N01272:153
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the…
Meditations on the glory of the heavenly world. I. On the happiness of the soul of believers, at the instant of their separation from their bodies. II. On the glory of the bodies of God's children, in the resurrection world, when they shall be as the angels of heaven. III. On the glory of both soul and body in the heaven of heavens, after the day of judgment, to all eternity. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Six lines of quotations]
Boston in N.E. printed: : Sold by Benjamin Eliot, at his shop in King Street., 1711
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The holy Scriptures Expressly declare a Resurrection of the same Body. Job believed, that notwithstanding his Body should be Consumed in the Grave, he should Rise again at the Last day with the very same Body. I will not trouble you with the Critical Disputes of Learned men, about the translation of his words; ⟨p. 121⟩but in our English Bibles they run thus, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter Day on the Earth; and though after my skin Worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for my self, & mine eyes shall behold, & not another, tho' my reins be consumed within me, Job. 19. 25, 26, 27. He did not think, that after the Resurrection he should have an Aerial Body; but that he should have Flesh, & that be should have Bodily Eyes, the same throne had before his Death; and that with them, he should see GOD his Redeemer; namely our Lord Jesus Christ, who is GOD as well as Man; and because he is a Man He may be seen with Bodily Eyes. One reason why Believers shall have Bodily Eyes restored to them at the Latter day, is, that so they may behold the Glory of the God man JESUS CHRIST. Job moreover says, I, myself, and not another. How can words be more Expressed? And does not the Apostle say•, This Corruptible (not […] but this Corruptible) shall put on […] 1 Cor. 15. 53. He speaks ⟨p. 122⟩as plainly and demonstratively, as if he had pointed with his Finger and said, This very Body. Again, he says to the Philippians, Christ shall Change our Vile Body, that it may be Fashioned like unto His Glorious Body, Phil. 3. 21. That very Body which was a Subject of Vileness, shall be a Subject of Glory. It shall be the same Numerical Body. That Body which was Ours, and not another which was not Ours. It is related in the History of the Bohemian Persecution, that when a Noble Martyr, the Lord Henry Otto, was Condemned to Death for his Religion, (having appeared vigorously for the Protestant Interest in that Kingdom) he said unto his Persecutors and Murderers, You may cut my Body in pieces, Yet I do believe that my Saviour will gather them together again, & Clothe them with Skin; so that with these Eyes I shall see him; with these Ears I shall hear him; and with this Tongue I shall praise him; and with this Heart I shall rejoice in him for ever.