diately pafs into, is their Father's house in heaven, where : there are manfions prepared for them by Christ. John xiv. 2. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not fo, I would have told you. I go to prepare a

place for you.'

Q.6. What is the glorious company which the fouls of believers do immediately pass into?

A. The glorious company which the fouls of believers do immediately pafs into, is the company of God and Christ in his glory, as alfo the company of angels, and the fouls of other faints in their glory, 2 Cor. v. 6, 7, 8.) • Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilft we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by fight :) We are confident, I. fay, and willing rather to be abfent from the body, and to be prefent with the Lord.' Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24. We are come to the heavenly Jerufalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly, and to God the Judge of all, and to the fpirits of just men made perfect, and to Jefus the mediator of the new covenant,'

Q. 7. What is that glorious ftate which the fouls of believ ert at death do immediately pafs into ?

A. The glorious state of the fouls of believers immediately after their death, is a state of bleffed reft. Heb. iv.: 9.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of: God. Rev. xiv. 13. And I heard a voice from heaven, faying, Bleffed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from: their labors; and their works do follow them.'.

Q.8.. What is the benefit of believers at their death, in regard of their bodies?

A. 1. The bodies of believers at their death are ftillunited unto Chrift; for though death doth for a while fep arate their fouls from their bodies, yet death cannot fepa-> rate Chrift from either: but as when Chrift died, his hypostatical or perfonal union ftill remained, his divine nature being united both to his foul in heaven, and to his body in the tomb on earth; fo when believers die, their myftical union unto Chrift ftill remaineth, and Christ is united both unto their fouls with him in glory, and to their bodies, which are his members, even when they are

rotting in the grave. 1 Cor. vi. 15. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Chrift? Theff. iv. 14. Them alfo which fleep in Jefus will God bring with him.' 2. The bodies of believers do reft in their as in beds, until the refurrection. Ifaiah lvii. 2. He fhall graves, enter into peace: they fhall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.'

Q.9. What is that refurrection here spoken of?

A. The refurrection here spoken of, is the laft and gen eral refurrection of all the dead that have lived in all ages, from the beginning of the creation; which will be firit of the righteous, and then of the wicked at the last day. John v. 28, 29. The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves fhall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the refurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the refurrection of damnation.' I Theff. iv. 16. 'The dead in Chrift fhall rife first.'

Q. 10. How do you prove that there fhall be fuch a general refurrection?

A. It may be undeniably proved from the power of God, and the revelation of the word. If God be of infi nite power, and therefore can raise all the dead; and infinitely true, and in his word hath revealed that he will raise all the dead, then there fhall be a general refurrec tion: but God is infinitely powerful, and can raise all the dead; and infinitely true, and in his word hath revealed that he will raife all the dead, therefore there fhall be a general refurrection. The ground of the Sadducees error, who denied the refurrection, was their ignorance in thefe two great foundations of this doctrine, namely, the power of God, and the fcriptures. Mark xii. 24. 'Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God.'

Q.11. Shall the dead be raised with the fame bodies which they had when alive before?

A. The dead fhall be raised with the fame bodies. Job xix. 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flefh fhall I fee God.'

Q.12. How do you prove that the dead shall be raised with the fame body?

A. 1. Becaufe, if the dead were not raifed with the fame body, it could in no proper fenfe be called a refurrection, but a new creation. 2. Because the first body was an inftrument of righteoufnefs, or fin, and therefore fhall share in the reward or punifhment.

Q.13. Will not the bodies, when they are raised, differ from what they are now ?

A. The bodies which fhall be raised, will not differ from what they are now, in regard of their substance and effence; but they will exceedingly differ in regard of their qualities.

Q. 14. Wherein do unbelievers differ from believers at their death?

A. The bodies of believers are at their death fhut up in the prifon of the grave; and the fouls of unbelievers are fhut down in the prison of hell, where they are filled with horror and anguifh in the company of devils and other damned fpirits, and there referved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20. By which alfo he went and preached unto the spirits in prifon; which fometime were disobedient.' 2 Pet. ii. 4. God fpared not the angels that finned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darknefs, to be referved unto judgment.'

XXXVIII. Quest. What benefits do believers receive from Chrift at the refurrection?

Anfw. At the refurrection, believers being raised up in glory, fhall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly bleffed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

Q. 1. How many ways may the benefits which believers receive from Chrift at the refurrection be confidered?

A. The benefits which believers receive from Christ at the refurrection may be confidered in three refpects: 1. In respect of their resurrection itself. 2. In respect of the day of judgment, after their refurre&tion. 3. In respect of heaven, after the day of judgment.

Q.2. What is the benefit of believers in respect of their ref urrection itself?

A. The benefit of believers in refpect of their refurrection itself, is that they shall be raised in glory.

3. What glory doth this refer unto ?

A. It doth refer unto the glory which fhall be put upon the bodies of believers at their refurrection, which were vile bodies, both while they were putrefied in the grave, and while alive before, as they were inftruments of fin, and fubject to difeafes and death. Philip. iii. 21. Who fhall change our vile body.'

Q4. What is that glory which shall be put upon the bodies of believers at the refurrection?

A. The bodies of believers, at the refurrection, shall be made most healthful, ftrong, spiritual, incorruptible, immortal, moft beautiful and glorious, like unto Chrift's moft glorious body. Philip. iii. 21. Who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fafhioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to fubdue all things unto himfelf.' 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44. 53, 54. So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It is fown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption: it is fown in dishonor, it is raised in glory it is fown in weakness, it is raifed in power it is fown a natural body, it is raifed a fpiritual body. For this corruptible muft put on incorruption, and this mortal muft put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal fhall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pafs the faying that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victory.'

Q5. What benefits fhall believers have after their refurrection, at the day of judgment?

A. At the day of judgment, 1. Believers fhall be gathered together from all the corners of the earth by the angels. Matth. xxiv. 31. And he shall fend his angels with a great found of a trumpet, and they fhall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' 2. Believers fhall be all caught up together in the clouds, to meet the Lord Jefus, who will come down with a fhout from heaven. 1 Theff. iv. 16, 17.

For the Lord himfelf 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 which are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.fr.

Believers fhall be placed on the right hand of Jefus Chrift. Matth. xxv. 33. And he fhall fet the fheep on his right hand.' 4. Believers fhall be openly acknowledged by Christ to be his, and acquitted from false afperfions which have been caft upon them, and from the real guilt of all fins which have been committed by them, because of their interest in Chrift and his righteousness. Matth. x. 32. • Whofoever fhall confefs me before men, him will I confefs alfo before my Father which is in heaven,' Rom. viii. 33, 34. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect: It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died.'. 5. Believers fhall be entertained and invited by Chrift, to take poffeffion of the glorious inheritance prepared for them. Matth. xxv. 34. Then fhall the King fay unto them on his right hand, Come ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' 6. Believers fhall fit with Chrift as affeffors in judgment of the wicked angels and wicked men. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3.

• Do ye not know that the faints fhall judge the world? Know ye not that we fhall judge angels?'

Q. 6. What benefits fhall believers receive after the day of judgment in heaven ?

A. Believers in heaven fhall be made perfectly bleffed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

Q7. Wherein will confift the perfect bleffedness of believers in heaven?

A. The perfect bleffedness of believers in heaven will confift, 1. In their perfect immunity or freedom from all eyil, and that both of fin and mifery. Eph. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould. be holy and without blemish.' Rev. xxi. 4. • And God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there fhall be no more death, neither forrow, nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain. 2. In their full enjoyment of God the chiefelt good.

Q. 8. What doth the full enjoyment of God in heaven imply? A. The full enjoyment of God which believers fhall have in heaven doth imply, 1. That they fhall have the glorious prefence of God with them. Rev. xxi,

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