Two sermons preach'd at the funerals of the Right Honourable Robert Lord Lexington and the Lady Mary his wife by Samuel Holden.

1. Mans Body shall arise.

These very Numerical Bodies; these that we sin'd in, or repented in. Methinks I hear the Trumpet sound a Call; wherefore Awake, Awake! Whoe're, Where're, Howe're you are. Whoe're have been de∣vour'd by Wolves, those Wolves being strait devou∣red by Lyons, those Lyons dying and strait devour'd by Kites! Whoe're to Fishes have been made a Prey, which even themselves have soon become a Prey to other Fishes! Whoe're you are, that in your Bodies have perform'd the Stages (which fond Pythagoras prescrib'd to Souls) in journeys through each vari∣ous kind of Beasts! Whoe're you are, have been re∣duc'd to dust, and dissipated through the spacious world, till every dust has been remov'd a Mile from dust of kin to it! Awake, Awake; indeed you must awake. 'Tis a resistless power that raises you. 'Tis God shall raise the dead, Acts 26.8.

But some may ask, [Query.] What if a Man devour those of his own species? What if Claudius devour Sempronius, and (after time for due digesting him) Claudius him∣self

become anothers Meal? How shall Sempronius (and others in the like capacity) be raised up in his own Nu∣merical Body, unless whatsoever was eaten by Claudius, (and may be conceiv'd to have become a part of his Body) be restored? Which if it be, How then shall Claudius rise with his Numerical Body?

This is the Query which Objectors think, [Solut.] is of itself enough to make a Sadduce. But 'tis indeed a trivial doubt, and of no force to any but the willing. For 'tis not he shall arise, (as I observ'd before) but he shall be raised; which includes an unrestrained power to be the Agent: and 'tis the same Almighty Power which does support the living. That God shall raise Man, who now seeds Man. He needs no aid of meat to keep a Creature living. How obvious may we then conceive it (though Claudius do devour Sem∣pronius) for God to strengthen Claudius, and support him, without permitting any of Sempronius to be concocted into his constitution; especially since he compos'd not Man, to be Mans food?

But now what think you, if even to Reason (for at that Weapon they must be encounter'd, who con∣tradict this Doctrine) I say, what if to Reason 'tis a thing impossible, but of the self-same Body there must be infallibly a Resurrection? Not to trace all the Cau∣ses back up to the first, to prove a God accomplish'd in whate're good reason ere thought good. I shall suppose the Existence of a Deity already granted, I know none deny it.

There being then a God, he must be just; but just he cannot be, without a Resurrection: For (to mans eye) the worst oft live and dye with least misfortune. Now, if no vengeance seize them after death, where's then the Justice, and where's then the God? Will any say, that (after dissolution) the Soul may suffer, and still God be just, although the Body sleeps? But if the Body shar'd in sinning, and be exempted from the suf∣fering, a Malefactor escapes: then where's the Justice? and next where's the God? Or will you say (as some are very forward) that Death it self is the Bodies punishment?

But I say (1.) the Soul and Body sin'd together for each others greater satisfaction; in justice there∣fore we may think, that they should suffer together for each others greater affliction. But they by death (so far does it resist their suffering together) are far remov'd asunder; if death then be the Bodies sole infliction, still where's the Justice?

(2.) Can the Body be punish'd with what it never feels? But oft great Sinners sink into the Grave, un∣der a stupefaction of the senses, and dye extempore. And if the flesh do only suffer death, which brings no corporal pain for mighty corporal transgressions, still where's the Justice?

(3.) The Body sinning against an infinite Person, committed infinite sin; for (as we see in Treason) the Object gives proportion to the Crime. Infinite sin must have no finite suffering: But Death is a finite suf∣fering; for that's accomplish'd when the Soul is gone. If therefore Death be all the vengeance to the Body, where's still the Justice? Will any say the Bodies be∣ing

dead, and separated from the Soul for ever, is its eternal punishment? But can there be punishment, and nothing suffer? As soon as dead, the humane Body is not; it was the humane Body when it sin'd, by death it leaves to be the humane Body: And how can that, which is not, suffer? Or will you say (with Pompo∣natius) that sin is its own punishment? O strange Phi∣losophy! And more strange Justice! In all Philosophy, the offence is still cause to the punishment; if sin then be the punishment to itself, 'tis its own cause, and 'tis its own effect: But others in Philosophy will tell us, That Nihil est causa sui ipsius (h) 1.1; And in all Justice punish∣ments design'd to mend the Sufferer, or to disencourage others from the like offence. But what sin ere (which had no other punishment) deter'd another from at∣tempting it? And as for the Offender, I presume none will conclude that sin can much amend him. Many would wish their strength might ne're decline, that they might ne're be impotent for sin. If sin be then its proper punishment? 'Tis a most strange one, which the Offender ever would request to undergo, and prize beyond rewards (i) 1.2. If sin were the sole judgment on the Malefactor, O what a means had the Almighty found, to bring his Justice in contempt! And then where were his Wisdom too? And then where the God?

Therefore whoe're thou art, that art possess'd with Dreams like these, Awake thou that sleepest, lest ere thou dream'st of it, it may be said, Awake, and come to judgment: But

Notes

• (h) 1.1

  Quis∣quam ne mor∣ta••ium idem vocat facinus & poenam? Quintil.
• (i) 1.2

  Nulla∣poena est nisi invito (& alibi) Suppli∣cium quisquam vocat, ad quod prosilitur, quod exposcitur. Quintil.