Dei. 1. 22.

C. 20.

of God fummon our calcin'd Atoms from their various Receptacles, and command them to stand up in their primitive Shapes again?

If it be objected, That our Bodies may not only be corrupted and putrify'd, or difpers'd and scatter'd into feveral Quarters of the Earth; but fome parts of them likewife in their Rang of Transformation, became Food to other Human Bodies ; St. Auftin attempts to folve the Difficulty thus. (*) De Civ. The Particles of that Body, (fays (r) "he) which through Famine or any other Caufe decays and fades, are not annihilated, but evaporated into the Air, where, though invifible and loft to us, they are every one of them difcern'd and distinguish'd by the All-feeing Eye of God. Though therefore through want of these Particles, one Body may be forc'd at prefent to borrow Nutriment from fome parts of another Human Body, yet when God fhall reftore these evaporated Particles to their own Body,that Body will then be able to fpare, and faithfully return the parts, which it borrow'd in its neceflity, to their own Body. But with all due De

ference

ference to the Learning and Piety of this truly excellent and moft worthy e Father, I do not take this to be fatisfa&tory: That Body, which at the Refurrection, shall confist in a great meafure of fuch Particles of matter, as were evaporated from it into the Air long before its Death, and not of the Every fame, wherewith it was conftituted, when relinquifh'd by the Soul, being by no means to be called numerically the fame with that which dyed. In answer therefore to this Objection, I humbly conceive, That though the fame Body, which dy'd, is to rife again, yet 'tis not neceffary that all the Particles of it should: When the Body is emaciated, and its Flesh by lingring Sickness half confumed,

we

ftill (its integral and neceffary parts all remaining) rightly accounting it the fame Body. Nay, confidering how many fuperfluous and unneceffary parts accrue to most of our Bodies, I verily believe, that our Refurre&ion-Bodies will generally be able to fpare many parts of their Matter, for the Conftitution of other Bodies. But if that Promife of raifing the fame Body does extend to every particle of it, that defcends

into

into the Grave, then, I fay, it may please God, that these parts of our Bodies, which are taken for Nutriment into other Human Bodies,may either not concorporate, or wear off again before the Hour of Death. To conclude: With God all things, which neither immediately nor confequentially imply a Contradiction, nor are any ways repugnant to his Effential Perfections, are poffible. But the Resurrection of the Dead, does neither immediately nor confequentially imply a Contradiction, nor is any ways repugnant to his Ef fential Perfections; and therefore, if he shall not think fit to accomplish it by any of these fore-mention'd ways, he will infallibly make good his Word, and effect it by fome other to us unknown.

And thus you have feen, that this Question of our Apoftle is very proper, rational, and pertinent, and every way worthy the Wisdom and Learning of its great Author: First, Because the Principles and Tenents of the most eminent and learned Pagans themselves, do render the Doctrine of the Refurrection credible. Secondly, Be cause the Divine Oracles do exprefly

affert

affert it. And, Thirdly, Because the Divine Power is able to effect it. I shall now briefly infer, and conclude.

Now 'twere improper to addrefs to the Atheist or Pagan from the Pulpit, when we expect not to find them in this Sacred Place: But as many of you, as hear me this Day, do (I hope) believe in your Hearts, that the Holy Scriptures are in very Deed the Oracles of God, and these (you have seen) do exprefly affert, That God hath appointed a Day, when the Voice of the Arch-angel, the Trump of God, shall every where break in pieces the Bars and Prisons of Death, and cause a general Refurrection both of the Juft and Unjust. Let all of us then, my Brethren, be perpetually careful fo to demean our felves in all the Periods of our Lives, that when this great and notable Day of the Lord fhall come, may be found among the Elect: Among those, whom the Holy Angels fhall gather together from the four Winds, and fecure from the Vengeance, that's coming upon the Ungodly. If you ask, How this is to be done? I an

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fwer

1 Ep. 3. 3. fwer with St. John, That every Man, who hath his Hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure: Is careful to avoid the Stains and Pollutions of Sin, and evermore to keep himself unfpotted from the World; being well affur'd, that the Wicked fhall not ftand in the Judgment, nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Righteous. St. Paul gives you the very fame DiCol. 3.4,5. rections. When Chrift, fays he, who is our Life, fhall appear, then shall ye alfo appear with him in Glory. Mortify therefore your Members, which are upon the Earth; Fornication, Uncleanness, inordinate Affection, Evil Concupifcence, and Covetoufnefs, which is Idolatry. In fhort, if we fincerely defire the Welfare of our Bodies, and their Refur rection at the laft Day, to the Life immortal and glorious, we must not be too fond and tender of them now. we indulge them too much, they'll be always (like foolish Children), craving things noxious and hurtful, and things that will affuredly prevent their Ever lafting Happiness. We must therefore, ὑπωπιάζειν κι δελαγωγείν, ule roughners to them, beat and buffet them, and bring them into fubjection; must re

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strain