whom I fhall fee for myself, and my eyes fhall behold and "not another. If a man die he fhall live again. Man leth "down and rifeth not, until the heavens shall be no more? they

fhall not awake, nor be raised out of fleep." Thus Job firmly believed in the doctrine of a refurrection. The Pfalmift teftified the fame thing when he faid; "Thou wilt not leave "my foul in hell, that is in the state of the dead, neither "wilt thou fuffer thine holy one to fee corruption." The prophet Ifaiah, when speaking of the Meffiah, fays, "That he

will fwallow up death in victory." So fpeaks Hofeah, "I « will ransom them from the power of the grave." The apoftle informs us of the faith of Abraham on this head, when offering his fon Ifaac, "He accounted that God was able "to raise him up even from the dead." Our Saviour proves, the doctrine of the refurrection from Mofes. "Now that the "dead are raised, fays he, even Mofes fhewed at the bush, when "he called the Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, " and the God of Jacob, for he is not a God of the dead but "of the living." The fcribes approved of this argument, and the Sadducees were put to filence; the one replied, “ Mafter "thou haft well faid; and the other after that durft not ask "him any question." The prophet Ezekiel beautifully illuf trates this truth in his relation of his vifion of the valley of dry bones, their reviving, bone uniting itfelf with its bone, their "The apoftles taught the receiving flesh and breath and life. 'people and preached thro' Christ the refurrection of the "dead." Paul faid, "I have hope toward God, that there fhall "be a refurrection of the dead, both of the juft and the unjust. "Why fhould it be thoughta thing incredible with you that God "fhould raise the dead." It is often pofitively affirmed "God quickeneth the dead, God raifeth the dead," &c. Yea the authorities in fupport of this doctrine ate fo pointed and numerous, that time would fail in the recitation. It was taught by Mofes and the prophets, by Chrift and his apoftles, fo that the whole feriptures are full of proofs for this purpofc. But it is more than time to direct your attention to the

Second thing propofed, which was to confider fomething of the manner in which the dead fhall be raised, "Some to "everlasting life, and fome to thame and everlafting con"tempt."

With refpect to the bodies of the faints which fhall be raised to everlafting life, the fcriptures every where make the most glorious representations of their excellency, of their beauty and their fplendor. The great refurrection day will be ushered in with amazing grandeur and magnificence. Chrift fhall defcend in all the pomp of the celestial world, mighty hofts of angels, of cherubs and feraphs fhall attend him, the trump of God fhail fill heaven, earth and hell with its found, and they that fleep in the duft fhall hear his voice and come forth. The godly thall be raifed out of their graves by the fpirit of Chrift. "He that railed up Chrift from the dead fhall alfo "quicken your mortal bodies, by his fpirit that dwelleth in "you." The wicked alfo fhall be raised by the omnipotent arm, by the fame power which had enclofed their fouls in hell, and imprifoned their bodies in the earth; thefe must come forth all cloathed in deformity and horror to receive their irreverfible doom.

In regard to the qualities with which the bodies of the faints. fhall be raised, the apoftles informs us, they fhall be incorruptable, glorious, powerful and fpiritual. "It is fown in corruption, it is railed in corruption; it is fown in difhonor "it is raifed in glory; it is fown in weakness, it is railed in "power; it is fown a natural body, it is raifed a fpiritual bo"dy."

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First the body is fown in corruption but it is raised in incor ruption. The faints are buried in the ground a mass of corruption and putrefa Stion like others, but in the fplended morning of the refurrection, they will arte incorruptible. They

will then have no more corruptible materials in their nature, no more fubject to pain, fickness nor death. They fhall forever flouifh in immortal youth, vigour and beauty. They fhall then be prefented to God without fpot, or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. They will not be raifed as they died, fome decriped and deformed, fome maimed and mutilated, fome mortified and covered with ulcers, fome wafted by confumptions and fome bloated to an enormous fize by hydropical diforders, but they will arife every one in all the perfection of beauty, an exact fymmetry of features and a just proportion of all their parts. In one word, they will be raised in all imaginable excellency.

Secondly, the body is fown in difhonor, but it is raifed in gla ry. The body while here is often covered with a loathfome and forbidding deformity, and it is hurried into the grave a heap of stench and rottennefs, but in the refurrection it shall appear a glorious body. They thall arife, in majesty, dignity, beauty and fplendor. They fhall then fhine as the stars of heaven and as the fun in the firmament.

Thirdly, it is fown in weakness, but it is raised in power. It crawls thro' this world feeble, weary and faint; it falls into the duft abfolute weakness. It cannot defend itself against worms and putrefaction. But when it arifes, it will be powerful and flrong; it will be all life, vigor and activity. There will be no more weakness, wearinefs or fatigue. There will be perfect ftrength and ability to fuftain without the leaft uneafi-. nefs the eternal weight of glory, that fhall be placed upon. them. They will be then powerful indeed, perfectly able with a happy agility to execute all the purpofes and defires of the

foul.

Fourthly, it is fown a natural body, but it is raised a fpiritual body. It defcends to the grave an animal body, which lag fubfiited by food and drink, by fleep and air; but in the

refurrection it fhall appear of a much more refined contexture; it will be endued with fuch fpiritual qualities as to stand in no need of fuch animal refreshments; there will then be no more need of food or drink or raiment. The body will then fubfift after a fpiritual manner, for they fhall be as the angels. But who can defcribe the glory, the beauty, power, incorruptibility fpirituality and feraphic nature of the raised and glorified bodies? Bleffed and happy are they who fhall obtain a part in the Arft refurrection.

But the manner in which the bodies of the wicked shall be raised in that day will be perfectly the reverfe of all this. They will be deftitute of all glory, beauty and comeliness. They will afcend from their graves in all the horrors of deformity, with ghaftly vifages, diftorted countenances, writhing members, convulfed breafts, and all their looks terrible. Let us turn from the odious picture, and deteftable fight. They come forth the abhorring of all flesh; veffels of uglinefs and difhonor, to comprehend all in one dreadful phrafe, their refurrection will be the refurrection of damnation.

This lecture fhall conclude with a few reflections.

First this doctrine fhould raise the fouls of true chriftians into raptures of confolation. How tranfporting the thought tho' you die, yet fhall ye live; you all greatly live in the regions of immortal blifs? How ineffably glorious will the meeting of the foul and body be; your victory over fin, over death, over Satan and all your enemies will then be complete. Tho' your bodies here may be decriped, difmembered and deformed, yet hereafter they fhall appear in all the perfection of beauty. Tho' now wrecked with pain, faint with fickness, covered with loathfome fores, yet then you shall be strong, powerful, alert and active. Tho' now defpifed and held in contempt by the world, yet then you fhall be honored, cloath

ed in white robes, crowns of glory on your heads, and feeps tres of dominion in your hands.—What obligations, O' what delightful obligations are believers under to render love, praife and thanksgiving to God and to Jefus Chrift? That fuch life glory and felicity are procured for you, that death is vanquished, fin destroyed, the grave conquered, and all heaven is yours. What, O chriftians, ought your lives to be in this world? what faith, what gratitude, zeal and holy living?

Secondly, this folemn doctrine fpeaks nothing but terror to the workers of iniquity. You will be dragged from your graves with fhame and contempt. Your cries will be to the rocks and the mountains to fall on you and hide you from the awful fcene. Your faces will gather blackncis, and what pencil can paint the reluctant horrors, and the agoniting ftruggles exerted both by foul and body against their reunion? How do they avoid and fly back from each other, yet by almighty force they are compelled into the abhorred conjunction? The foul and body hate to meet, and hatred will reign between them forever. And to clofe the fcene, they pafs away into mifery which will never intermit or come to an end.

My dear brethren, let us all confider the folemnities of the great day before it comes; let the wicked repent and believe the gospel, and let faints rejoice in the riches of glory fet be.

fore them.