N29704:177
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 Timothy Green in Middle 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.
3. It is by virtue of the Resurrection of Christ that Believers obtain a blessed Resurrection. Thus does the Apostle argue. 1 Cor. 15.12, 13. If Christ be Preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no Resurrection? If there be no Resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. As sure as Christ is risen, Believers on him shall rise. For he rose as a Public Person Representing all the Elect of God. Verse 21, 22. Since by man came death, by Man came also the Resurrection of the Dead, for as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive. There are two roots from which Death and Life proceed, viz. Adam & Christ. The first Adam, by reason of his being a Public Person Representing all Mankind, has been ⟨p. 161⟩a root of death to all his Children. Christ the second Adam, Representing all the Children of God, has been a root of Life to them all. Because He Rose from the dead and Liveth for ever more, they shall do so too. This also may be denoted by that Expression of Christs being the first born from the Dead, Col 1.18. Under the Law, a Ransom was to be Paid for the First born, and then the rest of the Children were free, because the first born was a Public Person, Representing all the Children of the Family. Thus, if Christ is Redeemed from the Power of the Grave, then so are all the Children of God in him. When Christ opened the Womb of the Grave and came forth, then all Believers were freed by virtue of the Ransom which HE had paid. Hence also, the Resurrection of Christ is mentioned as a first fruits. Christ is risen from the Dead, and became the first fruits of them that slept, 1 Cor. 15.20. The first Fruits were Consecrated, and by virtue of that Consecration all the Corn on the ground was sanctified. Thus inasmuch as Christ is ⟨p. 162⟩Risen, all the dead Bodies of the Children of God, which are as so many grains of Corn sown in the Ground, are consecrated and virtually Risen with Christ. And this also is peculiar to Believers.
3. It is by vertue of the Resurrection of Christ that Believers obtain a blessed Resurrection. Thus does the Apostle argue.