into Heaven in their sight And all this was the fuller Testimony in that he had oft over and over foretold them of it that he must be put to death and rise again the Third day before he entered into his Glory and the Iews knew it and were not able to prevent it Angels terrifying the Souldiers on the Watch. Yea the Disciples understood it not and therefore believed it not and Peter disswaded him from such talk of his Sufferings till Christ called him Satan doing like Satan that had tempted him when he fasteâ— Forty dayes to shew that the Disciples were no contrivers of a deceit herein Q. 16. Is there yet any further witness of the Holy Ghost A. Yes IV. There was the Consequent Testimony of the Spirit by the Apostles and other first publishers of the Gospel Christ bid them wait at Ierusalem for this Gift and promised them that when he was ascended he would send that Paraclete Advocate or Comforter that should be better than his visible presence and should lead them into all Truth and bring all things to their remembrance and teach them what to say that is to Enable them to perform the work to which he had Commissioned them which was to go into all the World and preach the Gospel and Disciple the Nations Baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things that he had commanded them which they performed partly by word and partly by writing and partly by practice Baptizing gathering Churches establishing Offices and Officers And he promised to be with them to the end of the World that is with their Persons for their time and with their Doctrine ordinary Successors and the whole Church ever after r On the Day of Pentecost even the Lords Day when they were assembled this Promise was so far performed to them that the Holy Ghost suddenly fell on all the Assembly in the likeness of fiery cloven Tongues after the noise as of a rushing Wind and they were filled with the Spirit and spake in the Tongues of all the Countreys near them the Praises and wonderous works of God After which they were endued with the various miraculous Gifts of the Spirit that is the use of the Tongues which they had never learnt the Interpretation of them Prophecying Miracles healing all Diseases insomuch that those that came but under the shadow of Peter and those that had but Cloaths from the Body of Paul were all healed the Lame and Blind cured Devils cast out the dead raised some Enemies struck blind some sinners struck dead and which was yet greater by their Preaching or Praying or laying on of Hands God gave the same miraculous gift of the Spirit to others and that not to a few but ordinarily to the faithful some having one such Gift and some another And as Christ had promised that when he was lifted up he would draw all Men to him so he blest the labours of the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists accordingly many Thousands being converted at a Sermon and multitudes still added to the Church And when the Preachers were forbidden and imprisoned Christ strengthened them and Angels miraculously delivered them When Peter was in Prison designed for Death the Angel of God loosed his Bolts and open'd the Doors and led him forth When Paul and Silas had been Scourged and were in the Stocks in the Prison an Earth quake sets them free and prepareth for the Conversion of the Jaylor and his House And Christ himself had before appeared to Paul in glory when he was going on in Persecution and struck him down in blindness and preached to him with a Voice from Heaven and converted him and sent him as his Apostle into the World By these Miracles was the World Converted And as Christ had promised them that they should Greater Works than those which he himself did so indeed their Miracles did more to Convert the World than the Works of Christ in Person had done For 1. Those which were wrought by One Man would leave suspicious Men more doubtful of the Truth than that which is done by many at a distance from each other and in several places 2. And that which was done but in one small Countrey would be more doubted of than that which is done in much of the World Sometimes indeed Thousands but usually Twelve Men were the Witnesses of what Christ said and did But what these Witnesses said and did to prove their Testimony Thousands in many Lands did see and hear Q. 17. But why was it that Christ forbad some to declare that he was the Christ A. Because the time was not come till the Evidences were given by which it must be proved It was not a matter to be rashly believed and taken upon the bare word of himself or any other That a Man living in a mean Condition was the Son of God and Saviour and Lord and Teacher of the World and the Judge of all Men was not to be believed without good proof And the Chief proof was to be from all Christs own Miracles and his Resurrection and Ascension and the great gift of the Holy Ghost and Tongues and Miracles of the Apostles and other Disciples And these were not all done or given then Yet because the Iews received Moses and the Prophets he sometimes shewed how they Prophesied of him Yea his very Doctrine whose frame had a self-evidencing Light was not fully revealed till it was done by the Spirit in the Apostles Q. 18. But though all these Miracles were wrought how could it be certain that they were the attestation of God when it is said that Magicians false Prophets and Antichrist may do such things A. 1. I shall first mind you that though we were never so uncertain of the Nature of a Miracle whether it be wrought by any Created Cause yet we are agreed that by Miracles we mean such works which are wrought quite out of and against the common Course of Second Causes called Nature And we are sure that as no work can be done without Gods premotion or permission at least so specially the Course of Nature cannot be altered and over-ruled but by Gods Knowledge Consent and Execution what ever Second Cause unknown to us may be in it certainly God is the first Cause 2. And it is most certain that the Most perfect Governour of the World is not the great Deceiver of the World and is not so wanting in Power Wisdom and Goodness as to Rule them by a Lie yea and an unresistible and remediless deceit This is rather the description of Satan 3. And Man must know the will of God by some signs or other or else he cannot do it And what signs can the Wit of Man devise by which they that would fain know the will of God may come to be certain of it if such a Course of Miracles may deceive us Would you believe if some came from the dead as Witnesses Or if an Angel or many Angels came
Will of God which is our Law It is not another Substance that Grace maketh in us but another Order And all sin is nothing but the contrary Disorder And that manâ— Words be the true and just Expression of his Mind is a great part of the Order of his Words withouâ— which it were better Man were speechless And 2. You must consider that God hath mad man a sociable Creature and each one a part of thâ— World which is One Kingdom of God the Universal King And that each part is more for the whâ—â— than for it self because the common welfare of thâ— whole is better than of any part as being a highâ— End of Government and more illustriously shewiâ— the Glory of God And 3. You must consider that because God only knoweth the Heart there can be no Society and Conversation but by Words and other Signs And that without mutual Trust there can be no Society of Love Concord or mutual Help But utter distrust is a Virtual Warre There can be no Prince and Subjects no Husband and Wife no Pastor and Flocks without some trust And Trustiness is Truth-telling So far as a Man is taken for a Lyer he is not believed or trusted 4. You must consider that if God should leave it to mans discretion in what cases to Lie and in what not and did not absolutely forbid it Selfishness Interest and Folly would scarce leave any credibility or trustiness in Mankind For how can I know whether your Iudgment now bid you not Lye for some reason that I know not 5. So that you see that Leave to Lie when we think it harmless would be but to pluck up a flood-gate of all deceit untrustiness and utter confusion which would shame and confound and ruine Societies and the World And then it 's easie to know that it is better that any mans Commodity or Life miscarry which yet was scarce ever done meerly for want of a Lye than that the World should be thus disordered and Confounded As men sick of the Plague must be shut up rather than go about to insect the City and some Houses must be blown up rather than the fire not be stopt And as Souldiers burn Suburbs to save a City c. so no mans private good must be pretended for the Corruption and Misery of the World 6. And Remember that Lying is the Devils Character and Work and so the work and Character of his Servants And Truth is the effect of Gods Perfection and his Veracity so necessary to Mankind that without it we could have no full assurance of the future blessedness which he hath promised If God could Lye our hopes were all shaken for we should be still uncertain whether his Word be true And Gods Laws and his Image must signifie his perfection Q. 5. Wherein doth the Truth of words consist A. In a threefold respect 1. In a suitable significancy of the Matter 2. In an agreeable significancy of the Mind of the Speaker 3. And both these as suited to the Information of the hearer Q. 6. What is false-speaking A. 1. That which is so disagreeable to the Matter as to represent it falsly 2. That which is so disagreeable to the Speakers Mind as to represent it falsly to another 3. That which speaketh the Matter and Mind aptly as to themselves and other hearers but so as the present hearer who we know takes the Words in another sence will by our design be deceived by them Q. 7. Is all false speaking Lying or what is â— Lye A. Lying properly signifieth a culpable speaking â—â— falshood And it hath divers degrees of culpability When falshood is spoken without the speakers fault it is not morally to be called a Lie Though improperly the Hebrews called any thing a Lye which would deceive those that trust in it and so all men and Creatures though blameless are Lyars to such as overtrust them Q. 8. Which are the divers degrees of Lying or Culpable false speaking A. 1. One is privative When men falsly represent things by Diminutive Expressions Things may be falsly represented by defective as well as by Excessive speeches He that speaks of God and Heaven and Holiness faintly as Good saith a graminatical truth But if he speak not of them as Best or Excellent it is Morally a false Expression through defect He that saith Coldly To Murder to be Perjured to Silence Christs Ministers unjustly is not well as Eli said of his Sons Wickedness or only saith I cannot justifie it or It 's hard to justifie it saith a Grammatical Truth but a Moral falshood by the extenuating words as if he would perswade the hearer to think it some small or doubtful matter and so to be impenitent 2. He that speaketh falsly through rashness heedlesness neglect of just Information or any ignorance which is Culpable is guilty of some degree of Lying But he that knowingly speaketh falsly is a Lyar in a higher degree 3. He that by Culpable forgetfulness speaks falsly is to be blamed But he that Remembreth and Studieth it much more 4. He that lyeth in a small matter which seemeth not to hurt but perhaps to profit the Hearer is to be blamed But he that lyeth in great matters and to the great hurt of others much more 5. He that speaketh either contrary to his Mind or contrary to the Matter culpably lyeth But he that speaketh both contrary to his Mind and the Matter lyeth worse 6. He that by Equivocation useth unapt and unsuitable expressions to deceive him that will misunderstand them is to be blamed But he that will stand openly bold-faced in a Lie much more 7. It is sin to speak Untruths of our own which we might avoid But it 's much worse to father them on God or the Holy Scripture 8. It is sin by falshood to deceive one but much more to deceive multitudes even whole Assemblies or Countreys 9. It is sin in a private man to Lie to another about small things But much more hainous for a Ruler or a Preacher to deceive multitudes even in matters of Salvation 10. It is a sin rashly to drop a falshood But much greater to write Books or dispute for it and justifie it 11. It is a sin to Lie from a good intent But much more out of envy malice or malignity 12. It is a sin to lie in private Talk But much more to lie to a Magistrate or Judge who hath power to Examine us 13. It is a sin to assert an Untruth as aforesaid But much greater to swear it or offer it to God in our Profession or Vows Q. 9. Is all Deceiving of another a sin A. No There is great difference 1. Between deceiving one that I am bound to inform and one that I am not bound to inform 2. And between deceiving one to his benefit or harmlesly and to his hurt and injury 3. And between deceiving him by just means and by unjust forbidden means
Atheists Sadducees or Infidels after And these are worse than common Infidels that never were baptized The Church is no Church if it be common to these 6. Some that continue a Nominal Christianity openly hate and persecute the Practice of it and live in common Adultery Perjury Murder And the Church is Holy and a peculiar People a holy Nation a royal Priesthood And Repentance and Obedience are necessary to the Church as well as Faith If therefore these notorious flagitious impenitent persons must be Members in Communion with the Church it will be a Swine-sty and not a Church a Shame to Christ and not an Honour If his Church be but like the rest of the World Christ will not be honoured as the Saviour of it nor the Spirit as its Sanctifier It is the Unity of the Spirit that all Christians must keep in the bond of Peace But these have none of his Spirit and therefore are none of Christs The Sacraments are Symbols of the Church as differenced from the World and Christ will have them be a visibly distinct Society 7. Communicants come to receive the greatest gift in the world Pardon Justification Adoption right to Heaven The Gospel giveth these to none but Penitent Believers To say that Christ giveth them to flagitious impenitent Rebels whose Lives say We will not have him reign over us is to make a new Gospel contrary to Christs Gospel which Paul curseth were it done by an Angel Gal. 1. 7 8. They are not yet capable of these precious gifts 8. The Objectors take no notice of 1 Cor. 5. 2 Thess. 3. Rom. 16. 16 17. Tit. 3. 10. Rev. 2. 3. where the Churches are reproved for suffering Defilers nor Heb. 13. 7. 17. 24. Luk. 12. 42. 42. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. which describe the Office of Church-guides nor 1 Tim. 3. 4 c. where the governing of the Church and avoiding Communion of the Impenitent are described 9. In a word Christs Office Works and Law the Nature of the Church and Sacrament the Office of the Ministry the frequent Precepts of the Apostles and the constant practice of the Church in its greatest Purity down from the Apostles dayes do all speak so plainly for keeping and casting out Infidels and impenitent wicked men and for keeping the Church as a Society of visible Saints separated from the World that I can take him for no better than a Swine or an Infidel who would have the Church-Keyes cast away and the Church turned common to Swine and Infidels Q. 24. But it will make Ministers Lords and Tyrants to have such power A. 1. Some body must be trusted with the Power if the work must be done The Church must be differenced from the World Therefore some must trye and judge who are fit to be baptized and to have its Communion And who is fitter than those whom Christ by Office hath thereto appointed Would you have Magistrates or the People do it Then they must be prepared for it by long study and skill and wholly attend it For it will take up all their time Q. 25. Must Ministers examine People before they communicate A. They must Catechize and Examine the Adult before they baptize them and consequently those who were baptized in Infancy before they number them with adult Communicants or else Atheists and Infidels will make up much of the Church who will come in for worldly Interest This Examination should go before Confirmation or the publick owning of their Baptism But there is no Necessity of any more Examination before every Sacrament except in case of Scandal or when persons need and crave such help Q. 26. Who be they that must be Excommunicated or refused A. Those who are proved to be Impenitent in gross scandalous sins after sufficient admonition and patience And to reject such is so far from Tyranny that it is necessary Church-Justice without which a Pastor is but a Slave or Executioner of the sinfull will of others Like a Tutor Philosopher or Schoolmaster who is not the Master of his own School but must leave it common to all that will come in though they scorn him and refuse his conduct But no man must play the Pastor over other mens Flocks nor take the Guidance of a greater Flock than he can know and manage Much less be the only Key-bearer over many Score or Hundred Churches And least of all take upon him to Govern and judge of Kings and Kingdoms and all the World as the Roman deceiving Tyrant doth CHAP. XLVII Of Preparation for Death and Iudgment Qu. 1. HOw must we prepare for a safe and coâ—fortable Death A. I have said so much of this in my Family Book that to avoid Repetition I must refer you thiâ—her only in brief I. Preparation for Death is the whole work of Life for which many hundred years are not too long if God should so long spare and trie us And all that I have hitherto said to you for Faith Love and Obedience upon the Creed Lords Prayer and Commandements is to teach you how to prepare for Death And though â—ound Conversion at last may tend to Pardon and Salvation to them that have lived a careless wicked Life Yet the best the surest the Wisest Preparation is that which is made by the whole course of a holy obedient heavenly Life Q. 2. What Life is it that is the best Preparation A. 1. When we have so well considered of the certain Vanity of this World and all its pleasures and of the truth of Gods Promises of the Heavenly Glory as that by Faith we have there placed our chiefest Hopes and there expect our chief Felicity and make it our chief business in this world to seek it preferring no worldly thing before it but resolved for the hopes of it to forsake them all when God requireth it This is the first part of our preparation for Death II. When we believe that this mercy is given by Christ the Mediator between God and Man and trust in his Merits and Intercession with the Father and take him for our Teacher also and our Ruler resolving to obey his Word and Spirit This is the second part of our preparation for Death III. When the Holy Spirit hath shed abroad Gods Love upon our hearts and turned their nature into a habit of Love to God and Holiness and given us a Victory over that Love of the World and fleshly Prosperity and Pleasure which ruleth in the hearts of Carnal men though yet our Love shew it self but in such Mortification and endeavour and grief for what we want we are prepared for a safe Death But if the foretasts of Heavenly Glory and sense of the Love of God do make our thoughts of Heaven sweeter to us than our thoughts of our Earthly hopes and cause us out of Love to God and our glorified Redeemer and his Church and out of love to a Life of perfect Knowledge Love and
must be Taught and must Learn 1. What to Know and Believe 2 What to Love and Choose and Hope for 3. What they must Do or Practice Q. 2. What is it that we must Learn to know and believe A. We must Learn to know our selves and our concerns Q. 3. What must we know of our selves A. We must know what we are and what Condition we are in Q. 4. What mean you by our concerns which we must know A. We must know 1. Whence we are or who made us 2. And whither we are going or for what End he made us 3. And which is the way or what means must be used to attain that end Q. 5. What must we Learn to Love and Choose and Hope for A. We must learn to Love best that which is Best in it self and best to us and others and to choose the means by which it must be attained which implyeth Hating and Refusing the contraries Q. 6. What must we learn to practise A. We must Practise the means to obtain the End of our lives and that is our Obedience to Him that made us Q. 7. Cannot we learn this of our selves without Teachers A. There is some part of this which Nature it self will teach you as soon as you come to the free use of Reason and look about you in the World And there is some part of it that Nature alone will not teach you without a higher Teaching from above And even that which Nature teacheth you you have also need of a Teachers help â—o Learn it speedily and truly For Nature doth â—ot Teach all things alike easily speedily and sureâ—y It quickly teacheth a Child to suck It quickâ—y teacheth us to eat and drink and go and talk â—nd yet here there is need of help Children learn â—ot to speak without teaching It teacheth men â—ow to do their worldly business And yet they â—ave need of Masters to teach it them and will â—erve an Apprentiship to learn Some things Naâ—â—re will teach to none but good wits upon diliâ—ent search and study and honest willingness to â—now which Dullards and slothful and Bad men â—each not Q. 8. Who be they that must Teach and who must â—earn A. None is able to Teach more than they Know â—â—emselves And all that are Ignorant have need â—â— Learn But Nature hath put all Children unâ—er a necessity of Learning for though they are â—â—rn with a Capacity to know yet not with actuâ—â— knowledge And Nature hath made it the duty â—â— Parents to be the Teachers of their Children â—â—st and then to get the help of others h Q. 9. May we give over Learning when we are â—â—st Childhood i A. No We must go on to Learn as long as we live For we know but in part and therefore still have need of more But those that have neglected to Learn in their Childhood have most need of all it being most sinful and unnatural to be ignorant at full age and signifieth great neglect Q. 10. Who must teach us at Age A. Parents and Masters must teach their House holds and Publick Teachers are Officers to Teacâ— all publickly And all that have Wisdom shoulâ— take all fit opportunities in Charity to teach anâ— edifie one another Knowledge and Goodness haâ—â— a communicative nature Q. 11. How must Parents teach their housholds A. Very familiarly and plainly according â—â— their capacities beginning with the plain and nâ— cessary things and this is it which we call Catâ—chizing which is nothing but the choosing out â—â— the few plain necessary matters from all the resâ— and in due method or order teaching them to tâ—â— ignorant Q. 12. What need we Catâ—chisms while we haâ—â— the Bible A. Because the Bible containeth all the whoâ—â— body of Religious Truths which the ripest Chrâ—stians should know but are not all of equal necessitâ— to Salvation with the greatest points And it caâ— not be expected that ignorant persons can cull oâ— these most necessary points from the rest withoâ—â— help A man is not a man without a Head and Heart But he may be a man if he lose a finger or a hand but not an intire man Nor a comely man without Hair Nails and Natures Ornaments So a man cannot be a Christian or a good or happy man without the Great most necessary points in the Bible nor an intire Christian without the rest Life and Death lyeth not on all alike And the skilful must gather the most necessary for the ignorant which is a Catechisme Q. 13. But is not Knowledge the gift of God A. Yes but he giveth it by means Three things must concurr 1. A right presenting to the Learner which is the Teachers work 2. A fitness in the Learner by capacity willingness and diligence 3. The blessing of God without which no man can be wise And therefore three sorts will be ignorant and Erroneous 1. Those that have not the happiness of true Teachers nor Truth presented to them 2. Those that by sottishness pride sensuality malignity or sloth are uncapable or unwilling to learn 3. Those that by wilful sinning against God are deprived of the necessary blessing of his help and Illumination CHAP. II. How to know our selves by Nature Qu. 1. WHat is the first thing that a man must know Ans. The first in Being and Excellency is GOD But the first in Time known by Man or the lowest step where our Knowledge beginneth are the sensible things near us which we see hear feel c. and especially our selves Q. 2. What know we of the things which we seâ— and feel c A. A Man of sound senses and understanding knoweth them to be such as Sense apprehendeth whilâ— they are rightly set before him the Eye seeth Lighâ— and Colours the Ear heareth Sounds and words and so of the rest and the sound Understanding judgeth them to be such as the sense perceiveth unlesâ— distance or false Mediums deceive us Q. 3. But how know you that sense is not deceived you say that is Bread and Wine in the Sacrament which the Papists say is not A. God hath given us no other faculties buâ— Sense by which to judge of sensible things as Lighâ— and Darkness Heat and Cold Sweet and Bitter Soft and Hard c. Therefore if we be here deceived God is our Deceiver and we are remediless even Faith and Reason suppose our Senses and their true Perception and if that first Perception be false Faith and Reason could be no truer God expecteth not that we should Judge by other Faculties than such as he hath given us for the Perception of those Objects Q. 4. What doth a Man first perceive of himself A. We first feel that we are real Beings and we perceive that we use and have our Senses that we See Hear Feel Smell Taste and then we perceive that we Understand and Think of the things so Seen Felt c.
be judged for that which it never â—id All the Texts that threaten Hell or future Punishment and promise Heaven prove it Matth. 25. â— was hungry and ye fed me naked and ye cloathed â—ne c. Ye did it or did it not to me Might they not say We never did it nor ever lived till now Math. 13. The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work iniquity and cast them into the lake of fire 2 Thes. â— 6 7 8 9 10. 2. 12. and all the Scripture which threatneth Damnation to them that obey not the Truth and promiseth Salvation to the faithful which is never performed if all be done on another â—oul 26. And all the Texts that speak of Gods Justice â—nd Mercy hereafter Is it Justice to damn a new-made Soul that never sinned 27. Paul knew not whether he were in or out of the Body when he was in Paradise 2 Cor. 12. 2 3 4. The separated Soul then may be in Paradise 28. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. How can the hope â—… unseen things make Affliction and Death easie â—… that Soul that shall never be saved And how â—… we be comforted or saved by such hope 29. 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly housâ— of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a buildinâ— of God V. 2. For in this we groan earnestly desirinâ— to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven V. 5. He that hath wrought us for the seâ—â— same thing is God who also hath given us the earneâ—â— of the Spirit V. 6. Therefore we are alwayes confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the bodâ—… we are absent from the Lord we are confident â—… willing rather to be absent from the Body and presâ—â— with the Lord. Wherefore we labour that whether prâ—sent or absent we way be accepted of him For â—… must all appear before the Iudgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or bad 30. Phil. 1. 21 22 23. To me to live is Christ and to die is gain What I shall choose I know not For I am in a strait between two having a desire â—â— depart and be with Christ which is far better 31. Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that â—… in the Lord c. 32. Heb. 12. 22 23. We are come to mount Zioâ—… the City of the living God c. the spirits of the juâ—â— made perfect Abundance more might be added And I havâ— been so large on this because it is of most unspeakable importance as that which all our comfoâ—â— and our Religion lyeth on and though the Light of Nature have taught it Philosophers and almost all the World in all Ages yet the Devil is most busie to make Men doubt of it or deny it Religion lyeth on three grand Articles 1. To believe in God â— and this is so evident in the whole frame of Nature that there is a God that he is worse than mad that will deny it 2. To believe the Immortality of the Soul and the Life hereafter And 3. To believe in Christ And though it be this third that is known only by supernatural Revelation yet to him that believeth the Immortality of the Soul and the Life hereafter Christianity will appear so exceeding Congruous that it will much the more easily be believed And experience tells us that the Devils main Game for the Debauching and Damning of fleshly worldly ungodly Men and for troubling and discomforting Believers lieth in raising Doubts of the Souls Immortality and the future Life of Reward and Punishment Q. 3. But what good will a Resurrection of the Body do us if the Soul be in happiness before A. 1. It will be for Gods Glory to make and bless a perfect Man 2. It will be our Perfection A whole Man is more Perfect than a Soul alone 3. It will be the Souls delight As God that is perfectly blessed in himself yet made and maintaineth a World of which he is more than the Soul because he is a Communicative good and pregnant and delighteth to do good so the Soul is made like God in his Image and is communicative and would have a Body to act on As the Sun if there were nothing in the World but it self would be the same that it now is but nothing would receive its Motion Light or Heat or be the better for it And if you did imagine it to have understanding you must think that it would be much more pleased to enlighten and enliven so many Millions of Creatures and cause the flourishing of all the Earth than to shine to nothing So may you think of the Soul of Man It is by God inclined to actuate a Body Q. 4. If that be so it is till then imperfect and deprived of its desire and so in pain and punishment A. It is not in its full Perfection and it is a Degree of punishment to be in a state of Separation But you cannot call it a pain as to sense because it hath an unspeakable Glory though not the most perfect Nor hath the will of the Blessed any trouble and striving against the will of God but takes that for best which God willeth And so the separated state is best while God willeth it though the united State will be best as more perfect in its time Q. 5. But the dust in a Grave is so vile a thing that one would think the raising it should not be very desireable to the Soul A. It shall not be raised in the shape of ugly Dust or filth nor of corruptible Flesh and Blood But a Glorious and Spiritual Body and a meet Companion for a Glorified Soul And even now as vile as the Body is you feel that the Soul is loth to part with it Q. 6. But there are so many difficulties and improbabilities about the Resurrection as make the Belief of it very hard A. What is hard to God that made Heaven and Earth of nothing and maintains all things in their state and course What was that Body a while ago Was it not as unlikely as dust to be what it now is It 's folly to Object difficulties to Omnipotency Q. 7. But the Body is in continual Flux or Change we have not the same Flesh this Year that we had the last And a Man in a Consumption loseth before Death the Mass of Flesh in which he did good or evil shall all that rise again which every day vanisheth And shall the new Flesh be punished for that which it never did A. It 's a foolish thing from our Ignorance and uncertainties to dispute against God and certain Truth Will you know nothing unless you know all things Will you doubt of the plain Matter because in your darkness you understand not the manner or circumstances of it The Soul hath a Body consisting of various parts The fiery part in the Spirits