was seene to haue the same eyes , mouth , palate , feete , sides , hands , bloud , bodie , with all the essentiall parts of a true bodie , and with length , breadth , visibilitie , localitie ; and therefore our bodies , must arise the same for substance which they were before : for his resurrection is the picture and patterne of ours : and our vile bodies must be fashioned like to his glorious bodie . the third reason . the corruptible qualities of the bodie , to wit their basenesse , vilenesse , weakenesse , deformitie , mortalitie , shall onely bee abolished , and glorious qualities come in place : ergo , the substance and essentiall parts shall abide and remaine . the fourth reason . the regeneration of the soule and bodie is of the same nature and propertie : but the regeneration of the soule , doth not alter and change the substance of it , but onely reforme the sinfull qualitie : so at the last day the regeneration ( or glorification ) of the bodie shall not destroy and nullifie the substance of it , but onely all innouate and change the corruptible qualities . the fifth reason . it is most agreeable to gods impartiall iustice , that the saints should be rewarded not in an other bodie , but in that bodie which had wrought righteousnesse ; and that the reprobates should be punished not in an other bodie that neuer sinned , but in their owne which had beene the instrument of all abominations . god is a righteous iust iudge , who will render to euerie man ( first to euerie soule and bodie : for the person of a man consisteth of both of them ) according to his workes . the sixth reason . the creator infinitely exceedeth all and euerie of his creatures , in wisedome , power , skill . but a cunning and skilfull goldsmith can by his art and skill single , sunder and distinguish , gold , siluer , copper , pewter , brasse and other mettalls , whether in the same mountaine mingled , or , accidentally melted and confounded together ; and some out of one mettall can draw an other : and shall not , and cannot much more god almightie , finde out each mans substance , & distinguish it from the dust of beasts , and from the dust of other men , and out of it produce and forme a perfit and glorious bodie ? but much of mans substance is deuoured of beasts , and turned into their nature , or deuoured of man himselfe ( for the canniballs ordinarily eate one another ) how then can it arise the same againe in substance . ans. nothing is impossible to god , who can and will finde out each mans proper substance : and what if some of it be lost , yet god can supplie the rest by his power , and multiplie it , as hee multiplied the bone and flesh where of eue was formed . againe , it is sufficient that euerie man then haue so much substance of his owne , as shall make his bodie to be entire and perfit ; all superfluetie being remoued . the third member . touching the stature in which the saints bodies shall arise , though the scripture hath not defined nor expressed it , yet by these grounds following it seemeth most probable ( if not certen ) that they shall arise in mans estate , or , in full and perfit stature . first , our first parents adam and eue , were created with bodies of perfit stature , ergo. both their and our repaired bodies , shall be such . againe , christ the second adam , arose from death to life in his perfit and best age . and therefore , wee the members who ( in bodie as well as soule ) must attaine vnto the measure of the fulnesse of christ , must so arise . thirdly , the resurrection is ( as it were ) a new creation . ergo , it must be like to the first , and therefore good and perfit . fourthly , our bodies , must in ( all ) things ( the more then excellent difference betwixt the heauen and members being excepted ) be made like vnto ( though not equall to ) christ his glorious bodie , but his body arose in full stature : ergo , ours shal like wise thus arise . fifthly , the saints bodies must haue their iust proportion and decent forme : otherwise they could not be perfit and entire . sixthly , if infants must rise infants , then old men must rise old men ; but there is no distinction , or difference of age in heauen . lastly , the tradition and iudgement of the churches holding this opinion is not to bee contemned . the fourth member . touching the properties and qualities of a glorified bodie : i , first answer ( generally ) that the bodies of the saints , shall be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie , the glorie whereof , when our lord extraordinarily appeared in it to saint paul , did exceede the glorie of the sunne , otherwise paul could not haue discerned it , and noted it ; particularly , i answer thus : and content my selfe to expresse the principall qualities of a glorified bodie . first , their bodies shall be immortall , because their reward is eternall , and because christ shall then wholly destroy sinne and death the cause of mortality . secondly , they shall be incorruptible , for they haue lost none of their substance , and need no repaire . thirdly , they are impassible and vncapable of any euill , greefe or paine , yet capable and partakers of all ioy and holinesse . fourthly , they shall be goodly , seemelie , beautifull : if beauty so much commend the bodie in earth , and if it be commended so much in the scriptures , then it shall bee much more beautifull in heauen , when it shall haue all perfections in perfection , and haue no spot or wrinckle . fiftly , their bodies shall be ( at least in all likelihood ) shining bodies , for they shall be glorious , whereof shining is a part ( or kinde ) the righteous shall shine , not only as the brightnesse of the firmament , and as the starres ; but as the sunne in the kingdome of their father : this glory shall arise from the vision , chiefly of god and the aspect and continuall presence of the lord iesus : glimpses , tastes and resemblances heereof , we haue in moses face , which when he had beene conuersant with god . daies in the mount , did shine so brightly , that the children of israel could not stedfastly looke on him . secondly , in diuers and glorious apparitions of angells : when the angell of the lord appeared to the shepheards , it is said that the glory of the lord shone round about them : the angell of the lord that at christ his resurrection rolled away the stone , had his countenance like lightning and his raiment white as snow . lastly , in our blessed sauiour whose face in the transsiguration did shine as the sunne : his raiment did shine as the light , and was so white as no fuller on earth could white them . sixthly , they shall not be naturall bodies , but spirituall that is spirituall in quality , but not in substance ; for otherwise they should cease to bee bodies . the bodies shall be spirituall in a three-fold sense , first in that they shall be wholly sreed from all earthly and drossie corruption : all the senses shall be more pure and subtill : and the affections shal ( so much as the truth of nature wil permit ) be refined : secondly , because they shall be no more vpheld and maintained by earthly meanes and helpes , but be preserued by spirituall meanes : that is , by the power of his ( holy ) spirit ; what vse ( herein ) shall there be of the creature , when the lord of glorie is in place ? and in these two respects ( especially ) they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is , equall to the angels : thirdly , because , they shall neuer rebell against , but be alwaies subiect and obedient to the regenerate soule . seuenthly , their bodies being clarified and refined , shall be light , agile , nimble , able ( like the bodie of our lord ) to walke vpon the waters , and by their proper nature and motion , as well to ascend as to descend : for a glorified bodie can with celeritie and speed moue and remoue vpward and downeward . lastly ( to insist no longer in these particulars ) they shall be ( by way of excellencie ) vessels of honour , meet for the lords vse , and filled with all ioy and blessednesse . thus much of the doctrine of the generall resurrection , now let vs come to the vses , whether of consutation , consolation , or exhortation . the first vse . by warrant and force of this doctrine , are refuted and fall to the ground , diuers pestilent and damnable errors and heresies . first , of the heathens , yea and of their chiefest philosophers : who not knowing the waies and word of god , vtterly denie that the bodie being once dead , can arise againe the same , in number , substance and kinde . secondly , of the sadduces in christ his time , and sithence , of the sardinian heretikes , the archonites and maniches , and diuers heretickes and atheists of our times , who peremptorily held , and hold that the bodie riseth not againe . thirdly , of those , who in their absurdity , hold and defend that the bodie at the generall resurrection shall be essentially turned into a spirit , and so looseth his bodily substance : but this palpable error may be thus refelled . first , if the bodies at the resurrection become spirits then they cease to bee sensible , visible , touchable : but christs bodie when it rose againe , lost none of these properties , and therefore how can ours ? secondly , if the bodies of the saints be turned into spirits , then they cease to be bodies , and how can they rise againe ? thirdly , the bodie being turned into a soule , or spirit , the same or a diuers , then the saints should consist of a double spirit , the one naturall , the other accidentall , and it should follow that the bodie ( being ) should bee no more a bodie : for , take away the proprieties of the bodie , and take away the bodie . lastly , god should not be the author of order , but of confusion , but this is flatly against the scripture . the first vse ( of the doctrine ) of consolation . the aduised and serious consideration of this doctrine serueth wonderfully to cheere and comfort all christians ; for the day of the resurrection is the time of their refreshing , and of perfit restitution and a yeere of iubily , and the day of our bodies ascent into heauen : wherfore , let vs prepare our selues , to meet the lord at this day : and amend our liues and turne , that our sinnes may be blotted out , when the times refreshment , shall come from the presence of the lord. the second vse ( of consolation . ) if wee beleeue the doctrine of the resurrection , wee must not immoderately weepe , or mourne for our friends departed , or for the death of most worthie and blessed instruments in church and common-wealth : for they die not ( to speake properly ) but fleepe a while in the earth , and afterwards the bodie shall awake and ascend to glorie : they are not perished but posted before : we and they , liuing and dying in faith and obedience , shall one day meete together in the palace and parliament of heauen , and there , by our mutuall conuersement , encrease one an others comfort . the third vse consolatarie . the musing and holy meditation . of this doctrine serueth to arme and harten gods children against all the afflictions of bodie and minde , and against all euils both priuate and publike : for , first : they are light , tolerable , finite , temporaris : secondly , an exceeding waight of glorie doth follow , and succeed them : thirdly ; dauid , psal. . . iob. c. . . the seruants of god , that in the daies of antiochus , were racked and tormented . lastly , our lord himselfe , did comfort themselues against death and trouble by the doctrine of the bodies resurraction . the fourth vse consolatorie . this doctrine doth minister reuiuing comfort against the feare of death : for , first , the sting , poison , and condemnation of death is taken away from all true beleeuers : it doth interrupt our life for a season , but it doth not extinguish it . secondly , it doth strippe vs of the rags of sinne , and miserie , and inuest vs with the glorious robes of christ his righteousnesse , it is the gate of heauen , and a speedie passage to eternall life : lastly , our soules after their dissolution from the bodies , incontinently are carried by the blessed angels into heauen , and our bodies though eaten of the wormes , and consumed to ashes , shall in due time , be raised vp from the death , reunited to our bodies , and be euerlastingly glorified . uses of exhortation . let the consideration of the bodies resurrection , be a bridle to restraine and refraine vs , from all manner of sinne. for we must all of vs , come to iudgement and giue a ( strict ) account of all that wee haue done in this life , whether it be good , or euill : and let it be a spurre , or meane to further and forward vs , to the performance of all duties of pietie , iustice , charitie , whiles we haue time and space , and ( with saint paul ) to exercise our selues to haue alwaies a conscience void of offence towards god and towards man. the second vse ( exhortatorie . ) seeing that we desire , groane , and looke for the glorious resurrection of our bodies ; we must not applie and diuert them to sinne and profanenesse ; to surfetting and drunkennesse , chambering and wantonnesse , pride and vanitie , wrong and oppression , but addict and consecrate them wholy and perpetually , to gods seruice and holy vses : that they may be the temples of the holy ghost to dwell in , and vessels of honour in this world : and that they may be vessels of glorie in the life to come , and not vessels of wrath prepared to destuction ; which god almightie grant : amen . the third vse ( exhortatorie . ) let vs honour the saints bodies , and honourably burie them ; and let vs suffer no indignitie to be offered to their dead bodies , or places , where they are buried , for they are members of christ , and shall arise againe in glorie . thus we haue heard the renouation of the world with his specialls : the groane of the creatures , the hope and expectation of gods children , their gift , and graces : and the certentie of the glorious resurrection of the bodie , together with the vse of the doctrine . now the god of heauen , giue vs grace so to be renewed here in this world , so to simpathise & suffer with the creature , & specially , with gods children , and the lord so furnish vs with sauing grace , that we waiting for , the glorious resurrection , and preparing our selues against that day , may in this life haue the earnest of eternitie , and afterwards the full possession of it , which god almightie bring to passe , for our lord iesus christ his sake , to whom with the father and god the holy ghost , three persons and one onely god , be giuen and ascribed all honour , glorie , power and praise in the church , from this time forth , for euermore . amen . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e isay . . . pet. . . rom. . . matth. . ver . . a parable . matth. . . phil. . . notes for div a -e luke . ephes. . incipiendum a facilioribus . matth. . . luk. . . beza . . iud. epist. v. . matth. . . vers . . gen. . . apoc. . . sublato vel negato subiecto proprio , tolluntur vel negātur adiuncta . . pet. . . metaph. c. . magis dicimus illum scire rem , quiscit eam affirmatiuè quam qui negatiuè . isaiae . . . . pet. . . apoc. . . isaiae . . . psal. . vers . . . psal. . vers . . verse . verse . . obiection . gen. . vers . . apoc. . ver . . vbi multa concurrunt verisimilia , facile est credendum : aristot. matth. . . matth. . . . tim. . . . pet. . . ad insensata et inanimata . iren. lib. . c. . h. l. . lib. de trinitate . isa. . . . . bucan . matth. . . apoc. . . apoc. . . . thess. . . mat. . ver . obiection . answer . num. . . iohn . . . king. . iohn . . . . . . obiection . answer . altiora te ne quaesieris . deut. . . generalia sunt simpliciora et intellectui notiora . obserue . esay . . . pet. . . . cor. . . . pet. . . apoc. . psal. . a similitude . deus et natura , nihil facit frustra . a similitude . . cor. . . sublatâ â causa proximá ) tollitur effectus . matth. . . . cor. . . . . iohn . . . apoc. . . oleuianus . verse . eph. . iohn . . . math. . . nihil dat quod non habet . non est plus in effectu quam suit in causa . col. . . no fancie . hebr. . . matth. . . . cor. . . . bern. cui christus incipit dulcescere . mundus amarescat , necesse est . apoc. . . obser. num. . . acts . . vers . . hebr. . . eccles. . iudg. . . instrumentales causae sunt pluuiarum , ventorum , grandinis , tempestatum . exod. . magirus . arist . lib. . de gen . animalium . the sea. rom. . . . act. . . . apoc. . . vbi imago ibi nulla religio . matth. . . luk. . rom. . . . chro. . . luk. . exod. . . & . ios. . . . ios. . . . . . king. . . . king. . . dan. . . dan. . . . matth. . . luk. . . a'pari . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : timones . papists . psal. . . papists . apoc. . . cant. . . arist. . lib. de anima . omniū animalium certissimum tactum habet homo . . chro. . . apostrophe . iac. . . a similitude . rom. . matth. . . verse . gregor . in moralibus . tanto quisque perfectior est , quanto perfectius alienos sentit dolores . hier. epist. ae nepot : non memini me legisse mala morte mortuum , qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit . habet enim multos intercessores , et impossibile multorum preces non exaudiri . mitior est paena quanto communior ipsa est . . kings . . lamen . . . ioh. . nullum violentum est perpetuum . psal. . . . cor. . . psal. . . . vse . matth. . . hebr. . . . cor. . . iam. . . matth. . obserue . rom. . . eph. . . tim. . . matth. . . apoc. . . . hebr. . . . iohn . . . cor. . colloss . . . rom. . . galat. . . & . . . pet. . . & . . exorn. iohn . . . similitude . communia non distinguunt . eph. . . col. . . col. . . tit. . . . apoc. . . tit. . . matth. . . hebrewes . . psal. . . mat. . . & . matth. . . & . matth. . . rom. . . rom. . . . cor. . . rom. . . mat. . . & . . phil. . . phil. . . obserue . ea quae scimus , sunt minima respectu earum , quae ignoramus . ariflot . rom. . . in ijs damnatū peccatum sed non extinctam . gal. . . ezech. . eph. . . . cor. . . the children of god , during this mortalitie , are not capable of absolute perfection . . tim. . . quicquidirecipitur , recipitur secundam modum recipientis et non recepti . gal. . . & . gen . & pezelius in genesin . . cor. . . . rom. . . apoc. . . qui non distinguit , destruit artem . matth. . . . cor. . . obser. psalm . . * they are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( i ) peculiar affections in gods children . isai. . . exod. . . act. . . ioh. . . . psal. . . rom. . . prou. . . ezech. . . psalm . . . apoc. . . apoc. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . leu. lemni . de gemmis . lib. . c. . num. . . eze ch . . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . exod. . . psalm . . . psalm . . . zach. . math. . . eph. . . ioh. . . luke . . . obser. luke . . . tit. . . phil. . . apoc. . . . cor. . & . matth . . rom. . . hebr. . . psal. . gen. . . hebr. . . . thes. . . . nullus efficiens agit temerè , sed omnis propter sinem certum agit . quaest. ans. vita eius qui secundum euangelium vixerit , est continua crux et martyrium . col. . . . iohn . . . cor. . . psalm . . apoc. . . omne opus leue fieri solet , cum eius praemium cogitatur , et spes praemij est solatiū laboris . obser. rom. . . . matth. . . luk. . . ioh. . apoc. . . eadem numero sunt eadē specie . obseru . dan. c. . . iohn . . . act . . esay . . apoc. . . . luk. . . hos. . . . cor. . . psal. . . . cor. . . question . answer . causis . gen. . . . informa seu modo . dan. . . in fine . luk. . . phil. . . matth. . . aug. qui potuit formare nouam creaturam , non poterit reparare mortuam ? cyrill . qui potuit id quod non erat , producere vt aliquid esset , id quod iam est , cum reciderit , restituere nonne potest ? . cor. . . cassiod est in christo homine vniuscuiusque nostrū caro et sanguis : vbi ergo portio mea regnat , regnare me credo : vbi dominatur sāguis meus , ibi dominari me sentio : vbi glorificatur caro mea , ibi me gloriosum esse cognosco . . cor. . . . deus et natura , ( immo deus et gratia ) nibil facit frustrà . act. . . . cor. . . sublatis destinatis ad finem tollitur finis . arist. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . . cor. . . enochus et elias duo candidati immortalitatis . gen. . . hebr. . . . king. . . . king. . . . king. . . . ezec. . matth. . luk. . . ioh. . . . matth. . . aug. in serm de pass . horum corpora , sicut cum domino resurrexerūt , ita cum co ascendente , et●am ipsa ascendisse creduntur . hebr. . numb . . . mat. , . . . cor. . . . matth. . . perkin . vpon the creede . p. . ambros. doceat nos phaenix exemplo suo , resurrectionem credere , que siue exemplo , rationis perceptione sibi insignia resurrectionis instaurat . dion . in hist. obseru . . iob. . . iohn . . . cor. . . a similitude . hicronimus . argumentum a relatis . luk. . . similia sunt quorum qualitas est vna . axioma . accidentia substantiam non constituunt , licèt è principijs subiecti sui essentialibus fluant . keckerm . log. . parium est eadem ratio . gen. . . psal. . . psal. . . reuel . . . rom. . . a similitude from a goldsmith . obiection . answer . perkins creede p. . obserue . lucan . loc. co● . pag. . aug. de ciuitat . dei. lib. . c. . . eph. . . gen. . . apoc. . . obserue . phil. . . act. . . apoc. . . eph. . . . cor. . . dan. . . matth. . . exod. . . . cor. . . luke . matth. . . matth. . . luke . . marke . . martyr . . reg. . matth. . . thess. , . act. . . . tim. . . arist. lib. . de gen . et . corrupt . ioh. . deletio proprietatum est natura negatio . keckerm . . cor. . . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . psal. . . act. . . act. . . . thes. . . non sunt amissi sed praemissi . . cor. . . apoc. . . hebr. . . act. . . mors intermistit vitam non eripit . . cor. . . luke . . cor. . . act . . rom. . . the resurrection asserted in a sermon preached to the university of oxford on easter-day, / by john wallis ... wallis, john, - . 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(eebo-tcp ; phase , no. a ) transcribed from: (early english books online ; image set ) images scanned from microfilm: (early english books, - ; : ) the resurrection asserted in a sermon preached to the university of oxford on easter-day, / by john wallis ... wallis, john, - . [ ], , [ ] p. printed by hen. hall for james good, oxford : . reproduction of original in huntington library. "arati: phoenomena: initio" with english translation: [ ] p. at end. errata: p. 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ascii text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable xml (tcp schema; characters represented either as utf- unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless xml (tei p , characters represented either as utf- unicode or tei g elements). keying and markup guidelines are available at the text creation partnership web site . eng resurrection -- sermons. sermons, english -- th century. - tcp assigned for keying and markup - spi global keyed and coded from proquest page images - mona logarbo sampled and proofread - mona logarbo text and markup reviewed and edited - pfs batch review (qc) and xml conversion the resurrection asserted : in a sermon preached to the university of oxford , on easter-day , . by john wallis d. d. professor of geometry in the said university ; one of his majesties chaplains in ordinary ; and a member of the royall society . tudor rose scottish thistle oxford , printed by hen : hall for james good . . a sermon preached on easter-day , . to the university of oxford , at st. peters in the east . . cor. . . christ is risen from the dead ; and is become the first-fruits of them that slept . these words ( without farther preface ) contain two main articles of our christian faith ; ( both proper for this occasion : ) the resurrection of christ ; and that of ourselves . the former , in these words ; christ is risen from the dead : the latter in those that follow ; and is become the first-fruits of them that slept . both which , are argued at large in this chapter : and are now to be the subject of our discourse . as to the apostles manner of arguing these points ; we are to consider , that it was an usual practice of our apostle , ( as it was also of other holy writers , ) in asserting the trueths of god , to accōmodate his arguments to the princip●es & concessions of those with whom he did discourse . which though , to persons of other principles , they might seem less significant ; were , a● lest to them , cogent arguments . for it is true in other sciences , as well as mathematicks ; that , till there be some data , some concessions agreed upon ; there can be no demonstration . to him that owns nothing , we can prove nothing . and he that knows nothing , can be taught nothing . for it is , by the help of what we know , that we are to be taught what we know-not . when he had to do with those at athens , acts . inciting them to the worship of the true god ; ( the god that made heaven and earth : ) he makes use of a concession of their own poet , ( aratus , ) to that purpose ; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . — ( for we are also his off-spring . ) not by ordinary generation : but in a like sense with that ( luke . ) which was the son of adam , which was the son of god. and in the same sense we are to understand that of orpheus , to the same purpose , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ( there is but one that is of himself ; and all things else are the progeny of this one. ) for though they had their daemons , and middling gods ( deos medioxumos , ) as the papists have their saints and angels , ( for particular purposes ; ) for the sheep , for the cow , for the't anthony pig , ( pan curat oves , oviumque magistros : ) yet , beside these deasters , they did acknowledge one soveraign deity , who was superior to all them ; ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : ) and , that , from him , all mankind , ( as well as other creatures , ) received their first originall : and , that him , therefore , they ought to worship . and aratus ( in the place cited by st. paul , ) owns the consequence . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . — 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . — ( let us in the first place , make our application to him : for , from him it is , that we have our first original : ) with much more to be there * seen of like import . which st paul summes up to this purpose ; that he made the world and all things therein ; that he is lord of heaven and earth ; that he gives life and breath and all things ; that he orders and disposeth of tim●s , persons , and places ; of one blood he made all man-kind ; and determined their fore-appointed times ; and the bounds of their habitations ; that , in him we live and move and have our being ; and that he is not far from every one of us ; that we are his off-spring ; and that him , therefore , we ought to seek , and serve . from whence the apostle doth farther inferre , ( as well he might from those principles , ) that we ought to have more reverent thoughts of so august a deity , than to think him confined to temples made with hands ; or standing in need of our service : or , likened to gold , or silver , or stones graven by mens art , and according to their devise , or fansy : and , that it should not be thought unreasonable , that he should one day judge the world in righteousness , by that man ordained thereunto ; of whom he hath already given good assurance , in raising him from the dead . thus he argues ( for the resurrection and a future state ) with them at athens . when he had to do with the jews , in the epistle to the hebrews ; ( for i take st. paul to be the authour of that epistle ; ) from the jewish worship and ceremonies , he argues the trueth of the christian doctrine . which , to those at athens , ( who did no more own the jewish , than the christian doctrine , ) would have been insignificant . like as on all occasions , where he hath to deal with the jews , he argues from testimonies of the old testament , to prove the doctrines of the new : and , that of the resurrection , among the rest . the new jerusalem that is above , typified by that below ; the heavenly jerusalem , by that on earth ; and heaven itself , by the holy places made with hands , ( which are the figures of the true ; ) and jesus the mediator of a new covenant ; of a better covenant than that delivered by moses ; but typified thereby ; a priest for ever after the order of melchisedek ; our great high-priest who is passed into the heavens ; typified by the levitical priesthood ; this one , by those many ; and his perfect oblation once for all , by those manifold oblations ; which were therefore repeated , because imperfect ; and his entring into heaven once for all , ( there to sit down at gods right hand , ) by theirs into the most holy place once a year ; whither we also are to enter within the vail , ( by the new and living way , which he hath consecrated for us , ) whither our fore-runner is for vs entred ; and , being himself made perfect , is become the author of eternal salvation to those that obey him . the law being but a figure for the time present ; a shadow of good things to come ; whereof the body is christ. in like manner , to the jews at antioch in pisidia , act. . he doth , by undeniable arguments , drawn from testimonies of the old testament , evince the certain●y of christs resurrection ; and that , of him , was principally intended , what was said of david but in type , thou wilt not leave my soul in hell , nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption . as st. peter had also done , to those at jerusalem , act. . and our saviour himself , mat. . argues with the sadduces , for the doctrine of the resurrection , from a testimony of moses ; ( who 's writings the sadduces did admit , though perhaps not those of the other prophets ; ) i am the god of abraham , and the god of isaac , and the god of jacob. now god is not the god of the dead , but of the living . where also he contents himself to prove the existence of abraham , isaac , and jacob , ( that they were then in being , when this was said to moses ; ) and , consequently , that the soul survives the body . for , though the souls immortality , do not necessarily infer , the resurrection of the body ; ( many of the heathens admitting the one , who never thought of the other : ) yet , to the sadduces , it was a good argument ; who did not deny the consequence of it , but the antecedent , he lays , therefore , the ax to the root of the tree ; and strikes at the foundation of their opinion . for the ground of their opinion concerning the resurrection , was , because they held there is neither angel nor spirit ; ( being of a like opinion with a late writer of ours , that whatsoever is , is body ; and that an incorporeal substance , is a like solecism , as an incorporeal body ; ) and , consequent hereunto , they held , that there is no resurrection . whereas , had they been convinced of the souls separate existence ; that ●f its re-union , would as easily have passed with them , as with the pharisees : both admitting , that they were to stand or fall together . when st. paul was arguing the same point before agrippa , act. . . he could not take the same measures , as when he was disputing with the jews . he could not , as to him , take for granted , and conclude peremptorily from , the authority of the old testament . which agrippa did not beleeve ; or at lest , not profess so to do . and what st. paul there says , king agrippa , believest thou the prophets ? i know thou beleevest : i ●ake to be rather a rhetorical insinuation , than a direct assertion . the first step he could there make , was but to shew it possible . why should it be thought a thing incredible that god should raise the dead ? ( that god , who at first made man out of the dust of the earth , should , out of the same dust , recover a body which once had been ? ) and , if not impossible , it need not , to him , seem strange that it should be defended : who , though not a professed jew , was yet expert in all the customes and questions amongst the jews ; and could not but know this to be no new doctrine , but , what their twelve tribes , instantly serving god day and night , were in expectation of , as a promise made to their fathers : and therefore , at lest by them , he was unworthily a●cused for it . that there might be somewhat of surprise in i● , to king agrippa , as to the person ; he doth admitt . for so it was to himself , at first : who verily thought with himself , that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of jesus ; and , accordingly , did so : till , by an unexpected vision from god ; as he was going to damascus , with a commission to persecute those who thus taught ; he was directed to preach , what he did before persecute : which he did accordingly ; witnessing both to small and great ( what moses and the prophets had before said should come to pass , ) that christ was to suffer , and to be the first that should rise from the dead . so that , what , by agrippa , was not to be thought impossible ; should not , by the jews , be thought vntrue ; nor he , by them , be persecuted for it . which was said with so much evidence to king agrippa , well acquainted with the jewish doctrine , ( though , to festus , who knew it not , it seemed madness ; ) and the matter of fact , which had then happened being ( at that time ) so notorious , as that it could not in reason be denied , ( for i am perswaded , saies he to festus , that none of these things are hidden from king agrippa ; for this thing was not done in a corner : ) that agrippa professeth himself almost perswaded to be a christian : the matter of fact being so evident : and the argument , so convincing . in the chapter before us , we have our apostle , from other grounds , arguing the same point , with christians , at corinth . not as if the whole church of corinth did disbeleeve the resurrection : but onely , some amongst them ( how say , some amongst you , that there is no resurrection ? ) nor did they so much doubt of the resurrection of christ , ( which seems to have been , then , a thing so notorious as not to be called in question ; ) as of our resurrection , pursuant of it . which , it seems , they did either directly deny ; or did otherwise elude , by putting some allegorical sense up ●n it ; like that of hymeneus and philetus ; who said , that the resurrection was already past . as if we were to expect no other resurrection than such as the apostle speakes of , col. . if yee be risen with christ ; seek those things that are above : that is , a dying to sin , and living again to righteousness , or newness of life . 't is much , i confess , that any , who professed them selves christians , should be found to deny so important an article of the christian faith , as is that of the resurrection . but it will appear lesse strange , in those who , from gentilism , ( not from judaism , ) were lately converted to the christian faith ; ( which was then but new , in comparison of what now it is : ) if we consider ; that , in our own days , ( when christianity hath been planted , and spread throughout the world , for more than sixteen hundred years ; ) we find those , who , ( retaining to themselves the name of christians , ) do yet leave no stone unturned , to undermine , and ( as much as in them lies ) to overthrow , the most fundamental points of christianity ; even the divinity of christ ; and his satisfaction to gods justice for the sins of men : ( on which hindge , the whole doctrine of christianity depends . ) others ; who turne the whole christian worship , into a kind of pageantry , and ridiculous gesticulations : such as are many fopperies of the romish church ; ( more absurd than those of the more sober heathens . ) setting to sale , both heaven and purgatory , for summes of money : and bartering , not onely for pardon of sins , but for leave to sin : ( as if , of them , it had been said , my house shall be called , an house of prayer ; but yee have made it a den of theeves . ) and fill their legends with such ridiculous stories , as would tempt a modest heathen , rather to reject the trueths of christ , than to admit such fooleries . and , in the mean time , make no scruple of murders , and massacres ; of treasons , and rebellions ; of assassinating princes , subverting governments , and turning the world upside down ; to propagate their devises : which , we can hardly have so much charity as to think , that themselves do seriously beleeve . others ; who make but rallery of the most serious things in christianity ; of heaven , and hell , and the day of judgement ; of the souls immortality ; of the very being , and providence of god himself . as if they were but one degree above the beasts that perish ; or rather , a degree below them . but we need not wonder , that the devil should have impudence and wiles inough , to turn himself into as many disguises for the interest of hell ; as a jesuite for that of rome . 't is , therefore , the less strange , that some , of these new christians , should ( at corinth ) doubt of the resurrection . now , of these christians who so doubted , we are next to consider , what method st. paul useth , to convince them of it . he doth not deal with them as with meere scepticks , ( that would admit of nothing : ) nor , as with heathens , ( who owned nothing of scripture ; nothing of the jewish or christian doctrine : ) nor as with jews , ( who , though they admitted the jewish , denied the christian : ) but , as with christians . and therefore takes for granted such concessions of this kind , as they did , or ought to , admitt of ; and argues from thence ; that they ought to admit of this also . he tells them , it is that gospel , which he had preached to them , which they had received ; wherein they stand ; and whereby , if they persist in it , they are to be saved . it had been delivered to them , by the same apostolick authority with the rest of their religion : which they ought not easyly to slight . it had been , in like manner , received by them : and they should not ( like children ) without just reason , part with what , upon good advise , they had once received . that , as yet , they stood fast in that religion ; ( without seeing cause to quitt it : ) and should therefore in this branch of it , as well as the rest : as being the noblest part of that salvation , which they did expect . he urgeth the authority of the scriptures ; that is , those of the old testament , ( which the christians admitted in common with the jews ; ) that , it was accord●ng to the scriptures that christ should dye for our sins ; and , according to the same scriptures , that , being buryed , he should rise again the third day . he urgeth the authority of credible witnesses , ( whom , in matter of fact , they had no reason to disbeleeve ; ) that , what had before been prophesied , was now actually come to pass . he was seen of cephas ; then , of the twelve , ( that is , those of the twelve who persisted , when judas , one of them , was fallen from them : ) he was , after , seen by more then five hundred brethren at once ; whereof the greater part were yet surviving : he was seen of james : then , of all the apostles : and , last of all , by himself also . the thing was notorious ; of which they could not be ignorant . it was seen , and owned , at divers times , and at divers places , and by a multitude of persons , and by many of them more than once . who could not be imagined to be all impostors , or all imposed upon ; or contriving to abuse the whole world ; and , themselves most of all . ( exposing themselves , without any prospect of advantage , to persecutions , and martyrdomes , and a world of miseries , not onely as the most wicked , but as the most simple people that ever were , if they had known those things not to be true . ) to which i may adde this also ; that this was professedly avowed , and publickly declared ( throughout the world , ) in a learned age : when there were a multitude of writers , greek and latine , who 's works remain ●o this day . and yet none of them , how averse soever to the christian religion , have made it their business to con●radict the history . which they would certainly have done ; ( and were much concerned so to do ; ) had not the matter of fact been , then , evident beyond dispute . nor do i see how an historical truth , can well be capable of greater evidence . ag●inst which ; that sorry shift of bribing the souldiers to say , his disciples come and stole him away while we slept ; doth sufficiently confute itself ; and rather addes to the evidence . the particulars of which are so obvious , & so often noted on these occasions ; that i shall need the less to insist on them . that it was before suspected , and that his enemies feared , ( that either he might rise indeed , or at lest be pretended so to do , ) is evident by their setting a watch. and that it would be mischievous to them , if beleeved ; themselves allege , as the reason why they sett it . and it cannot be thought , they would then be so careless , as to set such a watch as would be all asleep . nor can it be thought , that the disciples , ( being now in a posture to shift for themselves , and run-away , rather than venture on such an exploit , ) durst undertake such a thing , when the watch was sett . ( for , if the watch were indeed so sleepy ; 't was yet more then they could know before , or had reason to presume upon . and therefore , as to such a designe , it was all one as if they had been awake . ) and , in case they durst attempt it : yet the rolling away so great a stone ; ( whereon also , in likelyhood , the souldiers might be then sitting ; ) and removing the body , ( with all the circumstances attending it ; ) could hardly be done with so little noyse , as not to wake some of them . nor would the disciples have been so carefull , to stripp the body , and fold up the linnen , and lay all in order , before they went ; being every moment in fear of the souldiers waking . or ( if the souldiers were indeed so fast asleep , as that nothing of all this could waken any of them ; ) how could they tell , who took him away ? he might , indeed , be risen ( for ought they knew , ) as was pretended . vvhich was much more likely , than that he should , so , be stollen away . ( a thing so improbable ; that the souldiers , without a good bribe , and good security to save them harmless , durst not venture on a lay so unlikely to be beleeved . ) and , when all is done , ( allo●ing it the greatest advantage that may be , ) it can amount to no more but this , that the body was gone they knew not how , and ( for ought they knew ) the disciples might have stollen him away while they sl●pt . which could be of no consideration , against the positive testimony of such persons ( as was before said ) who saw him alive after his resurrection . and even that allegation , as weak as it was , it seems the souldiers were rather passive in , than active that is , they suffered the high-priests ( without any great contradiction of theirs , ) to publish such a story . yet not so silently , but that the truth also brake forth , notwithstanding this subornation . for from them also it came to be known , that there was a great earth-quake ; and the appearance of an angell , who rolled away the stone , and frighted the keepers , that they became as dead men ; ( with other circumstances thereun●o appertaining : ) and , that they told this to the chief-priests ; and were by them hired with large money ; to say as they we●e taught , rather than what they knew . 't is certain therefore , ( so far as an historicall truth can be made certain , ) that christ is risen from the dead . which is the first branch of the text before us ; concerning the resurrection of christ , as to his own person . the second branch , concerns , the effect of chri●●s resurrection , in that of ours . he is become the first-fruits of them that slept . the term of first-fruits , is metaphorical : alluding to the oblation of the first-fruits , in the levitical law ; as an acknowl●dgemen● , that the whole was gods ; and , that of his bounty they did receive it : and , by offering of which , the rest was sanctified to their use , ( according to that , rom. . if the first-fruits be holy , the lump is also holy . ) for which cause it was , that they were not to eat any of the harvest , ( bread , or parched corn , or green ears , ) till the first-fruits had been first offered . and with a like allusion , he is elsewhere called , the first-born from the dead , and the first begotten from the dead . for as the first-fruits , in lieu of all the crop : so , the first-born , in lieu of all the brethren , was consec●ated unto god ; implying his title to all the rest . but , when he is called , the first-fruits of them that slept ; it is not so to be understood , as if he were the first that slept ; ( as if he had been , simply , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : ) but , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ( the first-fruits from the dead , of them that slept : ) as he is elsewhere called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first-born , from the dead . for i take the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the text , to have an aspect both ways : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . from the dead he is risen , the first-fruits ( from the dead ) of them that slept . that is , the first that should rise againe , of them that slept : or ( as act. . ) the first that should rise from the dead . yet not , absolutely , so neither ; as if he were absolutely the first that was raised . for we read of one raised by eliah ; another , by elisha ; and christ himself raised lazarus , and some others . but these were so raised , as to dy again . ( their corruptible had not putt on incorruption ; nor their mortal , immortality . ) he was the first that was raised to life immortal . if it be said , that enoch , who was translated that he did not see death ; and eliah , who 's body was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot ; did , before the resurrection of christ , injoy , what is equivalent to the resurrection of the body . ( according to what is here , after , implyed , we shall not all dy , but we shall all be changed : the trumpet shall sound , the dead shall be raised , and we shall be changed . ) yet ( without disputing , how far forth they injoyed a glorified body ; ) even that , though antecedent , in time , to the resurrection of christ ; was , in nature , consequent to it , and an effect of it . for though , in a physical causality , the effect is never , in time , before the cause : yet , in a moral causality , it may be . as , when a debt is acquitted , a captive released , an inheritance purchased , and accordingly injoyed , upon prospect of a price or ransome , to be payd , by the surety , somewhile after . and , in this sense , may christ be said to be the lamb slain from the foundation of the world , rev. . if , at lest , those words , from the foundation of the world , relate there to that of the lamb , slain ; and not rather to that former clause , written in the book of life . who 's names are not written ( in the book of life of the lamb slain ) from the foundation of the world : that is , who 's names were not written , from the foundation of the world , in the lamb's book of life . according as the s●me is again repeated rev. . who 's names were not written in the book of life , from the foundation of the world , without mention of the lamb slain . but , whatever be the construction of those words ; sure it is , that the efficacy of christs death and resurrection , did as well look backward , to the beginning of the world ; as forward , to the end of it . and we are expressely told , heb. . that it was by faith , that enoch was translated that he should not see death . even by the same faith which he there describes to be the substance of things hoped for , and the evidence of things not seen ; by which the elders obtained a good report : and of which he had said , a little before , the just shalt live by faith ; and , by which we beleeve to the salvation of our souls . 't was by faith therefore in christ , who died and rose again , that enoch was translated so as not to see death ; as well as we , from death are raised , so a life immortal : and christ , at lest virtually , the first-fruits of both . now , the notion of first-fruits , implies two things : a possession of so much ; and a title to the rest . if the first-fruits be holy , the lump also holy : if god hath right to the one , he hath to the other also . it is in the nature of an earnest-penny , ( a similitude oft used by our apostle to the same purpose ; ) which is both part of payment , and an ingagement to pay the rest , and what , in one place , he calls , the first fruits of the spirit ; ( our selves also , who have the first-fruits of the spirit , wait for the adoption , to wit , the redemption of our body : ) the same he calls ; elsewhere , the earnest of the spirit ; ( who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit in our hearts ; and again , ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise ; which is the earnest of our inheritan●e untill the redemption of the purchased possession . ) the first-fruits of the spirit , which they had then received , was not onely a part of the purch●se ; but was an earnest penny , to bind the bargain , for what was af●erward to co●e . and such is the resurrection of christ , as to our resurrection . not as a thing , wnich , being once accomplished , was to rest so : but as that which was to draw more after it . we have hope ( saith the apostle ) which entereth within the vail , whether our fore runner is entred , for vs ; ( as it were , to take livery of seisin in our stead . ) and i go ( saith christ ) to prepare a place for you ; that , where i am , you may be also . and that other phrase , the first-born from the dead , implies , that there were more to follow . ( that he may be the first-born amongst many brethren . ) and , when st. paul called ipenetus , the first-fruits of achaia unto christ ; he intimates a larger harvest . and the like of stephanas elsewhere . the word first , being an ordinal , is spoken with respect to others that are to follow . in what respect christ is singular ; he is not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first-begotten , ( as here , the first begotten from the dead : ) but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the onely-begotten ( of the father . ) and that , in this place , he is called the first-fruits from the dead , with respect to a larger crop ; is evident from the words next following , where the same is further amplified . for since by m●n came death ; by man also came the resurrection of the dead : for as in adam all dy ; so in christ shall all be made alive : but every man in his own order : christ the first-fruits ; afterwards they that are christ's , at his coming . like as that sentence on adam , in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dy , was intended with respect to those that are his , ( by natural generation : ) so that of christ , thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee , ( expounded of his resurrection , act. . ) do influence also those that are christ's ( by spiritual regeneration . ) and therefore , heb. . where the same is , again , so applyed to him , ( thou art my son , this day have i begotten thee ; ) he is not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( the only-begotten ; ) but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , the first begotten ; ( when he bringeth his first-begotten into the world ; ) because this had an aspect on those that are his brethren ; and were , on that account , so called : ( as it after follows , for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren . ) and this i have the more insisted on , because it is the apostles great argument , ( for proving our resurrection from that of christ , ) that he rose , not only as a single person ; but , as the first-fruits of those slept : and , that , in pursuance thereof , those that are christs are likewise to expect a glorious resurrection . for , as we have born the image of the earthy , ( dying a natural death as adam dyed ; ) so shall we bear the image of the heavenly ▪ ( in a glorious resurrection like that of christ. ) and he who raised up the lord jesus , shall raise vs also by jesus . there is yet one thing more , very considerable , for the explication of this place . to wit , that the apostles argument and discourse , ( both in this verse , and the whole chapter , ) extends only to prove the resurrection of the righteous ; not that of the wicked . 't is , of christ the first-fruits , afterwards those that are christs : ( of those who are not christ's , he says nothing . ) as we have born the image of the earthy , so we shall bear the image of the heavenly ; ( which can be meant of the righteous onely . ) it is sown in dishonour , it is raised again in glory ; or , it is sown a vile body , it is raised a glorious body ; ( which cannot be understood of the bodies of wicked men ) and it is agreed , for ought i find , by all expositors , ( and , amongst the r●st , by grotius and dr. hammond , ) that , this whole discourse , is not at all to be understood , of the resurrection of the wicked ; but , of the glorious resurrection of the righteous onely . and , that , in those words , as in adam all dy , so in christ shall all be made alive , the word all is not of the same extent in both clauses : but extends , in the first clause , to all that appertain to adam ; that is , to all mankind : in the l●tter clause , to all that are christs ; that is , to all the faithfull . ( for 't is those onely that are made alive by christ : that of the wicked being an eternal death : as our saviour himself distinguisheth , joh , . they that have done good to the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evill , to the resurrection of damnation . ) and , that the parallel is thus to be understood ; as all that are in adam , do dy in him ; so all that are in christ , a●e by christ made alive : ( j●stified , sanctified , and saved . ) and this grotius parallels with that of rom. . as by the offence of one , ( that is of adam , ) judgement came upon all men to condemnation : so by the righteousness of one , ( that is , of christ , ) the free-gift came upon all-men , for justification of life . where , by all-men in the first clause , grotius understands all mankind ; by all-men in the second clause , all beleevers . making this the adequate sense of both places ; as all that are in adam , that is , all the race of adam , do by adam come to dy ; so all that are in christ , are justified by christ , and by christ raised to a life of glory . but what must we then say ? that the wicked are not also to be raised ? or , that st. paul did not know it ? no : we must s●y neither of these . that the wicked shall be also raised by christ ; himself tells us expressely , joh. . all that are in the graves shall h●ar the voice of the son of man , and come forth ; they that have done good , to the resurrection of life , and they that have done evill , to the resurrection of damnation . and , that st. paul knew it so to be ; himself assures us , in his discourse to felix , act. . ( not as his own faith onely , but that of the fathers also . ) so worship i the god of my fathers ; beleeving all things which are written in the law and the prophets ; and have hope toward god ( which themselves also allow ) that there shall be a resurrection of the dead , both of the just and vnjust . than which nothing can be more express . for though the wicked , by reason of their impenitence and unbelief , do not injoy the benefits of christs redemption to the resurrection of life : yet are they subject to christs dominion ( as the judge of the world , ) and shall be raised by his power to the resurrection of damnation . which though it be not the business of this place before us , is proved by divers others . but why then ( you will ask ) doth st. paul say nothing of it in this place , where he speaks so copiously of the resurrection ? to which i make this answer . we are to take notice of st. paul as a close disputant . it was his manner of arguing ( here and elsewhere , ) to keep himself close to the point in question : both as to the conclusion he was to prove ; and as to the topicks from whence he fetched his arguments . now the matter in question , with these corinthians , was not , what should become of those that were out of christ , and not to expect benefit by him : ( and therefore , of that , he saies nothing . ) but , what are the benefits , which they that are in christ , receive from him . amongst which , that of eternal life was the main ; and , of which they doubted . to this therefore he applies his arguments , ( not to the other , ) selecting such as were most proper for this conclusion . ( waving the other ; but , not denying it . ) in like manner as , in our creed ; we profess to beleeve the resurrection of the body , and the life everlasting ; without mentioning that of eternal death , or the state of the wicked after this life . yet this we beleeve also : according to what our saviour tells us , math. . these shal go into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal . the same is implyed also in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , of those that slept . that is , of those that are dead in christ. for , to the death of the righteous , the scripture doth usually apply the soft term of sleep . lazarus slepeth . david slept with his fathers . stephen fell a-sleep . and ( ver . . of this chapter , ) he was seen of five hundred brethren at once , whereof some are fallen asleep . whereas the wicked are said to perish , to be cut off , to go down to the pit ; with other the like hard expressions . and , in a parallel place to this , ( thes. . ) it is expounded by those that are dead in christ. i would not have you ignorant concerning them which are asleep ; to sorrow as others that have no hope . for if we beleeve that christ died and rose again : even them also that sleep in jesus , will god bring with him . i or we that are alive and remain at the coming of the lord shall not prevent them that are asl●ep . for the dead in christ shall rise first : then we which are alive and remain , shall be caught up together with them ; and so shall we be ever with the lord. hence it is , that the place of christian burial is wont to be called coemeterium , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a dormitory or place to sleep in ; from whence , at the resurrection , ( as the phrase is dan. . ) they that sleep in the dust shall awake . and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in the former clause , fitly answers to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the latter . for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( suscitari , ) doth properly signify to be awakened or rise from sleep . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . christ is ( awakened , or ) risen from the dead ( as f●om a sleep , ) the first fruits of those that slept ; . that is , of the dead which dy in the lord. for of their resurrection it is that the apostle is here discoursing . now as for the persons , with whom he doth here dispute ; and the arguments suted to those persons ; ( for this branch , as well as the former : ) we are to consider , that they were christian gentiles . who had before learned the heathen philosophy , but did now imbrace the christian religion , and acknowledged most of the doctrines thereof . onely this they doubted of ( as not consistent with their philosophy , ) that the dead should rise again . and therefore the arguments he makes use of , are drawn from principles of christianity . if there be no resurrection , then is not christ risen : ( which yet is a matter of fact , so notorious and fully testified , that you christians cannot doubt it . ) and , if christ be not risen ; our preaching is vain , and your faith is vain ; and , those that are fallen asleep in christ are perished ; and , we are found false witnesses of god , who have testified that he raised up christ. ( which consequents were things unworthy to be admitted , by any who professed themselves christians . ) and , if in this life onely we have hope ; we are of all men most miserable . ( we apostles , and you christians ; who , upon this account , are exposed to a multitude of miseries in this life ; and do therefore most egregiously play the fools , if in another life there be not a compensation . ) all which arguments , though to one who is not a christian they would be very insignificant , are very cogent to one that is . and good reason the apostle had to argue at this rate . not onely , as being the part of a good disputant , to take advantage of the true concessions of those with whom he disputes ; as good foundations of a concl●sive argument : but especially , because these are the true topicks in disputes of this nature . for , the truthes of religion being of ●wo sorts ; some discoverable by natural light ; others by revelation onely : those of the later sort are not to be proved conclusively , without admitting that revelation , by which alone we can come to know them . thus ; that there is a god that made the world ; and , that this god is to be obeyed and worshiped ; and , this in such manner as himself would have it ; are things which may be argued from natural light. and , that of the souls immortality also ; at lest with a great deal of probability ; if not with so much evidence as to convince a wilful sceptick ; who therefore sees not ( not for want of light , but ) because he shuttes his eyes . but , the doctrine of the trinity ; of salvation by faith in christ ; and the resurrection of the body ; are purely matters of faith ; and their certainty depends onely on divine testimony . that god is able to raise the dead ▪ and that there is no inconsistence in the thing ; may be discoursed from natural light. but , that he will do it ; and , in what manner ; we can no otherwise know than as he hath declared to us : ( either by himself immediately ; or , by such as , we have good reason to beleeve , are sent by him . ) thus christ , arguing the same point with the sadduces : yee err ( saith he ) not knowing the scriptures ; nor , the power of god. had they well understood the power of god ; they would not have doubted its possibility : and , had they well understood the scriptures ; they might thence have learned , that it must be so . and , in st. pauls discourse with king agrippa , act. . as to himself , he had no more to say , but why should it be thought a thing incredible , that god should raise the dead ? but , as to the jews , ( who owned the scripture then extant , ) he pleads , the promise made to the fathers ; to which promise their twelve tribes , instantly serving god day and night , hoped to come . to him who did not admit the scriptures ; he could onely argue , that the thing was not impossible , not incredible ; but , to them that did ; he argues the certainty , and that they ought to beleeve it . and , in this chapter , he argues it yet further : as having , here , greater concessions ( from christians ) than from the jews . as to the possibility ; he argues ( ab esse ad posse ) christ is risen ; therefore , the thing is possible . which matter of fact ( that christ is risen ) he argues , from the notoreity of it , and from the testimony of so many eye-witnesses as themselves could not but beleeve : ( the proper topicks to prove matter of fact. ) and , what was actually done in him , was no● impossible as to others . but , as to the futuriti●n , ( that indeed it shall be so , ) he argues from divine revelation : not onely as testified in the scriptures , ( of moses and the prophets ; ) but also by christ himself ; and his apostles , by commission from him . 't is ( saith he ) the gospel which i have preached to you ; and which you have re●eived ; and whe●ein you stand ; and whereby , if you persist in it , you are to be saved nor is it a forgery of my own fansy ; but what i delivered , i first of all received , that is ( as chap. ) i received of the lord , what i delivered unto you : and , what i taught , was taught also by the rest of the apostles , according to such directions as they received from christ. ( whether i , or they , so we preach , and so yee beleeved . ) and if , as to the rest of the christian doctrine , you receive our testimony ; you have no reason to think , that in this we prevaricate , as false witnesses of god. thus arguing , with christians , from the doctrine of christ ; as elsewhere , with the jews , from that of moses and the prophets . and thus much for the explication of the text , and the doctrines thereof . i shall now , by way of corollary , observe three things . first , that this method of the apostles arguing , may be a good direction for us in like cases . when we are preaching to christian auditories ( such as this ; ) it is not prudence to quit the principles of christianity , and divert to those of reason and natural light onely : as if we were preaching to heathens , not to christians . much of our religion , depends on revelation : and , though not repugnant to reason , is yet much above it ; and not discoverable by it , without the scriptures , where those revelations are recorded . we do but too much gratify men of atheistical and unchristian principles , when ( to comply with their cavills , ) instead of holding fast what is good ; we let go our hold , and dispute our principles : as if we were now planting christianity amongst heathens ; and not , edifying a christian church . 't is true , that , in building , great care is to be taken , that the foundations be well lay'd ; otherwise the building cannot be firm. but there is a time , wh●n , leaving the principles of the doctrine of christ , and laying again the foundation ; we are to go on to perfection , and build upon the foundation so layd . not like children ; who when for the time we ought to be teachers , have now need to be taught , what are the first principles of the oracles of god ; as having need of milk , not of strong meat and , when will this time be , if , after more than sixteen hundred years possession , we do yet admit the foundations of christianity , for matter of doubtfull disputation . if , out of a needless scrupulosity , to satisfy the cavils of those who do not desire to be informed ; we be alwaies digging at the foundation , upon pretence of searching it : we do thereby weaken , rather than strengthen it ; and ( like the foolish builder ) having layd the foundation , shall never be able to finish it : ever learning , and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth . the being , and providence of god ; the authority of the scriptures , his written word ; the divinity , and incarnation of christ ; his satisfaction for the sins of men ; and our salvation by faith in him ; the necessity of holyness , and a godly life ; the immortality of the soul ; and the resurrection of the body ; and the judgement to com● ; a heaven for the righteous ; and a hell for the wicked ; are fundamentals in the doctrine of christianity , well setled long agoe . and , if any go abou● to shake these foundations ; we are not therefore , in compliance with their humours , to admit for disputa●le , what ever they please to cavill at : but to hold fast the truth ; to hold fast the form of sound words ; as well settled , and long since agreed upon : and , if any man list to be contentious , ( sayth the apostle ) we have no such custome , nor the churches of god. if they demand new miracles , and new revelations , of what hath been sufficiently revealed and confirmed already : our savior tells us ( in the parable of lazarus and the rich glutton , ) they have moses and the prophets ; let them hear them ; ( and we have , moreover , christ and his apostles : ) if they hear not these ; neither would they be perswaded , though one should rise from the dead . now , if the miracles and revelations , in the time moses and the prophets , were sufficient for those who lived in the days of christ ; ( notwithstanding that they lived not in moses days : ) much more may those also of christ and his apostles , suffice for those that live in our days . and , if a sufficient evidence , ( such as would be enough for a sober person , that is willing to be taught , ) prevail not with them : neither would they be perswaded , though they should be gratifyed in what they now demand . our saviour did not think fit to gratify the humours of the scribes and pharises , whensoever they listed to ask a ( new ) sign . but refers them to that of the prophet jonas . nor are wee to be always casting our perls before swine : but , ( after a competent instruction , ) they are to be neglected , as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , self-condemned persons : who 's error lyes more in their will , than in their understanding . 't was , because they did not like to retain god in their knowledge , ( rom. . ) that god gave them over to a reprobate sense , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) a mind void of judgement . and , it was not so much , because they could not beleeve the truth , as , because they did not love it , . thes. , ( because they received not the love of the trueth that they might be saved , ) that god sent them strong delusions to bel●eve a lye , that they might be damned . because they did not love what they should beleeve , god left them to beleeve what they loved : and , because they did not love those trueths by which they be saved ▪ he left them to beleeve those lyes , by which they should be damned . in the last times ( we are told ) there shall come scoffers , walking after their own vngodly lusts ; and therefore mocking at the promise of christs coming . men of corrupt minds ; and therefore reprobate concerning the faith : mockers and filthy dreamers ; who therefore beleeve not the trueth , because they take pleasure in vnrighteousness : who do not so much doubt of it , as cavill at it to their own destrction . to those that are contentious , ( says the apostle , ) and obey not the truth ; ( to those who out of contention , or a spirit of contradiction , cavill at the truth sufficiently discovered ; ) indignation and wrath. and , if our gospell be hid ; it is hid to those that are lost. it may , perhaps , pass for a piece of witt ( not of wisdome ) amongst debauched persons , ( with whom atheism and ribaldry pass for witt ; ) to be able to speak plausibly , against those things which the common sense of man-kind admitts for true. ( and 't is very easy , for any man , that will allow himself to be profane , thus to be witty : ) but st. paul gives it a truer character , rom. . ( speaking of wiser persons than these are , ) professing themselves to be wise , they became fools ; ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) while they pretend , to be witty , they play the fool. and , tim. . reduceth it to its true cause , pride and ignorance . if any man consent not to wholsome words , and the doctrine which is according to godliness : hee is proud , ( or foolish , ) and ●noweth nothing : doting upon questions and strife of words , or idle cavils ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , ) from whence come railing and perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds , and d●stitute of the trueth , ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , blaspemies , and ●dle discourses , as of crack-brain'd men , and void of sense : ) from whom turn away ; have nothing to do ●i●h them . while we are taking pains to satisfy such ( who resolve , not to be satisfyed ; ) we may sooner raise new scruples in the minds of well-meaning persons , than satisfy those who are willfully ignorant . be not deceived ( sai●h our apostle here ) evil communications corrupt good manners : 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . or , ( as dr. hammond chooseth to render it ) good dispositions such corrupt discourse ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are apt to seduce or work upon ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) good dispositions , or well-meaning people . expounding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , good-natured persons and easy to be imposed upon . like as in that other verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( slow-bellies ) are usually interpreted ( as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , gluttons . we are not therefore to hold parly with them , ( as eve with the serpent : ) but rather ( as the apostle directs ) they are to be rebuked sharply , that they may be sound in the faith ; their mo●thes to be stopped , that they subvert not whole houses ; and , that their folly proceed no further . a second thing that i here observe , is this ; that the promise of a glorious resurrect●on , concerns not vs onely ; but the fathers also before christ. we are not to think , that they had onely promises of temporal things ; but of eternal also . christ is the first-fruits of those that slept ( for the time past , ) as well of those that were to sleep for the time to come . 't is true . the mystery which had been hidden from ages and generations , is now made manifest to the saints : it is now more clearly reveiled , then before it was . and christ is the mediator of a better covenant ( than that delivered by moses ) established upon better promises : better , as to the way of administration , and the clearness of discovery ; but the same , as to the substance of the things promised . christ , as to this , is the same yesterday , and to day , and for ever . 't is the same faith , by which the elders obtained a good report ; and , enoch was translated that he did not see death : by which we beleeve to the saving of our souls . and st. paul proves ( rom. . ) that we are justifyed by faith ; because abraham , and david , were so justified . nor was this unknow'n to the jewish church . for , though the sadduces denyed the resurrection : yet they were herein singular ; the pharisees professed it ; with the rest of the jews . search the scriptures , ( sayth christ to the jews , ) for in them yee think to have eternal life . and st paul frequently , from moses and the prophets , and from the promise made to the fathers , argues the point of the resurrection . and our saviour himself , ( after his resurrection , ) first to the two disciples going to emmans ; and then to the eleven at jerusalem ; doth from moses , and the pr●phets , and the psalmes , and all the scriptures , make it evident , that thus it behoved christ to suffer , and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and remission of sins should be prea●hed in his name among all nations . and ( before that ) he proves to the sadduces , the doctrine of the resurrection , from that of god to moses , i am the god of abraham , and of isaac , and of jacob ; and that they did therefore erre , because they knew not the scriptures , nor the power of god. which he would not have sayd , had not the doctrine of the resurrection been taught in the scriptures that then were ; that is , those of the old testament . so that the socinians , without allowing that christ is god indeed ; if at lest they will but allow , that he is a good man , and a wise man , ( one who did understand the consequence of an argument , and did not designe purposely to impose upon us ; ) must needs acknowledge , that the doctrine of the resurrection was taught in the scriptures of the old testament ; ( for sure it is , that christ thought so : ) and that the promises made to the fathers , were not onely promises of temporal things , but of eternal life . they may as well say , that the threatning to adam , in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dy the death , was meant onely of a temporal death ; ( and then surely god would not punish , beyond what he threatned ; ) contrary to which , st. jude tells us , that those before christ , ( as well as since , ) do suffer the vengeance of eternal fire . the third and last thing which i here observe , is this , that the rewards and punishments of another life , do concern us , not onely as to our personal capacities ; but , as to our relative and politick capacities also , as we are incorporated into kingdomes , cities , families , and other societies . we must all appear before the judgment seat of christ , to receive according to the things done in the body , whether good or bad. whatsoever is done in the body ; in whatsoever capacity . it may be objected , that kingdomes , and cities , and bodies politick , shal not , in that capacity , rise againe : and therefore cannot , in that capacity , be punished , or rewarded . and , consequently , god being equally obliged to punish the sins of societies , as of single persons ; he is obliged , in this world , to punish the sins of societies ( and to reward their good acts ; ) since that , hereafter , it cannot be done . but this argument , i take to have more in it of witt and rhetorick , than of logick , or sound divinity : and would do better in a poem or panegyrick , than in a sermon . for , by the same reason , we may as well say that the sins of father and child ; of master , and servant ; of husband , and wife ; must be allways punished in this life , ( and in this onely ; ) because that , in the resurrection , they do neither marry , nor are given in marriage . for oeconomical relations shall then cease , as well as political . if it be said , that , these relations , are but relations between single persons , ( not societies ; ) and therefore the sins thereof may , in those persons , be punished . i say , that this doth not alter the case at all . for , beside that this is not universal ; ( for a father may have many children , and may sin against his whole posterity , to the third and fourth generation ; and a lord or master may have many servants , and may sin against his whole family ; and a man may be servant to a society , as well as to a single person : ) beside this , ( i say , ) if this exception were cogent ; we might thence as well conclude , that kings because single persons ) may , hereafter , be punished for oppressing their subjects , ( and that eternally ; ) but the states ( in an aristocrary ) are punishable onely in this world , ( and but with temporal punishments , ) because these are a collective body . and it would hence follow likewise , that the greatest villanies of societies , are at lest one degree below that of the papists venial sins . for , i presume , the jesuites themselves will not say , that their whole societie ; shall , in that capacity , be punished in hell , not yet in purgatory , for the greatest villanies by them committed , as a socie●y . but , venial sins , they acknowledge to be punished , at lest in purgatory , though not in hell. and , by this means also , the greatest number of sins , and those the most hainous , would , as to another world , remain unpunished , ( and good actions , unrewarded . ) for much the greater number of actions , and the most considerable , are those of persons in their relative capacities ; ( as parents , children ; masters , servants ; husbands , vvives ; friends , enemies ; neighbours , strangers ; pastors , people ; princes , subjects ; societies , and combinations ; not of single persons onely , in a meer personal independent capacity . i adde also ; that , on this account , no sins of societies could ever be pardoned . for it not societies , but single persons , that are regenerate and do beleeve in christ ; without which , there is no remission . vve say therefore ; that ( as societies are but made up of single persons , so ) the acts of societies , and of persons related ( in such relative capacities , ) whether sinfull , or virtuous ; are indeed and in gods account , the acts of particular persons ( in such relations and societies : ) and are , in those persons , punished and rewarded , according to their deserts ; both in this world , and in that which is to come . and thus the cities ( of sodome and gomorrha with those about them , ) are sayd to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire ; when indeed it is the persons of those cities that so suffer . 't is true that , in this world , god doth many times punish the sins of men , in a way sutable to those capacities wherein they are committed : ( the sins of a father , by loss of children , or by a disobedient child , or unhappy children ; the sins of a prince , by loss of his dominions , or rebellion of his subjects ; the sins of a nation , by a common calamity , wherein the innocent do many times suffer with the guilty : ) god by this means , pointing out the sin in the affliction or punishment . but he doth not allwayes do so : ( the sins of a parent , may be sometimes punished by the hand of the magistrate ; and the sins of a prince , by the hand of a traitor , whom he had not offended : ) much less is he obliged so to do . and when he doth so : he doth not therefore do it because he cannot otherwise reach them : nor is this the adequate punishment of those sins ; but onely a part of it . the greatest part of their punishment , even for these sins , being that of another vvorld . and though the sins of men combined in societies , are , in the judgement of men , accounted as one joint act ; ( wherein the innocent are oft involved with the guilty , and suffer accordingly : ) yet the judgement of god , is according to trueth . he will distinguish between the innocent and guilty in a mixt society ; and spare the one , or but afflict th●m ( for their good , ) while he doth properly punish the other : ( and , as abraham speaks , not destroy the righteous with the wicked : ) and , those that are guilty , each according to the proportion of his guilt . not alwayes in this world : ( where , some times , all things fall alike to all ; and one event to the righteous and to the wicked : or where , sometimes , it happeneth to the righteous , acording to the work of the wicked ; and to wicked according to the work of the righteous : ) but , at lest , at that day ; at the day of the revelation of gods righteous judgement ; when he shal render to every man according to his deeds ; when he shall bring every work into judgement , and every secret thing . in that day ; the sentence of go● ye cursed ; for i was hungry , and yee gave me no meat ; i was sick , and ye visited me not ; vvill as well reach the sins of societies , in not providing for the sick and needy ; as of those persons who do not relieve them . it is a righteous thing with god ( sayth st. paul ) to recompense tribulation to them which trouble you ; ( whether they be societies or single persons ; ) in that day ; when the lord jesus shall be reveiled from heaven ; in flaming fire , taking vengeance on them that know not god , and that obey not the gospel : who shall be punished with everlasting destruction . and st. jude tells us expressely , that sodome , and gomorrha , and the cities about them ( as well as single persons ) do suffer the vengeance of eternal fire . and our saviour ( upbraiding the cities wherein most of his mighty workes were done ) tells us of chorazin , and bethsaida , of capernaum , and the cities against which the disciples should shake off the dust of their feet upon refusal to receive them ; that it shall be more tolerable for tyre and sidon , for sodome and gomorrha , in the day of judgement ; than for those cities . and thou capernaum , which art exalted unto heaven , shall be cast down to hell. and what is sayd of cities ; may be equally understood of kingdomes nations , towns , families , and other societies . there be many practical uses , which be proper consequents from this doctrine of a glorious resurrection to eternal life . as , that of st. peter ; seing all these things must be dissolved ; what manner of persons ought we to be , in all holy conversation and godlynesse ; looking for , and hasting to , the coming of the day of god. and that of st. paul ; having these promises , ( dearly beloved ) let us cleanse our selves from all filthyness of flesh and spirit ; perfecting holyness in the fear of god. and that in the close of this chapter ; wherefore , beloved brethren , be ye stedfast and vnmovable , allways abounding in the work of the lord ; for as much as yee know , that your labour is not in vain in the lord. but , of these things , i shal say nothing at present ; that i may not anticipate the following discourses on subjects of this nature . now our lord jesus christ himself , and god even our father ( who hath raised up christ from the dead ; ) who hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation , and good hope through faith ; confirm and stablish us in every good word and work ; and preserve us ( blameless , ) unto his heavenly kingdome ; and to the glorious appearing of the great god and our saviour jesus christ ; who shall change our vile bodies , and make them like unto his glorious body ; according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself : to whom be glory for ever and ever . amen . finis . arati phaenomena : initio . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . ............. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . errata . read . pag. . l. ult . of its . p. . l. . as if it had . p. . l. . to a. p. . l. . might be . in english thus . begin we , first of all , with god on high : ( men as we are ! ) by no means passe him by . his presence fills all places , far and near . where ever men assemble , hee is there . the sea is full of him : and havens wide . and all mankind his influence abide ; need his assistance ; all , in every thing . his progeny wee are : from him we spring . hee 's kind to man : affording seasons good . he stirs them up to labour : gives them food . he tells the husband-man , when earth is made fit for the plough ; when , fitter for the spade . he points out proper seasons : how to know , what time , to plant ; what time is fit to sow ; and , what for every seed . 't is he sett fast his signes in heav'n ; his stars in order plac't . and , by the stars , he measures out the year : pointing , by them , what proper seasons are for every mans affairs : that all things may in steady course proceed , without decay . that , with his favour , he would us befriend : with him we first begin ; with him we end. o thou , so highly wonderfull ! o thou , the great support of man ! to thee i bow . and humbly make address . while i repeat ( by thy good leave ) the stars in order sett ; vouchsafe me thine assistance all along ; with thy successefull ayd , direct my song . finis . notes, typically marginal, from the original text notes for div a -e act. . . luk. . . virgil ▪ homer . arati phaenomena . * see the place of aratus , at large , at the end of this sermon . act. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . gal. . . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . & . . heb. . . & . . heb. . . & . . heb. . . heb. . . ver . , . heb. . , . & . . heb. . , , , , . heb. . , . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . & . . col. . . act. . . . psal. . . act. . . . mat. . . exod. . . mat. . . exod. . . mat. . . act. . . act. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . , . ver . . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . , ver . , . ver . , . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . , . ver . . ver . . ver . . cor. . ver . . tim . , . col. . . rom . , , . mat. . . psal. . . cor. . , . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . mat. ● . , . mat. . , , ver . . mat. . . . joh. . . mat. . , . luk. . . joh. . , . mat. . , . ver . . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . lev. . &c. rom. . . levit. . . col. . . rev. . . col. . . rev . . act. . . kin. . . kin. . . & . . joh. . . mat. . . luk. . . cor. . , . gen. . . heb. . . kin. . . cor. . . ver . . rev. . . rev. . . heb. . . ver . . ver . . heb. . . ver . . rom. . . rom. . . cor. . . cor. . . e●h . . , . heb. . , . joh. . , . col. . . rom. . . rom. . . cor. . . rev. . . joh. . , . cor. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . gen. . . psal. . . act. . . heb. . . ver . . heb. . . cor. . . cor. . . cor. . . cor. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . joh. . . rom. . . joh. . . ver . . act. . . ver . . math. . . thes. . . joh. . . kin. . . & act. . . act. . . cor. ● . . thes. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . dan. . . rev. . . cor. . , . ver . , . ver . . ver . . ver . . mat. . . act. . . ver . , . cor. . ver . , . ver . , , , . ver . . . ver . . ver . . ver . . chap. . . chap. . . ver . . ver . . thes. . . luk. . , . heb. . . heb. . , . rom. . . luk. . . tim. . . psal. . . prov. . . tim. . . cor. . . luk. . . ver . . mat. , , . mat. . , . mat. . . tit. . , . rom. . . thes. . , , . pet. . , . jude , . tim. . . jud. , . . thes. . . pet. . . rom. . . cor. . , . rom. . . tim. . , , . pet. . . cor. . . menander . latter edit of his paraphrase on the n. test. tit. . . epimenides . canterus . gen. . , &c. tit. . . ver . . tim. . , . cor. . ● . coll. . . eph. . , . heb. . . heb. . . heb. . . ver . . heb. . . rom. . , . mat. . . act. . . joh. . . act. . , . act. . , . act. . . act. . , , , . act. . , . luk. . , , , , , . mat. . , . mat. . , . gen. . : jud. . cor. . . mat. . . exod. . . jude . rom. . . mal. . , . psal. . , . cor. . . gen , . eccl. . . eccl. . . thes. . . rom. . . ver . . eccl. . . mat. . , , . psal. . . in the communion service . thes. . . ver . . ver . . ver . . ver . . jud. . mat. . , , . mat. . , . ver . . math. . , . ver . . mat. . . mat. . , . , . . pet. . . ver . . cor. . . cor. . . thes. . . cor. . . col. . . thes. . . ver . . thes. . . & pet. . . & cor. . . tim. . . tit. . . phil. . . tim . .