C~~ OJDEATH. 41.t Now the RefurreB:ion of Chriil is tl1e argument and claim of our t >~ppy RefurreB:ion. For God chafe and appointed him to be the Example and Pnnciple from w.h~m all DlVlne Bleflinas llmuld be derived to us. Accordmgly he tells Ins Dlfc1ples ma for.e-Glted Scnpture, B"au{i"I live, ye fba!lliveal{o. Our Nature was rais'd in his Perfon; and ill' OlJJ' Nature all Believers: Therefore he is called the firjf Jrt~its of them tlmt.fleep' becaufe as tU~ firil FrUJts were a pledg aod alfurance of the followmg Harvefl ; and. as fi·om the cond;qon of the firil Fruits being offered to ,God, the whole Harveil was entitled to a Confccrauort ; fo our Saviour's RefurreB:ion to the Life of Glory is the carncil and alfurance of ours. He is cal· led the frjf -born Among the Dead, and owns the Race of departed Believers as his Brethren·, who fhall be refiored to Life according to his Pattern. He is the Hettd, Behevers are Ius Members, and therefore fhall have Communion with him in his Life. The effetl: isfo infa]. lible, that now they are faid to ber.tijed up together, and made to fit ill heavenly Places in ~::e~ ~~tfe·Jf~Si~~r.J;~~ui[~ I~i~dv~~~;t(e;,o~rw;~~~i~;!:af t~~j'i;~~~ls ~~~r~~~~~ our Redemption had not been accomplifh'd : But his Pallia~ was triumphant ; and is ic conceivable that he llJould leave the Saints, his own by fo many dear tit.les, under the Power.of Death? If Mo{is, the Deliverer of lfrael from the Tyranny of Pharaoh, Exod. IO. 26. would not fuffer any thing of theirs, not an IJooj to remoin in the Houfe of Bon-. dage; Will our great Redeemer be Jefs perfeB: in his Worf<? Shall our !all Enemy always detain his Spoils, our Bodies, in the Grave? This would refleB: upon his Love and Power. J.~v~~~r!l~f~~~~~~~;~ed0~a~ie~:·, ~~~~ ;~'jn~~e;~I~~;;:~~~~)}"le;~ .~~:"~~:;~:~~ tJ(It 'Of tbe Gravet after his RefurreE!ion, and went into the hol.J City, and appeared untO ~any: Mat. ·27- )2, 5l· What better Earneil can we have, that the flrength of Death is broken? From wh.r he has done to what he is able to do, the Confequence isclea1'. The -· ·Apoitle tells us, He wtll raifeourvlie Bodies, and changethem like unto his glonous Body, by that Power whereby he isable to fubdue all thtngsto IJtmfelf. Phi!. 1· 2 I. Our Redemption well then be compt.lttj Ram. 8. 21. and all the bitternefs of Death pail. The Redemption of the Soul is ac~omplifh'd from Sin and Mifery immediately after Death : but the Redemptl- ~h~~ ~~~~bj::;;,~~!!,!~ u~rt,c~i;;;, r~f~~~d1 t; c;~clifl,?J'f!e~~~~: at the Great Day. And 0 the joyfUl reunion of thofedear RelativesafterfuchaDivorce! when the Body that was fo long detained in the Joaihfom Grave, 1 Cor. '5 · fhall be reformed with all glorious PerfeB:ions, and be a fit Inilrumeht for the Soul, and partaker with it in confum• mate Blelfednefs and Immortality. 'Tis faid, that thofe tlw wear rich Clothing Are in l(jngt Hou[is, but what are all the Robes of coilly Folly wherein earthly Courtiers appear, to the brightnefs and beauty of the Spiritual Body wherewith the Saints fhall be clothed, to qualify them for the Prefence of the King of Kings, and to be in his Houfe for ever? But 0 the miferable Condition of the Wicked in that Day ! Death now breaks their Bodies and Souls into an irreconcilable Enmity, and how fad will their Conjunfiion be ! The Soul will accufe the Body to have been Sins Sollicitor, continually tempting to Senfualities: and the Body will upbraid more than ever it allured the Soul, for its wicked Compliance! Then the Sinner fhall be an entire Sacrifice burning, but never confumed . M<rl< 9· Now: from the alfurance of a blelfed Refurrefiion by Chriil, the forementiOiled Fear of Death ttl~n~~~:~~ ~/~~~~~~ora~j t~fp~~hi1~"n~£,~~~~~h:'[.~~g~~;·~~g~~~~o~!st~~~c~~~:~: the mail prefent and apparent Dangers, bemg fearlefs to part wtth the L1fe that fhould be ~eflored ; -ho~ much !!'ore fhould a Chrifhan wtth a holy Confidence receive Death, lmO\V• mg that the L1fe of his Body fhall not be finally loil, but renewed in a bleffed Eternity? j ' Lll CHAP.
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