OF THE STATE AFTER DEATH. 31 un continues to be necessary. Nor is there any

Pourthly, w forma ; fur.lles, or the same

HE STATE AFTER DEATH. ions, which our bodies undergo in this er us from remaining the same. We in ourselves that we are the same; and cient: and this knowledgeor consciousall rise with from the grave, whatever Lies, with which we be clothed. . - apostles go one step farther, when they at we shals be like Christ himself; and keness will consist in a resemblance to d body. Now of the glorified body of that we know is this. At the transfigu. n the mount, the three apostles saw the our Lord in a very different state from y state. " He was transfigured before

his face did shine as the sun, and his as white as the light." St. Luke de hus : “ The fashion of his countenance ], and his raiment was white and glist

behold there talked with him two appeared in glory.” Then he adds, apostles, when they awaked, saw his

w I consider this transaction, as a spe. he change of which a glorified body is · St. Stephen, at his martyrdom, saw of God, and Jesus standing at the right od. St. Paul at his conversion saw a heaven, above the brightness of

round about him: and in this light was. These instances, like the forshew the changes and the appearances glorified body is susceptible, not the ndition, in which it must necessarily r must always continue. You will ou t was necessary that the body of our transfiguration, at his appearance alles etion, at his ascension into heaven, i nce to Stephen, should preserve a te co his human person upon earth;, by that resemblance alone he could be is disciples, at least by any means naturally belonging to them in that • But this was not always necessary,

o our present bodies will be retained in our fu-
we bodies, or be at all wanted. Upon the whole,
te conclusions, which we seem authorised to
draw from these intimations of Seripture, are,
First, That we shall have bodies.
Secondly, That they will be so far different
from our present bodies, as to be suited, by that
difference, to the state and life, into which they
are to enter, agreeably to thatrule, which prevails
throughout universal nature ; that the body of

every being is suited to its state, and that, whien it
| changesite state, it changes its body.

Thirdly, That it is a question by which we need
sot at all be disturbed, whether the bodies, with
Thich we shall arise, be new bodies, or the same

barlies under a new form ; for,
1 Fourtkls, No alteration will hinder us from

remaining the same, provided we are sensible
and conscious that we are 80, any more than the
changes, which our visible person undergoes even
in this life, and which from infancy to manhood
se undoubtedly very great, hinder us from being

the sanne, to ourselves and in ourselves, and to all
he right intents and purposes whatsoever.

| Lastly, That though, from the imperfection of
i qur faculties, we neither are, nor, without a con-

stant miracle upon our minds, could be made, able
to conceive or comprehend the nature of our fo.
ture bodies; yet we are assured, that the change
will be infinitely beneficial; that our new bodies
will be infinitely superior to those, which we car-
ry about with us in our present state; in a word,
that, whereas our bodies are now comparatively
vile (and are so denominated), they will so far rise
inglory, as to be made like unto his glorious body i
that, whereas, though our pilgrimage here, we
lave borne, that which we inherited, the image of
le earthy, of our parent the first Adam, created
Talile upon this earth; we shall in our future
Sate, bear another image, a new resemblance

nor continues to be necessary. Nor is there any sufficient reason to suppose, that this resemblance to our present bodies will be retained in our future bodies, or be at all wanted. Upon the whole, the conclusions, which we seem authorised to draw from these intimations of Scripture, are,

First, That we shall have bodies.

Secondly, That they will be so far different from our present bodies, as to be suited, by that difference, to the state and life, into which they are to enter, agreeably to that rule, which prevails throughout universal nature; that the body of every being is suited to its state, and that, when it changes its state, it changes its body.

Thirdly, That it is a question by which we need not at all be disturbed, whether the bodies, with which we shall arise, be new bodies, or the same bodies under a new form ; for,

Fourthly, No alteration will hinder us from remaining the same, provided we are sensible and conscious that we are so, any more than the changes, which our visible person undergoes even in this life, and which from infancy to manhood are undoubtedly very great, hinder us from being the same, to ourselves and in ourselves, and to all intents and purposes whatsoever.

Lastly, That though, from the imperfection of our faculties, we neither are, nor, without a constant miracle upon our minds, could be made, able to conceive or comprehend the nature of our future bodies; yet we are assured, that the change will be infinitely beneficial; that our new bodies will be infinitely superior to those, which we carry about with us in our present state; in a word, that, whereas our bodies are now comparatively vile (and are so denominated), they will so far rise in glory, as to be made like unto his glorious body; that, whereas, though our pilgrimage here, we have borne, that which we inherited, the image of the earthy, of our parent the first Adam, created iur a life upou this earth; we shall in our futurs state, bear another image, a new resemblanc

EITY OF THE HEART, &c. eavenly inhabitant, the second man, ature, even that of the Lord from

OF THE STATE AFTER DEATH. 9
I have said thus much in order to obviate the
Katrariety, which there seems to be between St.
khn's assertion and experience. Experience, 1

knowledge, proves the inefficacy in numerous
esses of religious hope and religious motives ; and
i mast be so: for if religious motives operated
certainly and necessarily; if they produced their
effect by an infallible power over the mind, we
should caly be machines necessarily actuated :
and that certainly is not the thing, which a moral
agent, a religious agent, was intended to be. It
was intended that we should have the power of
doing right, and consequently, of doing wrong: for
hewho cannot do wrong,cannot do right by choice;
be is a mere tool and instrument, or rather a ma-
thine, which erer he does. Therefore all moral
notives, and all religious motives, unless they
went to deprive man of his liberty entirely, which
they most certainly were not meant to do, must
depend for their influence and success upon the

SERMON V. OF THE HEART AND AFFECTIONS. THE STATE AFTER DEATH. w are we the sons of God; and it pear what we shall be : but we know shall appear, we shall be like him; e him as he is. And every man that in him, purifieth himself, even as he hn iii. 2, 3.

ext tells us that every man, that e in him, purifieth himself, it must as intending to describe the natund genuine effects of this hope, rahau the actual effects, or at least as in point of experience, universally

As hath already been observed, E relates to sincere Christians, and

: the word we, in the preceding nprises sincere Christians and no efore the word every man must be same sort of men, of whom he was e. It is not probable, that in the he would change the persons and cerning whom he discoursed ; s0 een objected to St. John, that, in very man did not purify himself pe in him, he would have replied, hese were not the kind of persons 2w; that, throughout the whole of ad in contemplation the religious haracter of sincere Christians and en, in the former part of the text, being the sons of God, of we being andoubtedly meant sincere Chris

it would be strange if he meant s latter part of the text, which is ation of the same discourse, of the y, a portion of the same sentence.

This success, therefore is various, but, when it tails, it is owing to somevice and corruption in the mind itself. Some men are very little affected by religious exhortation of any kind, either by healing or reading. That is a vice and corruption in the mind itself. Some men, though affected, are not affected sufficiently to influence their lives. That is a vice and corruption in the mind, or Ta. ther in the heart; and so it will always be found: but I do not so much wonder at persons being un. affected by what others tell them, be those others who they may, preachers or teachers, or friends, or parents, as I wonder at seeing men not affected by their own thoughts, their own meditations : set it is so; and when it is so, it argues a deep corruption of mind indeed. We can think upon We most serious, the most solemn subjects, with

any sort of consequence upon our lives. Shal Te call this seared insensibility shall we call batal inefficacy of the return of principle with

I have said thus much in order to obviate the contrariety, which there seems to be between St. John's assertion and experience. Experience, I acknowledge, proves the inefficacy in numerous cases of religious hope and religious motives ; and it must be so: for if religious motives operated certainly and necessarily; if they produced their effect by an infallible power over the mind, we should only be machines necessarily actuated; and that certainly is not the thing, which a moral agent, a religious agent, was intended to be. It was intended that we should have the power of doing right, and consequently, of doing wrong: for he who cannot do wrong,cannot do right by choice; he is a mere tool and instrument, or rather a machine, which ever he does. Therefore all moral motives, and all religious motives, unless they went to deprive man of his liberty entirely, which they most certainly were not meant to do, must depend for their influence and success upon the man himself.

This success, therefore is various, but, when it fails, it is owing to some vice and corruption in the mind itself. Some men are very little affected by religious exhortation of any kind, either by hearing or reading. That is a vice and corruption in the mind itself. Some men, though affected, are not affected sufficiently to influence their lives. That is a vice and corruption in the mind, or rather in the heart; and so it will always be found : but I do not so much wonder at persons being unaffected by what others tell them, be those other's who they may, preachers or teachers, or friends, or parents, as I wonder at seeing men not affected by their own thoughts, their own meditations : set it is so; and when it is so, it argues a deep corruption of mind indeed. We can think upon the most serious, the most solemn subjects, without any sort of consequence upon our lives. Shall we call this seared insensibility! shall we call it a fatal inefficacy of the return of principle within us? shall we confess, that the mind has lost it government over the man?

purgation intended in one

ITY OF THE HEART, &c.

servations upon the state of morals es we see them in the world; but e observations be, it is still true, and h's assertion, that the proper, na. uine effect of religious hope is to Live to purify ourselves, even as

St. John strongly fixes our atten. - he means, such of us as are sins, upon what we are to be hereafto particulars, is veiled from us, as wed, by our present nature, but as s to what is of real importance and

to know (I do not mean but that it nly gratifying and satisfactory to ut as to what is of the first importrn for us to know, we have a glo- of, we have an assurance, that we - change in our nature infinitely for at when he shall appear glorified as be like him. Then the point is,

do, how we are to act under this aving this hope, with this prospect our eyes. St. John tells us, "we urselves, even as he is pure."

the scriptural meaning of purifyan be made out thus. The contralefilement, that is evident; but our fhath told us what the things which re, and this is the enumeration; adulteries, fornications, murders, ness, wickedness, deceit, laciviouse, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; given, why these are the real proof our nature, is, that they proceed ut of the heart; these evil things

in, and defile the man. The seat, oral defilement, according to our heart by which we know, that he ne affections and the disposition : pre, of moral purity, must neces me; for purity is the reverse of sequently, to purify anrselves, 18

OF THE STATE AFTER DEATH. 41
Deleanse our hearts from the presence and pola
tion of sin, of those sins, particularly, which re.
de in, and continue in the heart. This is the
pergatica intended in our text. This is the test
4 pagation enjoined upon us.

his to be noticed that it goes beyond the mere
control di our actions. It adds a farther duty,
the puring of our thoughts and affections. No.
thing can be more certain, than that it was the
design of our Saviour, in the passage here refer-
red to, to direct the attention of his disciples to
the heart, to that which is within a man, in con-
tradistinction to that which is external. Nowhe,
cho only strives so control his outward action, but
les his thoughts and passions indulge themselves
bibant check or restraint, does not intend to that
which is within hin, in contradistinction to that
which is external. Secondly, the instances, which
oor Saviour has given, though, like all instances
in Seripture, and, to say the truth, in all ancient
priaugs, they be specimens and illustrations of
ha meaning, as to the kind and nature of the du.
bes, or the vices which he had in view, rather
than complete catalogues, including all such du-
ties or vices by name, so that no other but what
we thus named and specified were intended :
though this qualified way of understanding the
enumerations be right, yet even this enumeration
itself stews, that our Saviour's lesson went beyond
the mere external action. Not only are adulte.
ries and fortications mentioned, but evil thoughts
and lasciviousness ; not only murders, but an evil
eye; not only thefts, but covetousness or covet.
ings. Thus by laying the axe to the root, not by
kapping off the branches, but by laying the axe to
the root our Saviour fixed the only rule, which
en ever produce good morals.

Merely controlling the actions, without govern.
ng the thoughts and affections, will not do. In
point of fact it is never successful. It is certainly
of a ceropliance with our Savigur's command,