We may from these Words observe, that although in this World, there is some Remainder of finful Corruptions in the best of Christians, fome Imperfection or other, yet at Death every Imperfection is done away, and the Souls of the Righteous are then made perfectly Holy.

How the Holy Spirit compleats the Sanctification of true Believers, we know not, and it is not needful for us to know the Manner of his Operation: But it is fufficient for us to know that at Death, the glorious Work will be perfected; and the Revelation of this Truth, hath the Signification of Prediction, that it shall be so with the Souls of all fincere Christians at Death in every Age: And the Thoughts of it, may well rejoice our Hearts. Here our Minds are frequently difturbed by finful Thoughts and Inclinations rising in us, and when we would do good, evil is often present with us; and the Good, that we would do, we do not, and the Evil that we would not do, we do. It is Matter of Grief that our Obedience is mixed with Multitudes of Sins, both of Omifsion and Commission; and that our best Services, even our Performances of religious Worship, are, polluted with a Mixture of Sin: It is Matter of Grief that we meet with many Temptations from the Persons we converse with, and from the alluring Things of the World, and from the Suggeftions of the Devil; and therefore it is a ground of Comfort, that we shall Sin no more after Death, nor meet with Temptations of any kind: Then there will be no Hindrance to our Communion with our God and Saviour, and no Interruption in it.

Serious Christians daily have Communion with God here: But what is Communion with God? And when may I think that I enjoy it?

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These are weighty Questions, and it helps me to form right Answers to them, when I confider that I may be faid to have Communion with, and the Enjoyment of a beloved Friend, when we are present together, and I am speaking to him, and he to me alternately; when there is a mutual Converse between my Friend and me.

And thus it is in the Time of religious Worship in Publick, in the Family and in secret: In the publick Worship, when the Word of God is read, or any Part of it is discoursed on by a Minister of Christ, then God is speaking to us : And when the Minister as the Mouth of the christian Assembly present, offers up Prayers, and Supplications, and Praises to God, with Confeffion of Sin, and thankful Acknowledgment of divine Mercies, then we are speaking to God, and thus there is a mutual Converse, or Communion between God and his People.

Not that every Perfon present in the Assembly has the bleffed Enjoyment of God: No; they whose Thoughts are wandring after a thousand Vanities in the Time of divine Service, who neither regard what the Lord speaketh by the Word read, or preached, nor what is spoken to the Lord, in the folemn Addresses at the Throne of Grace: These have no Communion with God.

But those ferious Christians, who are very attentive to the Word of God which they hear, and whose Souls say Amen to the several Things spoken to God in the Name of Christ, may be faid to have Communion with God, in the Ordinances of his pablick Worship.

And this may help us to understand, when a Christian has Communion with God, in the Seafons of Family, and of secret Worship.

I may add that a ferious Chriftian has Communion with God, and Fellowship with Chrift, not only in the stated Times of religious Worship but occafionally, and often between those happy Seafons.

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When we are abroad, or at home, when we are alone, or in company, if God by his Holy Spirit brings fome good Word of his to our Remembrance, for our Guidance, Edification and Comfort; or speaks to us by his Providence, producing merciful Events for our Advantage, thereby calling us to immediate thankful Acknowledgments and Praise; or speaks to us by afflictive Events, which fill us with Grief, and bring us sometimes into great Perplexity, which excite us to cry to the Lord in Distress, that he would fupport and deliver us: If at such Time, our Souls are attentive to the Voice of God speaking to us, and fuitable Ejaculations of Thanks and Praise, or of humble Supplications afcend from us to our Father which is in Heaven, suitably to what the Lord speaketh by his Word, or by his Providence, there is then a Communion between God and us.

And fuch Communion shall Christians frequently have, who walk closely with God. They are short indeed, but very comfortable, and conduce much to preserve us in a holy Frame.

II. It is revealed in the holy Scriptures, that the Bodies of true Believers, are under the Care of Chrift after Death, to the Resurrection of the Dead.

In John vi. 39. Christ says, This is the Father's Will, which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last Day. That is, raise up the Body. These Words plainly shew, that the Father hath committed the Bodies of those that are given to Chrift, to the Care of Chrift, and by him to be raised up from the Dead at the last Day.

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And thus they are a Prediction that Chrift will do fo. In ver. 44. Christ says, And I will raise kim up at the last Day. i. e. The Body of every one that cometh to him by true Faith.

It must be observed, that the Same Bodies of the Saints, which die are to be raised again: Chrift does not fay, I will create new Bodies at the End of the World, in which the Souls of my Disciples shall dwell, but that identical Body, which the Soul of a Believer is taken from, at Death shall be raised again.

It feems hence a just Conclufion, that there are certain Parts of Matter in every human Body, which as fixed Stamina abide always the fame, and a certain Modification, or Construction of them, peculiar to each individual Body, by which it is diftinguished from all others, and become an individual Body.

By Death the original Stamina are separated, the Union of them diffolved, and their Conftructure pulled to pieces.

As if a prudent Man for fome good Reafons should take his House to pieces, and carefully preferve the Materials, and after some Time Thould put them together, and in the fame Form in which they were before the House was pulled down. It may very fitly be called the same Houfe.

In fomewhat fimilar Manner, the Materials of the Bodies of each dead Saint, are preserved by the Care of the mighty Jesus, and at the Refurrection, the separated Parts of each individual Body, are collected and united to the forming each identical Body, which it was before Death.

How the feperate Parts are brought fo together, I know not, but it is easy to an omnipotent Being, with whom all Things are poffible.

In I Thes. iv. 14. It is said, Even so, them

also which sleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. This is fpoken of the Bodies of true Believers ; for their Souls never fleep, but are happily with Chrift, and active in their Enjoyment of Him, where he is: It is the Body therefore that fleeps, and the Time which passes between the Death of the Body, and its being raised to Life again in the Morning of the Refurrection, will feem as nothing: As does the Time that passes between a Man's falling afsleep at Night, and remains fleeрing, till the Morning.

The Bodies of the Saints being spoken of as leeping in Jesus, lets us know that their Bodies are under his special Care; which likewise is implied in the Prediction, That he will raise them up, at the last Day.

And the Confideration of this Truth, may be a Means of Comfort to ferious Christians, and contribute to abate the Fears of Death.

III. It is predicted that the Bodies of true Believers shall be raised to Life again, and likewife the Bodies of the Wicked: This is evident from those Words of the Lord Jesus already mentioned.

In Rom. viii. 11. It is faid, If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the Dead, shall also quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

In many Places of the holy Scripture, the Refurrection of Mens Bodies again to Life is manifestly predicted. The Bodies both of the Righteous, and of the Wicked, will be made to live again.

The Hour is coming in the which all (both good and bad) that are in the Graves, shall bear bis