It is said of Stephen, that when he was convented before the Council, they saw his Face as it had been the Face of an Angel; importing that it did shine with rays of Light, as the Face of an appearing Angel used to do, Act. 6.15. with Mat. 28.3. How much more will the Faces of GOD's Children shine in the Resurrection World; when they shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven? The Scripture says, that they shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and as the Stars for ever & ever, Dan. 12.3. Nay, more; They shall shine as the Sun. This is a great Truth, and men cannot Easily believe it: Wherefore CHRIST affirms it with great Solemnity; Mat. 13.43. Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun, in the ⟨p. 143⟩Kingdom of their Father. Who has Ears to hear, Let him hear; Importing that this is so wonderful a Truth, as that Men will hardly give Credit to it. There is no Creature seen by us, that shines with so great a Glory as the Sun does. Therefore is that Glory made use of to set forth the Glory of the Resurrection Body. Not but that it will Out-shine the Sun. The Bodies of the Saints (says a Famous Divine) will so shine, as to Eclipse the Glory of the Sun; for which he produces that Scripture, Isai. 24.23. Then shall the Moon be Confounded, and the Sun Ashamed. Another Late Writer Expresseth himself thus; What sight more Glorious, than to behold so many Saints, Like so many Suns to Shine with incomparable Lustre! A Saint in Heaven carries with him, a Light equal to that of the Sun Seven times doubled. The Souls of the Blessed, shall not only be Glorious; but their very Bodies shall be filled with Glory, & invested with a Light Seven times Brighter than that of the Sun: For although' it be said in the Gospel, that the Just shall shine as the Sun, Isaiah the Prophet ⟨p. 144⟩says, that the Sun in those Days shall shine seven times more than now it doth Men are apt to think, that these are only the Hyperbolical Expressions of some Divines: But why should they think so; when the Scripture says, that the Lord JESUS CHRIST shall change our Body, that it may be Fashioned Like unto His Glorious Body? There is no Glory which Eyes can behold, comparable to the Glorious Body of JESUS CHRIST; Since the Fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him Bodily, Col. 2.9. The Glory of that Body infinitely Excels the Glory of the Sun, or of the brightest created Being.
It is said of Stephen, that when he was convented before the Council, they saw his Face as it had been the Face of an Angel; importing that it did shine with rays of Light, as the Face of an appearing Angel used to do, Act. 6.15. with Mat. 28.3. How much more will the Faces of GOD's Children shine in the Resurrection World; when they shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven? The Scripture says, that they shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and as the Stars for ever & ever, Dan. 12.3. Nay, more; They shall shine as the Sun. This is a great Truth, and men cannot Easily believe it: Wherefore CHRIST affirms it with great Solemnity; Mat. 13.43. Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun, in the ⟨p. 143⟩Kingdom of their Father. Who has Ears to hear, Let him hear; Importing that this is so wonderful a Truth, as that Men will hardly give Credit to it. There is no Creature seen by us, that shines with so great a Glory as the Sun does. Therefore is that Glory made use of to set forth the Glory of the Resurrection Body. Not but that it will Out-shine the Sun. The Bodies of the Saints (says a Famous Divine) will so shine, as to Eclipse the Glory of the Sun; for which he produces that Scripture, Isai. 24.23. Then shall the Moon be Confounded, and the Sun Ashamed. Another Late Writer Expresseth himself thus; What sight more Glorious, than to behold so many Saints, Like so many Suns to Shine with incomparable Lustre! A Saint in Heaven carries with him, a Light equal to that of the Sun Seven times doubled. The Souls of the Blessed, shall not only be Glorious; but their very Bodies shall be filled with Glory, & invested with a Light Seven times Brighter than that of the Sun: For altho' it be said in the Gospel, that the Just shall shine as the Sun, Isaiah the Prophet ⟨p. 144⟩says, that the Sun in those Days shall shine seven times more than now it doth Men are apt to think, that these are only the Hyperbolical Expressions of some Divines: But why should they think so; when the Scripture says, that the Lord JESUS CHRIST shall change our Body, that it may be Fashioned Like unto His Glorious Body? There is no Glory which Eyes can behold, comparable to the Glorious Body of JESUS CHRIST; Since the Fulness of the Godhead dwells in Him Bodily,
