to a fhameful Death: Even fo it fhall be with the Godly and the Wicked at the last Day; both Thall rife out of their Graves as out of a Prifon, but the one to be ever with the Lord, miniftring Praises to him for evermore, the other to be banished from his Presence, and cast into everlasting Condemnation: For to them alone is the Refurrection a Benefit where Remission of Sins goes before, as we are taught in the Creed.

Now there are many Grounds for this Truth; the main Ground of all is the Word of God, wherein we have a Cloud of Teftimonies clearing this Truth. The Vition of Ezekiel when he faw the Field of dry Bones; thefe received, at God's Commandment, Flesh, Nerves,and Life, Ezek. 37. 3. So Paul, 1 Theff. 4. 17. We which are alive and remain till the coming of the Lord, Shall not prevent them which are asleep. Chrift himfelf hath undertaken this for his Church and Children, John 6. 39. This is the Father's Wil that hath fent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lofe nothing, but should raise it up again at the taft day. And the Apostle St. Paul is bold to fpeak peremptorily, That this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality, as pointing indeed at his own Body, 1 Cor. 15. 5.3.

And indeed the Scriptures are clear and plain for the confirmation of this Article of our Faith, our Resurrection from the Dead, as may appear by all thofe places here quoted, IS. 26. 19. John 5. 28. 1 Cor. 15. 16. Albs 24 15. Daniel 12. 2. This must needs be a great Comfort to God's

Children when we can fay with Job, chap. 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall fee him with thefe Eyes. The fame Body for Subftance, tho' purg'd and cleans'd from Sin, yet the fame for Subftance fhall rise again; and thefe my Eyes, which have been careful to feek Chrift Jefus, to behold his Glory, to read his blessed Word, to relieve the distressed Members of Chrift, that these my Eyes fhall fee my blessed Redeemer to my endless Joy; and thefe mine Ears, which have been careful to hear thy holy Word, to fave my Soul, then fhall hear his fweet and bleffed Voice, faying unto me, Phil. 3. 21. Come ye blessed of my Father: For the Bodies of God's Children fhall not perish, but rife to Glory, and be made like unto the glorious Body of Jefus Chrift. O how fhould this move all Men and Women to use their Bodies well to the Honour of their Creator, feeing he will not let them perish, but will crown them and glorify them for ever.

Ufe 2.. Secondly, this must needs be a fearful Terror unto all prophane and filthy Sinners, who bestow their Times wholly in the Service of Sin and Satan. They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and fhall lament, Zach. 12. 10. -For even their dead Bodies fhall rife too: but how? to udgment,to Torment, and to burn for ever in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Then thy Soul and Body fhall be an unhappy Couple met, whilt thy Body in one place is eaten of Worms, thy Soul in the other place, which is Hell, fhall be tormented for ever. All good

things fhall be taken away, all evil things heaped upon thee, all hope of coming from Hell is quite cut off; it will be a Terror to behold Almighty God, and a Torment too, in that we cannot fly nor efcape from him; then will the Devils be gathering up their Force to take Poffeffion of their finful Souls, who in their Life-time would not hearken unto God's Word, nor fear his Judgments; for after Death comes Judgment, faith the Text: then if thou haft done ill, the Devils in their feveral Shapes fhall bind thee and lead thee to the Place of Perdition, even to be tormented for ever. Remember I pray you that the aking of a Tooth doth hinder our Sleep Night after Night, and fo torment us that we can take no Reft, what then will be the aking of the Soul, when it fhall be always burning like the Salamander, continually in the Fire, and yet never be confum'd? Thou that haft open'd the Windows of thy Body, I mean thy wanton and adulterous Eyes, to behold Wickedness, thou that haft a Delight to hear Vanity more than Goodness, thou that haft us'd thy Tongue to Lying, Deceit, Swearing, &c, and haft run to vain Sports and Paftimes on the Lord's Day, to the Dishonour of Chrift, to ferve the Devil and thine own Luft, know, O know, that thy Body fhall one Day rife again to Judgment, to Torment, to be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone.

Confider the rich Glutton, he fhould be a Warning to all ungodly Sinners, he gave his Body to all uncleannefs and Gluttony, &c. and

now

now is his Body tormented, and he would give even a whole World, if he were Lord over it, for one drop of water to cool his flaming tongue. O let him be a warning to all Sinners, and teach us to use our Bodies well, to look to our Eyes, to our Ears, and to fet a Watch before our Mouths, for fear left we difhonour God by them, and bring endless Woe unto our felves.

Well then, you fee that it is an exceeding great Joy to his Saints that they fhall rife again, and it is a Comfort of all Comforts that we fhall rife again, for then thefe Eyes fhall fee thofe Friends which Sin and Death bath fo long separated; fo it will be a Terror to the Wicked that they fhall rise again to Judgment. It were well with the adulterous Man, with the Drunkard, &c. if their Bodies might never rife, if they might rot and perish in Corruption, and that their Souls might be even as the Souls of Beafts, a Vapor, utterly to be extinguish'd,but now there is more behind,they fhall one Day come to Judgment. And therefore St. John tellech us in this place, that he faw the Dead, both great and small, Stand before God. Even our dead Bodies mult rife, either to Honour or Dishonour, either to Joy or SPain, to Salvation or Damnation, and therefore it is neceffary for us to bethink our felves of this be imes, while it is call d to Day.

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Thirdly, This should teach us that we mourn not immoderately for the Dead, which is a great Sin to mourn without Hope, nay, it is a kind of Envy to bewail the lofs of a Friend that is gone to Reft, fince when Christ comes again he will bring us again with him..

What

What tho' these Bodies of ours tafte Corruption, they shall not perish in Corruption, but the Earth and the Waters, nay, the Fire it felf, fhall give up a true Account of all the Dead they have Iwallow'd up and devour'd, in the Day of Christ.

Ufe 4. Fourthly, this fhould move us with all Care and Diligence to get good Affurance unto our own Souls, that thefe Bodies of ours fhould have a glorious Refurrection in that Day. So Paul, Acts 24. 25. I have hope towards God that there fhall be a Refurrection of the Dead, both of the just and of the unjust. And this made him endeavour to keep a good Confcience before God and all Men; fo fhould we live as Men wholly devoted unto God, whose we are in Life and Death.

Both great and fmall. Thefe Words may admit a double Expofition, for it may feem thus, that by great and fmall is meant those that be Men grown, or else little Children, Young and Old, all must appear; for we see that many die, even little Children of a Span long, fome again die full of Years. Well, both great and fmall must appear, none fhall be so young or fo little but they must stand before God, and none fo great or fo ftrong but they must ap pcar likewife.

Secondly, by great and fmall may be understood all forts and degrees of Men and Wo men, rich Men and rich Women, poor Men and poor Women, all Sorts and Conditions fhall come to Judgment, as well the Prince as the Subject, as well the Rich as the poor Beggar. As tho' St. John fhould have faid, I

faw