1Use 1. This is comfort to a child of God: As Christ said to Martha, John 11.23. Thy brother shall rise again: so I say to thee, thy body shall rise again. The body is sensible of joy as well as the soul; and indeed, we shall not be perfect in glory till our bodies be re-united to our souls. Therefore in Scripture, the doctrine of the resurrection is made ⟨p. 183⟩matter of joy and triumph, Isa. 26.19. The dead men shall live, 2together with my dead body shall they arise: Awake & sing ye that dwell in the dust. Death is as it were the fall of the leaf, but our bones shall flourish as an herb, in the spring of the resurrection. That body with is mouldered to dust shall revive. Sometimes the Saints do sow the Land with their bodies,3 Psal. 142.7. and water it with their blood, Psal. 79.3. But these bodies, whether imprisoned, beheaded, sawn asunder, shall arise and sit down with Christ upon the Throne. O consider what joy will there be at the re-uniting of the body and soul at the resurrection. As there will be a sad meeting of the body and soul of the wicked, they shall be joined together as briars to scratch, and tear one another: So what unspeakable joy will there be at the meeting together of the soul and body of the ⟨p. 184⟩Saints? how will they greet one another (they two being the nearest acquaintance that ever were?) what a welcome will the soul give to the body? O blessed body, thou didst suffer thy self to be martyred, and crucified, thou wert kept under by watchings, fastings, &c. when I prayed thou didst attend my prayers with hands lifted up and knees bowed down. Thou wert willing to suffer with me, and now thou shalt reign with me; cheer up thy self my dear friend; thou wert sown as seed in the dust of the earth with ignominy, but now art raised in glory; thou wert sown a natural body, but now art raised a spiritual body. *O my dear body, I will enter into thee again as an heavenly sparkle, and thou shalt clothe me again as a glorious vestment; I will (I say) enter into thee again, and both of us will enter into our Masters joy.
1Use 1. This is comfort to a childe of God: As Christ said to Martha, John 11.23. Thy brother shall rise againe: so I say to thee, thy body shall rise again. The body is sensible of joy as well as the soul; and indeed, we shall not be perfect in glory till our bodies be re-united to our souls. Therefore in Scripture, the doctrine of the resurrection is made ⟨p. 183⟩matter of joy and triumph, Isa. 26.19. The dead men shall live, 2together with my dead body shall they arise: Awake & sing ye that dwell in the dust. Death is as it were the fall of the leafe, but our bones shall flourish as an herb, in the spring of the resurrection. That body wich is mouldred to dust shall revive. Sometimes the Saints do sowe the Land with their bodies,3 Psal. 142.7. and water it with their blood, Psal. 79.3. But these bodies, whether imprisoned, beheaded, sawn asunder, shall arise and sit down with Christ upon the Throne. O consider what joy will there be at the re-uniting of the body and soul at the resurrection. As there will be a sad meeting of the body and soul of the wicked, they shall be joyned together as briars to scratch, and teare one another: So what unspeakable joy will there be at the meeting together of the soul and body of the ⟨p. 184⟩Saints? how will they greet one another (they two being the nearest acquaintance that ever were?) what a welcome will the soul give to the body? O blessed body, thou didst suffer thy self to be martyrd, and crucified, thou wert kept under by watchings, fastings, &c. when I prayed thou didst attend my prayers with hands lifted up and knees bowed down. Thou wert willing to suffer with me, and now thou shalt reigne with me; cheare up thy self my deare friend; thou wert sowne as seed in the dust of the earth with ignominy, but now art raised in glory; thou wert sowen a natural body, but now art raised a spiritual body. *O my dear body, I will enter into thee again as an heavenly sparckle, and thou shalt cloath me againe as a glorious vestment; I will (I say) enter into thee againe, and both of us will enter into our Masters joy.
- 1Use 1.
- 2Isa. 26.19
- 3Ps. 142.7 Psal 79.3.
- *1 Cor. 15 43.