A Body of Practical Divinity

2. The Bodies of Believers are united to Christ in the Grave, and shall rest there till the Resurrection. They are said to sleep in Jesus, 1 Thess. 4.14. The dust of Believers is part of Christs Body Mystical. The Grave is a Dormitory or place of rest to the Saints, where their Bodies quietly sleep in Christ, till they are awakened out of their sleep by the Trumpet of the Arch-angel.

Quest. 2. But how shall we know that we shall gain all this at Death, to be freed from Sin and Trouble, and to have our Bodies united to Christ in the Grave?

Resp. If we are Believers, then we gain all this at Death. To me (saith Paul) to dye is gain. To me, quatenus, a Believer. Are we such? Have we this blessed Faith? Faith, where-ever it is, is Operative. Lapidaries say, there is no precious Stone but hath Virtutem insitam, some hidden Virtue in it: So I may say of Faith: It hath some secret Virtue in it: It Anchors the Soul on Christ: It hath both a justifying and sanctifying Virtue in it: It fetcheth Blood out of Christs sides to Pardon, and Water out of his sides to Purge: It works by love: It constrains to Duty: It makes the Head study for Christ, the Tongue confess him, the Hands work for him. I have read of a Father who had three Sons, and being to dye, left in his Will all his Estate to that Son who could find his Ring with the Jewel which had an healing Virtue. The Case was brought before the Judges, the two elder Sons counterfeited a Ring, but the younger Son brought the ⟨p. 231⟩true Ring; which was proved by the Virtue of it; whereupon his Fathers Estate went to him. To this Ring I may compare Faith; there is a counterfeit Faith in the World; but if we can find this Ring of Faith which hath the Healing Virtue in it, to purify the Heart, this is the true Faith, which gives us an Interest in Christ, and entitles us to all these Privileges at Death, to be freed from Sin and Sorrow, and to have our Bodies united to Christ, while they are in the Grave.