dowμarov, without a Body, but that it has not a Body of Flesh and Bones. As, above, it was faid of Chrift himself by the Fathers, ἐκ ἔτι σάρκα, ἐκ ἀσώματον δέ, that be was in the Heavens without Flesh, but not without a Body. Certainly, if a Spirit had been without any kind of Body, it had been more ready for Chrift to have faid, and had been as much to the Purpose, A Spirit has not a Body, as you fee that I have. Yet this he did not fay, but a Spirit has not Flesh and Bones, that is, a Spirit has not a grofs, vifible, and palpable Body, fuch as mine appears to be, both to your Sight and Touch.*

HITHERTO

*Laftly, the Philofophers in defining that Body, which they fay good Men will have in a future State, or in Heaven, make use of the very fame Words and Epithets, and Phrafes, as the Apoftle does in defcribing our future ce leftial Body. Paul calls this Body we are to have, a celeftial or eternal one in the Heavens: They likewise term it ἐράνιον and αιθέριον; and in like Manner oppofe it to a terreftrial one. St. Paul calls it immortal and incorruptible; the Philofophers ufe Words of the fame Signification, ἀθάνατον, ἄφθαρτον, ἄμβροτον, ἀΐδιον. The Apoftle compares it to the Stars; they call it as spoedés. He ftiles it a lucid and glorious Body; they avyoedos. In fhort, both defcribe it by the fame common Epithet of oua TreuμATIμov, a fpiritual Body. 'Tis not to be queftioned but that the fame Kind of Bodies is meant on both Sides. But 'tis well known, that the Philofophers did not defign a grofs Body, mix'd up with Blood, much lefs any kind of hard organical Machine; but a Vehicle, as they call it, compofed of a rarefy'd active fort of Matter; fo that this Body may be always of a like Nature with the Place, where the Souls are to refide; an Opinion which they are often repeating.

HITHERTO We have explain'd, according to the utmost of our Power, the Points which are of greatest Moment in the Doctrine of the Refurrection. There are others remaining, and though not of the fame Weight, yet worthy of our Confideration and our Enquiry. But the Remainder of the Things belonging to this Subject shall be comprehended in the following Chapter, because this is already grown too large.

CHAP. VIII.

What fort of Body we are to have at the Refurrection? the fame that we have at prefent, or a different one?

H

AVING now finished the first Part of the Difcourfe, which we begun concerning the Refurrection, which contains the Certainty and Caufes of the Thing itself, and the Matter and Form of our new Bodies ; let us proceed to fatisfy the other Questions, which may be asked upon the fame Subject, though they are of a much inferior Confequence. The first of which, is, Whether we shall arife with the fame Body, which we left off at our Death? The fame numerical Body is here understood, a Body confifting of the fame Matter, and the very fame Particles. This is a very celebrated Question,

Q4

.

Question, but it appears to me to be rather curious than neceffary. For how can it be your Intereft or mine, whether we are to have the fame Particles, or others of the fame Virtue and Dignity? How can it concern us what becomes of our Leavings, and Carcases, provided we live in the Light of Heaven, and in the

Society of Angels? Yet because there are at this Time no fmall Debates concerning this very Matter, let us, if you please, look into the State of the Caufe, and then to what Part of it the facred Scriptures and free Reason incline!

In the first Place, I believe, both Sides are agreed, that the Bodies of those which at the Coming of our Lord fhall be found among the Living, will be immediately changed, the fame Particles being retained, or, at least, a great Part of them; that is to fay, as foon as this mortal Frame of Members is diffolved, the fame Matter, (the Filth of it excepted,) will be converted into another Form, and into other Qualities, that is, into the fame Form, and the fame Qualities, which immortal and incorruptible Bodies have.

But as we make no Account of the Shavings of the Beard or Head, fo that divine Mind, when it makes its Exit from the Body, is as little concerned what becomes of its Cafe, whether the Fire confumes it, wild Beafts devour it, or the Earth covers it, regards it no more than a new-born Infant does the Afterbirth. Senec. Epift.

༡༩

have. This is called by the Apostle, not to 2 Cor.v.4. be divefted of a Body, but to be cloathed upon with one, that Mortality may be fwallow'd up of Life: Or, that this Corruptible may put on Incorruption; which Tranfition can never be made without fome melting and diffolving of the Parts; as terreftrial Bodies are purify'd or converted to Flame. Befides, if I am not mistaken, both Sides are agreed, that the Body of Chrift, when he rose from the Dead, confifted of the fame Particles which it did before; and that when he afcended into Heaven he retained the fame, and carried them to a celeftial Purity, by Virtue of his enlivening Spirit.

THESE Things then being granted on both Sides, the only Debate and Doubt that remains, is, concerning ordinary Carcafes, or concerning the Bodies of the Dead, which have rotted, have been diffolved and diffipated, their Parts or Particles having been changed a thousand different Ways, and difperfed in a thousand different Places: The Question then is, whether these Particles fhall every one of them be recollected into feparate little Heaps, according to the Number of Bodies that have died from the Beginning to the End of the World? Then, whether every little Heap shall be worked up again into Legs and Lineaments, and the entire Form and Shape of the former Body?

THERE

John v. 28, 29.

THERE are, indeed, feveral Paffages of the facred Scriptures, which appear to me, at the first Appearance, to favour this Unity, or, as it is wont to be called, this Identity of Bodies, the prefent and the future. Christ himself speaking concerning the Refurrection, The Hour is coming, fays he, in the which all that are in their Graves fhall hear his Voice, i. e. the Voice of the Son of God, and fhall come forth, &c. Here Chrift appears to hint, that at the Resurrection, the very fame Carcafes that lie in their Graves fhall hear his Voice, and come forth, as Lazarus, after he was brought to Life again, came forth from his Sepulchre. And confonant to this is what Chap. xx. St. John fays in the Revelations, And the Sea gave up the Dead that were in it, at the univerfal Refurrection. Each of the Elements, the Earth and the Water, fhall restore the Carcafes which they have swallowed, that being once again animated, they may be fet before the Judgment-Seat. In like Manner, the Vifion of the fame Prophet, or the Scene of the Resurrection, teftifies the fame Thing; I Ver. 12. faw the Dead, fays he, Small and Great Stand before God. If little ones remain little ones after the Refurrection, and the Prophet faw whole Troops of Infants, of Boys, of Youths, and of Perfons at the Age of Maturity, ftand before the Judgment-Seat, that appears to discover, that every one will have the fame

13.

& Chap.

xi. 18.

Body