Inferrence which stands thus GOD show'd He was not asham'd to be call'd their GOD in that He had prepar'd for them a City A CITY This is the same with that better Heavenly Countrey of which in the fore-going part of the Verse they are said to be so desirous Heaven is exprest to us in the Sacred Scriptures by sundry Metaphorical Resemblances Sometimes it s call'd a Paradise or Garden because of its santness and delightfulness But there being in a Garden no fixt abode 't is called an House which hath conveniency for fixing But an House may be too strait for the number of Inhabitants and therefore 't is here called a City and elsewhere in this Chapter and in many other Places But least any should think of being incommoded for want of Room and Air 't is here also call'd a Countrey And because a City or Countrey may be destitute of the Glory that attends a Court 't is call'd a Kingdom And the Design of these and all other the different ways of Representation us'd in this Case is to satisfie us that the Place and State prepar'd by GOD for the Everlasting Entertainment of His Faithful Servants hath all things in it that can be really needful or useful delightful or entertaining comfortable or desirable to Persons advanc'd to that Degree of Perfection which they shall be rais'd unto THIS City is prepar'd Herein there is an Allusion to the manner of disposing Colonys into Cities and Towns Before the actual settling of which all things are usually ready prepar'd for their Habitation and Entertainment Consonantly whereto 't is intimated that in this Case GOD was fully provided with whatsoever was requisite to the Eternal Rest and Blessedness of these His Servants That He had made such Provision for them as was abundantly sufficient to answer all the Ends of His being their GOD or being so called BUT wihhal it is to be observ'd That this Preparation necessarily also includes and supposes the Interposition of Christ the Mediator by whom this City was to be procured and purchas'd And also the Influence of the Divine Spirit to prepare these Candidates for that perfectly Holy State in which much more of the Happiness of Heaven lies than in the Glorys of the Place Which Spirit is supposed to work Faith in them and by sanctifying them to prepare for Possession and Enjoyment FOR these Blessed Patriarchs was this City prepar'd For them and not for others Not because they merited it and others not but because through the Influence of Divine Grace they earnestly minded desir'd and sought it despis'd all Earthly Felicity in Comparison of it and thought nothing too much to undergo in the way to it For them was a Blessed Home prepar'd above who never thought themselves at Home while here on Earth For them who were all their Days Pilgrims and Strangers here was Everlasting Rest provided in the Heavenly State For how unequal soever the present Dispensations of Providence may appear GOD will at long run make a mighty difference between those who sincerely Love and serve Him and Value His Favour and such as neglect and slight Him and bid Him defiance NOW how full an Evidence was GODs thus preparing this City for these Patriarchs of his not being asham'd either to be their God or to be call'd so Hereby He sufficiently discharg'd the demands of that Declaration and carry'd it as became that Relation For had He been either weary or asham'd of them He 'd have cast their Souls into a deep Sleep whence they should never have recover'd He 'd have let their Bodies have for ever lain rotting in the Grave without any Hope of Resurrection He 'd never have thought of them more He 'd have let them sink into their Primitive Nothing bury'd them in an Everlasting Oblivion and have taken effectual Care that neither they themselves should survive to upbraid him with his acting so unsuitably to his profest Relation to them in his not having made answerable Provision for them nor any others on their Account But on the other side having provided such an Happy Reward for all their Pains and Labour in his Service as the Blessedness of the other World He fully shews that He is altogether Consistent with Himself and punctual to the utmost Tittle to all His Promises and no way wanting in any thing which they could reasonably expect that a GOD nay even their GOD should be unto them or do for them THUS have I as briefly as well I could open'd and clear'd the Primitive Sense of the Words according to their Reference to the Ancient Patriarchs As to whom they intimate to us in short That a most excellent Spirit was found in them and a suitable Reward was provided for them But they have an Eye upon Vs also as well as upon Them and may be of use to all who come after them For with good Reason may we upon Reflection conclude that where-ever there is the same Spirit working and showing it self the same Reward in Process or Time will follow GOD will no more be asham'd to be call'd the GOD of any of us as meanly as we may possibly be thought off either by our selves or others than He was to be called the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob if we are Heavenly in our Temper Bent and Stated Course as they appear to have been and we shall find in the Event He hath made as ample Provision for our Everlasting Entertainment as ever He did for theirs SUNDRY Doctrinal Observations that would be both Instructive and Affecting would so full and copious a Text as this thus open'd afford Foundation for But waving others I 'le Select these two which I 'le endeavour succinctly to open and illustrate DOCT. 1. THAT all Holy Souls look upon themselves but as Pilgrims and Strangers here on Earth and are therefore earnestly desirous of a better Countrey that is an Heavenly DOCT. II. THAT GOD would be asham'd to be call'd the GOD of such as Renouncing this World devote themselves entirely to his Service and ardently aspire Heaven-wards in the Course of their present Pilgrimage if He had not made abundant Provision for their Happiness in a better State and Life after this DOCT. I. THAT all Holy Souls look on themselves but as Pilgrims and Strâ—â—gers here on Earth and are therefore earnestly desirous of a better Countrey that is an Heavenly THAT it hath actually been thus with many of the most Eminent Saints mention'd in the Sacred Scriptures is undeniable Says Abraham to the Sons of Heth I am a Stranger and Sojourner with you And Iacob speaking to King Pharaoh calls the Days of his Life The Days of the Years of his Pilgrimage They as hath before been observ'd were but Sojourners in that Land whereof they had the Promise and herein they did but shadow out and represent the common Condition of good Men in this Life who notwithstanding the firmness of their
A Funeral Sermon PREACHED Upon Occasion of the Decease of The Eminently Pious Mrs. Elizabeth Williams Late Wife of the Reverend Mr. Daniel Williams Who Departed this Life Iune the 10 th 1698. Aetat 62. With some Account of Her Exemplary Character Taken for the most Part out of Her own Papers By EDMVND CALAMY LONDON Printed for I. Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry over against the Compter 1698. To My Much Honoured FRIEND The Reverend Mr. DANIEL WILLIAMS Reverend Sir IF the PRESENT which I here make You should occasion any Renewal of Your Grief You know where to Charge it Though I should Hope a repeated Reflection on Your Deceased Yoke-fellows Correspondence both in Temper and Practise with the Instances and Patterns propos'd for Imitation in the Text which I with Your Approbation fixt on for the Subject of the Ensuing Discourse might administer Consolation and Refreshment FOR it cannot but be very comfortable to have so good Grounds to believe that at the same Time when withdrawn from You She was remov'd out of a troublesome World into that Better Countrey which had Her Heart so long before Where She hath unspeakably better Friends and better Entertainments than this World was ever capable of affording Her and that without any mixture or fear of Change IT hath pleas'd GOD Sir that in the midst of a great many signal Mercies You have met with a Variety of Difficulties and Troubles some of which have been attended with very uncomfortable Circumstances I take this Opportunity to join with You in heartily Rejoicing and Blessing Him who hath so wonderfully supported You under and so comfortably carry'd You through all hitherto Methinks You had a peculiar Mercy under the most Furious Assaults of those envenom'd Spirits who combin'd together sometime since to blast Your Reputation of some of whom 't is sufficiently evident that they aim'd at giving a Wound to the Ministry in General through Your Sides in having such a Domestick Instance of Exemplary Patience in Your Dear Consort Who though deeply Affected and not free from just Resentments of their Inhumanity especially in Charging You with Vnkindness to Her who ever retain'd a most thankful Sense of Your endearing Love and Tenderness yet carried it all along with that evenness of Temper that Christian Composure and Vndauntedness being fully satisfi'd from first to last of the Groundlessness of their malicious Insinuations as seem'd wonderful to all who knew and observ'd Her I am persuaded You then reap'd much Comfort and Benefit as from the serious Supplications of Your Loving Flock and many other Christian Friends on Your behalf so also from Hers Particularly which were sent Vpwards with a peculiar Tenderness and Fervour And Your Loss of Her Prayers by Her Removal is with me and I doubt not with You much more of considerable Account WOVLD the most Angry and Censorious but take the Pains to peruse and have the Patience seriously to consider those Genuine and Vnaffected Breathings of a gracious Heart a Gospel Spirit and truly Christian Temper which I have inserted in the Annexed Character of the Deceased out of Her own Papers I could not but Hope if they had any remaining Tincture of Sober-mindedness they would see the Folly of Inveighing against that sort of Ministry either as Legal or Vn-Evangelical which GOD so blesses and makes use of to Form Christians of such a Make and Spirit and Temper If not let them go on and see what they 'l get by it in the Issue And although while they persist in this Course I am well assur'd they are doing the Devils Work yet all the Hurt I wish them is that they may not in the Event fall short of Her whose Character is here faithfully though imperfectly given and others of the like Stamp to whom GOD is pleas'd so remarkably to bless that sort of Ministry which they with so much bitterness Censure and Condemn MAY You Sir If it be the Will of GOD shine the Brighter the more others study to Eclipse you May the Devil who is too subtle to Rage most where his Interest is least Assaulted find You through Divine Assistance the more effectually supplanting and undermining his Kingdom the more Opposition he raises against You May You be more and more fixt out of the reach of Envy and Bitterness Rage and Malice May the Exemplariness of Your Life and Carriage silence all the Calumnies of Your Adversaries And the Eminent Success of Your Ministerial Labours more and more Confirm the Truth of the Doctrine You deliver May You still have fresh Supports afforded suitable to Your Tryals and Exigencies And long remain an Instance of Publick Spiritedness and Integrity in a wretchedly Selfish Age May You have an abundant Reward above and have Your Memory when You are gone to Rest blest here Below This is the Hearty Prayer Of SIR Your Unworthy Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Gospel E. CALAMY A Funeral SERMON HEB. XI xvi But now they desire a better Countrey that is an Heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City THESE Words may be consider'd under a double Aspect Either as particularly relating to the Old Patriarchs of whom the Apostle is in this Place discoursing Or As they are equally applicable to any who tread in their Steps in After-Times Either as peculiarly meant of the Fore-Fathers of the Iewish Nation Or as generally regarding all who are acted by a like Faith with them All who are heartily Listed in the Service of the same GOD and stand in the same Relation to Him whose common Spirit and Temper Honour and Happiness is here exemplify'd and illustrated Consider'd the former of these ways Three Things in them deserve Observation I. The Character given of those Ancient Worthies Abraham Isaac and Iacob concerning whom 't is asserted That they desir'd a better Countrey that is an Heavenly II. A comfortable Inference drawn from that Character Wherefore GOD was not asham'd to be call'd their GOD. III. The Manifestation of the Truth of that Inference GOD shew'd he was not asham'd of that Name in that he had prepar'd for them a City These Three things duly weigh'd and consider'd will give a sufficient insight into the sense of the Words according to their Primitive and Original Intention which once settled will make way for the Doctrinal Observations they afford with their suitable Improvement I. Begin we then with considering the Character here given of the Old Patriarchs Abraham Isaac and Iacob of whom 't is asserted That They desired a better Countrey that is an Heavenly Abraham upon a Call of GOD had forsaken his Native Countrey his Kindred Friends and Paternal Inheritance which are naturally very dear and valuable and taken his Progress towards an unknown Land which he upon the Divine Promise believ'd would in time become the Possession of his Posterity While there he had a Son and Grand-Son born to him who were
could they be suppos'd to import that could amount to any thing if yet the Persons concern'd might be left destitute if there were no Provision made for their Eternal Abode They had e'en as good have bin without Him and had no Concern with Him any further than was common to all For they 'll be left to the Full as helpless and miserable as if they had slighted and disregarded Him all their days and liv'd as much at Random as any in the World So that even GOD Himself must necessarily be ashamed of any such Empty Title that hath no significancy in it or benefit attending it But there being an Heaven that is unspeakably more glorious than we can conceive He is not asham'd And we if we are his Faithful Servants may have the Comfort at present and shall have the Benefit hereafter I should now expatiate beyond all Bounds should I pretend to be particular in my Application of the Discourse foregoing However I can't be satisfi'd without making some Improvement 1. THEN Give me leave to ask you My Friends how you stand affected making this Text the Touchstone as it hath bin open'd to you Are you of the same Spirit and Temper with the Antient Patriarchs Deceive not your selves the Faithful Servants of GOD in all Ages are of one and the same Make and acted by one and the same Spirit The Period of time wherein they liv'd makes no essential difference between them Have you then any of that Faith for which they were so famous and doth it work the same way according to our Circumstances and Divine Calls Our Advantages with respect to clearness of Light and opportunity of distinctly understanding the way of Salvation are greater than theirs But how is it with our Hearts Do they work towards GOD and Heaven as theirs did Do you Sirs carry it like Pilgrims and Strangers here on Earth Do you desire and seek and pant after a better Countrey that is an Heavenly Give me leave to put it to you and I pray put it home to your selves could you not be contented would it not be pleasing and delightful to you to have the hope and prospect of living here always I doubt that 's the Case of many But must assure you where-ever 't is so 't is a Sign there 's not the least Tincture of Saving Grace Have you fixt on the Most High GOD for Yours Have you chosen Him and given your selves up to Him and that heartily and sincerely Can you evidence it by your Heavenly-Mindedness If so 't is happy for you But let me tell you these things deserve to be enquir'd into and that with great Seriousness and Application for much depends upon them Again 2. LET me desire you to consider what is like to become of those of you who never yet minded this better this Heavenly Countrey in the whole Course of your Lives but have bin bury'd in the World and minded Earthly Things and nothing else I doubt this would take in many in this Numerous Assembly Pray Sirs what is likely to become of such as you in a little time Where do you think to go when your Souls shall take their 1. THEN Give me leave to ask you My Friends how you stand affected making this Text the Touchstone as it hath bin open'd to you Are you of the same Spirit and Temper with the Antient Patriarchs Deceive not your selves the Faithful Servants of GOD in all Ages are of one and the same Make and acted by one and the same Spirit The Period of time wherein they liv'd makes no essential difference between them Have you then any of that Faith for which they were so famous and doth it work the same way according to our Circumstances and Divine Calls Our Advantages with respect to clearness of Light and opportunity of distinctly understanding the way of Salvation are greater than theirs But how is it with our Hearts Do they work towards GOD and Heaven as theirs did Do you Sirs carry it like Pilgrims and Strangers here on Earth Do you desire and seek and pant after a better Countrey that is an Heavenly Give me leave to put it to you and I pray put it home to your selves could you not be contented would it not be pleasing and delightful to you to have the hope and prospect of living here always I doubt that 's the Case of many But must assure you where-ever 't is so 't is a Sign there 's not the least Tincture of Saving Grace Have you fixt on the Most High GOD for Yours Have you chosen Him and given you selves up to Him and that heartily and sincerely Can you evidence it by your Heavenly-Mindedness If so 't is happy for you But let me tell you these things deserve to be enquir'd into and that with great Seriousness and Application for much depends upon them Again 2. LET me desire you to consider what is like to become of those of you who never yet minded this better this Heavenly Countrey in the whole Course of your Lives but have bin bury'd in the World and minded Earthly Things and nothing else I doubt this would take in many in this Numerous Assembly Pray Sirs what is likely to become of such as you in a little time Where do you think to go when your Souls shall take their flight and leave your Bodies behind It may be you may hope you should be transplanted into this better Countrey What! and never Mind it before Think of it a little and you 'l easily discern that that is an unreasonable and will in the Event prove a groundless Expectation No you must desire it and that not Lazily but Earnestly you must be diligent in using all the Means GOD hath directed you to in order to the reaching of it you must get above the World while you are in it you must get an Heavenly Mind and Heart otherwise this will be impossible And truly you had need Mind this Matter speedily For an Heavenly Temper is not likely to be gotten in an instant And should you Die without it what would become of you GOD hath indeed prepar'd a City a glorious City where his faithful Ones shall have Everlasting Rest and Peace and Joy But flatter not your Selves this is nothing to you you have neither Part nor Portion in this Matter I beseech you then look about you before it be too late You might come there as well as others for whatever you may weakly imagine there 's no Bar in your Way but what is of your own laying 't is offer'd to you as well as others and GOD is Sincere and Earnest in that offer Why then should you befool your Selves Neglect your own endless Happiness and throw your Selves into Perdition CONSIDER a little where you must go if excluded thence Pray whither can you go but to the Land of Gloominess and thick Darkness where Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth is the perpetual Employment And there
into a consistency with it To one that considers things fairly a Believer not eying Heaven will appear a Contradiction And that of such a Nature as that the difference of the Oeconomy Persons are under will be far from satisfactorily Accounting for it 'T IS further observable that this Heavenly Countrey was much desir'd by them The Word we so translate intimates great Earnestness and vehemence in reaching out after the Thing aimed at They did not only therefore faintly wish that they might be admitted into the Coelestial Mansions when they had finisht their Course on Earth But their Desire was vigorously active in a way of endeavour in Order to their safe Arrival at them The Grounds of their Desire of this Heavenly Countrey were mainly these They were feelingly sensible of their want of something higher and more noble more solid and more durable than this Earth was able to afford them they found just ground for dissatisfaction in their present flitting uncertain wandering and imperfect State They were at the same Time fully satisfied that if they could but once reach Heaven all their Difficulties and Exercises all their Perplexity and Uneasiness would be at an End and that for ever And withal they were not destitute of Reason to Hope that that God who had given them so many Assurances of his Favour would not herein refuse to gratifie them Which Grounds were of such a Nature as that they might well carry their desire to a considerable heighth and make it very vehement and earnest and consequently very influential on their whole Conduct and Behaviour For Desire cannot in any Case but be enflam'd where these three Things concur a Sense of want a certain Prospect of a comfortable Alteration upon its Accomplishment and a grounded Hope of that Accomplishment no one of which could be said to be wanting in the Case of these Patriarchs THUS much briefly of their Character which though short carries in it a plain Description both of their Faith and Conversation OF their Faith In that they nothing doubted but there was a stable firm Heavenly City and Countrey built made and prepar'd by GOD for all his sincere Servants a Place and State infinitely beyond any that was to be met with here on Earth into which they question'd not but that they in time should be receiv'd if they persisted in an Holy Course of Obedience to the end of their Lives OF their Conversation in that their firm Belief of the Excellency of that Heavenly Countrey which they had in their Eye made them earnestly desire it and vigorously follow after it over-look all discouragements and difficulties they met with in their way to it contemn all Earthly Glories in comparison of it and tend towards it in their whole Course and that with such earnestness and assiduity as sufficiently intimated to all that observ'd them that they look'd not on themselves as of this World but as of another Countrey and reckon'd not upon being at home till they got safe to Heaven THIS being well consider'd will abate our Wonder at the seemingly strange Inference we find drawn from this their Character to the Consideration whereof I now in the Second Place proceed STRANGE but comfortable is the Truth hence inferr'd Wherefore saith the Apostle GOD is not ashamed to be called their GOD So well did he approve of their foresaid Faith and Desire that he thought fit to give Evidence of his special respect to them Their Faith being so firm and their reliance on the Divine Promises so steddy as its fruits and effects discovered it they being so free in despising these lower things and so earnest in pursuing higher upon the inducements he set before them he did not disdain them or think it any dishonour to him to own them to be his and himself to be Theirs He thought it no Disgrace to him to vouch a special Relation to them This is spoken after the manner of Men. The expression is Negative the meaning Positive It implies a joyful acknowledgment of them as a Father of a Generous Son and a much greater readiness to gratifie their reasonable Desires than there could be in the tenderest Earthly Parent towards the most dutiful and respectful Child conceivable And here let 's Pause a little and make our Remarks GOD was neither asham'd to be their GOD nor to be call'd so He was not ashamed to be their GOD. If He had He would never either have represented Himself as such or have suffer'd Himself to have been so represented by others He was their GOD And that not only in a way of Propriety Dominion and Sovereignty in which Sense He is the GOD of all Men but in a way of special Interest arising from a Covenant Engagement to them whereby He stood bound to take Care of and Provide for them to Protect and Bless them to be their Shield and exceeding great Reward as He particularly Promis'd Abraham Now what an Honour was this For any of the degenerate Children of Adam to be admitted into such a Relation to to have such an Interest in the Infinite Lord of Heaven and Earth Of whom and to whom and through whom are all Things And who really is all in all Well consider'd it will appear amazing AGAIN He was not asham'd to own and call Himself their GOD which is yet more For He might really be their GOD and yet not be ready to signifie or so willing to have it Publisht that He was so But alas having taken them for his own and put such an excellent Spirit into them He thought it no dishonour to Him to be call'd by their Name For thus doth He express Himself to Moses I am the GOD of Abraham the GOD of Isaac and the GOD of Iacob And again The Lord GOD of your Fathers the GOD of Abraham the GOD of Isaac the GOD of Iacob This is my Name for ever this is my Memorial to all Generations Now what an Honour was this to them for the great GOD to be nam'd after them What were Abraham Isaac and Iacob but Men who were Dead and laid in their Graves long before this Speech was addrest to Moses And what were they while Living but poor desolate Strangers wandring from Place to Place naturally infirm vile thro' Sin and every way imperfect and therefore absolutely speaking unworthy of any Favour What an amazing Thing then is it that GOD should as it were be beholden to them for a Name and borrow a Title from them whereby he should be known to others This is an Honour the Greatness whereof we cannot reach and which no Comparisons can help to illustrate IT deserves however to be observ'd that although these Patriarchs were far from having any thing to 〈◊〉 such an Honour yet were they so qualifi'd as that it was not unbecoming GOD to confer such an Honour upon them Abraham Isâ—â—c and Iacob as unworthy as they were were yet Persons of a Sincere Faith and
Heavenly Conversation as hath before been hinted And had they not been thus qualifi'd we may be assur'd GOD would never have own'd them for His. Had they been prevailingly Terrene and Carnal like the rest of the World govern'd by the Spirit of it ingulpht in the common Pollutions Sensualities and Impieties of the Prophane and Atheistical Inhabitants of the Land wherein they Sojourn'd He would have been asham'd to have been called their GOD. He would have reckon'd it ignominious and a reproach to Him to have own'd a peculiar Relation to them For this would have been to have attempted to distinguish such as would not be distinguished and to have made a visible difference by Favours and Priviledges where there was no visible difference in Temper and Conversation that might signifie a more excellent Spirit Which how much soever it might be to the gust of a Carnal Mind could not but appear a Matter of Shame to an Holy GOD. But they being by His influence wrought up to such a Temper and Carriage as hath before been briefly signifi'd 't was consistent with His Honour He was not asham'd to own them for His. HE is never asham'd of Persons because Poor and Mean and of no Account in the World But He would and might justly be so of those who wallow'd in Filth and delighted in Impurity 'T was otherwise with these Patriarchs Although they made no great Figure yet such was their Spirit and such their Carriage that He thought it not a Diminution to Him to be stiled theirs It was thought mean by the Heathen World and a Matter of Reproach that He should stile Himself the GOD of Three Poor wandring Pilgrims But let them Laugh on He was not asham'd of His Title nor did He disuse it till He had famisht their Idols which they set up in Opposition to Him and effectually vindicated Himself from the Reproach of their Admirers NAY He was not only not asham'd of His Title but He glory'd in it For He gave Himself this Name in Confirmation of the Covenant by which He stood engag'd to these Worthies whereby he had ample occasion of glorifying the Holy Properties of his Nature in the displays of His Grace Goodness Truth and Power and various other of His most glorious Perfections on their behalf And the Meaner the Objects the greater the Glory Thus GOD was not ashamed to be called Their GOD. BUT I know not how to dismiss this Clause without observing how it confirms our Saviour's Argument against the Sadducees in Proof both of The Souls Immortality and the Bodys Resurrection to clear which this very Passage is Cited out of Exodus which is here referred to THE Sadducees deny'd both these Grand Articles of FAITH as appears from Acts 23. 8. When therefore they came to our Blessed Lord with a Foolish Question he to confront them as will appear by consulting the Places Cited in the Margin urges this Declaration of GOD by Moses of His being the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Some have been so petulant as to call the strength of his Argument taken from this Declaration into Question but consider'd with the light my Text gives it 't will I think appear sufficiently cogent For GOD would really have bin asham'd of making any such Declaration had not their Souls bin immortal and were not their Bodies to rise again 1. GOD would have bin asham'd to have bin called the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob if their Souls had not bin immortal For they were all Dead a considerable time before he made that Declaration to Moses as before was hinted Now GOD as Our Saviour urged is not the GOD of the dead but of the living He 'd have bin ashamed to have stil'd himself their GOD after their Decease had they thereupon quite lost their Being For what could his pretending to that Relation to them have signified if it could not have kept them from returning to Nothing In stiling Himself Theirs He certainly intended some peculiar Blessing and Advantage to them above others This they could not be said to have had at any time in this World for they were continually fatigu'd and harrass'd and never at Rest 'T is therefore necessary they should have it in another or otherwise this Promise of His being Theirs would shamefully have fallen short of what it seemed to import If as one well says nothing beyond this Life had bin reserved for them that saying of Old Iacob towards the end of his Life Few and â—uil have the days of the years of my life been would have bin an Eternal Reflection on the Truth and Faithfulness of Him who had so often called Himself The GOD of Iacob But supposing Him to make up in the Happiness of another Life what was wanting in this Supposing Him to have fixt their Departed Spirits in Un-Alterable Bliss His Promise and Declaration appears to have been made Good to the Full And He needed not to be ashamed to be called their GOD. Again 2. HE would have bin asham'd to have bin called The GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob if their Bodies were not to rise again Which though it be not so clear and directly evident as the foregoing Proposition yet is it not destitute of sufficient Proof For let it be observ'd Our Souls and Bodies are so adapted to each other That a separate Soul though in the midst of Bliss is in a sort imperfect while without its proper Body after which notwithstanding the greatest surrounding Glory that could be imagin'd there yet remains an hankering inclination Now would it not reflect on the Blessed GOD to make His Servants happy by halves To strip them of their Bodies before they should at all taste of the Provision he had made for them in the Upper World and leave them without all hope of receiving them anew notwithstanding a Re-union to them would be a great Addition to their Happiness Withal it seems highly equitable That the same Body which at the Soul's Command was often harrass'd and bore a great many Fatigues in the Service of GOD should also share in the Reward following upon it Further Humane Nature consider'd as fram'd entire by GOD must necessarily have some End propounded to it which can be no other than the Blessedness of the Whole Man For the End of one Part cannot be the End of the Whole But GOD made the Whole and takes the Whole under His Special Care and Patronage when sincerely devoted to Him and therefore must make the Whole Happy unless he be suppos'd to mock those whose GOD He professes Himself Which to imagine would be a most shameful Reflection upon Him New this cannot be without a Resurrection of the Body which therefore together with the Soul's Immortality results by Consequence from His profess't Relation to these Patriarchs as their GOD. III. IT now remains That in the Third and last place I a little consider the manifestation of the Truth of the foregoing comfortable