Parts should be no Impediment to his Refurrection; but that in his Flesh, that Flesh which should be eaten of Worms, he should see God, that he should fee him for himself, and that his own Eyes should behold him, and not another.

A NOBLE Confeffion of Faith! which may put to the Blush those Christians who deny this great Article of Job's Creed, relying too much on their own uncertain Reasonings, and over-looking the plainest Testimonies of Revelation. For the fame Places of Scripture which inform us that there will be a Refurrection, do ftrongly and evidently prove the Refurrection of that very Flesh with which we are cloath'd in this Life,

ST. Paul represents the Refurrection of Christ as the Example and Pattern of our Refurrection. Now whether our Lord rofe in the fame Body which was faftned to the Cross, and which the Soldier pierced with a Spear, no Chriftian can question, who knows that unbelieving Thomas faw in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and put his Finger into the Print R 4

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of the Nails, and thruft his Hand into his Side. And if we are to be conform'd to this Example, then fhall we live hereafter in the fame Flesh in which we live here, or in St. Paul's own Language, He who rais'd up Chrift from the Dead, shall alfo quicken our mortal Bodies.

IF thefe Bodies rife not, how then fhall those Scriptures be verified which expreffly affirm, That they who fleep in the Duft of the Earth fhall awake; That all who are in the Graves fhall hear the Voice of the Son of Man, and shall come forth; That the Sea fhall give up the Dead which are in it, and Death and the Grave fhall deliver up the Dead which are in them? But what Dead fhall the Sea and the Grave deliver up, unless thofe which were committed to them? And what other Dead were committed to them, than thofe Bodies which were once alive? The Qualities and Properties of our Bodies fhall indeed be wonderfully changed, but the Subftance of them fhall be the fame; for we are not told, that other Bodies fhall be prepared for us,

but

but on the contrary, that this corruptible muft put on Incorruption; and this mortal, muft put on Immortality: And again, that God fhall change our vile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious Body.

AND indeed the Nature of a Refurrection plainly requires that these very Bodies which dye, fhould be reftor❜d to Life. For the Soul never dyeth, but furvives even during its Seperation from the Body, and is therefore incapable of a Refurrection. The Body only, that Body alone, which fell, can properly be faid to rise again. If a new Body were to be made, which before was not, that would be a Creation or a Formation, but not a Refurrection.

THE End of the Refurrection is, that all may appear before the Judgment Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the Things done in the Body, according to that he hath done. And does it not feem moft congruous to Divine Juftice, that that Body which hath concurr'd with and affifted the Soul in the Perfor

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mance of good or bad Actions, fhould fhare with it in the Reward or Punishment of thofe Actions? For what Reason is there, that that Body which hath been worn out in the Purfuit and Practice of Virtue fhould go unrewarded, and another which hath not labour'd therein fhould receive the Recompence of it? And how much lefs Reafon is there that a Body which never was defil'd with Sin, fhould be united to a finful Soul, in order to endure with it inexpreffible and everlafting Torments, whilft that which finn'd is permitted to remain in a State of Infenfibility and Indolence?

ST. Paul hath taught us, that the Bodies of the Saints are the holy Temples of God, in which he vouchfafes to dwell; And can we think that God will fuffer his own Temples to lie for ever in the Duft? Is it not rather credible, that the Almighty Architect will one Day rear them up again?

ON this Account it was, that the Chriftians in the firft Ages of the Church paid great Honours to the Bodies and

Monu

Monuments of those who dy'd for or in the Lord; as knowing that their dead Carcases both had been, and should hereafter be God's living Temples, and that the Glory of them, when rebuilt, should be greater than that which they had before they fell. It is well known, that in all the antient Churches the Refurrection of the Flesh made one principal Article of their Creed. And the Church of Aquileia in Italy us'd in the Repetition of their Creed to declare, that they be liev'd the Refurrection of this Flesh; being firmly perfwaded that not only their Souls, but thofe very Bodies which they carried about them here, fhould, by the mighty Operation of God, be made Partakers of that Life and Immortality, which were brought to Light thro' the Gospel. However therefore this Doctrine may be ridicul'd by the Wits of a prophane and blafpheming Age, I will never be ashamed of that Confeffion of Faith in which the Primitive Christians gloried, and which you was fo far from being afham'd of, that he defir'd it might

be

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