396

As we have here borne the Image of the earthy Adam, Sect. 30 ginal State of Rectitude and Felicity, in which Adam was made a quickenMan was created, he was made capable of, and ing Spirit..

Cor. XV. fitted to, an animal Life here upon Earth:

45.

Whereas the Lord Jefus Chrift, who by Virtue

of the Influence he has upon all his Seed, as their
fpiritual Head, and great federal Reprefentative,
may well be called the fecond, or latter Adam, [is]
for an enlivening Spirit (b) to thofe who are united
to him, and will not only purify their Souls by
the Operation of his Spirit communicated to
them, but at laft fpiritualize their very Bodies.
46 Nevertheless the fpiritual Adam [was] not first,
but the animal, and afterward the fpiritual; and
as the firft Adam exifted before Chrift was fent
to become our Saviour, fo m
we first wear that
animal Body, which we derive from the one,
before we put on that fpiritual Body, which we
47 derive from the other. The first Man [was]
from the Earth, and fo earthy: He was created
out of the Duft of the Earth, and his Body was
only a Mafs of animated Clay, in Reference to
'which it was faid, Duft thou art: (Gen. iii. 19.)
the fecond Man, of whom we fpeak, [is] the
Lord from Heaven: He came originally from
the heavenly World, to which he is returned; and
whatever of Earth there was in the Compofition
of the Body he condefcended to wear, it is now
compleatly purified and refined into the moft
48 glorious Form. And fuch as the earthy [was]
[are] they also that are earthy: They all de-
fcended from him, and have no higher Original,
are mean, mortal, corruptible Creatures; and
fuch as the heavenly [was, are] they alfo that are
heavenly: They who are, as it were, born of

Chrift

46 Howbeit, that was

not firft which is fpiritual, and afterward that which is spiritual.

but that which is natural;

as it more clearly expreffed, (1 Thef. v. 23) and is alfo very agreeable to the Import of MUD, the Word which Mofes ufes.

(b) The fecond an enlivening Spirit.] This is not a Quotation from Scripture, as fome have thought, but what the Apostle adds on Occafion of the Quotation brought above; as if he had faid, Chrift is the laft Adam, as an illuftrious Antitype of the firft; (Rom. v. 14.) and he hath in, himself a.Spirit, with which he quickeneth whom he pleafes, and in what Degree he pleafes, John i. 4. and Verfe 21, 26. The Words living and enlivening, have fuch a Correfpondence to each other, as (wear, and (woo. I therefore preferred the latter of them to quickening, tho' the Senfe be entirely the fame, nav

(i) We,

we shall hereafter bear the Image of the heavenly:

49 And as we have borne the Image of the earthy, we shall alfo bear the Image of the heavenly.

397

30..

ي

1 Cor. XV.

E

49.

Drachadh. Christ by the regenerating Influences of his Spi- Sect.
rit, and therefore are to live with him in Heaven,
fhall at last have fuch glorious Bodies, as he hath..
And it is delightful beyond all Expreffion, to
think of it with Self-application, that as we in
particular have borne, and do now bear, the Image
of the earthy; as affuredly as we are now finful,
afflicted, and mortal Men, like the firft Adam;
fo furely fhall we also bear the Image of the hea-
venly; fo furely fhall we be brought to refemble
Chrift in Purity, Glory, and Immortality.

50 Now this I fay, Brethren, that Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD; neither doth Corruption inherit Incorruption.

51 Behold, I fhew you a Mystery; we shall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed,

But when I fpake of bearing the Image of 50 the earthy Adam in Mortality, I would not be understood as afferting, that every one of the Defcendents of Adam fhall, in Fact, go thro' these Pangs of Death, and that Diffolution in the Grave, which Adam has experienced. This I fay, Brethren, I affirm it as a conftant and im portant Truth, that Flesh and Blood, fuch weak and crazy Systems of it, as thofe in which we now lodge, cannot inherit the Kingdom of GOD, neither doth a Body impregnated with the Seeds. of Corruption inherit Incorruption: It is utterly unfit for the pure etherial Regions of the Bleffed, and indeed incapable of fubfifting in them. This 5 is univerfally true; yet behold! I tell you a Myfery, that is, a Doctrine hitherto unknown, and which you cannot now be able fully to comprehend: For we Chriftians fhall not all fleep, fhall not all fubmit to the Stroke of Death, fo that our Bodies fhould all lie mouldering in the Grave, which is their general Doom; but we shall all, the Living as well as the Dead, at the Appearance of Christ, to the final Judgment, be changed in a most glorious and happy Manner into the 52 In a Moment, in the Image of our defcending Lord. And this 52 Twinkling of an Eye, at the laft Trump (for the Change, great and illuftrious as it is, the Divine Trumpet hall found) and Power fhall effect in lefs Time, than we have the been speaking of it: For it fhall pass in a Moment, in an imperceptible Point of Time, and even in the Twinkling of an Eye, juft at the Inftant, when the laft Trumpet is blown by the Di

vine

398

For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption.

Sect. 30. vine Command, to awaken all the Millions of the Dead fhall be raifed inSaints, who are fleeping in the Duft: For the corruptible, and we fhall be changed.

Cor. XV. Trumpet fhall then found, the Voice of the Arch

52.

angel, and attending celeftial Legions, fhall fill
the whole Earth and Heaven with an aftonishing
Noife, and the Dead hall immediately, as upon
its Summons, be raised incorruptible, and we,
that is, thofe of us Chriftians who are living,
fhall be changed (i), as Enoch and Elijah were in
the Day of their Tranflation: That Body, which
but a Moment before appeared juft as ours now
do, fhall quick as Thought, be transformed into all
an Image of that, worn by our triumphant Lord,
and fitted for all the moft active Services, and all
the pureft Senfations and Delights, of the ce-
53 leftial State. For in order to that, as I have

54

juft obferved, it is necessary, that this Corruptible
put on Incorruption, and that this Mortal put on
Immortality, fo as to be no longer fubject to Dif-
eafes or Death. But when this glorious and
long expected Event fhall be accomplished, when
this corruptible Part of our Frame fhall bave put
on Incorruption, and this mortal fhall have put on
Immortality, then fhall the Saying be brought to
pafs, which is written, (Ifai. xxv. 8.) Death is
Swallowed up in Victory, and perfectly fubdued
and deftroyed, and fo happy a State introduced,
that it would not be known, that Death had
ever had any Place or Power among Chrift's Sub-
55 jects at all;
And in the affured View of this, may
the Chriftian, even now, with the greatest Plea-
fure, take up his Song of Triumph; Where [is]
thy pointed and deftructive Sting, Oh Death?
Where [is] thy Victory, Oh Grave (k)? How little

Hurt

53 For this Corruptible must put on Incorruption,

and this Mortal must put on Immortality.

54 So when this Corrup

tible fhall have put on Infhall have put on Immorta lity, then thall be brought to pass the Saying that is written, Death is fwallowed

corruption, and this Mortal

up in Victory.

55 O Death, where it thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory?

(i) We, that is, thofe of us Chriftians who are living, fhall be changed.] As the Phrafe will admit of the

from hence,oler Senfe the Paraphrafe gives, I cannot allow of the Argument, drawn

from hence, to prove, either that the Apostle expected he fhould live till Chrift appeared to Judgment, or that he fhould be raifed from the Dead, and continue upon Earth fometime before that great Event happened: Tho' I confess the Argument, which Mr. Fleming draws. from hence, in Favour of the laft of thefe Opinions, is very plaufible. Compare 1 Thef

iv.

(k) Where is thy Sting, &c.] The Original has a Kind of poetical Turn, which feema

Chriftians should be stedfaft, their Labour not being in vain.

56 The Sting of Death is Sin; and the Strength of Sin is the Law.

57 But Thanks be to GOD, which giveth us the Victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift,

58 Therefore, 'my be

loved Brethren, be ye ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in

vain in the Lord.

The

399

I Cor. XV.
56.

Hurt canst thou do me? For how little awhile Sect. 30.
fhalt thou be able to triumph over me?
very Sting and Torture of Death, that which arms.
it with the greatest Terrors, [is] the Confidera-
tion of its being the Punishment of Sin, and con-
fequently its foreboding future Mifery, as the Ef-
fect of the Divine Displeasure; and the Power of
Sin, that which conftitutes its Malignity and
gives it these killing Weapons, [is,] that it is
a Tranfgreffion of the Divine Law: But 57
Thanks [be] to GOD, who in his infinite Mercy
away the Sting and Terror of Death,
and giveth us the Profpects and the Joys of a
compleat Victory over it, by the Difplays of his
pardoning Grace, through our Lord Jefus Chrift.
May we ever remain under those grateful Im-
preffions, that fuit so important an Obligation!

hath taken

this as the great Foundation of your Souls, and
Therefore, my beloved Brethren, be ye fixed on 58
immoveable in your Regards to it, tho' ftrongly
borne and preffed upon, by a Variety of Temp-
tations and Dangers; be abounding always in the
Work of the Lord, in every Service you are capa-
ble of performing, which may be acceptable to
this
your great and compaffionate Redeemer; as
well knowing, that your Labour in the Service of
fuch a Lord is not, on the whole, in vain; but
that whatsoever you may at present suffer for
his Sake, you fhall receive a moft glorious Re-
ward, in that happy Day of the Refurrection, con-
cerning which I have been speaking fo largely.

in fome Measure to fuit the Sublimity of the Sentiment; for the firft of the Claufes is an Ionick, and the fecond a Trochaick Verfe, Пuos, bavare, To xeripor; To ob, an, to x; and Mr. Pope has only tranfpofed them to make them, as they ftand in our Verfion, the Conclufion of one of his Stanzas; Oh Grave, where is thy Victory? Oh Death, where is thy Sting? It is generally thought that these Words are borrowed from Hof. xii. 10, 14. which we render, "Oh Death, I will be thy Plague, &c." and fome urge that N has been read for ; but I do not fee there is any certain Evidence, that the Apostle intended any Quotation at all.

IMPROV E

400

Sect. 30.

Ver. 35.

L

Reflections on the Glory of the Refurrection.

IMPROVEMENT.

ET us learn from this incomparable Difcourfe of the Apofle, to curb that vain Curiofity, which is fo ready in Matters of Divine Revelation, to break out into an unbecoming Petulance; and where we are fure, that God declares the Thing, let us leave it to him to overcome every Difficulty, that may feem to attend the Manner, in which it fhall be effected. Nothing may be more ufeful, in Order to the conquering fuch a Weaknefs, than to obferve the Operations of God in the Works of Nature, where he gives to every Seed, whether animal or vegetable, fuch a Body as fhall please him. Each is proper for its Sphere, and beautiful in its Connection and Order, tho' the Degree of their Glory be difVer. 39, 40. ferent. And thus all the Diversity of Glory, which fhall at laft be apparent, among the Children of GOD, even the Children of the Refurrrection, fhall ferve to illuftrate the Divine Wisdom, and Goodness, and Faithfulness.

Ver. 31.

The Alterations made in every Inftance, will indeed be wonderful, Ver. 53. when this Mortal puts on Immortality, and this Corruptible puts on Incorruption. Let us for ever adore the Divine Goodness, that when, by our Ver. 47, &c. Relation to the firft Adam, we were under a Sentence of Condemnation and Death, he was pleafed in his infinite Mercy to appoint, that we should stand related to Chrift, as the fecond Adam, in fo happy a Bond, that by him we might recover what we had loft in the former; yea and far more: So that, as we have borne the Image of the Earthy, we might as furely bear the Image of the Heavenly. Oh let us earneftly afpire after this Bleffedness; and remember, that our bearing the Image of his Holinefs is infeparably connected with the Hope of fo glorious a Priviledge!

Ver. 49.

Ver. 54.

Ver. 55.

Ver. 56.

Ver. 57.

Ver. 58.

Let us endeavour therefore, by cultivating Holiness in all its Branches, to maintain this Hope in all its Spirit and Energy; longing for that glorious Day, when in the utmoft Extent of the prophetick Expreffion, Death fhall be fwallowed up in Kictory, and Millions of Voices, after the Pong Silence of the Grave, fhall butt out at once into that triumphant Song, O Death, where is thy Sting? O Grave, where is thy Victory? And when we fee, Death difarined, and the Terrors of the Law filenced, let as blefs Gop for Jefus Chrift, by whom the Precepts of the Law were perfectly falfiled, and its Penalty endured; that fo we might not only be delivered from the Curfe, but called to inherit the Bleffing. Let it be confidered, as an Engagement to univerfal Obedience; and in the Affurance, that whatever other Labours may be fruftrated, thofe in the Lord fhall never be vain, let Gratitude and Intereft, concur to render us ftedfaft, immoveable, and continually active in his Service.