6 well as future resurrection of the human body. Nay, St Paul says, in many places, 'that we are the ' temple of God", that our bodies are members * of Christ *,'' the temples of the Holy Ghost in us, 'whom we have of God; therefore,' says he, glorify God in your body, as well as in your spirit, because they are both God's.' But if it be true, that Jesus Christ appeared so frequently in the ancient times in the likeness or similitude of man, perhaps it may be asked, to what purpose was his manifestation in the flesh afterwards? The answer is ready -it was to perfect, or, as he himself says, to finish our redemption by dying for us, which could not be done without his assuming the substance of our flesh, as well as our likeness. He had on former occasions exhibited himself in such a way as could be seen by man, and that, as the scripture for the most part declares, in the form of man: now he was to become very man, to be made like us in every respect, in substance as well as form, in every thing, except in sin". No doubt much might still be discovered, to strengthen this observation, in the volume of the book in which it is written of him, if people's curiosity led them to it; and as to the nature and origin of that heavenQ 2 11 Cor. iii. 16. 3vi. 19.. 4 vi. 20. 2 vi. 15. 5 St John xix. 30. ly 6 See the account given of this dispensation by St Paul, Philippians ii. 5, &c. which will probably give light to, and also receive light from, what I have offered. ly part of man, which we call his spirit, perhaps some account might be given of it also, if it belonged to the present subject. But I fear I haye digressed too far already-I shall therefore come to a conclusion, after having observed, Secondly, That, from comparing together some particulars of what has been advanced, we shall be likewise assisted in conceiving a proper idea of the state of souls after death, and of the nature of our happiness, especially with respect to our bodies at the resurrection. As to the state of souls, or world of spirits, between death and judgement, it will be difficult to produce any passage of scripture, in which it is expressly said, that the souls of saints go immediately to heaven, according to the common notion of heaven. Our Saviour promises to the thief upon the cross, 6 this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.' We have seen what Paradise was, and what it was designed for; and, as from the account given of it in scripture, it seems to have been a place, or sacred inclosure, separated from the rest of the earth, (which is spoken of as distinct from Paradise), and, as there is not the least insinuation made, that it was destroyed by the flood with the rest of the earth, there is nothing in scripture to hinder, why the Paradise spoken of by our Saviour may not be believed to be the same with that Paradise, into which the Lord God put Adam. Even although the Paradise of our Saviour were to be taken metaphorically, yet as the use of the word directs us by analogy to what is said of the first Pa radise, 6 6. radise, it will appear, that our Saviour's Paradise, in resemblance to that first Paradise, was an intermediate place, or middle state, between earth and heaven, between the church militant and church triumphant; in which middle state, the spirits of just men finished, or departed,' as St Paul writes', enjoy the presence of Christ the Mediator of the new covenant,' according to our Lord's promise*, thou shalt be with me,' that is, in my company, in 'Paradise. But, that such spirits at death went directly to heaven, was never established as a doctrinal point in the church, till the present popish custom of praying to saints was unhappily introduced; a practice not heard of till some centuries after Christ; and which would never have been heard of, had not men appeared of perverse minds, and innovating principles, forsaking the old truth, from a pride of introducing and establishing a new belief of their own. A much safer way surely it is to follow antiquity, where we find antiquity has followed scripture. In the present point we are taught to say, in words strictly scriptural, that at death we expect to be with our blessed Saviour in Paradise, that our bodies go to dust in the grave; that they shall be raised again, or restored at the last day. This restoration is to be effected by the same power, and in like manner as the resurrection of Christ's body was 3, by the glory of the Father;" Heb. xii. 23, 24. 2 St Luke xxiii. 43. 3 Rom vi. 4. Father;' which, as we have again and again seen, is the second person in Jehovah. But lastly, in respect of the resurrection, or second creation, as well as of the first formation of our bodies, Christ the glory' may properly be called, as he truly is 'n 'agyn tus twENG TO ☺:8 ',' ' the beginning, the principle, • of the creation of 'God.' There is, we know, to be a change wrought on our bodies, a glorious change,' as St Paul at large explains it; making one great part, if not the principal part of that change to consist in gloryas, where he says, 'the sufferings of this time ⚫ are not to be compared with the glory, that shall be • revealed,' aπonaλuvai, uncovered, made visible, in us. So again, our light afflictions,' &c. 'work out for us an exceeding and eternal weight of glory; and, the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,' he says, * shall change our vile body," literally the body of our humiliation, when by the fall it was subjected to corruption, that it may become,' in form, like unto his glorious body,' literally the body of his glory. In all which expressions, if we attend to the true and proper meaning of the word GLORY, as explained above, we shall be enabled to form a most comfortable idea of that grand and beautiful change; when 6 our 1 Rev. iii. 14. 21 Cor. xv. 35-58. 4 2 Cor. iv. 17. 5 Philip. iii. 21. our bodies, now liable to diseases and death, shall be delivered from every tendency thereto, shall no longer be, as at present, a fleshy, tangible, dissolvible mass, full of carnal passions and affections, but shall be like the form of the Son of God, shall be spiritual bodies, clothed with a doğa, a GLORY and it is by this assimilation of our bodies to Christ's body of glory, that, as the apostle St John tells us', WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, AND SHALL SEE HIM, AS HE IS.' 1 On the other hand, the bodies of the wicked, or unrighteous, are not to expect such a transformation; they are to be raised again indeed, but with all their fleshly tendencies and inclinations about them; and, for aught the scriptures say to the contrary, in the same substance, capable of touch, feeling, and resistance; and if so, it is not too much to believe, that they shall be sensible of, and affected by a material fire, as the scripture more than insinuates", when thus describing their sentence, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire;' and the rich man in the parable3 speaks of being tormented in this flame. Certain it is, that they shall have no communication of the Soğa, the glory, the cherubic brightness, and so shall be separated from God, ordered to depart, not from the all-seeing eye of God, which will be ever 2 St Matth. xXV. 41. St John iii. 2. 3 St Luke xvi. 24. |