386

For as all die in Adam, all fall be made alive in Chrift:

Sect. 29. Damage, we fuftained by our fatal Relation to the

22.

22 For as in Adam all

fo
all be made alive..

former. For as in Adam all are dead, and a 1 Cor. XV. Sentence of inevitable Death is come upon us all, die, even to in Chrift shall as defcended from him; fo we Chriftians have a joyful Perfuafion for ourselves, and for our Brethren, that, (tho' we are neither capable of affecting or meriting fuch a Change,) in Chrift we all fhall also be made alive. But it was fit, that hould be reanimated, raised and glorified

23

24

every one
in his own Order: It was fit, that Chrift, after a
very short Abode in the Grave, fhould rife as the
First-fruits, and as fuch fhould present himself
to GOD, and ufe his recovered Life in his Service;
and they who are Chrift's Property, the whole
Body of those that belong to him, should be
raised up a confiderable Time afterwards, and
appear as a glorious Harvest in full Maturity, at
the important Hour of his Coming, when his
Voice shall awaken, and his Almighty Hand re-
ftore them.

And then [fhall] the End of the World [be],
the grand Catastrophe of all thofe wonderful
Scenes, that have held in Sufpenfe fo many fuc-
ceeding Generations; when he fhall publickly and
folemnly deliver up the Mediatorial Kingdom to
GOD, even the Father, by whofe Commiffion
he has held it, and to whofe Glory he has always
adminiftred it; when he shall have abolished (f)
and depofed all Principality, and all Authority
and Power, that has oppofed itself to his Govern-
ment, and shall have triumphed over all the Ef-
forts, which either Men or Devils could ever
make against his ever-growing Empire and Do-
25 minion. For we know, that, according to the
Tenor of that ancient Prophecy, (Pfal. cx. 1.)
which carries with it fo illuftrious a Reference to
the Meffiah and his Kingdom, he must reign till

be

23 But every Man in his fruits, afterward they that own Order: Chrift the First

are Christ's, at his Coming.

(f) Abolished and depofed.] The Word alappa generally fignifies, "divesting "Thing of fome Power, whether lawful or ufurped, which it formerly had, and reducing "it to an Incapacity of exerting that Energy any more." This is ufed of Satan, Heb. ii. 14. of Death here, and Verfe 26. and 2 Tim. i, 10. of temporal Princes, 1 Cor. i. 28. Chap. ii. 6. and of the ceremonial Law. Ephef. ii. 15.

(g) Then

der his Feet.

And Death, the laft Enemy, shall be deftroyed.

26 The last Enemy that fhall be destroyed, is Death.

my,

387

26.

he hath put all Enemies un he have put all [his] Enemies under bis Feet; fo as Sect. 29. that they fhould become his Footstool, and fubserve that Exaltation, which they have endea-1 Cor. XV. youred to prevent. And fo universal shall the Triumph be, that the very laft Enemy, [even] Death, fhall be depofed and deftroyed: That Enewhich continues in fome Measure to hold the Subjects of Chrift under its Dominion, even when the Temptations of the World, and the Malice of Satan, can hold them no longer, and when every Remainder of corrupt Nature and human Infirmity has long fince ceased in the perfect Holiness of the intermediate State, and its unmingled Serenity and Joy.

27 For he hath put all Things under his Feet. But put under him, it is manifeft that he is excepted which did put all Things under

when he faith all Things are

him.

27

This, I fay, muft neceffarily be implied: For it is elsewhere faid, he hath put all Things under bis Feet, (Pfal. viii. 6.) and it must accordingly be accomplished; but [it is] evident enough, that when he faith, that all Things were subjected to him, it is with the Exception of him by whom all Things were thus fubjected to him. None can furely imagine, that the Son was ever to reign over the great and glorious Father of all; but on the contrary it may naturally be concluded, that: he would still direct his Administration to the Glory of him, from whom he received his Kingdom. But when be, that is, the Father, hall 285 have fulfilled this Promife in its utmoft Extent, and fhall have fubjected all Things to him; fo that it fhall appear to every Eye, that he is indeed Lord of all; then shall the Son also himself, amidst all the Glories of that Triumph, be, and declare himself to be, fubject to him that fubjected all Things to him (g), by a publick Act, in the

(g) Then fhall the Son alfo himself be subject, &c.] I hope, I fhall be forgiven, if after the best Attention I could ufe, I have miffed the true and exact Senfe of this most difficult Text. It is furprizing to find Authors of fuch different Sentiments, as Witfius, and Crellius, agreeing to fpeak of Chrift, as returning as it were, to a private Station, and being "as one of his Brethren," when he has thus given up the Kingdom. The Union of the divine and human Natures in the Perfon of the great Emanuel, the incomparable Virtues of his Character, the Glory of his Actions, and the Relation he bears to his People, with all the Texts which affert the Perpetuity of his Government, prohibit our imagining that he should ever C c c.2 ceafe

388

Sect.

29.

Why elfe are Perfons baptized in the Room of the Dead?

the Midft of this moft auguft Affembly, giving that GOD may be all in up, as it were, his Commiffion to prefide as uni

1 Cor. XV. verfal Lord in the mediatorial Kingdom, to him;

28.

29

as having anfwered the End, for which it was
given him, in the compleat Salvation of all his
People, whom he fhall then introduce into a
State of the greatest Nearness to GOD, and moft
intimate Converfe with him; that GOD may
be,
and that he may appear to be, all in all; that
they all may enjoy compleat and everlasting Hap-
pinefs, in the full Communication of the Divine
Favour to them, for ever, in a World, where
they shall no longer need a Mediator to introduce
them to him.

Such are our Views and Hopes, as Chriftians;
elfe if it were not fo, what should they do, who
are baptized in Token of their embracing the
Christian Faith, in the Room of the Dead (b),
who are juft fallen in the Caufe of Chrift, but
are yet fupported by a Succeffion of new Con-
verts, who immediately offer themselves to fill
up their Places, as Ranks of Soldiers, that ad-
vance to the Combat in the Room of their Com-
panions,

all.

29 Elfe what fhall they do which are baptized for the Dead, if the Dead rife

ceafe to be illuftrioufly diftinguished from all others, whether Men or Angels, in the heavenly World thro' eternal Ages. To me it appears, that the Kingdom to be given up, is the Rule of this lower World, which is then to be confumed; and that it may not feem, as if a Province of his Empire were deftroyed, his Administration, undertaken in avowed Subfervience to the Scheme of Redemption, (Eph. i. 10.) and compleated in the Refurrection of all his People, fhall clofe in a decent and honourable Manner; GOD will declare the Ends of it fully answered, and the whole Body of his People fhall be introduced by him into a State of more intimate Approach to, and Communion with GOD, than had been known by the Spirits of the Bleffed in their separate State.

(b) Who are baptized in the Room of the Dead.] It would be almoft endless to enumerate and much more to canvafs, all the Interpretations which have been given of this obfcure and ambiguous Phrafe varep lav vexpwv. I think that of Sir Richard Ellys, which I have given in the Paraphrafe, much preferable to any other. See Fortuita Sacra, pag. 137, &c. As for other Interpretations, there is no Reafon to believe, that the fuperftitious Cuftom, mentioned by Epiphanius, of baptizing a living Perfon, as reprefenting one who had died unbaptized, is here referred to; it is more likely to have rifen from a Miftake of this Paffage, than to have been fo early prevalent. Mr. Cradock's fuppofing it to allude to washing dead Bodies. neither fuits the Grammar, nor really makes any fignificant Senfe. Nor is there any Need of fuppofing, that xp is put for Expe, and refers to their being baptized into the Religion of Jefus, who on the Adverfarics Hypothefis is ftill dead. The Senfes, which Crellis, and Bishop Atterbury maintain, differ fo little from each other, and that we have given, that it may fuffice to fay, that each expreffes but a Part of the Senfe, and lofes fomething of the Spirit, which we apprehend in thefe Words.

νεκρών

And why are the Apostles exposed to Danger every Hour?

389

not at all? Why are they panions, who have juft been flain in their Sight, Sect. 29. then baptized for the Dead? If the Doctrine I oppofe, be true, and the Dead

31 I proteft by your rejoicing which I have in Chrift Jefus our Lord, I die daily.

29.

are not raised at all, why are they nevertheless thus I Cor. XV baptized in the Room of the Dead, as chearfully ready at their Peril of their Lives to keep up the 36 And why stand we in Caufe of Jefus in the World? And indeed, 30 Jeopardy every Hour? how could my Conduct be accounted for in any other Light, but by fuppofing, that we act with a steady and governing View to this great Principle, and this glorious Hope? Why otherwife are we every Hour expofed to fo much Danger, in the Service of a Master, from whom it is evident we have no fecular Rewards to expect? Yet, 31 my Brethren, I do upon this folemn Occafion proteft, and even fwear to you, by the greatest of all Affeverations, by our Hopes and our Joys as Christians, by our rejoicing (i) and Confidence common to us all, and which I with you have in Chrift Jefus our Lord; I proteft, I say, by this, that I daily die, that is, that I am every Day furrounded, as it were, with Death in its most terrible Forms, and bear fo many Evils, that every Hour of my Life feems a new Martyrdom. One great Instance of this has fo lately happened, that I cannot forbear mentioning it. If to fpeak 32 after the Manner of Men, or to ufe a common proverbial Phrase, I have, like a Slave exposed upon a publick Theatre, fought with wild Beasts at Ephefus (k), having been affaulted with the

32 If after the Manner of Men I have fought with Beats

moft

(i) Our rejoicing.] Our received Copies read it, vulpav, pour rejoicing; but the reading, which I follow, feems so much more natural and easy, that one can fcarce forbear believing it authentick. Yet it may be interpreted into a very pertinent Sense, "I protest by your "Joys, which I do fo cordially take Part in, that I may call them my own."

(k) Fought with wild Beafts at Ephefus.] The Stories which Nicephorus, (Lib. ii. Cap. 25.) and Theodoret give us, of an Encounter which St. Paul had with wild Beasts on the Theatre at Ephefus, (fee Witfii Mel. Vit. Paul. Cap. viii. Sect. 23, &c.) have been fo far regarded by Dr. Whitby, that he contends for the literal Interpretation of this Paffage; in Favour of which it is alfo urged, that had he spoken of brutal Men, he would rather have mentioned the Affault that was made upon him at Lyftra, where he was ftoned, and fuppofed to be dead. But the Danger of being pulled to Pieces might be greater at Ephefus; it had happened very lately, and as the Scene was much nearer Corinth, it might be more natural for him to mention it here. The Silence of St. Luke in his Hiftory, as to fo memorable an Event, as a Combat with Beafts would have been, and St. Paul's omitting it in the large Catalogue of his Sufferings, (2 Cor. xi. 23.) together with his known Privi

I

ledge

390

32.

The Apostle Paul particularly, at Ephefus. Sect. 29. most favage Fury by a tumultuous Multitude Beafts at Ephefus, what adthere, what Andvantage have I gained by fuch a rife not? Let us eat and vantageth it me, if the Dead Cor. XV. Combat, if my Hopes may not be allowed to drink, for to Morrow we open into Immortality? On the contrary, if the Dead rife not at all, the Epicurean Maxim might feem to be justified, "Let us make the best of "this fhort Life, which is the whole Period of "our Being; and giving up thefe fublime Sen"timents and Purfuits, which belong not to ❝ Creatures of fo fhort and low an Existence, "let us eat and drink, fince we are to die, as it "were, to Morrow (1), or the next Day: For"fo little is the Difference between one Period " of fuch a Life, and another, that it is fcarce "worth while to make the Diftinction."

ledge as a Roman Citizen, which would probably, as to be fure it fhould legally, have protected him from fuch an Infult, do all, (as Mr. Cradock, and others, have obferved,) favour the figurative Interpretation. And the Expreffion xala arpwTor, after the Manner of Men, or humanly fpeaking, has a Propriety on this Hypothefis, which it cannot have on the other, and feems to be quite decifive.

(1) Let us eat, &c.] This is the great Argument urged to prove, that by the Refurrection of the Dead St. Paul means a future State. But the true Solution feems to be, that he writes all along upon a Suppofition, that if fuch Proof as he had produced of Chrift's Refurrection, were not to be depended upon, we could have no Certainty at all with Refpect to any future Exiftence. And I muft declare, that it feems to me, that the natural Arguments of the Immortality of the Soul, and future Retributions, do appear to carry with them great Probability, notwithstanding all that Mr. Hallet has offered to invalidate them. Yet the Degree of Evidence is by no Means comparable to that, which, admitting the Truth of the Facts alledged, the Corinthians muft have heard of Chrift's Refurrection, with which ours has fo neceffary a Connection. And confequently, had thefe Proofs been given up, what might have been pleaded in Favour of the other, would probably have made very little Impreffion.

(m) Good Manners are debauched.] The original Words of Menander are an Iambic Verfe; I chofe therefore to tranflate them thus, and it is very agreeable to the Greek, in this Connection, which feems to determine qua xa to profane Difcourfes.

(n) Awake, as become righteous Men.] As fome read for dxass, dixaio, which gives rather a more forcible Senfe, I chofe this Rendering, which is a Kind of Medium between the two Readings.