come forth.” Be they good or bad, they shall hear the Voice, and shall come forth. All the
bands of the grave3812 shall be burst asunder; all that was lost, yea rather was thought to be
lost shall be restored. For if God made man who was not, can He not re-fashion that which
was?
15. I suppose when it is said, “God shall raise the dead again,” no incredible thing is said
for it is of God, not of man, that it is said. It is a great thing which shall be done, yea, an in-
credible thing that shall be done. But let it not be incredible, for see, who It is That doeth it.
He it is said shall raise thee, Who created thee. Thou wast not, and thou art; and once made,
shalt thou not be? God forbid thou shouldest think so! God did something more marvellous
when He made that which was not; and nevertheless He did make that which was not; and
shall it be disbelieved that He is able to re-fashion that which was, by those very persons
whom He made what they were not? Is this the return we make to God, we who were not,
and were made? Is this the return we make Him, that we will not believe that He is able to
raise again what He hath made? Is this the return which His creature renders Him? “Have
I therefore,” God saith to thee, “made thee, O man, before thou wast, that thou shouldest
not believe Me, that thou shalt be what thou wast, who hast been able to be what thou wast
not?” But you will say, “Lo, what I see in the tomb, is dust, ashes, bones; and shall this receive
life again, skin, substance, flesh, and rise again? what? these ashes, these bones, which I see
in the tomb?” Well. At least thou seest ashes, thou seest bones in the tomb; in thy mother’s
womb there was nothing. This thou seest, ashes at least there are, and bones; before that
thou wast, there was neither ashes, nor bones; and yet thou wast made, when thou wast not
at all; and dost thou not believe that these bones (for in whatever state, of whatever kind
they are, yet they are), shall receive the form again which they had, when thou hast received
what thou hadst not? Believe; for if thou shalt believe this, then shall thy soul be raised up.
And thy soul shall be raised up “now;” “The hour shall come, and now is;” then to thy
blessing shall thy flesh rise again, “when the hour shall come, that all that are in the graves
shall hear His Voice, and shall come forth.” For thou must not at once rejoice, because thou
dost hear “and come forth;” hear what follows, “They that have done good unto the resur-
rection of life; but they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.”3813 Turning
to the Lord, etc.
3812 Inferorum.
3813 John v. 29.
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On the words of the Gospel, John v. 25,’Verily, verily, I say unto you,…