day of our Lord. Thereby he would be understood to mean, this closing scene.

Mr. Steffe feems to have felt the difficulty, which led him to make this reply, - They terminate before indeed. Whether there be, or be not, an intermediate state

death puts an end to them. therefore in the refurrection, their great and final reward.

a

of happiness,

They terminate because then is

But does this fhew, that we do continue upon trial till the refurrection, though the refurrection does not immediately fucceed this ftate of man? which is the matter in point, with the Doctor. - Our christian-course and improvements in piety, do only terminate at that coming of Chrift, in his fenfe, which is to be after all the ages of the world are run off and finished: till which, he fuppofes the abfolute inconsciousness of all the dead. Mr. Steffe fais, it terminates indeed before. whether there be, or be not an intermediate ftate of happiness. But furely, what the christian courfe terminates in, it does terminate in; and cannot admit of any thing intermediate, between the termination of fuch course, and that very termination. Thus, if an intermediate

a See his two Letters on the intermediate ftate, p. 49.

mediate state of happiness be antecedent to the refurrection, our christian-courfe and improvements in this world, cannot be faid to terminate in the refurrection; because then is their great and final reward: fince the chriftian's courfe and improvements in piety in this world, must have terminated in the intermediate ftate, however great may be the final reward.

Whilft we are treating on the fubject of a refurrection, it is extremely proper we should be well fatisfied of the fenfe and meaning of the term, as it is used in the New Testament writings. and it is indisputably plain and clear, that it is ufed both by the Jews, and by our Lord, to fignify, a future fate fimply.

Matth. xxii. 28, and

30. The Jews afk, whose wife the woman shall be in the refurrection? who had been married to feven hufbands. Our Lord fais, in the refurrection men neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. So that the refurrection properly denotes, the future ftate of the pious. and this great teacher gives an illuftration of that fenfe, by immediately adding,

e See Macknight's Harm. p. 117.

adding, the happy condition of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob. ver. 31, 32. compare Luke xiv. 14. thou shalt be recompenced in the refurrection of the just. ev în avaçaoei.

The removal of man out of this mode of being, into one more elevated and perfect, is, properly, a refurrection. fo that notwithftanding the vulgar opinion of the corruptible body being raised, as effential to the meaning of the term, we are affured, from the best authority, that all good men are children of the refurrection, as foon as they finish thefe mortal scenes. and we are under no obligation from reason, nature, or scripture, to understand the refurrection in the vulgar notion of it.

This fenfe of the refurrection, will allow us to conceive of it, as comprehending all the ages of the world, from the beginning to the end thereof. for as much as ever fince the first good man died, there has been a refurrection, which will continue till the laft good man shall die; or until death and bell have given up all their dead. which I underftand to mean, the hand of mere mortality, and the hand of wicked deftruction. when neither death, nor the perfecutor and oppref

for,

my

for, who now has the power of death, shall any more hurt or annoy; when this last eneshall be put under the feet of Jefus, and his mediatorial reign fhall be complete. compare Rev. xx. 13, 14. with Heb. ii. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 26, 28.

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The expectations of mankind have ever supposed something like this; for the ral opinion has looked upon a state of happiness, as immediately fucceeding this probation of the good man. Not one conclufive reafon or divine authority, we think, has ever been clearly urged in fupport of the refurrection of this corruptible, this mortal, diffolved body. And, if Lemma VI. has any just foundation, to admit of the Soulfleeping scheme, is no less than to fuppose, that men do remain abfolutely inconfcious during the whole duration of the mediatorial reign; and may only awake at the conclufion of it. for then cometh the end, when death fhall be deftroyed; and the kingdom shall be delivered up to the father. We therefore conclude, that in our interpretation, no force is taken from the arguments used by our Lord in favour of an univerfal refurrection. and that there is not any thing, in all our reasoning,

reafoning, which would make those arguments ridiculous.

Sect. 9. Against the popular opinion of the future ftate, an objection fuppofes, that it inverts the natural order of things, impeaches the wisdom of the Supreme judge, placeth punishment before judgment, and makes a repetition of the judgment.

But this, as already obferved, we avoid, by fuppofing every man to enter immediately upon a state of retribution; and that too with a body suited to his moral capacity and character. And, we are of opinion, our Lord has very exprefsly taught this doctrine of the future ftate, in the parable of the rich-man and Lazarus. Subfequent to the judgment which they had undergone, and coeval too with the probationary condition of the rich man's five brethren, is the petition made to Abraham, that he would fend Lazarus to warn his brethren, -in order to prevent their following him into that place of torment, Luke xvi. 27, 28. This is an effential doctrine of the parable; it does not belong to the ornament, drefs, or drapery. And it will be trifling to suppose, our Lord did not fee, that every reader would