POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
167 
the low coralline islands^ and live by fishing,) eaten 
by sharks, which would sometimes be caught and eaten 
by the inhabitants of distant islands. 
After urging these, and corresponding inquiries which 
had exercised their minds, they would ask. After all 
these processes of new combination, will the original 
parts of every human body be reunited at the resur- 
ection? &c. On such occasions, the truth of the 
doctrine of the resurrection was exhibited, as demon¬ 
strated by the resurrection of Lazarus and of Christ; 
the identity of our Lord’s body, by his subsequent 
intercourse with the disciples, especially with Thomas; 
and the certainly of the general resurrection presented, 
as deduced fron the numerous and explicit declarations 
of Scripture, aid the reasoning of the inspired writers. 
The identity of the body was stated as being con¬ 
sistent with the character and moral government of 
God, which appeared to require that the same body 
which had suffered for or in his cause on earth, 
should be gbrified in heaven; and that the same 
body which in union with the soul had been em¬ 
ployed in ribellion - and vice, should suffer the just 
consequence in a future state. The declarations of 
Scripture oi this momentous point, always appeared 
to be satis-'actory; and although the circumstances of 
the resurrection, and the manner by which parts of 
the same body would be united, &c. were inquiries 
pursued uith deepest interest, we generally found them 
terminate in expressions of desire that they might 
be prepared, rise with glorified bodies, and come forth 
from their graves “to the resurrection of life.” 
In connexion with this subject, and others of a 
similar kind, the most important referred to what 
