186 The Certainty, and the Blejdnef of VOI. ÏI. The Third Text, and that wherein this Change is molt fully and particularly defcribed, is r Cor. 15. 35. But fame willfay, How are the Dead raifed ? Andwith what Bodies do they come ? This was the common Obje&ion which the Infidels made againit this Article of the Refurre&ion : Either Men (hall rife with the fame Bodies which they had in this Life; or they (hall not. If with the fame Bodies which they had in this Life, to what Purpofe will that be ? Since in the other World Men (hall not eat or drink, or propagate their Kind, and confe- quently have no Ufeof fucha Body asours now is : But if it be not the fame Body, how then are Mens Bodies raifed ? To this Queftion, the Apoftle gives a clear Anfwer; That the Bodies of Men which (hall be raifed, (hall in fome Re- fpe6ts be the Came, and inother Refpe&s not the fame ; the Matter and Substance of the Body may fill be the fame, and yet may undergo a mighty Change, be falhioned after another manner, and be endowed with quite other Qualities than it had before. And this he illultrates by two Inftances : a. By the Difference between the Corn which is fown, and that which grows up. And, 2. By the Difference of feveral Sorts of Bodies, which are all made of the fame Kind of Matter. r. From the Differencebetween the Corn which is fown, and that which is grown up. F. 36, 37, 38. Thou Fool, that which thou foreefl is not qak ened,except it die, that is, unlefs it be firft buried in the Earth, and rot, and be corrupted there ; and that which thou fowefl, thou fowefi not that Body which fhall be, but bare Grain, as of Wheat, or fame other Kind. But bare Grain, that is, a naked Grain, without either Stalk, or Blade, or Ear. But God giveth it a Body, as it hath pleafed him, that is, the Author of Nature makes it fpring up in a Blade, which grows up into a Stalk, which bears an Ear that contains many Grains of Corn ; and to every Seed his own Body, that is, a Body of the fame Kind with the Seed that was fown. 2. The other Inftance is from the Difference of feveral Sorts of Bodies, which are all made of the fame Kind of Matter, put into different Forms, force more perfe& and glorious, and others lefs. V. 39, 40, 45. All Flefhis not thefame Flef?); hut there is one Flefh of Men, another ofBeafis, another ofFifhes, andanother ofBirds; and yet all thefe are fafhioned out of the fame Kindof Matter. There are alfo Celeflial Bodies, and Bodies Terreflrial; but the Glory of the Celeflial is one, and the Glory of the Terrefirial is another; and the Celeftial Bodies are ofa different Luftre and Glory ; for there is one Glory of the Sun, and another Glory of the Moon, and another Glory of the Stars, andone Star drffereth from another Star in Glory. And then he applies thefe Inftances to the Refurre&ion, V. 42. So alfo is it in the Refurretlion of the Dead. The Matter which was vile before, when it was bu- ried in the Earth, puts on another Form, and by the Power of God is raifed up a different Thing, and far more glorious than when it was put into the Earth. V. 42, 43, 44. It is fawn in Corruption, it is raifd in Incorruption; it is fawn in Difhonour, it is raifed in Glory ; it is fawn in Wee/weft, it is raifed in Power ; it is föwn a Natural (or an Animal) Body, it is raifed a Spiritual Body. I (hall briefly explain thefe feveral Expreffions, which reprefent to us the Differencebetween our Bodies, as they now are, andas they (hall be at the Refurre&ion. It isfame in Corruption, it is raifed in Incorruption. Our Bodies, as they are now, are unequally tempered, and in aperpetual Flux and Change, continually tending to Corruption, being made of (uchcontrary Principles and Qualities as by their perpetual Confli&ion do confpire the Ruin and Diffolution of it. But when they are raifed again, they (hall be fo tempered and refined, as to be free from all thefe deftru&ive Qualities, which threaten a. Change and Diffolution ; they (hall be raifed Incorruptible, fo as not to be liable to Decay and Death. The Body, though it continues (fill Material and confifts of Matter, (hall then par- take of the Immortality of the Soul to which it is united, and be of equal Du- ration with it. So the Apofile tells us, v. 52, 53. The Dead (hall be raifed incor- ruptible; far this Corruptible mrß put on Incorruption, andthis Mortal muff put on Im- mortality. It
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