150 SERMONS upon Serm. XXIII. SERMON XXIII. R O M. VI. 22. latter part. and the end everlafting life. Doti. HAT a bled eternal Life is the final Reward of thole that have their Fruit to Holinefi. I. What this Eternal Life is. If. The Reafons why this is our final Reward. I. What Eternal Life is. Though it be better induftrioufly to feek after it, than fcrupuloufly to inquire into the Nature of this excellent Benefit; yet because unknown things have not fuch a power and efficacy to quicken ourdeliires, let us know as much of it as we can. Indeed future things are but darkly fpoken of e're they be accomplished, we are told, Prophecy is but in part , I Cor. 13.9. Our know- ledge of thefe things is but imperfe&, our apprehenfions are fuitable to the Hate we are in, which is a ftate of imperfe&ion ; but yet they are not altogether ufelefs, but fitted to our benefit. Before the coming of Chrift in the Flesh, the Myfteries of the Chritlian Religion were but darkly revealed to what they were afterward; but yet they were fuch, as were comfortable, and gave them Come kind of fight of Chrift before his Exhi- bition to the World , enough to ingage them to live in the expe&ation of the Meffìah: So here we have apprehenfions fitted to the ufe of Travellers , and fuck as may encou- rage us in our heavenly course, and ralfe an expe&ation in us. Briefly I (ball (hew three things: r. It is Life. 2. It is a good and happy Life. 3. It is an endlefs and eternal Life. a. It is Life both in Soul and Body ; in Soul , Pfal. 22. 26. Tour heart frail live for ever: and again, Pfal. 69.32. Tour heart (hall live that frekGod. In Body, 2 Cor. 4. a o. Always bearing in our bodies the dying of our Lord Jefus Cbrifi , that the life of plus alfo might be manifefied in our body 9 that is, we are continually ready to be put to death for Chrifts fake, that at length we may receive the effe &s of his quickening Power in riling from the Dead to the Life of Glory; fo Phil. 3. 21. Who (hall change our vile bo- dy , that it may be fafflioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able to fubdue all things to bimfelf. Well, this we know then , that the party mutt fubfift and live after death , otherwife he is incapable to injoy God, and the Bleffednefs of that Elate ; and he mull fubfift in Body and Soul , otherwife he is not the fame per - fon , if he were all Spirit , and had no Body at all; for if his Body were utterly perish- ed, and his Soul were changed into the Nature of Angels, which were never deflinated to be conjoyned to Bodies, this were not altogether the fame Being; for it is not he that is glorified or debated, but fome other thing. Well then, he that now ferveth God (hall then live, but in another manner than he now liveth. 1. Compare it with Life natural. This Life is a fluid thing, that runneth from us as fall as it cometh to us; but that is eternal. Befides, here we are expoled to many troubles in an uncertain world, Gen. 47. 9. Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been ; there is full tell and peace, Rev. 14. 13. Bleffid are the dead, which dye in the Lord, from henceforth, yea faith the Spirit, that they may refI from their labours, and their works do follow them. The fupports of this Life are bate and low,it is called, The life of our hands, Ifa, 57. to. molt men labour hard to maintain it, but there we are above thefe neceffrties. Once more, the Capacities of this Life are narrow, every ftrong Paf- fion overwhelmeth us, the Difciples were not able to bear the glory of Chrifts Transfi- guration , Mat. )7. 6. When the difciples heard it, they fell on their facer , and were fire afraid. Alas ! (trong winds loon overfet weak Veffels ; if God should give us but fl a tae
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