Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors]

lowed up in victory; not only upon this account, that it fhall afterwards make no fresh conquefts, but, as * Iræneus

cbferves from the text, then will Death be truly conquer'd, when that flesh which is holden of it, will be deliver'd from its Dominion, and Reftored to life, which fhall be Immortal.

And hence may be anfwer'd a notion, that is advanced, by the Author fo often taken notice of, grounded upon a Criticifm, which he lays great ftrefs upon, and therefore mentions more than once, as a very confiderable Discovery: For fpeaking of + this 15th. ch. of the 1ft. Ep. to the Corinth. he observes, that vexgoi, navτες, οι are the nominative cafes to ἐγείρονται, ζωοποιηθήσονται, ἐγερθήσονται, all along, and not owμara, Bodies, which one may with reason think would fomewhere or other have been expressed, if all this had been faid, to propofe it as an Article of Faith, that the very fame bodies fhall be raised. The fame manner of Speaking the Spirit of God obferves all through the

* Adv. Hæref. L. 5. c. 13. t3d. Letter, p. 199.

new

new Teftament, where 'tis faid, raise the dead, quicken or make alive the dead, the refurrection of the dead.

This Critical obfervation is liable to. two exceptions; firft that 'tis Falfe, and in the next place, that though it were True, it would be no reason of Doubting whether it be an Article of Faith, that the very fame bodies shall rife. That this obfervation is Falfe, the Author of it might easily have learned from that

*

Chapter, which he was confidering; where he might have found évéIRETAI thrice + refer'd to rupa, and once expreffed with it, † σπείρεται σῶμα ψυχικὸν, ἐγείρεται σῶμα πνευματικόν. It is fown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, or, the Body is fown Natural, the Body is raised Spiritual.

And though this obfervation, as to the other word, ζωοποιηθήσονται, be not Literally false; yet 'tis plainly fo, as to the fubftance and intention of it: For St.. Paul fays of God Almighty, ζωοποιήσει καὶ τὰ DYηtà owμata iμâv; + He shall alfo quicken

I Cor. xv. t. 42, 43. . 44. Rom. viii. 11.

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

your mortal bodies; which words do unqueftionably denote, that the fame Body, which Dies, fhall be Raifed again. And this is confirm'd by the Affurance, which the fame Apoftle gives us, * that Chrift Shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body; where there is no room left for doubt, that in the Refurrection the Bodies of Holy men (who are particularly here fpoken of) fhall be the Same which now they have, with this difference; that they will then be devefted of all Infirmities and Imperfections, and render'd Glorious.

But fuppofing that the fentence, which is above. fo pofitively pronounced concerning the Sacred Scriptures, had happen'd to be True, it would not have added any Advantage at all to the cause, which this Author efpoufeth: For the quickening and raising of the Dead, expreffions which he fo often refers to, muft denote the quickening and raising

* Phil iii. 21. ΜΕΤΑΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΕΙ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπγνώσεως ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ γενέθαι ΑΥΤΟ σύμμορφον, &c.

of

of the Dead Body, fince the Soul, 'which does not Die, cannot be faid to be Quicken'd: And if there be a Refurrection of the Dead Body, it must be a Resurrection of the fame Body, that was before united to the Soul; for that alone is the Dead Body, which hath before Lived and Died. I fhall therefore conclude this Argument, with that Remarkable paffage, Rev. xx. 12, 13. I faw the dead, fmall and great ftand before God; and the books were open'd: and another book was open'd, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the fea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell deliver'd up the dead which were them: and they were judged every man according to his works.

Such then being the evidence of this Article, I fhall in the laft place draw fome plain inferences from it, in relation to Holiness of life; which fhould be the Ultimate end of all Controverfy, and Difquifition in Religion. And.

I. First,

1. First, Since the Refurrection is fo clearly Revealed, we fhould not only yield a firm Affent to it, but frequently entertain our minds with the Circumftances and End of it, as moft probable means of applying the Belief of it, with fuccefs, to our Affections and Practice. Some men are so very fond of their own gay and fprightly Imaginations, that they Difdain this Profpect, as too Gloomy, and Dismal to deserve their notice. And others do reject these Confiderations as too Plain, and Common, and unworthy of their Thoughts, which they fuppofe to be raised above the ordinary level, and fit to be employ'd in more Sublime and Refined fpeculations. So do they please themselves with these Reflections, as Wife and Commendable, which are only an argument of Weakness and Folly, and do redound to their Difgrace, as well as Disadvantage. For things Indifferent fhould not exclude the one thing needful: That, which does most nearly concern us, ought in all reason to be the fubject of our frequent Meditations. And the more apt fuch Medi

tations

« AnteriorContinuar »