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Some Creatures by the providence of God are said to live in the air, as the Chamaeleon, & some in the water, as Fishes &c. some in the earth, as Wants and Wormes &c. & some in the fire, as Salamanders &c: but hope is such a creature, that is not tied to any one Element, but hath free liber∣ty to comfort and refresh her self upon all these: As first, upon the aire and light of heaven: For how can we see the sun and the rest of those glorious Planets, to
set and rise every day, and not be confirmed in our hope of our own resurrect∣ion? Secondly, upon the fire, which we see covered and buried at night in the ashes, like our bodies in the dust, and in the morning to be kindled with a little dry straw, which may assure us, that ••hough now the dust doth cover our bodies, (as it were for a night) yet the joyfull morning of our re∣surrection will come, when our bodies shall be quicken∣ed and lightened again with the candle of our soul through the power of our Saviour, and the fiery force of the holy spirit, that we may shine as bright lamps in his house for ever. Thirdly, is not our hope
much sustained by the wa∣ter, which now we see to decrease and ebbe, & within few hours after to flow and fill again all those empty chinkes and channels which of late were dried up, and so to revive them with a new floud and fresh current: and shall not those empty veynes of our bodies, and those holy arteries of our flesh at the spring-tide of the resurrection by the pow∣erfull blowing of the Sou∣thern wind of Gods spirit, be filled again with bloud, and the spirit of life? Fourthly, shall we observe the earth to bring forth all things committed unto her and not hope (without doubt) that she will one day likewise deliver up our
bodies committed to their trust, and that much more glorious than she doth any corne or seeds which she keep but for lesse than a year. Let us not think it therefore unlikely for our vile bodies to be made glo∣rious, seeing that fine pa∣per is made of foul rags, and pure glasse of the ashes of ferne, yea, of a heap of, dry bones, faire and stronge bodies, and life given unto them with a blast of winde.* 1.1 For could God create all things of nothing and can he not work his own will in his own creatures? could he fetch light out of dark∣ness, as it were out of a grave? can he in the womb of a woman of a little bloud frame a body distin∣guished
with so many and sundry instruments, as that it may go for a little world, and within the space of some few dayes add lif•• un∣to it? And can he not re∣store the body that hath been so, to what it was? Can he quicken us in the womb of our mother, and can he not receive us in the womb of the earth? Can we fetch fire out of the flint, and can∣not he fetch us out of the earth?* 1.2 Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Zareptha, & the Shunamites children? Could Peter raise Tabitha, and Paul Eutychus? and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and us?
O dear Father,* 1.3 which by thy great mercy hast rege∣nerated us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Je∣sus Chrst from the dead,* 1.4 * 1.5 to the end that being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternall life, which hope maketh us not asha∣med; I humbly beseech thy Fatherly goodness to illu∣minate the eyes of my soul, that I may clerely see what the hope of those is, Whom thou hast called to the in∣corruptible inheritance of thy glory. And as thou hast in many of thy workes prin∣ted the true character of our resurrection; so fix & fasten
the same for ever in the heart and soul of thy ser∣vant, that I be not as a man without hope, either of my own glorification or of theirs that sleep in thee;* 1.6 that in the end this body of mine being renewed, and to my soul in farre more glorious manner reunited, I may in the society of Angells, being co-heir with the glorified Spirits, shine as the Sun in glory, and be fully united unto Christ the true Son of righteousness, and the first fruits of the resurrection. And let this holy meditati∣on, and the hope to enjoy that full and perfect conten∣tation so possesse my soule and senses, that it may be my thought, my pleasure, delight, labour and care to
attain to that perfection through Jesus Christ, Amen.
Ezek. 37▪
1 King. 17.23. 2 King. 4 32 Acts 9.40. & 23.10.
1 Pet. 1.
1 Tim. 3.
Rom. 5.
1 Cor. 15.