up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all Rule and all Authority and Power v. 24. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet v. 25. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death v. 26. He shall not deliver up his Kingdom until he hath abolished all his enemies as Satan soliciting to sin sin proceeding from the will of man and death the wages of sin The first was conquered once on the Cross the second daily by his Spirit the third by his appearing in the flesh at the last day although death be overcome that it cannot hurt Believers yet is it not perfectly abolished nor they restored to a perfect life until the Resurrection of the body Pauls next Argument is the Testimony Judgement or Arg. 9. Confession of those who were Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our translation thus Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead v. 29. Letting pass other expositions of these words two especially are most famous and considerable The first that Paul alludes to a custome among the Catecumeni or Novices in the Faith who in danger of death desired and received Baptism that thereby they might both evidence and strengthen their Faith in the Resurrection of this practise Epiphanius makes mention k Et hac de causa traditio quae ad nos devenit eundem Sanctum Apostolum dixisse aiunt si omnino mortui non Resurgunt cur Baptizantur pro ipsis caeterum alij recte hoc dictum interpretantes dicuat quod morti vicini si fueriut in Pietatis doctrina instructi ob hanc spem ante obitum lavacro digni fiunt ostendentes quod qui mortuus est etiam resurget ob id indiget remissione pectatorum per lavacrum Epiph. l. 1. Tom. 2. h. 28. l Vossij Thes Theol. de Resur carnis th 18. Piscator Anal. Schol. in 1 Cor. 15. 29. This supposed the Apostle thus argues Else what shall they do who are baptized for dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for dead A second sense is given of this Argument and much contended for by learned and judicious men the practiss of some among them that were baptized over the graves and dead bodies of the Martyrs and other Saints in testimony of their dying to sin and assured expectation of their own and their Resurrection over whom they were Baptizedl Another Argument is drawn from the Testimony that Arg. 10. is the judgement and faith of the Confessors who adventure and lay down their lives for Christ and the Gospel Why stand we in jeopardy every hour v. 30. We give our backs to the smiters and our cheeks to them that pluck off the hair we hide not our face from shame and spetting we count not our lives dear unto us but continually carry them in our hands as ready to lay them down for the Gospel always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus And are alwayes delivered unto death for Jesus sake m 2 Cor. 4. 13. 11. We are killed all the day long and accounted as sheep for the slaughter n Rom. 8. 36. Some of the Saints have had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were slaned they were sawn asunder they were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute affiicted tormented Of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth o Heb. 11. 36. 37. 38. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance what think you moved them hereto doubtless the hope of glory laid up for them in another world it was that they might obtain a better Resurrestion p verse 35. Certainly these men were beside themselves too much inconsiderate zeal had made them mad thus to expose their persons to the rage of unreasonable men and hereby prepare treasure up and sharpen instruments of death for their own tormenting life liberty and ease are so sweet death bonds and pain so bitter they must play the madmen to some purpose in the presence of the world to exchange the one for the other without hope of recompence in the life to come But we know light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in them Who among the sons of men of so wise and understanding hearts To whom is given the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ they saw with other eyes then those bruits who think they shall dy like beasts and do expect no other portion then what they have in the flesh sure the Spirit of the holy God made them quick of understanding in his fear by whom it was given them not onely to believe but to suffer for his sake And certainly God is not unrighteous to forget their work and labour of love which they have shewed toward his Name q Heb. 6. 10. but will do unto them according to the kindness they have done unto him with this Paul comforts the Thessalonians It is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God that ye may be accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Seeing 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 r 2 Thes 1. 5. This recompense shall be when the Lord shall be revealed not in this life to the Soul so he was revealed to the Thessalonians before but after death when he shall come from Heaven and attended with the Angels of his might so he comes not in this present life to any that after dy only to those that shall live till the great day of the Lord and this was the Apostles encouragement and consolation in their afflictions Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal v. 18 And what Paul speaks of the Saints in general he protests of himself in particular I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I dy daily v. 31. If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus what advantageth it me if the dead rise not His hazards and sufferings were not once or twice but daily and those not ordinary but grievous his life was little better then a continual dying he fought with beasts at Ephesus unreasonable savage cruel men rather beasts then men which some understand
external faith M. David Hughes V. 27. She makes profession of her faith she saith unto him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world M. Barth I will prove the Divels had such a faith for they believe and tremble M. Dav. Hughes Martha spoke the same things which Peter did acknowledge and had the same faith and confession of Peter which Christ approves Mat. 16. 16 17. saying Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee Osb. M. Coppin When is the last day that Martha here speaks of Cop. When a man is converted that is the last day and when the old man is destroyed Osb. Shew me a Scripture for that Cop. When he hath subdned all things then is the last day Osb. Then as long as any thing remains to be subdued it is not the last day Martha acknowledgeth her brother should arise at the last day viz. when all things should be subdued Cop. When all things appear to each man to be subdued to him then is the last day come Osb. You should also prove as well as affirm this is the last day Martha speaks of If this be all you have to say we will proceed on to the next Scripture John 5. 28 29. V 28. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming wherein all that are in the graves shall hear his voice V. 29. And shall come forth they that have done good and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Osb. He speaks of an hour to come wherein men shall be raised The persons to be raised such as are in the graves or sepulchers and such as have done good and evil and that they are raised to or the consequent of this resurrection is life to some damnation to others which cannot be meant of a resurrection from sin corruption or ignorance in a spiritual sense for none are so raised to damnation Cop. This is true that it is to come and so may this spiritual resurrection be Some at one time some at another have their resurrection manifested to them Osb. How come they out of their graves You must prove graves here to be sin corruption and ignorance Cop. Examine Psalm 88. 5. and see what David means by grave V. 5. Free among the dead and like the slain that ly in the grave c. V. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in the darkness in the deeps V. 7. Thy wrath lyeth hard upon me And v. 7 8 9 10 specially v. 11. Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction All these verses shew these to be corruption Osb. Such a death and such a grave he speaks of here as in the rest of the Psalm but v. 15. he shews it to be affliction which so grievous that he was ready to dy or as one ready to dy I am afflicted and ready to dy from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted He speaks not of any spiritual death by reason of sin nothing of sinfulness is mentioned in all this Psalm David speaks only of an afflicted condition Secondly if this Psalm were so to be understood you must make it appear that this Scripture doth apply and properly answer the fift of John and that the grave is taken in John 5. 8. as it is here Cop. I have proved it already and therefore you must prove the contrary Osb. By grave in John 5. is meant burial places and Christ promiseth a time shall come when the dead in them shall come out some to joy and some to torment R. Coppins brother How do you prove the graves are taken for burying places Osb. That is clear that the word so signifies it is so in common use among us that I need not spend time about that and the Scripture also in other places uses the word to the same purpose Cop. By grave is meant the state of ignorance darkness and corruption and when Christ comes into the soul then is the resurrection the grave is a death a burial in sin Osb. In this spiritual Resurrection from sin and corruption all that rise rise to life but some in these graves rise to damnation But we will also leave this and apply our selves to the next place which is Acts 24. 15. 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 Here are two clear testimonies for the Resurrection 1. The object of Paul's hope was the Resurrection of the dead but hope is of things to come Rom. 8. 24. But hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for v. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it The resurrection then he hoped for was a resurrection to come but that could not be from sin for that he had before 2. This resurrection to come is of just and unjust men and some are just and others are unjust when they rise but in the resurrection from sin all are just none rise from that but those that are just before God The resurrection he here speaks of presupposeth the subjects some of them to be just before they rise The just are risen already from sin and corruption yet shall have another resurrection which can be no other then of the body which they must have in common with the unjust and not as a peculiar priviledge any otherwise then for the manner and ends or proper to themselves Cop. Paul having had the first resurrection expected a second Osb. But such as unjust as well as just men should have Cop. This resurrection was to be attained in his apprehensions and so of the unjust also Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him and the Power of his Resurrection which he confesses he had not yet attained v. 11 12. in his apprehensions but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus v. 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended v. 14. I press towards the Mark He pressed forward towards his perfection which is his second resurrection for as soon as he apprehended he was risen he was risen M. R. Veysey Paul having enjoyed that resurrection which is the first resurrection from Nature to Grace doth yet say he desires to attain to the resurrection of the dead Now Paul being once risen was no more dead in soul therefore Paul expected a resurrection of the body Cop. Though Paul was risen in the first resurrection yet Paul was dead because he had not the second M. R. Veysey Then that resurrection which is the first resurrection is but from one death to another and so no resurrection at all Cop. Yes because as the state of Nature is death in respect of the state of grace so is the state of grace death in respect of glory M. R. Veysey How is that proved Cop. It is proved in 1 Cor. 13. 9. and 15. 31. and 2 Cor. 4. 10. Osb. To your first place in 1 Cor. 13. 9. I answer mention is made of knowledge we know in part not a word of life or death That of 1 Cor. 15. 31. I dy dayly will not argue the death of grace he speaks of his sufferings which were so great that he reckons himself as in a dying condition and that in the 2 Cor. 4. 10. Alwaies bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body v. 11. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake c. This I say is of the same import speaking of their conformity to Christ in respect of afflictions which only he cals death and dying and not the state of grace wherein they were as is plain from v. 8 9. We are troubled on every side c so that these Scriptures make not for you Cop. What ever is below the highest life is death Paul he knew that he had the life of Grace yet he says that we are dead Paul was dead according to the dispensation of Grace in respect of the dispensation of Glory therefore saith 1 Cor. 15. 31. I dy daily Osb. This is spoken of afflictions and not of the state of Grace to shew it was a death in comparison of Glory FINIS
into good and bad just and unjust Fourthly the consent of his Adversaries which they themselves also allow Before we proceed we must clear it out to be not a Spiritual but Bodily Resurrection not of the Soul but of the Body when the Body which by death faileth to the earth is raised up again and quickned by the Soul this is a second conjunction or re-union after separation a second marriage after divorce and this appears from hence First That it is said to be the object of his hope and so to come for the spiritual he had already Secondly It is of just and unjust the spiritual admits no such distinction of persons all are just who are partakers thereof It is somtimes expressed by living and awaking and here by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to arise the same in sense with resurgo to rise up again as when a man having taken a fall ariseth again iterum enim surgendo resurgere dicitur a Tertul de resur carnis the subject of the resurrection is the same that falls that which ariseth must first be down The soul being immortal cannot be supposed to dy and therefore not ashirmed to arise therefore our bodies only are meant here as in and by death there is a separation of soul and body a resolution of the body into elements and a disjunction of them after this resolution so in the resurrection a gathering of those elements into which our bodies are resolved the forming of our bodies out of them and animation of them by a perpetual and indissoluble union with the soul Now whereas the resurrection of the body is either particular of some men more especially as the son of the widdow of Zarephath and others or general and common to all the latter we speak to for it is in the Text of the just and unjust We shall first give you the proof of it that there shall be such a resurrection afterwards descend to the Explication of it and lastly to Application First of the verity of it this cannot be discovered by natural light or demonstrated by Phylosophical Arguments b Et ut carnis resurrectio negetur de una omnium Philosophorâ—â— schola sumitur Teâ—â— praeser adver haere to Phylosophers it seems strange hard to be believed yea ridiculous therefore they encouncer Paul because he preached unto him Jesus and the Resurrection c Acts 17. 18. and some mocked d Acts 〈◊〉 3. and Festus for this judges Paul mad e Acts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no wonder for the power by which we are raised and manner how is supernatural and the principles thereof not of themselves obvious to the natural minde but only to faith which is the evidence of things not seen f Heb 11. 〈◊〉 therefore faith Tertullian Fiducia Christianorum resurrectio 〈◊〉 g l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caruis The resurrection of the dead is the faith of Christians For this therefore we must repair to Scripture which affords plain assertions and concluding reasons For the first among others these are remarkable that of David I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy 〈◊〉 n Psal 17. 15. of his awaking out of the dust when he should bear the Image of the heavenly We have also Gods promise in Isaiah 〈◊〉 dead shall live together with my dead body shall they arise 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 i Isa 26. 19 And again in Daniel Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt k Dan. 12. 2. Parallel to this is that of cur Saviour Marvel not at this for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the grave 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 l Ioh. 5. 28 29 And as Christ promiseth so Martha believeth a general resurrection I know that he shall rise agnin in the resurrection at Iohn 11. 24. the last day This Paul affirms to be the hope of the promise made of God unto the Fathers Unto which saith he our twelve Tribes instantly serving God day and night hope to come Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead m Acts 26 6 7 8. The question imports the credibility and insallibility of it it hath not reference as I suppose only to the resurrection of Christ but to others also or if Christ be here intended the other may be hence inferred as we shall clear in the reasons This Doctrine the Apostles taught and for it the Rulers persecute them Being grieved that they taught the People and preached through Jesus the Resureection from the dead n Acts 4. 2. This also Paul testifies For if we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him o 1 Thes 4. 14. Compare v. 16. The dead in Christ shall rise first This must of necessity be understood of the Resurrection of the Body from natural death not of the soul from sin or ignorance as some vainly suppose because such as the death or sleep mentioned here is such is the rising But the sleep and death specified is not of ignorance or sin because it is such a sleep as follows a mans conversion and the revelation of God in the soul and is consistent with communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ for they are said to sleep in Jesus and to be dead in Christ v. 16. But a state of Spiritual death and ignorance is inconsistent with communion with Jesus Christ Eph. 2. 1. compared with v. 12. You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins Of whom v. 12. he sayes At that time ye were without Christ The same Doctrine is delivered in Phil. 3. 21. Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious body c. The Libertines impudently affirm it must be interpreted of deliverance from a state of ignorance and corruption they mean when it is manifested to a man that sin is taken away for say they it is onely sin that makes the body vile But this cannot stand because it is spoken of those who were before this Spiritually risen had the evidence of the Spirit in their hearts Chap. 1. 29. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not onely to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake Such as did worship God in the Spirit and rejoyced in Christ Jesus and had no confidence in the flesh p Phil. 3. 3. such as were after a sort perfect v. 15. Whose conversation was in Heaven q Phil. 3. 20. from whence they did expect Christ
to change their vile body c. This was not yet done besides it is affirmed of the body which is not the proper subject of such a Resurrection from ignorance as they pretend And our vile body shall be fashioned like unto Christs body but that as we shall hereafter prove was raised properly from a natural death to a natural life This is laid down as a Principle of the Doctrine of Christ Heb. 6. 3. which cannot with any shew of Reason be interpreted of any other then a corporall Resurrection having spoken of the Resurrection of the Soul from a state of sin and ignorance v. 1. where he mentions Repentance from dead works and faith towards God It cannot be imagined that in so short and pithy an account as this is he should repeat the same again in other words and this will be yet more clear if we compare this passage with the fact and Faith of the Martyrs women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance r Heb. 11. 35. this was done through Faith v. 33. Therefore by such to whom God was manifest they were tortured and killed for they accepted not deliverance What inducement They expected a better Resurrection What in this life No for they had no deliverance if after death what Resurrection could it be but of the body Besides 't is said A better Resurrection in reference to their best condition in this life And this is shewed unto John in Vision I saw faith he the dead small and great and the Sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and the grave as in the Marginal reading delivered up the dead which were in them s Apoâ—â— 20. 12 13. This cannot be understood of any other then a bodily Resurrection For first it is general Of all both small and great Now all sorts do not rise Spiritually some dy in their sins Secondly after they arise they stand before God and are brought to judgement But those who arise Spiritually do not stand before God to be judged as some of these here are to be cast into the Lake of fire v. 15. Thirdly the dead here are said to be in the Sea and in the Grave and by them delivered up Fourthly some of them are said not to be written in the Book of Life therefore it cannot be a Spiritual Resurrection for all those who are so risen are written in the Book of Life Chap. 3. 4 5. And those who are unclean and work abomination or make a lie who attain not to the Spiritual Resurrection are of that number which are not written in the Lambs Book of Life Chap. 21. 2 7. Isaiah 25. 8. Hos 13. 14. With many other places might be produced to evidence this Truth but these may suffice for Positive testimonies we shall now repair to Reason 1. The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents Arg. 1. head t Gen. 3. 15. Which is thus interpreted by John 1 Epist Chap. 3. v. 8. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Divel u 1 Ioh. 3. 8. And this is one of his works for he is described as having the power of Death So that either death must be destroyed Heb 2. 14. and consequently the dead rise or Christ must fail of his end in being manifested in the world 2. God is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Arg. 2. of all the Faithful a God in Covenant with them there Exod. 3. 6. fore their dead bodies shall rise this our Saviour urged against the Sadduces in Vindication of the Resurrection oppugned and denyed by them But as touching the Resurrection of the dead have you not read that which was spoken unto you by God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is Mat. 22. 31 32 not the God of the dead but of the living With this answer the people were possessed with astonishment and the Sadduces put to silence v. 33 34. Whereas the Lord cals himself their God many years after they were dead and rotten in their graves it imports they must be alive to God they all live to him But that you may clearly see the force of this Argument and wherein its strength lies we must conceive when God cals himself the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob he means a God in Covenant with them to give out his All-sufficiency for their good Gen. 17. 1. to be their Shield and exceeding great reward removing all cause of fear Gen. 15. 1. particularly iniquity Acts 3. 25 26. the Fountain whence all evils flow and supplying them with all good out of his infinite fulness for this Covenant brings a blessing with it Acts 3. 25. which Covenant is an everlasting Covenant Gen. 17. 7. and made with him not in respect of the Soul onely but the body also for else it were not a perfect Covenant These things premised I thus infer 1. That therefore by reason of this Covenant he will never leave them or forsake them but should not the bodies of Abraham Isaac and Jacob rise God should in that respect leave and forsake them and not be All-sufficient to them or their God in respect of their bodies the very dust of the bodies of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is in Covenant with him and therefore shall in time be raised up again 2. Forasmuch as sin the cause of death is taken away therefore death the wages of sin shall de done away 3. If the bodies of Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall not live they are not perfectly blessed in Covenant with God because their bodies one part of them are not And what hath been said of Abraham is applyable unto all the Saints God is their God and therefore their dead bodies live to him are in Covenant with him have sin the occasion of death done away and so shall be raised again to be made perfectly happy with him 3. A third Reason we draw from Mat. 22. 30. In the Arg. 3. Resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven Which is thus rendred by Mark. 12. 25. When they shall rise from the dead they shall neither marry nor are given in marriage To the same purpose Luke 20. 35. In this life in the Resurrection from sin and ignorance men marry and others are given in marriage Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge x Heb. 13. 4. And again Nevertheless to avoid Fornication let every man have his own wife Besides here we are not as the Angels of God therefore Arg. 4. we expect another Resurrection Moreover such a Resurrection is here affirmed and Arg. 5. proved by Christ which the Sadduces denyed but that was of the body after death when the seven Brethren one after
they may see him whom they have pierced and behold their Judge and the deaf that they may hear him to their terrour And whereas there are some things pertaining to the nature of man in respect of his present state and according to the common and ordinary course of Nature as humours seed milk c. We suppose that both shall have those things that are recessary in the number of which we do not comprehend superfluous or excrementitious humours or those which are of Nature intended for generation as seed or nutrition of another as milk of which there shall be no use of those things which humane nature cannot here want as blood I conceive this shall be restored also yet to some this seems rather agreeing to a natural than a Spiritual body And although some members are of no use in the Resurrection yet for as much as of the Organical members there is a double relation the first of matter to the form so their end is the perfecting and adorning the body or of an Organ to an active Principle so the end is operation though there be no need of some members as to operation yet in respect of ornament and perfection of the body they are not in vain or superfluous but necessary in the Resurrection so that though there be no use yet there shall be distinction of the Sex As to the quantity and stature of the body some conceive all shall arise at the same stature to which they should have come and beyond which they should not have gone if Nature had not erred but this we shall not assert or undertake to determine The bodyes of the unjust shall be made immortal and incorruptible but passible they shall receive their bodies not for Ornament but torment for they must be tormented and suffer the wrath of the Almighty for ever and ever therefore it is necessary they should dy no more but remain for ever without natural helps that they may be punished without intermission The Saints shall be raised to a perfect and glorious estate they shall be like Christs glorious body Phil. 3. 21. and like the Angels of God Mat. 22. 30. 1. In Immortality Neither shall they dy any more Luke 20. 36. This mortal must put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 5◠And we groan that mortality might be swallowed up of life 2 Cor. 5. 4. And death is said to be swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. So that there shall be no more death Apoc. 21. 4. Death it self being cast into the lake of fire Apoc. 20. 14. Others raised before Christ and some after by the Apostles dyed again but to these shall be no dying for such was Christs life Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him Rom. 6. 9. Our life shall be parallel to eternity the body before the Fall was immortal therefore did God place in Paradise the Tree of Life as a Sacrament of that immortality he should have enjoyed in his innocent state The long life of Adam and the Fathers was the Reliques of that immortality man had before the Fall And this is the state of the holy Angels their days are the days of Eternity God is immortal by Nature thus he only hath immortality 1 Tim. 6. 16. The Angels and souls of men by Creation Adam's body by condition if he brake not Covenant with his Maker ours hereafter by special grace in the Resurrection for the cause removed the effect must cease sin is taken away therefore death also in due time must be removed the Guilt of sin is taken away in Justification the Reign of it in Conversion the Acting of it in Death the last Effect in the Resurrection Adam before the Fall was Potentially mortal as the effect proves he should have been immortal if he had kept the conditions of the Covenant those that are raised shall be so confirmed that they cannot dy for they shall not be in a capacity of sinning which brings death they have not this immortality upon such termes as Adam had 2. In Incorruptibility and Impassibility they shall not suffer any thing that can hurt afflict or impair them It is 1 Cor. 11. 43. 52. 53. 〈◊〉 sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption The dead shall be raised incorruptible this corruptible must put on incorruption Now our bodies by hunger thirst diseases labcur grief c. are wasted every day and at last wholly corrupted in our dissolution but after the Resurrection they shall continue in the same state The Manna which by man could not be kept one day without putrifaction by the Divine power was preserved in the golden Pot for many ages Aegyptians by embalming bodies kept them from corruption many hundred years and why may not an immortal body be kept from corruption by an Omnipotent God And thus also shall the Saints be as the Angels 3. In Power It is sown in weakness it is raised in 1 Cor. 15. 43. Power Here it is weak and sickly then it shall be strong vigorous and healthy the strength of Sampson and other mighty men in a fallen state shew what Adams was by Creation and what 〈◊〉 shall be in the Resurrection for this is a restauration of what we lost and of further perfection The powerfulness of the body in the Resurrection comprehends 1. Activeness in the execution of all those actions which are suitable to it our bodies now are impotent and so indisposed to perform all those actions that belong to them and unserviceable to the soul yet when this great change shall come they shall be made able to act perfectly they shall be observant of and subservient to the souls desires and whereas now their gravity doth hinder their motion upward they shall then like Eagles mount up into the Ayr and convey themselves whither they please for they shall be filled with the Spirit An Egg cannot mount upward while it is without life but when it is quickened and filled with spirits it moveth and mounteth on high A Bird is an heavy body yet by her wings she can raise her self from the earth and fly swiftly in the Ayr. Iron may be so formed by Art that it shall not sink but swim upon the water and why should this motion of our bodies after the Resurrection be thought incredible Christs body could move upward for it ascended into Heaven and ours shall be like it when he comes we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the Ayr. 1 Thes 4. 17. 2. Nimbleness Strength puts Agility into bodies makes them more quick in motion Asahel was swift as a 2 Sam. 2. Roe Our bodies must be more perfect being conformed to Christ who was so quick in motion that he vanished out of sight when he had shewed himself to his Disciples Luke 24. 31. 3. Unweariedness now we are soon tyred with action by reason of weakness but then we shall be so strong and lively
made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. All good and bad by his Power for he hath the Keys of Hell and Death Apoc. 1. 18. He hath Power as God and Commission from God as man to raise the Dead This he doth by vertue of his Office all Judgement being committed to him as the son of man Therefore Raising the Dead and Judging them being raised are put together John 5. 21 22 27. He shall at the last day by his voice awaken all that are a sleep in the dust They that are in the grave shall hear his voice John 5. 28. As the natural Voice raiseth him that sleepeth so the Voice of Christ raiseth the Dead it is likely that shall be a real and articulate voice namely such a one as shall sound out some such sentence as this Arise ye dead and come to Judgement But in an especial manner Christ is the cause of the Saints resurrection as he is their Head First He is an effective principle of rising to all his Members therefore called the Beginning the First-born of the Dead Col. 1. 18. The first Fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15. 20. and a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. The power by which we are raised is with Christ per modum redundantiae it abounds in him even to overflowing there is not only a sufficiency of power for his own rising but a redundancy for ours also All things tending to our salvation are in his hands he is entrusted with power for our good as in other things so in this the raising of our bodies He hath not life for his own person alone but treasures of life for every member as he hath life in himself so it is communicated to all his members We have it from him by way of Influence Christ God-man raiseth us the power not humane but divine the same by which his own body was raised yet his Humanity concurring thus far the Deity not raising us without the Will and consent of the humanity Yea as man he desires purposeth promiseth the raising of our bodies Secondly He is the meritorious cause he hath purchased life for his and redeemed them from death by a price taken away sin the cause of death satisfied divine Justice and so procured full and compleat Redemption for them He was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. and if we be justified then we shall also be glorified 3. He is the exemplary cause we shall be conformed to him in this also He was raised as a pattern and example to all his Members holding forth the manner of their resurrection in his Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. the Resurrection that he shewed in himself he hath promised to us The Final cause or end of the Resurrection the glory of God in the patefaction of his God-head Truth Mercy Justice Power Wisdom and Providence that the whole man may be judged before the Tribunal of God and all men receive according to their works 2 Cor. 5. 10. that as soul and body have served God or sinned together so they may be rewarded or punished together that the Saints with Christ their Head may both in soul and body be for ever blessed in heaven and the wicked with Satan their head be eternally tormented in hell Although all rise yet is there a different end and issue of their resurrection to some it is a resurrection to life and glory who are therefore called the children of the resurrection Luke 20. 36. to others a resurrection to death shame and condemnation Dan. 12. 2 3. John 5. 28 29. therefore were the Saints buried together and strangers apart because they expected a better resurrection But when shall these things be In the end of the world Mat. 13. 39 40. at the last day John 6. 39 40 44 54. When Christ shall deliver up his Kingdom to the Father and put down all rule authority and power 1 Cor. 15. 23 24. Now that we may leave no way unattempted which may conduce to the clearing of this truth silencing of contradictors and satisfying of the scrupulous we shall in the next place examine and make answer to what is usually pleaded against it and I trust you will in conclusion plainly perceive the most ponderous Arguments and Doubts being laid in the ballance will be found wanting and of no weight at all but lighter then vanity All that can be urged is against to the possibility of the thing in respect of the power of that cause which must effect it or probability and infallibility thereof in respect of his Will In short it is conceived difficult to be done and in some mens fancies never promised It is supposed contrary to sense or reason because of the Objection dissipation of our bodies which are resolved into Elements and are so mingled with them and other bodies that it seems a thing impossible they should be drawn out and severed from them To this we reply The things which are impossible with Solution men are possible with God Luke 18. 27. Is any thing too hard for the Lord Gen. 18. 14. The question should thus be resolved there is not any thing too hard for the Lord that is which doth not in it self imply a contradiction or in him denote imperfection we must not judge of the power of God by what we see in the creature nor limit it to what we find in our selves Canst thou by searching find out God Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection Job 11. 7. This then being presupposed we make not Nature but the God of Nature the worker of this great miracle why should it seem either strange or impossible Sense and Reason is but a crooked line to measure his power and too short to sound his Almightiness though it may seem above yet it is not contrary to Reason the most can be said it exceeds the reach of meer sense it can with no sense be affirmed repugnant to it For God is able to raise the dead Heb. 11. 19. It denotes not imperfection in him to do it nor doth it in it self involve any repugnancy why it cannot be done God is able of stones to raise up children unto Abraham Mat. 3. 8. and why not the same body out of the dust and animate it by the same soul by which it was formerly enlivened Again where the same numerical principles Matter and Form of the thing or Person corrupted remain and the same Agent who did first put them together continues in the same power state and condition what can hinder why they cannot be united and restored again to the same state wherein they were before separation The Agent remains God changeth not and his Arm is not shortned And that the Form the soul remains is clear from Matth. 10. 28. and Jude 7. As for the Matter that remains also The first Matter is held
it What is all this v. 17 18. to the old man or labouring and traveling to bring forth Christ in the spirit Cop. The bringing of the soul out of the dust is the bringing of the new man out of the old Osb. Where is your proof that the bringing of the dead out of the dust is bringing the soul out of the dust and that the bringing of the new man out of the old Cop. This is proved v. 14. They are dead they shall not live they are deceased they shall not rise therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them and made all their memory to perish Osb. What is this to the old man Cop. God's raising them is raising their memory or them to a memory which before they had not it was a perishing memory which before they had Osb. What means the perishing of their memory here Cop. They remembred not God or had not the knowledge of God Osb. Prove this phrase to hold forth any such thing Cop. The natural man is enmity with God Osb. Prove the memory perishing to be taken for natural state Cop. It is the darkness of their Understanding Osb. Prove it is meant so here and alledge your Scripture and I will acknowledge my self to be in an error Cop. I prove Ezek. 37. 11. These bones are the whole House of Israel Behold they say our bones are dryed up and our hope is lost Osb. He says nothing of memory much less of memory perishing but speaks of hope lost which are two distinct things hope being of things to come and memory of things past therefore this Scripture cannot witness for you you must seek elsewhere Cop. The Scripture carries it all along that the natural mans memory perisheth not Osb. I see little strength or sense in this answer or that it is in any sort pertinent to our question Let me now see how you can prove in this chapter and particularly in this verse he speaketh of the new man and that by dust is meant corruption of nature and darkness Cop. If men will not receive the truth they may pick Cavils Osb. You judge me though judging be against your doctrine but prove that by dust is meant corruption and darkness Cop. What is it that awakens out of darkness Christ in us who appears as dew on the herbs till Christ as dew revive our dead hopes as appears also by Hos 14. 51. I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly How shall he fall as a dew unless upon as as dead Jesus Christ is the dew and he cometh not but on the dead Osb. If this be granted it doth but hold out this that those that are raised are raised by this dew but that the dead on which it falleth are souls onely and not bodies you have not proved Cop. That coming is on a dry soul Osb. Yet I deny that the soul only is quickned by Christ I grant that Christ as dew and as rain falls on a withered soul and thereby quickens and revives it but that it quickens the soul only I deny for it also quickens the body of which he speaks here in Isaiah Cop. I have proved the soul to be quickned by this dew you must prove the dew doth descend upon the body also Osb. It was rather my grant then your proof that the soul is quickned which we affirm also of the body sith what the dew is to the corn and grass that Christ is to the bodies of men as the dew revives the corn and grass and makes it to flourish when it is dead and withered so doth Christ raise mens bodies dead in the grave which we having before abundantly proved by authority of Scripture it is your part to disprove or shew the impertinency of the Scriptures alledged for to the Proposition by me maintained Cop. Would you have me to prove all Will you have no proof on your side You will prove nothing Osb. Seing you will have it so we will make an Essay what may be proved out of this very verse from whence I doubt not to infer the verity of my Assertion and the falsity of yours and that he speaks of bodies quickned by this dew from a bodily death in the grave rather then of souls from corruption the dead that are here raised by the dew falling on them are conformable to Christ they are so dead as Christ's body was and so raised as Christ's Together with my dead body shall they arise But Christ's Resurrection was not from corruption and sin but from a bodily death to life therefore ours also Cop. Christ did descend to the Nature of man that is corruption Christ must lay this in grave and rise from it Osb. Then Christ was a sinner Cop. He took our sins and so his resurrection was from sin Osb. Doth this of Isa 26. 17 hold out any such thing Yea where is he said to rise from sin Cop He took our Nature on him and that 's the cause Osb. It was from the grave and not from sin corruption and ignorance Cop. If he rose not from them then he had them not Osb. Neither had he for he was without sin That remains to be proved Cop. He took all our infirmities on him Osb. Not sinful infirmities Cop. All our infirmities and bare our sicknesses Osb. I deny that John 11. 24. Osb. Let us go on to another Scripture namely Joh. 11. 24. Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day Lazarus was dead lay four days in the grave and stunk yet of him Martha saith He should rise again in the Resurrection at the last day This cannot be meant of any spiritual Resurrection in this life but of a Resurrection after death Which perswasion of hers Christ confirms by saying I am the Resurrection Cop. Martha spoke in Ignorance and Christ by way of Reproof Mark the words I know saith Martha my Brother shall rise again in the Resurrection of the last day Christ answers I am the Resurrection and the Life He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live as if he had said she should not believe her self but him Martha believed not as in v. 40. Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God Therefore Christ reproved an Unbeliever Osb. Christ instructs reprooves not Martha but rather commends her M. John Hughes Martha saith v. 27. that she doth believe therefore she had faith Cop. She believed in general but not in particular and who will not say my friends that are dead I shall see them again at the last day M. Hughes You will not say it M. W. Bartholomew Martha had external faith but not internal faith Cop. Yea yea Osb. Where do you prove by Scripture there is an external faith and what is external faith M. W. Bartholomew She heard with the ear that was her faith Osb. We deny hearing to be