that the dead are also to be raised by his power. 3dly, The words of the text all lead to the same interpretation. To" sleep in the dust of the earth," is an expression descriptive of the dead; who are said to "sleep "the sleep of death," to "sleep a perpetual sleep and "not wake,”—and to "sleep in the dust." Hence also sepulchres were usually termed cemeteries,* that is, places for sleeping. And what can it be to "awake" from that sleep, but to be restored to life? In this sense surely it is used by Job, when he says; "So man lieth down and riseth not: till the heavens "be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out " of their sleep." He affirms that none shall return from the dead, to perform the functions of animal life in this world. 4thly, What follows serves also to confirm the same interpretation. For the third verse contains a description of the glorious state of them that are raised: "And they that be wise shall shine as the "brightness of the firmament; and they that turn

66

many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and "ever." This promise ought certainly to be compared with other passages of Scripture, where the glory of those that shall be raised from the dead is professedly treated, and illustrated by the same similitude.t

XXXIX. It should excite no scruple in our minds, that in this passage the Spirit of God has not employed the universal term all, but the word many, and even the expression, of them that sleep. To this objection it has been answered by a great number of writers after

Augustine, that the word many is sometimes equivalent to all; and as an instance of this Rom. v. 19. is generally quoted. But not to urge this answer at present, I reply that " many of them that sleep" may signify that innumerable multitude of men which consists merely of the dead; and that this multitude is divided into two classes, so as to intimate that every individual must be referred to the one or the other. God here distributes the multitude of the dead in the same way in which Christ distributes To Tav, the whole number"all that are in the graves."

XL. The twofold issue also of the resurrection, here pointed out, confirms this view of the passage. They "shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to "shame and everlasting contempt." This can with no propriety be understood of the restoration of the Jewish state and Church after the ravages of Antiochus. For while Antiochus was alive, the wicked and ungodly did not sleep in the dust, but lived and flourished, being treated with honour and esteem. And consequently, after the death of Antiochus, they were not raised from the dust, but were rather civilly and ecclesiastically dead; for some of them, as Grotius on this point well observes, were partially separated, and others fully excommunicated. How could it be affirmed, besides, of those who, after having been long in exile for the sake of their religion, at last returned home, that they awoke "to everlasting life." To understand this, with Porphyry and Grotius, of a long and happy life in the land of Canaan, is a meager interpretation, which falls far below the majesty of the words.

XLI. Our interpretation is supported by Josephus Jacchiades, who has the following paraphrase on the verse: "And then shall come to pass the miracle of

VOL. II.

3 L

35.

66

66

66

“the resurrection of the dead: for many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; those "who are holy, to everlasting life; but those who are "wicked, to reproach and everlasting detestation. The design of the resurrection of the latter is, that they may openly confess that their faith is false, and that such as placed confidence in them followed after vanity, and became vain; and may acknowledge that "their fathers inherited falsehood." Manasseh Ben Israel* proves in like manner that the wicked are to be raised again, because it is said in Daniel, "Many "of them that sleep, &c." "But if these many," he observes, "were the righteous only, they would be few

66

indeed, for not very many of this description are to "be found. It immediately follows, however, some to "shame and everlasting contempt, which certainly re❝lates to the wicked and ungodly."

XLII. But if there could be any dispute amongst Christians with regard to this topic, it is terminated by the following declaration of the Apostle Paul: "And "have hope towards God-that there shall be a resur"rection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."a Was it possible to use expressions on this subject more clear, or more decisive? Very possible, it has been said; for the words of the Apostle may, and even ought to be explained in a manner that will render them of no avail in this controversy. They may be so explained; for by "the just" we may understand those who in general lived righteously in the whole course of their life, and never sinned presumptuously or deliberately, as for example John the Baptist and

* De Resurr. Mort. lib. ii. cap. 8.

u Acts xxiv. 15.

his Parents; and by the "unjust," those, on the contrary, who, after having led a wicked life, were at last converted; as the publican, and the thief on the cross. As instances of that figure of speech by which the Apostle calls himself and others of the same character unrighteous after they had become righteous, they refer to several passages of Scripture. Nay, say they, the words ought to be so explained. 1. Because the resurrection here spoken of is one of which the Apostle says he has the hope. And who does not see that it cannot be affirmed of any believer that he has the hope of the resurrection of the wicked? 2. Because the Apostle professes that he has the same hope with that of the ancient Hebrews. But that these did not believe the resurrection of the wicked, may be sufficiently gathered from that saying of the ancients which Rabbi Saadias Gaon, and Rabbi Moses Gerundensis,* and others, have quoted: "The benefit of rain is common "to good and bad; but the resurrection of the dead is "the privilege of those only who have led a good life."

XLIII. It will not be very difficult to expose these perversions of Scripture by the native evidence of truth. Nowhere in the Sacred Volume do we find that monstrous distribution which they make of true Christians into "the just and the unjust." The Scripture, when it brings forward any such antithesis, never opposes believers to believers, but the wicked to believers. Hence the following expressions: "The evil and the good, the "just and the unjust;""-"the unjust and the saints;"x -"the godly and the unjust;"-" the ungodly and

The celebrated Jewish author, who is usually called Maimonides. v 1 Tim. i. 15. Rom. iv. 5. 1 Pet. iii. 18. Mat. xx. 15.

w Mat. v. 45.

y 2 Pet. ii. 9.

* 1 Cor. vi. 1.

"the righteous." In the proverb just quoted concerning rain and the resurrection, and every where in the Jewish writers, the same mode of speaking is observed. Where no such antithesis is intended, believers, we admit, are called unjust and ungodly, in reference to their former state. This is not, however, the denomination of one or another individual, by which he is distinguished from other believers; as of the publican, or of the thief on the cross. It is common to the whole body of believers, of whom at their first justification, "there is none righteous, no not one."a

XLIV. The object of Paul's hope was the general resurrection of all, in which he was certain he would obtain his own blessed share. All Christians in like manner hope for the coming of Christ to judgment, when both the righteous and the wicked will be recompensed according to their deeds. What should hinder Christians from even hoping for the resurrection of the ungodly? Although they take no pleasure in the misfortunes or calamities of any man, they cannot fail to applaud the manifestation of the divine glory in the just punishments of the wicked.

XLV. The faith of the ancient Hebrews is to be learned from the prophetic writings, not from the jejune productions of the Talmudical Doctors. The most judicious of these, however, afford us their support. Here let us avail ourselves of the assistance of Manasseh, who is himself a Hebrew. "Something occurs," says he, “in Ros a Sana, which gives confirmation to this opinion. The words are as follows: Three kinds “ of men will appear in the day of judgment; one con