IV. From what does it appear that there will certainly be a future resurrection?

Philosophy may demonstrate the probability of a resurrection at some future time but cannot establish the certainty of it; for the knowledge which we derive from philosophy of the justice and truth of God is partial and incomplete. The reasons however, which the holy Scriptures adduce in support of the doctrine of the resurrection are solid and convincing; and it is from divine revelation alone, that the certainty of a future resurrection is demonstrated. In speaking upon this subject it is proper therefore, that we should first adduce some of the passages of Scripture which affirm the certainty of the resurrection, and then present those arguments which may be drawn from the Scriptures in confirmation of the truth of this doctrine.

The Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments, clearly reveal the doctrine of a future resurrection. “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” “I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves.” “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” “The hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.” “I will raise him up at the last day.” “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.” “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God,” &c. “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.” (Job 19:25, 26. Ez. 37:12. Dan. 12:2. John 5:28; 6:40. 1 Cor. 15:13, 14. 1 Thes. 4:14. Rev. 20:12, 13.) To these testimonies, which the Scriptures furnish in support of the doctrine of a future resurrection, we may also add a number of arguments which are drawn from the word of God.

1. “God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and is the God of the living and not of the dead.” (Matt. 22:23.) But he would not be the God of Abraham as a whole, nor the God of the living, unless the body of Abraham should at some future time be raised from the dead. God is the God of man as a whole, and not merely of a part of his being. If the body, however, should never rise again he would be the God, not of the whole man, but only of a part. This is the argument which Christ employs against the Sadducees.

2. God promises eternal life to the righteous in respect both to the body and the soul; as He, on the other hand, threatens the wicked with eternal punishment, which in like manner has respect both to the soul and the body. These promises and threatenings of God must be fulfilled; for their certainty is unchangeable. But they will not be fulfilled if the dead rise not seeing, therefore, that God does most assuredly, in his own time, effect what he promises to the righteous, and threatens to the wicked, it follows that the dead must necessarily rise.

3. Rewards and punishments extend to the whole man, because the whole man has sinned. Therefore the bodies of all shall rise the righteous that they may enjoy that glory and felicity which God freely gives; and the wicked that they may endure punishment according to their deserts.

4. The mercy of God is perfect, and extends to the whole man, and desires that we should be wholly saved. Hence our bodies shall also rise again.

5. The love and mercy of God towards the righteous is constant and unchangeable, so that what he once wills to do for them out of his fatherly love, that he wills forever. But he wills that the righteous shall be saved both in soul and body. Hence there is a necessity, that they should be saved under this form, which requires that they should rise again.

6. The perfect justice of God requires that the ungodly be punished according to the form under which they sin. But they sin in soul and body at the same time. It is necessary, therefore, that their bodies should also rise again, that they may be punished both in soul and body.

7. Christ has risen; therefore we also shall rise. This conclusion is proper and forcible:
1. Because Christ rose, that he might raise us,
2. Because Christ is the head, and we are his members. Inasmuch, therefore, as Christ our head has risen, we also who are his members shall, without doubt, rise again; because the glory of the head demands that the members be in the same condition with himself. If the members were to remain in a state of corruption the head would not, in this case, be glorious.
3. The same Spirit which dwells in Christ, dwells also in us: he joins and unites us with Christ, and works the same in us, which he does in Christ, because he is always the same. But he raised Christ; therefore he will also raise us.

8. It is declared that Christ shall have an everlasting kingdom. But this he would not have if our bodies were to remain forever under the power of death. It would not be sufficient in this case, that our souls should be immortal; for that the kingdom of Christ might be everlasting, he must have subjects that are eternal in respect both to body and soul; from which we may again infer the necessity of the resurrection of the body.

9. Christ is a perfect Saviour; because he has saved, and reconciled the whole man to God. Hence our corrupt bodies will also be raised through Christ.

10. Christ is not less able to save, than Adam was to destroy; yea, he has by his death restored all, and more than that which was lost through the sin of Adam; for he has merited for us greater felicity than we should ever have had, if we had not sinned. Now Adam lost for us, the eternal life and salvation of the body with certain other gifts. Hence Christ has restored this unto us, from which it may be concluded that our bodies shall without doubt rise again.

11. God published his law to man after the fall. He, therefore, wills that man should at some time observe it. But this is not done in this life Hence it shall be done in the life to come, so that there must be a resurrection of the dead.

12. The wages of sin is death. When sin therefore, is once abolished, death will also be abolished, which will result in the restoration of life.

13. Our bodies were made for this end, that the Holy Ghost might forever dwell in them, and that they might be his temples. Hence they shall rise again and live for ever.