Imatges de pàgina
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"in thy prefence is fulness of joy, at thy right "hand there are pleasures for evermore." Pf. xvii. 15. As for me, I will behold thy face in "righteoufnefs: I fhall be fatisfied, when I "awake, with thy likeness."

But there feems to be very exprefs mention of a future ftate in the following paffage of the book of Job, ch. xix. 25. “For I know that my re"deemer liveth, and that he fhall ftand at the "latter day upon the earth. And though, after my "fkin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my flesh "fhall I fee God; whom I fhall fee for myself, "and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; "though my reins be confumed within me."

In the book of Daniel there is ftill a more exprefs mention of a refurrection, and of the condition of the righteous and of the wicked after it. Dan. xii. 2. 66 Many of them that fleep in the duft of the earth fhall awake, fome to ever"lafting life, and fome to fhame and everlasting " contempt." There feems alfo to be a particular promife to Daniel of his own refurrection in the concluding words of the book, v. 13. "But go "thou thy way till the end be: for thou fhalt "rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." He was then too old to have any more preferment in this life, and he had all the power that a fubject could have.

In the hiftory of the Maccabees, who bravely fuffered death rather than abandon their religion, we see the fulleft confidence in their expectation of a happy refurrection, efpecially in what was faid by the mother and her feven fons*, at their martyrdom, the particulars of which, being very ftriking, I fhall here quote. 2 Mac. vii. 9. &c. "And when he," viz. the second son, was at the "laft gasp, he said, Thou, like a fury, takest us "out of this prefent life, but the King of the "world shall raise us up, who have died for his ❝laws, unto everlasting life." The third, fpeaking of his tongue and hands, which they were going to mangle, faid, ver. 11. "Thefe I had "from heaven; and for his laws I defpife them, "and from him I hope to receive them again." The fourth, when he was ready to die, faid, ver. 14. "It is good, being put to death by men, to "look for hope from God, to be raised up again thou shalt have no re

Laftly, the mother ex

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"furrection to life."
horted them in her own language, ver. 21. faying,
"I cannot tell how ye came into my womb, for
"I neither gave you breath, nor life, neither was
it I that formed the members of every one of

Though this particular story should be fabulous, it is no less an evidence of the opinion that prevailed among the Jews before the time of our Saviour,

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"you; but doubtlefs the Creator of the world, "who formed the generation of man, and found "out the beginning of all things, will alfo, of his. <6 own mercy, give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your own felves."

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The manner in which the belief of a refurrection is here expreffed, clearly fhows, that it was no novel doctrine among the Jews of thofe times, but that they confidered themselves as speaking agreeably to the faith of all their ancestors; and it is hard to conceive how they could have been miftaken in this. The doctrine of a refurrection from the dead never occured to any of the heathens, even those who fuppofed that there might be a future life. It does not feem, therefore, that this general and firm expectation of the Jews, which was peculiar to themselves, and contrary to all prefent appearances, could have had any other origin than divine revelation, though we have no account when, or to whom, this revelation was made.

This argument, a pofteriori, makes it probable, that David, and other writers of the Old Teftament, did really refer to the doctrine of a refurrection, and a future life, in those paffages to which, without the knowledge of what were the fentiments of the Jews afterwards, we might naturally enough have been led to give a different interpretation. Had there been any new revelation

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Tation of fo important a doctrine between the time of David and the Maccabees (as it was a period in which many eminent Jewish prophets flourished) we might naturally expect to have found some particular account of it. But, fuppofing it to have been the univerfal opinion of the patriarchs, founded upon fome well-known, though very antient revelation, and never to have been forgotten, or loft fight of, by the pious Ifraelites (though it was quite loft with the reft of the world) we may much better fatisfy ourselves with finding fo little express mention of it.

With the Pharifees, among the Jews, in our Saviour's time, the expectation of a refurrection was univerfal; though it appears that, in some refpects, they had a very imperfect idea of it, and the Sadducees altogether denied it. Thus Martha, the fister of Lazarus, fays to our Saviour, when he told her that her brother should rife again, John xi. 24. "I know that he shall rise again in the refurrection at the last day;" which evidently shows, that he took the doctrine for granted, without feeming to have learned it from Chrift.

In all the New Teftament, we find the greatest poffible stress laid upon this doctrine. Chriftians having no expectations, as the Jews had, from temporal confiderations, expected all their reward in a future life. All the recompense they looked for, on account of their fufferings in the cause of truth and righteoufnefs, was at the refurrection of

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the juft. This, therefore, is the great fanction of virtue in chriftianity, which inculcates upon the profeffors of it, that they are to confider themfelves. as not of this world, but as citizens of heaven, and only frangers and pilgrims upon earth, in full affurance that, by patient continuance in well doing, they fhall at length, attain to glory, honour, immortality, and eternal life.

We likewife learn, in the gospel, that Chrift is appointed both to raise all the dead, and to judge the world at the laft day. Addreffing himself to the Jews, he fays, John vi. 40. "This is the "will of him that fent me, that every one who "feeth the fon, and believeth on him, may have "everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the "laft day." Speaking to Martha, upon the occafion of the death of Lazarus, he fays, "I am "the refurrection, and the life;" and when he was folemnly adjured by the high priest, at his trial, to fay whether he was the Chrift, he said, Mark xiv. 62. "I am, and ye shall see the son of man fitting on the right hand of power, and "coming in the clouds of heaven." Our Lord gives a more particular account of the proceedings of this great day. Matt. xxv. 31. "When the "fon of man fhall come in his glory, and all the "holy angels with him, then shall he fit upon "the throne of his glory. And before him fhall be gathered all nations; and he shall feparate them

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