Of the Resurrection of the Body
Though the immortality of the soul may be known by the
light of nature, yet not the resurrection of the body; the one arises
from the nature of the soul itself; but the other does not arise from
the constitution of the body, but depends, upon the sovereign will and
power of God: now the will and purpose of God, or what he has determined
to do, is secret, and cannot be discovered by the light of nature, and
is only known by divine revelation. It might be known by the light of
nature, that God can raise the dead if he will, because he is Almighty,
and nothing is impossible to him; though it has been asserted by some
heathen writers, that it cannot be done by God himself: one says {1},
it is not in the power of God to raise the dead; and says another {2}
it seems to me, that no one can make one that is dead to live again: which
is false; since by the light of nature, and the works of nature, are known
the eternal power and Godhead, or that God is eternal and infinitely powerful.
Indeed, it cannot be known by the light of nature, that God will raise
the dead; this is of pure revelation: hence heathens, destitute of it,
had no knowledge of the resurrection of the body: that that was mortal
they all agreed; and that the soul was immortal, the wiser part of them
especially, affirmed: but that the body, when dead, should be raised to
life again, this Tertullian says {3}, was denied by every sect of the
philosophers. Those, the most refined among them, and who pretended to
a greater degree of knowledge than others, as the philosophers of Athens,
were so ignorant of this doctrine, that, as some think {4}, they took
Jesus, and anastasiv, the word used by the apostle Paul for the resurrection,
when preaching to them, to be the names of some strange deities they had
never heard of before; and therefore said, "He seemeth to be a setter
forth of strange gods", #Ac 17:18. The heathens had no faith in this
doctrine, nor hope of it; and therefore are sometimes described as without
"hope", #Eph 2:12 1Th 4:13,14 that is, of the resurrection of
the body, neither of their own nor of their deceased relations {5}; and
this may be rather thought to be, at least part of the sense of the apostle
in these passages; since in his defence before Felix and Agrippa he represents
the resurrection of the dead as the object of the hope of the Jewish fathers,
#Ac 24:15 26:6-8. Yea, the Gentiles, not content with barely denying this
doctrine, have treated it with the utmost scorn, calling it a dream, fancy,
and madness {6}, an old wives’ fable {7}; as abominable and detestable
{8}; and of all the tenets of the Christians, it was held in the utmost
contempt by Julian the apostate {9}; the abettors of it were always accounted
by the heathens vain, trifling, babbling fellows {10}, as the apostle
Paul was by the Athenian philosophers of the Epicurean and Stoic sects
{11}, #Ac 17:18,32; it was so contrary to the reasonings of the unenlightened
Gentiles, that they judged it quite incredible, and pronounced it beyond
all belief of rational creatures; hence, says the apostle Paul, when before
Festus the Roman governor, and king Agrippa, a Sadducee, why should it
be thought a thing "incredible with you that God should raise the
dead?" as it seems it was {12}, #Ac 26:8.
Some have thought the Gentiles had knowledge of the resurrection of the
dead, which they conclude from some notions of theirs, which seem to bear
some semblance to it, as is thought; as that the soul after death has
a perfect human shape, and all the same parts, external and internal,
the body has; that they both have an equal duration after death; that
there is a transmigration of souls into other bodies, especially human;
that man may be translated, soul and body, to heaven, of which they give
instances; which, perhaps, take rise from the translations of Enoch and
Elijah, communicated by some tradition or another; and particularly, that
after certain periods and revolutions, when the stars and planets are
in the same configuration and aspect to one another they formerly had,
the same men shall appear in the world, and the same things in succession
be done in it as formerly have been {13}. But I must confess, I cannot
see any likeness between any of these notions and the Christian doctrine
of the resurrection of the dead: and at most and best, they are only hints
borrowed from the Jews and their writings; or are the broken remains of
some tradition, received from their ancestors, originally founded on divine
revelation; so Plato {14} seems to speak of it, as an ancient tradition,
that the dead shall live again. Likewise the belief of this doctrine among
the pagans is argued from their account of future punishments; as of Aridaeus,
and other tyrants, having corporal punishments inflicted on them; of Sisyphus,
Ixion, Tantalus, and others; which may arise from the above notion of
the soul having the same parts with the body. Some passages are also produced
out of the heathen writers in favour of this doctrine; as some Greek verses
of Phocylides, whose poem, perhaps, is the work of a Christian, or of
some Jewish writer; and the opinion of the Persian "magi", that
men shall live again; which they doubtless had from Zoroastres, their
founder, said to be originally a Jew, and a servant of one of the prophets.
Some particular persons are mentioned as raised from the dead to life;
the most remarkable of which is the case of one Er Pamphilius, who, after
he had been dead twelve days, revived on the funeral pile; and which seems
to be credited by Plato {15}: but if such stories as these can be believed,
why should the doctrine of the resurrection be judged incredible {16}?
But though the doctrine of the resurrection is above reason it is not
contrary to it; though it is out of the reach of the light of nature to
discover it, yet being revealed, it is not repugnant to it; it is entirely
agreeable to the perfections of God, knowable by it, and is no contradiction
to them; for considering the omnipotence of God, with whom nothing is
impossible, it is what may be: and though there are some things which
argue imperfection and weakness, and imply a contradiction, which God
cannot do; yet the resurrection of the dead is not an instance of either;
it is no contradiction, that dust formed out of nothing, and of it a body
made, and this reduced to dust again, that this dust should again form
the body it once constituted: and this can be no instance of imperfection
and weakness; but a most glorious instance of almighty power: and if God
could, out of the dust of the earth, form the body of man at first, and
infuse into it a living and reasonable soul; then much more must he be
able to raise a dead body, the matter and substance of which now is, though
in different forms and shapes; and reunite it to its soul, which still
has a real existence: and considering the omniscience of God, who knows
all things, it is not impossible nor improbable that the dead should be
raised; since he knows all the particles of matter bodies are composed
of; and when dissolved and transmuted into ten thousand forms, knows where
they are all lodged, whether in the earth, air, or sea; and his all-discerning
eye can distinguish those which belong to one body from those of another,
and his almighty hand can gather and unite them, what are necessary, and
range them in their due place and order. Nor is it beneath or unworthy
of God to raise the dead; for if it was not unworthy of him to make a
body out of the dust of the earth, which became subject to infirmities,
corruption, and death; it cannot be unworthy of him to raise weak, inglorious,
corruptible bodies, as they are when laid in the grave, powerful, glorious,
and incorruptible. Nor is it inconsistent with the goodness of God; for
by this he does no injury to any of his creatures; neither to those that
are raised, nor to others, rational or irrational. Not to the angels;
for the children of the resurrection will be like unto them: nor to the
brute creation, who will not be; and who, if they were, would not suffer
by it: nor will any injury be done to those that are raised, neither to
the righteous nor to the wicked, since both will then receive a recompence
for the deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. Some such like reasonings
as these are used by that ancient learned apologist, Athepagoras {17}.
Besides, the justice of God seems to make it necessary that the bodies
both of the righteous and the wicked should be raised; that being united
to their souls, they may partake with them of the glory and happiness
provided for the one, and they are made meet for; and of the punishment
justly inflicted on the other; having been partners together either in
sufferings or in sins.
However, the doctrine of the resurrection is most certainly a doctrine
of pure revelation; the Jews were first peculiarly favoured with it; having
"the oracles of God committed" to them, in which this doctrine
is clearly revealed; and yet there were some among them who disbelieved
it; as the Sadducees, who "erred, not knowing the Scriptures",
which assert it; nor "the power of God", which can effect it:
and of the same sentiment were the Hemerobaptists {18} and the Essenes
{19}: also the Pharisees, at least some of them, held the Pythagorean
notion of the transmigration of souls into other bodies {20}: but it is
more surprising, that since Christ has abolished death, by his own resurrection
from the dead, and by the gospel brought to clearer light this doctrine
of the resurrection; that some very early, who bore the Christian name,
should deny it; as some in the church at Corinth, and Hymenaens and Philetus,
#1Co 15:12 2Ti 2:18 who were followed by Simon Magus, Saturninus, Basilides,
Carpocrates, Valentinus, and others, too numerous to recite: and of late
is rejected by Socinians and Quakers. Nevertheless, since it is a doctrine
of such great importance, on which all other doctrines of the gospel depend,
as well as the faith, hope, and comfort of the saints, #1Co 15:13-19 it
should be held fast, abode by, and defended to the uttermost. The resurrection
to be treated of is not a figurative one; neither civil, like that of
the Jews restoration from captivity, represented by a resurrection, #Eze
37:1-28 nor spiritual, as the resurrection of the soul from the death
of sin to a life of grace: but the resurrection of the body, in a literal
sense, the quickening of mortal bodies; and not a particular resurrection,
or a resurrection of particular persons; of which there are instances
both in the Old and New Testament; but the universal resurrection; the
resurrection of men, both just and unjust; of which,
1. I shall give the proof from the sacred writings. It appears to have
been the faith of the saints in all ages, according to the scripture account
of them. It was the faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful, #Heb
11:19 Ro 4:17-20 and of Joseph, as appears by the orders he gave concerning
his bones, and his carefulness about the interment of them, #Heb 11:22
and of Moses, in celebrating the divine perfections in his song, #De 32:39
with which words the mother of the seven brethren, who suffered martyrdom
in the times of the Maccabees, animated them while suffering {21}; and
of Hannah, in her song, expressed in much the same language, and more
explicit, #1Sa 2:6. This was the faith of Job, which he expresses, not
only in the famous text hereafter to be considered, #Job 19:25-27 but
also in #Job 14:12,14,15. And likewise of David, who not only speaks of
the resurrection of Christ, when representing him, #Ps 16:10 but in his
last words, where he expresses his strong faith of his complete salvation,
of soul and body, in the everlasting covenant, #2Sa 23:1,5. And also of
Isaiah, and other prophets, who speak of the resurrection of Christ, and
his people with him; which they either expressly make mention of, or allude
unto, when they foretell figurative resurrections, #Isa 26:19 Ho 6:1,2
Eze 37:11-14 Da 12:2. This was the faith of those who suffered martyrdom
in the times of the Maccabees, who refused deliverance that they might
obtain "a better resurrection", even the resurrection of the
just, #Heb 11:35 and in the Apocrypha:
“26 For though for the present time I should be delivered from the
punishment of men: yet should I not escape the hand of the Almighty, neither
alive, nor dead.”(2Maccabees 6:26)
“11 And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws
I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again.” (2 Maccabees
7:11)
And this was the faith of the Jewish fathers and of all the Old Testament
saints, #Ac 26:6-8 Heb 11:13. This was the faith of Christ and his apostles,
as declared in the writings oil the New Testament; to give the whole compass
of the proof of this would be to transcribe a very considerable part of
them. The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead will admit of proof
from scripture types; as the deliverance of Isaac from death; from whence
Abraham received him in a figure: the budding and blossoming of Aaron’s
dry rod, thought by some to be an emblem of it: the reviving of the dry
bones in Ezekiel’s vision; but especially Jonah’s lying three
days and three nights in the whalers belly, and his deliverance from it.
However, if God could save Isaac when so near death; cause a dry rod to
bud, blossom, and bring forth almonds; make dry bones to live; and deliver
Jonah out of the whale’s belly, it need not be questioned that God
can raise the dead. To which may be added, the several instances of particular
persons raised from the dead; as the widow of Zarephath’s son, by
Elijah; the child of the Shunammite, by Elisha; and the man cast into
his sepulchre on the touch of his bones; those who came out of their graves
at our Lord’s resurrection, and who were raised by him in his lifetime;
as the daughter of Jairus, the widow of Naim’s son, and Lazarus;
Dorcas by Peter; and Eutychus by the apostle Paul: and if these particular
resurrections are to be credited, as doubtless they are, then the resurrection
of all the dead need not be thought incredible, But this doctrine may
be further proved,
1a. First, from express passages of scripture. As,
1a1. From #Ge 3:15 which gives the first intimation of the Messiah and
his work, which was to bruise the serpent’s head, to destroy the
devil and all his works; among which, death, the effect of sin, is a principal
one. This Christ has abolished in himself by raising himself from the
dead; and will abolish it in his members, and even in all men, by the
resurrection of them at the last day; when, and not before, all that is
meant in the above passage will be accomplished, #1Co 15:21,54.
1a2. From #Ex 3:6 produced by Christ himself in proof of this doctrine;
"As touching the resurrection of the dead", says he, "have
you not read that which was spoken to you by God; saying, I am the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; God is not the God
of the dead but of the living?" #Mt 22:31,32. Let it be observed,
that it is not said, "I was", or "will be"; but, "I
am the God of Abraham", &c. which, as it relates to covenant
interest, respects a covenant in being, and an abiding one, even the covenant
of grace; which is concerned, not only with the souls of men, but their
bodies also, their whole persons; wherefore, as the souls of the above
patriarchs now live with God, who is the God of the living only, in the
enjoyment of the promised good; it is necessary their bodies should be
raised from the dead, that, with their souls, they may enjoy the everlasting
glory and happiness promised in the covenant; or otherwise, it would not
appear to be ordered in all things and sure.
1a3. From #Job 19:25, &c. "I know that my Redeemer liveth",
&c. None of the Jewish writers {22}, indeed, understood these words
of a real, but of a figurative resurrection; and suppose, a deliverance
from his afflicted state, and a restoration of him to his former health,
honour, and happiness, is meant; in which sense they have been followed
by some learned Christian interpreters {23}; at which the Socinians {24}
have greedily caught: but Job’s restoration is not expressed by such
phrases as here used; see #Job 42:10,12 and against this sense may be
observed, that Job was so far from any faith, hope, and expectation of
such a restoration, that he utterly despaired of it; see #Job 6:11 #Job
7:7,8 10:20 16:22 17:1,14,15 and even he expresses the same in this very
chapter, #Job 17:10,11. Besides something of greater moment seems to be
meant, as the solemn preface shows; "O that my words were now written!"
&c. and what he had in view appears to be future, at a great distance,
after death, the consumption of his body by worms, and was his comfort
under his afflictions; and was an answer to what Bildad said, #Job 18:12-14
and the vision, with the eyes of his body he expected, is not suited to
any state in this life; but rather to the state after the resurrection,
when the saints shall see God in Christ, and Christ in the flesh, with
the eyes of the body. To which may be added, Job speaks of the awful judgment,
between which and death there must be a resurrection from the dead, #Job
19:29. Upon the whole, it is an observation of an ancient writer {25},
"No one since Christ speaks so plainly of the resurrection
as this man did before Christ."
Though Spinosa {26} foolishly says, the sense of the text is
confused, disturbed, and obscure.
1a4. From #Isa 26:19. "Thy dead men shall live", &c. which
words are an answer to the prophet’s complaint, #Isa 26:14. "They
are dead, they shall not live", &c. and which answer is made
by the Messiah, to whom the characters given, #Isa 26:4,12,13 agree; assuring
the prophet, that his people, though dead, should live again, either at
the time of his resurrection, or in virtue of it; for the words are literally
true of Christ’s resurrection and of theirs by him; "With my
dead body shall they arise", as many of the saints did, at his resurrection;
or, "as my dead body", after the exemplar of it; or, "as
sure as my dead body"; Christ’s resurrection being the pledge
of his people’s; and the following phrases confirm this sense; "Awake,
ye that dwell in the dust", &c. see #Da 12:2. "Thy dew is
the dew of herbs", compared with #Isa 66:14. "The earth shall
cast forth her dead"; see #Re 20:13. The Jews {27} refer this prophecy
to the resurrection of the dead.
1a5. From #Da 12:2. "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall awake"; which is generally understood of the resurrection
of the dead, both by Jewish and Christian interpreters; only Grotius,
after Porphyry the heathen, interprets the passage of the return of some
of the Jews to their cities and habitations, after the generals of Antiochus
were cut off: but surely this return was not of any of them "to everlasting
shame and contempt", but the reverse; nor of any of them "to
everlasting life", seeing they are all since dead: nor is it true
that the Jewish doctors, from that time, shone illustriously; but, on
the contrary, their light in divine things became dim, and they taught
not the doctrines of the scriptures but the traditions of men. On the
other hand, the whole agrees with the resurrection of the dead, as described
by our Lord, #Joh 5:28,29. And when the bodies of the saints will be raised
in incorruption, power, and glory, they will shine like the sun in the
kingdom of their Father. Besides these, there are other passages of scripture
referred to by the apostle, in #1Co 15:54,55 as proofs of this doctrine;
as #Isa 25:8 #Ho 13:14 which will have their full accomplishment at the
general resurrection. The passages out of the New Testament are too numerous
to recite, and so plain as to need no explanation; and many of them will
be made use of in other parts of this subject.
1b. Secondly, this truth may be proved from various doctrines contained
in the scripture; as from the doctrine of election, which is of the persons
of men, souls and bodies, unto everlasting happiness; and therefore their
bodies must be raised, that they, united to their souls, may enjoy that
happiness, or the end will not be attained: from the gift of the same
to Christ, and who was charged, when given to him, to lose none, but raise
them up again at the last day; which must be done, or his trust not discharged,
nor his Father’s will be fulfilled: from their union to Christ, whose
"bodies are members of him", and a part of his mystical body,
by virtue of which union they will be raised; or else he must lose a constituent
part of those who are his mystical body and his fulness: from the redemption
of them by Christ, which is both of soul and body; both are bought with
the price of Christ’s blood, and therefore their bodies must be raised
from the dead, or Christ must lose part of his purchase: also from the
sanctification of the same persons, in soul and body, by the Spirit of
God, in whose bodies he dwells, as in his temple; and therefore, unless
raised, he will lose that which he has taken possession of as his dwelling
place, and a considerable part of his glory as a sanctifier. Moreover,
the general judgment, which is a most certain thing, requires the resurrection
of the dead, as necessary to it: nor will the happiness of the saint’s
be complete, nor the misery of the wicked proportionate to their crimes,
without the resurrection of their bodies: but the grand and principal
argument used by the apostle, #1Co 15:1-58 in proof of this doctrine,
with so much strength, is the resurrection of Christ. To which may be
added, that there will be need of and uses for some of the members of
the body in heaven; as the eye, to see Christ in the flesh, and one another;
the ear, to hear the everlasting songs of praise; and the tongue, to sing
them: as well as we read of men being cast into hell with two eyes, two
hands, and two feet; yea, even the whole body. Nor may it be improper
to observe, the translations of Enoch and Elijah, soul and body, to heaven;
and the saints that rose at our Lord’s resurrection, and went to
heaven in their risen bodies; and the saints who will be alive at Christ’s
coming, and be caught up into the air to meet him, and be for ever with
him. Now it is not probable that some saints should be in heaven with
their bodies and others without them; and therefore a general resurrection
must be asserted and allowed {28}. I proceed,
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