E in all. 351 xxix. 1 Cor. xy. 28 Why else are persons baptized in the room of the dead? that God may be all in the midst of this most august assembly, SECT, giving up, as it were, his commission to preside as universal Lord in the mediatorial kingdom, to him; as having answered the end for which it was given him, in the complete salvation of all his people, whom he shall then introduce into a state of the greatest nearness to God, and most intimate converse with him ; that God may be, and that he may appear to be, all in all; that they all may enjoy complete and everlasting happiness, 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. 29 Else what shall Such are our views and hopes, as Christians; 29 they do, which are else if it were not so, what should they do, who baptized for the are baptized in token of their embracing the Christian faith in the room of the dead, who are just fallen in the cause of Christ, but are yet supported by a succession of new converts, who immediately offer themselves to fill up their places, as ranks of soldiers, that advance spirits of the blessed in their separate. state. missed the true and exact sense of this most difficult text. It is surprising to find authors of such different sentiments, as Who are baptized in the room of the It would be almost endless to Witsius, and Crellius, agreeing to speak dead] of Christ, as returning, as it were, to a enumerate, and much more to canvass, all private station, and being "as one of his the interpretations which have been given brethren," when he has thus given up the of this obscure and ambiguous phrase, I think that of Sir kingdom. The union of the Divine and Up TOY vexpov. human natures in the person of the great Richard Ellys, which I have given in the Emanuel, the incomparable virtues of paraphrase, much preferable to any other. his character, the glory of his actions, See Fortuita Sacra, p. 137, &c. As for and the relation he bears to his people, other interpretations, there is no reason with all the texts which assert the per- to believe, that the superstitious custom, petuity of his government, prohibit our mentioned by Epiphanius, of baptizing imagining that he shall ever cease to a living person, as representing one who be illustriously distinguished from all had died unbaptized, is here referred others, whether men or angels, in the to; it is more likely to have risen from heavenly world through eternal ages. a mistake of this passage, than to have To me it appears, that the kingdom to been so early prevalent. Mr. Cradock's be given up, is the rule of this lower supposing it to allude to washing dead world, which is then to be consumed; bodies, neither suits the grammar, nor and that it may not seem, as if a province really makes any significant sense. of his empire were destroyed, his admin- is there any need of supposing, that vexpo istration, undertaken in avowed sub- is put for vexps, and refers to their being servience to the scheme of redemption, baptized into the religion of Jesus, (Eph. i. 10,) and completed in the resur- who, on the adversary's hypothesis, is still rection of all his people, shall close in a dead. The senses, which Crellius, and decent and honourable manner; God will bishop Atterbury maintain, differ so little declare the ends of it fully answered, and from each other, and that we have given, the whole body of his people shall be in- that it may suffice to say, that each extroduced by him into a state of more presses but a part of the sense, and loses intimate approach to, and communion something of the spirit which we appre with God, than had been known by the hend in these words. Nor 352 And why are the apostles exposed to danger every hour? 1 Cor. SECT. to the combat in the room of their companions, dead, if the dead xxix. who have just been slain in their sight. If the rise not at all? why are they then baptizdoctrine I oppose, be true, and the dead are not ed for the dead! raised at all, why are they nevertheless thus baptized in the room of the dead, as cheerfully ready at the peril of their lives to keep up the 30 cause of Jesus in the world? And indeed, IV. 29 31 I protest by I have in Christ Je 30 And why stand how could my conduct be accounted for in any we in jeopardy eveother light, but by supposing, that we act with ry hour? a steady and governing view to this great principle, and this glorious hope? Why otherwise are we every hour exposed to so much danger, in the service of a master from whom it is evident we have no secular rewards to expect? 31 Yet, my brethren, I do upon this solemn occasion protest, and even swear to you, by the yourrejoicing which greatest of all asseverations, by our hopes and sus our Lord, I die ourjoys as Christians, by our rejoicingi and con- daily. fidence common to us all, and which I with you have in Christ Jesus our Lord; I protest, I say, by this, that I daily die; that is, that I am every day surrounded, as it were, with death in its most terrible forms, and bear so many evils, that every hour of my life seems a new mar32 tyrdom. One great instance of this has so 32 If after the lately happened, that I cannot forbear mention- manner of men I have fought with ing it. If to speak after the manner of men, or beasts at Ephesus, to use a common proverbial phrase, I have, like a slave exposed upon a public theatre, fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, having been Our rejoicing.] Our received copies stoned, and supposed to be dead. But read it, uμlspar, your rejoicing; but the reading which I follow, seems so much more natural and easy, that one can scarce forbear believing it authentic. Yet it may be interpreted into a very pertinent sense, "I protest by your joys, which I do so cordially take part in, that I may call them my own." the danger of being pulled to pieces might be greater at Ephesus; 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 history, as to so memorable an event, as a combat with beasts would have been, and St. Paul's Fought with wild beasts at Ephesus.] omitting it in the large catalogue of his The stories which Nicephorus, (lib. II. sufferings, (2 Cor. xi. 23,) together with cap. 25,) and Theodoret give us, of an his known privilege as a Roman citizen, encounter which St. Paul had with wild which would probably, as to be sure it beasts on the theatre at Ephesus, (see should legally, have protected him from Witsii. Mel. Vit. Paul. cap. viii. sect. 23, such an insult, do all, (as Mr. Cradock, &c.) have been so far regarded by Dr. and others have observed,) favour the Whitby, that he contends for the literal figurative interpretation. And the exinterpretation of this passage; in favour pression xala avogarov, after the manner of which it is also urged, that had he of men, or humanly speaking, has a prospoken of brutal men, he would rather priety on this hypothesis, which it cannot have mentioned the assaults that were have on the other, and seems to be quite made upon him at Lystra, where he was decisive. the apostle Paul, particularly, at Ephesus? drink, for tomorrow we die. 353 1 Cor. XV. 32 what advantageth it assaulted with the most savage fury by a tu- SECT. me, if the dead rise multuous multitude there, what advantage have xxix. not? let us eat and I gained by such a combat, if my hopes may not be allowed to open into immortality? On the contrary, if the dead rise not at all, the epicurean maxim might seem to be justified, "Let us make the best of this short life, which is the whole period of our being; and giving up those sublime sentiments and pursuits which belong not to creatures of so short and low an existence, let us eat and drink, since we are to die, as it were, tomorrow, or the next day for so little is the difference between one period of such a life, and another, that it is scarce worth while to make the distinction." 33 Be not deceived: Evil communications corrupt good manners. m Be not deceived, brethren, but be upon your 33 guard against such pernicious maxims and reasonings as these; and if you value either faith, or a good conscience, do not converse familiar ly with those that teach them; for, as the poet Menander well expresses it, Good manners are 34 A wake to righ- debauched, by talk profane. Awake therefore, 34 teousness, and sin as becomes righteous and good men," from the not; for some have. not the knowledge of intoxications of such wild and delusive dreams God: I speak this to as these; and sin not in supporting or countenancing doctrines, so subversive of the Christian faith and hope; for some are still ignorant of God, and with the abused light of Christianity know less of him than well improved reason might teach them. I say this to your shame, considering how much you boast of your your shame. Let us eat, &c.] This is the great argument urged to prove, that by the resurrection of the dead, St. Paul means a future state. But the true solution seems to be, that he writes all along upon a supposition, that if such proof as he had produced of Christ's resurrection, were not to be depended upon, we could have no certainty at all with respect to any future existence. And I must declare, that it seems to me, that the natural arguments of the immortality of the soul, and future retributions, do appear to carry with them great probability, not withstanding all that Mr. Hallet has offered to invalidate them. Yet the degree of evidence is by no means comparable to that, which, admitting the truths of the facts alleged, the Corin thians must have had of Christ's resurrection, with which ours has so necessary a connection. And consequently, had these proofs been given up, what might have been pleaded in favour of the other, would probably have made very little impression. m Good manners are debauched.] The original words of Menander are an iambic verse; I chose therefore to translate them thus, and it is very agreeable to the Greek, in this connection, which seems to determine quia nanai to profane discourses. "Awake, as becomes righteous men.] As some read for Jixas, dixo, which gives rather a more forcible sense, I chose this rendering, which is a kind of medium between the two readings. 354 Reflections on our resurrection from the dead. SECT. knowledge, which in this plain and important branch of it, apxxix. pears so wretchedly deficient; while you cultivate so many vain subtilties, which tend rather to corrupt, than to exalt and peryour minds. 1 Cor. xv. 34 fect IMPROVEMENT. WELL may we rejoice, to see the doctrine of our own resurverse rection so closely connected in the sacred writings, and especial12--16 ly in this excellent discourse of St. Paul, with that of our blessed Redeemer; as that they should be declared to stand, or to fall 20 together. For Christ is assuredly risen from the dead, and become 21--23 the first fruits of them that sleep. He hath repaired, to all his spiritual seed, the damage that Adam brought upon his descendants; yea, he is become to them the author of a far nobler life, than the posterity of Adam lost by him. 24--26 Let us meditate with unutterable joy on the exaltation of our glorified Head, of our gracious Sovereign, who has conquered death himself, and will make us partakers of his victory. He hath received from his Father, glory, honour, and dominion; and he shall reign till his conquest be universal and complete, and till death be not only stripped of its trophies, but rendered subservient to his triumphs; shall reign, till all his purposes for his Father's glory, and his own, be finally accomplished. 27 But O, who can express the joy and glory of that day! when Christ shall give up the kingdom to the Father, and present unto him all his faithful subjects, transformed into his own image; a beautiful and splendid church indeed, for ever to be the object of the Divine complacence, for ever to dwell in the Divine presence, in a state of the greatest nearness to God, who shall then 28 be all in all. Well may the expectation of this illustrious period cheer the Christian under his greatest extremities, and make him of all men the most happy, when otherwise, on account of his 29 sufferings in the flesh, he might seem of all men the most miserable. Well may this his rejoicing in Christ Jesus, that sacred oath, which this persecuted and distressed apostle, with so su 31 blime a spirit, here uses, encourage him to go on, though he be 32, 34 daily dying; though he were daily to encounter the most savage of mankind, and death itself in its most dreadful forms. Well may this knowledge of God, of his gracious purposes, and of his exalted Son, awaken us to righteousness; well may it deliver us from the bondage of sin. Let us retain these noble principles of doctrine and action, and guard against those evil communications, those sceptical and 33 licentious notions, which would corrupt our spirits, which would enervate every generous spark which the gospel kindles up into a flame, and by bounding our views within the narrow circle of But some will say, How are the dead raised up mortal life, would degrade us from the anticipations of angelical SECT. felicity, to the pursuits of brutal gratification. SECT. XXX. The apostle answers objections against the resurrection, drawn from our not being able to conceive of the particular manner in which it shall be effected; and concludes with urging it, as a noble incentive to the greatest steadiness and zeal in religion. 1 Cor. XV. 35, to the end. 1 COR. XV. 35. BUT UT some man are the dead raised I 1 CORINTHIANS XV. 35. xxix. 1 Cor. xv. v. 35 HAVE thus endeavoured to confirm your SECT. faith, and establish your hope, in the great xxx. up? and with what and glorious doctrine of a resurrection; but body do they come? some one will perhaps be ready petulantly to object, and say, how are the dead raised up, when their bodies are quite dissolved, and the particles, of which they consisted, scattered abroad, and perhaps become parts of other bodies? and if they are raised, with what [kind of] bodies do they come out of their graves, and what alteration is made in their constitution, and organization, to fit them for a future life, in so many respects different from this? 36 Thou fool, that Thou thoughtless creature, who perhaps prid. 36 which thou sowest, est thyself in the sagacity of this objection, as is not quickened ex- if it were some mighty effort of penetration, cept it die. how easily mightest thou find an answer to it from what passes every day in the works of nature? That seed which thou sowest in thy field, is not quickened to new life and verdure, except it appear to die before it springs up to the future vegetable, whatever it be, it is macerated, decayed, and at length consumed in And [as for] that which thou sow- 37 37 And that which the earth. thou sowest, thou est, thou sowest not the body which shall be proso west not that body duced from that seed which is committed to that shall be, but bare grain, it may the ground, but bare grain, perhaps of wheat, chance of wheat, or or of any other kind of [grain,] in which there of some other grain is no appearance of root, or of stalk, of blade, • Except it die.] To this it hath been objected, that if the seed die, it never bears fruit." But it is certain, that the seed in general does consume away in the ground, though a little germen, or bud, which makes a part of it, springs up into new life, and is fed by the death and cor. |