An £x!"fttion of theEpiflle ~ You fee therefore now that both rhe converfion is called a R.efurrection as·well Sermo'' as that at the latter day, Now, I am to prove this likewife, · that all our'growth XXIX. in holinefs is called a R.efurrectton too. And for that I ll1all quote you 'rbtl. ~· ~ r 1, r 2. If by rmymerms (faith he, ) ! might attaitt to thr Rrjitrrecho" of the dead. · Interpreters do mofl of them carry 1t to this fenfe, namely that P aut had in his eye the reward at the latter day, and that i~ his meaning when he faith that be might attaitz to the R ejitrreCiiotzof the dead. But Itisevidentby hi; [cope, that he meanerh perfeGt holinef~, growing in grace, his aim was to grow as holy as men !hall be when they are nfen Jrom the dead. It appeareth fo plain– ly, for faith he, Not tU though I had already attained, either were a!rtady per– feCI, lmt Ifo!!ow after if that I may apprrhmd thatfor which a!Jo I am appre– hmded of Chrif/ .7efiu, forgettiwg thoje thi11gs which are 6ehi11d, I reach forth to thofe thi11gs which are 6rjore. Hismeaning is this. Saith he, Our L ordand S'aviotJr .'fefi•s Chrijl bath takmmno workfo mtJcbgrace i11 me,fuch a portion and meafure of grace is to be wrought in mee by Jefus CJ1rifl; and faith he, I defire to )mow the power of his R.efurreCl:ion to that end, (as the 1oth. verfe hath it,) I "ould fain ( faith he,) have that holinefs prefently and flay no longer !or it, for wb1ch I am apprehmded of Chrijl ; I would be as holy as I /lull be when I fuall rife again at the latter day. So that every degree of holine!s, he cloth ac– count a part of the Refurrection from the dead, and that this is his meaning ap– pears by thofe words. N ot tU though I had already attai1ud. All the World !mew that he had not attained the RefurreCl:ion from the dead, that is, the glo. ry of the World to come, what need he have corrected himfelf if that this were the meaning? Therefore he fpeaks of holinefs in this life, which is a continual Refurrection till he cometh to be perfectly.holy. Not tU though I had a!read7 at– tamed, etther were alreadyperfeCI m holmefs namely; there was a perfect holi– nefs in his eye, (which he calleth the Refurrection from the dead,) to be as holy as they fuall be that IJJall rife again, WhiCh hefollowed after, jorgetti11t, w hat u behind, a11d preft at what 1s before, at what 1s to come. And in this fenfe, as you read in Ezek. H· the dried Bones were not raifed at Q!lce but by degrees, the Bones firfl came together, and then the Sinnews and the Fle!h came upon them, and then the Skin covered them above. So the truth i•, t his power raiferh us up by degrees; every new degree of grace is as after the .Bones came together in converfion, then Flelh cometh, and then Sinnews, and fo by degrees we attain the Refurrection from the dead. You fee now that all the works of God upon us, both of Converfion at firfr, - degrees of grace and growth in grace afterward, are both called a Refurrection ; And lafily, the great work at the latter day, wh~I'- he will raife up our Bodies, and bring our Souls to them, and raife both up to glory. Now, then rake all rhe work of God'upon a Chriflian firfl and la!l:, and before God harh done with him, there will be fo great a power found working in him, as no pattern can hold forth the like, butthe raifing of Cbrifl from death to glory. · And my Brethren, if J'OU doubt of the proportion of power between the working on us and on Chrifl, do but confider the flare that God raifeth us from. He faith we are dead in fins and rrefpalfes before; the Apoflle infifleth much up– on that, he runnerh out at large upon it in the fecond Chapter, where he makes .out the comparifon; and you fuall Obferve that he makes the difference between God'~ raifing up of Chrifl and of us to lye in this; when he fpeaks of the power that was ille\1 n in raifing Chrifl, he runneth out here in this tirfl Chapter much upon his glorification, as if the grearnefs of his power was chiefly fpent there. When he fpeaks of his power in raifing us up in the fecond Chapter he lpenderh a great part of his difcourfe in lhewing that we were dead in trefpalfes and fins; the TermimiS a quo, the term from which we were raifed, that is it which fet– terh forth 1he exctedmg grratnefs of his powey. to us-ward. Confider I fay what we were, dead in fins and rrefpnlfes, that thefe men ll10uld be converted to · God, ll1ould be carried on in holinefs till they be perfectly holy, till they attain to that eflate which men rifen from thedead IJJall have in holinefs, and withall hav~ their Bodies raifed our of the Grave, Bodies that have feen Corruption ; Jefus Chrifi's Body never faw Corruption, he was never dead in fins and rrefpalfes, he died !or fins and trefpalfes indeed , but we were dead in lin' and trefpaffes. Now
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