"It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power." At our first
appearance, the world will tremble. Behold, the gates of death and
the bars of the grave are now carried away on our shoulders, as
Sampson carried away the gates of the city. Death quaketh, and
destruction falleth down dead at our feet. What then can stand
before us? We shall then carry such grace, majesty, terror, and
commanding power in our souls, that our countenances shall be as
lightning. Then shall death be swallowed up of victory.
Glory is the sweetness, comeliness, purity, and perfection of a
thing. The light is the glory of the sun, strength is the glory of
youth, and gray hairs are the glory of old age. That is, it is the
excellency of these things and that which makes them shine.
Therefore to arise in glory, it is to arise in all the beauty and
utmost completeness that is possible for a human creature to
possess, in all its features and members inconceivably beautiful.
Sin and corruption have made mad work in our bodies as well as in
our souls; 'tis sin commonly that is the cause of all that deformity
and ill-favoredness that now cleaveth to us, and that rendereth us
so dishonorable at our death. But now at our rising, we shall be
raised incorruptible; we shall appear in such perfection that all
the beauty and comeliness, sweetness and amiableness that hath at
any time been in this world, it shall be swallowed up a thousand
times told with this glory.
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