"them that flept. Every man in his own order: "Chrift the first fruits; afterwards they who are "Chrift's at his coming." He abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light.

The refurrection of the body was wholly unknown to the heathen: It is declared but in a few paffages of the Jewish scriptures, and but obfcurely in fome of thefe. By the firft Adam came death; by the fecond, the refurrection from the dead. He is able to quicken the mortal bodies of those who fleep in him. They "have borne the image of the earthly, and shall also "bear the image of the heavenly. It does not yet apcc pear" what this means. But while they abode in the flesh, their "converfation was in heaven, from whence also they looked for the Saviour, the Lord "Jefus Chrift; who fhall change their vile body, that "it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able " even to fubdue all things to himself." In this hope, they fleep in him, waiting for the redemption of the body. "The Lord Jefus will come to be admired and "glorified in all them that believe."

66

66

From the 15th verfe of the context we learn, that those who shall be " alive at the coming of the Lord, "fhall not prevent them that fleep." The next verse explains this: The dead in Chrift fball rife firft. "Then they who are alive shall be caught up with" the raifed faints," to meet the Lord in the air. We fhall not "all fleep," fays the fame apostle; "but we fhall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, "at the last trump; and the dead fhall be raised incor"ruptible." The mortal bodies of the living faints will, at the appointed time, be inftantly changed, and put on immortality.

Do you enquire, What body will the faints affume at the coming of the Lord? We can answer you only in the words of our apoftle: "It is fown in corrup❝tion, it is raised in incorruption: It is fown in dif

"honour, it is raised in glory: It is fown in weakness, "it is raised in power: It is fown a natural body, it " is raised a spiritual body."

66

66

St. Peter exhorts believers, "Gird up the loins of your mind, be fober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revela❝tion of Jefus Chrift." St. Paul, fpeaking of this grace, describes it as a crown of righteousness, which the Redeemer, on his throne of judgment, fhall affign, "at that day unto all them who love his appearing. That day will be the manifeftation of the fons of God-their deliverance from the bondage of corruption into glorious liberty. The second death hath no power over them. How changed at the refurrection! What great alterations of the body of fin and death are neceffary to fit it for the refidence of a spirit no longer subject unto fin?

Whatever the bleffedness of believers, as soon as they fleep in Jefus, and during the feparate ftate of existence, additional perfection and glory await them when they shall rife in his image. When his glory "fhall be revealed, they shall appear with him in glo

66

ry. The children of the refurrection are as the an"gels of God in heaven." What new fources of information! what extended capacities of enjoyment and improvement, when affociated with angelic hofts, who never revolted-united in worship-affimilated in holiness and blifs! "To him that overcometh, will "I grant to fit with me in my throne. The Lord, "the righteous Judge, will, at that day, give a crown "of righteousness unto all them that love his appear"ing; and they shall reign as kings for ever and ever." The redeemed from among men, with thousands of thousands of angels, have one heart. Their worfhip is one: It hath no languor or intermiffion. Perfect love cafts out fear, exempts from all doubts, and makes the blifs of each the blifs of all. In the prefence and enjoyment of HIM "who only hath immor

tality, who dwelleth in the light unto which no "man can approach, whom no man hath seen or can "fee, there is fulnefs of joy. There is no night there,

nor any need of the fun. The glory of God and "the Lamb is the light of" that world. "There is "a pure river of water of life, clear as cryftal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. "There is the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of "fruit, and yielding her fruit every month; and the "leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." But who can speak of these things worthily? Were we to dwell on the fubject, we could fpeak only as children. It fatisfies the Chriftian, that he knows whom he hath believed; and is perfuaded that He is able to keep what is committed to him. Hope unto the end for the expected grace at the revelation of Jefus Chrift, who endured the cross for our fakes. Therefore "God raised him from the dead, and gave "him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God" through him: "Which hope we have as an anchor to "the foul, fure and stedfaft; and which entereth into "that within the vail; whither the forerunner is for "us entered, even Jefus."

The heathen, entirely ignorant of the doctrine of the refurrection, and in great darkness with respect to the immortality of the foul, were without God, and without hope. They forrowed for deceased friends, as though death had blotted them from existence. Even the wifer and better part of the pagans had many doubts as to any future existence. Those whofe minds preponderated in the belief of the foul's immortality, feem to have limited it to a few great and good men. Or if they spake of the future existence of the generality of mankind, they affigned them a tranfmigration into various kinds of animals, and thus brutalized the rational nature. This confufion and uncertainty refpecting a future life accounts for their wild lamentation over the dead-making them

felves bald-cutting themselves with lancets-afcending the funeral pile-entombing the living with the dead-embalming, &c. Some, with philofophic apathy, refigned themselves to their fate, affecting a total indifference to the forrows, miferies and enjoyments of life, and to its clofing fcene. The defire of fame after death proved an incentive to fome laudable deeds. How precarious are fuch motives? how vain fuch pre

tences?

The Christian, with clear and inconteftible proof of eternal retributions, looks for the bleffed hope, and endures to the end of life, whatever its croffes. His work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope bear witness to his fuperior principles, motives and maxims of conduct. Affliction is not joyous, but grievous. At the fame time, "the work of righteouf "ness is peace; and the effect of righteousness is quiet"nefs and affurance forever." He believes that all pain, forrow, darkness and temptation will be fucceeded by eternal reft, joy, light, and exemption from fin and temptation. He believes that his friends, who fleep in Jefus, are now reaping the harveft of their labours and fufferings-that in a little time he fhall be with them, never to be separated, in the world of endless joy. What abundant confolation does his faith yield him concerning pious friends removed from him, never to return? They are not dead, but fleep-fleep in Jefus, who is the refurrection and the life. The believer in Jefus is not at the mercy of chance or fatality: He is in the hands of an all-wife, powerful, holy and merciful God, the rewarder of them who diligently feek him-a God who will not fuffer him to be tempted above that he is able. The gofpel of Chrift, elevating our profpects above earth and time, teaches to rejoice as though we rejoiced not, and to weep as though we wept not-to let our moderation be known; because the Lord is at hand: It recommends a life of faith,

hope and charity; of acquiefcence in the will of our heavenly Father, whofe good pleasure it is to give the kingdom to all of this character. "If ye then be rifen "with Christ, seek those things which are above, "where Chrift is at the right hand of God. Set your "affection on things above, not on things on the earth. "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in "God. When Chrift, who is our life, fhall appear, "then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

The gofpel is the charter of all our privileges and hopes as fallen creatures. The counsel of peace therein revealed is immutable as the promise and oath of the God of truth-immutable as Jefus Chrift, "the "faithful and true witness, the fame yesterday, to-day, " and forever." Compare the immortality brought to light by him, with the uncertainty and darkness, in which the heathen nations ever have been and are involved respecting a future ftate. We may be faid to have received ten talents, and they but one. Had it not been for the light of the gofpel, what would have prevented our embracing the doctrine of tranfmigration, or of annihilation? Either of these overcafts the mind with impenetrable gloom. The moral character and government of God will eternally remain inexplicable, if these doctrines are true. We might as well worship the vanities of the pagans, as the only true and living God.

It belongs not to us to enquire why the idolatrous nations were, in times paft, or now are, left to walk in their own ways. "We thank thee, O Father, Lord "of heaven and earth, that thou haft revealed unto

us the things hid" from them-the redemption of the body-the immortality of foul and body in re-union; and that, as a pledge of the glorious truth, Jefus died, revived and afcended; and is Lord of the living and the dead.

We have been alfo called out of the darkness of Romish superstition. Hence we do not embrace their