Imatges de pàgina
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with Chrift, to the prefent, in which we are abfent from him. He particularly excepts against the idea of being unclothed, or naked, ver. 4. "For we "that are in this tabernacle do groan, being bur"dened; not that we would be uncloathed, but "cloathed upon, that mortality might be fwal"lowed up of life."

Now this being "clothed upon," or, as it is expreffed, ver. 2. " clothed upon with our house "which is from heaven," certainly refers to the bodies which we are to receive at the refurrection; and, it is evident, from ver. 1. that the apoftle had no idea of any state between that and the prefent. "For we know, that if our earthly house of this "tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building "of God, an house not made with hands, eternal "in the heavens." And fince, in the fleep of death, we cannot be fenfible of any interval of time, how long foever it may really be, the one will feem immediately to fucceed the other; so that it will appear to us, that the very next moment after closing our eyes in death, we awake at the general refurrection, which is a most sublime and alarming confideration.

Other fingle paffages of fcripture are produced in favour of the doctrine of an intermediate ftate, but none fo plaufibly as these, and with me they weigh nothing against the force of the general arguments above-mentioned.

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As to the place where the virtuous, or the vicious will be difpofed of after death, it is abfolutely unknown to us, especially the latter; for, as to the former, the apoftle Peter feems to intimate, that good men will inhabit this earth after it has been deftroyed by fire, and been made habitable again in a more advantageous form, 2 Peter iii. 7. "The heavens and the earth which are now, are "referved unto fire, against the day of judgement, "and perdition of ungodly men." Ver. 10.

"The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the "night, in which the heavens fhall pass away "with a great noife, and the elements fhall melt "with fervent heat, the earth alfo, and the works "that are therein, fhall be burnt up." Ver. 13. "Nevertheless we, according to his promife, look "for new heavens and a new earth, wherein "dwelleth righteousness."

As the apoftle fays, that "the earth is referved "unto fire against the day of judgment, and per"dition of ungodly men ;" it fhould feem, that the deftruction of this world by fire, is to have fome connection with the punishment of the wicked; and may, perhaps, be the immediate inftrument of it. If this be the cafe, there will be something more than figurative in the description of the torments of the wicked in the fcriptures, as caufed by fire, and this fire may terminate in the utter extinction

tinction of the wicked. But these, it must be acknowledged, are mere conjectures.

A learned friend, being diffatisfied with the preceding interpretation of the paffage in the Epiftle to the Philippians, has suggested another, which, to gratify my readers, I fhall here infert.

I freely own, that I am not fatisfied with this explanation of Phil. i. 21. first, because the apoftle does not appear to me to write under any de preffion, but rather with triumph and exultation, "According to my earnest expectation, "and my hope, that in nothing I fhall be afhamed, "but that, with all boldness, as always, fo now "alfo Christ shall be magnified in my body, whe "it be by life or by death."

ver. 20.

Secondly, the apostle does not seem to have confidered the two things by which he fays he was ftraitened as evil, but rather as good, and both of them as objects of earnest choice; fo good, that his difficulty was, which to prefer, whether to live to Chrift, i. e. for the furtherance of the gospel, and the falvation of his fellow-creatures through him, which had long been the object of his ardent wishes, and earnest cares and labours, or to die and be with Chrift, which would be a gain to himself, and far better for his perfonal intereft. From the whole preceding context, from ver. 12. the apoftle appears to have had, at the time of writing, no painful feelings of what he had already fuffered, either from

from the malice of open enemies, or treachery of falfe friends, nor formidable apprehenfions of what might yet await him. He rather expreffes a quite different ftate of mind in those words, ver. 18. "And I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice;" a ftate of mind pretty much fimilar to that which he profeffed to the elders of Ephesus, Acts xx. 22. -24.

However, I not do think it will follow, that the apostle meant by the words, to die is gain, and to depart and to be with Chrift, which is far better, to convey an idea of a state of consciousness and positive happiness, which he should enjoy with Chrift from the inftant of his death till the refurrection. It is enough to juftify the expreffions, and his defire to depart, if we only fuppofe him to mean, that he fhould not only be exempted from farther danger, fuffering, oppofition, and treachery from others, but also from care, folicitude, and apprehenfions in himself about his own eternal interefts, which he fo pathetically expreffes, chap. iii. 8-14. and and 1 Cor. ix. 27. and elsewhere; that from thenceforth he and his interefts would be in fecurity under the faithful protection of a powerful Saviour. He would be with Chrift in the fame fenfe as Chrift promised to the penitent thief, that he should be with him that day in paradise, i. e. in the state of those dead, who are, as it were, within the inclofure of divine benevolence and power, reserved for

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the accomplishment of divine purposes and promifes. Now furely, to be admitted to fuch a ftate of fecurity, is a proper object of defire to a good mind, even preferably to the continuance of an ufeful life, but expofed to fears, dangers, and fufferings, both from within and without.

This alfo feems conformable to the apoftles fentiments and expreffions on other occafions, 2 Tim. iv. 6-8.I am now ready to be offered, and "the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I "have kept the faith. Henceforth," he does not fay, I fhall be happy with Chrift, but "there

is laid up (áπónɛilai) for me a crown of " righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous "judge, fhall give me at that day;" and chap. i. 12. of the fame Epiftle, "I know whom I have

believed, and I am perfuaded that he is able” (not to make me happy with himself immediately, but)" to keep that which I have committed unto "him against that day.". I conceive, that the apostle means to convey the fame fentiment, that the lives and happiness of his difciples are intrusted to the care and protection of Christ, to be by him reftored and perfected at the last day, in thofe words, Colof. iii. 3. 4. "For ye are dead," (a figure by no means too ftrong to denote, not only the spiritual profeffions, but the hazardous circumftances of chriftians at that time) and your life

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