not prevent them which are afleep; but the dead in Chrift shall rise first: Then they which are alive and remain fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And the same Apostle affirms, that as certainly as Christ himself is rifen, fo certainly fhall our Bodies be raised: * If we believe, that Jefus died and rofe again; even fo them also which fleep in Jefus will God bring with him.

But these Testimonies may feem to prove no more than the Refurrection of the Juft alone: And 'tis no wonder, that the fame obfervation may be made upon many other Texts; because the Refurrection is fo frequently propofed as a Benefit and an encouragement to Virtue and Piety. But God's Holy Spirit hath in several other places deliver'd this Article in more General terms, as 2 Cor. v. 10. We must all appear before the Judgement Seat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether

*. 14.

it be good or bad. The fame Apoftle declaring his Belief of this Article, in his defence of himself before Felix, calls it a * Refurrection both of the Juft and Unjust. And our Bleffed Saviour thus fully represents the Universality of the Refurrection; + The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice and fhall come forth; they that have done good unto the Refurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the Refurrection of Damnation; which words are fo expreffive of a Proper and General Refurrection, that it seems Impoffible to evade the force of them; and yet, befides the mifapplication of them to a Spiritual Refurrection from fin, another evasion hath been framed, which below will be taken notice of. Hence therefore I proceed to the other general Head of Difcourse, viz.

II. SECONDLY, The Solution of fome objections that have been formed against this Article: Which hath been by fome

* Acts. xxiv. 15.

t John. v. 28, 29.

represented

represented asIncredible, because they cannot account for fuch Difficulties as oppose themselves to it; whilft others have endeavour'd to cancel the Belief of it, in it's Proper fenfe, by this Suggestion, that the Re-union of the fame Body to the Soul is not Neceffary to conftitute the fame Man, and is no where taught in Holy, Scripture.

First, 'tis urged, that though we can readily affent to the Refurrection of our Saviour's Body, which ftill remain'd Uncorrupted and Entire; yet it cannot be fo easily conceived, that Our Bodies fhould be Restored, when they have for many ages lain diffolved in the duft of the earth; when they have gone through many changes; when they have been a prey to the Beafts of the field, and perhaps to other men. But if we do feriously confider the meaning of Almighty Power, and ftedfaftly believe it to be a Divine Attribute, all these Doubts must of neceffity vanifh. God Almighty can in an Infinite variety of inftances Effect what our narrow capacities cannot Comprehend. Why then Should it be thought a thing

F 4

a thing Incredible, that God should raife the dead? It must be acknowledged, that he, who can make the Body out of nothing, can certainly collect it's fcatter'd Particles, after all the changes they have gone through, and range them into their former order, and in conjunction with the Soul conftitute them the fame man. Whilft therefore our knowledge of God's Almighty Power convinceth us of the Poffibility of the Refurrection, we ought firmly to believe the Certainty of it, becaufe it is deliver'd in thofe Scriptures which are undeniably prov'd to be the Word of God. We are exprefly taught, that it fhall be, and plainly capable of apprehending that it may be: For Omnipotence is exclufive of all Difficulties, and admits of no Bounds but Contradiction; and That is no way chargeable upon this Article, notwithstanding the trivial Arguments brought to prove it, which have been so often and fo fully answer'd, that I think it needless to mention them, and fhall therefore go on to those objections, wherein it is fuggested, That the Re-union of the fame Body to

the

the Soul is not Neceffaty to conftitute the fame Man, and is no where taught in Holy Scripture.

The Principal Abetter of this opinion hath informed us, * that we may be able without any difficulty to conceive the fame perfon at the Refurrection, though in a Body not exactly in make or parts the fame which he had here, the fame consciousness going along with the Soul that inhabits it. But because he had taken notice, that † every one will always have a liberty to Speak, as he pleafeth, and to apply what articulate founds to what Ideas he thinks fit, and therefore thofe, who have not maturely weighed his curious remarks about Affected Obfcurity, and all his other inftructions concerning the Abuse of words, might be apt to Imagine, that by the Same perfon, in a Body, at the Refurrection nothing lefs could be understood than the fame Man; that he might prevent fuch an Unreasonable conftruction of his words he further obferves, that the foul a

* Mr. Locke's Eff. concerning Hum. Und. B. 2. ch. 27. Sect. 15. ·t Ibid.

Ibid.

lone