2. Secondly, Because the saints might meet the bodies of all the faithfid which are gone before the^n together, they shall not rise to p7-event one another in glory, but shall all go together ; as it is 1 Thes. iv. 14. This is an excellent comfort unto us who live in the last age of the world, that the saints
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departed before us shall not rise to heavenly glory till we also be ready with them. Until this time they wait for our accomplishment in their graves ; as 1 Sam. xvi. 11, when Samuel calleth all Jesse's sons before him, there being yet one of them wanting, said. Fetch him, we will not sit down till he be come, so all the people of God lie in their graves, and cannot rise till our time also be accomplished.
3. Thirdly, For the further declaration of the power of Christ ; for it seems a greater matter that Christ should raise men who have been lying rotting in their graves a thousand years, than it is to raise men when they are newly dead. Therefore, when Christ was about to raise Lazarus from the death, Martha said to Jesus, ' My brother stinketh already, for he hath been dead these four days ;' therefore she inferred, it was not so easy a matter to raise him then as at first, being new dead, and as it was to raise Jairus's daughter, and the widow's son. So Ezek. xxxvii. 3, when the Lord demanded this question of the prophet, ' Can these dead bones live ? he answered, ' Lord, thou knowest ;' as though he had said, It is not impossible to thee, but it is a hard matter to be done, or bring to pass.
4. Fourthly, For the further confirmation of our faith; for look how many there be of the dead bodies of the saints amongst us, so many pledges and pawns there are for our redemption ; for although we might in ourselves doubt of our own bodies rising in regard of our sins, and of the badness of our lives, yet because there be so many bodies of the dead saints among us, we need not doubt but he will raise them up one day to glory. There are three bodies already ascended into heaven : Enoch before the law, Elias in the time of the law, and Christ in the time of the gospel ; and for these three bodies he hath left many thousand of the dead saints' bodies remaining in the grave, to be pledges and pawns to us of our resurrection ; to this purpose Saint Paul says, Heb. xi. 40, that God provided ' better things for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.' The uses are,
1. First, Seeing that the bodies of the saints do not rise till the day of judgment, therefore ive must he contented to he under affliction and trouhle till God deliver us ; as the saints' bodies are trampled upon, and rest quietly till the day of deliverance.
2. Secondly, That seeing the bodies of the saints rise not till then, that ire should therefore desire and long for it, yea, and ivait ; as it is said, Kom. viii. 21, both the creatures rational and irrational do groan and travail in pain towards that day of redemption, and glorious liberty of the sons of God. We see if a man have broken an arm, or put a leg out of joint, if one have promised him that he will come to set it in joint at such an hour, he will still be looking and longing for his coming; even so, seeing at the day of judgment the Lord will restore us again to our former integrity, we should long for that day, and be looking for it.
3. Thirdly, This should moderate the delicate and too much pamjjering of our hodies, which must ere long lie so trodden under and rotting in the grave, to be so careful about them, but to take care for our soul's good, and then both body and soul shall be raised up unto glory for ever.
Quest. Now here ariseth a question : Seeing our bodies must lie so many years and ages rotting in the grave, what may be our comfort to uphold and sustain us in the mean time ?
A71S. 1. That God will be present with us, that he will not fail us nor forsake us, but will go to the grave with our dead bodies, watch over our ashes with the eye of his providence, to keep them, and raise up all again.
326 THE GENERAL RESURRECTION.
So that look how God encouraged Jacob, Gen. xlvi. 4, ' Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will go with thee, and I will bring thee up again,' so God will go down into the grave with our dead bodies, watch over them, and bring them up again.
2. Secondly, That though our bodies lie rotting in the grave, yet that our souls shall be happy and blessed, which was Paul's comfort : 2 Cor. V. 1, ' For we know that if this earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building given us of God, not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens.' So Rev. vi. 11, the souls which lay under the altar, crj'ing, ' How long, Lord ' ? were comforted with the long white robes given unto them ; the present blessed estate of their souls.