Serra. CXXX. the Reim. reef ton of trae Chriflians. It is fomn in Difhonour, it is raifed in Glory. Our Bodies, when they are com- initted to the Earth, are vile offenfive Carcafes, and therefore we hide andbury them out of Sight : But they fball be raifed beautiful and glorious, as different from what they were before as the Heavenly Maniions, in which they are to dwell for ever, are from that dark Cell of the Grave, out of which they are railed; and they that before were only fit Company for Duff and Worms, (hail be admitted into the reviving Prefence of God, and the blefíèd Societyof Angels. It is foam in Weaknef, it {hall be raifed in Power. Our Bodies now fall to the Ground through their own Frailty, and drop into the Grave through the Weak- nefs and Infirmityof Nature to fupport and bear them up any longer : But th& they fall through Weaknefs, they (hall at the Refutretion be endowed with fuck a Life, and Strength, and Vigour, as to be able, without any Changeor Decay, to abide and continue for ever in the Cattle State. It is fomn a Natural Body, 4.,,!Kbv, an Animal Body, in Earthly Cottage or Ta- bernacle fitted for the Soul to lodge in for a little while: Butit is raifed a.Spiri- tual Body. And this is the Sum of all the felt, Our Bodies in this World are grofs Fle(band Blood, liable to beaffe&ed with natural and fenfual Pleafures, and robe .af hi&edwith natural Pains and Difeafes, tobe prefs'd with natural Neceffities of Hunger and Thirft, and obnoxious toall thofe Changes and Accidents to which natural Things are fisbje& : But it (hall be raifed a Spiritual Body, pure and refined from the Dregs of Matter; it (hall not hunger nor thirft; be Difeafed or in Pain any more. Thefe Houfes ofClay, wholeFoundation is in the Duff, are Continually decaying, and therefore theyRand in need ofperpetual Reparationby Food and Phyfick : But our Hoaj which (hall be from Heaven, (hall beof fuch !ailing and du- rable Matter, as not only Time, but even Eternity it felf (hall make no Impref- fion upon it, or caufe the leali Decay in it. They who(hall be accounted worthy, lays our Saviour, to obtain that World, and the Refurreaion from the Dead, cannot die any' more but /hall be like the Angels, and are the Children of God, that is, inCome Degree {hall partake of the Felicity and Immortality of God himfelf, who is al- ways the fame, and his rears fail not. It is raifeda Spiritual Body. We (hall then be as it were all Spirit, and our very Bodies (hall be then fo raifed and refined, that they Thal l be noClog, no Impediment to the Operationsof our Souls. And furely we cannot but think this a glorious Change, when we confider how our Bodies do now crush our Spirits, and what a melancholy and dead Weight they are upon them, and how grievous an Incumbrance,' and Trouble and Tempta- tion they are for the molt part to us in this mortal State. I proceed now to the IId Thing, Wherein the Bleffednefs of the Juft at the ReCurre&ion (hall con- fift, viz, in the confequent Happinefs of the whole Man, of the Soul and Body united and purified, the one fromSin, the other from Frailty and Corruption; and both admitted to the bleflèd Sight and Enjoyment of the ever biefl'ed God, But this is an Argument too big for our narrow Apprehenfions of Things, whilft we are in this mortal State; a Subje& too unweildy for fuch Children, as the wifeft of us all are while we are in this World 5 and when ever we attempt to fpealt of it, we do but f eak like Children, and underfland like'Children, and reafon like Children about it. That which is impeefetá, mull be done away; outSouls muff be raifed to a oteaterPerfe&ion, andourUnderftandingsfill'd witha flronger and Readier Light biefore we can be 1 t to handle fuch a Snbje&, according to the Worth and Dignity of it. We mull Brit have been in Heaven, and poffèfs'dof that Felicity and Glory which is there to be enjoyed, before we can think or talk of it, in any Meafure as it deferves. In the mean time, whenever we fer about it, we (hall find our Faculties oppreß'd with the Weight and Splendour of fo vafl and glorious an Argument; like St. Paul, who when he was caught up into Paradife, law and heard that, which when hecarne down into this World again, he was not able to exprefs, and which is not pofiîble for Man to utter. So that in difcourfing of the State of the Blefl'ed, we mull content our felves with what the Scripture bath declared in general concerning it, that it is a State of perfel Freedomfrom all thofe Infirmities and Imperfe&ions, 't iofe Evils and Miferies, thofe Sins and Temptations to which we are liable in this World; à 4 b State Ió7
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