Chapter XVII

The resurrection of the dead must be admitted to be a great mystery rvhich nothing hut the occurrence of the fact can unfold. The apostle fputs this question itito the mouth of an infidel: “How are the dead raised upf and -with what body do they come?” ‘which he answers in a very unceremonious manner: *’-Thou fool that which thou soivest is not quickened except it die: and that which thou sozuest, thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain it may chance of wheats or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own bodyT The g’orious prospect opened by this doctrine is not less animating because it surpasses our co7nprehension. On the contrary its profundity only serves to increase our astonishment and enhance our gratitude. The apostle, in his apology before Felix, resolves the whole into an immediate exertion of divine power. Why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should raise the dead? Jf indeed the gospel profes’ied to teach the theory of the fact, it rvould be a just objection that this was beyond the grasp of our factdties. Jf, on the contrary, it merely reveals facts and those ficts have immediate practical bearings on the hearts and lives of those who receive them, all objections on account of their mysteriousness are futile, because they proceed on the supipositton that God intended to develop the whole mystery whereas he discovers only so much as may be adapted to rectify the conscience and purify the heart. — Robert Hall.

John Wesley concludes by practical
inferences:

I. From what has been said, we may learn the best way of preparing ourselves to .live in those heavenly bodies, which is by cleansing ourselves more and more from all earthly affections, and weaning ourselves from this body and all the pleasures that are peculiar to it. We should begin in this life to loosen the knot between our souls and this mortal flesh; to refine our affections, and raise them from things below to things above; to take off our thoughts and disengage them from present and sensible things, and accustom ourselves to think of and converse with things future and invisible; that so our souls, when they leave this earthly body, may be prepared for a spiritual one, as having beforehand tasted spiritual delights and being in some degree acquainted with the things which we then shall meet with. A soul wholly taken up with this earthly body is not fit for the glorious mansions above. A sensual mind is so wedded to bodily pleasures that it cannot enjoy itself without them, and it is not able to relish any other, though infinitely to be preferred before them. Nay, such as follow the inclinations of their fleshly appetites are so far unfit for heavenly joys that they would esteem it the greatest unhappiness to be clothed with a spiritual body. It would be like clothing a beggar in the robes of a king. Such glorious bodies would be uneasy to them; they would not know what to do in them; they would be glad to retire and put on their rags again. But when we are washed from the guilt of our sins, and cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we shall long to be dissolved and to be with our exalted Saviour. We shall be always ready to take wing for the other world, where we shall at last have a body suited to our spiritual appetites.

2. From hence we may see how to account for the different degrees of glory in the heavenly world. For although all the children of God shall have glorious bodies, yet the glory of them all shall not be equal. “As one star differeth from another star in glory, so also is the resurrection of the dead.” They shall all shine as stars, but those who, by a constant diligence in well-doing, have attained to a higher measure of purity than others shall shine more brightly than others. They shall appear as more glorious stars. It is certain that the most heavenly bodies will be given to the most heavenly souls; so that this is no little encouragement to us to make the greatest progress we possibly can in the knowledge and love- of God, since the more we are weaned from the things of the earth now the more glorious will our bodies be at the resurrection.

3. Let this consideration engage us patiently to bear whatever troubles we may be exercised with in the present life. The time of our eternal redemption draweth nigh. Let us hold out a little longer, and all tears shall be wiped from our eyes and we shall never sigh nor sorrow any more. And how soon shall we forget all we endured in this earthly tabernacle, when once we are clothed with that house which is from above? We are now but on our journey toward home, and so must expect to struggle with many difficulties; but it will not be long ere we come to our journey’s end, and that will make amends for all. We shall then be in a quiet and safe harbor, out of the reach of all storms and dangers. We shall then be at home in cur Father’s house, no longer exposed to the inconveniences which, so long as we abide abroad in these tents, we are subject to. And let us not forfeit all this happiness for want of a little more patience. Only let us hold out to the end, and we shall receive an abundant recompense for all the trouble and uneasiness of our passage, which shall be endless rest and peace.

Let this especially fortify us against the fear of death; it is now disarmed, and can do us no hurt. It divides us indeed from this body awhile, but it is only that we may receive it again more glorious. As God therefore said once to Jacob, ‘Tear not to go down into Egypt, for I will go down with thee, and will surely bring thee up again,” so I may say to all who are born of God, Fear not to go down into the grave: lay down your heads in the dust; for God will certainly bring you up again, and that in a much more glorious manner. Only “be ye steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” and then let death prevail over and pull down this house of clay; since God hath undertaken to rear it up again, infinitely more beautiful, strong, and useful.

We see how this apostle and founder of Methodism held to the Bible statement of this vital and fundamental fact. Had John Wesley held the fact of the resurrection of the body by a feeble or a lax tenure, then he would neither have been God’s apostle nor the founder of Methodism. Wesleyan Methodism had not been if John

Wesley had gingerly held this essential and indispensable fact dissolved and disemboweled by philosophical admixture and rationalistic dubiety. All his marvelous work would not have been, or gone glimmering — “A schoolboy’s tale, the wonder of an hour;” ‘’Like a tale told by an id“ot; full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”

We have made these extracts from men of the highest order of intellect and culture of varied creeds of faith, yet essentially one. We see that they accepted the fact of the resurrection of the body as their gospel creed, maintained it despite all philosophical objections, and heartily approved and advocated it.

We would reemphasize the fact that there are no new arguments nor stronger ones against the resurrection of the body than those which the fathers had to confront, and they met them with resolute and strong faith. Why is this doctrine held so feebly and with so many qualifications by the Church of this day? There is no solution of this question to be found outside of 13S the decay of that simple, spiritual, strong faith which dominated these men who made their times a great spiritual era.

These men spent no time nor devices in devising methods to make it easy for God to seem to do what he had promised to do and yet not do it. By the modern popular process of tinkering and toning we get God out of the matter, and reduce the Christian system to a godless philosophy. A resurrection without God is the point to which modern progressive theology is moving. It is high time we had quit this toning down divine truth to answer the purposes of our unfaith and bad philosophy. This is a poor business for preachers or people to be at — this playing the role of philosophers, this dwarfing and destroying revelation to satisfy the limitations and blindness of reason. Let reason use all its sanctified powers in ascertaining what God says, in learning in silence, reverence, and meekness God’s words — learn to obey revelation, but never to sit in judgment on its truth, its fitness, nor its facts.