Bishop Challoner's Meditations ~ July 18th

ON THE GENERAL RESURRECTION

Consider first, that this world being now at an end, the archangel shall sound the last trumpet, and with aloud voice shall call for all the dead to arise, and to come to judgment; this voice shall at once be heard over all the universe, and presently obeyed; it shall pierce the highest heavens and penetrate down to the lowest abyss of hell. At this voice, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, by the almighty power of our great creator, all the children of Adam, from the first to the last, shall arise from the dust, and every soul shall again be united to its own body, never more to part for eternity; that as the soul and body have in this world been partners in good or evil, so they may, in the world to come, be sharers also in reward or punishment. Christians, let the sound of this last trumpet always echo in your ears.

Consider 2ndly, the wonderful difference there shall be at the time of this general resurrection between the bodies of the just and those of the wicked. The just shall rise in bodies most beautiful, purer than the stars, brighter than the sun, immortal and impassible; but the wicked shall rise in bodies suitable to their deserts, foul, black, hideous, and every way loathsome and insupportable; immortal ‘tis true, but to no other end than to endure immortal torments. Oh! what an inexpressible torture shall it be to these wretched souls to be forced into such odious carcasses; and to be condemned to an eternal confinement in such a horrid and filthy prison? O learn then, my soul, to keep thy body now pure from the corruption of carnal sins, lest otherwise it come to be at that day a sad aggravation of thy never-ending misery.

Consider 3rdly, with how much joy and delight the souls of the just shall be again united to their bodies, which they have so long desired; and with what affection they shall embrace those old companions and partners of all their labours, of all their sufferings and mortifications; and now designed to share with them in the glory of the heavenly Sion, and to give no small addition to their everlasting happiness. But oh! what dreadful curses shall pass at the melancholy meeting of the souls and bodies of the reprobate? Accursed carrion, shall the soul say, was it to gratify thee, and to indulge thy brutal inclinations, that I have forfeited the immortal joys of heaven? Ah! wretch, to give thee a filthy pleasure of a moment, I have damned both myself and thee to all eternity. O thrice-accursed carcass, ‘tis just that thou who hast been the cause of my damnation should be my partner in eternal woe! But oughtest not thou rather, O unhappy soul, to be a thousand ties over accused by thy body, since it was thy business, and was in thy power, to have subjected its passions and lusts to the rules of reason and religion; and thou didst rather choose for the sake of a momentary delight, to enslave thyself to sensual inclinations, and so to purchase hell both for thyself and it? Ah, Christians, let us at least learn to be wise, and so to keep both our body and soul in good order here, that they both may be eternally happy together hereafter.

Conclude to prevent the terrors that shall seize the wicked at the great summons of the last trumpet, which shall call the dead from their graves to go forth to meet the judge, by giving ear now to another summons of the great trumpet of the Holy Ghost, calling upon thee by the apostle, (Eph. v. 14,) ‘Rise, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,’ (that is, from the death of sin to the life of grace,) ‘and Christ shall enlighten thee.’ Thus by having part in the first resurrection thou shalt provide in time against that great day when time shall be no more. Thus thou shalt escape the second death.