unto the resurrection of damnation. See also vi. 39, 40. and 1 Cor. vi. 14. xv. 52. the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. 2 Cor. iv. 14. knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. See also 1 Thess. iv. 14. To these testimonies from Scripture, may be added several arguments from reason in support of the doctrine. First, the covenant with God is not dissolved by death. Matt. xxii. 32. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Secondly, if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen, 1 Cor. xv. 13-20. v. 23. every man in his own order; Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. John xi. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. Thirdly, were there no resurrection, the righteous would be of all men most miserable, and the wicked, who have a better portion in this life, most happy; which would be altogether inconsistent with the providence and justice of God. 1 Cor. xv. 19. if in this life only we have hope in Christ. v. 30-32. why stand we in jeopardy every hour? This resurrection will take place partly through the resuscitation of the dead, and partly through a sudden change operated upon the living. It appears indicated in Scripture that every man will rise numerically one and the same person. Job xix. 26, 27. though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. 1 Cor. xv. 53. this corruptible must put on incorruption. 2 Cor. v. 4. not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. v. 10. that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Otherwise we should not be conformed to Christ, who entered into glory with that identical body of flesh and blood, wherewith he had died and risen again. The change to be undergone by the living is predicted 1 Cor. xv. 51. behold, I show you a mystery ...... we shall all be changed. 1 Thess. iv. 15-18. this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ...... THE LAST JUDGEMENT is that wherein CHRIST WITH THE SAINTS, ARRAYED IN THE GLORY AND POWER OF THE FATHER, SHALL JUDGE THE EVIL ANGELS, AND THE WHOLE RACE OF MANKIND." ARRAYED IN THE GLORY AND POWER OF THE FATHER. John v. 22. the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son. v. 27. he hath given him authority to execute judgement also, because he is the Son of man; that is, because he is himself man.' So • When thou attended gloriously from heav'n 1 When this world's dissolution shall be ripe, With glory and power to judge both quick and dead. XII. 458. Last in the clouds from heav'n to be reveal'd In glory of the Father, to dissolve Satan with his perverted world. Ibid. 545. 1 Vicegerent Son, to thee I have transferr'd All judgement, whether in heav'n, or earth, or hell. Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee Man's Acts xvii. 31. he will judge the world in righteousness by that manRom. ii. 16. in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. WITH THE SAINTS. Matt. xix. 28. ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. See also Luke xxii. 30. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? ...... know ye not that we shall judge angels? SHALL JUDge. Eccles. xii. 14. God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Matt. xii. 36, 37. every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement; for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned; that is to say, where our actions do not correspond with our words. Rom. xiv. 12. so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 1 Cor. iv. 5. until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God. 2 Cor. v. 10. that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. THE EVIL ANGELS. 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3, as above. THE WHOLE RACE OF MANKIND. Matt. xxiv. 31. he shall send his angels with a great shout of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. xxv. 32, &c. 2 Man's friend, his mediator, his design'd Both ransom and redeemer voluntary, And destin'd man himself to judge man fall'n. Paradise Lost, X. 56. Deeds to thy knowledge answerable. XII. 581. 'He who from such a kind of psalmistry, or any other verbal devotion, without the pledge and earnest of suitable deeds, can be persuaded of a real and true righteousness in the person, hath yet much to learn.' Answer to Eikon Basilike. Prose Works, II. 406. before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. Rom. xiv. 10. we shall all stand before the judgement-seat of Christ. 2 Cor. v. 10. we must all appear before the judgement-seat of Christ. Rev. xx. 12, 13. I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God..... and the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. The rule of judgement will be the conscience of each individual, according to the measure of light which he has enjoyed. John xii. 48. he that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him; the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him at the last day. Rom. ii. 12. as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. v. 14. when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another; in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. James ii. 12. as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. Rev. xx. 12. the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Coincident, as appears, with the time of this last judgement (I use the indefinite expression time, as the word day is often used to denote any given period, and as it is not easily imaginable that so many myriads of men and angels should be assembled and sentenced within a single day) beginning with its commencement, and extending a little beyond its conclusion, will take place that glorious reign of Christ on earth with his saints, so often promised in Scripture, even until all his enemies shall be subdued. His kingdom of grace, indeed, which is also called the kingdom of heaven, began with his first advent, when its beginning was proclaimed by John the Baptist, as appears from the testimony of Scripture; but his kingdom of glory will not commence till his second advent. Dan, vii. 13, 14. behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven..... and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; given him, that is, from the time when he came with the clouds of heaven (in which manner his final advent is uniformly described) not to assume our nature, as Junius interprets it,3 (for then he would have been like the Son of man before he became man, which would be an incongruity) but to execute judgement; from the period so indicated, to the time when he should lay down the kingdom, 1 Cor. xv. 24. then cometh the end, of which more shortly. That this reign will be on earth, is evident from many passages. Psal. ii. 8, 9. compared with Rev. ii. 25-27. I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession; thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. cx. 5, 6. Jehovah at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath: he shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies, he shall wound the heads over many countries. Isai. ix. 7. of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom. Dan. vii. 22. until the Ancient of days came, and judgement was given to the saints of the most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. v. 27. the kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High-. Luke i. 32, 33. the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Matt. xix. 28. ye which have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke xxii. 29, 30. I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. It appears that the judgement here spoken of will not be confined Veniebat; perfecturus in terris mysterium redemptionis nostræ.' Junius on Dan. vii. 13. |