ett--"------tjTfectfon.rfar-elenying Life. againby another ; or then there is Realist that fhould put on my cloaths in the morning which I put offat night. Its true, thofe cloaths have no power toput on themfelves ; nor is there any. natural neceffitating caufe of it : but yet there is a Frte canAinme, that will infallibly ( if I live and be able) pro ,duce it : For naturedifpofech me to abhorr nakednefs,and de- fire my cloaths, and therefore in the morning I will put them on And fo nature teacheth the feparated foul to desire a re- union with its body ; and therefore when the Refurredion morning comes, it will gladly take the word from Chrift, and give that vital touch to the body that fhall revive it , and fo put on its ancient garment ; but wonderfully changed from flefbly to fpiritual , from difbmostrable intoglorious. And now I hope you fee, that you may put off thefe cloaths withpatience and fubmiffion, and that it is no wrong to the flefh it felf to be put off, but tendeth to its highefi advance- ment at the laft : Though the firft caufe of fin, and the net' of fin fhall be fo broken firfl,that it fhall firil be feen what fin bath; done,before it be feen what Gracewill do ; and the fruit of our own wayes mull firit be tailed, before we than fully feed and live upon the blefl'ed fruit of the grace of Chrifi. II. Moreover, as there is a Refurredion for the body it felf,and that to a more perfect estate then it can here attain, fo the whole nature fhall be perfeded beyond our prefent corn- prehenfionglis life was not intended to be the place of our perfection, but the preparation for it. As thefruit is far from ripenefs in the firil appearance, or the flower while it is but in thehusk or bud ; or the Oakwhen it is but an acorn or any plant when it is but in the feed ; no more is the very Nature of man on earth: As theInfant is not perfet in theWomb,nor the Chicken in the shell, no more are our Natures perfed in this world. Me thinks for the fake of thebody it Jell, much more of the foul, ifwe are believers,we f could fubmit con- tentedly to death.While you arehere you know that creatures will fail you, enemies will hate you , friends will grieve you , neighbours will wrong you, Satan will tempt you and moleit you ; the world is changeable and will deceive you ; all your comforts are mixed with difcomfortsi the body carriethabout E e with 2-09
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