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CHRISTOLOGY^
DISCOURSE
CONCERNING
CHRIST:
CONSIDER'D
L In Himfelf. II. In his Government III. In relation to his Subjeds Duty to him.
fit mt 3Soofig>
The Second VOLUME, containm|^ Third BOOK.
Being a Nctij but Scriptural Treatife concerning CHRIST, confider^d as
LOGJNTHROPOS.
In Two PARTS.
To which is added,
A Neiif and TecuUar DISSERTATION
concerning the Vrkr Refurretlic^i^ which is to
commence with the Milienruum, ___
By KOBERrlFLEMING.
Jen, ill ApL Liceat VtrmtiixLi aures vellras pervemire. Vfiii:/-! geftic nc Igmrata Damnetur,
L O ND O N -, Printed by J. Humfreys^ for A. Bell at the Crofs-Keys and Bible in CornWdl. GIDJOCCVIII.
TO THE MOST
Noble, Illuftrious and Excellent
PRINGESS.
Her Royal Highness
SOPHIA,
Eleftorefs and DutcheG Dowager O F
Hannover^ Brunjrptck^ Lum nenburg^ &c.
May it pkafe Your Highnefsy
AVIN G Prefuni'd ro Ingrave the Auguft Name of Her Britannic\ ■ Majejiy in the Frontifpiece of this fVorl{_i as I had formerly Pretix'd that of
A3 His
iv The Epfile Dedicatory.
His late Majejly^ before a fmall Difcourfe, which was a kind of Frodromus to it : I could not but immediately Conchide, that this next Fart of my Labours, upon this Greateft of Subjeds, was, of Right, Ap- propriable to no other Perfon or Intereft, than that of Tour Royal tiighnejs and Tour ntoji Glorious Houfe j fince Providence feems, this way, fo peculiarly to have handed it over to You, as to incourage its (>laim, by a fort of Succcfllon, to Your moft Illuftrious Patronage, as well as Chriftian Perufal.
And now, that I have mentioned this ; as the Siualleft Things do frequently Occa- fioa us to think of the Greateft , fo I can't but Obferve here, How much all we Bri- tains are cblig'd to Celebrate the Immenfe Goodnels of Heaven to Us and Pofterity, upon the A^ccount of the late Glorious Ke* *volHtio7t^ and the later Happy Settlement of th^Succeffton^ as Farther, and, we Hope, Per- petually Lengthen'd out, in thcFrdteflant Line, A Bleffing fo Great, that lean Hontftly fay , That I do never think of ir, either in a Direft or Reflex View, without fome Pecu- liai Emotions of Pleafure and Sati&fadion.
For
The Epijile Dedicatory. v
For when I look backward, I call to Mind thofe Pleafant Days, wherein wc law our Religion^ Liberty, Laws and Privileges, Rcfcu*d from the Jaws of a Romift, Arbi- trary, Cruel and Tyrannical Party, by a pe- culiar Providence, as by an Arm firetch'd forth from Heaven j by which Our late Excellent King and Qiieen were Divinely Incited, Animated, Direded and Rende- red Succefsful, in their Undertaking, Carry- ing on, Accomplifliing and Securing that Great and Glorious Work.
And when, from thence, I proceed to Contemplate our Prefent Happy Settlement, under the Aufpicious Reign of Our Graci- ousQiieen ^ Methinks I find my felf in the Midft of One of the moft Pleafant Scenes in the World ,• where Impartial Jnftice ap- pears Interwoven with Univerlal Lenity; and where Wifdom and Virtue Diicover themfelves equally, in a MM but Stcddy Go- vernment at Home, and in a Faithful Ad- herence to, and Careful Affiftanceof, the General Alliance Abroad.
A 3 But
vi The Epftle Dedicatory.
But as King William was never more Ho- nour'd by Heaven, nor more )uftly Indear'd to us, than by the laft Great Aft of his Ex- piring Life *5 when he did fo Happily Begin the Length'ning out the Proteftant Succefli- on : So Her Prefect Majcjiy has juftly Me- rited the Eulogies of all true Britains ; both, upon the Account of Her Making it Hi^h Treafon, robe Guilty of any Overt- Aft as^ainft the fame ; And upon the Score of Her Obtaining it, to take Place Univer- fally thro' the Whole Inland: A Work, not only Great in it Self, but Aufpicious to us and our Poftericy for ever ; efpecially feeing it is fo happily Interwoven with the Glorious Z^NION oi rhefe formerly Unfortunately Divided Nations ^ hnVNION fo Indif- folubly link'd to the Troteflant Sncceffion^ as that they mutually Give and Receive Security, to and from each Oiher , An Z^NION fo Great, as was, not ma- ny Months ago, rather the Ob)e£l: of our Defircs, than Expeftations ; In the Ac- complilhment whereof, Her Majejiy may truly Glory, to have Out-done all Her Royal PredeceHors^ and for which She
may
The Epijile Dedicatory: vii
may Juftly exped, the Perpetual Praifes of Succeeding Ages.
And here it is Pleafant to Obferve, hov/ Wifely and Kindly Almighty God has Con- nefied Her Majejiys Fiety and Safetyy by making t\icLatter the Refulc and Reward of the Former. For, as She has been Concer- ned to Secure the Succeflion, the Succellion tends to Secure Her : Nothing Human be- ing fo Strong a Barrier, as this is, to ftave off the Defigns of Villanous AiTaflinates a-^ gainfl: fo valuable a Life , feeing all Men muft be fuppoied to know, that the Froteftant Line does not now Expire in Her.
And, as what tends to Her Majefty's Se- curity, muft ever be Delightful to all Her Good Subjeds ; So this muft be fuppofcd likewife, in a Great Mcafure, to have Eas'd their Anxious Minds, as to their Dread of the Confequents of fo Difoaal a Stroke, as that of Her Majefty's Demife, even tho in a Natural Way, muft be fuppofed to have been. For, befides the inconceivable Lofs of fo Excellent and Tender a Nurfing Mo- A \ ther ^
viii The Epftle Dedicatory.
ther i Mens Thoughts were then perpetu- ally haunted with the Frightful and Ghaftly Ideas of Popery and Tyranny, as Retur- ning again, with redoubled Malice, Fury and Revenge , and as R^eniounting the Throne, in Order to deftroy, at once, all our National and Perfonal Privileges and Liberties, Sacred and Civil And fuch muft our Apprehenfions have continued to be to this Day, were we not fo happily freed from theiii, by the farther Profpeft, with which we are now fo pleafantly Enter- tained, of Glorious and Flourifliing Times, during the Succeflive Reigns of other Ex- cellent Princes, upon whom God and the People have IntaiFd the Crown.
Princes ! Whofe Virtues (hine with fuch an Orient Lufire, as no Detrafltion or Malice can Sully or Obfcure. Princes ! Tho Born abroad, yet truly Brit/Jh^ both by Law and Nature : Thro' whofe Veins the Blood of the Royal Stewarts^ in Defcent from that of the Gallant Brucian and Ancient Fergiifran f^dVLxR^s^ mix'd with the Noble Blood of the Famous and Brave Plafitage- nets and TndorSy muft be acknowlcdg'd to
run.
The Eptftle Dedicatory. ix
run. And, if they are likcwife defcendcd from the Ancient, Great and Uluftrious Palati-^ nate and Brmfrricl^ Houfes, which the German B^pire has fuch )uft Reafon to celebrate and glory in : What Man is there in our £/;/- pire of Great Britain^ that either un- derftands the Pedegree of his own Coun- try^ or regards its true Intereft, but mud find himfelf oblig'd to love and honour them the rather, upon this very Account,
But that which, above all Things, will ever attra^i the Hearts of good Proteftants, of all Denominations, to Efteem and Ho- nour, The moft Excellent and Illuftrious frincefs Sophia^ The moft Serene and Po- tent Elector^ The moft Accomplifli'd and Hopetul EleBoral Prince^ together with all the Noble and Virtuous Branches of the moft Auguf t and Flourifhing Family of Brun- ftvk\'LmenbHrg^ of the Great and Glori- ous Hanover Line^ is, befides their admi- rable Perfonal Endowments, this Reviving Gonfideration ^ That, as they are now fo Peculiarly Related to thcCe Fort H?7ate Ijlands^ fo their Intereft and ours is intirely the fame,
in
X The Epijile Dedicatory.
in Oppofition co all ¥opiJh Pretenders and Arbitrary Defigns.
And, as for Your Eleftoral Highnefs ; when I Confider former Days, and Re- member the many and fevere Sufferings of the Koyal Palatinate Family^ for the Sake of the Proreftant Religion j and thus call to Mind the Circumftances of Your Koyal Mo- ther 5 and for how many Years the Churches of Great Britain and Ireland did conftantly, in their Prayers, Ingeminate the Name of the JfliSed Lady Elizabeth, Q^een of Bo- hemia : I cannot but loolc upon Your ^igh- nefs's Relation to the Throne^ as the Anfwer of Heaven to thofe Solemn, Frequent and Fervent AddreiTes. She indeed has been advanced, long ago, to an higher Glory, than that of any Earthly Crown ; as being, with Dazfidj denied thePerfonal Privilege of Building the Temple. But Her Pojierity fcem now to be plainly Mark'd out by Heaven, as the Glorious and Polifh'd Inftruments,by whom the Divine Goodnefs deligns to A£lr, in Order farther to Complcat, Beautifie and Fini(h, That Great and Glorious Work, which God has already fo happily begun,
and
The Epijile Dedicatory. xi
and fo far carried on, in thefe Nations; in Oppofition to P.^pal Idolatry , French Tyran- ny , and all manner of Arbitrary En- croachments upon our Civil and Religious Rights.
And Oh ! how charming a Profpe^, and how ravifliing an Expeftation, are our Minds, from hence, Entertain d with ? Where the Growing Glory of your moft /A lujlrioHs Houfe^ the Increafing Happinefs of Great Britain^ the Farther Security of the Liberty of Europe^ and the Renewed Succefs of the Reformed Keligion^ and confequently the more Univerfal Promotion and Inlarge- ment of Chrijiianity^ and the Peace and Hap- pinefs of Mankind ; Are reprefented to our admiring and elevated Thoughts, as in a curioufly and delightfully Variegated Map^ as equally Certain, and as reciprocally Supporting one another.
Permit me therefore, Madam, tho One of the leaft Confiderable of thofe, who have folemnly Srvorn inviolable Loyalty to her Majejiyy and true Fidelity to Her Frotejiant
Sue-
xii The Epiftle Dedicatory.
SuccefforSyto put this fniall Piece intoyourf/ir^/> nef/s Hands,as theBeftTt ftimony I am^at pre^ fent, capable of giving, feoth of my Sincerity and Heartinefs in taking that Sacred Oath^ and of that profound Refped and Value, which I have for your Hrgfmefs's Perfon and Family : That, as it is, in its Subjeft and Scope, Calculated for the Farther fncreale of Chri- flian Knowledge and Praftice, and con{e- quentiy for the real and lafling Advantage of Men, particularly of my Fellow-Subjeds and Countrymen of this Great Ifand and Empire i fo it may be allowed, to be fo pe- cuharly appropriated to your felf and mod Illuftrious Relatives, as to obtain your and their Protedion, and favourable Acceptance and Perufal.
Now may God continue, ftill more and more, to blefs your EleSloral Highnefs^ with all temporal and fpiritual Blcfllngs here ^ to be exchanged at laft (but late) for Eternal Felicity and Glory. May your Valuable Life be fo lengthened out, and fo difpos'd of, both for your Own and the Common Good, that Old Age may never be other- wife,
The Epijlle Dedicatory, xiii
wife difcernable in you^ than, as it is at prefent^by a Ripen'd Sagacity and Prudence, a Diffiifive Virtue and Generoficy^ an At- tractive Goodnels and Complailance, and an Univerfal Fame and Renown May
yoxxx AuguU and FloHriJhmgHonfe ever conti- nue, and ever grow. May the United Virtues of the moft Celebrated Princes of former Times, ihine forth refplendently in your moll IS able and lllujirionsFrogeny ; that late Pofterity may ftill have New, Bright, and Endlefs Matter, from their Lives and Adions, for Hiftory and Annak May they be Honoured of God, to do more for the Benefit of Mankind^ of Europe^ of Britahiy and of the Reformed Religion ; than ever Vavid did for Ifrael^ Cyrus for the Tern-- ple^ AifgnflHs for the Roman Empircj or Conjiar/tine for Cbrifl/ans. And may thus every Age and Generation to come be bleft with renewed and endlcis Occafions of Ce- lebrating You and T hem, as the Favourites of Heaven, and Darlings of Men ; as be- ing the Great Patrons of Religion, the Kind Proteftors of Virtue, the Juft Defen- ders of Equity, the Eminent Promoters of In-
duftry,
xiv The Epijile Dedicatory!
duOry, the Illuftrious Encouragers of Arts, the Oencrous Benefactors of Learning, and the Univerfal Guardians of Liberty. So Prayeth,
Great M A D A Uy
Jan, I. t7o|.. being Your Highnefs'^s
New-Tear* s-Day^ *^ "^
Old Stile.
Mofi Humbly Devoted^ and Mojl Obedient Seirvmt,
Robert Fleming.
XV
TO THE
READER.
I Have faid fo much in relation to the Subjects treat- ed of^ both in the Book following^ and the annexed D'iJJerrariony that I have nothing to fay here^ that does dire5ily relate to any of them ; efpecially feeing all the Sheets of both Treatifes, are now wrought off the Prefs.
But however^ feeing fome things have lately occur*d to me, that feem to bear fome relation^ tho more oh^ liqucly^ to fome parts of my enfuing Difcourfes, I thought it might not be improper or unufeful to advertife my Reader of them^ in this Place.
And^ (i.) Whereas I have lately underftood, that the Learned Dr. Allix has publifh'd a Latin Differta- tion, De Jefu Chrifii Domini Nofiri Anno & Menje Natali • I am forry that I did not know of this till now. For, tho I find^ that what I have faid upon this Subjed, in the ^th Chapter^ was printed off long before his Book appeared^ yet the Deference I pay to that Great Scho- lar would have oblig'd me to have compar'd his Notions^ this way ^ vv^ith my own^ and to have given my Opinion accordingly, in fome brief Ad^ 'vertifement or Appendix^ to have been added, either to the one Treatife or the other. But as want of Health has confined me, for the moit part at home, during the time that this Work has been in the Prefs, and confequently depriv'd me of the Opportunity of inquiring, as fonneriy, after later Publilh'd Works of Learned Men : So I confider'd, that the Subjed
of
xvi To the READER.
of that Diflertation of Dr. Jllix is of no material Confequence to Religion ; and that therefore it is no great Matter with me_, whether he or I have come neareft to Truth. We both, by Printing, appeal to the World to judge of our feveral Performances : And therefore let the inquifitive Reader determine for tumfelf, as to both.
(2.) It was, upon the fame account, that I knew no- thing of Mr. Wbifions EjJ'ay upon the Revdationy until the Time that I was about fending the firft Sheets of the annexed Differtation to the Prefs : which oblig'd me therefore, not only to write that part of it, which relates more immediately to his Scheme^ as concifely as I could ; but alfo to write, as it were, in a hurry. If • therefore any Word or Sentence has drop'd from me (in the hafte I was then in) that may feem to be harder than it ought to have been^; I retract it. For, as I never lov'd to ufe any thing of this kind, to any Man whatfoever : So I have ever declar'd, upon all occafi- ons, a particular Refped for the eminent Learning and Worth of the Bifljop of IForcejhr ^ as well as fer the Profoundly Learned Dr. Whitby ^ the Reverend Mr. Stajnoey and the DifFulively Learned Mr. Whifton. But yet, I muft be allowed to add, that, if what I have faid, in Oppofition to the Schemes of fome of thefe Learned Perfons,be clofely and fully confidered, it will be found, that I could hardly avoid to write as I did* for every one knows, that the very Refutation of weak Arguments (efpecially when they carry an Air of Confidence along with them) cannot poffibly be fo manag'd, but it muft appear, in fome refped^, to be grating, efpecially at firft view, but more efpecially to thofe who are the Authors or Patromz,ers of fuch Schemes and Treatifes.
(;.) I have this further to advertife the Reader of, that having heard that Mv.TVhlfion had preach'd upon the Head of Prophefy, at Mr. Beyle s Ltdurey for the Year 1707, and that his Sermons were in the Prefs,and almoft finifli'd j I was willing to flop fo long:, as to fee
them
To the READER. xvii
them^ that in cafe he had faid any thing material^ ei- ther as to his Apocalyptical Scheme^ or as to the three Grand Prophefies of the Old Teflament^ treated of by me in Chap. 4. I might have confidered them. But having now got a fight of his Book^ I find that he has touch'd upon none of thefe SubjediS;, excepting that of Jacob , Gen. 49. 10. And^ as to this, having no time now to conflder what he has faid upon it, without de- laying the Prefs : I muft fay the fame thing here again, which I faid before, in reference to the Treatife of Dr. Allix^'uiz.. that I leave the Reader. to compare, both what Mr JVhifion and what I have faid on that Prophefy, and to judge of both Performances as he pleafeth.
(4.) But one thing I was glad to fee in Mr. TVhifions new Book, 'vlz., his annQXQdDiJJer tat ion. For the fight thereof made me recoiled my Omiffion of not putting in the Subftance of my Thoughts on the fame Subjed, which I deliver'd feveral Years ago, to a Publick Au- ditory, upon a Sacramental Occafion ; efpecially fee- ing this would have come in naturally, in Chap. 9, Fage ^oS. either as one of xh^ rationally Co7ijethiral Sup- pofitions mention'd there, or as a Marginal Note^ in re- ference to thefe Words [the Varadifical Hades] which are to be found in Line 21. of that ^oSthPage. However I have rather Reafon to wonder, that I have omit- ted fo few things in the following Work, than that I have forgot this one ; efpecially confidering my Circumftances, when that Chapter was written and fent to the Prefs. But feeing upon the Sight of this Title of the Differtation of Mr. V/hifton^ I call'd to mind, that I had formerly prefented my Plearers with fome fingular Thoughts upon the fime Subjed, I made a Search amongft my Manufcripts for the Notes of that Sermon : Which at length I recovered. And feeing I find, that Air. Whifto7i\ Thoughts and mine, are, in fome things the fame, and in other Refpcds, very different^ nay oppofite too -^ I thought it might not be improper, inllead of controverting the Point directly (which wao likely to coft me more Time and Pains, than w;'S well conliftent with the forwarding the Publication of
a this
xviii T^jf/jf READER.
this Work) to give the Sum of what 1 preach'd for- merly upon this Subjed: ; leaving him and every Man elfe^ to tall in with either Account^ as he fhall judge
the one or the other moil rational. Now the Sum
of my Account is this. " And here, while I
^"^ talk of Chrift's Solemn Afcention to Heaven, at *^ the Expiration of the 40 Days of his Continuance ^^ here below ; allow me humbly to fugged fomething in relation to this Point j which I hope none will be offended at ; efpecially feeing I propofe it only^ as that which I look upon as highly probable. I fhy then. That I think it is no way unreafonable to fup- pofe, that Chrift did afcend before this, to his Fa- *^ tlier, not long after his Refurretiion. and before ha *^ appeared to any of the Jpofiles, And (urely, it cannot *^ be look'd upon to be any way unreafonable to think, ^^ That Chriit would pay his Firfi Vifit^ if I may fay fo, ^^ to his Hea-venly Fathtr^ in order to be openly appro- ^^ vedby him, in the Prefence of Glorified Spirits, and ^^ thus to receive his Allowance and Commiffion to do *■'' fuch things below for 40 Days,which were to be done ^^ before his Lafi Afcention ? And I think it not improba* ^^ ble,but that this is hinted by Chrift himfelf,when,after ^^ he had told Mary^ John 20.17. that flie was not to touch *^ him yet, he adds, for I am not yet afcended to my Father 4 ^^ Now as this Word Afcended is general ^ fo, if it be ex- ^^ pounded in reference to his lajt gind puhlick Afcention^no ^^ other Senfe can be given of it, than that which I gave *^ formerly. But I fee not why this may not alfo denote ^^ 2i Trior Afcention^ efpecially feeing Chrift immediate- ^^ ly adds ^ But go to my Brethren^ and fay unto them^, I **• afcend unto my Father and your Father ^ unto my God and ^^ your God. For I think the natural Senfe of thefe ^^ Words, as conneded with the former, is this : Do ^^ not detain me nov^^ no^ not fo muchy as hy touching me, ^^ for as there is no occafion for this^ ^^ J^^^y feeing I jlmll '^ convtrfe 'ivith my Difciples frequently afterwards ^ before ^^ my lafi A f cent ion j fo it is fit ^ that I fljould afcend to my ^^ Father now^ in order to con^uerfe with him^ in the firfi ^^ tlace^ before I converfe either ivith you or them : And
^^ there^
To the READER. xix
^^ therefore^ infiead of laying hold upon me^ or detaining we^ ^^ at this timCy I give you this Me j] age to carry to my Ere- *^ thren^ that the Reafon -ivhy I did not let you touch me ^^ now, and the Reafon why I do not yet appear to them^ is ^^ this ; that lam obliged^ in the fir ft place ^ to make my Ap- ^^ fearance before my Father ; for which Reafon I noii^ afcend *' to him. And indeed I think it highly probable, that ^^ Chrift did Afcend frequently to Heaven, and Dfjcend ^^ from thence again, during the 40 Days that inter- ^^ ven'd between his Refurrettion and Laft Solemn Ajcen- ^^ tion. But as it was proper that Chrift fhould have Wit- ^^ neffes of his laft Afcen tion j fo it was proper alfo,that ^^ he fhould not be feen by any, when he Afcended ei- '^ ther the Fir ft Time^ or at any other time. Therefore, ^^ as he neither would difcover himfelf to Mary at firft, ^^ nor yet to Veter or John^ as we fee, John 20.1,2, — 6, *^ — II, &c. nor fo much as fufFer the two Angels to ^^ give an Anfwer to her Queftion this way, ver. 1 ;. ^^ So when flie firft faw Jefm^ it was in fome fuch man- ^^ ner, as he appeared in to the two Difcipks going to ^^ Emarn ; for (he neither knew his Features, 'v^r, 14* ** nor his Voice, i/er. 15-. And when her affectionate *^ Prayers and Tears, did, as it were, extort Chrift's */ making himfelf known to her, it was only to fend ^^ her away immediately to the Apoftles, with the ^^ Meffage which I have already taken notice of. For Chrift could allow of no Human Witneftes of his ^^ firft Afcention^ out of Decorum to the Majefty of his *^ Father ^ with whom he was to converfe in the firft " flace. And therefore, if he appeared vifibly^ as Man y " to the Angels y as well as to Mary^ before his firft " Afcentton * yet I am apt to think he referv'd his firft ^^ Solemn Appearance and Converfation as Man^ to God ^^ himfelf. I fay Solemn, and as Man, becaufe it is ^^ certain he was ever perfedly feen by the Moft High ^* Lord his Father. However hence it is plain. That ^^ Mary Magdalen was the Firft Ferfon, as Mark fays, ^^ Chap, 16. 9. and indeed the only Ferfon alfo to whom *^ he appeared, hQfovQhis Fir f I- Afcent ion. And it fcems Z equally certabjthat, immediately after that Mary was
a z y gone
5CX To /fcc* READER.
'' gone with her Meffage, Chrift wing'd for Heavefi ; *' and that therefore it was in the Af(.Tw;>;^ of the Fir ft '"' Dii) of the Treek, 'viz., of the far/te Day^ wherein he ^^ role from the Dea.^, that he ^-ifctmh'd to Hea^dcn. But how iwiftly he J'cemled fir}fy and Dejcendcd again ^ is apparent from hence, that I find our Saviour {a) ap- peared thrice the fame Day ^ i. To xhQ Women: 2. To the two Difciples going to Emaus^ to whom he ^^ made himfelf known ; and that about Noon^ as I ^^ think;, feeing this is faid to have been as they were " hrcaklng Bread ,• ^. To the eleven Jpofiles^ while *^ the former oroD//l7'/>/6'i were informing them of what ^'^ had happened to them, in their Journey, Mark i6. ^^ 14. And Jo/j;^ tells us, Ch.10,1^. that his Third ^p- ^^ pearancCy was /'^e j^^we Dtr)f, at Evenings beiiig the fir ft
^' Day of the ly'eeL But now, when Chrift (after
**" his other Appearances mentioned before) was about *"*" to leave this World, it was altogether proper, and ^^ even ncceffary that he fhould afcend folemnly and ^^ vifibly, in the Prefence of his Difciples^ feeing it ^^ was eirentr:il both to their Office, to be Eye^witneJJcs ^' of this liis Afccntion^ and to our Faith to be afiured *^ of it. And therefore it is, that this Afcention is on- *^ ly infifted upon by them, and that it is fpokcn of in ^-^ the [irigtdar Nur/^her ^ other Ajcentions having been kept *^*^ fecret'from thenv,- at leaft fo h^r, as not to have been ^^ feen by them. Of this laff [Afcention^ Luke gives us ^^ a twofold Account, The 1/ is a more hicf and gene- '*■ ral o?jey in the la ft Fafes of his Gofpel^ Chap, 24. ^o^ '^ yi, 5:2, ^:5. And the 2d is a more difiintt and par- ^^ tictdar Account thereof,^ in the firft Chapter of the ^^ Acts, For , that thefe two Accounts relate to ^^ one and the lame Event, is, I think, too plain ever to be caird in queftion by any, meerly becaufe fome more particular Circumftances are added in the latter than t\\Q.fcrmcr RcLtion ; which I fuppofe Luke might not be fo fully inform'd of, when he wrote his fir ft *' Treat ife : For every one knows, that he was not an
Ca) Compiire what I bavi fuid in Ch^^. 5. pag. ^ol, &c
To the RE ^DE?v. xxl
" Eye-'wltmfs of Chrlfi^s Afce7itio7i ; for he hinifclf cells *' us fo much^ in the Preface to his Gofpel^ Chap. i. '^ i;. 2^ ;. Ncr am I think of any ObjtdiOTi^ that " can be form'd againft this^ that both thefe Accotmts *' relate to the fame t'vent , unlefs this fliould be alledgcd " to be one, 'viz,, that, whereas Luke fays. Chap, 24. *' of hi, Gofpel, 1;. ^0^1. that Chrift ajcendedto Hd^- " ^en from iiethany, which was i f Furlongs from Je- *' ri<f.cm j he fcems to fliy, ^^/i i. 12. that he ajcended *' fo Heavtn from f/je Momit called Olivet. And I rea- dily own^ that this has given Rife to a Vulgar Error ^ thac Chrift's LiH j4j cent ion was from that Afoc^..:, Euc ndeed Luke fays no fuch thing. He aiferts, I confefs^ in Chap. 24. ^. 9 o. of his Gofpel, thac Ciirift afccn- ded aCj ornQ^iv Bethany : But, as he adds, ^jer.^ T-j) H- Thac the Jpofiles worjhifd him, afccr his Afcention^ and returned to Jerufalem with great J-ojy and 7L>ere con- tinually hi the TcWple^ fra'jfmg and blejfing God ^ All chat he fays, Ach i. 10, ii^ 12. amounts co no more^ as i conceive, than chiSjChac, after che Angels had put the Apoftles out of their Amaze,and cheir gazing Po- fture ,' che Apoftles went forwards towards JerufaUm j and as it would feem^ ftop'd a v\^hile at Mount Ollvtty (which, according to che beft Maps and Defcriptions, chey were obliged co couch ac in cheir way co Jeru- " fidewy in cafe chey wenc upon che ilraighc Road, as " chey were commanded co do j) where^ if chey wor- " fhip'd Chrift, from a remembrance of his Agonies " chere, as well as many ocher memorable Occurren- *' ces, between their Mafter and chem, which had hap- " pened in chac place, there is, I think, no reafon,^of ^' Wonder ; as I fuppofe^ there is no need to be fur- priz'd^ if, in that place, and upon fuch an occafioii, they were fiU'd, and that eminently, with Joy in die remaining part of their Journey to Jerufalem, Now Luke does not fay, Mis i. 12. thac Jefus Afcended from Mount Olivet^ buc chac the Apofiles returned from thence to Jerufalem^ i. e. (as I underftand him) after cheir folemn IVorflnfpmg of him^ by che way, of which hefpeaks. Chap, 24. of his Gofpel^ vtr, 52. Which^
fC
" i
it
cc
cc
i^
IC
cc
xxii To the READER.
*' in all reafoHj muft be fuppofed to have beetij after ** the Angels^ A^^s i. lo^ii^ 12. had obliged the Apo- *' files to enter upon their Journey back to JerufaUnt. *' And I cannot think of any Suppofition more reafo- '* nable than this , that^ after they had walk'd about " ten Furlongs^ and come to Mount Olivet^ where they *' had fo often conversed with their dear Mafter, and " which was about five ovfeven Furlongs from [ferufalemy *' (for the neareft part of that Mount might be five *' Furlongs from the City^ and the remoteft Part [even ** Furlongs) they would choofe to halt a while^ (from a •* frefh Remembrance of their Dear Lord) efpecially *' feeing Chrift's Jfcmtion-Day was in the molt vernant *' Seafon of the Year^ at leaft in Judaa^ as being (h) the " f f^Day oiAfril But I am willing to fay no more on " this Head now. Only, in cafe it fhould htohjeBed^ *' that fuch a fwift Afcent to Heaven ^ and Defcent from *' thence, as I defcribe C/^mTj Fz>/ to have been, does not feem to be confident either with Fhyfiologicd or Aftronomlcal Trinciples and Rules ; I anfwer^ That *' thefe are nothing to me, when brought in Competi- *' tion with undeniable and certain Matters of FaB. And *' therefore, inftead of faying more now, I fhall only
I; '^ defire the Reader to confider the Length or rather Bre- *' vity of D^^^ie/'s Prayer, Chap,^, and to confider at the '' fame time, the Angel GahrieFs Words, i^. 2:5. and to *' compare them with 1/^r. 20. For hence it will ap- J' pear to be little lefs, than a Demonilration, that Ga- *^ l^rlel came from Heaven to Earthy in little more than ' '* an hour, if indeed the time was fo long. ' And I " hope, that if this Angel came fo foon from Heaven
- *' to Earth, the fame Privilege will not be denied, by " Chriftians, to our Glorified Saviour, who is the Head
*' of Angels ' So far runs my Manufcript, as to
the T/jeorj of this Point, And I am not willing now to add any thing to it.
(^.) However, I cannot forbear to fay^ that I do eafily forefee that my apocalyptical Dljjertatlon will be
'%^ it) See Chap. 4. Pag. 400.
very
C4
To the RE\DE R. xxlil
very ungrateful both to thofe that arc called thelnfpired^ or the New Prop/jas^ and to thole well-meaning, but mi- ftaken Perfons, that admire them ; kciii^ 1 lind that Mr. IVhifions Ejj'ay on the Revelation is extremely plealing to that Set of Men, For, befides what I have underitood from fome, of their admiring his Grand Notion^ uiz,. That Antichrifi ivlll jall^ and that the Kingdom of God will eminenlj take place about the TeaVy iji6 ; the Reader may obferve how much his Book is priz'd by Mr. Lacj. Foi: he tells us, in his Preface to his Cry from the Defart^ P. 4. That he had read the late Efjay of the Reverend Air. Whi- fton upon the Revelation of St, John^ &C. And that ha therefore took it for aTruth without Controverfy^ that there is to be a State of the Church on Earthy more rejfU?idtnt than. was ever yet ^ (wherein I readily agree both with him and Mr. Whljton) and that he did hence conceive it agreeable, to the Methods of Divine JVifdom andCompaJJlon^ left m up- on Sacred Record j that Jome farther previous Dijcoverics will be made of its Commencement ^ &C. And then. Page 5". He fays. That the Writings of juch fort of Commentators ^ (viz. fuch as Mr. Whifion is J who declare that Great Day to be. ' approaching^ ought be received by their Brethren of the Clergy j, that the Flock of Chrifi may be duly alarmed and warned^ by their Paftors and Watchmen^ to provide for it^Szc. And to this Effay ^^nd (omQ former JVritings of the like nature_^ the Apologifl for thefe new Prophets ^ in his Circular Letter ^ (fent to all Members of Parliament and other eminent Perfons) refers his Readers, Page i. Col. 2. towards the Clofe ; where, after he had fpoken of his Expecta- tions of the fudden Coming of the Great Day of the Lurdy, &c. he adds ; Thefe things are promifed^ and not yet ful- filled : Therefore ; JVhy not now at the Door ? (If he will read my following Differtation, he will have an An- fwer to his Query ) whlch^ if fo^ as the Writer appre- hends^ and feveral learned Divines^ of all Sorts, in this Age^ have ajjerted, &c. And irxdvcd, feeing this Set of Men affert, as Mr. Lacy tells us, in the 21/ Page of his Preface, 77^^?^ the Grand JublUfy &C. is now even at the Door^ and to be manifejir over the whole Earthy within the jlwrt Term of 5 I^ears ;
a ^ it
xxiv Jo the R E A D E R.
it is eafie to reconcile the BijJoop of Worceflers and Mr. Whifions Scheme, with theirs, by fuppoiing the Year, 17 1 6. to be inark'd out as a further and more illuftrious Period of the/^w^ Dlfpenfation, which they date the Comminamcmt of (to ufe Mr. L^c^'s Word^ p. 4. 1. ;2.) from the <^th D^y of ^j^jne, 171 o. for about that Time, at farchell, muft this Great Event happen, according to rhem ; feeing Mr. Lacy dates his Preface, as finiih'd, JurtQ the 9//;, 1707. after he had told us before, p. 20, 21 j That it was foretold, by 4 or ^ 00 Trcpbetick IVarnivgSy gii>en under Extacj at London, that the Grand Juhihey &:c. -^pas to be mainfefi ci'tr the whole World, -within ; Tears. So that there are but 6 Years at moft, between their Grand Vcriod, and that of the Bifiiof of Wcrcejler and Mr. Whifion. I take Notice of this the rather, becaufc I am perfwaded, that no Man fliall attentively read my following DiJJertation, and ju- dicioully confider the Scheme^ which is prefcnted there- in to the World ; but mull fee, how ill-grounded both thefe Expectations are. So that I would fain hope^ that my Publication of this may be feafonable, at this Time, if it were only to induce Men to be cautious of joyning themfelves with fuch Men, who pretend to fuch ftrange things, without any Ground from Scrip- lure.
(6.) I defign'd once to have given my Thoughts pretty particularly, as to the Pretences of thefe Men. But, feeing they themfelves tell us, by the Pen of xhtiv Jfolcgifi,V, 2. Col. 2. Line 24. That they wijli, that the World iroiild- ceafe for a little time^ at leaf, to cenfure thefe high Gifts (ox Pretenfions J ^7 uncharitable Diftin&ions ; I fhallfay little now ; and the rather, becaufe I am nei- ther willing to fwell this Prefatory Epifile too much, nor to delay the Publication of this Work too long. And befides, I think, that this Author has given us a ccnfiderable Reafon, this way, in the fame Page and Column, Line 10, \iz. That, as there are publick Declara- tions and yJppeals to God for his Decifion : So ( fays that Au- thor) I t:^^e' lately heard from their (i. e. the Prophets) Mouths, under Extacy, that if, v;ithin a few Months^
(he
To the R EAtf ER.
XXV
(he dates this^ December ^ ^l^ld ^ ftdler Attejtatton of their Commijjlons and AleJJage be not manifefied and confirm- edy by miraculous Signs and Powers from Hea'vtn^ and by working fuch Adiracles as were done by our Sa^iour^ even to the raifing of the Dead • that then they will own them- fehes deluded. But, tho I have excus'd my felf, at prefent, to fome Friends, that have urg'd me to pub- lifh fomething on this odd Phenomenon of the prejent Time ^ yet I cannot^ in Confcience, difpenfe with my felf, without faying two Things, i. That my earneft Requeft is to allMen^to be cautious of incouragingfuch vain Promifes, by which thefe Men are deluded^ and are fo induftrious to delude others by. For I am feized with an Awe and Fear of the Confequents of this^ from a rational Profped ; that ( unlefs God be pleafed mercifully to interpofe ) the odd Scene ^ that thefe Per- fons ad now, will end in the Stumbling of fome, and the Laughter of others, as well as in their own Shame and Contempt ^ and that Satan is too likely, this way, to gain his End, in a great Meafure, by the Increafe of Infidelity, Scepticifm, Atheifm, Prophanenefs, and the Contempt of all ferious Religion. Therefore, 2. I am oblig'd to defire my Fellow-Chriftians to think, whether the Oflentative Miracles of Claris^ mentioned fo often, and magnified fo much, in the Cry from the Defarty p. 49, 5-0, &c^ do look like the Miracles of the New Teftamenr, wrought by Chrift and his Apoftles : And whether it was like God's own Ading, to command Mr. A^arions Brother Anthony ^ p. 9 :; . To ftrike his Breafi with a Jliarp Knife ? And, as for the Story of Campany p. 5" 2. I leave the Reader to judge, whether the fame Spirit that infpir'd the Pen-men of Scripture, and calls us to fearch for the Marks of Grace there, ( as the only Gofpel-way, to attain to AiTurance of Salvation ,♦ ) could ever ad that Piece of odd (and I fear Satanical) Legerdemain mention'd there. But I fliall content my felf here to infifb upon one PaiTage only ; which I xiefire all Men to confider a little clofely. It is to be found in the Declaration of Joan Cafiimtte^ Page 22. Line 12. of the fame Book.
The
xxvi fotb^ READER.
The Words are thefe : Jt another of thofe Meeting}] federal falling into the Infpirationy began to [peak all at once ;, whereupon one of them [aid to the reft^ IN THE NAME OF GOD BE SILENT, then the o^ tbers held their Peace^ but afterwards they [pake one after the other. Now, in order to confider this the more clofely^ let us premife two of the Maxims of the pre- tended Prophets. The ift Maxirn^ is this^ That the Spirit that throws them into their Fits^ and Ex-. tafies, and then fpeaks out of them, is, (as their A- pologift words it. Page 2. Col. i. towards the Clofe) no lefs than the Supreme Lord of all^ feeing this Spirit alTumes this Stile, / am Jehovah, I am the Lord thy God^ who made the Heavens and the Earthy and will create all Things new. Upon which Stile^ I think that Au- thor makes a juft Obfervation, when he fays. That no Infance^ like thisy can be found in the Sacred Hifiory, Their id Maxim (which indeed is as unfciptural a one as the other) is this. That the Infpir'd are no better than a Pipe or Tube, thro* which the Spirit fpeaks^ when they are in their Fii^. Thi: is fully, emphati- cally and awefully declar d, by Mr. John Cavalier, Page 44. Line 8, &c, of the above-cited Book, in thele Words. And I k^rp declare, folemnly^ without any Equivocation wh^tfoever, by this publick Atl, upon the Oath I make of it before God, that I am in no wife the ' Framer of thofe bodily Agitations I fuffer in my Extaftes. I do not move my own [elf, but am moved by a Fower inde^ pendant, that over-rules me. And for the IVords that pro^ ceedfrom my Mouth, I protefi, with the fame aweful Solem- nity, they are formed without my Intention^ and glide forth of 7ny Ldps, without my DireBion : ^ My Mind, ( N. B. ) no ways bearing any Tart in that marvelous Operation, by preceding Fore-thought, or any attending Will, to deliver what I do at that Infant, So alfo fays Durand Fage, p. 71, 72. as fully, tho more concifely, affirming it to be not only fo with hlmfelf^ but alfo with all the In- fpired. And fo likewife, fays Mr. Elias Marion, p. 8f.
• Having thus premifed thck Maxims, 1 humbly
beg the Favour to b^ affifted to havQ foiae confident
Idea
To the READER: xxvii
Idea of the Story preceding. I hope therefore^ that, if there be fo many infpired^ the Spirit by which they fpeak, will (in cafe it be what it pretends to be) fuffer them to defend its own Favourites, by letting us know ; whether it was Jeho'vah^ or the Eternal Spirit^ that fpoke thefe Words, or allowed them to be fpckcn; In the mean time, by all the Ideas I have of things, both from Scripture and Reafon, I cannot reafon or think otherwiie of this Matter of Faci than thus. (i.) The Spirit, that infpired liim that uttered thefe Words, In the Name of God^ befiknty could not be God himfelf ; i. Becaufe he fpeaks and commands, in God's Name, and fo diftinguifhes himfelf from him, as an inferior Agent ; 2. Becaufe he fufFer'd the others to run on equally with himfelf in Confufion for a Time ; %. Becaufe he fpeaks, as if it were with a Paffion an<J Heat, that even a good and wife Man would hardly allow himfelf in, excepting upon urgent Occafions, and that too with fome greater Pathos of Veneration to that auguft Name, than feems to be breathed here, ( 2 J It could not be the Perfon infpired. For befides, that the fame Confequences will follow, upon this, as well as the former Suppofition ; fuch an Affertion flatly contradids their fecond Maxim ; nay, and car- ries this farther Abfurdity with it, that a mere Man could, and did over-rule and command the Eternal Spirit, fpeaking then in feveral infpir'd Perfons. (v) But whatever the Spirit was that commanded the other Spirits to be filent, either immediately or me- diately ^ it is inconceiveable and abfurd to fay, that the Spirits, who were filenc'd immediately, were the fame with that Spirit that commanded Silence. For their ready Obedience was an owning, i. Of their In- feriority to the other ,• and, 2. Of their being in an Error before, when they fpoke together with him. And yet according to th^firfi Maxim ^ the Spirits com- ntanded^ as well as he commanding^ muft be one and the fame Eternal Spirit j and therefore could not be crea- ted ones. (4.) But in cafe the pretendedly Infpired, fhould find themfelves redug'd to thi$ Shift, that, in
this
xxviii to the KEMOfEK.
this Inltance, they fhould be forc'd to own^ that the Spirits^ atleaft^ the commanded ones, were Angels only ,• the former Abfurdities will ftill haunt them. For, if they were heavenly Angels, they muft be fup- pofed, at leift to be fo conduded by the infallible Spi- rit, as not to run into Confufion, and that openly too, to the Difhonouring of their fupreme Ruler, as well as of themfelves. ( f.) I ii^uft therefore defire the new Prophets, and their Difciples and Friends, to paufe a little, and think, whether in cafe this was not a meer Juggle, it might not be poffible, that fome In- fernal Spirits^ transformed as Angels of Light ^ might a6t this Farce, God over-ruling things fo, as to let them give us a Difcovery of themfelves, by fhewing their Cloven Feet ( as the vulgar Saying is ) even then when they were Perfonating God ,• by an undue Treatment of poor crazed or deluded Creatures. I aflert nothing here ^ but fliall be glad to have a Satisfactory Anfwer. And, in the mean time^ 1 fhall fay no more, at pre- fent, on this Head.
But, to conclude. Let me tell the Reader, that if, when he comes towards the Conclufion of the ^tb Chapter of the following Book of Chrijhlogy^ he find himfelf in the Dark, as to the Hint given towards the End of Page 4^27 : I defire him to confider, that tho I muft refer the full Explication of my Meaning, un- til I come, (if it may fo pleafe God) to the proper Place^ to which that Explication belongs • yet, that I have no w deliver'd in Part^ tho not in Whole ^ what I re- fei'r'd unto, in that Page, by adding the Dlffirtation that follows that Book ; Vv^hich I had no Thoughts of publifhing, when I was writing that ^th Chapter.
Now, that the Spirit of Truth may lead all my Pveaders into all Truth, and blefs the great Truths de- liver'd in the Whole, both of the precedi7tg Boohs of Chrifiology ^ and in the immediately following One^ and the an-ruxed Dijjertjtion ; is the fmcere Defire pf their humble Servant, who, under God (the Doner of all Good ) may honeftly call himfelf the Author of this conliderable Work. Jan. loth, 170}, Hym-
XX15C
Hymnus Prsenobilis
RoBERTi BoDii^aTrochoregia^'
• Ab ipfo
Hecatombe Chriftiana
Olim Appellatus; Cum fit POEM A Paucis Notum :
Proinde hie iterum Imprimendum, & Honori
Una cum hoc
CHRISTOLOGI^
Opere & Volumine,
Dedicandum, Confecrandum, cenfuit, voluit
Robertus Flaminius*
I /^Hrtjte^ Sanflorum caput atq\ cuflos^ V^ Cu]us exuYidr/is fiuvio vereyini^ Fons imxhaufla bonitatis, imos
Manat ad artus ;
z Da,
Z Da^ tuum digno decus ut cape Jf ant Cordis impulfu fnelos^ & quod acrem TemporisUmamferat^ & maligna
FerhcYa lingua^, ^ Lucis affulgens radio fuperna^ Qua tut cir cum fold corufcat Limbus^ invifa mihi nunc jacenti
Mortis inumbra^ 4 Pelle peccati tenebras^ prementum Quo gravi nexu fcekrum folutus^ In tuas puro ferar accinendas
PeBore laudes> ^ Nam tuas caflo decet Alme cultu Chrifte virtutes recoH ; prophano jibfit impuri temerentur unquam
PeSoris aufu.
6 Nuncius prapes mihi Labrafummo Tangat e Coelo volitans, reatu Tangat infeOas gcmino^ micanti
Forcipe^ fibras.
7 Tunc^ tua frucfum Cruets^ adbeatam Qua pios vitam documenta ducunt^ Perdius^ pernox^ animo rcvolvam
San^a Serem. » 8 Tecanam^ lucis jubar ut refurget^
Te^ breves quando jacientur umbra, Teque, quum praceps teget ora mundi
Lucida Lampasr 9 Tatris aterni foboles coava.
Par patri fummo, ftmul ejus implens PeBus immenfum, fimul alma proles
Firginis almai
10 De Deo verus Deus^ increata Lucis aternum jubar, ora vivus Patris ad vivum r efer ens char aCier,
uilter & Idem^
1 1 Scahy qu<£ Coeli fubiens cacumen, M foli centrum penetravit^ imis^
More
XXXI
More mortalem fuperante captum^ Summa coaptam : 11 Tefalus rerum, profugis Receptus^ Naufragis Partus^ miferis Medela^ Lumen extindis^ onerum Levanten^
MetalahoYum: 9^ T<p, fatifcentum Requies^ pcraCti Palma coYifli^hs^ pugilum Corona^ Prd^mium curfus^ OperUmq\ nulli k
Debit a Aferces :
1 4 Foederis mundum reparantis obfes
Arcus^ undarum potior peYtclis <
jirca^ Pax terra^ Tremor inferorum^
Gloria Coeli:
15 Gentium Lumen^ Becus Jfraelis^ Patribus voti modus atq-^fumma^ Scandali Rupes atheo^ fideli
Tetra Salutis :
16 jirbor 0 vitce fenio carentis • Qua Dei vernat Paradifus^ uno
Fontediffufa riguus quaterni
Fluminis mdi •' S7 Legis & Vatum Scopus^ involucro Mo/is abdu(}ofaciem revelans^ Corpus umbrarum^ fimul ^gnus infom^
Ara^ Sacerdosf
18 y^gnus a mundi jugulatus ortu^ jira primava luis expiatrix^ Jnviifolus penetrans Olympi
Templa Sacerdos :
1 9 Te canam^ lapfi generis Redemptor^ Teq^ lapfuri Stator & Retentor^ Qui manu magna Mediator unus
CunCla coerces^ 10 Qt^ifupernatamfuhitam^ caduca Stirpis adfcitu^ reparas ruinam^ Etchoris terra genitos beat a
inferis AhU»
21
XXXlt
21 Te quid exctrct referam, relicio Patris atermfoUo^ latentem Veflefubfo'vi Dom'mum^ rehelles
rifere terras :
22 Carnis & crajfa velut Obvolutum Nuhe^ divinos operire vultus^ Et cruets dir as y gelidiq; ctppum
Ferre Sepulchri 1 3 Nempe nee Mundus redimi^ nee ira Patris extin^ui^ nee acerba Legis Poena perfolvi^ nee Imago nobis
Prifcarefundi'y
24 NecPoluspandi^ necavaraeunHos Parcapervadtns perimi^ refurgens Prada nee bujli eariofa vernum
Sumere vultum ^
25 Nee triumphata f\oliis Gehennse j4gmen augeri fuperum^ nee olim Tlumheum toilifuper aftrapondus
Carnis opaca^
26 -^bfci;^ tefolo potuijftt ; Imos Per gradus Poena capitalis a&um Summa quern fedes beat J &fupremi
Culmen honoris,
27 Bine labor nullum pattens levamen^ Gentis & lapfa tibilu^us exfpes^ Foeta materno liqucfecit urgens
P'ifcera motu^
28 Sortis ut noftra mifcramfubires Aleam^ nojtripudor utrcatus Or a eonfundens tua^ nos pf^enni
Luce repkret,
29 Nam tua nobis tenebr^ decor em^ G^diumlu&uSf requiem lahores^ Jnferi Coelos peperere^ latum
Lu&a triumphum,
30 O SaJutare?n SopJjiani^ Sag aces Jure qua mundifugiens magijlros
m-
:xxxiu
Hujus inflata vitreumfefellit
Mentis acumen ! 3 1 O vices rerum^ f^ciefq; tniras ! More quas mifccns tua tarn decenti Dextra difpenfat^ paribufq-^librans
Lancibus ayiaU 1 2 Nostui moeftos hihrant pavores^ Or a lugentum lachrym^fcrenanty Sattat affli£toi dolor, ipja v'mBos
VincuU folvmu 3 3 Languor infirmos reficit^fluentem Fulnus admotum cohibet cruorem, Nuditas nudos tegit, indigentes
Ditategeftas. 34 Sanguinis grum<& facie cadentes A tua noftras r adits coronant v Mundat attra^am cruor It parentum Semine lepram, 3 5 Mortis exhorrens calicem propinfi^^ Tela fecur OS facts adfuprema^ Noxios tu hos reus innocentum
Ccetibus infets, ^6 Deferit quum te patrius parumper l^ultuSy extorres tua nos co-optat Cur a, fufceptos gremio nee unquam
Ejicisalmo,
37 Quidmorormultis? Erebumfubintrans, Tollis in ccelos, makdiCia quondam Furca^ nunc arbos hominum beatrix
litq^ homfons,
38 Q^uumtriumphatifpeciempudendam Pendulus prafers^ oculofq; poena Pafcis hoftiles, odioq^ turgens
Pe^us acerbo •
39 Squalidus^^nudus^ lacer^ era p aliens, Obrutus probris^ co-opertus ira FMibus, clavismiferandafixus
Membra quaternis j
40
40 Inter iyjfepas acies^ latromm Inter infauflos fremitus^ reinand^ns
► Spiritum Patriy gemmmq; fmdens
C or de fluent em'
41 Tunc trtumfhalicrucis in quadriga VeBus^ immanes agis ante ttmet Hofiium turmas^ manibus retrorfum
Fune rev'mClis.
42 Fune conJlriSi-os agis indecoro r,\vi,^^hZ Primipes Mundi^ Stygiic{\ portas Carceris^ fauces trucis & S&pukbri
n^vr merinis.
43 Vi^or^ exutas Erehi phalanges^ Labis humane caput ^ architeCios Fraudis iy fdfi^fcderumqM terfas
Qmcquid inWidat,
44 Exhthis pukhrum fuperisThratrum^ Noliis aterna laqueo fuperbas FraCJ^a cervices^ pudefah^- furvof
Jgmina ^ultus.
45 Mortis ImcfaViffftimulusbicufpis^ Legis hinc iratn^ paricntis^ anceps Folvitureanthm dieafubt&r^ unca
Fix a trabali*
46 Ipfecum-primisjacetOrcusingem Mnfi confojfus propria^ dolofam Dum crucisribu nirniiim furenti^
JDavorat offanth
47 Finditw Monfkrwn fur rale ^ raptu Pradafit raptor Lupus ^ unde vitam Retur abforptaniLtmui£Vy capit
Inde teneri,
48 Gent is humane wiferator^ Hydro Conterens tetro caput execrandum^ Cordis. Q cimfli»iic^(ir^ O voluptas
Pur a patcwi !
49 Pacts &ftrtjtvi^fi>ln;fn^gni Prompts) nnxam patrh latent is
In
XXKV
In[lnu \ vera pktaHs idem
jiii^hriy Indtx*^
50 Perditis^ cheu! Quid in otnne nobis TempuSy O vmdex hominum, ftiijfet^
^bfq; tefolo^ foboliq; noftra^
Dulcis Jkfu {
5 1 Clauflra penumpeyjs tumuli^ fuptrnam Qui domumfrandis redivivusy & ms ConvebcnsUcum^ tua membra^ mgro
Surripis Oreo*
52 Surripis flamma furiis^ mcentes Qua manct^ mundifenium fub excors^ Jamq^ ms vitavenientit ampla
Inftruis Arrhi^ 5 3 Tacis ohfignans & ammis almo Spiritu^ qui ms tihi, quiq; membris Vnit^ atermtuaquotquotimplet Gratia ncxu*
54 Jlk ms muYidi^ laqueofq-^ contra Carnis iyjraudes^ fi^f^afq; nigra No^e fummijfas^ mediaq-^ pejfes
Luce volantts^
55 Gratia jalvos ope ftptiformis Prafidt^ ac tandem fuper ajlra tollit^ Nee f pet flux a fideivefultos
Prapete pmna, %6 llle divini Uttrisgemelh Tertius vivo comes^ efjicaci Voce conteftms^ pia firmat ingem
Pe^iorapigntis.
57 llle proJhrMis aditum tribunal Patris adfumnti referat^ tyicduUis Jlle mox^ Abba pater ^ aftuantum
format in imis.
58 Illefingultu tacito^ camra
Nulla qawi vocis tuba^ nee venujlus t/£qu€taccentus^ feriet paternas
Protinui awes.
XXXVl
59 Illefinceris oculos revelat^
Legis utfenfus penetrent profunda •, Spernit elatof^ humilefq; fandis
Motibus afflat,
60 file torpentes acuity labantum Firmat incejfus^ revocatq\ lapfoSj Ilk dwinis moribunda muket
Fifcera flammis.
61 Ilk prafraclosrefugofq; lent Dutliks reddit^ f'^cilejci-^ traBu^ Nulla quern duri pudefecit unquam
P eft oris incus, 61 Quin tuum^ currant agiks^ cupito SpOYiie cervices^ oneriq\fuhdant. Suave fragrantem fimul atq; nonten
Spar fit odor em s 6^ Nomen effufum quod ubiq\ caftas Haud fecusfihras ferity imhecilhs j^tq\ languentum pretiofa pulfant
Vnguina fenfus- 64 Fujus^ 0 vita dator^ & via dux, Imber irrorans olei^ falutis jirduum^rejfu duett irretorto
Carper e cUvum* ^5 Nofq\DefertiperinhofpitaIis Tefquapalantes lachrymofa, Jipfas Diraquaterret^ (itis&re'ofio
Squallidt riBu ; 66 Ducat optatus Comes^ adjupernos LnBis & mellisfluvios^ tuorum Semper &plaujupia^ Chrifle, Uto
Coepta ftcundet - <^7 Orbis II fummo tua dum corufcans Axe Majeftas inopina^ longum Temporisfluxumferienjq;punBo
Sift at in utio. ^8 Twicfuum reBa repetent parcntem jimnium curfus^ ubi tempus <evi
Con-
WCXvii
Condet aterni caput^ mde primHtn
Fluxit^ iihyffo:
69 Luce^ qua coeli rapidum volumen^ Luce^ qm rerum reftuos tumuHuSy Luce^ qua mortis rigidiq; folvet
Sceptra Sepukhru
70 O dies nulla vice jummovenda NoC^is a tergo fubeuntis ! O nox Nulla quant lucis premet invalefcem
Aura diurna t
71 Lucis O lata feges ! O triumphus Perpes integris atiimi ! Vicijfim Confciis O Crux inimica vita
Turpiter aB<z !
72 Qu<t pios lu&u lachrymijq-^ folvet^ Jmpiis clangens eadem catervis Rumpet infaufto tuba triflis altum
Fine veturnum,
73 Nam tuam clangor faciem praihit Orbis O vafli Moderator^ omnes Quifimul rerum feriens tremendo
Aiurmure metaSy ^4 Ad tuum fiftet folium^ fuperna ^ofq; tunc aura vegetabit haujius Quofq^ nunc fervat cineres profundi Vrna fepulchrL 75 Illius nemo fugiet feverum Lucis exa-ven^ patefacit aJm<s Car do quern vita^ vel adhuc ab agra Matre rubentem, 'j6 Qmm vorax flamm<t violentis ardor ^ Qua tui circum folii crepido Candet^ igniti fuper aOus atras
Turbinis alas^ 77 Cunfia laxabit liquefaBa magna Membra compagis^ quatiem repofto A fqli centrofugitiva fummi
Mosniamundu
78 5o/w
xxxviii
78 Soils i>tvolvem radios Unehrs^ Priflims Utiquet nttor aftra^ terr^ rertet in canam decus omyie vi^hix
Fiamma favillamt ^9 Mentis human<^ monument a^ moles ArduaSf quidquid vdlidav^ robuf Dextera^ fokrs aeieft^e longo
Praftititujk^
80 Vnius fervor furihundus bora InvolaHSy nidu citius volucri Perdet^ & rerum genus omne majfam
Fundn in unam.
8 1 Quum tamen mundi fereuntis ingens Cun^a confundet fragor 6* rutna^ Dura percellens trepido mcentum
Cor da tumultu ;
82 Tunc ah hircofo grege triftis agnos Dextimos inter — dirimet — capedo^ Mira quos tinxit niveos ruhcfitis
Vnda lavacri. ^^ Bum tuum cingetfubit0 tribunal Clara fanBarum tribuum corona^ Solus ut purum radiofus orbem
yimbit ami{fus ^
84 Nubis afcef^dens nitidum ferenne Sub tuis tenfum pedibus lacunar, Trifte fubjidet fed burnt fmiftrum
Eniinus agmeH ^
85 rods expe^ans tomtrutrifulca.
Nulla quamfranget mora, quinpaventum Ojfa per^vadet cinefaBa fievo
Protinus i&u :
86 Ite fub terras maled'Sa Ccclo Turba, frenderttes furias fatigans. Ignis aternae cibtts^ inperennes
Jte tenebras ;
87 Vnde fpes, lumen, requies, 'VolUptas -Exulant ^ vermes ubi, cumq; ftetu
Pentium
XXKlX
Dentium ftridor Vf^et^ atq; tetri
Sulfhuris ardor. SS Qunntus extemflo premet (tngor^ exfpes Oljruet quam non tokrandus horror^ Lingua qua fando refer et^ quis acri
Mcnte frehendnt ?
89 Mcfidin tali trefidum periclo^ Fraftety O clentens hominum^ Redemptor^ Sanguis immumm tuus^ inq; dextrJi
Sorte reponati
90 Sorte SaniioYum^ tua quos beatos Reddit afpel^u fades propinquo^ Summa tuprafens quibus es peremn
Caufa triumphi ;
9 1 ^uoi tui ve^es tumuli refregit^ Nexibus junButn tibi fempiterms^^ Chrijle^ depofium repetat rigenti
Vitafepulehro'j
92 Tollat 6* Coeli radiantis ultra fornices^ tecum fruar ut repoftis Lata quels aula dapibus redundat
Menfa fuperna^
93 Gaudiis^ qua nonoculi, nee impar j^uris admifit modulus caduca^ Craffa nee finxit fibimet profunda
Fibra recejfu;
94 Summa fed fummus Pater ad fupremum Culmen eveCiis cumulumq\ fervat
Se penes ^ fiet quibus unus omnes
Omnia complens.
95 Vitajamvifirixubi mortis atrum f^irus abforpfit^ fp^defq^ fallax Tranfiit^ vultu novus & nitebit
Mundus amoeno ;
96 Hue ferar tecum citus^ O piorum Portus & Prafes, bonitatis Vmbo^ Quos tua tutos facit a futura
Fludibus ira ;
^7 No^is
XI
97 ^oSis Ofulgem Polus^ inter umbras^ rultus^ ut MagneSy tuus^ hue potenti Semper obtutu trahat tncitatum
Cordis acumevt,
98 Hue ferof^ quo nil penetrat malignum^ Nulla fit voto mora^ nil timendum Reftat^ hue pandas mihi firvor alaSj
Chrifte^ minifiret:
99 Vt eanant Rerum Domino Tri-Vni^ Mentibus^ laudes merit as ^ beatis Miftus^ Humano potiufq; pangam
Fe8ore Carmen, ^Joo Chrifie^ ficfiat^ precor^ jilme^ tandem SanCtafic latus mihi vota firmet Finis^ ut fauftam piajam prehendunt
Carmina metam.
AMEN.
THE
THE
Firft Refurredion : DISSERTATION
WHEREIN The Prior and Special RejurrecHon and Reward of the mojl Eminent Chriflian Witne{^es^ da- ring the Rage of F itgmijht 2i\\^ Jntichnjiid- nijmj is confidered,
gin €^teio (!5?ant> ainquirieg:
I. Concerning the Certainty and Genuine } I DEA of this Truth.
j Where Dr. Whitby'^ Arguments are Anfwer'd, and I Mr. Stayme's Notion Refuted.
1 11. Concerning the Epocha of this Truth^ and I of the Millennium,
I Where the ApocaljpHcd Scheme of the BiJ}}op ofWorcepxer. i and Mr. Whljion^ as publiih'd by the latter^ is provwd I to be a very Precirioas one.
! Being a NEW KEr\^ "
. By which further Light is brought, not ' only into
■ the Text and Context infifted upon , but alfo into I many other fnemorable Paffages of Scripture,
■ Together with a Practical Improvement of the Whole.
\ By ROBERT FL E M 1 NG.
, John 16. 12, 13. Ihiv^ycc mp'j/^ lhi?!gs to j ly mno joUj buc jc ar- I not Able to h^ar th:m now, ^c. 'Rev. 1-1,3. '^^^ Revelation 0/ Jcais Chrift, ^c. Dm. 9. 2. / Daniel uTid'tfjood by UooU the N'uy/ih^rpfth Tear^ Szz.
LONDON'^ Printed by J, Himfreys for A?idrew Bell at the Crofs-keys and Bible m Cor-a'jill, 1 70 s. '
(iii)
TO THE
Honourable, much Efteemed, and Worthy
I^Gentlemen, Merchants^ and pthers,
Who Manage, Promote, and Encourage the TuefdayLECTUKE at SALTERS^HALL.
Much Honoured and Worthy Friends ;
THE Second Part of the preceding Book, being too [mall to hear a due Proportion to the Firft ; at the fame time that Both are too Bulky to he brought into the Compafs ^/ one fizable Oftavo Volume: I ivas obliged to thinK of adding fome fuitable Difcourfe^ by winch both Parts might befo far adjufled^ as to keep fome Decorum, in Point of Proportion.
^ndy feeing my Thoughts have been fo deeply taken Up of late^ upon the Hubjefl here treated of', and fee.
A 2 ing
iv The Dedication.
i^g alfoj I have delivered the Refult of them to you^ in mj lajl Turns of ? re itching : I could not fo much as dtfpute rvith my jelf) either as to theDifcourfe moft proper to be added, in this Place ; or^ as to the Perlbns, to whom the Appropriation thereof was mojl peculiarly due ^
I confefs^ it was my furfofe formerly ^ to have let this Piece lie by rne^ until 1 had proceeded fo far in this Work of Chriltology, as to come to havefinijlj^d the ¥ikh Book, viz,, that which is to treat of Chri- flocraty ; where ^ it is certain^ it would have come in more properly than here. But when I canfider'^d the Uncertainty of Life^ and upon how fender a Thread mine has hung for above a Tear paflj I p^as mlling to lay hold of this Opportunity of printing it now ; and the rather^ becatfe^ not only of its being publifp'^d already in the way of Preachings but^ of its. beings as I underfiand^ ?nijlakens and mif-reprefen- ted by fome. And befdes^ I confider'^d^ that^ as it is a con.mon thiiig to joyn together fevcral Tracts of I'ery different Sorts 7"// the fame Volume •, jo that the Subject of thts DiiTertation doth not only belong to Chriftology tn general ; but has jome peculiar Congrutty withy and Relation unto^ jome things trea- ted of in the preceding Book ; particularly as to foine Thoughts in the Fourth and Fifth Chapters ; to which 1 refer the Reader^ in the Dij'courfe it jef\ AS 1 go along.
It has always been my Praclife to preach upon the mofl weighty and necejfdry Truths of Chrtjlianity^ without injifiif^g upon little and minute Things, And therejore^ tho I have jludied the darker Pro^ i)hefie$s ^-f ^^'^^^ ^'S other more obfcure and remote Pvints of Revelation y and even printed fome Specu- lations
The Dedication. v
latio^s of this kind : Tet 1 never preached defigned- Ij^ upon any thing of that Sort \ tho fornetir^ies I could not avoid^ to touch upon a Hint of that kindy ivhen it came naturally in my way, Jnd this was the Keafonj why I confined my f elf to a fhort Ahhreviation only of what I have Jaid in this Treat if e nwre largely ; for you may remember y that 1 fpoke directly to the Suh]e[i of the fpecial Refurreciion, at the Btgin^ ning of the Millennium, in no more than a Fart of one Sermon, upon Philip. J.ii. whereas I in- fifled pretty largely upon the more practical Verfes of the Context. Nor had I given you even fo much of this Sort of Speculation as I didy from the Pulpit, had tt been pojjltle to avoid it^ jo as to have made Senje of the Apoftle^s Difcourfe.
lou will not wonder therefore^ either that I infifl^ ed fo much upon Pracfice^ and fo little on Theory ^ when I preach' d to you from the jd Chapter of the Epiftle to the Philippians ; or that I have now in^ larg^d fo much on Theory in this Publication of my Thought Sy and confri^d my felf to fuch fhort Hints, as to Pr apical Matters, tor you cannot but knoWy that fuch Speculations, as might not be fo pro^ per to infift upon to a popular Auditory, even upon a Week- Day ; may yet be very reafonably inlarg^d upon in Print, for the Benefit of inquifitive, thoughtful^ andferious Perfons : And you may eafiljfee, that had I equally inlarg^d upon the Pra^ical Points here, as upon the Theoretical ones \ this Difcourfe had nop been capable either to have been brought in here, -or indeed to have corne eaftly within one Oclavo Volume, if printed apart. And yet I am tniflaken^ if I have Emitted any one Material Practical Head, that I fpoke of, from the Pulpit) tho J was indifpenftbly obliged,
from
vi The Dedication.
from the Reajo^s ajjigned^ to ahjiainfrom the InUrge^ menls and AmplijicAtions which I then ufed.
But if fome Men would have you to continue fer^ Jfetually in the Rudiments of Chrijiianity, fo as ne^ *ver to venter to look beyond them^ from the fallacious Method of crying out againfi Speculations not ah- jolutely necejfary to Salvation ; / hofe I may he allow- ed to imitate that Great and Good Man^ whofe Re a-' foningy as well as Authority y weighs much more with me. I mean the Great Jfojlle Paul, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, {for I can f rove that it is his) who after he had ffoken Jeveral curious and ffeculative Things concerning Melchifedeck, in Chap. 5. (with- out the Kjiowledge of which I do humbly fuffofe a Man might yet be capable of getting to Heaven \) takes occajion from thence y with a peculiar Concern and Warmthy to prefs ChriftianSy not to refi fatisfed with the Kjiowledge of Fundamental Truths ; but to fiudy to be acquainted hkrvtjey as far ^as they can^ with remoter Speculations, and indeed with what- ever comes ivithin the Compafs of the Bible and Re- vealed Religion. Jndy for this end, after he had faidy Chap. 5. v. 11, &c. Of whom (i. e. (?^ Mel- chifedeck,) we have many thmgsto fay, and hard to be uttered; feeing ye are dull of hearing. For when, by the time, ye ought to be Teachers, ye have need that one teach you again,which be the firft Principles of the Oracles of God ; and are fuch as have need of Milk, and not of ftrong Meat. For every one that ufeth Milk is unskil- ful in the Word of Righteoufnefs : For he is a Babe, Bui: ftrong Meat belongeth to them, who are of full Age, even thofe, who, by reafon of Ufe, have their Senfes exercis'd to difcern both
Good
The Dedication. vii
Good and Evil : I fajj after this^ he proceeds im- mediately to exhort us to go on from ContemfUting the more Effential Truths of Religion, to the Study alfo of remoter Truths ; which he does after this manner y Chap. 6. i, 2, j. Therefore, leaving the Frinctples of the Doctrine of Chrtsi^ Let us go on unto PerfeBion : Not laying again the Foundati- on of Repentance from Dead Works ; and of Faith towards God ; of the DoQrine of Baptifms^ and of Laying on of Hands ; and of the Refurre^i^ on of the Dead ; and of Eternal Judgment. And this vi^ill we do, if God permit.
As therefore I cannot think that any thing can he below us to ftudy, which Chrijl did not think tvas below him to reveal to Men in his Word : So I find myfelf obliged not only as a Chriftian, but as a Scho- lar and Minifter, to dive as deep as I can^ into what^ ever my BlelTed Mafter has^ by his Spirit, laid before me as a LefTon. Jnd^ when I have learned it my felfy I cannot but think I am likewife oblig^dy to im^ part the IQiowledge of ity efpecially if very weighty and ufeful^ to my Fellow-Chriftians ; as not daring either to counter-aB the Diftates of Confcience, or tranfgrefs the Commands of Scripture ; by hiding my Light under a Bufbel^ or burying my Talent in the Earth.
As therefore I have been directed in what I have [aid in the preceding Book, to give fuch a Scriptu- ral View of what relates to Chrifl, as, I think, was never publijh^d before : So I hope you will find that I have been likewife affifled, thro'* the good Hand of my God upon me^ to bring in new Light to the SuhjeEi- Matter treated of here \ and, by that, to abundance of Scriptural P^ff^ges, rvhich have never hitherto
been
viii The Dedication.
been fuUy cleared up ; our beft Divines and Criticks having mijs'*d their Way in theje^ as in a Labyrinth, by Reafon of their Want of this Scriptural Clue^ with which I do nowfrefent Tou and the World,
Buty not to detain you here in the Threjholdy let me only hegyou to accept of this Addrefs in good Part, Jo as to keep it for my fake, and to perufe it for your own. And J whether you believe the fpecial Refur- rection, which I treat of here^ or not : Tety J am fursy it can do you no hurty to a^ fo^ as if it were Altogether uncontr over ted ; that thus each of you may he incitedy as far as is poffihUy to emulate even the Excellent Apoftle Paul, in his noble Ambition^ to be the firft Scholar of ChrijPs School, the braveft. Sol- dier/(3r his Caufey the mofi faithful SubjeQ: to his Government y the mofi dutiful Child oj his Familyy the mofi diligent Servant in his Worky and the mofi zealous MefTenger to run his Errands ; having your Eye thus fxed^ as he had his, upon the glori- ous Prize of the high Calling of God in Chrift Jefus.
NoWy that both Tou and I may attain thus to aff^ in order to be thus alfo rewarded at I a (I y is and f jail be thefmcere Endeavour and fervent Prayer ofy
Honoured and Dear Friends,
Tour Obliged, Cordial and Obedient Servanty
in the Bonds of the Gofpet^
Robert Fleming.
( •)
DISSERTATION.
CONCERNING
The Prior and Special
RESURRECTION
O F T H E
Moft EminentChriftians^
During the Reign and Rage of Faganifm and Popery.
I Have propos'd, my Friends, to entertain your Thoughts with, and to dired your Pradife by fomc weighty and ufeful Confiderarions^ which the great Apoftle P^w/ lays before Chriftians in thefe Verles (a) which I have read unto you. But, fee- ing I forefee, that fome Truths^ which I apprehend the Apoftle infifts on, may furprize moil, it not all my Hearers, it will be proper to prefent you with the
(a) Viz. Phil. Chap. 3. ver. i, 2, 3, ^c, vcr. 7, 8, 9, Qfc. effsdaIlj\QT» II, 12, tl^"?.
B Scope
2 The Firjl KefuneSiion
Scope and Coniieflion of Faul^ in this Difcourfe^ at leaft fo much of it as bears a Relation to what we have read from the qth Ntxk. And feeing what the Apo- itlefpeaks of^ in this Chapter^ is wholly of a different Nature from what he runs upon either in the prece- ding Chapters^ or in the following one ; we have no Reafon to run beyond the Limits of this Chapter^ in order to underftand his Defign.
And here^ in the firft Place^ let me tell you^ that thofe that divided the Bible into Chapters^ (and I fuppofe you know^ that the Divifion of the Bible into Chapters and Verfes^ is but a Human Invention^ and indeed a lateone^ tho very ufeful in the Main, and ho- neftly and well defign'd,) were not fo confiderate, as they fiiould have been, when they begin this Chapter^ with this Sentence ^ Fhjally^ my Brethren^ rejoice in the Lord : Which, no doubt the Apoftle defign'd to difmifs the former Part of his Difcourfe with, as the conclu- fory Words thereof. And having done fo, it is plainj he does, as it were, paufe a while, and then, after fome Confideration, whither he fhould write upon the Subjed treated of^ in this Chapter, or not, he comes to refolve on the Affirmative, mov'd by this Reafon ; that it was the fafer Side to do fo, leail fuch important Truths, as thefe were, tho fully infilled upon by him, in his Sermons and Difcourfes to thofe Thilifpians^ to whom he writes, might come, at laft, to be loft in Oblivion. And he confiders, at the fame time, that it was no great matter of Pains, to write dovv^n the Sum of that '"important Dodrine, that, it is plain^ thefe Words fuppofe him to have infiiled on, for fome time, at FhilippL
So that the Chapter ought to have begun with thefe Words • To write the fame Things to yon, ( inx,, which I delivered to you, formerly, by Word of Mouth ) to me indeed is not o'/cvupov grievous ^ (or what I am loath to be brought to) For (I confider that) to you it is QLS(poLKi% fife. Mow, from hence, let me tranfiently ob- feive, I. How careful Paul was to guard againft the
Evils^
of Chrijiians. 3
Evils, that Truth might fuftain, by Oral Tradition, if not lecur'd, by its being committed to writing. And indeed he had fatal Experience of this in the Corinthian Church, where tho he had preached and taught for two Years, Jcis 19. 10. and no doubt frequently celebra- ted the Eucharift among them ( it being the Cuftom of the Apoftles to celebrate the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper^ at leaft once a Week, 'znz., {a) every Lord's _ JDiiy:. ) yet he had not been" long abfent from that ' Church, until the manner of the Celebration of it was quite perverted^ and the Apoftle obliged to write to them upon this Head, and to fet down the exad Form and Manner of its true Adminiflration, as we fee^ I Cor. II. 'uer, 17, &c, & 'ver, 2;, &c. And, upon the fameReafon, the Apoftle Fern- fpeaks -after this man- ner to the Churches, to whom he writes j z.Ejf, Chap, I. 'ver, 15'. Moreover, I will endeavour that you may he able, after my Deceafe, to have thefe things ahuays in Re- membrance. And indeed this has ever been a prevailing Reafon with my felf, to commit to Writing fuch Truths, as I thought might be of general Ufe to Men, and efpecially iuch of them, as might be moft liable to be mifreprefented, together with the Preacher of fuch things ; if only to be learn'd from the frail Memories and imperfed Accounts of them that heard them -, and . much more^ if only to be known from thofe that heard it at fecondj or third, or fourth Hand, /. e, fromfome Body who (aid, that he learn'd from one, that faid he was acquainted with a Man, that heard P^«/ or Peter fay fo or fo. And^ 2. I obferve hence likewife, that the Reafon of the Obfcurity of fome Truths infinuated here, particularly in wn 11, 12, &c. is this; That the Apoftle contents himfelf with fumming up the main Heads, chat he had largely infifted upon, and cleared up to the Philippians, by Word of Mouth. For^ ha-
fi) AUs 10. 7, IT. ScChap. 2. 42,46. Chap. 27. $7. &^ Jaft. Martvr. Apol. 2. p, ^8, 99. ^ Plin. Epift. Lib. 10. Ep. 97.
B z ving
/^ the FirJlRefurreSiion
ving done this, he knew that he needed only juft to hint things to them, feeing they were fully inftruded in his Meaning before. But we being lefc, now, to find out his Senfe, by a clofe and ftrict Inquiry into thefe brief Hints, and by a comparing them with the like Infmuations elfewhere to be found, muft be fup- pofed to be at a mighty Lofs, in Comparifon of the Chriftians then at Philippic who were fully acquainted - with the Apoille's Thoughts on all the Subjeds, which he rather hints than explains to us. So that none of our Commentators or Criticks ought to be blam'd, tho they have all, as I humbly conceiv'd, fallen fiiort of finding out the Apoftle's main Scope and Meaning : For if Men do their beft, they ought to be praifed, in- ftead of being reflected upon. For, if a thoughtful and learned Man fliould have a peculiar Notion, which. he looks upon to be of great Importance and general Ufe ; and fhould, as fuch, communicate it, with his Reafons for it, to a Company of felei5l Friends, many of which fhould be convinced, and be of his Mind, whilft others remained of a different Sentiment, or at leaft continued in fome Sufpence and Doubt this way ; and if this learned Man fhould afterward think fit to write a joynt Letter to . thofe to whom he communica- ted his Opinion, giving them fome Hints thereof, and (hewing that he was of the fame Mind ilill ,• but mo- deftly infmuating, that he did not look^upon his Opi- nion as abfolutely neceilary to Salvation, and that therefore he hop'd, that thole that differed from him in this particular, would bear with him, as he did with them, and agree to mind the fame things, wherein they and he were of one Mind : Now, I fay, if, fome A- ges after the Death of this Man and his Friends, this Letter of his were publifh'd to the VVorld^ It muft needs be very puzzling to tl^ofe that were felicitous to« know what this important Opinion was, from vyhich, notwithfbanding fome of his beft Friends did diffent, tho they v/erc fully inftruded in the Matter, from {o great a Man. Now, that this is plainly the State of
this
of Chrijiians.
this Affair:, in relation to the Pbilippians of old^ and us now^ will be plain beyond Controverfy^ by what I have to fay in the fequel of this Difcourfe. And then I fhall leave it to your felves to judge, whether I have not, (thro' the Goodn^fs of God inlightning me, and blelling my Inquiries this way) found out the true Kejy to unlock the Apoftle's Meaning ; which I hum- bly conceive no Commentator or Expofitor ever did before me. Therefore to proceed ;
The Apollle, after his refolving to recapitulate ths Sum of what he had preached to the Fhllippian Church, 'ver, I. goes on with this Work from ver, 2. to the end of this ;^/ Chapter. Now to trace this Difcourfe and its Defign, I fliall not disjoint the Apoftle's Words, (af- ter the old logical Method of many Divines) by cafl- ing the Words into a dry and arbitrary AnaUtkal Scheme : But I ftiall trace the natural Epiltoiary Way of the Apoftle^ by which he infenfibly Aides from one Point to anothef, jointing or grafting one thing into another. And by this Method, I hope to let in your Thoughts to fee,as it were, the very Springs and Mover ments of the Apoftle's Soul, in laying before the Phi- lippians bis Sentiments and Pradice, as far as the Words can be trac'd by me, as to their Meaning and Defign.
And, in the firfi Place, he exhorts them to be up- on their Guard, againit the carnal and imbitter'd Jews, who were at that time the word Enemies, that Chrifti- anity had in the World. Beware^ fays he, of Dogs^ k- ware of E'vll-Workers ^ beware of the Concifion. He calls them DogSy becaufe of their bitter Refledions aiid Blafphemies againft the Truth, comparing them thus to bitter anci fpiteful harking Dogs. He calls them E'vil-workersy. as well as Evil-fpeakers, becaufe of their- violent Attempts againft ChriiHans. He calls them- and their Religion, by the Sarcaftical Title of the Condjhny inftead of the Circumcifion ^ becaufe they cut off themfelves froFii Chrift, by preaching up Circumcifion, as abfolutely neceifarytoJulHiication and Salvation j vv^hich was dia- metrically oppofite to TauVs Dodrine^ as we fee, Gd.
G The Firji RefnneSlion
f. 2, ^. NoWj as a Reafon^, why he call'd the Jews by that irritating and contemptuous Word the Concifion ^ he adds^ "uer. ']. For v^e are the Circumcifan (i. e, in the true fpiritual Senfc) ovho worjhip God in the Spirit ^ and rejoice in Jefus Chrifi, and ha've no confidence in the Flejh ^ (as if bare Externals could fave us.)
And here the Apoftle takes occafion to fliew, that, feeing the Jews valued themfelves fo much upon their external Jewiili Privileges^, he was equal with any of them allj this way. Therefore he fays, ^ver, 4, ^, 6. That if thefe things were to be relied upon, / might alfo have Confidence in the Flejh. For, fays he_, If any other Man thinketh^ that he hath ivhereof to trufi tn the Flejh ; I have more Reafon to do fo than many others. For I w^as circumcifed the eighth Dajy of the Stock of Jfrael (my Parents and Anceftors being all true Ifraelites, without any Gentile Mixture) of the Tribe of Benja- min (honoured above all the Tribes^ excepting JudaJj only^ for adhering to David's Family and the true Wor- fllip of God^ againil Jeroboam and his Idolatry, and for its being returned intire^ together with yudah^ to their own Land^J an Hebreiv of the Hebreivs (both by Nation and Language j) concerning Zeal^ perfecuting the Churchy (in the Days of my Ignorance, even as they, but more v^ilfully and knowingly, do now, confider- ing the further and more Publick Evidence given now to Religion ,) touching the Right eoufnefs ^ which is in the L^Wy blamelefsy (as being a Pharifee, and confequent- ly of theftrideft Sed of the Jews, both as to Princi- ples, and a nice Obfervance of the Ceremonies and Cuftoms of the Jews.)
But, fays he, i/er.7. What things were Gain to me, (and might have raifed me to the higheft Dignity, Autho- rity, Power, Efteem, and been the means of enrich- ing me among the Jews,) thofe I accounted lofs for Chrifi; (as foon as I came to be acquainted with him and his Truths.) And thus the ApoRle fhews the vaftly diffc^ *zj/ Efi^trmtt^ he now had of Judaiffn and ChrijHanitj y
rone vrlat he had. before, and how defpicable the /r//-
was.
of ChrijlicVis. 7
was^ and indeed aU things in this World befidcs^ in Comparifon of the latter.
The Apoftle profccutes the fame thing, and inlarges upon it, mT. 8. wherein there are five Particulars ob- fervable^ i. The Univerfality of this Contempt of terrene things, of whatever Tart, in comparifon of
Chriftianity , Tea imd I count all things but Lofsy &c.
2. The Rcafon of this Contempt, or the thing, in comparifon whereof, he had fo contemptible an Opi- nion of all other things ; fpeciiied in thefe Words ; for the Excellency of Chrifi Jefus, :;. The principal Idea that Paul fixes upon, as to Chrift, which render'd the Knowledge of him fo very excellent above all things befides ,• exprefs'd in thefe Words : Chrifi Jefus my Lord. For as Chrifi denotes him to be the Promifed Meffiah, and as the fuperadding the Name Jefus denotes the end of his Office, as fuch, 'viz., that he was to fave his" People from their Sins, both as to the Guilr^ Trevaknccy Corruption^ and the Confeojuents and Effe^s thereof: So Paul's peculiar Appropriation of this Saviour to himfelf^ when he could thus fay, my Lord, did eminently endear Chrift and Chriftianity to him. 4. The Proof, which he gives of the Verity of this his Eftimate t which is twofold^ 'viz.. Verhalyyea doubtlefs^ &c. and i^f^/,taken from uncon- tefted matter of Fad ; which he relates in thefe words z For whom I have fuff'ered the Lofs of all things^ and do count them but Dung • as if he had laid, and now that I have loft all thefe things, I cannot fay I have loft any thing; (fo low is their Eftimate with me) unlefs the Lofs of what I efteem to be no better than Dung be account- ed a Lofs. f. The Scope and End, or Ends, rhat the Apoftle has in View and Profpedt, both in this his Eftimate, and in his Acfting and Suffering accordingly, viz. that I may win Chrifi^ and that I may be found ijt hlm^ &c. But the latter of thefe Expreflions belonging to the 9?^ Verfe, and what is contained therein ,• I tak^j tho, former only to be that General, that includes his Scope, as he defign'd to exprefs it in the General ,* an4 that the following Verfes contain a particular Explica-
B 4 tior^
8 The Fir ft KefnneSiion
tion thereof, and Enlargement thereupon. To ^inChrifi therefore^ I take to be a General Expreffion, of a vaft Extent, which denotes the utmoft acquifition of him, and the being the moil univerfally enrich'd by him, from the time of our firil believing in him, to that of our4njoyi^;g him for Eternity : For thus the Apoftle, when he fays, U'^a x^'^ov k^p/'iSoti), that I may be en- riclfd hj acqtdif'mgChrlfi^ oppofes him to all Other things, which he loft for him, and reckoned but lofs, in com- parifon of hinl ; and by this he reprefents himfelf, as the wife Merchant was reprefented by Chrift, Matth. i:;. 4^, 46. (upon which Parable PWs Words are a juft Comment) who, after he had long traded in feek- ing after imaginary Pearls, tho he then reckon'd them goodly ones ^ having at laft found the true Tearl of Price^ i. e. known wherein Man's real Good did ftand, did readily part with all his formerly admired good Things, in order to be truly poffefs'd of the true felicitating Good.
But now, the Apoftle having given a general Hint of his great Scope and £wi, proceeds to explain his Meaning, by fliewing what the things were, which were wrap'd up in this fhort but fubftantial Hint. And this he does, by branching forth the meaning of this Expreffion, to win Chrift, in a Gradaticn of three things. The 1/ of which denotes his Concern to lay a fure Foundation, x'er. 9. The 2^ denotes a gradual Progrefs, in raifing a proper Superftru6ture upon that Foundation, when once laid, 'ver, 10. And the T^d de- notes the End of both, "uiz,. the adual Attainment of that Happinefs, that he propos'd to himfelf, upon the happy finifhing of both thefe, ^ey\ \i. So that we have here compleat Happinefs reprefented to us as be- gun in the i/, carried on in the 2J, and compleated in the i^d and laft. And it is my Defign to treat of all thefe here before you ,• fo as fuccindly to explain the two firfi], in order to inlarge upon the /<*?/, as being the Key^ when underftood, of unriddling the Apoftle's meaning perfectly, in what he runs upon in this Chap-
ter^
cf Chriflians. 9
ter, and particularly in that part of it that follows the zith Verie.
The 1/ Things which the Apoftle aims at^ in order to be truly happy^ is the beginning vvell^ or tiie founding fecurely upon the true Gofpel-Foundati- on. Thus the Apoftle was concerned^ 'ver. 9. To be found in Chrifiy not having (fays he) my ovm Righ^ teoufnefsy which Is of the Law^ but that which is thro* the Faith of Chrifi^ the Righteoi^jnefs which is of God by Faith,
And here, feeing this Expreffion has been fo often i^uoted and explain'd by thofe^ that either did not or would not underftand its meaning, it is but juft, that I ftiould kt it in its proper light ^ and the rather that I have heard it my felf fo frequently quoted amifs, as to the very words, as if Vaul had oppofed the imputed Kighttoufnefs of Chrifiy (whereas we neither read the Word Imputed here, nor yet the Phrafe, the Righteouf fiefs of Chrifi) to his former Righteoufnefs which he trufted in ; which has been explained fo, as if by his own Righteoufnefs y which was according to the LaWy he meant not the Jcwifl} Religion and Righteoufnefs 7vhich flood in a Conformity to the Law o/Mofes, (tho he himfelf tells us, in the preceding Verfes, that he meant this and this only) but the antiquated Law of perfeB Innocence made with our firfl Parents before the Fall ; as if Pauly when a Jew and Pharifee by Profeflion, had ever dream'd to be favedby theAf£?Wf of -^finlefs Conformity to the Law of Perfe^ionywhich is commonly, tho unfcripturally, cal- led the Covenant of Wotls ^ v/hen it is plain, that he only thought to be fav*d by a ftrid Conformity to the Mojaical or Jewifi Religion and Law^ without any re- gard to Chrifiianity^ nay and in oppofition to it : Whereas upon his being illuminated to know Chrift and Chriftianity, (which he own'd now to be the Completion of the Jewifli Religion) he difclaim'd the Jewifh Religion and legal Righteoufnefs as imper- fed, and betook himfelf intirely to Chrift and Chriftia- nity^ and the Righteoufnefs reveal'd in the Gofpel. See
Dr.
lo The Firji RefuneSiion
Dr. Whithy in his Note upon this place, and what he fays upon Rom. i. 17.
But, in order to our clearer underftanding this Place, I fliall not grudge a little pains in explaining thefe/o«r things, which are all that the Apoitle's Words run up- on and contain; 'vizj. i. The Import of the Exprerfi- on, to he found in Chrifi, 2. The two forts of Righteouf- nefs which he diftinguiflies one from another,and which he oppofeth one to another, under thefe Charaderifti- cal Defignations, viz,, his own Right eoufnefs, and the Righ- teoufnefs which is of God, 3, The Defcription which he gives of both thefe ; when he calls the firft, that Righ- teoufnefs which is U vd/^^ of the Law, or which arifeth from the Law, and ftands in a Conformity to it, and which he oppofeth to the fecond Righteoufnefs, viz,, the Righteoufnefs which is of God ; which he defcribes fo, as to tell us, that it is thro' the Faith ofChrifi, and is of God, and that hy Faith ; which three CharaBers are connected together fo,as to make up one only in the General,tho each of them has a peculiar Force in it, as we fliall foon fee. 4. The different Eftimate which the Apoftle has of thefe, and the different refped he has to them ; fee- ing he difclaimeth the firfi, when he fays, not having, &c, and is folicitous to be thoroughly polfeffed of the other, when he adds, but that which is, &c.
Now, as to the ifi of thefe, viz,, to he found in Chrifi, It may not unjuftly be fuppofed to denote, in a Gene- ral Senfe, the fame thing as the former, viz,, to win Chrifl, But yet, even upon this Suppofition, there is this Difference ,• that, whereas the Phrafe, to win Chrifi, does refped: the End ; this Phrafe to he found in Chrifi, bears a reference to the Means which tend to the at- tainment of that End. Now whereas there are two Fhrafes made ufe of in the New Teftament, viz,. Our being in Chrifi, and Chrifi' s being in us : It is proper that I fhould fay this of them; that they are equivalent Phra- fes, and of the fame importance, in the main ; the one of them ever denoting^ or fuppofing the other. For, I. We are f^id fo ^e mC^r//; when, having been
fq
cf Chriftians. 1 1
fo aflifted by Grace^ in our devoting our felves to God '1 and Chrift, as to be truly united to him by Faith and Lovej we ad likewife fo, as to bring forth Fruit to his Praife, walking thus^ in the main, as he alfo walk- ed. And, 2. Chrift is faid to be in us, when, as Tmd feys, VhiL 2. f . The fame mind is iw «/, which v^as in Chrifi Jefus, i. e. When Religion becomes the inter- nal governing Principle of our Hearts, and when we ad, by the Gofpel-Rule, and for the fame Ends which he aded for. So that for the Apoftle to defire and en- - deavour, in order to win Chrifi^ to ad fo, as ^o he found in Chrifi^ is the fame thing as to defire, to be fo tho- rowly united to Chrift in Principle and Defign, and to be fo enabled to walk as to adorn the Gofpel,and thus to be ufeful to the beft of Interefts, as to attain at length to the full Reward of a faithful Servant, in the com- pleat and perpetual Enjoyment of his Lord and Ma- iler.
As for the 2.d thing ; it is plain from the whole of the Context, (i.) That by his own Righeoufnefs hemuit mean, in the firft place, the very fame Right eoufnefsy which he had told us before, he was fo fond of, when a Jew and Pharifee ^ being then, as he fays, ^ver, 6. Blamelefs as to the Laiv of Mofes, But, in a fecondary or confequential Senfe, we may juftly fay, that any fort of imperfed Righteoufnefs, which is fliort of Gofpel- Righteoufnefs, if trufted to, is difclaimed here, by this Expreflion ,- fuch as Knowledge, Learning, Ortho- doxy, Juftice, Charitablenefs, &c. For every fuch Righteoufneft may be faid to be of the Law, accord- ing to the Letter j tho it reach not the full Defiga thereof, as to its fpiritual import and meaning, which is to found on Chrift ^ the Law of Mofes being that to Men, during the Minority of the Church of the Old Tefta- ment, that TnitiPxyoyc^^ a Pedagogue, or Preceptor, or Tutor, is to young Lads that go to a Grammar School, "viz,, to fit them for the higher Academy of Chriftianity and Chrift the chief Dodor thereof j as the Apoftle tells ,u$. Gal. :;. 24.- -.— To this home-fpun Righteouf- nefs
11 The Firji KefuneSiion
nefs of hisown; therefore^ (2.) Paul oppofes the i^/^/j- teoufnefs of the Gofpely which^ by way of Eminence^ he juftly calls the Righteoufnefs of God j as having God for its Author J its Infiitutor^ its Vurchafcr^ its Rule^ and its ultimate End.
i^dly. As for the Defcription which he gives of thefe two forts of Righteoulhefs j; (i.) The Account given of the firft is this ^ That it is a Righteoufnefs^ 'iMch is of (or from, or according to) the Law, And what that Law is, we have ah'cady faid. But they that de- fire to know more, may confult Kom. 3.20. G^/. ;. 10, &c. with many other places. (2.) And as for the other fort of Righteoufnefs, I need but cite Rom, ^.21, 22. in order to clear it up. Where the Apoitle fays. But nov/ the Righteoufnefs of Gody without the Law^ is mani- feft, being witneffed by the Law and the Frophets^ even the. Righteoufnefs of God^ which is by the Faith of Jefus Chri^ unto ally and upon all that helievey for there is no dijference. For this one place unfolds all the force of the threefold Charader of this Righteoufnefs ^ viz,, i. That it is, more eminently, than any fort of Religion or Righ- teoufnefs, that ever was before, the Righteoufnefs of God; a. That this Righteoufnefs is manifeft in, or thro' the Gofpel, or the Chriftian Faith, or as the Apoftle here words it in the Epiftle to the FhiUppiansy thro' the Faith of Chrifi ; which, as it is in the Citation men- tioned, is faid to be witneffed unto by the Law and the TrophetSj to he the Righteoufnefs of God without the Law of Mofesy and therefore the Gofpel-Righteoufnefs : For left any Doubt, this way, ftiould remain, it is imme- diately added, that it is the Righteoufnefs of God^ which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrif-y unto all and upon ally whe- ther Jews ov Gentiles, But then, :;. It is alfo fdidtobe ttpon all them that believe ; which anfwers to the third part of the Charader of this Righteoufnefs in our Text, viz>. That it is by Faith : For, as it is revealed by Faithy or by the Gofpel, fo it is to be received by Faith alfo. And thus the Apoftle fays, Rom. i. 17. That the Righteoifnefs of God is revealed by Faith to Faith:
which^
cf Chrijiians. f 5
which, according to the Grceky runs thus ^ the Righte- oufnefs of Gody which is by Faith ( or ftands in Faith ) is revealed to beget Faith in Men, ( or is revealed in order to be received by Faith. ) And therefore it is added in the fame Place , The Jufi pjall live by his Faith ^ i. e. in Chrift and his Promifes, fo as to have this Faith to be a Principle to him of Righteoufnefs and Obedience.
And now, as to the d^th Particular, it is eafie to fee, why the Apoftle difclaimeth the firfi fort of Righjcc- ouhiefs, and why he is fo concerned to have the latter. For, (i.) as to his own Righteoufnefs, he could not but difclaim that, which was now become inconfiltent with theGofpel ,• •A.sjudaifm was then, in his Eyes, with Chriftianity ; and, upon the Account whereof, he had lamented the Cafe of his Country-men the Jews^ m the fame Epiftle to the Romans^ in almoft the fame Words as here,* as we fee, Rom, 10. i, 2, ;, 4. Brethren^ my Heart's Defire a7id Prayer to Gody for Ifrael, isy that they might befaved. For I hear them Record ^ tha^ they have a Zeal for God^ (as he himfelf had before his being acquainted with Chriftianity, ) but not according to Knowledge, For they^ being ignorant of the Righteotij- nefs of God ( revealed in the Gofpel ) and going about ta efiablijh their own Righteoufnefs^ ( viz-. Judaical Righte- oufnefs, which Hood in a Conformity to the Law of Mofesy ) have not Jubmitted themfelves to the Righteoufnefs of God: for Chrifi is the end of the Law for Righteoufnefs, to every one that believeth. Now here are the very Phra- fes of our Text again, vix,, the Jews 07vn Righteoufnefs^ and the Righteoufnefs of Gody &c. But not a Syllable is there of Chnfi's Righteoufnefs y nor of Imputa^ tion m all this. Which, I fay, not to refled upon good Men, or their Notions this way, but only to cau- tion them not to cenfure thofe that adhere more clofe- ly to the Scripture Phrafeology than they do, and con- lequently may be fuppofed to underftand its Senfe better, as well as to judge of its Truths more impartial- ly. For I have always obferv'd, in all Parties, with- out fomuch as one Exception j than the moft ignorant
felftflu
14. T/?^ Firji KefurreEiion
felfifii^ and greateft Party-Men^ make the moft Noife^ and run on the faftefl, and the moil furioufly^ in cen- furing^ and even damning thofe that differ from them ^ tho this be commonly only upon the Account of the Modes of fpeaking. But, to return. As the A- poftle renounced his owfi Judakal Rigkeoufnefs : So (2.) He evidencedi his Concern^ tohe fotmdinChrifi^ halving the Right e on frjtjs of Gody i. e. he is concerned to attain to the New Teftament-Righteoufnefs^ or to be faved in the Gofpel-way. For Chrifl's AcH-ve and Vaf- fi've Obedience^ by which he has merited Salvation for all that will accept of it upon Gofpel-TcrmSj is that only_, for the fake of 'ivhich thole that believe are laved. FoVy 2ishy the Offence of one y Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation ; even fo^ by the Rlghteoufnefs of one^ the free Gift ( viz.^ the Gofp el- Revelation^ Offer and Pro- mife) came upon all Men (in cafe they believe) unto Jufiification of Life^ &C. Rom. 5-. i8_, 19. Now_, I thinkj all good Men_, of all Sides and Parties^ do a- gree, that Chrlit's Merits are the only meritorious Cauie of our Juftification and Salvation , and that we are juftifted^ confequently^ by the Rlghteoufnefs of Chrift^ or the Rlghteoufnefs of God^ and by no hu- man Righteoufneis whatfoever : And if this be cali'd, Chrift's Righteoufnejs imputed^ I do as readily own the thing as any Man^ difowning and difclaiming all Self-Righteoufnefsj i^ the fame manner as Paul did^ when he fays^ Rom. 11. 16. that we are faved by Grace; and that if it be by Grace^ then it is no more of fVorksy 0- therwife Grace is no more Grace^ &c. tho I pretend not to underftandj that Chrift's Merits ^ or Chrifi's Righteouf- nefsy can thus be transferred to another^ fo as to be im^ futed to him_, either in a fcriptural Senfe^ or indeed in common Senfe. For^ if by being imputed, we mean re- putedy i. e. judged by God^ that we were the Perfons that obeyed^ fuffered and merited ; it is equally blaj- phemous and nonfenficaL And^ if by imputed, we mean no more than this^ that we receive the Benefit of ^.hrift's Merits and Righteoufnefsy when we believe, as
really
of Chrijiianf. I e
really as if we had aded, fufFered and merited our (elves y it is certainly true : But then, it muft be faid, that the Word Imputation is ufed very improperly, m thisSenfe: Nay, I will fay likewife, {b) that it is ne- ver ufed, in this Senfe, in Scripture. But, as I ftiall never quarrel about Words, tho improperly ufed, where Truth is fecur'd, fo if it pleafe God that I live I fliall have occafion to difcufs this Matter further in its proper Place. To return therefore, I fay this, that the Sum of all I have faid upon this Verfe, amounts to this Tropqfitiony when drawn ab Hjfothefi ad Thefin^ from VauVs State, to that of all Chriftians, 'viz.. ^[ That whofoever is heartily and thorowly concerned *^ to win him^ and is therefore defirous to get to be ac- ^^ quitted, approved and faved, in the great Day of *"^ Chrift's Appearance ^ muft not be contented with, ^^ nor truft in a bare external Right eoufnefs of his owny ^^ tho never fo exacSily agreeable to th^ Law of God ^ ^^ but muft make it his Bufinefs to he found in Chrifi^ ha^ ^^ 'ving the Righteoufnefs ^ which is thro' the Faith of Chriji-^ ^^ e^en the Righteoufnefs^ which is of God^ by Faith, The Senfe of v/hich JPhrafes can, I think, be obfcure to none, that have confider'd what I have faid. So that I hope, I may go on fafely now to the next Head.
The
{b) I d.'fire that the leader, rvho may perhaps wonder at y>iy frtyif'g fo^ ivouJd be pleased to covfider^ the proper Meaning of the Original^ Greek Word^ hoyii^iToti, and the Scope dnd Se'rift of this Word^ in all tbofc Places where it is travflatedto impure in our Verfiov, as alfo the Equiva^ lent Hebrew IVord^ vokich is likswife fo rendred by our Tranflators, viz. Lev. 7. 18. Chap 17. 14. i Sam. 22. 15. 2 Sam. 19. 19. Pfal. 32. 2. Hdb. I. II. But feeing ail the Strefs of the Comroverfy relates to the Senfe of thoje Places t vobere this If^ord is rendred either to impute, (ivbicb I think dre thefe only, vi^, Rom. 4. 6, 8, 11, 22, 23, 24. Chap. 5. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 19. Jaai. 2. 23.; or otherrvife, rvhere it is rendred by Wordiof 4« Equivalent Senfe and Meaning to. that of Imputa- tion : For thus rvc find, that the fame IVord, that is rendred to impute in the Places mention d, and, J think, in no otter, is iranflited, Rom.
4.
J 6 The Firji RefuneSlion
The II. Thing which the Apoftle aim'd at, in order to reach his End, and as confequential upon the for- mer, was to proceed welly after he had once fet out well on his heavenly Journey. And this he expreffeth in thele Words, 'ver, lo. That I may know him^ and the fower of his RefurreBiott^ and the Fellowjhip of his Suffe^ rings y being made conformable unto his Death, Where we have two "things to confider.
r. The General Account which he gives of this, ^tZj. •tS yvZazLi ocuTov, that I may know him^ i. e, fo as to be further and better acquainted with him. By which.
4. g. counted unto, ver, 4. reckoned, ver. 5, counted for, ver. 9. reckoned to, ver. 10, reckoned, and Gal. 3. 6. accounted. / have thus enumerated all the Places, where this Word occurs^ infuch a Sevfe, as to be capable to he thus tranjlxtei : In none of which I can find any Foundation for fuh a My ft teal Senfe of the Wordy as has not only been rechon^dthe only one by fame, but magnified to that degree, as if the All cf Religion jhsd in it, and as if they were all Bereticks, that could not fee this. A':d I hope none^ thit calls himfelf a Scholar and Divine^ can hs ignoravt that the Verb Koyil^o^ti is mofl commonly ufed^ both by CvQck Juthorsy and by the facred Penmen, in fuch a Sevfe, as is incapa* tie to be rendted to impute. Fcr it does rnoft commonly figvifie, to reafon, to efteem, to think, to reckon, and to repute. For nhichf fee UiTk U. 31. Cp Chap. 1$. 28. Luke i2. 37. Afts 19.27. Rom. 2. 3, 26. Chap. 3. 28. Chap. 6. 11. Chap. 8. 18, 36. Chap, 9. 8. Chap, 14. 14. I Cor. 4, 1. Chap. 13. 5. 2Cor. 3. i<5. Chap. 10. 2, 7, II. Chap. 12. 6. Phil. 3. 13. CTiap. 4. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 16. Heb. II. 19. 2 Per. 5. 12. Now if the Header will confider all thefe things, and lay them judiciou/ly together, he will find, that in thofe few Places, where our Tranjlators thought fit to render the Original Word, by the Englifh Word to impute, or tts Equivalent Terms, to rec- kon, to count, or to account , the Senfe of thofe feveral Texts, with the Scops of the Contexts, will ever diretl us to underfland them as deno- ting no more, but thisy viz. to repute ; and therefore, confequemly Cod, who reputes and reckons infallibly, cm 7iever refute that to belong to another^ which was done by Ckiji only. When therefore Abraham believed God, his Faith (tho originally Cod's Work and Gift ) is Taid to be reckoned to him for Righteoufnefs, i. e. reputed his own JS^ 4ts formally it certwily was, I have the rather taken notice of thefe things, hecaufe the unwary Expofiiions and inlargemems of fome good Men, as to their Notion of the Imputation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs, has oftner than once, in ths Compafs of the U[i Jge, given rife to endkfs An- linomian Errors,
no
of Chrijiianf. I J
no doubt^ he means a farther Meafure;, both of Theo- retical and Pradical Knowledge,
2. Tlie Ipecial AccQirnt which he gives of this^ 'viz.. in what Refpedis he was chiefly concerned to know Chrift further than he had yet attained to do ^ where there arc two Particulars fpecificd.
I. He defires to know Chrift fiirther^ as to theVower of his Refurretiion. Concerning which^ let me premife this, that the Strefs of our baivation, as to the Hope of future Happinefs^ to be compleatly enjoyed, de- pends principally upon the Article of the RefurreAi- on ; as we muft own, if we confult, Rom. 8. ^4. & I Cor. !<;, 14, 17, &c. Now, having premifed this^ let me obferve, (i.) That by the Tower of Chrlfi's Re-- furrcH'mjy which Paul deiir'd to know, he muft mean. That Power that was exerted hy himy ifi his 7'aiftng himfelf from the Dead^the third Day after his Death • and that Power, that he has vow acquired^ hy that Act^ and with which ht is foJJeJJ'edy fince his Refurretliony as Loganthropos j hy which he is ahle^ not only to hefiow eternal Life, and all m nner of Bkjjings ufon his People y hut alfo to raife others from the Dcady when and how he thinks fit. And now_, as I defire that every Word of this Propofirion may be diftin6lly confider'd ; fo I would have it obferve d more particularly. That the Apoftle infmuates a Delire to know or experience Chrift's Pov/er, in raifmg him from the Dead, in fuch a manner, as he was not yet afcerrain'd of ; feeing he only exprefleth a Defire and Concern to attain this. And therefore, (2.; By his Concern, to know this Power of Chrift's Refurredion, we muft, of Necciiity, under ftand ^ that he was feli- citous to be raifed, infomefach manner, by Chrift, as he himfelf was raifed. Which will be manifeft to every on^ that will allov/ himfelf to think over, im- partially, vv^hat I fliali fiy, vsf\\^n 1 come to explain the next Vtrfe ^ towards the underftanding whereof, all I have been upon, is no more than an Introdturioji. Now, fo earneft is the Apoftle to attain thus to know the Pow- er of Chrift's Refurredion ,• that he is willing to do
C any
1 8 The Firji KefurreSlion
any things and endure any things rather than to fall fliort of it.
And therefore^ 2. He immediately adds^ that he was willing^ in order to this End^ to knoiv alfo the Fel- lowjhip of Chrifi's Sufferings ^ even fo as to be made con- formable unto his Death, For^, as he fays^ Kom, 6. f . If 7ve be planted together in the Likcnefs of his Death , 7ve jhall he planted alfo in the Likencfs of his Rtfurretlion ^ which Words have^ as I conceive^ a further Look^ than as they are ufually explain'd^ in a fpiritual Senfe^ of a Death to Sin, and Refurreclion to Righteoufnefs • tho I am far from excluding that Senfe. But the Apoftle does certainly fpeak^ in the Strain, (wherein I have ex- plained this Textj which we have now before us, in •iw. 10.) ivow. 8. 17. when he does not only fay. If ^ive be Children^ then Heirs, Heirs of God, and Joynt- Heirs Tvith Chrif- ^ but adds immediately. If fo he we fuffer for him, that ive may be alfo glorifi:^d together. For that he re- fpe6ls a fpecial Refurre(5i:ion, and a fpecial Reward, the following Part of the Chapter does fufficiently in- finuate ^ particularly thefe Words, 'ver. 19. The Mani- fefiations of the Sons of God ; and thefe, ^er. 21. of the rational Creature's being delivered from the Bondage of Corruption, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God ; and thefe Words, i;er. 2:;. where the Apofliefays, that he, and other good Men, grQa?ied within themfel'ves, -iv at ting for vio^igiolv, the Adoption, that is, fays he, the Redemption of the Body, And, i think, the lame Apo- llle infmuates this Truth, zTim, 2. 11, 12. If we die with him, (i.e. in a violent way of Martyrdom J we flmll alfo lirve v/ith him, ( ^'- ^' be raifed, in fome way that fhall bear a Likencfs to his Refurredion, as he fays, JRom. 6. $.) If we fufftr ( as Chriil did) we jliall alfo rt/gn vHth him, (at the Beginning of the Millenni- um:) (but) If (thro' Perfecutions ) we deny him^ he alfo will deny us, (as he fays himfelf, Matth, 10.2;.) kvid 1 cannot but think, that the Apoftle Peter was alfo apprized of this Notion of the Apoftle Vaul, viz. that there was to be a fpecial SefurretHon of the more Eminent
SaintSy
of Chrijlians. 19
Saints^ at the heginnin'r of the Millemuitm^ when he fays, I Efijhx. 12, n, 14! Bdo^ed, think it not firange con- cerning the fiery Tryal, as thofomefirange thing happened un- to you. But rejoyce^ in as much as yon are Partakers of Chris's Sufferings (/. e. call'd to be conformed to him, as to the Painfulnefs and Reproach of his SutFerings and Death J that fo op hen his Glory (or he himlelf as the Shechinah or Glory of God ) fiall be repealed after- wards {-diz.. in the more flourifliing State of the Church on Earth, during th^ Millennium ^, ) Te may be glad alfo with exceeding Joy, ('viz. by reafon of your being then priviieg'd to be peculiarly raifed from the Dead, to enjoy Chrift in Glory.) if then .;^ be re- proached for the Name of Chrifi, happy are ye ; for the Spi- rit of Glory ( i. e. of Chrift the Shechinah ) and of God (the Father) refieth upon you, &c. (/. e. you have this way the Spirit given as a Pledge of your future happy Refurrec^lion and Glory.)
Now, if thefe Expofitions of the fcriptural Palla-. ges, quoted here, do appear ftrange at firft View, as probably they will to many ; I humbly beg, that my Readers would be fo favourable, as to fufpend their pal- fmg any definitive Sentence as yet, in reference to this Notion y and fo kind, as to carry it along with them> in their own Minds, without either affenting to it, or diffenting from it, until firft they have underltood what I have to fiy, by way of Proof, for it. And, in hops of obtaining this reaionable Requeft;
I proceed now to the llld Thing, ^vix,. To the great End and Scope, which Vaul had in view ', and in a Reference to which the two former Heads come under the Confi deration of the Means only, which he pro- pofes to ufe, in order to reach this End.
I come therefore now, after premidng fome Ac- count of the preceding Tart of the Apoftle's Difcourfc, by way of Preliminary ,• to treat diftindly of tl-'is Subject, ( which hitherto I have only touched upon in- cidentally and by the by, ) as we have it fpoken of, \x^
C 4 the
ao The Fir/lReftrreSiion
the Eleventh Verfe ; which is the main Text^ that I pro-- | pofe^ not only to fpeak from^ but to difcourfe of, in i this Place. After which^ I fliall proceed, but more i briefly, to explain the remaining Part of the Apoftle's , Difcourfe^ in the Sequel of this Chapter. '
Fhilip. Chap. HI. 'z/er. 1 1,
The Words, in the Original, are thefe following.
Which our Tranflators render, after this manner^
Ify by any means ^ I might attain to the RefarreBhn of the Dead,
Strange Words ! Efpecially if we confider what the Apoftle immediately adds, ver. 12, &c.
Not^ as tho I had already attained y But I follow
after y If that I may apprehended y &c.
Indeed, my Friends, I muft tell you, that I was ex- ceeding puzzled, for a conliderable time, what to make of thefe Words of the Apoftle VauL I confulted all the beft Expofitors, and the moft famous Criticks, without receiving any Satisfadion, or fo much as a juit hint of that which the Apoftle had in his Eye here ^ which, in %'er, 14. he calls to j^pajieiov tms aVo) h.Am- <75as, tliQ Friz^e of the Nigh Calling of God y in Chrif ^ which he reprefents to himfelf, in Allufion to the O- lympick, and other Grecian Solemnites, and particular^ ly the Races there ; upon which Occafions a jh^cc^^'oVy i. e. a Prize or Garland ufed to be hung up, upon a cm7r((^^ a Marky at the End of the Race, which was confpicuous even at a Diftance, and which the Racers had in View, more and more, as they drew nearer it,
until
of Chrijlians. 1 1
until the Prize it felf came to be feen^ which was be- llowed upon him that reach'd the Mark firit.
The Queftion therefore^ with me^ which no Au- thor could fatisfie me in^ was ; WhaP thls^ -• px|-i.cioy amid mean ? ^01 \i by the <J\Ui:(G)' the Apoille meant , Happinefs or Perfedion^ in gcner:?!^ he mull be fup- pofed to mean, by the ^pc^^^ov^ fonic appropriate and peculiar Reward, which many, tho they run vve;ii to the Mark, fell fliort of : For as he fays elfewnere, Tho many rim^ ytt o?te only oht.imd the Prlz^e, Iju: L-iac which increas'd the Difficulty^ yet more, was this ; that the Apoftle does plainly tell us, that he had no particular Certainty or Affurance of his obtaining .Iiis [fecial Triz.e 'y but that he apprehended rather, that un- lefs he was very careful, he might poffibly fall fhort of it. For he reprefents it as attainable indeed, but as attainable no other way but by great Diligence, emi-- nent Faithfulnefs to Chrift, and extraordinary Ufcful- nefs to the World and Church. And yet, at the fame time, his Idea of this peculiar and glorkus Prize is fo vail, that he thinks all the Services he could do, and all the Sufferings he could undergo, in promoting and pro- pagating Chriflianity, were all too little, in Compari- Ibn of this Renvard^ which was to be appropriated to none but thefirft Chriftian Worthies, and the mod E- niinent Saints and Martyrs. And it ilill tends to in- creafe the Difficulty ^ That the Apoftle, notwithftan- ding of his being fully certain^ that fuch a fpecial Re- ward was to be attained ; yet did not look upon this a^ /uch an Article of Chriftian Faith, as was to be belie- ved as a thing abfolutely necelTary to Salvation, And therefore, tho he himlelf believed, and had taught it in the Philip fian Church : Yf^t, as he taught it only, as his own Opinion, there being, as yet, no univerfal Revelation thereof to the Church ^ fo we find, that there were feveral of the Chriftian Phlllppians^ that were of another Opinion, znd otherji^ijemindidy ver. ij. Nor does the Apoftle challenge them upon this Ac- » count, but prophetically tells them^ that God n-ould after-
C ; wards
r
a a The Fir Ji KefurreEiion
wards reveal this to the Church hhr^felf; which Faul had only commiffion to fpeak of as from himfelf ; the T Jj licULxOii thereof^ as a Truth (revealed fo to the Church, as to be enjoined upon us^ in order to be believed) be- ing refcrved for the Apoftle John^ as we fliall quickly fee. In the mean time therefore P^yw/defires^ that^ fee- ing both they and he were, agreed in the Belief of the lajt and general RefurreHion^ they might walk accor- dingly^ i/i.t-. with due regard to that ^hereunto they had already attained ; for^ tho the peculiar Refurreclion^ which he had in View^ was^ as yet^ no part of the Chriftian Creed^ yet the General Refurreclion and Chrifi's coming to judge Mm and Angels^ were received and approved Ar- ticles thereof And this is the Reafon^ why he winds up this Chapter and Difcourfe^ with a Repetition of thefe great Articles of Faith^ ver. 20^ 21.
Hence it h plain^ that what the Apoftle calls /Sea^siov tIis cicV(i. K\i^(5ia);^ the Triz,e of the High Calling, in ver, 14. is that which he calls the Refurreclion of the Dead, in ver. II. And that confequently^ this Refurreclion cannot be the general Refnrrcction, but a fpecial one, an- tecedent to it ', which is to be the appropriate Reward only of a few^ ( fpeaking in a comparative Senfe) and thole the moft- eminent of the Saints j and which the Apoftle reprefents as inclufive of a higher Re- ward, than others fliall ever fliare in^ tho^ at laft^ they come to be railed alfo to Life Everlafting.
And thus I came to attain to form fome tolera- ble Notion of the Apoftle's Meaning. For I rea- fon'd thus with my felf When ?aul fays^ that his great Concern was^ to ufe his utmoft Endeavours^ to fee^ If l?y fiij Means, he might attain to the Refurreclion of the bead ; furely^ (i.) He could never be guilty of fuch a lank Senfe^ as to mean no more than this^, Ifby a?jy means I might obtain to rife to Life eternal at the laft day : Not as if I had already attained, &c. For what News had it been to tell the Philippians, that he had not as yet got to Heaven. When therefore our Divines fay, that the Apoftle means this only^ that he could never he too fur e of
of Chriflians. a^
getting to Glory ; they fay what is very accommodable to 'hiU and languid Chriftians : But they forget the Apoftle's Charader and Attainments^ and reprefent him as fpeaking weakly and inlipidly^ and indeed in- confiftcntly with himfelf. (2.) And^ as Paul could ne- ver be fuppofed to fpeak^ in this dull and lank man- ner 5 io I confider'd^ that it was impoffiblej that he could be under any Doubt of a Refurredlon of the Dead, in general! ; who had ever alfertcd that there was to be a Refurredion of all Alen^ both of the Jufl and Unjufi^ For this was one main Article infifted on by him^ both in his Sermons and Writings^ as we fee not only here^ ^er. 20j 21. but in the 15-^/:? Chapter of the 1/ Epiftle to the Corinthians y throughout the whole Chapter^ as alfo^ jicts 17. 18. Chaj). 2;. 6. Chaf. 24. if^ 21. 2 Tim^ 2.18. And therefore this cannot pofEbly be the Senfe ; If by any means I might attain to rife from the Dead^ at the lafi Day. (:^.) And I confider'd withall that the Apo- llle could not be fuppofed^ in reafon_, to mean^ thac he was concerned to attain to a full Certainty and Af- fiirance^ as to his being raifed in Glory, and to Eternal Life. For he had attained this already, in fo full and compleat a Senfe, as that it is not conceivable, that he could be further aifured this way, than he was already. For I defy any Man to tell me of any one Expreffion of his, but what breaths forth the Plerophory of Faith, and the fulleft Confidence. Does he not giory in this, Rom. 8. 25", e^J. that nothing could feparate him from the. Lo-vCy Service y and Enjoyment of Chrifi ^ and that he was fatished. That he jlwuld be more than Qoncjuerory at lafl, thro Chri(t who loved him. Whereas, by the way, more than Conqueror feems tacitly to look to the fpecial Prize, or fpecial Refurredion, which he fpeaks of here; as if, at that time, he had fome fair Profped of obtain^ ing it. But that, he had full Affurance as to a future '1 Happinefs, without any Doubt or Hcfitation that way, { is evident from all his Writings. Hence he telis us that he long'd even almoft to fome Degree of Im- patience^ to exchange Mortality for Immortality, that,
C 4 by
2 4 The Fir Ji RefurreSlion
by getting rid of the Body, he might get home to Chrift^ % Cor. ^. 1/2^ ;, o^c Nay^ does not the Apo- ftieliiy a^ niuch^ in this very Epiftie ? Does he not tell IIS^ ciurjj. I. 'vcr, 21. that for hlr/i to die would he gain ? And d0f;shen0t^ 'ver. 23. dtfire to dtpart^ a7id to be with Chmf-y ivhlch was far better y than to be here? Nay^ does he not here fay as much as this^ in the very fame Breath, wherein he declares his concern to attain what he held not yet cbrain'd the Certainty of? For he prcpc 1C3 this as one of the Means, towa/dj reach- ing this End, ^iz.. the dying a violent Death, in conformity with the Death of Chrift ; which he calls a knowing Chrlfi^ as 10 the Fdlowjhlp of his Suffer^ ingSy by being wade conformable unto his Death, So that, Vv^hen we have laid thefe things together, we may be allured that this can as little be fuppofed to be the Apoftle's Senfe here, in <ver, 11. If by any Means I wight attain to rife, at the lafi Day, to eternal Life j or this. If by any Means I might attain to Affu- ranee y that I fiall rife to Life and Glory ^ 7i>hen the General ilefurreBion comes.
It being therefore certain, that none of thefe can poffibly be the Apoftle's Meaning ; and it being equal- ly certain.; that the thing which he had in his Eye, was that which the Bulk even of good Men might fall jQiort of, and which the Apoftle himfelf had only the Hope of obtaining, but no Certainty or AlTurance this way : I concluded, that the Apoftle had his Eye iix'd upon a peculiar RejurrecVton^ which was to be the
f ^^ocG^:ui and Rcjvard^ not of all true Chriftians, but on- ly of feme of the moft gallant and ufeful Saints and Martyrs ^ which Refurrection^ I did fuppofe, muft not
\ only be long before the GeneralRefurrecHon^ but muft alfo be fuppofed to include and take in the higheft Re- ward of Gbry and Happinefs.
And I remember, that after I had imbib'd this Notion, I had occafion to propofe it, at feveral times, to feveral Perfons of great Learning and Judg- ment j who all. agreed_> at laft^ to approve of it fo
far^
of Chrifiians. 05
far, as to grant me two Material Points ,• (i.) That none of the Opinions I mentioned before, could be, in reafon, fuppos'd to be that which Paul runs upon j (2.) That, by fuppofing my Notion to be true, the Apoftle's Words and Reafoning came to be very clear and eafy, both with refped to the Senfc of every Word and Phrafc;, and the Connexion of the whole. And hence they concluded, that if 1 could prove the fpecial Refurredion, I talk'd of, from Scripture, they fliould be ready to think that I had found the otjIj trus Kevy to unlock this otherwife dark and myfterious Por- tion of Scripture. And, as this incited me to dive as deep as I could into this Point, fo it occafion'd fome of my learned Friends to cake the like pains. One of whom fell upon a very peculiar Notion^ which was this. He luppos'd, that the Apoftle was of this Mind ; " That *^ he might, thro' Grace and Care, attain fo high, as ^^ to be made an Exception from the Common Lot of ^' Mortals, either by being tranllated, that he might ^' not fee Death, as Enoch and Elias were, or by being ^^ raifed from the Grave, after he had been dead for '^ a little time, by a fuigular Refurredion_, fuch as ^^ that of Chrifi was. But, as all the Company rejed- ed any Suppofition of a peculiar Tranflation^ fince Chrift; himfelf dyed^ as' that which was inconfiftent with the Chrifi-ian Scheme : So fomeof the Company thought that {uch R fin^ular RefurreBiony was alfo the peculiar Pro- perty and Privilege of the Meffiah only, and that even this Suppofition did not agree with the Chriflian Scheme any more than the iirft. But, for my part, I could never admit any fuch Suppofition ,• unlels it could be fhewcd from Scripture, that the Apoftle Vaul had any ground to exped this, more than Peter ^ James or John^ or the Virgin Alary. But befides I defired, that it might be confidercd, that the Apoftle fpoke of fuch a Refur- redion, as was attainable by others, as well as by him, when he fays, 'ver. 15". J^et therefore as many as are perfeS he thus minded y &c. The meaning of which, to me, is plainly this j Let as many as are of the fame Opinion
with
f
a 6 The Firji Refnrreciion
^ith me^ he thus minded likewife as I am, viz. to act fo, as they may alfo hope to attain to the fir if ^ Jpecial and mojt glorious RefurreBion of the mo ft Eminent Saints,
My Notion therefore^ which is the 07ily Key of 'ver. 11^ i2j&C. is this ^ That the Afojtle Paul did belie've^ that there v/ould he a fpecial Refurretiion of the more eminent Servants of Chrift^ which would include a 'very peculiar Re^ Oi^ard * and that this RefurreStion would be long before the General and lafi RefurreBion. And this is^ I am confi- dent^ that very Refurredion^ and Reward which he is fo earneftly felicitous and concerned to partake of.
And I do humbly fuppofe^ that this might be of the Number of thofe a^^'wToc ^iiix/xroCy fecret Words or Phra- fes^ which it. was not lawful for him to utter ^ (which the Apoftie had revealed to himfeif only;, 2 Cor. 12.43 &c,') that is^ as I underftand his meaning (tho without limit- ing it to this Senfe only) ivhich the Jlpojtle was forbidden y at prefenty to publiflo to the M^^orld^ as an Article of Faithy but ivhich he had Liberty to propofe to A<fen as his o^vn Opinion^ it being referved to John^ to difcover and publifh it^ in the Name of God, ?.vA ?.s an Article of Faith ^ in its proper time and place, in the laft Book of the Bible , as we fhall quickly make it appear, that it is to be found there, in exprefs words. But feeing the Apoftie 'Paul had no fuch Commiffion, but only a Difpenfation to publifh it, as an Article of Opinion only '^ we need not wonder, that fome of the Philippians were other7vife minded, as being like the Bereans, A^s 17. 11. who were refolved to believe the Apoftles themfelves no f.irther than they could demonftrate their Do- ctrine from the Scriptures of the Old Teftament ; iivhich feeing Paul could not do, as to this Ar- ticle, in fuch a manner as intirely to fatisfy them ; and feeing likewife he propofed it, as an Opinion only, and not as neceilary to be believed^ and concerning which he pretended not to have any Divine Commifli- on : I fay, thefe things being confidered, we need not vv^onder, that fome Philippians could not agree with him in Opinion^ as to this matter j at the feme time
that
of Chrijiians. 27
that others^ from a vailer Eftecm of the Apofde's Judgment^ or from a deeper Penetration into his Reafoning, or from fome peculiar Illumination of the Spirit, as to his Point, fell intirely in with his No- tion. For I do fuppofe that the Apoftle manag'd him- felf, in his Reafoning upon this Subjed, much after the fame manner, as he does elfevvhere, hi things that he propofed barely as a Man^ and as far only as his Rea- fon and Opinion might ^o, and not as an Jpofile, fpeak- ing authoritatively and in the Name of God. An emi- nent Example of which we have, i Cor. 7. 25. Now co7icerning Virgins ^ I have no Commandment of the Lord : yet I give my judgment ^ as one that have obtained Mcrcj of the Lord to he faithful, I fuppofe therefore that this is good, &c. So alfo he fpeaks, ver, 40. infinuating a Reve- . lation ,• but pretending to no Authority to in join the fame to be believed by others ; for both thefe are equally denoted, when he fays, Butjhe is happier iffje fo abide, after my Judgment • and I think alfo that I have the Spirit of God. And indeed I cannot but think^ that the Apo- ftle fpoke of this Subject of the firfi and fpecial Rejur- rettion^ to the Fhilippians, in this very ftrain ; telling them, that he had no Commandment of God^ to propofe this to he believed ; hut that he gave his Judgment ^ as one that obtain d Mercy to be faithful ; infmuating this alfo mo- deftly, that he had reafon to think^ that he had the Spirit of Cody and knew the mind of Chrif, in what he him] elf be- lievedy tho he only proposed it to their Reafon and Aieditation, However it deferves our Confideration, hov/ wifely the Apoftle words himfelf, that he might reach his main end, both as to thofe that were of his Opinion, and thofe that diffented from him ^ incouraging the one Party to continue in the like mind with him^ and ex- horting the other Party to agree with him and them, fo as to ftrive likewife^ if by any means (hey might attain, not only to he happy at lafiy but to reach unto as high dez^rees of Happi7tefs as others. For tho they might have no fuch Notion, as he and fome others had^ of 'a. fpecial Re fur- reclion, nor any BeUef this way j yet their equal dili- gence
2 8 The Firjl KefiirreBion
gence with his^ might bring them to obtain that Privi- lege alfo ; as it would certainly, whether they at- tained this or not, lay a Foundation of their being truly happy at iaft. And here, by the way, let us obferve, how far different FauFs Spirit was, from the Spirit of fome Modern Churches and impofing Church-men ; nay how diametrically oppofite thefe are. He, tho certain of this and fuch-like Truths, nay tho he had the Spirit of God with him, in what he faid ; yet did not, durit not, impofc any thing upon Chriftians, either in point of Faith or Pradice, for that very reafon, that it was indifferent, and therefore to be kf'to Mens own liberty ; as Kr:owingthat it was net in the ^cu^ r of one, or ail the Apofties, to require any thing either to be neceffiriiy and univerfally believed by the Church, or pradis'd in the Church ; this being the unalienable Prerogative of Chrift the Head of the Church (which he was never to give to any after him) to give Law to the Confcience. f ut, to return ; ' I hope, by this time, you begin to think, that this fpecial RcfuneBion is a probable Notion (for no Man in his Senfes can queftion its poflibility, feeing it is as eafy for God to raife fome Men fooner, as to raife all Men at Iaft;;) and that therefore, if I can but produce certain Proof for it, I may be fuppofed to do fome con^ fiderable Service to Chriftianity and Chriftians ,• by bringing in new Light, not only to thi, memorable Difcourfe of Vaul^ but likewife to the Nvhole of the Chriftian Scheme.
In order therefore to give you all the Satisfaction I can, in reference to this weighty Point, which I do^ for my own part, look upon as v?w Article of the Chri- fiian Faith ^ tho 2. fecondary one^ and not ahfvlutely necejfa- rj to Sahu.iiion as fome Others ,• (for I fuppofe every one knows, that every Article of Faith is not a fundamental and effential one, £. G. that it is an Article of Faith, but not a fundamental One, to believe, that Paul was an Apoftle of the Gentiles ^ whereas to believe that Jefus ChrUl is the only Meffiah, Saviour, Mediator,
or
of Chrijiians. 19
or Redeemer, is altogether effcn*ial to Faith and Sal- vation: J I propofe to difcourfe as diftindly and fully of this Subjed:, as I can j .^nd the rather, that it has never been properly treated of, or fo much as under- liood before, even from the Times of the Apoftles to this Day.
And in doing this, I intend to treat of it ^ (i.) Do^ thinally and largely ; and then, (2.) PraHually and more briefly ; which /j// Confideration will lead me forward, to purfue the Thread of the Apoftle's Difcourfe, in the Sequel of this Chapter.
(i.) I propofe to treat of this Subjed: DoBrlnally. And in doing this, I intend to proceed in this Method, I. To incjuire into the Grounds that I go upon^ in belic'ving^ that there will he fuch a [fecial Refurrettion: With which firft and principal In^juirj^ I fhall have Occafion to in- terweave, what otherwife might have been confidered as a jccond one, ^viz^. IVhat Foundation is laid in Scripture, by which we may attain to form a tolerable Idea of this. And then, 2. I fhall diftindly iw^«/>f, when this Refur- rection may be probably Juppojed to be,
I. 1NQ.UIRY.
Tf'hat are the Grounds cr Re afons^ from whence It can be coU le^edy that thtre will be afpecial RefurreBion of the mofi Eminent Saints ^ antecedent to the Gejieral One ; foas to lay a jufi Foundation of cur belie'vlng it^ and of our forming a Genuin Conception of it, as afcriptural and revea^ led Truth ?
In order to anfwer the End of this Inquiry, I in- tend to propofe my Thoughts gradually to the World, by proceeding according to the following Steps.
i/. I defire it may be confidered, that tliere has been already, a Jpecial RdJurretHon of the more Emijunt Saints of the Old Teftament : So that it is very congruous to what has been done already, to fuppofe, that there
will
^O The Firjl KcfurreBion
will alfo be a [fecial RefurreElion of the Eminent Saints of the New Tefiamcnt.
NoWj in order to prove the Antecedent, I fhall ad- duce a plain^ tho very fhort, hiftorical Account^ which is given us, Matth, 27. jo, fi, 72, 5';. 'o3 'iho^^s vraAiv Kpa^ocs rpov>7 fJJzy(i.h*^ dcp'Ayjt to vrvtu/x^. Kai /(/^i_j to tocrA-
£, e^e?vSd'vT£^c>;iT«v/^VM/UG(6ov, yO^iiDc thv e^^(nv ocutS, u- o-'viAOovds THV (X^(XV 7r6\/v, ;t,ev£<p(XVia%o-o:i> noAAo?s. JVo^i/ yeftiSy crying again with a loud Voice^ yielded up his Spirit, And behold the Vail ( that parted the Holy Place from the moll Holy ) of the Temple ^ was rent in twain ^ from the Top to the Bottom^ ({qq Heb, 10. 20.) and the Earth did quake y and the Rocks rent • and the Grazfes were opened' and many Bodies of Saints ivhich flept^ arofe^ ( or were rai- fed up ^ ) and they going ( or having gone ) out of their Gra'uesy after his own RefurreBion was over, went into the Holy Cltyy and appeared to many.
Here there are Three memorable Things obfervable.
1. That juft (c) as Chrift breathed out his Soul^ with a loud Voice ,• all Nature eccho'd it round, by Thunders and Earthquakes ; and that fo, as to own his conquering Death and Mortality, by his dying, and by rending the Rocks, Vaults, Sepulchers, and other Dormitories of the Dead, To that ail Graves,, of all forts, were thrown wide open.
2. That yet none of the Dead arofe at that time, tho all external Hinderances of their rifing were re- moved : For it was neceilary that Chrift fhould firft take PoiTeflion of Hades ^ or the Regions and State of the feparate Souls. Which, when he had once done, he was then to demonftrate his intire Conqueft over the Dead, both as to their Souls and Bodies j firfi by raifing
(r) See this critically covfsdtr''dy m the 2d Volume^ arid 3d Book of
him-
of Chriftians. 21
hinifelf, and next by raifing fuch a feled Number of others^ as he thought proper to raife up. And there- fore it is exprefly (aid here, (i.) That Saints were rai- fed, and no others j (2.) That many Saints were rai- fed 5 and (5.) That they came not forth out of their Graces ^ till Chrlfi's own Refurreciion was o^uer : For it was necef- fary, that he, as Sovereign and Captain-General, fhouldlead the Way, and be the fir fi Fruits of them that Jlepty and the firfi Bringer back ( or as Our Verfion has it, the Firfi-Bor?t J from the Dead.
;. That the majiy dead Saints^ which then arofe, were not raifed to live again on Earth, tho they were allowed to appear to many feleB Witnejjesy in order to affure them of the Reality both of ChriiVs Refurredi- on and their own. This is plain from the Words of Matthew y who fays not, that they went into the Holy Citjy ( as Jertifalem is lometimes called, as in Matt, 4. 6. ) to dwell there y or to converfe with any, or all the People, but that they went into it foy as to appear to many. So that, as Chrift appeared, now and then, to {oSzdi Witneffes, during his 40 Days Abode on Earth j fo didthofe Saints alio, under the Condud of Chrift, during the fame time, as I humbly think. Fcr^ 'is it is impoflible to fuppofethat Saints, who had been ufed with the- divine Converfe of Paradife, and who were free from Sin, and made immortal, by Chrift's raifing them, could e- ver be fuppofed to be raifed to Sin and Sorrow here, in order to die again : So it mufi: be concluded to be equally certain, that they muil be raifed to be Chrift's Attendants, when he afcended to Heaven, iii order to be Monuments and WitnelTes there of his having con- quered Death ^ Hades and Sata7i • and of his taking upon him the Sovereignty over Death, and the invifible State and Country of feparate Souls. And, if it was necef- fary, that Chrift fhould rife before them from the Dead ; fo it was, as leaft, as neceiHiry, that Chrift fhould af- cend firft to Glory, and that they fliould follow him in thither, as his Train.
And
5 a The Firft Kefurrcclion
And indeed we have here a plain Account of the exad and literal Accomplifliment of a very memorable Predidion; which we have^ Ifa, 26. 19. Thy dead Me?i jhall live : Together vj'ith my dead Body jljall they arife, A- v^ake and fmgy ye that dwell in the Dufi • for thy Dew is as the Dew of Herbs ^ ( that revive after a Winter's Death_, ) and the Earth fiall cafi out the Dead,
And^ ?.s this Prophefie plainly points out the pre- cife Time of this Refurredion^ ^iz,. that it fliould be, when Chrift's own Body fliould be raifed ( for of no other Body could it be faid^ by a peculiar Appropriati- on, that it was God's Body^ or the Body of the Logos ^ the God of Ifraal^ ) fo we find, that Chrift himfelf, a little before his SuiFerings^ did exprefly predid the fame thing, John 5'. 2f. Verily^ ruerily, I fay unto you; the Hour is coming, and now is, ( i. e, is juft about to take Place, ) that the Dead fhall hear the Voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it {hall li-XJe. Upon which Words, Dr. Wlnthfs Obfervation deferves to be exadly confidered. " That Chrift, fays he, fpeaks here, not ^^ barely of a fpiritual Refurredion, is evident : ^^ Ci.) Becaufe he fpeaks of it as a Thing fhortly fu- ^^ ture j whereas the fpiritual Refurredlion was, in ^^ fome, already paft. (2.) Becaufe he promifeth this *^^ Refurredion, not to them that fliould hear his Word^ ^^ butciovxv^ his Voice, And that he fpeaks of a proper ^^ Refurredion, appears, (i.) From t lie Gradation he ^^ here makes, from the Refurredion of fome, to the ^^ Refurredion of all, ver. 28, 29. ^iz.. when he adds, ^*' Marvel fiot at this, { Refurredion, which is to be *^ fo foon, ) for the Hour ( alfo ) is corning, ( 'vix^. that of ^^ the iaft and general Refurredion, ) in which, ( tho ^^ at feveral Periods thereof, ) all that are in the Graces ^' jhall hear his Voice ; and fliall come forth, ( tho at fe- ^*' veral times, as I fliall afterwards prove : ) Thofe that ^^ have done good, ( if more eminent, firft of all, but if ^^ lefs eminent, afterwards) unto the Rcfurretlion of ^^ Life ', and then, they that have done evil ( fliall come ^^ forth. Iaft of all) unto the RefurreBioft of Darnnation,
of Chrijlianf. 5 ^
*^*' (i.") Becaufe he adds^ that they -ivho hzar^ (lu:Uli've; ^^ and that^ becaufe the Son, whofe Voice they hear, " h.ith Life- hi himjclf] ver. 16. I therefore think^ that '' our Lord fpeaks of that Hour^ vvhen^ he riling from ^^ the Dead, m:mj Bodks of the Sabus arofe 'ivith himy ^^ Matth. 27. 92.
But, tho the DoBor and I are perfectly agreed in this . Matter ,- yet I differ from him, when he fays, in his Note on'Mattb. -jl-;. j2. " My Conjecture is, thac ^^ they ( who rofe from the Dead ) might be fome ot' *^^ thole t!iat believed in Jefus, ( as old Simeon did, ) and ^^ died before his Refurredion, &c. For it is faid, " that they vmit into the Holy City^ and af feared to many ; ^^ whence it is probable, that they were Perfons ^"^ known to them, to whom they did appear, and, if ^^ lb, they mult be Men that lived in the Time of their ^' Knowledge. For, if the DoBo^- mean, as his Words feems to infmuate, that no others rofe, but thofe that were ChrilVs Contemporaries, I mull lay it is a Con- jecfture indeed, but fuch a one, that carries no juft I Probability along with it. For U- ' feeing the Docior j owns, by what he cites from y^lho in Lihro Ikarimy Par. I 4. c. ;5'. that the r/fi^z^i believ'd, that, when their Mef- ] Jtah came, there fliould be a Relurredion of feveral , pious Men ; I know not why thofe pious Men fhould I be conhn'd to one Generation, more than to former ones. (2.) When he fuppofes, that they mull be 1 knov\/n to have been fuch and fuch Perfons, he might I have remembred, i. That the Text lays not, that they j were known, or did difcover what Perfons they had I been ; but only, in the general, that they appeared to i many ,• /. e. that they appeared, "us the Angels us'd to do, with Majefty and Light, or in fome fuch man- ner as difcover'd them not to be the proper Inhabi- tants of this World ; -and that they did alfo give fome Evidence and Indication, that they had formerly dwelt on Earth, but that they were now raifed from the Dead, and allowed to appear to fome leleA Men, as Witneffesof Chriit's Refurredion, and of his Power
D . ill
^^ 7 he Firjl Kefune^ion
in mifing them. Befides^ 2. It ought to be remembred^ That^ when Chrift was transfigured upon the Mount, the three Apoftles were illuminated^ without being in- formed by Chrii% (as the Circumftances of things^ as I explain d them in the Firft Book of Chrlfiologyy gives us juil Ground to conclude^) that the two Perfons^ that talk'd to him, were Mojes and Elias, So that^ in cafe Chriil thought it proper^ that any of the New-rais'd Saints fhould be known to any of thofe to whom they appeared ^ it was as eafy for him to imprefs their Minds^ that it was Ahrahain^ or Samuel^ or Daniel^ &C. and no other^ that they faw. - But I fee no Reafon to think it neceffary^ that the Perfons that faw and convers'd with the New-rais'd Saints^ fliould know^ in particular, what or who the Perfon was, with whom he or jQie convers'd ^ tho I take it to be abfolutely neceffary, fo far to know them, as to be fatisfied, that they be- longed to the human Family, and had been formerly the Inhabitants of this World j feeing the very End of their appearing, was to bear Evidence, that Chriffc had conquered Death and the Grave, of which not on- ly his ow=n Refurredion was a Proof, but the Refur- redion of many others, of which Number they were. <3.) And indeed, fo very degenerate was the State of the Jeivs^ as well as of the reil of the World,when Chrift was on Earth, by what we can judge from the Evan- gelical Hiftory 5* that it is hard to think, that there ^vere fo many Eminent Saints, of that adulterous and wicked Generation, that died before Chrift's Refur- re(5tion, as to give Reafon to the Spirit of God, to call them by the Name of nmity of the Saints, For, befides ^ohn the Bap Ifiy.iind his Father ?.nd Mot her ^ (in cafe both were then dead) and old Simeon and Anna^ we can hardly find any trpie Jfradites^ at leaft of very eminent Note, fo much as hinted in all the Four Gofpels, who died before cur Savipur. (4.) And feeing Dr. Whitby does juflly fappofe, that this RefurreAion was the Ful- filling of that remarkable Prophefie of Chrift, John 5". 25. it is very odd to confine Chrift's general Words of
Raifing
of Chrifiians. 5 5
Raifi7ig the Dea^y to a few of that laft Generation. (5.) Efpecially feeing^ if there be any Seni^3 in that memorable Predidion, Ifr, 26. 19. we mull believe:, that many of thofe that wer^ dead before that Pro- phet's Days^, were to be raifed up^ at Chrift's Refur- redion. (6.) And therefore^ as the Jews believed^, that the Lmincnt Saints of the Old Teftanient were to be raifed by the Mefliah^, .at his Comings, it is no won- der;, if Chriilians did- early belie ve^, that this Refur- redion^ niention'd by Mank^v, was a Refurreblion^ tho not of ail the dead Sunts^, yet of all the molt Eminent ones^ that had liv d before hi^ Coming j as appears by what the Dofror does himfelf cite out of (d) one of the Epiftles afcribed to Ignatius ^ who lays^ Thut they were the Holy Prof bets ^ who were his DiJcipleSy and expctled him^ thro the Spirit y and who are ftid^ to enter into the Kingdom with Abraham_, Ifaac and Jacob^, Luke i;. 29. & Matth, 8. II. And here^, that thefe Places come in my way^, I cannot but fay, that it is highly probable to me ; That Chrift defign'd not only to let us know, that many under the Goipel, from all Quar- ters and Regions, fliould partake eminently of the fpi- ritual Privileges of Abraham, and the Patriarchs and Prophets ; but alfo^to infmuate, as the remoter and ul- timate Senfe, that many Eminent Sai?its fliould, in after- times, be raifed from the Dead, in like manner as thofe Ancient Patriarchs and Prophets were to be, in a very little time. Nor can this be ftrange to any that is ac- quainted with the Prophetical Dialed ; ji^hrre what- is fpoken of one thing, in a nearer Scnfe, and wit/j Refpecf to a firfl Accomplifljment y is defigned further, as to a remoter Acco?^pliJljme?it afierwards. And, if it pleafe God, that I live to accoinplifli fome things which I have in View, I fhall make this very plain, and thereby clear up the Extent of many things in Scripture, which Men ha\^e perplex'd, by a limitted and confined Interpretation of
(d) Ep:ft, ad Manner. §. 9.
D 2 them.
^6 T(''^ FirflKefttrrcciion
chem. Bur^ ns u Specimen of this^ I deilre the Pveader mi^yGonfiilt the id of my four Difcowfesy which treats of Oc/rs rlvnlllnl with At-cti^ P?.ge 6i. cJt.
And hcxc;^ let me {2.-% Tku lam very apt tobslieve^ that the Spirit of God has given us a Hint of both theie Ipecial Refurredicns^ that I am novv^ difcourfing of, as vvell as of the lall General On^^ when after he had given Dr.nUl this Account of the General One^ Chap. 12. 2. Thct mavj of them that jleep in the Diffi of i he Earthy jh.ill awake ^ feme to i^verlafiijig Life^ and f 071^ e to Shame and e'L'irlafi77g Cor/tempt : He adds^ by way cf Diftin(5i:ioti and PccuHarity^ this Account of the more Eminent Saints_, and their fpecial Reward^ ^er. ;. Jnd they that he ivije jhall jhive as the Brightnefs of the Firma^ ryievty and they that turn many to Right ecu ftjefs, as the Stars frcjcr and e^ucr. By which^' 1 do humbly fuppofe^ tliat the Retlirredion of the Eminent Saints ot the Old Teilament^ at Chri/Fs RefuryeUicn^ and that other ipecial Rciarredion alio, at the beginning of the Mil- fm?ilumj arc denoted : Tho it was not proper^ at that TimCj to inlarge upon the peculiar things referr'd to. Hovv'ever, that fon'iething very peculiar is pointed atj is plain .from die following Words^^ ifcr. 4. But thouy O Daniel^ fiiat i^p the Wordsy and feal the Bcok^ even to the Time of the E^td, i. e. be contented vv^ith general Hints 5 until God iliall be plcafed gradually to clear up the Particulars^ that are wrap'd up in this general Ac- count. For he immediately llibjoyns, ma7iy fijail run to 'and frOy (by clofe Study and Contemplation^ as c- thers in another Senle^ by Travels andjournies^) and Kmwkdge fhill (come thus to) he increafd. And I thank Gcd^ that 1 (tho poor and defpifed) am one of thofe whoMi God has honour d this way^ to promote and iiicreaie Livine Knowledge," and particularly this Jiart of it^ ti:at relates to the Difcovery of the fpecial Rcfurrediorft" I am now difccunlng of j which will be further maniveit in the Sequel of this Inquiry. And, rbo Parry-Men, of more Ibrts than one, may from Envy, Prejudice^ and fecular or fadious Ends, detrad
from
of ChrijliatJS. 5 7
from me in thls^ as in crlier Pvcfpedis _; yet, I cLirc ven- ture to give forth thi^ Prophefy i Then the Dl-vine Vro- 'uiclence v/ill excite jom^ unprejiidlcd Verfcn^ or VcrfoitSy jC when I am gone^ and either ferrety or pjolccutcd by Lies and Calumnies^ even long a^tcr 1 :uri dead^) to clear lip my jullkd Mumorj ^ as oyie^ ( hov\^ delpicablc fo- ever^, in other reipecffcs^) v;h.m God has be-r.pkafsd* to illuTTjin.^te^ excite ^ qucdifiey and make ttfe of^ in t rder to dlf- cover the Afrml of my blejjcd Majler^ -jurther than &vcr Vt^as do7K before^ both in this^ and i?i jtc'vernl ether conpderabls Voints ' and that fo remarkably ^ as that it will be matter of ^vender to Foflcrity^ that fo many important Truths jhould have conti-nued unh^oivn in the Churchy fir Jo many AgeSy votwithjt a7tding of the various Hints given^ this vjay^ hi the facred Oracles. But v/hen the Milltrmium comes^ bat efpecialiy when afterwards Qdmff himflf fliall come and comment upon his own Word j* How poor will thole Labours of mine^ as well as thofe of others^ appear ? But^ Oh 1 Let him haflen that happy Day^ when his truly meridian and refplendent Light may 'be brought in I How delightfully fliall I triumph^ to be thus ob- fcur'd, C^s the Stars are when the Orient Sun ariies in- the Eail, to fiiine with his own immediate Beams^ ) in order to learn his Truths^ to greater Perfedion^ from his own Mouth ?
In the mean time^ I write as intire'y devoted to him- ' felf and Truths as far as I can find both out. And I
by
Aiatthtw, Chap. 27. ver. 5-2^ j;. vvas the-Reiurrediou of the moft Eminent Saints of the Old -Teihimenc. As therefore E^ioch and Elijah were trandated^ ajid I\iofs railed^ by a lingular Refurrccl:ion^ as 1 have fnevv'cd (0 before ^ fo 1 quellion nor^_ but that Ahd]^ ^ Ko.ih^ Shcm or Mdchifcdu, Abrahai^i^ Ifrac^ Jicob^ Job^ \
[%) Chrijlo:. Lib. I. Tagt 67. &c.
n 1
iamuy'i
gS The Fir ji Kefurre^ion
Samuely Elifiu^ lulub^ 'Daniel, with many inore, ■• are taifed from the Dead^ together with Johi the Baptlfiy old Slrrnon ?,nd othei^s thatiiv'd afterwards. But I pro- ceed to another Step. Therefore^
2^//. I dcfire it may be coiifiderM^ That^ if the more Eminent Saints of the Old Teilament^ or firil Tipies/wereraifcd to Giory^ by a fpecial Reiurre6ti- on 3 Vv'hethcrit be not rational to conclude^ from all the Ireas we can fv')rm to our felves of Chriil^ as a juft and ivnp.^.rtial Judge^ That the more E?mna:'t Saints of the New Tefiawenty ivho llv'd and dfd under Sufferings^ fljould be rewarded in like m aimer ^ by a fpecial RejurreHion to Glory y at that time when Chrifi fiall gi'ueuni'uerfal Peace jh'-I Fro- fperity to the Churchy during the Thoufand Tears Reign ^ of which John gives us an Account in the zoth Chap, of the Revelation.
For^, if v/e once grant the real RefurreBlon of the more Eiranent Saints of the Old Teftament^ and own likcwiie the Verity of the A//7/ew«i«w^ • Ifeeiiot^ how the Force of this ileafoning can be evaded. If any pretend to do Ib^, they are obli^.d to affign fome jult and relevant Reafon^ why one^ that is as eminently Religious as another^ fhould not be as eminently re- warded as he, ( efpecially if he live under a better Dif- perifation^ than the other did ) by him that judges without any refpetl: of Perfons. Which to me were an Attempt to prove a Contradidion and Impoflibi- i-ity.
if therefore, the Eminent Saints of Old^ were pri- vileg'a v\/ith a peculiar Re(lirre6i:iony- and fpecial Re- ward^ as inclwded therein : And if the New Teftament Churchy in after Ages^, is to enjoy a fort of Heaven upon Earthy for about a Thoufand Years^ .and for the Enjoyment v\^hereof they are eminently oblig'd to the ApoltieSj Evangelids^ ConfelTors and Martyrs^, whofe Eabours and Sufferings were the Means of their enjoy- ing fuch Privileges : I ask^ Whether it be not highly cc'nfonant to the clofefl Reafoning ; naj^^ and to the very Nature of God, and the Procedure of his wife Pro- ^y vidence^
of Chriflians. 59
Vidence^ to think ^ That thofe who laid the Founda- tion^ and were (/) laid at the Foundation^ (next and under Chrift ) of the Chiirches Exaltation and Tri- umph^ and were perhaps more holy and ferviceable than any of them^ that are to live during the MHlen- nium^ fhould receive feme peculiar Reward, that may bcj atleaft-, equivalent to that wherewith they fhall then be privileg'd.
But^ leeing the Strefs of this Reafoning docs not only lean upon the Suffofltion of a real Refnrrectlon of the Eminent Saints^ who died before Chrift's Refur- redion;, but like wife upon the Suppofition of the' Verity of the Mlllen77ium : It may perhaps be expe^led^ that I fliould prove the Latter of thefe^ as well as the Former. Butj that I may not cut out too much Work for my feif now, I defire the Reader may confult Dr. Whitby's learned Trcatife on this Subjed^ which is added to the fecond Volume of his excellent Paraphrafe and Anno- tations on the New Teftament. For, tho the Doctor and I diiFer pretty confiderably in fome things^ rela- ting to the Expiication of this Point j yet 1 agree with him in all his Proofs^ fo far as they relate to the Subjed in general. For we agree^ (i.) That there will be a happy and flourifhing State of the vifible Church on Earthy ( above whatever it enjoy'd before^ ) for about 1000 Years Continuance. (2,) That there will be no local Defcent, or vifible Appearance of Chrift^ in order to his reigning on Earthy after the • manner of temporal Monarchs^ during that Period ; as many formerly fancied. C^.) That neither will there be any fuch Refurre6lion of any Saints departed, as denotes y^c/j a Return to Earthy as includes the No- tion of a real Living and Continuance in this prefent: World. (^.) That this FuUnefs of the Gentik-Church will begin with^ or^ at leaft^ take in the Je^vs^ who fhall then generally^ if not univerfally^ be converted
(/} SieCQl 1,24.
r> 4 to
^.o TheFirJi KeftirreSlion
to the Chriftian Faith raid Religion^ who fhall then be ^s Life from the Dtcd^ as iuch a Rejurreaion of an old chad Church will then be to Chriilians ^ for which fee Dr. IVhiiby on Rom. -ii. 15"., 2^. Hovvever I muft here i!:r;,enuon(ly ovni^ that tht; Do/^/o/jReafonings carried me too f:'x-j when I did from hence conclude^ in (g) a former Diicourfe^ That the Ri/vlval of the avtient JewiJJ) Church is ur.dcfocd by the Refurrtttton of the Martyrs^ Rev. .10. 4. For^ thb I believe that the Jeu^s will be ccjivei;ed during the MilUvvipim , yet I am now fatif- (icd^ ' as 1 hope quickly to demonftrate to others) that the Rcfurredion of* the Martyrs, which commences then, is to be a x'eal and corporeal Refurreclion of the Apoftles and other moft eminent Saints of the New Teftament, who died before xht Millemilum began. However, excepting only this one Particular, I do a- gree with wha;, I fa id formerly, in the Difcourfe refer- red to, iji relation to the A-lnlenmum ; to (h) which, in Conjundion with what I have faid further on this Head, (i) in the ^d Book of Chrijlology^ Chap. 4. I do refer the Reader.
The Sam therefore cf my Thoughts, in relation to the Milkmiiurn^ as far as is needful to fay here, amounts to thefe Conclufions f whidi I think are plain from Rtv, 20. 4, 9, &c.) (i.) That there is a time a coming, when Satan fhall be.reflrained, for about 1 000, Years, -fiom feducing the Generality of Men, in that manner which he was permitted to run on in before, {z.) That du- ring that time the Church fliall have Peace and Re- nown on Earth ; many real Converts being brought in, and others finding it Policy to comply cutvvardly with the fame, as the prevaiUng Interefl. (;.) That, towards the end of the MiUinmumj there will be a very coiifiderable Apollacy from Chridiantty. (4.) That
ig) 7h ift of the four Dlfourfec, viz. that r.-hich is i ui-hd, Con- cern ing the Ri'e and faU of Pajjacy. (h) Scs Pag. 79, & 91, ^c I /; i (ft; Pag. 338, 3.14, ^-^c, ,
this
of Chrijiianf. 4 1
this Apoilacy will ifTue at length in an Univerfal Coni- binatioa to root out the Saints that fliall contiiue taith- ful to their Lord ; -vcr. 7^ &c. (<;.) That this. Ccvrnbi- nation will be lb formidable, as to bring the Church to the laft Extremity, even as that of a long kfc^ed City, fo fhatter'd and ruin'd, as that, the Enemy is jull ready to take it, S *'Ord in hand, in order to cut off all that are within, 'ver. 9. (6.) That Chrifl fhallcome, at the very lail-imd critical Hour, and confurf^e all his Enemies vith Fire fro^n Hea^utn, ver. 9, 10. as he did Sodc7n of old, or as he deilroyed the Ante-dilux^iiws by the Flood ; and that therefore with this Fire, the Gcr^r- ral Conflagraicn cf the World will begin. (^,) That, during this Conilernation, while the v/icked are con- fuming, the General Refurrctiion will commence ; v/hlch will be followed with the Great Judgme^jt of the laft Day, 'ver, 1 1, &c. Now of this J. conceive there will be two Periods, (i.) The Refurrcdlion of the dead Saints, who vv^ere not raifed in the former fpecial Re- furrections ; together with the Immortalizing Change, that will piifsupon fuch Saints, as fiiall then be alive : which will be followed by the Afanticn of both. Of ail which the Apoflle fpeaks, i r/?^'//.' 4, i^, 16, 17, r2.J The Refurredion of the Wicked afterwards ,* and 1 humbly think long afterwards ,• perhaps as long as ic was between our Saviour's firft Publick Appearance, and the laft DefcrucSticn of Jeru[alc?n, uixj. 40 Years, In the Trial, Convidion and Condemnation cf which \A^^ Multitude^ we may well fuppofp (as I have for- merly faid once and againj that the far greateft part of a thoufind Years will be taken up. H'lving thus hinted thefe things, I now proceed 10 another^ and indeed the Principal Step, in order to the Probation uf this Pcint. Therefore,
v//)- I dcfire that itmay be^confidered,tliat wxhave, as 1 think, a plain Rez>daric7? of the Trmh ,.nd Certainty of this VD}7Jt, P.tv. 24. 4. ' '
But in order to underfland thi; Expreffion cf Scrip- ture, 1 think fit to premife aiioth9r, to which this does ■ ' ■ ' "' '■ ' certainly
^.1 The Firjl RefurreSiion
certainly bear a reference^ "viz,. Rev. 6. 9^ 10^ 11. To fee the whole therefore together, I fliall cite thefe PlaceSj as they lie in order, fo as to include my Senfe of them^ within fo many Parenthefes_, as may clear up the Senfe of the Words.
Rc'i\ 6. 9, 10, 1 1. ArJ 2;.bc-^ be (I. e. Chrift the Lamb, who opened all the Seals^ as we fe&, 'ver. 1,) hrJ opened the Fifth ^eal ; IfaWy under the Altar ^ fof Sacrifice, where the Blood of Sacrifices ufed to be pour(fd outj Le^. 4. 7. compare VhiL 2. 17. with T'y i. 27. ^.) //jc Souls cf them emblematically reprefentedj that were fldn for (the fake of Chrift^ who h) the Logos of Gody and for the Tefti- mony ('viz,, the Chriftian Profeiflion) 7vhich fin oppofi- tion to all Temptations^ tbcy held ; (uiz,, firm to the End.;
And they cried (Inftead of the four Angelical or Evan- gelical Voices^ that cried facccflively unSer the for- mer Seals,) vj'ith a Icud i^oice (demoting their Number, the Lnportance of their Compiaiar^ and their Con- cern to be heardj) fj^^C^ ^'"^^ ^^^*^:» ^ ^'^^'"^ fjefus^ J^oly, ('d^.d therefore dctefting the barbarous Ufage and Murders of thy Fri;;iids; md true (,to thy Promifes^ as that in Luke 18. 7, 8 J dcfr thou 7iot judge and avenge cur Bloody on than that dvjell on the Earth ^ /. e. fo, as that we may now be raifed from the Dead^ feeing the laft- Pagan Perfecudon is almoft over^ and Chri- stianity is juft about to become the prevailing Inter- eft of -the Empire^ under Confiantine.
And vjhite Robes (^denoting a new and peculiar de- gree of Honour and Glory^ -were given unto every one 'of them I and it tj.is ja^d pinto them^ that they mufi reft a titth time further (^o^ that the fpecial Refurredion which they cxpeded v/as not yet to ht) until thefe , (i.e. the remaiiiiig Agis cf the next Period of Papal Perfecu- tionsj jhcc'Id Ukmnfe he ftdflledy and mttil their Fclloiv- Servants ajfo, a?id Brethren^ jhould he killed^ fas they had been under Pagan Perfecutions.
kci^ 20. 4, S' -^^^ Ifiv/ Tupon Satan's being reftrain^d for icoo Years, ver. ^5 J Thro?ies^ (/'. e. New and folemn
Chriftian
of Chriflians. 43
Chriftian EredionJ and they (j.e. the Saints of the Moft High, Daiu 7. 9, 1:5,183 21, 22, 265 27. Zcch. 14. 7, 8, 9, II, 14, 16, 20, 21 J fat upon them^ (L e. Chri- ftianity was univerfally Regnant and Prevalent, Jews »nd Gentiles owning itj and Judgment was gtvcn to them (u e. to Chriftians J
^nd ifaiiJ fat the fame time J the Souls of them that were beheaded (/. e. the more eminent Saints and Mar- tyrs, who fuffercd under T^owe-Pagan, and who were mention'd, Re^, 6. 9, 10, 11.) for the Witncfs of Jefusy and for (Chrift) the Word of God.
And (together with them, I faw Ukewife the Souls of thofe) who had not worjloipped the (Fapal) Beafiy neither his Image^ neither had received his Mark in their Foreheads^ or in their Hands,
And they (i. e. both the former and later eminent Witnefles and Martyrs) lived^ (being raifed from the Dead for that End^ purfuant to the^Promife made to the former. Rev. 6. 11.) and reigned with Chrifiy (net on Earth therefore, but in Heaven) a thoufand Tears (fooner than the other Saints of meaner Character ; who were not to rife until the thoufand Years were en- ded ; for this is immediately added,)
But the refi of the Dead lived not again^ until the thou- fand Years were finijljed. At whiv'^h time, the general Conflagration will happen. And then good Men, who were not privileg'd to be rais'd before the Millennium^ fhall be raifed (and raifed firft) before the Wicked fliall be raifed up, as Tanl aifures us, i Tbcjf, 4. 15-, 16. Tho it is remarkable alfb in that fame place, that the Apo- flle infmuates, ver, 14, that others were raifed long be- fore Chrill's coming to Judgment, when he fays, that Chrifiy when he comes to judge the Worlds 7i>i!l brl}?g thojh along with him, that flept in him, which fuppofes their having been rais'd before ^ and then he adds, ver. 16: that the Dead in Chrifi, (viz. fach as were raifed by the Power of Chrift's Coming, and the Voice of the Arch- angeU Jhall rife fiyj} • and that, at the f mic time, thofe Saints that are alive jliall come under' the i?mnortaliz>i7ig
Change^
44- T^l-^^ Firfi KeftmeSJmr
Cha^tge^ (fpoken of, i Cor. i^.^i^tii.) a^jd fo caught up^ together vnth them, (ylz^. the laft rais'd Saints^ for the former did not afcend^ but defcend from Hsaven with Xlyhrift) to meet the Lordy and his Glorious Train^, in the Ah\ And now, if thefe things be, duly weighed^ we fhall find a nevN/ Lights in order to our right apprehen- ding of the Apoftie's Meaning^ i Cor. ;. ii^ 12^ i;^ 14^ 15. Which^ feeing it was never underftood fully^ before^ J fhall not grudge to copy out here^ as I have done the former Texts, ^o as to interweave the true and genuine Senfe of the Apoftle therewith. Now, if ariy Man hu'iJd upo'i this^ounduiion Qvix^. upon Chrift himfclf, the only true Foundation^ as Vaul fays in i;er. 10.) GoUy Silver ypuioui Stomsy (i,e. Ala terials proper for the Chri- llian Superftrudure^ and fuited to'the Divine Foundation thereof) ovWoodyHaryStubhley (ie. corruptibkMaterialSj neither proper for thel3uilding, nor confonanc to theFoun- dation,-) let it be remembred^ that ^^i/ay Aian s Work jliall he made mam f eft. For the Day (of Recompence) fliall declare it^ becaufe it Jhall be revealed by Fire ■„ i.e. by the fie- ry Trial, during the Conflagration of the World, where Chrift will fit as a Refiner^ to try Men and. their Works^as Metals are tried by the Fire of the Furnace) and the Fire Jhall try every Mans Work ('in order to dlfcover) of -what fort It is. If ^ny Mans ^Fbr,4 -(therefore abide (this Probation in the more eminent Senfe^) which he hath kuilt thereupon ; he pall receive the Reward ^ (i. e, of the Prior Refurre6lion.) But if aity Mans Work Jlnill he burm (i. c. be adjudged to be fir to be rejccfredj ) He JJirJlfufer Icfs (by being excluded a iliare in thr. fpecial Refurredi- on and Pvcward^) £ia (however, fw^mg he has, in the main^ founded upon Chrift the true Foundation ) he himfelf pall befa^aed ; yet fo as by Fire ; (i. e. by feeing 'and feeling, in feme meafure^ the great Conflagration^ out of which he fnall efcape as a Man that has his Floiife on Fire^ and all his Goods burnt, tho he himfelf mercifully efcape with his Life, tho perhaps fing'd and .fcc>rch'd.) Now thefe things will diredl: us to under- ;lland, with advantage^ the remaining part of the Ac- count
cf Chnjiians. d^^
count given us of the fpccial Refurredion of the more eminent Saints_, and their Ipecial Reward^ who havs httllt no Hi-ij cr S^ubhh on the true Fomulitioyiy but Gnldy Si her and precoas Stc?ies, To come back therefore to ' Rev, 20. 5". It is faid of the fpecial Rcfurre(5lion-> which is to be at the beginning of the MilUnnitnn • That,
This ('viz.. the Refurredionof the Eminent Witnefles of Chriil,^ is the firp Re furred ion (viz,, under the Go- fpel Difpcnfation.) And of the Specialty of this Re- furredion^ and the peculi;ir Reward annexed to it^ we have this memorable account, ver, 6.
BleJJtd ifind hcly is hey that hath fart in the firfl Refurrecii^ en : For on Juch Perfons the ' fccond Death, Qi. e. eternal Death which begins upon the wicked, at the fame time with their being raifed during the Conflagration of the World,) hath no Poiier ; (which is Ipoken not only in oppofiiion to the wicked, upon whom the fecond Death has full Power, but alfo in Contradiftindion to thofe,' w]io are indeed y^'L'ei at lafr^ but yet fo as to fed that Fire^ and to be under fome dread that way, for a time,) Bift they fjall h2 Priefis cf God and of Chrifi (i. e, ftiall be exalted to the higheft Glory and Dignity, ) and Oiall rtign ivith hrm^ (m Heaven, where he is and muft continue, until the Millennhmiy &c, be over j a thcnfand ITtars. So that vvhile Chriftians are the regnant Party on Earth j the eminent -Saints and Martyrs are to be rai^'d to live and reign alio, but not with the Church on Earth, but v/ith Chriit in Heaven.
And no\7 I do humbly fuppofe, that I have given the only true Expofition ot thefe Tbxts ; and that in fo natural and eafie a Connexion and Chain of Thought, as -fecms to fliine above all Contradiction, with ilich -an Air of Truth, as no Errour can be like it ; as the Reader will own, if he has but allowed him- felf clcxely and impartially to go over this Paraphrafti- cal Explication, which I have given.
But, in order ro the further clearing up of this Pointy I defire that it may be confidered, that we have three diftind Things to confider in thefe two Texts, which have a clcfc Reference cnc to the other. (i .;
46 Ihe Firfl RefurreStion
(1.) The Prayer of the Souls of the S.ihns and Martyrs of Chrijt^ who are reprefented as fhelter'd under- the Al- tar. •
Now this Prayer is^ fas appears from the Anfwer^ ) That Chrift would fulfil his Promifej in raifing them from the Dead. * And the Reafon of it is this ; That the Chriftian Church was now juft about to be rais'd out of its Grave, by Conjtantine^ to be the Regnant In- tereft of the Empire. Seeing therefore they had be- liev'd, that they fliould be raifed up at that time, that Chriftianity ftiould begin to prevail , they had agreed jointly to put up this humble Petition, that, as the living Saints . now were about to reign in Peace and Glory on Earth, God would fulfil his Promife, that they fhould be alfo raifed to reign with Chrift in the celeftial Glory above ^ for that it was Matter of Won- der and Concern to them, that there had been no Step taken, as yet, this way. For this I take to be the real Scope and Subftance of their Petition ^ when they fay. Rev, 6, 10. HovJ long^ O Lordy holy and true^ dofi thou not judge and a^uenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earthy i. e. by raifmg us from the Dead, as a Proof of thy detefting thofe who murder'd us, and of thy be- llowing upon us that Honour and Reward, which we had fuch Ground from thy Self to exped.
Now this Interpretation I do not oppofe, but fuper- add to that, which I gave formerly of the Meaning of the ^th Seal, in my (k) Afocalyftical Difcourfe, For, whereas I did then interpret the Defign of their Prayer, to relate to the Refurredion of Chriftianity on Earth ,• I ftill think that they meant this in Part • and that confequently, what I give in that Place, as the Meaning of the Anfwer is true. But I own, that I was in a Miftake, when I confin'd the Senfe of bothj as I did. Which proceeded from hence, that I had not, at that time, been fo far inlightned, as I have been
ik) rage 41.
fmce.
of Clmjiians. 2J.7
fince^ in underftanding this memorable Pointy that I am now difcouriing of.
My Notion therefore is this ,- That the Eminent Saints and Martyrs departed, underftanding by thefe Martyrs that were, every Day, going upwards from Earth to the Paradiiical State ( during the Mallacres and Perfecutions under DiocUJian, and his Collegiate Emperors and C^'Jh's^) in what a delperate State Chri- flianity then v;:\s ; and underftanding^ at the fame time^ by Revelation from Chrift_, that Deliverance wasjuft at the Door^ and that the Church on Earth was about to. be exalted on Earth, under Coiifiantine : I fay, the Souls in Paradife underftanding both thefe, and having a general Idea of this , That there was to be a fpecial Refurredion of the Saints and Martyrs, at or before the Exaltation of the Church on Earth, . didfuppofe, that this was that Period of Time, wherein they were to be raifed from the Dead. But net being fiilly and perfedly informed of this Matter, and won- dering that no Hint was yet given them of this Refur- redion, tho they were informed of the Revival of the Church on Earth : li; is agreed among them, to. put up tliis Petition .; wherein they pray for both thefe things ; of which memorable Tranfadion, John has here given us, fromChrift, fach a Revelation and Reprefentation, as gives us the fummary Account, both of their Peti- tion, and the Anfwer that is returned to the fame. Now,
(2.) The Anfwer to this Trajier of the Souls of the Eml^ nent Saints departed ^ follows. And this is remarkable, upon this Account, that it contains, (i.) A Re cH fie a- tion of their Adifiake^ m thinking, that this was to be the Time, when Chriftianity w^as to be univerfally Regnant on Earth, and coxifequently the Time, when the fpecial Refurredion was to commence j (2.) A Confirmation of the Truth of their Idea of both thefe, in the General ^ their Mifiakehtmg only as to the C/>- currrfiancc of the Tlme^ when both thefe fhould be brought about j {1^.) A specification^ (inclufive of a Fro-
mifs
^8 Ihe Firji KefurrcSlion
wife and AJJiirance^ as to the Thing it felf^) of the pre* cife Tirae^ when Chriftianity fhould be Pregnant over all the Earth ; -And when they alio fhculd be raised a- gain^ to reign in Heaven with Chrift^ z'iz.. that both thefe fiiould come to pafs^ when the Church had wa- ded thro' Papal or Antichriftian Perfecutions^ as now it had waded thro' all the P^gan Perfecuticns ; for that they and the latter Martyrs were to be raifed together^ npon the Deiiruclion of the Antichriftian Kingdom • which \vas about to take Place gradually in the Worlds in a Succeffipn to the Pagan Religion and Empire. But then, (4.) We have "here alfo an Account of a fpecial Reward given them, which was to compenfato the Delay of anfwering the Thing petition'd for ; as being, tho not a Grant of the Thing it felf, at prefent, yet a material Anfwer ; by giving them an Equivalent to it, at lea ft fuch a Favour, as did fully anfwer the End of their Petition,, at that Time. This is exprefs'd^ under the Figure of IVhiPe Robes ^ ( fuch as Princes wore of old ) a ln?n'mous Garment hemg gi'uen to each of theniy as a Badge of an higher Exaltation in the Service of the Sbechinah^ as well as of a nearer Relation to him.
Novv as this is plainly exprefs'd, in .he Beginning
of 'ver, II. So the former Thrive Particulars^ are equal- ly infinuated, in the Sequel of that Verfe, ^ix.. the i/. and 2^/, in thefe few, but comprehenfive Words, That they 77iuit rejt further (without being rais'd from the State of the Dead) for a little Seafon^ i. e. a Seafon comparatively little and fliort, if the State of the reft of the Dead be confidered, ( efpecially fuch who died before the Flood ) who were not to be raifed until the end of Time • and the yl. m the Words following, ex- planatory of the Length of this Seafon ; Until their Fd- IcvJ Ser'vants a?td Brethren alfoy (1/?^. fuch as were to fuf- fer under Rv:m'-]?'fXp-^\ ) jhvuLl he kilUd as th^y had been ^ (imd^xRom^-Pagan^) 'and thus until the compleat Num- her oi \\-\Q ISaivts to be raifed, in the fpecial and firft Refarredlon, jhoidd be fulfilled.
And
of Chrifliatif. 4.9
And thus I have fufliciently, tho briefly^ explained both the ^leftion of the Souls under the Altar^ and the Anfwer returned. But before I proceed^ let me take Notice of thofe important Truths^ that refult from them^ according to this fpeculative Comment^ which Lhave given. And, fi.; Thi: confirms^ what I have (/) formerly proved, ^iz,. That Souls departed are nei- ther annihilated^ nor in an unadive or infenfible State • (2.) That tho rhey are out of this lower State of Sin^ Trial and Sorrow^ they are not fo compleatly happy, but that they are capable of higher Degrees, both of Knowledge and Advancement in Glory ^ f 5. ) That they are neither altogether unacquainted v^ith the State of the Church below, nor unconcern'd for their Bre- thren and Fellow-Servants^ in this Militant State ; C4..) That Eminent Saints departed, do not only be- lieve that there is to be a Time, when Chriftianity fhall be the univerfally prevailing Intereft, in this World ; but likewife that they are then to be privileg'd with A fpecial RefurreAion of their Bodies ; ( 5-.) That upon fome Eminent Advancements of the State of the Militant Church on Earth, the Saints in Paradife, who liv'd and dy'd under- Trouble and Perfccution, have a peculiar additional Advancement in Glory ^ (6,) That the fpecial Refurretiion is neither to commence fooner, nor to be delayed later, than the Time of the Papacy's being deftroyed, and the very firil Beginning of, or
rather Preparation for, the MllUnnary Rdgn, -But
now, to proceed, I come to confider,
(3.) The fulfilling of the Promife and Ajfurance fo mery gi'ven^ as to the fpecial Rcfitrreclion^ and th.it puncln J. y iy% the preclfe Time^ vjhich vms fpeclficd ; as this was repre- fented to the Apoitle Johny Rev. 20. 4, &c.
And indeed, if any Perfon will collate this v/ith the former Text, Rev. 6. 9, lo, 11. He will need no o-
(l) Scd the ift Book of Cliriftobgy, xnd mj Difcourfc on th Vju h ^f K^^'i William.
E ther
<o The Fir Ji KefurreSlion
ther Proof ; efpccially if he will take my Paraphrafe along with him^ in Conjundion with the Words. For I am lure, nothing of this Nature can be plainer than this • That both Parts of the Petition of ^ the Saints ( viz. that relating to the univerfal Regnancy of Chriftianity on Earthy and that at her ^ relating to their own fpecial Refurredion at that Time^ or rather previoufly to it^ ) end cofifeqtwntlj both Parts of the Anfiuer^ and Promife made to that Prayer^ are particularly and difi'mcily anfwered here in this lafi Place,
For, I. Here a ftiortj but plain Account is given, of all that's neceflar}^, both to affure us of the Truth of the A4illc?raary Reign of Chrifiianitj on Earthy and tO affift us to form a genuine Idea thereof. But feeing I have already given an Account of my Thoughts, this way, above, in the id Step of this i/ Inquiry, as aifo former- ly both in my Apocalypical Difcourfe^ and in the /^tb Chap, of the {d Book of Chrifiology^ ( to the very Pages of both which Difcourfes, I have alfo referred the Rea- der : ) I hope I may be excus'd from faying more, up- on this Head again, in this Place.
2. And no lefs diitind an Account is given here, of thQ fpecial Refurreciion of the Eminent WitnelTes and Martyrs of Chrift : Whofe Refurreciion mull be a real and corporeal One, ( according to the Rule of Contraries, and according to all the Methods of Rea- foning, ) feeing it is diftinguifh'd from, and oppofed unto the Gemral Refurredlon ^ feeing it ' is faid of the Former, that they lived and reigned ivlth Chrifr a thoufand Tears ^ before the refe of the Deady of whom it is faid, that they li'ved not u?itil the thoufand'Tears ouere finiJJjed * befides that the former Refurredion is called the firfi Refurreciion^ in Contradiftlndion to the general One, which therefore comes under the Notion ofththif-Refur- rtction. And, in what Senf^ thefe things are to be underftcod, 1 have fufficiently hinted above : So that there isiio need to infill upon the Words further.
Only J in ci^lL any Peribn fhould objecl and fay. That the Revelation being all compos'd of Figures and Al- legories,
of Chrijiians. 5 i
legories_, it does not feem proper to give fo literal an Expofition of this Subjed^ as I have done : I anfwevy (le) That I readily grant, that the Bulk of the Reve- lation is Figurative, and ought accordingly to be thus explain'd ^ (2.) But yet we muft own, that there are fome PalTages therein, that cannot be underftood wholly in an Emblematical Senfe,as particularly Chap. 1. 1 — 11, 'ver, 17^ 18. Chctf. 2. 5-, 11. Chap. :;. 5*, 10, 19. Chap, 14. i;. Chap. 17. 18. (:;.) And tho fome Figurative Words are made ufe of in the Texts cited, to keep a Decorum with the reft of the Revelation ; yet, as Truth is at the bottom of the Whole, fo it is eafie to be feen, that the Truths I have mention'd are thus alfo at the Bottom of thefe Texts ,• nay, fo plainly denoted there, that they cannot poflibly be rightly underftood> unlefs my Senle, in the Main, be received. Nay, I will venture to fay further. That if my Interpretation be intirely rejeded, I defie the moft learned and inge- nious Man in the World, to find out. fo much as a plaufible Interpretation of thefe Texts, that fhall be confiftent, at once, with the Words and it felf. (4.) But I defire, that it may be confidered, in a more fpecial manner, Th^t Prophetical Time runs out before the ^f^/V/e;;- 7iiHm begins. This I found upon the Oath, as well as Promife and Publication of the Angel, made mention of. Rev. 10. f, 6, 7. which allow me to recite with fome Paraphraftical Explication, as well as with fome fmall Variation from the Englijl) Verfion. And the An^ gely which I faw (inVifion) jland upon the Sea (wich one Leg and Foot ) and upon the Earthy ( with another, ) lifted up his Hand ( in the Pofture of taking God to witnefs, ) to Hea^^en ( as God's Throne \ ) A^nd ( in this Pofture of folemn {wearing, as we fee, G^;?. 14.22. Dan, 12. 7. ^fivore hj him^ that liveth for ever and ever^ Tvho created Heaven^ and the Things that are therein^ and ' the Earth and the Things that are therein^ and the Sea and the Things that are therein^ that there jhottld he ( fuch ) Tims no longer ; ( viz, fuch Time, as Daniel was taught to ufe, in a Prophetical Senfe, Chap. 7. 25'. & C,%."i2. 7, n,
E 2 iz.
51 The f'irjl KefurreSiion
12. ^iiidjobn likewife^ Re^, ii. ;. Chap. 12. 6. Chap. ir. 2. C/j^/>. 13. f. & C/^p. 12. 14. where Days are put for Years, &c, ) But that in the Days ( i. e. Ages of the Voice ( or Sound ) of thefeventh ( Trumpet ) Angel^ otocv /^eAAw eahni^- (' ., u'^^?^ /^e ^V about founding ( and whofe founding, ns I have proved in my Apocalyptical Difcourfe, doth include all the feven Vials, infomeSenfe, ^It.. as it is produdive of them, ) the My fiery of God ( or the Mylti- c'al Prophefy, concerning the State of the Church, as perfecuted, during Paganifm, vi^hich is reprefented by the feven Seals ^ the Myftical Prophefy alfo, concer- ning the State of the Church, as perlecuted, during Antichriilianifm, which is reprefented by the fe'ven J'mmpttSy 2iXid [even Vials ^) fwuld he finijhed^ according to his Declaration wade to his Servants the VrophetSy ( for which, fee Dan, 12. f, 6, 7. & ABs ;. 24, 25:, 26. & 2 Toef 2. :;, 4, 7, 8^ 9, 10, 11, 12. (f.) And let me add this one Thing further. That, as it is plain, that in all the preceding Part of the Revelation, there is no Calculation by Tears ^ but by the indefinite Period, cal- led Tiifiey Times and half Time^ and that of Months and Days^ { by which it is eafieto fee, that the Dialed is al- tered. Rev. 20. 4. j fo fliould any Man be fo foolifli, as to fuppofe that every Day of the 1000 Years, mull be underfcood of a Year, I can only fay, that he may be a good Arithmetician ^ but he will hardly perfwade People of Senfe, to believe that the prefent Race of Men are to continue on Earth, for fo many Ages, as this is like to amount to ,* and much lefs will it ever ob- tain Credit, that the Chriftian Church is likely to con- tinue pure, in a State of Sin and Trial here below, for fo vaft a Trad of Time.
And nov\r^ I might juftly have hop'd, that I had de- monftrated this Point, were it not, that the Learning and Fame of a very learned Man, who has wricten on this very Head, may be oppofcd to vv^hat I have faid. And therefore I find it neceffary to confider Dr. Whit- hfs Arguments againfl: this ,• efpecially feeing the ve- ry Title of his learned Difcourfe tells us, that it was a-
main
of Chrijlians. 5^
main Part oEhis Defign^ to refute this Opinion^ which I contend for ; not that he knew this Opinion^ hi any fuch manner as I have reprefented it ia^ (otherwife I hardly think he w^ould ever have oppofed it ^) but^ ac- cording to that grofs Notion of fonie former Authors ; who imagin'd^ that the dead Saints were to rlje^ at the Millennium^, to li^e agn'm here on Earth, Whereas_, as I faid before^ under the 2d Step of this ift Inqtury ; he; and I are agreed^ i. That there will be an happy State of the Saints on Earth for about 1000 Years. 2I That Chrift will not vifibly reign on Earth then. ;. That there will be no Refurredion of the dead Saints^ fo as to live and reign on Earth. 4. That the Crmrch on Earth will conlift of the Jews-, as well as Gentiles ; by the Acceffion of which to the Chriftian Profeflion, the Fulnefs of the Chriftian Church will be brought in; as well as by a more univerfal Converfion of Gentile Nations.
However^ tho he and I are agreed in thefe things : Yet^ feeing we differ in our Anfwers to this Queftion ? Whether there will he a real and corporeal Refurretiion of the eminent Saints and Martyrs at or before the Millennium } He holding the Negative^ and I the Affirmative : It is rea- fonable to confider his Arguments^ fo far as they qon- cern my Notion^ and the Interpretation which I have given of Rev, 20. 4, &c.
And here let it be noted ^ that as I am not concern- ed^ in the leaft^ with what the Dodor fpeaks of, in the ifi and xd Chapters (as being agreed with him^ almoft in every thing,) fo I am lefs concerned with his Argument^ inCto.4. which militates indeed ftrongiy againft fuch a Remrredionj as fuppofes a Reign of the Martyrs raifed to be here on Earthy for 1000 Years. So that I am only concerned with what he fays in Chap. ;. But not with all of it neither. For^ as- to what relates barely to fome Texts^ that fome have inter- preted with reference to fome peculiar Notions of the Millennium^ I have nothing to fay at prefent. But; the firft part of that Chapter being purpofely levell'd againft
E % ai.'y
54 T/?^ f^^^fi ^efi^^^^^iion
any manner of Corporeal. Refurre<5):ion ,• it is fit^ that I mould confider it^ as far as concerns me. Now^ what the Dodor fays^ amounts to thefe three things.
1 . He fays^ that is not the Rodks but the Souls of the Martyrs^ that are faid to be raifed^ Re'u. 20. 4^ &c, and that SoMly in the Revelation^ denotes either the Soul in Separation^ or the living Soul in diftindion from the Body. See Fag. 686.
2. That a proper and literal Refurredion is never, in the whole new Teftament, expreffed or reprefented to us, by the Having of the SouL Ibid.
%. That the firfi RcfwreBion muft be underftood of all good Men, in the general, T^g- 687. From whence he proceeds to explain things, relating to the Millenni- um and figurative Refurredion then ; which I need on- ly refer the Reader unto, defiring him to compare his Notions with mine, and to rejed which he pleafes. For indeed I barely cite thefe things here, to avoid Re- petition ^ feeing the Author himfelf goes over them rigain^ in what follows, Pag. 6Sjy and 688, and more particularly in Fag. 889. In 'which Fage he tells us of a Reverend and worthy Perfon^ of more than ordinary Skill in matters of this Nature, who is of Opinion ; i/. That the fir ft RefurreBion vjill be a literal ReJurreHion of them that ha've loft their Li-ves for the Teftimony of Chrifi to enjoy eternal Life in Heaven ^ a thoufand Tears before the ge- neral RefurreBion ^ as the Martyrs of the OldTeftamcnt arofe Qvith the Body of Chrifiy Mat. 27. 5' 2. They frdl reign ( fays that worthy Perfon, as the D odor reprefents his Senfe) with Chrifl^ not on Earthy but in Heaven^ where Chrif is^ and fl?all be^ till he come to Judgment, zdlj. He is of Opinion alfo. That not only the M:irtyrs Jhall then rije to heavenly Blifs^ but that their Murtherers jiiall then alfo rife to Eternal Funijhment. Which he ga- thers from thefe words of Daniel y Chap. 12.2. And ma- iiy of them that feep in the Duft Jhall arife^ feme to ever- lafiwg Life J and jome to everla(ling Shame and Contempt.
Now, as for this feccnd Nodon of that worthy Gen- tleman^ feeing he founds it only upon Dan, 12. 2. I
muft
of Chriftians. 5 5
muft crave leave to difFer from him : For which I need give no other reafon than this ; that I have given ano- ther Interpretation above of that Paflagc ; which I do humbly judge to be more confonant to the Chriftian Scheme, and indeed to his firft Notion alfo.
But, as to his firfl Notion, I cannot but fay ; that I am exceedingly pleas'd to know from Dr. Whitby ^^ that there is fo eminent a Peribn, whofe Thoughts do lb in- tirely harmonize with mine. For^, tho he be Incognito to me, yet it feems he has been directed to have^ the fame Notion I have, in the main, as to this Point ; wherein I was ready to think I was intirely fmgular. And therefore, feeing Dr. Whitby goes over the Sum and Strength ofhis former Arguments, in order to pro- duce them again here, towards the Refutation ^ of this Notion of this eminent Divine, tho he names him not ; I thought it proper to defer anfwering his Arguments, againft a literal firfi RefurreBiony- until I ftiould come to his own Repetition of them, in oppofition to what this Learned and Worthy Terfon advances. Now all that Dr. Whitby fays here, Twhich, materially confidered, is all he had faid before,) is, as follows :
I. He fays. That ^t. Matthew fpeaks not one Word of any Martyrs, that arofe after Chriil's Refurredion, but only oithe arifing of fome Saints that fleft^ &C. Anfw. I have cleared up that Paffage, Matth. 27. ^ 2. already, and fully refuted the Doclors Notion, which is ,* thai none arofe then^ but a few Saints ^ that died in Jerufalem and Judaea a little before ChrijFs Crucifixion and Refurrctlion. So that I fliall only take notice of two things further here. I. That I wonder why the Doclor fhould call the Saints raifed then, by the Name of feme Sai?its • when it is faid in the Text, as he himfelf cites it, in his next Ar- gument, that many Bodies arofe. 2. That there is not the leaft Ground, from the Text, to think, that the nia7iy Saints that arofe and appearedy were known particu- larly, by reafon of any knowledge, that the Perfons, to whom they appear^jd, had of them formerly ; but
E4 only
56 TbeFirJl KefurreSiion
only that they were fo far knowiij as to be known not to hin^e been of the number of the prefcnt Citizens^ or inhabitants of this World. But 1 refer the Reader to what I have faid above on this Text.
2. He fays^ That the Phrafeology of St. Matthew and St. John are different ; for that the forme? fays^ That many Bodies arofv^ but that the latter fays oniy^ That many S nils li'ued : So that^ tho the firft Expreffion de- notes a real Refurredion ; y et^ that it cannot be infer'd from thence^ that the fecond Expreffion denotes any fuch thing. Anfw. (i.) Tho the Scripture fpeak ordi- narily of the Refurredion^ under the Phrafes^ olraifing the Deady or raijing from the Deady or of the RefurreBion of the Body ^ yet the Dodor knows, that it was com- mon with the Hebrews, to call Having Men^ by the Name of Souls ^ as v^^e fee, Gew.46. 26. Gen. 12. 5*. Le-v. 18.29. Jojl). 10. zS, and in many other places. (2.) It was indeed very confcnant to an Hillorical Relation of things paft, to fpeak of the Refurredion of the Saints, that'arofe after Chrift's Refurredion, under the Phrafe of the arifjjg of their Bodies cut of their Graves, But it v/as equally decorous to the Emblematical Reprefenta- tion, which John had of this matter, to reprefent the Refurredion of the Saints, at the beginning of the Millennium^ as he has done ^ when he fays_, that he faw their Souls ali^ve^ or fo, as to fee them to li've again. , For, I. This Expreffion of Souls ^ was confonant to his for- mer Vifion, Re'u. 6. 9, 10, II. of which this Rev. 20. 4, f 3 &c. is a completion. 2. This Epithet of Livings in this laft Place, was confonant alfo to his own Phra- feology in both Places^ as to the Pvationale or Reafon of his altering his Stile fo far j as to add living to Souls in this latter Place. For tho,. in the firll place^ he re- prefents the fcparate Souls, not only as exifting, but living, and reafoning, and pr?.ying : Yet he does not \i^ the Phrafe living ^ becaufe that was ufed appro- priately, to diftinguilh feparate Souls from. Souls im- bodied. So that, when he comes to fay, that the jtj)arfite Souls came to Life again ^ or to live again:
no
of Chrijiians. 5-7
no fenfe can be made of the change of the Phrafe, unlefs we allow of their being raifed from the dead. %. And indeed this Phrafe was all that the Apoftlc could poffibly ufe in reafon^ at this time^ if Circumllances beduiy.confidered. For^ feeing it. was not adually raifed Perfons that he faw^ but only a Vifionary Re- prefentation of Perfons to be raifed^ who were at that time feparate Souls ; it had been unreafonable and con- trary to the Prophetical Stile, to have fpoken in the Dialed of Mattheji^ ^ nay it had carried along with it an Appearance, at leaft, of Falfhood, to have fpoken in the Hiftorical Stile, as if thefe Souls had then adual- ly aifumed Bodies, at the time when John wrote. As therefore the Spirit of God was to guard againft Errors -on both hands, by reprefenting this as a Real Refurre^Hon^ and 7tot a Metaphorical One^ on the one hand, and yet as a Refurre5liony that 'ivas not pafiy but future ^ upon the other hand : So it is worthy our ferious Obfervation, how wifely he direds the Scene of this Yifion, and directs the Apoille John to word himfelf. (?•) But that Perfons are meant, by Souls li'vlng again^ is plain^ if it were only, as I faid before, from the oppo- fmg the li'vlng of thofe Souls ^ to the living of the Remainder of feparate Soulsy when it is faid, ^er. 5'. hut the reft of the Dead linjed not again^ until the 1000 Tears Ti^ere fulfilled. So that, feeing it is faid of them, that they reallj arofe^ ver.12. I faji' the Dead^fmall aj^d great, ftand before God^ &c. It is equally certain, that the firft Refurreciion was defigned to denote, not a Metapho- rical, but a real one, -By all which we may eafily
fee, why the Spirit of God ufed a different Phrafe here, from thofe commonly ufed, in Dodrinal Difcourfes, to denote the Refurredion of the Dead : So that all Ar- guments drawn from thefe are of no Force, to invali- date what we are nov/ defending.' And confe-
quently we may juftly conclude likewife, that the Do- dor's confequential Reafoning, drawn from the ordi- nary Phrafes, ufed to denote the Refurredion of the Dead, in order to prove^ that the Apoltle John meant,
by
5 8 T^he Fir ft Kefurre^ion
by the/r/ RefurreBion^ not the [fecial RefurreBion of the eminent Saints and Martyrs^ but the general RefurreBion of all good Mevy in Oppofition to the general RefurreBion of all the Wicked, is a very precarious and unconclufive way of Reafoning : At the fame time^ that 1 under- ftand not^ how it is confiftent with the DoBors own (m) Opinion^ that xk^firfi RefurreBion is a metaphorical one only. However certain it is, from Johns Ac- count, that the rejl of the Dead, who lived not until the Milknnium was fulfilled, is a Phrafe, that denotes good Men, ( /. e, thofe good Men that were not raifed be- fore the Millenyiium ) as well as wicked Men, For as thefe who are called. The refi of the Dead, are all that are faid to be judged, ( which thofe that rofe, before the Millennium, are exempted from, by reafon ofc their known and undoubted Eminency ^ ) fo it is ad- ded^ that they were judged out of the Books that were ofe-
(w) For feeing the Doftor ovens m other ^jurreBion at the Millen- nium, but only that there will be an eminent Kcvivxly then, of the Chri» fiixn Church ; // looh very odd, to oppofe this to the general and real I{e^ furreciion of the Widei only ; when^ according to hira^ ths general lie- fur reiiion is inclujive of all the Godly as well as Wichd. When therefore he tells tiSy under his third Argument, that there is to be an Apoftacy after tl)e Millennium ; it does indeed prove, that there is w be fucb a glorious State of the Church on Earthy as Be and I are agretd in ; but it fays no- thing againfl the J\cfurre^ion we fpeak of, viz. of thofe that are to reign mth Chrifi in Heaven^ For thofe that reign on Earth, are the Nations treed from Gentile, Mahomitanifm, and Popifi Delufions, ver, 3. over whom Cfcri/ii<iw Thrones or Governments are ereUed, ver. 4. Suti bcfdes this earthly I{eign of the revived and increafed Militant Church, we are alfo told of the KefurreBion of others, even of fefarate Souls, who were made alive, ( i. e. by being rds'd from the feparate State ; for as Souls, tho not as compkat Perjons, they were alive before,) and who reigned with ChriH:, (and therefore not on Earth, but in Glory,) during that time, that the Church Militant rei^n'd on Earth) i. e. for a thoufand Years before the E^furredion cf the reft of the Dead. From all which, it is eafy to fee, J hat there is no Contradiciion between this Opinion , and the common Current of the N'ew Tefixment, which afferts one General tlefur region only : Seeing this P^ifur region, which I am treating of^ teas never afferted to be general, any more than that Kef urreilion was, which is 7B(?77i/c>;e^, Matth. 27, 52,
m4
of Chrifiiatis. 59
mdfor this end^ ( a Phrafe taken from the Cuftom of ex- ad Human Judicatories ) according to their V/orks, A^ad the Conclufion of the Sentence upon both^ is thus ex- prefTed j ^nd Death and Hell ( or HadesJ ( taken in the worft Senfe ) jvere cafi ({. e. 1/ Imperfeftion^ with all Things and Perfons that were imperfed, and belonged properly to thefej into the Lake of Fire^ (i. e. into Gehen- nay or that Place that is properly called Hell^ as being a Phrafe taken from the Deftrudion of Sodom and Go- morraby by being fwallow'd up in a burning Lake. J This is the fecond for eternalj Death, And therefore it is ad- ded^ And whofoever was not found written in the Book of Life^ was caft thus into the Lake of Fire, Which plainly fuppofeSj that all thofe that were judged, were not call into- that Lake. Hov«ever^ the Spirit of God feems rather to infinuate this^ than exprejs it ; for this wife and juft Reafon^ That all Chriftians that regard Sal- tation^ might he excited^ to fuch a Chrifiian and Heroical Diligence^ in minding Religion^ that they might attain to thd^ firfi RefurreBiony ( pronouncings for this end^ a fpecial Bluffing upon thofe that attain to the fame^ 'ver, 6,) and that fo^ as not to run the Risk of the narrow Search of the laft Judgment 3* feeing, fas I faidbefore,^ if they were indeed to be faved then, at all, yet it was to be only, with ^fcarcely^ and fo as by Fire,
%, But the DoBor adds, that it is not faid. That the Martyrs are to reign with Chrift 1000 Years before the general Refurredion, but only that they fliall reign with him 1000 Years ^ which, he fays, is an odd Ex- preffion, when applied to them, that are to reign for ever with him. I anfwer^ that it is very odd to me, that fo great a Man fhould ufe fuch a kind of Argu- ment. For, if. It is plain, that John only marks out this Period, in Contradiftindion to "them that were not to be raifed> till the 1000 Years were expired, zdly. John tells us, at ihe fame time, in Words equivalent to the reigning of thofe Saints /i^r cver^ that they were fo hlejledy x\\'it xhQ fecond Death fhould ha've no Tower o'uer thew^ but th<\t the^^ ^lould he Priefs of God and Chrifi.
3. He
6o The Fir ft RefuneSiion
;. He might as well have objeded againft Chrift's be- ing faid foreign looo I'^earsy ( together with his Saints^) as if it founded fo odd;, as if it were not confiftent with his being faid elfewhere^ to reign for ever.
As for what the DoHor adds^ in the laft Place ^ viz. that it coTJtradiBs many Scriptures^ 'which exprcjlj teach^ that the T^ime of the PunijJm;ent of the Wicked (hall hey after the Sentence of j^bfolution hath been pronounced on the Bleffed^ ('fuch as Matth, 27. 41—46. John j. ^^ 28^ 29. Rom, 2. 8^ 9, 16. 2 Cor, 5'. 10. 2 Theff'. 1.6—9. 2 IV. 2. 9. & ;. j^Jnde 14^ If. Rev, i; 7. J I fay^ that this militates only againft that zd Branch of his worthy Apocalyptical Frtefjd's Opinion^ That the Mnrtherers of the Martyrs (hall arile, as well as the Martyrs themfelves^ before the Millen- nium. An Opinion^ I c©nfefs^ very odd^ and^ I think^ inconfiftent with the Chriftian Scheme. So that ha- ving nothing to do with it^ I take leave of the Doctor at prefent. Only I hope I may be allowed to fay ; that feeing fo learned and judicious a Divine^ as Dr. Whithy^ could produce no ftronger Arguments againft this Opinion of mine ; it confirms me^ not a little^ in the firmer Belief thereof.
But^ tho I have done with Dr. Whitby ^ I find my felf oblig'd to take fome Notice of a very fingular Notion^ on this Head : For tho it do not direcSHy militate againft me^ yet it is fo foreign to my Scheme^ and indeed^ I think, to the fcriptural Scheme in general. That it were not proper to pafs by it, in filence, in this Place. Itisafmall Difcourfe, publilh'd by the Revernd Mr. Staynoc^ in the Year 1700, as additional to a Treatife intitled. Salvation by Jefus Chrifi alone. The fniall DiC- courfe {^vvith which I am only concerned ) bears this Title : Aftiort Inquiry^ Whether it does not appear from the Scriptures y that the GoJ pel of Chrifi fijall be made known to thofe Me?}y after their Rcjurretiiony to whom it had never been made known before their Death, In which Inquiry, he maintains the Affirmative.
I fhall not fpend time upon every thing faid in this Difcourfe. For, (ij When he fuppofes, Th^t th?
Con-^
of Chrlftians. 6 i
Conflagration of the Worlds together with the General Re^ furretHon and Judgment of all Men that liv'd before the Millennium^ is to be Prior to^ or rather to commence wich that Millinary State, Vage %GG, He feems to have forgot the whole Tenure of the Context, Re'v, 20.- and may fee his Notion fully refuted by Dr. Whithy^ in his above-mention d Treatife. And confequently , (2.) Hj^ third and laft Refurredion mull fall to the Ground, i//^:.. that of Gog and Magog : For of them only he explains what is faid. Rev. 2.0. 11, c^r. v/hich ::11 ExpoCitors, before him, have underftood of the ge- neral, as well as laft Refurredion ,- as I believe later Expofitors will do, in all time coming ; fot I do not think that ever Mr. Staynoe will have many Scholars. For he fays exprefly, Vage ^67. I exclude all ivhojhallhe fav^d^ out of this third and laft Refurreclion, (^2.) And I hope, there is no need to refute that old and obfolete Notion, which he revives, when he makes the rifen Witneffes ( i;/^:,. thofe that are to rife adually from the State of the Dead ) to live and reign^ not in Heaven^ but m Earth ; and confequently his Notion, as to Chrift's ferfonal and vifthle Reign upon the fame. For befides that I have again and again fliewed the Falfliood of both thefe Notions, Dr. PFhithy has done it largely and un- anfwerably.
However, I am oblig'd to take notice of his Three- fold RefurreEHon^ as he mentions them, P^^e 7^^^ & ^6^.
Now, I humbly fuppofe, that he ought rather to have fpoken of three Periods of the Refurredion ,• and then, in fpeaking to the Firft^ he might have divided it into two forts of Refurretlions xhdt belong'd to that Pe- riod. For I am fure, tho he propofes three Refurredi- ons only, yet he adually treats of them, as if they wtrcfour. For we are forced, in following his Me- thod, to reckon fo many.
i he I/? Refurredion is that of all the Faithful, Page 344. And this he fuppofeth to be, not only Prior, as to its beginning, to the «exf, but fo, as that it muft be fully over before the next begin. Page ;48.
The
62 The Firjl RefuneSiion
The id Refurreftion is that of the Wicked or (as he calls them) Reprobates. And his Opinion of them is tliis ; that they Ihall^ all of them^ be deftroyed by the general Conflagration, fome time after that the Refur- redion of the Saints is over. I confefs he writes fo confufedly^ and in the dark here^ that it is not eafie to apprehend what he means : And no wonder, feeing the Notion it felf is fo perplex'd. But this muft be his Meaning , feeing otherwife no Senfe at all can be made of his Words, Page ^48, 549. But however, he immediately interweaves with this Refurredion of re- probate Chriftians, who are to be deftroyed by the ge- neral Conflagration, that other Refurredion, (the 2^ in Reality, tho he calls it his zd Refurredion, as we fee by what he fays, Page 349. )
The 5^ Remrredion therefore, tho caird, by him, the Second, he fuppofes will be juft after the Millennia urn is run out ^ and he reckons, that this will be of thofe, that never heard of Chrift or the Gofpel.
Fcr we muft remember, that his Notion is this^ That thofe, whom he calls Reprobates, who were the Subjeds of the former Refurredion, (tho by him con- founded with the firft Refurredion of the Saints, ) were thofe that had the Knowledge of the Chriftian Reli- gion, but liv'd contrary to it.
Now he fuppofes, that the Defign of God, in rai- fing thofe Heathens and Infidels, who ftiall be raifed after the Millennium ^ ^ which is the ^d Refurredion, according to his Scheme, tiio he calls it the Second on- ly ) will be to put them in a falvable State, by revea- ling Chrift and his Gofpel to them. For this is the great Spring of his Inquiry, i/i:^. to reconcile two op- -pofiue fcriptural Notion3, ;as he thinks them to be, un- lefs folv'd by this fuppofsd Refurredioxi, ) njm. That v,07ie can be fanj\i by Chr'ijr^ who ha-ve not the explicite Know- ledge of him • and that, at the fame time, Chrifi mufi be the Sa'viour of dl Men^ fo.as to furnifh them with the formal and diilind Knowledge of his Gofpel ; and fo, that if they peiifh, it muft be thro' their own Per-
verfenefs.
of Chrijiians. 6^
verfenefs. That both thefe are his Principks^ is plain from what he ijijs^ Page ^jo, ;^i. as well as from his preceeding Diicourfe^ to which he refers his Readers.
The 4r/j and laft Refurredion^ ( which he calls the %d) \Sy (as I obferved before^) That oi Gog and AU- gog ; and out of which he excludes all good Men.
But here he grofly contradicts himfelf For, in the fameParagraph, he fays, that fome of the Heathens raifed in the former Refurre<^Hon, which is to be after the Millennium y fhall be faved. And yet he concludes^ and that with a [Therefore] too, that he excludes all that {hall he fa^ued from this lafi Refurre5llon^ Page 567. fureTy, he was in a ftrange Dream when he -wrote this. For he ought