And if his Body was fo glorious when it was but a mortal Body, what Beauty, what Luftre, what Excefs of Glory does it fhine with, now 'tis a fpiritual, impaffible, immortal Body! And what Excellencies fhall the Bodies of the Saints share, when form'd after this bright Pattern at the Refurrection! But,

Again, how far the glorify'd Spirit may tend to advance the Luftre of the rais'd Body, I cannot tell for we may obferve now, that according to the Serenity of the Mind, is the Vivacity of the Countenance. The Peace and Satisfaction which reign'd in Stephen's Breaft, might be one reafon of that Seraphick Air that appear'd in his Countenance a little before his Martyrdom; tho I deny not but there might be fomething extraordinary in this Martyr's Cafe. But add to all this, that at the Refurrection, the finishing Strokes fhall be given to the Spouse of Chrift, that his Bride fhall then be fet off with the brightest Ornaments, and the most glittering Attire; that the Marriage of the Lamb being come, the Spouse shall be without Spot or Wrinkle, in all refpects prepar'd to confummate the happy Nuptials.

Thus have I faintly defcrib'd the rais'd glorify'd Bodies of the Saints; but alas! the half has not been told you, all Images are too dark, all Colours are too dead, all Words too narrow, and all Thoughts too low, fully to delineate a Glorify'd Body. Yet the little, the very little that I have faid, being laid together, may fhow the Reasonableness of a Spirit's waiting in Heaven with Delight and Pleasure, till that vile Body it dropt at its Afcenfion thither, be rais'd and fashion'd like the glorious Body of our Bleffed Saviour. Before I

pass to the second Senfe that is given of the Change mention'd in my Text, I fhall briefly name two or three Inferences from what has been faid.

(1.) The Spirits of Juft Men in Heaven are not now fo perfect as they fhall be hereafter at the first Refurrection. That the Spirits of Just Men departed are perfect in a comparative Senfe, cannot be deny'd; but that they shall be rais'd to a higher degree of Perfection, must be neceffarily granted: for 'tis certain they were created to dwell in Flesh; and 'tis as certain they are not fo happy, while naked Spirits, as they will be when re-united to their rais'd Glorified Bodies. So that when the Author Heb. 12.23. to the Hebrews fpeaks of the Spirits of Fuft Men made perfect, it must be understood with fome limitation; for while they wait for a Good which they do not enjoy, they are not fo perfect as they will be when that is obtain'd. 'Tis true, fuch Spirits have finish'd the Work which God gave them to do in this World, before they were remov'd to the other. They are perfectly deliver'd from all Trouble and Sorrow, all Sin, and Temptations to it; they are enter'd into the Poffeffion of the Heavenly Inheritance; in the Injoyment of which they fhine with a Perfection of Knowledg, Holiness, and Love: They know as they are known, they love as they are lov'd, and they are holy as God is holy. Which fubjective moral Perfection does not exclude, but fuppofe that they poffefs fuch a natural Perfection as is proper to glorify'd Human Spirits while uncloth'd: for we must always keep in mind, that God originally defign'd they should dwell in Flesh; and confequently they are not fo perfect as they will

be

he when their Bodies are rais'd, refin'd, and glorify'd, in conjunction with those Spirits they did formerly inhabit.

(2.) If the Bodies of the Saints fhall have fuch an acceffion of new Qualities when rais'd from the Dead, how careful fhould we be of fuch Bodies before they die? I mean, that they may not be abus'd to any vile purposes. If we are Believers, our Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghoft; and we live in the expectation, that thefe very Bodies that are fo often fick and indifpos'd, prefs'd with natural Neceffities, and by a variety of Accidents render'd weak and infirm, fhall be rais'd incorruptible and immortal. Do we live under the Influence of fuch a Hope? Have we fuch glorious things in view? Surely this will restrain us from using any of the Members of our Bodies, as Inftruments of Unrighteousness unto Sin. This is an Inference made by the Apoftle John himself from a like Propofition: for when he had spoken concerning the Objects of the Christian Hope, with refpect to our likenefs to Chrift, and our feeing of him as he is; 1 John 3. he adds, And every Man that hath this Hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure. Indeed those that expect hereafter a Mahometan Paradife of fenfual Pleafures, may now, without any contradiction to their Hopes, indulge and gratify their carnal Appetites. But it would be a very monftrous and abfurd thing for one, that expects his Body at the Refurrection, to be fashion'd like the Glorious Body of his Saviour, to give up all the Members of it to be conftantly employ'd in the Service of Sin.

I

2, 3.

(3.) How should the Hopes of a Glorious Refurrection hereafter, fupport and comfort us now under the Infirmities of a mortal Body! There is hardly any thing in this World that gives us more uneafinefs and trouble than our frail and infirm Bodies; what with the Dif eases that attend them, and the Clogs they are to our Souls, Chriftians generally groan, being burden'd: But the time is coming when we fhall know no more Sickness nor Pain, when we fhall neither feel Diseases, nor fear Death; all Complaints fhall be filenc'd, and all Tears be wiped from our Eyes. Therefore let fuch as have flourishing Souls in languishing Bodies, fuftain them felves with this thought, that tho they drop into the Grave through Weakness, yet they fhall be rais'd by Infinite Power, and be endow'd with fuch a Beauty and Strength as fhall, neither change nor decay, but both exift and continue for ever. The Apostle Paul, after he had told the TheffaloTheff.4.16. nian Chriftians, that our Lord himself should defcend from Heaven with a Shout, with the Voice of the Arch-Angel, and with the Trump of God, that the Dead in Chrift shall rise first; adds, Wherefore comfort one another with thefe words.

Ver. 18.

(4.) If the Spirits of the Juft in Heaven wait with pleasure for the Refurrection of their Bodies, then the Spirits of the Wicked now in Prifon expect with terror the RefurJohn 5.28, rection of theirs. All that are in their Graves, our Saviour affures us, shall come forth: They that have done Good to the Refurrection of Life, and they that have done Evil to the Refurrection of Damnation. With what new Qualities, the Bodies of the Wicked shall rife, I'll not de

29.

termine,

termine, because the Scripture is filent in the matter: This I may venture to affirm, that they'l be fo fram'd as to undergo what shall be allotted them to fuffer; as for their being Immortal, 'tis that they may exist under the greatest and most exquifite Torments. So that the departed Spirits of the Wicked muft needs tremble, while they expect the Refurrection of their vile Bodies to be rejoin'd to their guilty Souls, which together fhall Suffer Shame and everlasting contempt.

There are other Inferences which might be deduc'd, but I forbear, and fhall now proceed to confider the fecond Senfe which Interpreters give of the Change mention'd in the Text; and that is, the Change we pass under at Death. Understanding the words thus, as they reprefent the pious Difpofition, and the firm Refolution of Job, with reference to his own Death; 'tis neceffary that I briefly touch on these four things.

Firft, That I treat of Death under the Notion of a Change.

Secondly, That I confider this Change, as appointed or predetermin'd.

Thirdly, That I tell you what is imply'd, in a Perfon's waiting for the appointed time of his Change.

Fourthly, The Ufe and Improvement of the whole.

First, I am to treat of Death under the Notion of a Change. And the Text confines me to fpeak concerning this Change as it refpects a good Man; tho there are fome things that are common both to the Righteous and the S 3

Wicked