1ft. That God is wont to proceed by Ser. III. degrees, and carry on his Work through various Changes and Transformations to Perfection, There is a Natural Body; ver. 44: and there is a Spiritual Body. Howbeit that was not first which is Spiritual, but that which is Natural, and afterward that which Ver. 46. is Spiritual. The Refurrection Body will therefore be the Confummation of God's Work; He will have then accomplish'd His Design, and given the finishing Stroke to his Rational Creatures: By this mysterious Method, the Wisdom, Power, and Goodness of God gradually display themselves, till they shine forth in their full Luftre; and the Happiness of His Creatures advances step by step, till they have attain'd the utmost Height they are capable of.

2dly, St. Paul suggests to us, that Man as he is now, is unfit for Heaven; the Glory of it is too bright for Mortal Eyes to behold, the Pleasure of it too perfect and exalted, for a corruptible Being to enjoy; Now this I fay, Ver. sou Brethren, that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption. To what a degree then must we be rais'd, how must our Nature be refin'd and exalted, that we may

Vol. II.may bear fome proportion to our Joys ~ and Pleasures; fince those are to spring

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from the Beatifick Vision, from a close and intimate Union with the Father and our Lord Jesus, and from a familiar Conversation with the Angels of God?

3dly, St. Paul here teaches us, that we shall in the Refurrection be transform'd into the Likeness of Christ now 7. 48, 49. Glorified. As is the Earthy, Such are they that are Earthy and as is the Heavenly, Such are they also that are Heavenly. And as we have born the Image of the Earthy, we shall also bear the Image of the Heavenly. This is the same thing which Phil. iii. he afferts in those Words, Who shall change our vile Body, that it may be fashioned like unto his Glorious Body, according to the working whereby he is able even to fubdue all things to himself. Parallel to this is that place of St. John. Behold, John it what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God: Therefore the World knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we knov, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him : for we shall see him as he is. Now, the I do not doubt but, that our Saviour's Transfiguration upon the Mount, Ser. III. may serve to give us some Idea of his Glorified Body; yet I am tempted to think that he did not appear in all the Glory there, which he was afterwards array'd with in Heaven, because the Apostles were then able to bear the Splen dor, but when afterwards he appear'd to St. Paul in his Heavenly Glory, it Ads ix. 8. truck him Blind. But

4thly The Apostle is not content to tell us these things in general, concerning the Refurrection of the Body; but gives us a particular Defcription of it, namely, that of a Corruptible, Vile, Frail, Natural Body, it shall become an Incorruptible, Glorious, Mighty, and Spiritual one. It is fown in Corruption, it is raised in Incorruption: it is sown in Dishonour, it v. 42, 438 is rais'd in Glory; it is fown in Weakness, it 44. is rais'd in Pomer: it is sown a Natural Body, it is rais'd a Spiritual one. And 'tis here very obfervable that the Apoftle takes it for granted, that we may well enough understand what Incorruption, Glory, and Power signifies, when attributed to the Body by their Opposition to that Corruption, Dishonour, and Weakness, which is visible in a dying or a dead Body; but well knowing, that a Spiritu

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Vol. II. al Body, was a Term not so easily intelligible, he goes on to give us as much Light to this, as I think we are now capable of. There is a Natural Body, and 2. 44, 45. there is a Spiritual Body. And so it is written, the first Man Adam was made a living Soul, the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit. Where two things are plain.

1st. That as the Body is now called, ζῶμα ψυχικὸν, a Natural Body, on the account of the conjunction of the ψυχή or Soul with it; so the Resurrection Body is call'd, sῶμα πνευματικών, or a Spiritual Body, upon the account of the πνεῦμα or Spirit; because this shall be communcated to Man in the Refurrection so fully, and united to him so intimately, that it shall not only possess the Soul, but overflow and diffuse it felf thro' the Body, and confequently purifie, refine and invigorate it, and then it shall be like Chrift's Glorious Body..

2dly. From hence we learn the vast Difference there is between the first Adam and the second, between Paradise and Heaven, between a State of Innocence and a State of Perfection and Glory. The first Man Adam was made a living Soul, the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit. So vast is the Distance be

tween Paradife and Heaven, and be-Ser.III. tween the Image of the Earthy Adam, which we now bear, and that of the Heavenly Adam, which we shall bear in the Refurrection.

Thus I have in some part evinced the Greatness of our future Reward, by shewing you the thing it confifts in, namely, the Perfection and Excellence of that Body with which we shall be cloath'd in the Refurrection. I am now to shew

you,

What will be the natural Consequences of this: These are three.

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1st, Deliverance from all Evil. 2dly, The Fruition' of all heavenly Good.

3dly; An eternal Continuance in this blessed State; of each but a Word.

1ft, Deliverance from all Evil. Now all Enemies are put under the Feet of Chrift, for the Death. Therefore when this corruptible shall have put on Incorruption, and this mor-V. 54. tal shall have put on Immortality, we shall have nothing to do but to enjoy and bless God, nothing to do but to fing Hallelujahs, and offer up Glory and Power and Bleffing to God for evermore: We shall never more feel or fear Evil, for then shall. $4,55 be brought to pass the Saying that is written, 56, 57.

laft Enemy that shall be destroy'd is v. 2642

E

Death