in him and many more And thus I have answered this Question with all the brevity and perspecuity I could as the Lord has enabled me and as time would give leave And now methinks some are ready to ask in the words of the blind Man whom Christ had restored to his Sight Quest BUT who is he that I might believe on him John 9.36 You say he must be seen and ventured on pray then who is he Answ I shall answer you from the Sermons of the Apostles preached by them after they were endued with Power from on high And first the Apostle Peter tells you who he is Acts 2.22 23. Jesus of Nazareth a Man approved of God him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and stain comp with 32. This Jesus hath God raised up whereof we are all Witnesses 33. Therefore being by the right Hand of God exalted hath received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost Once more Acts. 5.30 The God of our Fathers hath raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a Tree 31. Him hath God exalted with his right Hand to be a Prinee and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins Add to these Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the joy set before him in the saving of Sinners enduring the Cross despising the shame and is now set down at the right Hand of God In short he that was made of the Seed of David according to the Flesh Rom. 3. who yet is God over all blessed for ever Rom. 10.5 That mighty glorious God-Man who was born of a Virgin that lived and preached in Judea Rom 8.38 that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right Hand of God who also ever lives to make intercession Col. 1.18 the first born from the dead Col. 1.15 and the first born of every Creature the despised Jesus of Nazareth 1 Col. 2.9 in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily And all the Glory Excellency Beauty and Majesty that shines on Jesus of Nazareth is the Glory Excellency c. of the Godhead This is he that blessed Object of your Faith this is he whom you must believe in When he lived on Earth the Faith of his Children was more dark about his God-head than his human Nature but now he is in Heaven their Faith is more at a loss about his human Nature and it is to be lamented that the glorified human Nature even Jesus of Nazareth is so little in the Preaching Profession Faith and Experience of Gods own Children But yet this is the Lord whom we through Grace have seen and tasted to be gracious Will not you too O Sinners come and taste and see how gracious he is Cant. 5.16 This is our Friend this is our Beloved O Daughters of Jerusalem He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.10 He is the chiefest among ten thousand He is able Heb. 7.27 to save you to the uttermost O come therefore and venture your Souls upon him commit them to him O that you would but try him you have tried his Patience to the utmost by your Rebellion and Obstinacy in Wickedness O that you would but try his boundless Grace by casting your selves into the Ocean of it You must venture on his Grace or you must be damned Mark 16.16 He that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned If you accept not of this offered Jesus you despise this only Sacrifice and there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary Heb. 10.26 I am now come to the second Branch the Believers triumphing over Death AND 1. the Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death and what else does concur to make it 2. THE Believer triumphs over every thing else in Death that is formidable First THE Believer triumphs over the Sting of Death He then can rejoycingly cry out O Death I fear thee not thou art very harmless unto me Thou comest indeed like a Dragon with open Mouth but where is thy Sting I dread not that open Mouth or that wide Throat I with Joy am swallowed up of it and pass through it up to the highest Heavens into my Redeemers Arms. Here at this dark Portal I undress my self of this mortal Flesh and fly with holy Confidence to the Presence of the Lamb upon the Throne and the Presence of God the Father in him and the bright innumerable Company above in this full Assurance that I shall not be found naked Wellcome Death to dissolve and pull down this earthly House of my Tabernacle that so I may go to my House not made with Hands the Building of God eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.2 Wellcome sweet Messenger that comest to fetch me home from this mad confused wicked raging tottering World into my Fathers House I thank thee O grim Porter who openest the Gates to eternal Happiness 'T is true the News of thy Approach did terrifie me as the Report of the Coming of rough blustering Esau with his armed Men did Jacob Gen. 32. But yet now thou art come to me I can say as he did I behold thy black and grisly Face as the Face of the Angel of God or the Messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ For in thy black Face I see Beauty in thy grisly Terrors great Glory In thy Dragons Mouth no Sting at all O Death where is thy Sting Thus the Believer in dying triumphs over the Sting of Death 2. THE Believer in dying triumphs over those things that go to make up the Sting of Death And 1. OVER Sin The Sting of Death is Sin says the Words of my Text. And 1. In its Guilt 2. in its Pollution And 1. OVER the Guilt of Sin Thus the Believer in dying glories over it O Guilt of Sin who in my Life-time since my Conversion notwithstanding I was washed with the Blood of Jesus and he had obtained an eternal Redemption for me didst often use to sting my Conscience and thereby to fill me with Dread and Horrour and so didst weaken my Faith and Confidence in the Lord Jesus didst strengthen the Hands of my Unbelief in making me depart from the living God Didst make me often come in Prayer to God as my angry Judge and not as to my Father reconciled to me in Christ And thereby didst bind up my Soul fetter my Spirits so that I had no freedom of Access to God through Christ Thou didst often deal with me as the Man that went from Jerusalem to Jericho didst wound me and strip me and leave me half dead Didst often force me to entertain hard murmuring and outragious Thoughts against my dear Lord and Master Jesus and my reconciled God and Father in him Didst often make me add Iniquity to my Sin and a carnal
A SERMON PREACHED at the FUNERAL OF Mr. John Bigg To which is added Another SERMON upon the same Subject ALSO A NARRATIVE of Mr. BIGG's CONVERSION c. By R. DAVIS Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for ROBERT PONDER MDCXCI TO THE READER INstead of an Epistle Dedicatory I shall only briefly acquaint thee with the Reasons that induced me to print these Sermons and why they came forth so long after they were preached I have sometimes ceased to be a Friend to the Press and never intended to print them at all though often put upon to do it But the Lord the Redeemer whose Blessing and Power made Clay and Spittle to open the Eyes of the Blind was pleased to own these so as to make them of great use to several Their Entreaty with divers others prevailed with the Widdow of the Deceased to importune me further so that her Importunity joyn'd with theirs obtained upon me at least to redeem when I could now and then a little time from the great Work of Christ that is upon my Hands to set them in order and so venture them into the World There fell in also another cogent Motive viz. The Consideration of the false and lying Stories scattered through City and Country concerning me and the Doctrines I preach made me willing to let all know if they please to read what those Doctrines are and so they may make a better Judgment afterwards And I do assure thee these Sermons contain the chief Substance of what I preached here in the Country Therefore I have made some Additions hereunto and Alterations suitable to my main Scope in preaching this Year past Had the Men of the World only cast Dirt it would have been more tolerable Better could not have been expected from them but to act according to their Nature But this has been piercing that the Truths of Jesus have been wounded in the House of Friends Here a sufficient Occasion is given for a pathetick Lamentation But tell it not in Gath and publish it not in Askelon c. VVhatever Blows some aim at one another they all fall upon their holy Profession whilst a too eager Vindication is persued of our good Names and Reputation from undue and unjust Calumnies The Name of Jesus and his Gospel may be exposed to greater Reproach This made me choose to lie still with a Gag in my Mouth whilst I was and am still cloathed with Sambanettoes than use the Methods I might to assert my wronged Innocency leaving it to God the Judge of all to vindicate his Name and Gospel in his due time and in his own way which I am certain he will And as for me let my Name lie in the Dust provided it may make for the Honour of Christ and the Furtherance of his Gospel I am endeavourring to learn this Lesson to rejoyce in Reproaches from whatever Tongues they come as well as in Infirmities for Christ's Sake and I would press after that meek Spirit of the Gospel that being defamed to intreat viz. To intreat Christ on the Behalf of my Defamers and entreat them in the Bowels of Mercy to lay aside their Enmity against the Lord Jesus his Truths and VVays Reader I shall add no more but commend thee to God and the Word of his Grace which is not only able to translate thee out of Darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son but also build thee up therein and give thee an Inheritance among them that are sanctified And now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant make thee perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in thee that that is well-pleasing in his Sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen A SERMON Preached at the FUNERAL OF Mr. BIGG Gent. 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. 55. O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory 56. The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law 57. But Thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory thrô our Lord Jesus Christ OUR Great Apostle in this Epistle of his having answered several Cases of Conscience to the Church at Corinth in this Chapter refutes that dangerous Error that denied the Resurrection of the Dead HE founds his Argument for the overthrow of the Error and the Establishing the contrary Truth chiefly upon the Resurrection of a buried Jesus Having prosecuted this from v. 12. with the Intermixture of other Mediums and also exhortatory Inferences to v. 35. he there states the Adversary's Objection in these Words With what body do they come again THIS Objection he answers shaving rebuked the Objector with the Title of a Fool v. 26. from the Nature of Grain thrown by the Sower into the Ground rising into a Crop of beautiful Corn pleasant to the eye and useful for food Further shewing and explaining the difference between human Bodies and the Flesh of Beasts Birds and Fish and the difference of their Glory from the Terrestrial and Coelestial Bodies even the difference between Coelestial Bodies themselves in Glory HAVING managed this from v. 36 to 42 he there applies it to the case in hand shewing in v. 42 43 44. That the Bodies of the Saints are sown in Corruption but raised in Incorruption Sown in Honour but raised in Glory c. This he repeats varying his Phrase v. 53 54. And draws in this Inference in the Close of the 54 v. Death is swallowed up in Victory which Inference he confirms in a way of triumph in the Words of my Text. O Death where is thy Sting c. IN which words you have the Apostle triumphing in the Person of every dying Believer wherein are contained these Parts 1. THE Apostles Triumph in v. 55. 2. THE Cause of it 1st laid down negatively v. 56. The Sting of the Believer's Death being pulled out by the Abolishing of Sin which is Death's Sting and the Reign of the Law over him which is the Strength of Sin positively laid down in v. 57. viz. A Victory being obtained over Death through our Lord Jesus Christ which the Apostle mentions with Thanksgiving to the Almighty IN handling these Words I shall only insist on the Triumph or Ovation in v. 55. and the rather because the Prosecution of the Truth that shall arise from that Verse will reach and take in the chief Matter contained in the following Verses IN these words you have as was aforementioned the Believer's Triumph over Death and that in a twofold Respect 1. In respect of his Soul O Death where is thy Sting 2. In respect of his Body O Grave where is thy Victory Without spending further time in opening the Words they afford us this Doctrinal Observation Doct. THAT every true Believer in the Moment of his Death can Triumph over Death and the Grave both in reference to his Soul and Body I shall
divide this general Doctrine into Two Branches and speak to each part The First is this THAT a Believer in the Moment of his Death can Triumph over Death in reference to his Soul FIRST as the Lord shall enable me I will prove this Truth and then explain and illustrate it FOR Proof I shall only at present give you two places of Scripture Rev. 14.13 And I heard a Voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their Labours and their Works do follow them Where First you have the Truth plainly asserted Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord or in dying in the Lord. 2ly The Reasons of it 1. They rest from their Labours 2. Their Works follow them i. e. They will meet with their Prayers and Duties entered on the File for their review as an additional to their eternal Delights 3. You have here insinuated the Certainty and Importance of this Truth 1. The Commandment to write they are weighty things usually committed to Ink and Paper and that for duration also Littera Scripta manet 2. The Commander the Spirit I heard a Voice from Heaven saying write c. THE second place is Heb. 4 19. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Their rest is not in this World but in another and they enter upon it in the moment of Death therefore they have then ground of triumphing I shall add to these the Experiences of Three Worthies The first was David's 2 Sam. 23.5 Althô my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure For this is all my Salvation and all my Desire althô he make it not to grow David was now on the brink of Eternity taking a view of the past and present Disorders of his House and Heart yet rejoyces and triumphs in the view of the Covenant of Grace and his Interest in it and the influence it had on the Eternity he was entring into The second was that of faithful Stephen that glorious Proto-Martyr who when the Stones that dashed out his Brains and Life flew about his Ears cryed out triumphantly Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Acts 7.59 THE last I shall mention is the Experience of the blessed Apostle Paul Phil. 1.23 For I am in a straight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better But very pat and pertinent to the purpose 2 Cor. 5.1 c. He being harrassed with Labours Perils and Sufferings at the apprehension of the time of his departure being at hand triumphs thus v. 1. For we know that if our earthly House of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a Building of God an House not made with Hands eternal in the Heavens HAVING thus from the Holy Scriptures of Truth proved the Doctrine I shall proceed to the explication of it 'T IS undeniable That Contraries do the better illustrate one another as black Spots make a white Skin shine the brighter and a Black-a-Moor is a Foil to set off an European Therefore I shall illustrate this Truth by another Contrary that I might the more emphatically explain it which is this The triumph of Death over an Unbeliever and thus lay down the Doctrine to be explained DEATH in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever and the Believer triumphs over Death in dying I shall begin with the first Branch viz. Death in Death triumphs over the Unbeliever and as the Spirit of the Lord shall assist me shew you in what respects 1. DEATH triumphs over the Unbeliever's sensual Pleasures Where are now says Death your vain Pleasures that you wantonly rolled your self in in your life time What are become of those jolly merry frolicksom hours that you lavish'd away with your frothy Companions Where are now your drunken Cups and Glasses and your riotous Feasts with which you so often drowned and glutted your sensual Appetite What do they profit you now What pleasure do you find now from your former repeated acts of Lusts and Beastliness What relish now from those brutish tickling of swinish Delights What does all your vain Merriment avail you now What fruit have you from those Things that formerly you reckoned your Heaven and Happiness Instead of Pleasures you now shall have your belly full of everlasting Torments Now your merry Moments are turned into an eternity of Sorrows Now instead of swimming in Wine and luxuriously feeding on Dainties you shall swim world without end in fiery Streams of burning Brimstone You shall drink your Tears and feed on your own tortur'd Flesh in endless and never-ceasing Misery Now the flame of your Lust is succeeded by a hotter flame even the flame of divine Vengeance Now instead of your frothy Spirit and vain Laughter you shall have enough of howling weeping and gnashing of Teeth Nay you shall carry with you all your Lusts and Corruptions to Hell not to please you but to pain you The same Water that the Fish swims in with delight if beated over the Fire will be the Fish's torment THE Sins you acted with pleasure in the World you shall act the same in great measure in Hell but to your eternal torturing You shall there act your Revenges but wound none with its poison'd Arrows but your own Soul You shall there have your covetous Desires enlarged as wide as the Hell you are in but it will only be your pain and punishment Your own Lusts there shall be the Flames that will scorch you Come thou trembling Wretch will Death say to the place of sinning and the place of punishment and thy very sinning shall be thy punishment Oh! then will Death insult in the words of the Wise-man Whatsoever thine Eyes desired thou keptest not from them Thou withheldest not thy Heart from any Joy Eccles 2.10 And now all will be Vanity and Vexation of Spirit to thee part of v. 11. And also in those Words as are written Luke 12.19 Thou hast long said to thy Soul Soul take thine ease eat drink and be mâ—rry But thou Fool I am come this Night to require thy Soul of thee part of v. 20. And to add no more Death will only change the Moods and Tenses in that portion of holy Writ Eccles 11.9 insulting thus Thou hast rejoyced Oh! Young Man in thy youth and thy Heart has cheered thee in the days of thy youth Thou hast walked in the ways of thine heart and in the sight of thine Eyes but know thou now thou trembling Wretch that for these things I am sent by the God of Justice to bring thee into Judgment CONSIDER this thou voluptuous sensual Wretch thou Drunkard thou Belly-slave thou unclean Beast thou Blasphemer thou Swearer thou Reveller and Persecuter consider this and ponder it in thy Heart thou must ' ere long come upon a Death-bed this greisly King of Terrors will stare thee in the
says the Lord Isa 57.19 I create the Fruit of the Lips Peace I speak Peace to them that are a afar off viz. in a Natural State and to them that are nigh viz. them that are made Eph. 2.13 nigh to my Father by my Blood But over all such white washed painted Pharisees will insulting Death Glory thus Thou Pharisaical Fool thou refusedst Fire from God's Altar viz. the Lord Jesus Joh. 5.40 Thou wouldst not come to him that thou mightest have Life but thou hast kindled a Fire of thine own nay like Nadab and Abihu hast brought strange Fire Isa 50.11 Thou hast compassed thy self about with sparks Thou hast walked in the Light of thy Fire and of the Sparks that thou hast Kindled This thou shalt have now at God's Hand by my Dart to lye down in a Bed of Eternal Sorrows Thou wer 't for digging to thy self a Way to Heaven and hast refused the Heb. 10.2 New and living way that the God and Father of Christ had consecrated that is to say the Flesh of Jesus or his suffering raised glorified human nature and though Isa 57.10 Thou wast wearied in the greatness of thine own way and hast often tryed in vain with thine own Doings and Works of the Law and couldest not but in spight of thy Teeth the Fire of Hell that was in thy Conscience would be often blazng-out yet saidest thou not there is no hope but wouldst be still hoping for Life from the Dead unprofitable Works of the Law Thus thou didst sind the Life of thine hands therefore thou wast not then grieved but still didst stifle all thy convictions But now thou shalt grieve and eternally grieve without intermission now thou wilt not be able to stifle thy convictions but they will tend and tear thy Soul with unspeakable horrors for ever and ever NOW Psa 16.4 Thy Sorrous shall be multipled that didst hasten after other Gods and other Idol Righteousnesses Thou leftest no stone unturned no way of working unessaied to procure warmth and life to thy Soul Isa 57.5 Thou didst enflame thy self with Idols under every Green-Tree and didst let thy Heart run out for Holiness and Salvation upon every Branch of in it self beautiful morality Isa 57.6 Among the smooth Stones of the Stream was thy Portion they were thy lot even to them thou hast procured a Drink-Offering c. i. e. Thou hast set up thy Duties for Saviours hast trusted in them and so fallen down and Worshipped them Isa 57.7 Vpon a Lofty and High Mountain hast thou set thy Bed Even thither wentest thou up to offer Sacrifice i. e. Thou didst confide in thy splendid towring Profession and didst make a God and Saviour thereof The 10. v. of this Chapter is a Key to open the the rest of the Chapter by laying the whole stress of thy Soul upon thy outward Profession without Faith in Jesus Isa 57.8 Behind the Doors also and the Posts hast thou set thy rememberance i. e. And hast set up a Record within thy self for the Goodness of thy Estate from thy Family and Closet Prayers things good in themselves but become Idols of Indignation when advanced into the Room and Throne of the Mediator Isa 57.8 Thou hast discovered thy self to others then to Christ and art gone up but thou wouldst not come to Jesus that thou mightest have Life What are now become of thy Doings thy Works and thy Righteousness Isa 57.12 I will declare thy Righteousness and thy Works for now they shall not profit thee Cry now to thy Morality and Reformation lift up thy suppliant hands to thy Duties and Profession Cry aloud to thy Prayers and Tears thy convictions and thy terrors of Conscience Fall prostrate to thy wishings and to thy wouldings and thy desires to desire to have thy Sin inwardly mortified under the obstinate refusals of Christ and his righteousness And try these thy Idol Saviours whether they will now hear thee Isa 57.13 When thou cryest let thy companies of Saviours deliver thee but the wind now carries them all away and vanity takes them Hadst thou trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ thou shouldest now have Isa 57.13 possessed the Land and shouldest have inherited his holy Mountain even the everlasting Hills in the Highest Heavens But now thy Mountains of self righteousnesses which thou wentest up to to offer Sacrifice to set thy Bed and to build thy Nests upon and which thou thoughtest eternally strong I thrash them to dust and my breath blows them away like chass All thy Pharisaical Doings do now leave thee and nothing of them goes with thee to Hell but the unpleasant rememberance thereof to torment thee that thou wast such a Madman to set up these instead of Christ the only Saviour as if thy good Duties good Professions good Frames and good Priviledges had undertook for thee from eternity had obeyed the Law for thee with a God-like Obedience and suffered the cursed death of the Cross for thee were raised up again and by the Fathers right hand were exalted to be Princes and Saviours to give repentance and remission of sins and were now ever living at the Fathers right hand to make intercession for thee Why callest thou these good Saviours There is none good in that sense but he that is God Thus I say will Death then insult in the dying moment and glory over and tread under foot like Dogs-meat all the ragged Righteousnesses of Men and Women THEN consider it seriously thou that with the Pharisee in the Gospel gloryest before the Lord that thou art not as other Men an Extortioner Vnjust an Adulterer or even as the Publicans and Sinners and layest hold on this for eternal Life Thy Conscience is not purged but choked and bribed with false Counters of outward Reformation The unclean Spirit of Debauchery may be has been cast out and thou thinkest that enough but the Spirit of the Lord the Gospel-sanctifier has not been there at work for he walked through dry places The Rest and Peace of Conscience thou hast obtained are not right for 't is written he sought for rest and found none The House i. e. Thy Person has been swept by Reformation and garnished with a fine Profession But 't is but the strong-hold of wicked Spirits still 'T is empty of the Spirit of the Lord. The Holy Ghost has had no in-dwelling there at all therefore the unclean debauch'd Spirit transformed into an Angel of Light with seven other Spirits more wicked than himself not more unclean than himself but more wicked a compleat Number of evil Spirits i. e. the Devil of unbelief and spiritual Pride two great Legions have returned and entered into thee and if the Lord does not pity thee and discover the rotteness of thine Estate to thee Thy last state will be worse than the first Ah! deluded Soul Thou wouldst heal thy Conscience with thine own Medicines thou wouldst cover thy self with thine own Righteousness thou wouldst lay thy self down on thine
unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life c. As if he should have said thou grantest that I can raise him up at the last Day but how Is it not by Vertue of that Union that is between his dead Body and my living Body If then I will be his Life and therefore his Resurrection I am now his Life and consequently can be now his Resurrection I shall add that Argument the Lord the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Life abides and dwells in a Believer for ever in his Body as well as his Soul 1 Cor. 6.19 What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you c. If it be granted then that he does still indwell in the separate Soul of the Believer why not in a sense in the separate Body too He brooded formerly over the Chaos till it was formed into a beautiful Creation and why not in like manner over the Dust till the appointed time of actual Life by the Father comes but 4. NATURAL Death tends to an utter Abolition Natural Death in it self tends to an utter Consumption of the Body and that by Steps retrograde to the Methods of the first Creation First There was a Chaos created and then that disposed and disgested into a very beautiful and lovely Frame but Death deals thus with Man the Epitome of the Creation reduces the fair Structure to a Chaos or Heap of Dust and then commits it to the Grave to annihilate it And so would the Bodies of Sinners be annihilated especially in the universal Conflagration but that as has been afore mentioned the God of Nature by his infinite Power preserves and sits them to be Vessels of Wrath for Destruction and at last raises them that they might be for ever miserable Companions to their miserable Souls on which he might make the Power of his Vengeance known to all Eternity That as the Body has been a a Companion to the Soul in sinning so it shall be World without end in suffering But as to the Bodies of the Saints it is otherwise Death only sows their Bodies into the Ground that they might be quickned again into more glorious Bodies 1 Cor. 15.36 37. compare with 42 43. c. And pulls down the old tottering House that it may be built up a more glorious Fabrick in the Day of Resurrection and they shall arise then from the refining Alembick of the Grave with several wonderful Advantages especially these five 1. THEN Corruptibility shall put on Incorruptibility 1 Cor. 15.53 For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption and when thrown into the Grave corruptible Bodies then shall be raised incorruptible V. 42. Sown in Corruption raised in Incorruption The Bodies of the Saints shall have no tendency to decay any more no more shall the Bodies of the Wicked but here will be the Difference the Bodies of the Saints will be unpassible and will not be capable of suffering Pains but the Bodies of the Wicked though not apt to decay yet will be the Seat of eternal Pains and Torments 2. Then Immortal shall put on Immortality 1 Cor. 15.53 54. And the Bodies of the Saints sown mortal shall rise immortal There will be no dying in the new Jerusalem above nor decaying nor fading but Bodies as well as the Spirits of the Just being made perfect shall endure the same in that glorious State to all Eternity 'T is true the Bodies of Unbelievers shall never die more but their Living and Continuing will be a constant Dying They will be dying to all eternity but never absolutely die and happy would it be for them if they could altogether cease to be But on the Bodies of Believers the second Death can have no Power at all As for instance The last Enemy that Christ will destroy for them will be Death 1 Cor. 15.26 And then Death will be swallowed up in Victory 1 Cor. 15.54 3. THEN natural Flesh will put on Spirit 1 Cor. 15.44 It is sown a natural Body it is raised a spiritual Body There is a natural Body and there is a spiritual Body Not that these natural Bodies in the Saints shall be turned into the very Essence of Spirits but they shall come as near their Natures as 't is possible for corporeal Substances to come So says our Lord himself in answer to the Sadduces Cavil Mat 22.30 For in the Resurrection they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven i. e. They shall be as near to the Nature of Angels as is possible They will be of a purer and more incompound Substance than the purest Elements of Fire They will be endued then with wonderful agility and celerity and their motion surpassing swift probably they will fly then as swift as Thoughts We experience that our Thoughts now speed in an instant to the farthermost Regions of the Earth whilst the heavy Log of a Body stays behind and can go no faster than its Legs can carry it or some more artificial means But doubtless then our Bodies that believe will be fitted to keep pace with our glorified Souls in all their Motions for the Glory of God in Christ not hindred by Sicknesses and Ails nor made slow with any weakness imperfection or mutilation The Sun is swift in his race but what is his race compared to that of the glorified Bodies of the Saints then Fourthly DISHONOUR then will put on Honour and that that is sown in Dishonour will be raised in Glory 1 Cor. 15.43 Then they will be in part clothed with the Glory that is upon the Body of an exalted Jesus 'T is true there will be difference in degrees though not in kind For as there is one Glory of the Sun another Glory of the Moon and another Glory of the Stars For one Star differeth from another Star in Glory 1 Cor. 15.41 So the Glory on the Body of Christ will be as the Glory of the Sun and the Glory of the Bodies of his Children like the Glory of the Stars all shining in Brightness Splendour and Majesty though not equally alike When Christ appeared with Moses and Elias in the Transfiguration on the Mount the Glory then on his Body is set forth as in a Glass His Face did shine as the Sun and his Rayment was white as the Light Mat. 17.2 So will the risen Bodies of the Saints be shining brighter than the Sun whiter than the purest Light That that is sown in Dishonour as afore hinted will be raised in Glory They that are laid in the Earth little Infants will be raised in full growth and perfect statureâ— they that be entombed decrepit old and deformed shall rise again well-shaped vigorous and beautiful They that drop to the Grave poor tattered Servants and Slaves shall come out from thence rich free and illustrious greater than Kings and Emperours Then indeed in a literal sense the Eyes of the Blind shall be opened the Ears of