Imatges de pàgina
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"them one from another, as a thepherd divideth "his fheep from the goats:" when he will fay to the righteous, "Come, ye bleffed of my Father, "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the "foundation of the world;" but to the wicked he will fay, "Depart from me, ye curfed, into "everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and his "angels."

The reafon why Chrift fhould be appointed by God to act this illuftrious part, is pretty clearly intimated to be his being a man, viz. of the fame rank and fpecies with ourselves, John v. 22. "The

Father judgeth no man; but hath committed "all judgment unto the Son." And, v. 27. “he "hath given him authority to execute judgment "alfo, because he is the fon of man;" fo that being, with respect to his nature, in all respects, like ourselves, fubject to the fame infirmities and paffions, we may be well affured, that he will feel for us, and be disposed to make all the reasonable allowances that our fituation and circumstances fhall require; fo that we can have no reason to complain, or be apprehenfive of unjust severity from our judge. For this reafon, among others. the author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews obferves, chap ii. 10. that "it became him, for whom are "all things, and by whom are all things, to "make the captain of our falvation perfect through fufferings;" ver. 17. That in all things it

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"behoved him to be made like unto his bre "thren;" that he should not be an angel, but "of the feed of Abraham, that he might be a " merciful and faithful high-priest for us."

We are informed that, at the second coming of Christ, the virtuous fhall be raised firft, and immediately after that, a change, which fhall fuperfede death, will take place upon all who are alive; in confequence of which, their bodies, as well as those which are raifed from the dead, will become incorruptible, and not fubject to die any more. Thefe particulars we are informed of in the following paffages of fcripture. 1 Theff. IV. 13. “I "would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, "concerning them who are afleep, that ye forrow "not, even as others who have no hope. For if "we believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, even "fo them alfo who fleep in Jefus, will God bring

with him. For this we fay unto you, by the "word of the Lord, that we who are alive and re"main unto the coming of the Lord, fhall not

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prevent them who are afleep. For the Lord "himself fhall defcend from heaven with a shout, "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, shall "be caught up together with them in the clouds, σε to meet the Lord in the air: and fo fhall we ❝ ever

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66 ever be with the Lord." 1 Cor. xv. 42. "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 raifed in glory: "it is fown in weakness, it is raised in power: it "is fown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Ver. 50. "Now this I fay, brethren, "that flesh and blood cannot inherit the king"dom of God; neither doth corruption inherit "incorruption. Behold, I fhew you a mystery; "We fhall not all fleep, but we shall all be "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an <c eye, at the last trump (for the trumpet fhall "found) and the dead fhall be raised incorruptible, "and we fhall be changed. For this corruptible "muft put on incorruption, and this mortal must "put on immortality." Hence we may clearly infer, that all bodily imperfections will be removed, fo that every perfon will appear with his full powers of body and mind; but whether any will rife in the state of infancy, we are not informed.

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SECTION II.

Of the nature of future rewards and punishments.

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HE happiness of the righteous, after the refurrection, is expreffed in fuch terms asmakes it appear to be the most desirable thing that can be conceived by man; but ftill the terms are general, and give us no diftinct idea of the nature of it. Nor, indeed, was this at all neceffary: nay, our hopes and wifhes are, perhaps, more ftrongly engaged without that circumftance.

Sometimes the future happiness is defcribed as a State of reft. Rev. xiv. 13. "Bleffed are the dead "that die in the Lord, for they reft from their

labours; and their works do follow them.”

But most frequently it is spoken of as a state of indefinite and pofitive happiness. It is faid of the virtuous, in the book of Revelation, ch. vii. 16. that

they fhall hunger no more, neither thirst any "more, neither fhall the fun light on them, nor

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any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of "the throne, fhall feed them, and fhall lead them "unto living fountains of waters and God fhall "wipe away all tears from their eyes." Rev. xxi. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven, faying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with

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"men,

men, and he will dwell with them, and be their "God. 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: for the former thing's are "paffed away."

The happiness of the righteous is also represented as a state of glory, and honourable distinction, and that of the wicked as a ftate of infamy and difgrace. The angel informs Daniel, ch xii. 2. that " many "of them that fleep in the duft of the earth shall "awake, fome to everlafting life, and fome to "shame and everlasting contempt. And they that "be wife fhall fhine as the brightness of the fir"mament, and they that turn many to righte"oufnefs, as the ftars for ever and ever." To this paffage our Lord probably alluded, when he faid, Matt. xiii. 43. "Then fhall the righteous "fhine forth as the fun, in the kingdom of their "Father."

There can be no doubt but that, as moral excellence is the only preparative to future happiness, so it will be a neceffary ingredient in it. And every truly good man will look forward, with joy, to the time when all fin, and every propenfity to it, shall be no more, and when his nature will be as excellent as it is capable of being.

The happiness of heaven, like the happiness of generous virtue in this life, we have reafon to

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