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dead, re-united with their perfect souls, and introduced into the presence of Jesus, to dwell with him for ever!" Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun." Matt. 13:43. I will now proceed to show,

§14. That the resurrection of the dead will be general and universal. All that are in their graves, whether godly or ungodly, whether just or unjust, shall be raised up I am aware, my dear Benjamin, that although our people believe a resurrection from the dead, as I have shown by one of their fundamental articles of faith, yet there is a great variety of opinions amongst the Rabbins with respect to the extent of the resurrection. Some suppose that the pious Israelites will be raised at the coming of the Messiah, and the rest of the nations at the end of the world. According to some, the pious will rise to be rewarded, and the wicked to be punished; but those who have been neither pious nor wicked will not be raised at all. Some expect all Israelites to be raised, except those who disbelieve a resurrection, deny the divine authority of the law, or become epicureans. Others extend the privilege to the pious among the Gentiles, who observe the precepts which the Rabbins say were given to the sons of Noah. But none of the Rabbins allow the resurrection to include all mankind. Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. 3. p. 31-35. Huls. Theol. Jud. p. 173. Hoornpeck contra Jud. p. 433445. 551-553.

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But the sacred Scriptures put the subject beyond all doubt. The Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught its universality. For the hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John, 5 28, 29. The apostle also declared, that "there should be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." Acts, 24: 15. And John, in the Re

velation, saith," And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, 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." Rev. 20: 13. The earth and the sea are God's stewards, with whom he has intrusted the bodies of men, and when he shall call them to give him an account of their stewardship, they will faithfully discharge their trust, and not one shall be left behind.

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§ 15. With respect to the author of the resurrection, I scarcely need to inform you that it is the work of God. He only who could create the world out of nothing, is able to raise the dead out of their graves. Yet it will be proper to observe that this work is ascribed to each of the persons in the blessed Trinity to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as will appear from the following passages: For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." John, 5:21, 27-29. "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself." Phil. 3: 20, 21. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:11. As the resurrection of Christ is ascribed to the Father, so also the resurrection of the dead: "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will raise up us also." 1 Cor. 6: 14. 2 Cor. 4: 14.

Christ is "the resurrection and the life;" i. e. the author of the resurrection to life. He is the Prince of life, has the keys of hell and death in his hands; at whose all-powerful and commanding voice, all that are in the graves shall come forth. Christ Jesus is able to perform this glorious

work. He formed the universe with all its rich variety.

He formed the body of man
Gen. 2: 7; and surely the

John, 1 3. Col. 1: 16, 17. out of the dust of the earth, same power which originally formed man's body, can raise it again. Acts, 26: 8. He has already conquered the world, John, 16: 33; and has triumphed over Satan, Col. 2: 14, 15; and also over death and the grave, Rom. 1: 4; and he shall finally complete the destruction of both. Hosea, 13 14. 1 Cor. 15: 52-54. His power, therefore, is equal to this grand design, and we are assured that he will do it. John, 5: 28, 29.

God the Holy Ghost has a joint concern with the Father and the Son in this amazing work. The bodies as well as the souls of saints are united to Christ; by virtue of which union the Spirit of Christ dwells in them; not in their souls only, but in their bodies also." What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you?" Now, as the union between Christ and his people is not dissolved by death, so neither does the Spirit of God forsake the dead bodies of the saints, or neglect to take care of them; the dust of the saints is under his peculiar care and guardianship; and at the last day, the spirit of life from God shall enter into them, and they shall live and stand upon their feet. Ezek. 37.

§ 16. The design of the resurrection, my dear Benjamin, is worthy of God; it will greatly display the glory of his perfections; it will advance the happiness of the saints, and make way for the just punishment of the wicked. But, as the resurrection of the dead is inseparably connected with the general judgment and its consequences, the subject of the following letter, I shall close with a few observations.

§ 17. After the proofs produced from the Old Testament of the resurrection of the dead, we should think it almost incredible, my dear Benjamin, that a learned divine should

have asserted "that there is not so much as a plain hint of the resurrection to be found in the Old Testament." Surely the Apostle Paul was of a different opinion on the subject; for he declares that many, before the coming of Christ, suffered martyrdom, "not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection." Now, as faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, it is evident that the word of God must have contained a revelation of the resurrection of the dead: indeed it is abundantly evident that it was the faith of Abraham, Heb. 11: 17; of Joseph, Heb. 11: 22; of Moses, Deut. 32: 39; of David, Psa. 16: 10, 11; of Hannah, 1 Sam. 2: 6; as well as of Job, Isaiah, Daniel, and others.

Let us, however, my dear Benjamin, be thankful for the clearer revelation of this, as well as of all other truths contained in the New Testament; "for Christ hath abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel." 2 Tim. 1: 10.

§ 18. In the next place I would observe, that a firm belief of this doctrine is calculated to support us under afflictions, and deliver us from the fear of death. This was the sweet and supporting cordial of Job under his afflictions, and in the prospect of death: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." Job, 19 : 25– 27. And the Psalmist says, I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psa. 27: 13.

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The body, though it drop into the sepulchre, shall revive and flourish as an herb, in the morning of the resurrection. The grave is a bed of dust where the saints sleep, and they shall be awakened by the trump of the archangel.

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Our nearest and dearest friends leave us in the grave and depart, but God will never leave nor forsake his people, even in death. As he said to Jacob, "I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will surely bring thee up again," Gen. 36: 14; so the Lord will go down with us, as it were, into the grave, and will surely bring us up again. J. King, the Bp. of London, ordered in his last will that nothing but the word Resurgam, I shall rise again, should be written on his grave-stone. This was a full and just epitaph, because it contains the comfortable doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. We shall rise, is sufficient to animate and revive us in the anticipation of death. The believer may look on death and the grave, as on an enemy that lies disarmed and bleeding before his feet; and like Abraham, who rescued Lot from the hands of the kings and took the spoil, so shall the believer, in the morning of the resurrection, receive his body from the grave, to be reunited with his soul. Oh, how great will be the joy of this union! Great was the mutual joy and felicity when good old Jacob embraced his son Joseph; but infinitely greater will be the joy and felicity of the saints, when their bodies and souls shall meet each other in the morning of the resurrection: then they will rejoice with singing, as it was foretold; "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust." Isa. 26: 19. As our fathers, when they came safely out of the Red Sea, but saw their enemies all dead, sung a new song; so will the redeemed at the morning of the resurrection. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15: 54-57.

The consideration of our rising again, my dear Benjamin, should inspire our minds with invincible courage

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