acknowledging ourselves at the utmost stretch SER M. and period of human understanding; we shall XXV. now fet out again, and launch into that immenfe field of knowledge opened to us by the revelations of the Gofpel; that those men may see how this foolishness of God is wifer

than men.

And therefore in this one inftance, let us observe the true nature of all the other mysteries of the Gospel.

Behold I fher you a mystery, fays St. Paul, we shall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed. Now it is revealed to us that these bodies of ours fhall receive such a mighty alteration in the refurrection, it is what we all understand, it is very eafy and obvious; and yet plain as it is now, all the wit of man and utmost imagination could not have found it out; and nothing but a revelation from heaven can convince us of the truth and certainty of it. And here is our faith, that we believe a thing we fo well understand, upon the teftimony of him, that reveals this doctrine to us.

Again, the fame St. Paul fays with respect to this change, that it doth not appear what we Thall be. This is the other part of that fame mystery, which is yet in the dark and unrevealed. And herein is our faith and our hope, that we look for this change and have cur whole dependance upon it, though we have no capacity at present to frame the least thɔught or conception of it.

And

SERM.
XXV.

And here is that faith, and that knowledge put together with respect to the fame mystery, which the wife men of this world have made fuch a noise about, and laboured to reprefent as inconfiftent.

Thus we fee how that which hath taken the colour of an objection, is in truth the transcendent excellency of Chriftianity. That it carries the mind beyond its present sphere of knowledge; and raises our hopes in another world, to fomething that we neither do nor can know; and which it cannot enter into the beart of man to conceive. It is this alone which makes it a powerful motive to virtue and goodness; and of weight and influence enough to reftrain the headftrong appetites, and unruly paffions of human nature. For alas! all that we can have a notion of in this world, is too low for our hopes. But when we are to expect a change of our bodies, which can be no otherwise represented to us now, than that it will be like that of Chrift's; this enlarges the mind of man, gives it full scope, and fills the vaft ambition of our fouls.

And why? because the reafon given why we cannot form any conception of this likenefs, is because we have no capacities for it in this world. When He shall appear, we shall be like him, (fays St. John,) for we shall fee him as he is, (i. e.) by having all our faculties enlarged and exalted, we shall be rendered capable of that beatifick vifion. In the mean time, we take the fame method in thinking.

and

and fpeaking of it, that we do of all other S ER M. things of another world: First, by confider- XXV. ing what it is not, removing from it all the imperfections of our prefent ftate, and then representing it by the greatest ideas our imaginations are stock'd with, and choiceft refemblances this world can afford. Though when all is done, we speak in the language of children; and we shall never be able to think of it, as it really is in itself, till that great day, when there fhall be a manifeftation of the fons of God.

We are in ourselves naturally very aspiring, the mind of man is framed to great and lofty thoughts; and yet we are fo far from being limited or reftrained in our hopes of this glorious change, that the divine revelations do not only cherish and encourage them; but they carry them on yet farther, even vastly beyond our most elevated imaginations.

This likenefs of Chrift which we are told we shall refemble, is no' leís than that of the divinity itself. He is called the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of bis perfon. Which doth not come up to the word in the original, for that implies the full and perfect tranfcript of the living God. And again it is faid that in him dwells all the fulness of the God-head bodily: Which can mean nothing lefs, than that his body now partakes of the glorious perfections of the divine nature. Thus high are our hopes raised by the Gospel,

SER M. even to a likeness of God himself, that foun XXV. tain of all perfection. There is no check given to our ambition, fhort of a refemblance of the divinity; and here the mind must stop, fince there is nothing greater to be wished for either in this world or the next.

That very image of God which the angels loft, is to be conferred upon us; and if this had not been fo plainly revealed to us, the first thought of it would have ftruck the mind with terror: And what we are now fo much encouraged to hope for, would have appeared to us like the blafphemy of Lucifer, whofe crime was, that he would have afcended and been like the most high.

So that after this, we may give the utmost loofe to our imaginations; leave the mind to dilate itself; and let the fancy traverse over all the beauties of the vifible creation, it fhall find nothing to compare with what it shall be itself. For our bodies to put on the brightnefs of the firmament, and outshine the fun and ftars; is indeed a dazzling thought! but alas! what is all this to a refemblance of that ftupendous being? And what are all the colours of the rainbow, or glowing of a great ball of fire, to that eternal weight of glory which fhall be, one day, revealed in us?

We are in no danger of exceeding; let us fay what we will of this mighty change, we are fure to come fhort. And therefore what we have to do is, to think and fpeak the best

we

we can of it, from the light of nature affifted SER M. by thofe revelations that are afforded us. XXV.

Accordingly we are told that this mortal Shall put on immortality: (i. e.) The body shall then be framed into a temper difpofed for endlefs duration; fubject to no principle of decay in itself, nor to any violence from abroad; so that no power either from within or without (excepting only that which is almighty) fhall be able to deforder or distroy the gloThe union of foul and body

rious creature.

will be fo intire and complete, and they shall be fo much the fame, that they fhall never more be liable to diffolution. Nay, perhaps the distinction of foul and body will ceafe; both substances be wrought up into one undiftinguished effence, and fo mortality fall be fwallowed up of life.

Again it is faid, this corruptible shall put on incorruption: (i. e.) all imperfections both natural and moral, which we now labour under, fhall quite difappear; we shall be purged from all thofe grofs and impure qualities, which clog our nature, and render us a burden to ourselves. We shall be perfectly cleanfed from all filthiness of flesh and Spirit, these two fhall no more be contrary the one to the other: All contention between them shall cease, and they shall be united in perfect harmony and agreement. Their inclinations and tendencies will be all one way, infomuch that even in the body, there will not be the leaft reluctance to the greatest goodness. Thus VOL. II. fhall

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