(2.) The Refurrection of the Dead is a Change that paffeth upon a material Subftance; it is only the Body that falls by Death, the Spirit returns to God that gave it. The Spirit is of an Immaterial, and therefore of an Immortal Nature: but the Human Body falling by Death crumbling into Duft, the Divine Power causes a change to pafs upon that Duft, by ranging and ordering thofe Atoms and Particles of Matter, fo as to compofe for the Substance of it the fame Body that died, though mightily changed with refpect to its Qualities.

Theol. P.

(3.) The Form of the Refurrection con- vide Wolleb. fifts in the effential vital Union of this raifed Compend Body, with that very Rational Soul that for- 182. merly dwelt in it, and was united to it; from which Union, Life neceffarily flows, and the very fame Perfon may be faid to live again that formerly lived. And without this, tho a dead Body be quickned, 'tis not properly a Refurrection: for fuppofe the Subftance of a Body that fell by Death, was in its various Particles collected, ranged and rebuilt by Almighty Power; yet if that Body was informed by another Spirit, which was not united to it before, it could not be called a Refurrection, because it would not be the fame Perfon, one effential conftituent Part of it being wanting.

I fhall not here trouble you with reciting and confuting the Opinions of the Platonists and *Pythagoreans, and fome of the antient Jews, who have afferted the μετεμψύχωσις, or Tranfmigration of Souls, or the paffing of Souls out of one Body into another, as well into the Bodies of Plants and Brutes, as Men.

Vide Dr. Hody's Resurrection of the (fame) Body afserted.

(4.)¡The

(4.) The efficient Cause of the Refur rection of the Dead, is the whole Trinity; tho in Scripture it is afcribed to each Perfon in the Godhead. Our Saviour is faid to be A. 3. 15. raised from the Dead by God the Father; and he is also faid to raise himself. And 'tis alfo Rom. 8. 11. attributed to the Holy Spirit: But if the Spirit of him that raised up Fefus from the Dead, dwell in you; he that raised up Chrift from the Dead, fhall alfo quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. In which Words we are told of the efficient Cause of our own Refurrection, as well as that of our Saviour's. But eminently the Refurrection of the Dead is Joh. 5. 28, attributed to the Son of God, as the Scriptures in the Margin do abundantly declare. Now our Blessed Lord may be confider'd as the efficient Cause of the Refurrection of the Dead, either as God, or as Mediator; in the first refpect he may be confider'd as the efficient Cause of the Refurrection of the Unjust as well as the Juft, but in the latter especially of his Church; for when he himself arofe from the Dead, it was as a publick Perfon; fo his Refurrection is both the Model, Exemplar and Pledg of ours. In a word, for this end Chrift died, rofe and revived, that he might be Lord both of the Dead and Living.

29.

Phil. 3.20,

21.

Dan. 12. 2.

(5.) One great end of raising the Dead, is to illuftrate the Divine Perfections of Juftice and Mercy, in punishing the Wicked, and rewarding the Righteous; both which are exprefs'd by the Prophet: Many of them that fleep in the Duft of the Earth fhall awake, fome to Everlasting Life, and fome to Shame and Everlasting Contempt.

The

The Divine Attributes of Mercy and Justice at prefent, thro the promiscuous Difpenfations of Divine Providence, have, as it were, fome dark Shades caft over them; for the Righteous fuffer, and the Wicked flourish, as if God neglected the one, and incouraged the other. But this feeming diforder in the Divine Oeco nomy will be fet in a clear Light by the revival of the Dead, which will difcover that all things were manag'd by a skilful Hand; for then fuftice and Mercy fhall both appear in their flaming Lufter.

(6.) Those that shall be found alive at the fecond Coming of Chrift, fhall pass under a Change equivalent to a Diffolution and a Refurrection. So much St. Paul intimates in thefe words; Behold, I fhew you a Myftery; 1 Cor.15. we fhall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed: 51, 52. i.e. We shall not all die, but we shall pass under an Equivalent to what they fhall do who do die. For in a moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, (for the Trumpet fhall found) the Dead fhall beraifed incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

(7.) The Righteous fhall rise in order of time before the Wicked. This the Apoftle Paul fignifies in more places than one: But I Cor. 15. every Man in his own order, Christ the first Fruits, 23. afterwards they that are Chrift's at his coming.

Indeed several Perfons were raised from the Dead both before Chrift's Incarnation and his Refurrection; but then all these Perfons died again : whereas our Lord arofe from the Dead Immortal, and shall never die more, and in that refpect is the first Fruits of the Refurrection. And with refpect to the Righteous rifing before the Wicked in order of time, I collect it alfo from what St. John fays, in the

Book

Rev. 20. 4,

5.

Book of the Revelation; where he speaks of the first Refurrection, and fays, that on fuch the fecond Death fhall have no Power. And the 1 Theff. 4. Apostle Paul to the Theffalonians fays, That the Dead in Chrift shall rise first.

16.

Secondly, I am to prove that it is a matter most infallibly certain, it is an Event that will affuredly come to pafs. I know that fome Philofophers have laid it down as a Principle, a privatione ad habitum non datur regreffus: That there is no restoration of the fame Being, after a total Corruption and Diffolution of it. But I may fay to fuch, as our Saviour faid to the SadduMat. 22. 29. Ces; re do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the Power of God. For there is no Doctrine more exprefly taught in the Holy Scriptures, than that of the Refurrection; and because of my time, I'll cite but one Text in the room of Joh. 5.28, many. The Hour is coming, when all that are in the Graves fhall hear his Voice, and come forth; they that have done Good, to the Refurrection of Life; and they that have done Evil, to the Refur rection of Damnation. I fhall only name a few Heads of Argument, and fo pass on.

29.

1. God hath appointed a Day in the which he will judg the World, which is an infallible Proof of the Certainty of the Resurrection; for the World cannot be judged, unless the Dead rife: nor is it rational to imagine, that at the general Judgment, naked human Spirits fhould appear without their Bodies; fince the Apostle exprefly fays, that we must all ap2 Cor. 5.10. pear before the Fudgment-Seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

2. Christ

2. Chrift hath not only redeemed the Souls, but the Bodies of his People: for tho the Body be an inferiour part of Man, yet it is an effential part, and the Law of God binds the whole Man, not the Soul only; for that the Obedience we yield to the Divine Law, is the Obedience of the entire Man: So if in any inftance we violate the Law, the Guilt devolves upon the entire Perfon, whether it be a Sin of the Flesh, or of the Spirit; I mean whether it be performed by the Inftrumentality of the bodily Members, or fomething of a very abftracted Nature that paffes only in the Mind. The Reason of this is very evident; for whether we serve God, or fin against him, 'tis with the Soul and Body in conjunction: So that unless the Body rife, neither the Recompences of rewarding Goodnefs can be fully beftow'd, nor the Punishments of revenging Juftice entirely executed. And why that Body which is redeem'd, in conjunction with the Soul, and hath been a Partner with it, both in ferving of, and fuffering for Christ, should not be rais'd and made compleatly happy in Union with the Soul for ever, no reafon can be affign'd.

3. That Doctrine which the Apostle Paul preached by Infpiration, and fupported by Scripture, and fuffered for the preaching of, muft needs be infallibly true; but this he did with regard to the Resurrection: Acts 23. 6. Of the Hope and Refurrection of the Dead, am I called in question.

4. It is moft certain, that the Covenant of Grace exceeds that of Works; which it cannot do, unless it be infallibly certain, that the Dead fhall rife and never die more:

for