mundâ—…â Elementorum corruptibilium qualitates quae corporibus nostris corruptibiâ—ibus congruchant ardendâ— penitus interibunt Atque ipsâ— substantia eas qualitates habebit quae corporibus immortalibus mirabili mutatione conventant Ut scilicent mundus in melius inrouaâ—us aptâ— accommodetur hominibus etiam in carne meliùs innovatis Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 20. cap. 16. From these things then we may raise these Conclusions 1. That the Heavens shall no more measure time For 2. Time shall be no more Rev. 10.6 And hence indeed in proper speech the Heavens shall be no more Shall is the Future Tense but in Eternity there 's no Futurity Now when there is no time but all Eternity who can without great impropriety say the Heavens shall be when Shall imports a time to come 3. If no time then no motion for time is the measure of motion (f) Tempus est mensura motus omnis motus est in tempore and therefore 4. No more action for without motion there is no action in Naturals 5. Therefore no more influence on Sublunaries for without action no influence therefore 6. No more generation nor corruption for these are not without influence Thus then the Heavens shall be no more And now IV. Man shall awake and be raised out of his sleep Methinks I see his Body now begin to be again Methinks I see the Sea like Jonah's Whale surrendring what it had long time conceal'd Methinks I see Men bolting from the Earth like Rabbets from their Warrens Some from the Waves some from the Graves I see just waken'd by the Trump and shaking off many their dew and many more their dust For they must awake they must be raised out of their sleep But it may be of use to mind the expression 't is they shall be rais'd not by their vertue but some others power But what is his Name if thou canst tell 'T is my Redeemer I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall raise me up at the last day (g) Job 19.25 My Redeemer There 's God's power Shall raise me up There 's Job's assurance At the last day There 's the time prescrib'd My Redeemer lives 1. To confute the Jews who disown his Resurrection 2. To prove that he also shall raise us up Christ the first-fruits afterwards they that are Christs 1 Cor. 15. For He shall raise me up To refute those who repute our expectation of reduction from the Grave as a Dream At the last day To confute Hymeneus Philetus and Hermogenes who concluded the Resurrection already accomplish'd because 't is recorded that the Bodies of the Saints arose Matth. 27. So holy Job even in the Text supposes and implies what there he expresses viz. That when the Heavens shall be no more Man shall be raised 1. Then he shall awake arise 2. How shall he be raised But 1. Mans Body shall arise These very Numerical Bodies these that we sin'd in or repented in Methinks I hear the Trumpet sound a Call wherefore Awake Awake Whoe're Where're Howe're you are Whoe're have been devour'd by Wolves those Wolves being strait devoured by Lyons those Lyons dying and strait devour'd by Kites Whoe're to Fishes have been made a Prey which even themselves have soon become a Prey to other Fishes Whoe're you are that in your Bodies have perform'd the Stages which fond Pythagoras prescrib'd to Souls in journeys through each various kind of Beasts Whoe're you are have been reduc'd to dust and dissipated through the spacious world till every dust has been remov'd a Mile from dust of kin to it Awake Awake indeed you must awake 'T is a resistless power that raises you 'T is God shall raise the dead Acts 26.8 But some may ask Query What if a Man devour those of his own species What if Claudius devour Sempronius and after time for due digesting him Claudius himself become anothers Meal How shall Sempronius and others in the like capacity be raised up in his own Numerical Body unless whatsoever was eaten by Claudius and may be conceiv'd to have become a part of his Body be restored Which if it be How then shall Claudius rise with his Numerical Body This is the Query which Objectors think Solut. is of itself enough to make a Sadduce But 't is indeed a trivial doubt and of no force to any but the willing For 't is not he shall arise as I observ'd before but he shall be raised which includes an unrestrained power to be the Agent and 't is the same Almighty Power which does support the living That God shall raise Man who now seeds Man He needs no aid of meat to keep a Creature living How obvious may we then conceive it though Claudius do devour Sempronius for God to strengthen Claudius and support him without permitting any of Sempronius to be concocted into his constitution especially since he compos'd not Man to be Mans food But now what think you if even to Reason for at that Weapon they must be encounter'd who contradict this Doctrine I say what if to Reason 't is a thing impossible but of the self-same Body there must be infallibly a Resurrection Not to trace all the Causes back up to the first to prove a God accomplish'd in whate're good reason ere thought good I shall suppose the Existence of a Deity already granted I know none deny it There being then a God he must be just but just he cannot be without a Resurrection For to mans eye the worst oft live and dye with least misfortune Now if no vengeance seize them after death where 's then the Justice and where 's then the God Will any say that after dissolution the Soul may suffer and still God be just although the Body sleeps But if the Body shar'd in sinning and be exempted from the suffering a Malefactor escapes then where 's the Justice and next where 's the God Or will you say as some are very forward that Death it self is the Bodies punishment But I say 1. the Soul and Body sin'd together for each others greater satisfaction in justice therefore we may think that they should suffer together for each others greater affliction But they by death so far does it resist their suffering together are far remov'd asunder if death then be the Bodies sole infliction still where 's the Justice 2. Can the Body be punish'd with what it never feels But oft great Sinners sink into the Grave under a stupefaction of the senses and dye extempore And if the flesh do only suffer death which brings no corporal pain for mighty corporal transgressions still where 's the Justice 3. The Body sinning against an infinite Person committed infinite sin for as we see in Treason the Object gives proportion to the Crime Infinite sin must have no finite suffering But Death is a finite suffering for that 's accomplish'd when the Soul is gone If therefore Death be all the vengeance to the Body where
's still the Justice Will any say the Bodies being dead and separated from the Soul for ever is its eternal punishment But can there be punishment and nothing suffer As soon as dead the humane Body is not it was the humane Body when it sin'd by death it leaves to be the humane Body And how can that which is not suffer Or will you say with Pomponatius that sin is its own punishment O strange Philosophy And more strange Justice In all Philosophy the offence is still cause to the punishment if sin then be the punishment to itself 't is its own cause and 't is its own effect But others in Philosophy will tell us That Nihil est causa sui ipsius (h) Quisquam ne mortaâ—ium idem vocat facinus poenam Quintil. And in all Justice punishments design'd to mend the Sufferer or to disencourage others from the like offence But what sin ere which had no other punishment deter'd another from attempting it And as for the Offender I presume none will conclude that sin can much amend him Many would wish their strength might ne're decline that they might ne're be impotent for sin If sin be then its proper punishment 'T is a most strange one which the Offender ever would request to undergo and prize beyond rewards (i) Nullapoena est nisi invito alibi Supplicium quisquam vocat ad quod prosilitur quod exposcitur Quintil. If sin were the sole judgment on the Malefactor O what a means had the Almighty found to bring his Justice in contempt And then where were his Wisdom too And then where the God Therefore whoe're thou art that art possess'd with Dreams like these Awake thou that sleepest lest ere thou dream'st of it it may be said Awake and come to judgment But 2. How shall Men arise And with what Bodies shall they come I answer with St Paul 1 Cor. 15. they shall rise 1 Incorruptibly it is rais'd in incorruption ver 42. 2 Gloriously it is rais'd in glory ver 43. 3 In agility it is rais'd in power ver 43. tanta facilitas quanta faelicitas sayes St Austin 4 Very near to the nature of Angels much more resin'd than formerly not only from carnal lusts but also from the grossness of our substances The natural Elements shall be resin'd so shall our Bodies it shall be rais'd a spiritual Body ver 44. Not but that we shall have flesh and bones and integral parts answerable to the pattern of our Saviour after his Resurrection Luke 24.39 Handle me and see for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me have But yet improv'd they shall be much Aquinas (k) in Eph. 4 ver 13. Corpus Christi fuit perdâ—ction ad plenam aetem virilem scilicet 33 annorum in quâ mertuus est hususâ—todi autem aetatis plenitudini corformâ—…itur aetas sanctorum resurgâ—…tium So a so the Author of these Sermons or Homilies father'd on St Ambrose vol. 3. pag. 44. Ibi enim nec infaâ—s nec senex nec parvus erit qui non impleat dies suos utpote silius resurrectionis in mensuram venict plenitudinis Christi ut nec desint aliâ—ui annorum spacia nec supersint yet goes further and assures us That we shall rise in the complete age of our Saviour viz. 33 years old For whereas we read Till we all come in the unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect Man to the measure of the STATVRE of the fulness of Christ he as also our old Translations reads the measure of the AGE of the fulness of Christ. But this we safely may leave undetermin'd being assur'd that Man shall awake destitute of nothing essential to his perfection but not so secure of what God may esteem so essential But this is the Resurrection of those who have part in the first Resurrection Others shall want the glory but yet shall be endu'd with bodies free from corruption to protract their torture to eternity with bodies agile to entitle them to the greater restlessness for the more active the Sufferer the more tormenting the Chains and Anguish Nor shall he want the prejudice of a refin'd body that all his senses may be more acute for entertaining each its proper torment to the most high improvement So now we see Men shall be raised up and we see how Unhappy then are they that put far from them here the evil day to be shut up in worst of nights hereafter Woe to him that eats and drinks because to morrow he shall dye since after that to morrow he must rise and be waken'd out of his sleep But happy he thrice happy who being to forego his life hid it with Christ in God at the last day they shall know where to find it In the mean time foolish are those that lament him since they again shall see him if yet they are not still more foolish by their neglecting to lie down like him How is our industry concern'd to care that our uprise be to felicity by death to sin and rising again to newness of life to furnish our selves for a Resurrection free from a second death And will you know how 't is to be atchiev'd By doing so as did the Subject of this dayes Solemnity If you expect her Character consult each man his loss in her departure None need commend an absent Friend to those who by that absence find much detriment Go ask the Poor Go ask the Sick whose Consolation and Relief are now in a great measure gone to Heaven with her How have the glories of the ancient Heroes liv'd in Records of blackest Ink So 't is with her for in our sable fortunes in our dark wants her worth is largely written We need no tedious toil to prove her happy as to her Soul and ready for the Resurrection as to her Body our greatest Task will be not to learn how she is but to be like her fit for our going and our Saeviours coming But you 'll ask how Let the Apostle tell you St Peter designing to display Christs dreadful coming in his third Chapter of his second Epistle endeavors to prepare men for it in his first Chapter advising diligence in procuring 1. Faith which believes God true in all his promises which teaches Man to lay aside his Reason that so he may be more than Man and apprehend things much beyond the reach of natural capacity Faith is the evidence of things not seen Faith which layes all our sins down at Christs Cross Faith which applies Christs merits to our selves In short Faith which depends on the Fathers mercy through the Sons sufferings and intercession by the Spirits support and consolation to evade deserved destruction and attain most undeserved bliss therefore to wake to happiness take Faith and add to your Faith 2. Virtue Not Virtue in the general because Temperance follows as a particular but Virtue
to the living 't is that the Winds roar and that the Billows foam that the Masts crack and that the Cordage bursts that Clouds hide Heaven and the Waves the Clouds But it disturbs not Jonas for he sleeps Nor yet his Ancestors for they are dead This is that water of Lethe which the Heathens conceiv'd powerful to convey oblivion to the memory Thou Vanquisher of Ills Thou Calmness to the Mind c. sayes Seneca to Sleep (x) Tuque O Domitor somne malorum requies animi c. Sen. Herâ— Fur. And such a Sleep is Death For O Death acceptable is thy sentence to the Needy to him whose strength faileth and is vex'd with all things to him that despaireth and hath lost his patience sayes the son of Syrach Chap. 41. ver 2. 3. As to the desisting of motion and action how well may they be Twins In each of them there 's a defect of these The Body being ty'd in bonds of sleep it lies as buried in the interim the Soul whose power is independant on the Body perpetuates her action so when the term of mortal life is come down lies the Body all torpid and unactive but the Soul the invisible part does still retain possession of life in the behalf of the whole Man And in both cases too the Body shall again assume its former vigor to shew it was not lost but intermitted but of that more in a more proper place 4. Sleeping and dying are of one necessity and equally to nature indispensable Many men wake with coveting to sleep and their too eager hopes of some repose keeps them in long frustration Just so some live spite of themselves subsisting in opposition to their sierce desires of Expiration such was perplex'd Job Jeremy and Elias And others sleep whil'st they contend to wake such were the Apostles (y) Mark 14.37 Just so some Men embrace their Deaths whil'st they conceive they oppose it and meet it where they think they travel from it Yet all some time or other must partake of either unless Death prevent sleep at the first and Doomsday prevent Death at the last In vain 's the study to evade them 't is of a nature like the industry expended to procure the Philosophers stone they labour to convert what'ere they have into Gold and convert that little Gold they have into Nothing So we sollicitous to improve that little health we have into a treasure of inexhaustible life reduce that little life we have into death Like him who should contrive to watch long and drops asleep with the contrivance Not that I would men should neglect their lives or be indifferent in their conservation but that they should be careful of them with an assurance once to forego them and still be ready with alacrity to resign them For who is he that lives and shall not see death 5. Sleep equals all men of what age soever what strength or what degree and so does Death None in their dark Dominions can discern a Throne from a Pedestall The Corps of sleeping Bartimaeus has equal bliss with sleeping Herod and much more than Herod when awake So is dead Diogenes as happy as dead Alexander and much more than Alexander when alive Various wayes and different postures there may be of both in lying down but being laid their State is undistinguish'd (z) Mista Senum ac Juvenum deflentur Corpora Horat. Nulla distinctio inter Cadavera mortuorum nisi forâ—è graviùs saetent Divitum Corpora luxuriâ distenta Amb. Hexamer and promiscuous Some die distracted harass'd with wandring and benighted thoughts and these sleep like Ezekiel's Jews in the Woods (a) Ezek. 34.25 Some men expire in the pursuit of Fame oppress'd with Titles and voluminous Inscriptions and these sleep like Isaiah's Idolaters in Monuments (b) Isa 65.4 Some have short winter-lives a little day-light in them but much tempest these men expiring in the midst of cares seem to have troubled themselves to death and these like Jonah sleep in a storm (c) Jon. 1.5 Some are prescrib'd to death pursuing the directions of Physicians Deaths great Acquaintances and ty'd to their Receipts these sleep like St Peter among Soldiers and in Chains (d) Acts 12.6 Some are misguided by a flying fire by seeming honour into the Graves great precipice and dye of a disease call'd Valor these sleep like Sampson in Gaza (e) Judg. 16.3 which being interpreted is strength Fulness of bread sometimes may send another to the Grave and he sleeps like Boaz at a heap of Corn (f) Ruth 3 7. Whil'st Indigence perhaps destroys his Neighbours and they like Ruth sleep at his feet (g) Ver. 14. Others dye of Promotion and like smoke are taught to vanish by their exaltation and these sleep like Saul on the top of the House (h) 1 Sam. 9.26 Others dye weary'd out with Expectation and they sleep like Vriah at the Gate of the Kings house (i) 2 Sam. 1.9 Now though the method of Expiring varies the state of the Expir'd is all equality The low and weak can be but empty then And even the Proud when they have slept their sleep and those whose hands were mighty have found nothing Now therefore since that which we in rigorous Expression term Death in mild construction is but Sleep 1. Thrice happy they whom it defers not long Quick sleeps discover regular Constitutions 'T is much advantage to be early happy and to prevent the restlessness and tumbliâ—gs of weary Age with undelay'd repose For thus God giveth his beloved sleep sayes the Prophet (k) Psal 127.2 And those whom the Gods affect dye young sayes the Poet (l) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menand 2. That really in Death we may have rest as in sound sleep we must contend whil'st yet we are awake to perfect all our task in God our Masters most important service and work out our salvation whil'st we may Sleep we know seals up at once our industry and eyes no working then we in the morning therefore should contrive to make night no surprize That when it once grows heavy on our eye-lids we may not leave our duties unattempted or our attempts unaccomplished like interrupted and abortive structures which shew what Architects presum'd not what they did And so much more should we be sedulous to have our task determin'd ere we sleep by how much less we shall be capable to fill up its perfection when we wake For here indeed Death varies from the method of ordinary sleep in that what ere to day i. e. in our lives lies uneffected must be perpetuated so As the Tree falls so it must lie (m) Eccles 11.3 There is no borrowing of to morrows Sun to pay the arrears of this No no we shall not open once our eyes to wake till the Heavens close all their eyes and fall asleep nor shall our morning ere begin to be till the place where morning dwells
shall be no more When once our drowsie temples are bound up with Deaths swarthy Night-cloaths Farewell to Spring which is our growth in grace Farewell to Summer and fruits meet for repentance Farewell to Sunshine being the light of grace And Farewell showres the droppings of the Sanctuary For man lieth down and riseth not till the Heavens be no more c. II. 'T is then a long Sleep Till the Heavens be no more A time of tedious distance for ought we know But yet how near soever if we reflect on those who went before us how much soever Death resembled Sleep in quality 't is much beyond it in the quantity The grand distinction of these sleeps consists in their duration A Sand participates the essential properties of Earth But ah when their dimensions come in competition that nature of the Earth which the Sand possesses is but enough to priviledge it from being nothing So Sleep though constituted of the calm and gentle qualities of Death when we peruse them in their just extent appears in the comparison to have but so much ease as does but just exempt it from being labour Here we soon sleep and strait as quickly wake Our lives are but successive and short fits of darkness and of light And if the night protract itself beyond our slumbers how restless grow we tortur'd with repose and making our ease our anguish But Bodies once asleep beneath the Coverlets of Turfs find not themselves so hasty to be stirring We shall remove no Curtains with our hands nor with our eyes seek day-light in a Window nor with our vain enquiries look for glimmerings in the East No no we shall not hunt for day till we shall miss the Heavens from which it us'd to start We now lay not our selves to sleep until our selves or servants those Deputy selves have put out the Candle but being laid down in Death we shall not wake till he that never sleeps puts out the Sun For the Sun shall be turn'd into darkness (n) Joel 2.31 and be no more our light (o) Isa 60.19 The Sun and Darkness shall at once forsake us nor shall the one I mean Death withdraw its drowsie shades till the other wraps his Sun-beams up in Sables and instead of bidding Good-Morrow like a Bridegroom * Psal 19.5 shall bid Good-Night like a Mourner But as soundly as we shall sleep in Body so surely was Lactantius in a Dream who with the other Chiliasts would humble Christs celestial Sovereignty into an earthly Throne to be erected at Jerusalem and be establish'd for 1000 years for which space also he presum'd the Martyrs should be empowred with sublunary dominion and enjoy pleasures equally terrestrial with their jurisdiction Now the foundation of this phantastick building they lay upon a ground which will not bear it they instance in Rev. 20. and from these expressions The Devil is bound for a thousand years ver 2. And the Souls of the Witnesses or Martyrs liv'd and reign'd with Christ for a thousand years ver 4. They conclude That Satan shall literally and temporally be bound and the Martyrs temporally rule And lest we should conceive they understood this their Supremacy to be only in Spirit they not only insist upon ver 4. where 't is said The Souls of the Witnesses liv'd and reign'd But introduce the fifth verse where 't is said The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finish'd †i. e. Those that are dead in Body and in Graâ—e shall have no Resurrection at all till all things are accomplished and then they shall arise to a second Death But these that had part in the first Resurrection i. e. from Sin the second Death which is of Soul and Body shall have nâ— power â—…n From hence concluding That the Martyrs Souls should all this while be reunited to their Bodies which only can be suppos'd to live again * For the Soul lives not again but continues to live And lest Error should be too narrow to expatiate in their Fancies rove yet further and recur to 2 Pet. 3.8 where one day is said to be with God as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day Inferring hence That the Worlds Glass shall be 7000 years in running out in proportion to the seven dayes which make up every Week and since the seventh day had a Prescription of Repose and Piety the six preceding being lights to guide men into toyle and sweat they fancy the last thousand years must supply the room of a continued Sabbath to the Saints after the first 6000 years being spent in industry and expectation But this opinion does directly thwart that Text (p) Matth. 24.36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man no not the Angels c. And the other opinion contradicts that other Text (q) John 18.36 My Kingdom is not of this world But both oppose our present Text which sayes Man i. e. all Mankind except those which rose with Christ to attend him their first-fruits and to whom they limit not their fancy'd Empire awakes not till the Heavens be no more Yet even St Austin (r) Nam etiam nos haec epinati fuimus aliquando Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 20. ch 7. once indulg'd this misconception although with an opinion more refin'd and which alotted not such carnal pleasures to this dominion of the Saints as other Patrons of this Error did But on review and better thoughts he tells us That by a thousand years being a perfect number is meant the latter Age begun by the Messias in the fulness of time in which the Devil is bound i. e. he does not with his old more boundless power detain the world in Error and enjoy his former usurpation of Souls (s) Aut certe mille annos pro omnibus anâ—…s hujus seculi posuit ut perfâ—cto numero notaretur ipsa temporis plenitudo Aug. ibid. But for the Saints although their Bodies should remain the slaves of Sepulchres those only excepted which arose with Christ yet should their spirits reign with Christ in Heaven * Quamvis ergo cum suâ—… dum jam tamen corum animae regnant cum illo Idem ibidem And this exactly squares with that My Kingdom is not of this world not but that Bodies too shall partake his triumphs but that will be not till the Heavens be no more III. Why then the Heavens shall be no more For should they still continue as they are and should man ne're revive whil'st they continue so how could his Death be term'd a Sleep to which no waking ever should succeed The Heavens now are like an open Book full of strange Characters which men consult how wisely let their effects determine to be inform'd when great mens Lives shall be no more when Kingdoms and when States shall be no more when publick Blessings and when publick Curses shall be no more But there will be a