from what they now are, as much as a grand and auguft palace from a contemptible cottage, or as a fparkling ftar from a lifeless clod; yet, I believe, (by revelation from GoD) that they will know their own bodies, the fame as Adam knew Eve, when the LORD brought her to him, Gen. ii. 23. And Adam faid, this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; he well knew it was fo, though changed into fuch a beautiful form: In like manner will the innumerable affembly of the faints know each other; for there will then be a communicative and extensive knowledge throughout the whole church of the firft-born, whofe names are written in heaven. Then fhall we know Adam and Eve, the head representatives of all living; Abel, and all the glorious train of martyrs who have died for the word of GOD, and the teftimony of JESUS. Likewife Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, with all those faints, which died under the Mofaic difpenfation, together with the Apostles of the LAMB, and all the New Teftament Saints in the Apoftolic days; and add to thefe the faints out of every kingdom, tongue, people, nation, and language, where the gospel has fpread, and the elect yet to be called by grace; what an innumerable number will they then appear! Rev. vii. 9, 10. And after this I beheld, and l, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the th one, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, Salvation to our God which fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Friendly. How do you prove the reality of the refurrection of the body? Truth. By plain teftimonies from the word of God, Dan. xii. 3. And many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth shall awake, fome to everlasting life, and fome to fhame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wife fhall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the fars for evr and ever. This doctrine was fairly believed by the Jews, at least by most of them, is evident by our LORD'S difcourfe with Martha, concerning her brother Lazarus, John ii. 23, 24. Fejus faith unto her, thy brother shall rife again. Martha faith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the refurrection at the last day. I know (faith Martha) which words are expreffive of the greatest fatisfaction of mind, that fhe had not the leaft question or doubt concerning the truth of it, I know that he shall rise again in the refurrection at the last day. 1 Theff. iv. 15, 16. For this we fay unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming rifeth out of the earth with more beauty, life, and verdure, than when fown therein; fo in like manner will the bodies of the Saints arise, not only more glorious in their nature, but likewife in their form and fymmetry: GoD will give to every Saint a body as it pleafeth him, but I believe not in the form they now are, but one that infinite wisdom fhall form, or make, out of the body that dies, which fhall be raised again to make their glorified body from, juft as GOD took a rib from Adam, and formed Eve thereof, which I apprehend was emble matical of the resurrection of the Saints, that as from a rib of Adam GOD raifed a beautiful body; fo from the duft, or fcattered remains of the Saints, he will raife up beautiful bodies for them, which fhall be fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious body. Friendly. What is your particular reafon for thinking that the body will not rife in the fame formation as when it died? Truth. There are many bodies, even of the Saints, corp.lent and irregular: there are others whose bodies are emaciated by confumptions, that would look ghaftly while the bodies of infants would look diminutive, and this irregularity would fpoil the beauty and harmony of the heavenly itate: Befide at the refurrection, the bodies of the Saints will not live corporeal, but on fpiritual and immortal food, fuch as is to their angelic nature; there will be no marriages, 1.1 in marriage; but will be as the angels of God. And, of nature gives to every grain a body, accordin fure, fo as the God of grace He will give to body which pleaseth him, Eph. i. 11. Who after the counfel of his own will. Friendly. But do you not think, the g faints will be formed, or made, from died, and perished in the grave? Truth. Yes: The fame identic." which fubftance the LORD will f and glorious body, as a fit re glorified foul; which idea, I ar of the refurrection, and glor their immortal state, 1 Cor. is raised in glory. Friendly. Do you thi bodies at the refurrectio Truth. Yes; but r bear to what they we from what they now are, as much as a be as glorious, and itual body, elevated a body can be capable to the angelic nature, is, glory, and luftre of like a ftar, or the fun, ghtnefs of glory. What, ours! is it not enough to fave Juls to fhine in glory, but our clay, a lump of fin, a mass of e wonders of love, that nothing , yea an eternal weight of glory Jody! So that it will not be only praifing, but of moving, perhaps ort space of time, as the body and foul ged flame for GOD! It will then move carinefs; faft for ever without hunger; immortal youth, beauty, and perfection, ecay! And as the foul will then meet and ty with enlarged knowledge, life, and joy, be ftrong, vigorous, and glorious; strong to an eternal weight of glory, and vigorous to turous emotions, joys, and praises to eternity. Will not the worth and glory of CHRIST be known and enjoyed? : Yes, in the moft fublime, exalted, and glorious for were all the worth of men and angels, of heaven, of the Lord, fhall not prevent them which are afleep. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from Heaven with a jbeut, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Chrift fhall rife firft. Farther, the refurrection of the faints is proved from the refurrection of CHRIST, who not only died in their room and ftead, as a facrifice for their fins, but rofe as their representa tive and head, therefore they are faid to be planted together in the likeness of his refurrection, and to be rifen with him, Eph. ii. 6. Col. iii. 1. and faith the Apostle, I Cor. xv. 21. Since by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection from the dead; his refurrection fecures the refurrection of his faints, becaufe he rose as their head and representative, and they therefore, by virtue of their union to him, as their rifen head, fnall rife at the last day, John v. 28, 29. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear bis voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good to the refurrection of life, &c. This the Apoftle confirms by indifputable proof, i Theff. iv. 14. For if we believe that Jefus died and refe again, even fo them alfo which fleep in Jefus will God bring with him; which is as though the Apoftle had faid, as really as we believe that CHRIST hath died and rofe again, fo certainly will the refurrection of the faints be, for them God will bring with him; the honour of his name, nature, perfections and promises, are engaged to raise the bodies of the faints, glorious and immortal, to be re-united to their glorified fouls, as the compleat objects of his love, which will confummate their blifs, by enabling them with enlarged capacities both of body and mind, to launch forth with unknown joy into all the wonders of JEHOVAH'S grace, redeeming love, and juftifying blood, which will engage all their powers to adore, love, and praife in the most exalted and feraphic ftrains, while the fweets of blifs will flow, perpetually flow, from the beatific vifion of GOD and the LAMB, making their joys infinitely great, and their fong for ever new, as they will be swallowed up in love, joy, and admiration, for ever. Befides the bodies of the faints will not only then be as veffels of mercy filled with glory, but they will fhine like ftars of glory, in a bright, beautiful, and venerable form, Matt. xiii. 43. The righteous fhall fbine at the Sun in the kingdom of their Father; the brightnefs, glory, and luftre of their bodies, thall fhine like fo many funs in the kingdom of their father, and caft forth rays of celeftial glory around them, as their bodies will be then formed, or rather transformed into glory itself. Duft turned into brightness, afhes into life, and clay into glory. And what will add a bright additional glory, to the glorified body, will be, that life, vivacity and agility, it will receive from the re-union of the glorified foul which will doubt'efs caft an additional and exalted beauty and glory upon the body. All glorious within, and without, will the faints then fhine! for if now the foul when overjoyed with the love of GoD, fpreads upon the countenance a heavenly luftre, a divine look, a celeftial Majefty, fo as to make the face shine as the face of an angel, Acts vi. 15. O what life, luftre and glory will it diffufe through the body when it comes to re-animate it with one pertetual perfection of glory. O! how will its active joys, its heavenly emotions, its divine raptures, fhine through the bright fubftance of the body, like a fun through a magnifying glafs, in eternity. Friendly. Will the body be no weight or clog in the resur 'rection morn? Truth. No, fo far from it, it will be as glorious, and active as the foul; it will be raised a fpiritual body, elevated to the highest degree of perfection that a body can be capable of; and thereby not only brought near to the angelic nature, but made to thine in the brightnefs, glory, and luftre of CHRIST'S glorified body; not only like a ftar, or the fun, but like himself, the King and brightnefs of glory. What, the glory of heaven a pattern of ours! is it not enough to fave us from wrath, and make our fouls to fhine in glory, but our bodies, duft and afhes, vile clay, a lump of fin, a mass of hell, likewife glorious! O the wonders of love, that nothing less than the height of glory, yea an eternal weight of glory will be the portion of the body! So that it will not be only capable of enjoying and praifing, but of moving, perhaps millions of miles in a fhort space of time, as the body and foul will be then like a winged flame for God! It will then move for ever without weariness; faft for ever without hunger; and live for ever in immortal youth, beauty, and perfection, without the least decay! And as the foul will then meet and re-animate the body with enlarged knowledge, life, and joy, fo the body will be ftrong, vigorous, and glorious; strong to bear up under an eternal weight of glory, and vigorous to exprefs its rapturous emotions, joys, and praifes to eternity. Friendly. Will not the worth and glory of CHRIST be then more known and enjoyed? Truth. Yes, in the moft fublime, exalted, and glorious degree; for were all the worth of men and angels, of heaven, |