Slrrna. CXXXIL in the future State. 191 and the Weaknefs of out, cannot bear the Sight of fo glorious and re- fplendent an Obje&, as tlfeDivine Nature and Perfe&ions are : ;We cannot fee God and live. The Frailty of out mortal Condition 6 unequal to fu(tain fo great a Weight ßf Glory; tobe flare it is incapable of eternal Felicity ; .Nothing butan immortal Nature can be happÿ for every And therefore the Scripture tells us, that when our Bodies fhall be railed, the Quality and Condition ,of .them fhall be quite altered,and that our Blefied Saviour fhall by his Almighty Power make a mighty Change in theta, fromwhat theywere in thismortal State, Phil.. 3.20,2r. Our, Converfation is in Heaven, from whence alfo we look for a Saviour, the Lord Jefe' Chrifi ;, s-ho (ball change our vile Body, that it may be fafhioned like unto his glorious Body, according to the Workingwhereby he is able even to fubdue all Things to himfelf. And the Apoftle tells us more particularly, wherein this Change doth confift, I Cor. 15. 42. It isfawn in Corruption, it is raifid inIncorruption ; it is fawn in Dif- honour, it is raild in Glory ; it is fömn in I'Veaknef, it is raifd in Power .; it is Town a Natural Body, it is raifd à Spiritual Body. Thefe corruptible, and vile, and weak, and grofs Bodies, which wd wear and carry about us;for.a,while, änd.at !aft put off, and lay down in the Grave, fhall by the Power of God at the Re- furre&ion, be refined and advanced into Spiritual and Vigorous, Glorious and humprtaJ Bodies. Our Bodies are nqv but a Tabernacle, a Temporary; and Moveable Dwelling that (hall fhortly be taken down but at the Refurre&ion, they fhall becotne.a fix'd and fettled' Habitation, a Houfe that (hall never de- cay, nor come to Ruine. ,So the. Appftle tells us, 2 Cor. 5. We know that ifour Earthly Honfe ofthis Tabernacle were di/lved, we have a Building of God, a Houf not made with Hands, Eternal in the Heavens. And when this blet%d Change fhall be made, Mortality fhall be firallowed Hp of Life for this Corruptible muff put on In- corruption, and this Mortal nu,Tfi put on Immortality. And there is a Neceffity of this, in order to our perfet Happinefs. For that is not a perfea Happinefa, which fhall; expire and have an End, which it mutt have, if we were (till liable to Mortality. And therefore the Apottle is peremptory. that, there mutt be fuch a Change, becaufe our Bodies, as they are now conftituted and framed, are utterly incapable of the Happinefs of the next Life, Per., 5o., Now this I fay, Brethren, that Flefh andBlaod cannot inherit the Kingdom ofGod. VVhere by, Flefhand Blood,. the Apoftle does not mean, as many have imagined, our frnful and ,impure,Nature; but pur frail and mortal Nature, confifting of fuch grofs Materials, as Flail and Blood are, for the Maintenance and Support of which, there is continual Need of new Recruits, and fre(h Supplies of Nourifhment by Meat and Drink. Such a Nature as this, which is necefiàrily mortal, cannot in- bait the Kingdomof God, which, is a State of perpetual and endlefs Happinefs. And that the Apoftle; means this, by the Phrafe of Flefh and Blood, is evident beyond all Doubt, from the next Words, which the Apoftle., adds by way of Explication ofwhat he had raid,:. This, Ifay, Brethren, Flefh and Blood cannot in- herit. the Kingdom of God ; neitlíerdoth Corruption inherit Incorruption. , That which is liable to Death and Corruption, is not capable of Immortal dory and Hap,- pines: And therefore our Nature mutt be made immortal; and Immortality makes us like to God, and is an evident Teftimony and Declaration that we are the Sons, ofGod. We are now the Children of God, in refpe& of our Title to a future inheritances but this is hid from the World: But at the Refurre5rion; when we (hall bear the. Image of his Immortality, this will be an evident Mark of our, being the Sons Of God. As Our blefl'ed Saviour was mightily declared to be the Son ofGod, by his Refisrreúio.n from the Dead; fo likewife (hall his Members be declared to be the Children ofGod, by that glorious Change that (hall be made in them at the Refurrettion when this Mortal (hall put on Immortality. Then we are the Sons ofGod. indeed in an eminent Manirer, when we can die no more. And therefore it is worth our Obfervation, that the Scripture gives us the Title of the Children ofGod, more,efpecially upon this Account,Luke20 35, 3b. Bút they which fhall be counted worthy tp obtain.that rand the Refurrellion from the .tead can die no more, but are equaltothè,Antelr, and are the Children of God, being the Children of the Refxrreaion: And Rom. 8, 1g. the Refurre&ion is The ca11'd2* , =.
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