perfected at the refurrection and day of judg

ment".

Q. 83. What is the communion in glory with Chrift, which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life?

A. The members of the invifible church have communicated to them, in this live, the firft-fruits of glory with Chrift, as they are members of him their head, and fo in him are interested in that glory which he is fully poffeffed of2; and as an earneft thereof, enjoy the fenfe of God's love", peace of confcience, joy in the Holy Ghoft, and hope of glory. As on the contrary, fenfe of God's revenging wrath, horror of confcience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of the torments, which they fhall endure after death".

y I Theff. 4. 17. Then we who are alive and remain fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and fo fhall we ever be with the Lord.

z Eph. 2. 5, 6. Even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us togetner with Chrift, and hath raifed us up together, and made us fit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jefus.

a Rom. 5. 5. And hope maketh not afhamed, because the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy

Ghoft which is given unto us. 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who alfo hath fealed us, and given the ear neft of the Spirit in our hearts.

b Rom. 5. 1. 2. Therefore being juflified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift: By whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Rom. 14. 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

c Gen. 4. 13. And Cain faid unto the Lord, My pu

Q. 84. Shall all men die?

A. Death being threatened as the wages of fin", it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have finned".

Q. 85. Death being the wages of fin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, feeing all their fins are forgiven in Chrift?

A. The righteous fhall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the fting and curfe of its; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God's love", to free them perfectly from fin and misery', and to make them capable of farther communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

fting of death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Heb. 2. 15.

h Ifa. 57. I, 2. The righte ous is taken away from the evil to come. He fhall enter into peace, they fhall rest upon their beds. 2 Kings 22. 20. Behold, therefore, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes fhall not fee all the evil which I will bring upon this place.

i Rev. 14. 13. Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth: yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them. Eph. 5. 27.

k Luke 23 43. And Jefus

Q. 86. What is the communion in glory with Chrift, which the members of the invifible church enjoy immediately after death?

A. The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is in that their fouls are then made perfect in holinefs', and received into the highest heavens", where they behold the face of God in light and glory"; waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continued united to Chrift", and reft in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their fouls". Whereas the fouls of the wicked are at their death caft into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness; and their bodies kept in their graves,

faid unto him, Verily I fay unto thee, To-day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. Phil. 1, 23. For I am in a straight be. twixt two, having a defire to depart, and to be with Chrift; which is far better.

1 Heb. 12, 23. To the general affembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the fpirits of just men made perfect. I John 3. 2. Eph. 5. 27.

m 2 Cor. 5. 1, 6. 8. If our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

that when he shall appear we fhall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is.

12.

I Cor. 13. Now we fee through a glafs darkly; but then face to face. Rev. 22. 4, 5. Mat. 5.8.

o Rom. 8. 23. Waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Pfa. 16. 9. My fleth alfo fhall rest in hope.

pi Theff. 4. 14. For if we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even fo them alfo who fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him.

q lía. 57. 2. He fhall enter into peace: they shall reft in their beds.

r Job 19. 26, 27. And n 1 John 3. 2. But we know, though after my skin worms

as in their prifons, until the refurrection and judgment of the great day1.

Q.87. What are we to believe concerning the refurrection?

A. We are to believe, that at the last day there fhall be a general refurrection of the dead, both of the juít and unjuft'. When they that are then found alive fhall in a moment be changed; and the felf fame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their fouls for ever, fhall be raised up by the power of Christ". The bodies of the just,

defroy this body, yet in my flefh fhall I fee God: whom I fhall fee for myself, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another.

f Luke 16. 23, 24. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and feeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bofom. And he cried and faid, Father Abraham,-fend Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. Acts I. 25. From which Judas by tranfgreffion fell, that he might go to his own place. Jude 6. He hath referved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.

t Acts 24. 15. There fhall be a refurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

VI Cor. 15. 51, 52, 53. Behold, I fhew you a mystery; We shall not all fleep, but we

I

fhall all be changed; in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the laft trump; for the trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, and we fhall be changed. For this corruptible, must put on incorruption, and this mortal muft put on immortality. Theff. 4. 15, 16, 17. For this we fay unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, fhall not prevent them who are afleep. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Chrift fhall rife firft. Then we who are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and fo fhall we be ever with the Lord. John 5. 28, 29.

U

by the Spirit of Chrift, and by virtue of his refurrection as their head, fhall be raised in power, fpiritual, and incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body": And the bodies of the wicked fhall be raised up in dishonour by him as an offended judge.

2. 88. What fall immediately follow after the refurrection?

A. Immediately after the refurrection fhall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men': The day and hour whereof no man

w I Cor. 15. 12, 22, 23, 42, 43, 44. For fince by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive. [It is evidently the scope of the apostle's argument in this paf. fage, to prove, that as all the natural feed of Adam, their covenant-head, were fubjected to death by his offence; fo all the fpiritual feed of Chrift, their new covenant head, fhall be raised from death, to an immortal life of glory and bleffednefs, by virtue of his refurrection. It is therefore a perverfion of the fcripture, to adduce this text as a proof of univerfal redemption.] But

every man in his own order: Chrift the firft fruits, afterwards they that are Chrift's at his coming. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It is fown in corruption, it is raised in

incorruption: It is fown in difhonour, it is raised in glory: It is fown in weakness, it is raised in power: It is fown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. Phil. 3. 22. Who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fafhioned like unto his glorious body. Dan. 12. 2.

x John 5. 27, 28, 29. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice, and fhall come forth, they that have done good, unto the refurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the refurrection of damnation. Dan. 12. 2. And many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, fome to everlafting life, and fome to fhame and everlasting contempt. Mat. 25. 33.

y 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to