on. By their being laid as Sheep in the Grave, and Death feeding on them, can be underflood of no other than the Wicked; and therefore by the Upright, all the Saints, and Children of God are fignified By the Upright having Dominion over the Wicked, in the Morning; must be referr❜d to the Morning of the Refurrection: And by their having the Dominion, I understand not only the Glory and Excellency of the Saints to be meant ; but the Precedency in refpect of time, which they fhall have over the Ungodly in the Refurrection: The Upright rifing in the Morning, the other not rifing until the Evening of that great Day of Judg ment; Death during this time of Diftance will continue feeding upon their Bodies in the Grave,

Ninthly, I cannot but take Notice once again, (as to this) of thofe Words of our Lord in Luke xx. 35. but they who fhall be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Refurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in Marriage, &c. but are the Children of God, being the Children of the Refurretion. What I fhall further obferve from hence is, that none fhall be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Refurrection from the Dead, but they which indeed are the Children of God. Here is not a Word in this Place, concerning the Refurrection of the Wicked, and why? Because they will not be accounted worthy to obtain the Glory of that new World, nor the Refurrection from the Dead, as not being the Children of God, and fo not the Children of the first Refurrection. Though it is true they must all arife, but not at this time, when this new World is to commence, upon the account that they are not to partake of the Glory

of

of that blessed State, none but those who are the only and proper Children of the Refurrection. And why is it? What Reafon is there that can be given that they fhould be called the Children of the Refur rection, being counted worthy to partake of the Glory of the World to come; if not to fhew the Precedency, as well as the Excellency, which the Saints fhall have of the Wicked, When the Upright fball have the Dominion over them in the Morning?

Tenthly, Here is another Text, I fhall bring for the Proof of this Point; and that is in the Theff. iv. 16. For the Lord himself fall defcend from Heaven with a Shout, with the Voice of the Archan gel, and with the Trump of God; and the Dead in Chrift fall rife first.

Now however fome interpret this firft Refur rection, to be no other in thefe Words, but the rifing of the dead Saints before the changing of the living: Yet I would feign know of fuch, whether this is all that is intended in the Text; if they fay it is, then I defire them to confider a little more upon the Words; and compare them with that parallel Place in 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52, Behold I fhew you a Myftery, we shall not all fleep, (that is die) but we shall be changed, (that is thofe Saints who fhall be found living when Chrift comes) in a Moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, at the laft Trump, (for the Trumpet fhall found) and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

I fay let this be well confider'd, by comparing it with the other; and if it should be granted, that the Dead inChrift rifing firft, refpects their rifing before the changing of the living Saints; let us but enquire how long a diftance of time we may fuppofe there

will be between them; whether it will (upon Exami nation) deferve to be called a first Refurrection? For if this fhould be the meaning of the Words, there muft certainly be fome time of Distance, not only to answer the end, but to specify unto the Saints, that they do rife firft. Now what a Diftance here is, we may confider in this fifteenth of Corinthians, to be juft nothing at all; because the Dead do not arife, until the Lord himself shall come from Heaven with a Shout, with the Voice of the Archangel, and the Trump of God; and then it it is that the living Saints are changed; as it is expreffed with great Plainnefs in the Texts. We fhall not all fleep, but we shall be changed in a Moment, in the twinkling of an Eye at the laft Trump, for the Trumpet fhall found, and the dead fhall be raifed incorruptible, and we (that are living) hall be changed. So that it doth undeniably appear from this, that when the one is saifed, then, at the fame time the other are changed, yea both into a State of Incorruptibility and Immortality. Yet if fome will have a Distance between them, how little is it, fo as that it cannot be perceived, for what time is there in a Moment? And if there be any Distance, this is all that can be conceived of, and what time can we fuppofe to be in the twinkling of an Eye, fo as to deferve fuch a Diftinction of a rifing firft? Therefore this cannot be the meaning.

But that which is principally intended by the Holy Ghoft, in this Expreffion, is to acquaint the Children of God, that they fhall have the Precedency in Refpect of Time, as well as the Glory of their Refurrection. For here being nothing expreffed

expreffed in all this Difcourfe, concerning the rifing of the Wicked; there might fuch a Thought as this arise in the Minds of the Saints; But what will become of the Ungodly? will they arise when we do? Or where fhall they be at that time? The Apoftle removes this Scruple out of the way, and fatisfies them in thefe Words, by acquainting of them, that the Dead in Chrift rife first. And fo Thews, that the Dead in Chrift, together with the Living, will be both the one raised, and the other changed, before the Wicked (the rest of the Dead) arife or live again: And this indeed will be fuch a long Distance of Time (to wit, a thousand Tears) as may well deferve to be called a rifing firft, or a firft Refurrection.

But I have not yet done with this Theffalonian Text; therefore when the Spirit of God, by the Apoftle, had afferted this by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, fhall not prevent them which are asleep. Verse 15. tells us as a Reason why we shall not be prevented in Verfe 16. For the Lord himself fhall defcend from Heaven with a Shout, with the Voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God. Here lies the Weight of the Argument, why the living fhall not prevent, (or hinder) the dead Saints from rifing to participate of that Glory, which is to be brought unto them, at the Revelation of Jefus Chrift: It is because the Lord himfelf will come from Heaven, and bring the Souls of all that fleep in Jefus, along with him, as it is in Verse 14. and because he will come with a Shout, fuch a loud Voice of the Archangel, and the Trump of God, as will awaken their Bodies, and raise them all up out of their Graves,

to

to be reunited with their Souls into a perfect State of Glory for ever. This is the reafon, here I fay lies the weight of the Apoftles Argument, why we which are alive and remain, fhall not prevent them which are asleep. There lies no weight in that Expreffion (as to this) and the dead in Chrift rife firft. It matters not much, whether the Dead fhall be raifed, before the living Saints are changed, or whether the Living fhall be changed before the dead Saints are raifed; or whether they will be both together at one and the fame time (as afore) let it be which it will, here is nothing can be drawn from hence, as an Argument to be a let or hindrance in preventing the Bodies of those Saints that fleep in Jefus from rifing.

Therefore this Expreffion, and the Dead in Chrift rife firft, ftands as it were, intire by it felf, as not having that Dependance (as fome would have it) upon the foregoing Words. For that Particle and (according to my Apprehenfion) does fhew that thefe Words are a diftinct Branch of it felf; pray do but mind it, and the dead in Chrift rife firft. Now if the Spirit of God had intended to have lain the Argument of the dead Saints not being prevented from rifing, to their rifing before the Living are changed, and therefore they rife firft, that they may not be prevented; and fo this laft Expreffion of the 16th Verse to be the fame, and to have a close Connection with the Words 'foregoing, then without Doubt the Apoftle would have put in the Word for instead of and; that fo the Senfe might run more fmooth, as being all of one Piece; and then we should have read the Words thus, For this me fay unto you by the Word of the Lord, that Ccc

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