The Catechizing of Families, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. The Resurrection of the Body.
Qu. 1. I Have oft wondered why there is nothing i… the Creed of the Immortality of the Soul, and its state before the Resurrection.
A. 1. The Article of Christ's Descent, tells us that his Soul was among the separated Souls, while his Body was in the Grave: as he told the Thief, that he should be that day with him in Paradise.
2. The Resurrection of the Body is a thing not known at all by Nature, but only by supernatural Revelation, and therefore is an Article of meer belief: But the Immortality or future Life of Souls, is a point which the Light of Nature revealeth, and therefore was taken both by Iews and sober Heathens as a Truth of common Notice: Even as the Love of our selves is not expressed in the Ten Commandments, but only the Love of God and others, because it was a thing presupposed.
3. The Immortality of the Soul is included in the Article of the Resurrection of the Body: For if the Soul continue not, the next at the Resurrection would be another Soul, and a new created one, and not the same: And then the Body would not be the same Souls Body, nor the Man the same Man, but another. Who was ever so unwise to think that God had so much more Care of the Body than of the Soul, as that he would let the Soul perish, and raise the Body from the dust alone, a…d join it with another Soul.
4. Very Learned and wise Expositors think that the Greek word (Anastasis) used for Resurrection, indeed signifieth the whole Life after this, both of Soul first, and Body also after, oft in the New Testament: It is a Living again, or after this Life, called, A standing up again: And there is great probability of of it in Christs Argument with the Sadduces, and some passages of Pauls, 1 Cor. 15.
Q. 2. What Texts of Scripture do fully prove that the Soul liveth when it is separated from the Body?
A. Very many: 1. God breathing into Man the breath of Life, and making him a living Soul, is said thereby to make him in the Image of God, who is the Living God: And so the Soul is essentially Life.
2. God's calling himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, is by Christ Expounded, as proving that he is the God of Living Abraham.
3. None ever dreamt that Henoch and Elias had no company of humane Souls in Heaven: For Mat. 17. Moses also appeared with them on the Mount, and shewed that his Soul did live.
4. When Saul himself would have Samuel raised to speak with him, it plainly implieth that it was then the common belief of the Iews that separated Souls survive.
5. When, 1 King. 17. 22. Elias raised the dead Child of the Widow of Sarepta, and 2 King. 4. Elisha raised the Shunamites Child, and 2 King. 13. 21. … dead Man was raised; all these proved that the So… was the same that came again: Else the Persons had not been the same.
6. When Christ raised Lazarus, and Iairus Daughter, Mar. 5. 41. 42. Luke 8. 55. and another, Luke 7. 12, 14, 15. The same Souls came into them.
7. Many of the Dead rose and appeared at Christs Death: And Peter raised one from Death: which was by a reunion of the same living Soul to the same Body.
8. Christ tells us, Luke 12. 4. that Men cannot kill the Soul.
9. He tells us, Luke 16. 9. that as the wise Steward when he was put out, was received by the Persons whom he had Obliged, so if we make us Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, when these things fail us (which is at Death) we shall be received into the Everlasting Habitations.
10. The Parable of the sensual Rich Man, and Lazarus, one going presently to Hell, and the other to the Bosom of Abraham in Paradise, fully prove that Christ would have this believed, and would have all Men warned accordingly to prepare; and that Moses and the Prophets were so sufficient for such notice, as that one from the Dead would have been less credible herein: Though it be a Parable, it is an instructing and not a deceiving Parable, and very plain in this particular. The Name of Abraham's Bosom was according to the Common sence of the Iews who so called that State of the blessed, not doubting but that Abraham was then in Happiness, and the blessed with him.
11. Herod's thought that Iohn had been risen from the Dead, and the Iews conceit that Christ had been one of the Old Prophets risen, and the Pharisees approbation of Christ's argument with the Sadduces, do put it past doubt that it was then taken for certain Truth, that the Souls of the Faithful do survive, by all except such as the Heretical Sadduces.
12. Christ saith, Ioh. 17. 3. This is Life Eternal to know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. How is it Eternal if it have as long an interruption as from Death till the Day of Judgment.
13. It is the Summ of God's Gospel that whosoever believeth in Christ, shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life, Joh. 3. 16. Therefore they perish not till the day of Judgment.
14. Christ hath promised that whoever drinketh of the Water which he will give him (the Spirit) it shall be in him a Well of Water springing up to Everlasting Life, Ioh. 4. 14. But if the Soul perish, that Water perisheth to that Soul.
15. To be born again of the Spirit, fitteth a man to enter into the Kingdom of God: But if the Soul perish, all that New Birth is lost to that Soul, and profiteth the Dust only.
16. Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. Joh. 5. 24. He is passed from death to life. Ioh. 6. 27. He giveth meat which endureth to everlasting life. V. 35. He shall never hunger or thirst (that is, be empty) that cometh to Christ V. 39. Of all that cometh to him he will lose nothing: Therefore will not lose all their Souls. V. 40, 47. They have everlasting life. 54, 56. He dweleth in Christ, and Christ in him, and therefore is not extinct, 58. Ioh. 8. 51. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death. Joh. 10. 28. I give unto them eternal Life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.
17. Joh. 11. 26. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
18. Joh. 14. 16. The Comforter shall abide with you for ever. V. 17. For he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
19. Joh. 17. 24. I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory: If the Soul perish it is not they that shall be with him, but others.
20. Luk. 23. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
21. Luk. 23. 46. Father, into thy hands I commend my Spirit.
22. Joh. 12. 26. Where I am there shall my Servant be. But Christ is not perished.
23. Act. 7. 59. Stephen called on God, saying, Lord Iesus receive my Spirit: Therefore it perished not.
24. Rom. 8. 17. If children then heirs. V. 23. We groan, waiting for the Adoption. V. 30. Whom he …ustified, them he glorified. In short, All the whole Gospel that promiseth Life to the Sanctified, doth prove the Immortality of the Soul: For if the Soul perish, no man that lived on Earth is saved: For if …he Soul be not the Man, it is most certainly the prime essential part of the man. The dust of the Carkass is not the Man: And if another Soul and not the same come into it, it will be another man: and so all the Promises fail.
25. So all the Texts that speak of Resurrection, …udgment, that we shall all be judged according to our Works, and what we did in the body. If it be …nother Soul that must be judged, which never was …n that body before, nor ever did any thing in that body, how shall it be judged for that which it never …id. All the Texts that threaten Hell or future Punishment, and promise Heaven, prove it. Matth. 25. … was hungry and ye fed me, naked and ye cloathed …ne, &c. Ye did it or did it not to me: Might they not say, We never did it, nor ever lived till now? Math. 13. The Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them that work iniquity, and cast them into the lake of fire. 2 Thes. …. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. & 2. 12. and all the Scripture which threatneth Damnation to them that obey not the Truth, and promiseth Salvation to the faithful: which is never performed if all be done on another …oul.
26. And all the Texts that speak of Gods Justice …nd Mercy hereafter. Is it Justice to damn a newmade Soul that never sinned?
27. Paul knew not whether he were in or out of the Body when he was in Paradise, 2 Cor. 12. 2▪ 3, 4. The separated Soul then may be in Paradise.
28. 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 18. How can the hope … unseen things make Affliction and Death easie … that Soul that shall never be saved? And how … we be comforted or saved by such hope?
29. 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly hous… of this Tabernacle were dissolved, we have a buildin… of God. V. 2. For in this we groan earnestly, desirin… to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven. V. 5. He that hath wrought us for the se… same thing, is God, who also hath given us the earne… of the Spirit. V. 6. Therefore we are alwayes confident, knowing that whilest we are at home in the bod… we are absent from the Lord; we are confident … willing rather to be absent from the Body and pres… with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that whether pr… sent or absent we way be accepted of him: For … must all appear before the Iudgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or bad.
30. Phil. 1. 21, 22, 23. To me to live is Christ and to die is gain: What I shall choose, I know not▪ For I am in a strait between two, having a desire … depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
31. Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead that … in the Lord, &c.
32. Heb. 12. 22, 23. We are come to mount Zio… the City of the living God, &c. the spirits of the ju… made perfect.
Abundance more might be added: And I hav… been so large on this, because it is of most unspeakable importance, as that which all our comfo… and our Religion lyeth on; and though the Light of Nature have taught it Philosophers, and almost all the World in all Ages, yet the Devil is most busie to make Men doubt of it, or deny it.
Religion lyeth on three grand Articles: 1. To believe in God: … and this is so evident in the whole frame of Nature, that there is a God, that he is worse than mad that will deny it. 2. To believe the Immortality of the Soul, and the Life hereafter. And, 3. To believe in Christ: And though it be this third that is known only by supernatural Revelation, yet to him that believeth▪ the Immortality of the Soul, and the Life hereafter, Christianity will appear so exceeding Congruous, that it will much the more easily be believed. And experience tells us that the Devils main Game, for the Debauching and Damning of fleshly, worldly, ungodly Men, and for troubling and discomforting Believers, lieth in raising Doubts of the Souls Immortality, and the future Life of Reward and Punishment.
Q. 3. But what good will a Resurrection of the Body do us, if the Soul be in happiness before?
A. 1. It will be for Gods Glory to make and bless a perfect Man: 2. It will be our Perfection: A whole Man is more Perfect than a Soul alone. 3. It will be the Souls delight:aRev. 21. & 22. As God that is perfectly blessed in himself, yet made and maintaineth a World, of which he is more than the Soul, because he is a Communicative good and pregnant, and delighteth to do good; so the Soul is made like God in his Image, and is communicative and would have a Body to act on. As the Sun, if there were nothing in the World but it self, would be the same that it now is, but nothing would receive its Motion, Light or Heat, or be the better for it: And if you did imagine it to have understanding, you must think that it would be much more pleased to enlighten and enliven so many Millions of Creatures, and cause the flourishing of all the Earth, than to shine to nothing. So may you think of the Soul of Man: It is by God inclined to actuate a Body.
Q. 4. If that be so, it is till then imperfect, and deprived of its desire, and so in pain and punishment?
A. It is not in its full Perfection; and it is a Degree of punishment to be in a state of Separation: But you cannot call it a pain as to sense, because it hath an unspeakable Glory, though not the most perfect. Nor hath the will of the Blessed any trouble and striving against the will of God, but takes that for best which God willeth: And so the separated state is best while God willeth it, though the united State will be best (as more perfect) in its time.
Q. 5. But the dust in a Grave is so vile a thing that one would think the raising it should not be very desireable to the Soul?
A. It shall not be raised in the shape of ugly Dust, or filth, nor of corruptible Flesh and Blood: But a Glorious and Spiritual Body; and a meet Companion for a Glorified Soul. And even now as vile as the Body is, you feel that the Soul is loth to part with it.b1 Cor. 15.
Q. 6. But there are so many difficulties and improbabilities about the Resurrection, as make the Belief of it very hard?
A. What is hard to God that made Heaven and Earth of nothing, and maintains all things in their state and course? What was that Body a while ago? Was it not as unlikely as dust to be what it now is?
It's folly to Object difficulties to Omnipotency.
Q. 7. But the Body is in continual Flux or Change: we have not the same Flesh this Year, that we had the last: And a Man in a Consumption loseth before Death the Mass of Flesh in which he did good or evil: shall all that rise again, which every day vanisheth? And shall the new Flesh be punished for that which it never did?
A. It's a foolish thing, from our Ignorance and uncertainties, to dispute against God and certain Truth: Will you know nothing, unless you know all things? Will you doubt of the plain Matter, because in your darkness you understand not the manner or circumstances of it? The Soul hath a Body consisting of various parts: The fiery part in the Spirits is it's most immediate Vehicle or Body: The …eminal tenacious Humour and Air, is the immediate Vehicle of the fiery part: Whether these Spirits do any of them depart as it's Vehicle or Body with the Soul; or if not, whether they be the identifying part that the Soul shall be reunited to first; or what or how much of the rest even the aqueous and Earthy matter which we had from our Birth shall be re-assumed, are things past our understanding: You know not how you were generated in the Womb, and yet you know that you were there made: And must God teach you how you shall be raised before you will believe it? Must he answer all your doubts of the Flesh that is vanished, or the Bodies eaten by other Bodies, and teach you all his unsearchable skill, before you will take his Word for true?
He that maketh the rising Sun to end the darkness of the Night, and the flourishing Spring to renew the Face of Millions of Plants, which seemed in the Winter to be dead, and the buryed little seed to spring up to a beautiful Plant and Flower, or a strong and goodly Tree, hath power and skill enough to raise our Bodies, by wayes unknown to foolish Man.
Q. 8. What should a Man do that he may live in a comfortable hope of the Resurrection, and the Souls Immortality, and the Life to come?
A. We have three great things to do for this end: 1. To get as full a certainty as is possible that there is such a Life to come. And this is done by strengthning a sound belief. 2. To get a suitableness of Soul to that blessed Life; and this is by the increase of Love and Holiness; and by a Spiritual heavenly conversation. And, 3. To get and exercise a joyful Hope and Assurance that it shall be ours: And this is done by a Life of careful Obedience to God, and the Conscious notice of our sincerity and title, and by the increase and exercise of the foresaid Faith and Love: Daily dwelling on the Thoughts of God's infinite Goodness and Fatherly love, of Christ's Office and Grace, and the Seals of the Spirit, and the blessed state of Triumphant Souls, in the Heavenly Ierusalem, and living as in familiarity with them.
Q. 9. But when doubting Thoughts return, would it not be a great help to Faith, if you could prove the Souls Immortality by reason?
A. I have done that largely in other Books: I will now say but this: If there be no life of retribution after this, it would follow that not only Scripture, but Religion, Piety, and Conscience were all the most odious abuses of Mankind: To set Mans Heart and Care upon seeking all his dayes a Life which he can never obtain, and to live honestly and avoid sin, for fear of an impossible punishment, and to deny Fleshly pleasure, and lust, upon meer deceit, what an injury would Religion, Conscience and honesty be? Men that are not restrained by any Fear or Hopes of another Life, from Tyranny, Treason, Murder, Perjury, Lying, Deceit or any wickedness, but only by present Interest, would be the wisest Men. When yet God hath taught Nature to abhor these Evils, and bound Man to be Religious and Conscionable by common Reason, were it but for the probability of another Life. And can you believe that Wickedness is Wisdom, and all Conscionable Goodness is Folly and De ceit?