is too evident to be denied. How often do we meet with perfons of fenfe, who talk with propriety on philosophical, political, or commercial fubjects, and yet, when they speak of religion, difcover fuch grofs ignorance, as would be shameful in a child of ten years old, and amounts to a full proof, that they have not thought it worth their while to acquire, even a flight knowledge of its first principles. Can we even conceive the poffibility of a divine revelation, that should have nothing in it mysterious, to persons of this character ?

A mystery, according to the notation of the Greek word, fignifies, a fecret. And all the peculiar truths of the gospel, may justly be styled mysteries, or fecrets, for two reafons.

This is emi

The light of

1. Because the discovery of them is beyond the reach of fallen man, and they neither would, or could, have been known, without a revelation from God. nently true of the Resurrection. nature, which we often hear so highly commended, may afford fome faint glimmerings of a future state, but gives no intimation of a refurrection. The men of wisdom at Athens, the Stoic and Epicurean philofophers,

phers, who differed widely in most parts of their respective schemes, united in deriding this fentiment, and contemptuously styled the apostle Paul a babbler *, for preaching it. But this secret is to us made known. And we are affured, not only, that the Lord will receive, to himself, the departing fpirits of his people, but that he will give commandment concerning their dust, and, in due time, raise their vile bodies, to a conformity with his own glorious body.

2. Because, though they are revealed expressly in the scripture, fuch is the groffnefs of our conceptions, and the strength of our prejudices, that the truths of revelation, are still unintelligible to us, without a farther revelation of their true fenfe to the mind, by the influence of his holy Spirit. Otherwise, how can the fecret of the Lord be restrained to those who fear him †, when the book, which contains it, is open to all and the literal and grammatical meaning of the words, is in the poffeffion of many who fear him not?

;

Books in the arts and fciences, may be faid to be full of myfteries, to those who have

*Acts xvii. 18.

+ Pf. xxv. 14.

not

not a fuitable capacity and tafte for them; or who do not apply themfelves to study them with diligence, and patiently fubmit to learn, gradually, one thing after another. If you put a treatise on the mathematics, or a fyftem of mufic, into the hands of a plowman or labourer, you will not be furprized to find, that he cannot understand a single page. Shall the works of a Sir Ifaac Newton, or of a Handel, be thus inexplicable to one perfon, while another peruses them with admiration and delight? Shall thefe require a certain turn of mind, and a close attention? And can it be reasonably supposed, that the Bible is the only book, that requires no peculiar difpofition, or degree of application, to be understood; though it is defigned to make us acquainted with the deep things of God? In one refpect, indeed, there is an encouraging difference. Divine truths lie, thus far, equally open to all; that though none can learn them, unless they are taught of God; yet, all, who are fenfible of their own weakness, may expect his teaching, if they humbly feek it by prayer. Many people are, perhaps, incapable of being ma

* 1 Cor. ii. 10.

thematicians.

thematicians. They have not a genius for the science. But there is none teacheth like God. He can give not only light, but fight; not only leffons, but the capacity neceffary for their reception. And while his mysteries are hidden from the wise and prudent, who are too proud to wait upon him for instruction, he reveals them unto babes.

It may, perhaps, be thought, that a belief of the doctrine of the refurrection, does not require the fame teaching of the holy Spirit, that is neceffary to the right know-ledge of fome other doctrines of the gospel. But fuch a belief as may affect, chear, and animate the heart, must be given us from above, for we cannot reafon ourselves into it. Nay, this divine teaching is neceffary, to secure the mind from the vain reasonings, perplexities, and imaginations, which will bewilder our thoughts upon the fubject, unlefs we learn to yield in fimplicity of faith, to what the fcripture has plainly revealed, and can be content to know no farther, before the proper time.

II. What we are here taught to expect, is thus expreffed-We shall not all fleep, but we fhall all be changed. We are not to fuppofe,

VOL. II.

U

that

that the whole human race will die, and fail from the earth, before the refurrection. Some will be living at the time, and among them, fome of the Lord's people. Of the living, it cannot properly be faid, that they will be raised from the dead. But they will experience a change, which will put them exactly in the fame ftate with the others. Their mortality fhall be fwallowed up in life. Thus we conceive it to have been with Enoch and Elijah. They did not die like other men. But their mortal natures were frail and finful, like ours, and incapable of fuftaining the glories of heaven, without a preparation. Flesh and blood, in its prefent ftate, cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither can corruption inherit incorruption. But the dead fhall arife, and the living shall be changed. Here is a wide field for fpeculation, but I mean not to enter it. Curiofity would be glad to know, how our bodies, when changed, shall still be the fame. Let us firft determine, how that body, which was once an infant, is the very fame, when it becomes a full grown man, or a man in extreme old age. Let us explain the tranfmutation of a caterpillar, or filk-worm, which,

I