:

fullness of the Godhead.) GOD and Man are Hy- Tav 78 poftatically United in Him. Here is the Life of God anggece πλήρωμα in the Nature of man and by the Actions of God & Oin Him, the Glories of God (his Perfections of Wife. dom, Goodness, and Power) are manifefted. Here Col. 2. 9. is a Wonderful Conjunction, fuch as we are to Adore God for: and as God in Christ is Manifefted Oeds in to us, fo God in Christ is the Object of our Adora- x815 tion.

2. There is here the Communication of God to man and that

(1.) Immediately to the Man Chrift Jefus. And (2.) Mediately to Other Men, who are in Con-. junction with Him.

11 312

2 Cor.5.19

Creed

(1.) Here is the Communication of God immediately to the Man Christ Jesus. By which we do not mean that the Man Christ Jefus is God; any more Tin than that God is the Man Christ Jesus. There is 2. 5. no Confufion of Substance, in the Unity of the Perfon. Atban But as the Godhead is peculiarly Prefent in Him, and United to him; fo there are fuitable Communications of God to Him That which God is in Himself; and that which God is to us, the fame God is in Christ fefus. The Living God Lives in Him: and as God is Hypoftatically United to Him; all that is in God is communicated to Chrift; as God communicates and Unites himself to Chrift. In Christ there is the Wildon, Goodness, and Power of God: fat God himself is in Christ, and in the fame fenfe that God is in Him, the Perfections of God are in Him. The Humane Nature is ftill humane Nature; but 'tis in a wonderful Conjunction with

Epb.5.9.

with the Divine Nature; and fo there is a Proportionate Communication of God to Christ immediates

(2.) There is a Communication mediately to Other men who are in a Conjunction with Chrift. This Union of Chrift and Chriftians is Spiritual; 'tis made by Religion and as there is a Union with the Son, fo there is thereby a Participation of God, by that Union. God in Chrift manifefts himself to men and God in Christ communicates himself to Men. We are to confider what the Communicable Perfections of God are, viz. Holinefs (i. e. all Goodnefs, Righteoufnefs, and Truth) and there is a communication of thefe to men thro' Chrift. We do not mean, that these are in Men, in that Fullness and Perfection, in which they are in Chrift: but they are in Men, after the Proportion, Capacity, and MeaFob.1.16. fure of men and of his Fullness have we received. Col.19. It pleafed the Father, that in Him fhould all Fullness dwell and we are faid to be Filled with all the Fullness of God. But nothing can have more than it can (according to its Capacity) Receive: and tho' there be Fullness in every one, yet One can Receive more than another, before it be Full And this ProportiEph.4.13. on is compared to that of Chrift: We are come unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fullness of Christ. Thus the Saints in Heaven are Glorious as Chrift is Glorious. Phil. Their Bodies are Fashioned like unto his Glorious Body : and their Souls fhall be fully impreffed with the divine Image; and the whole Church Triumphant fhall be, by Chrift, prefented unto the Father, a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing, but be Holy, and without blemish. mild cas beS

Eph.3.19.

3.21.

Epb.5.27.

2

Thus

Thus we fee how the Religion of Christians shall be Rewarded with the Glory of Chrift: how they fball be where He is, and behold his Glory; being by that Renovation of their Spirits prepared for it. The Use I shall make of this Difcourfe, is

1st, To Reconcile our Minds to the Neceffity of Death.

2dly, To Caution our Judgments against Miflakes concerning our Happiness.

1st, This difcourfe may serve to Reconcile our Minds to the Neceffity of Death.

1. Because that Death is but for a time and 2. Because that Death is but in part.

ufe.

Ift, This Doctrine may Reconcile our Minds to the Neceffity of Death; because that Death is but for a time. There are feveral other Confiderations by which we may be Reconciled unto Death: but this is the Confideration to be Inculcated now, viz. That this Death is but for a time. This Death might have been Eternal; and must have been fo, if there had been no Refurrection; or Reftauration of Life. But there will be an End of this Death: (this Death it self shall dye and the Dead men fhall Live): and Christ is to us, the Refurrection and the Life: and (as our Saviour fobn 11. goes on) He that believeth in me, tho' he were dead, yet, 25. ball he Live. And whofo Liveth and believeth in me, v. 26. Shall never dye, (i. c. fhall not Dye, or be Dead for ever) He (ball not Dye eternally, as it was better in the Old Tranflation; and as it is in the Collect at the Fu- v. Common neral Office. He that is a True Chriftian fhall not Prayer. C

Dye

John

'; ?

αἰῶνα.

.

Dye eternally; but fhall Live again, and shall then Live eternally. This is the fpecial Subject of the 15th Chapter of the firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, which we read at Funerals: and this is a good Argument to Perfwade us unto a Religious Life, as we Defire a Bleffed Immortality. And let the Confideration Reconcile our Minds to the Neceffity of Death, because this Death is but for a time. Let us not forrow, at the Death of our Friends; or Fear, at our own Death, Jb.4.13. as if we had then no Hope of Life: but remember in. Death, that there is another Life; and that altho this Life has an End, yet the Other (and Better) Life. fhall never end. Every Good man has Two Lives, and is subject but to One Death: and when He receives the Second Life, he cannot be hurt of the fe20. 6. cond Death.

Rev.2.11.

1

And fince this Death is hut for a time; Let us Subτὸ χρεῶν mit to the Law of our Nature as the Gentiles fpeak: to M. Ant. the Punishment of our fin, as we Chriftians fpeak: and: 1.4. §.17. as we Live with the Expectation of Death; Let us Dye with the Affurance of Life. To this end, be fure to Live religiously for fuch fhall (after a time) Live again, and Live happily, and for ever: for this Death is but for a time.

Rom.6. 23.

2dly, Be Reconciled to the Neceffity of this Death, because this Death is but in part. Man is a Compofition of Soul and Body: and as these two Parts of his Compofition are divers; fo when the One dyes, the Other Lives; and every man furvives himself. The Matto Body can be killed, but the Soul cannot therefore the Death of the Body is not the Death of the Soul: becaufe if it were, any one who could Kill the Body,. could alfo kill the Soul ;, which thing our Saviour exprefly denies..

28.

The

2 Cor. 12€

The Soul can be, and act in the body, or out of the body; which is plainly fuppofed in that of the Apoftle concerning his Rapture, I knew fuch a man (whether in the body, or out of the body I cannot tell ; 3, 4 God knoweth) How that he was caught up into Para- appna dife, and heard unspeakable words, which is not Lawful space for a man to utter. Unspeakable words, i. e. fuch as ov ἐκ ξον were not Lawful, or not poffible to be uttered by man : ^«ñ but he Heard them, i. e. perceived; therefore he was Active, whether in the body, or out of the body; otherwise the Suppofition must be Abfurd, which he made when He knew well what he faid.

θύραθεν

λαλῆσα.

Ariftot.

5 de ben.

The Soul is of another Nature than the Body; and of another Original; fo that a Heathen Philofopher could fay that an Animal was an Animated Body; and that the Soul was bugar, not from the body, or any σῶμα ἔμε part of it, but from without: when therefore the Bo- uxor dy returns unto the Earth out of which it was taken, de Anim. then the Spirit returns to God that gave it. And L.3.6.12. what State is the Soul in after this? Not in a State of Sleep (which is like Death for the time) Those c. 3. Philofophers who confidered the Body rather as an Nos ubObftruction to the exercife of the Mind, than as ne- να θύρα ceffary to it; as the Platonists did, muft not think the State of Seperation was a State of Inacti- Mat.9. 24. vity.

Anim L.2.

θερα

Ecc.12. 7.

διδυμά

όνες.

Hom.Il. 16

But it must be Acknowledged that the Certainty bavαT O that the Life of the Soul when feperated from the Body, is grounded upon Revelation; tho' there is great Probability of it by Reason. The Doctrine of Anμia the Gospel puts this out of queftion, to us: and a- Plut. Now gainst this Doctrine there is no Objection from Right find

reason.