A Body of Divinity, Vol. 3 (of 4) Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism (part 2 of 3)

A Body of Divinity, Vol. 3 (of 4) Wherein the doctrines of the Christian religion are explained and defended, being the substance of several lectures on the Assembly's Larger Catechism (part 2 of 3)

5. From the inconveniences we sustain by the flesh prevailing against the spirit, as we are foiled by temptation, fall into sins and are hindered in spiritual services, we infer the great hurt that sin does to those who are in a justified and sanctified state, as well as to others, who are under the dominion of it. And therefore it is a vile and unwarrantable way of speaking which some use, who say, that because nothing shall separate them from the love of Christ, or bring them who are justified, back again into an unjustified state, that therefore sin can do them no hurt; as though all the consequences of the prevalency of corrupt nature, and the dishonour we bring to God, and the guilt we contract hereby, could hardly be reckoned prejudicial; but this is such a way of speaking as confutes itself in the opinion of all judicious and sober Christians.

Again, we might also infer, from the consequences of the prevalency of corruption, as we are liable hereby to be discouraged from, or hindered in the performance of duty; that we ought, if we find it thus with us, to take occasion from hence to enquire, whether some secret sin be not indulged and entertained by us, which gives occasion to the prevalency of corrupt nature, which we ought to be humbled for. Or if we have lived in the omission of those duties which are incumbent on us, or have provoked God to leave us to ourselves, and so have had an hand in our present evils; this affords matter of great humiliation. And we ought to be very importunate with God for restoring grace, not only that our faith may not fail; but that we may be recovered out of the snare in which we are entangled, and may be brought off victorious over all our spiritual enemies.

Footnote 223:

Τελεσος.

Footnote 78:

Αρλος.

Footnote 79:

The word is καταρτισαι; which signifies to give them an internal disposition or fitness for the performance of the duties which they were to engage in, Heb. xiii. 21.

Footnote 80:

It is a true observation which some have laid down in this known aphorism, Nemo repente fit turpissimus.

Quest. LXXIX.

QUEST. LXXIX. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?

ANSW. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation.

It is natural for persons, when they enjoy any blessing, to be solicitous about their retaining it; otherwise the pleasure that arises from it; if it is like to be short and transitory, is rather an amusement than a solid and substantial happiness. The same may be said of those graces and privileges which believers are made partakers of, as the fruits and effects of the death of Christ: These are undoubtedly the most valuable blessings; therefore it highly concerns us to enquire; whether we may assuredly conclude, that we shall not lose them, and so fail of that future blessedness which we have had so delightful a prospect of?

The saints’ perseverance has not only been denied by many since the reformation, and, in particular, by Papists, Socinians, and Remonstrants: But by the Pelagians of old; and all those whose sentiments bear some affinity to, or are derived from their scheme. And, indeed, when we find persons endeavouring to establish the doctrine of conditional election, universal redemption, &c. or when they explain the nature of human liberty, as they do, who make the grace of God to be dependent on it for its efficacy in the beginning and carrying on the work of conversion and sanctification; and accordingly assert, that the will has an equal power to determine itself to good or evil; or, that the grace of God affords no other assistance to promote the one or fence against the other, than what is objective, or, at least, by supporting our natural faculties; and if there be any divine concourse, that it consists only in what respects the external dispensations of providence, as a remote means conducive thereunto, the event hereof depending on our own conduct or disposition to improve these means: I say, if persons maintain these and such-like doctrines, it is not to be wondered, when we find them pleading for the possibility of a believer’s falling totally and finally from the grace of God. For they who have brought themselves into a state of grace, may apostatize, or fall from it. If the free-will of man first inclined itself to exercise those graces which we call special, such as faith, repentance, love to God, &c. then it will follow, that he may lose them and relapse to the contrary vices; and by this means men may plunge themselves into the same depths of sin and misery from whence they had before escaped; and, according to this scheme, there may be, in the course of our lives, a great many instances of defection from the grace of God, and recovery to it, and finally, a drawing back unto perdition: Or if a person be so happy as to recover himself out of his last apostacy before he leaves the world, then he is saved; otherwise he finally perishes. This is a doctrine which some defend, the contrary whereunto we shall endeavour to maintain, as being the subject insisted on in this answer.

But before we proceed to the defence thereof, it may not be amiss to premise something, which may have, at least, a remote tendency to dispose us to receive conviction from the arguments which may be brought to prove it. Thus we may consider that the contrary side of the question is in itself less desirable, if it could be defended. It is certain, that the doctrine of the possibility of the saints falling from grace, tends very much to abate that delight and comfort which the believer has in the fore-views of the issue and event of his present state. It is a very melancholy thought to consider, that he who is now advanced to the very borders of heaven, may be cast down into hell; or that, though he has at present an interest in the special and discriminating love of God, he may afterwards become the object of his hatred, so as never to behold his face with joy in a future world; or that, though his feet are set upon a rock, yet his goings are not established; though he is walking in a plain and safe path, yet he may be ensnared, entangled, and fall, so as never to rise again; that though God be his friend, yet he may suffer him to fall into the hands of his enemies, and be ruined and undone thereby, as though his own glory were not concerned in his coming off victorious over them, or connected with the salvation of his people: So that as this doctrine renders the state of believers very precarious and uncertain, it tends effectually to damp their joys, and blast their expectations, and subject them to perpetual bondage; and it is a great hindrance to their offering praise and thanksgiving to God, whose grace is not so much magnified towards them, as it would be, had they ground to conclude that the work which is now begun, should certainly be brought to perfection.

And on the other hand, the doctrine which we are to maintain, is in itself so very comfortable, that if we were, at present, in suspense concerning the truth thereof, we cannot but desire that it may appear to be agreeable to the mind of God: It is certainly a very delightful thing for us to be assured, that what is at present well, shall end well; that they who are brought to believe in Christ, shall for ever abide with him; and that the work of grace, which, at present, affords so fair and pleasing a prospect of its being at last perfected in glory, shall not miscarry. This will have a tendency to enhance our joy in proportion to the ground we have to conclude that the work is true and genuine; and it will excite our thankfulness to God, when we consider, that he who is the author, will also be the finisher of faith: So that it is certain this doctrine deserves confirmation; and accordingly we shall endeavour to establish our faith therein in the following method:

I. We shall consider what we are to understand by persevering in grace, or falling from it.

II. We shall prove, that the best believers would certainly fall from grace, were they left to themselves: So that their perseverance therein, is principally to be ascribed to the power of God, which keeps them, through faith, unto salvation.

III. We shall consider, what ground we have to conclude that the saints shall persevere in grace; and so explain and illustrate the several arguments insisted on in this answer; to which we shall add some others taken from several scriptures by which this doctrine may be defended.

IV. We shall endeavour to answer some objections that are generally brought against it.

V. We shall consider what we are to understand by persevering in grace, or falling from it.

1. When we speak of a person as persevering in grace, this supposes that he has the truth of grace. We do not hereby intend that a person may not fall away from a profession of faith; or that no one can lose that which we generally call common grace, which, in many things, bears a resemblance to that which is saving. We have before considered, that there is a temporary faith, whereby persons appear religious, while it comports with their secular interest; but when they are called by reason of persecution or tribulation, which may arise for the sake of the gospel, to forego their worldly interests, or quit their pretensions to religion, they fall away, or lose that grace which they seemed to have, as the Evangelist expresses it, Luke viii. 18. We read of some whose hope of salvation is like the spider’s web, or the giving up of the ghost; but these are described not as true believers, but hypocrites. It is beyond dispute that such may apostatize, and not only lay aside the external practice of some religious duties, but deny and oppose the doctrines of the gospel, which they once assented to the truth of.

2. It is certain that true believers may fall into very great sins; but yet they shall be recovered and brought again to repentance: therefore we must distinguish between their dishonouring Christ, disobeying his commands, and thereby provoking him to be angry with him; and their falling away totally from him. We have before considered, when we proved that perfection is not attainable in this life, that the best men are sometimes chargeable with great failings and defects. And indeed, sometimes their sins are very heinously aggravated, their conversation in the mean while discovering that they are destitute of the actings of grace, and that to such a degree that they can hardly be distinguished from those who are in an unregenerate state: accordingly it is one thing for a believer not to be able to put forth those acts of grace which he once did; and another thing for him to lose the principle of grace: it would be a very preposterous thing to say, that when David sinned in the matter of Uriah, the principle of grace exerted itself; yet it was not wholly lost. It is not the same in this case, as in the more common instances of the saints’ infirmities, which they are daily chargeable with, in which, the conflict that there is between the flesh and spirit appears; for when corrupt nature exerts itself in such a degree that it leads persons to the commission of deliberate and presumptuous sins, they hardly appear to be believers at that time: nevertheless if we compare what they were before they fell, with what they shall be when brought to repentance, we may conclude, that they did not, by their fall, bring themselves altogether into a state of unregeneracy.

3. It is beyond dispute, that as a believer may be destitute of the acts of grace; so he may lose the comforts thereof, and sink into the depths of despair. Of this we have several instances recorded in scripture, which are agreeable to the experiences of many in our day: thus the Psalmist, at one time, speaks of himself, as cast down, and his soul disquieted within him, Psal. xliii. 5. and cxvi. 3. And at another time he says, The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me. And elsewhere he complains, Will the Lord cast off for ever? will he be favourable no more? is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies, Psal. lxxvii. 7-9. And again, a believer is represented as being altogether destitute of a comfortable sense of the divine love, when complaining, Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise thee? Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction? Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off, Psal. lxxxviii. 6. &c. And it is certain, that when at any time he falls into very great sins, which seem inconsistent with a state of grace, he has no present evidence that he is a believer; and is never favoured with a comfortable sense of his interest in Christ, nor is the joy of God’s salvation restored to him, till he is brought unfeignedly to repent of his sin. Former experiences will not evince the truth of grace, while he remains impenitent. It is a bad sign when any one, who formerly appeared to have the truth of grace, but is now fallen into great sins, concludes himself to be in a state of grace, without the exercise of true repentance; for this can be deemed little better than presumption: however, God, whose mercy is infinitely above our deserts, will, in the end, recover him; though, at present, he does not look like one of his children.

4. There are some who suppose that a believer may fall totally, though not finally from grace. And their reason for it is this; because they conclude, as they have sufficient warrant to do, from scripture, that they shall not fall finally, inasmuch as the purpose of God concerning election, must stand; if they had not been chosen to salvation they would never have been brought into a state of grace: they are supposed, before they fell, to have been sanctified; whereas sanctification is inseparably connected with salvation; and therefore, though they consider them, at this time, as having lost the grace of sanctification, and so to have fallen totally; yet they shall be recovered, and therefore not fall finally. Sanctification is Christ’s purchase; and where grace is purchased for any one, a price of redemption is paid for his deliverance from condemnation; and consequently he shall be recovered and saved at last, though, at present, he is, according to their opinion, totally fallen.

These suppose, not only that the acts of grace may be lost, but the very principle, and the reason hereof is, because they cannot see, how great and notorious sins, such as those committed by David, Peter, Solomon, and some others, can consist with a principle of grace: this indeed cuts the knot of some difficulties that seem to attend the doctrine of the saints perseverance, though falling into great sins: nevertheless, I think it may easily be proved, which we shall endeavour to do, that they shall be preserved from a total, as well as a final apostacy: or, that when they fall into great sins, they do not lose the principle of grace, though it be, at present, innactive; which we shall take occasion to insist on, more particularly under a following head, when we consider that argument mentioned in this answer for the proof of this doctrine taken from the Spirit and seed of God abiding in a believer, as that which preserves him from a total as well as a final apostacy.

II. We shall now consider, that the best believers would certainly fall from grace, were they left to themselves: so that their perseverance therein is principally to be ascribed to the power of God, that keeps them through faith unto salvation. This is particularly observed in this answer, in which several arguments are laid down to prove the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance in grace, and it is supposed to be founded on his power, and will, to maintain it. God is styled the preserver of men, Job vii. 20. inasmuch as he upholds all things by the word of his power, so that independency on him is inconsistent with the idea of our being creatures; and we have no less ground to conclude, that his power maintains the new creature, or that grace, which took its first rise from him. Should he fail or forsake us, we could not put forth the least act of grace, much less persevere therein. When man at first came out of the hands of God, he was endowed with a greater ability to stand than any one, excepting our Saviour, has been favoured with, since sin entered into the world; yet he apostatized, not from any necessity of nature, but by adhering to that temptation which he might have withstood. Then how unable is he to stand in his present state, who is become weak, and, though brought into a state of grace, renewed and sanctified but in part; having still the remainders of corruption, which maintain a constant opposition to the principle of grace? Our perseverance in grace cannot therefore be owing to ourselves; accordingly the apostle ascribes this to a divine hand, when he says, that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. i. 5.

A late celebrated writer, on the other side of the question,[81] attempts to evade the force of this argument to prove the doctrine of perseverance, though I think, without much strength of reasoning, when he says; that all who are preserved to salvation, are kept by the power of God, but not that all believers are so kept.

To which it may be replied, that all believers, whose character answers that of the church, to which the apostle writes, shall be saved; namely, all who are begotten again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them; whose faith, after it has been tried, shall be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. i. 3, 4, 7. I say, these shall certainly be saved: therefore, if all who are thus preserved to salvation, are kept by the power of God, this is all we need contend for. And whereas he adds, that when they are said to be kept through faith, the meaning is, they are kept, if they continue in the faith. To this it may be replied, That their continuance in the faith was put out of all dispute, by what is said concerning them in the words going before and following, as row referred to. And as to his argument, it amounts to no more than this; that they shall be kept by the power of God, if they keep themselves; or they shall persevere if they persevere, to which I need make no reply.

But since our main design in this head is not to prove that believers shall persevere, which we reserve to our next; but to shew that whatever we assert concerning their perseverance, take its rise from God; we shall consider this as plainly contained in scripture. Accordingly the apostle speaks of the Lord’s delivering him from every evil work, and preserving him to his heavenly kingdom, 2 Tim. iv. 18. Jude, ver. 1. and the apostle Jude speaks of believers as sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called, or as being first called, and then preserved by God the Father, through the intervention of Christ, our great Mediator, till they are brought to glory. And our Saviour, in his affectionate prayer for his church, a little before he left the world, says, Holy Father, keep, through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me, John xvii. 11. which not only proves that the perseverance of the saints is owing to God, but that the glory of his own name is concerned herein; therefore it is not from ourselves, but him: and there is another scripture, in which our Saviour, speaks of the perseverance of his sheep in grace, and of his giving them eternal life, and adds, that they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hand, chap. x. 28. therefore it is owing to his care, as the great Shepherd of the sheep, and to his power, that is superior to that of all those who attempt to destroy them, that they shall persevere in grace. And this leads us to consider,

III. What ground we have to conclude that the saints shall persevere in grace, and so explain and illustrate the arguments insisted on in this answer, together with some others that may be taken from the sense of several scriptures, by which this doctrine may be defended.

1. The saints’ perseverance in grace may be proved from the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and purpose, relating to their salvation, in which it is discovered and executed. That God loved them with a love of good-will, before they were inclined to express any love to him, is evident; because their love to him is assigned as the effect and consequence of his love to them, as the apostle says, We love him because he first loved us, 1 John iv. 19. Therefore this love of God to his people, must be considered as an immanent act; from whence it follows, that it was from eternity, since all God’s immanent acts are eternal: and this is particularly expressed by the prophet, when he says, The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, Jer. xxxi. 3. If this be meant of a love that shall never have an end, it plainly proves the doctrine we are defending; but inasmuch as the words that immediately follow, Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee, seem to intimate that this everlasting love is that which was from everlasting; as his drawing them or bringing them into a converted state is the result hereof: therefore this everlasting love is the same as his eternal purpose, or design to save them. If there be such an eternal purpose relating to their salvation, this necessarily infers their perseverance; and that there was such a design in God has been already proved under a foregoing answer[82]. And they who are the objects of this eternal purpose of grace are frequently described, in scripture, as believers, inasmuch as faith and salvation are inseparably connected together; therefore, the execution of God’s purpose in giving faith, necessarily infers the execution thereof, in saving them that believe.

That this purpose of grace is unchangeable, has been before proved[83]; and may be farther argued from what the apostle speaks concerning the immutability of his counsel, shewn to the heirs of promise, as the ground of that strong consolation which they have who are flying for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before them, Heb. vi. 17, 18. Therefore, if God cannot change his purpose, relating to the salvation of believers, it necessarily follows, that they shall certainly attain this salvation, and consequently, that they shall persevere in grace.

Obj. To this it will be objected, that though God may be said to love his people, while they retain their integrity, yet they may provoke him by their sins to cast them off; therefore the present exercise of divine love to them is no certain argument that it shall be extended to the end, so as that, by virtue hereof, he will enable them to persevere, and then bring them to glory.

Answ. To this it may be replied; that we do not deny that believers, by their sins, may provoke God so far, as that, if he should mark their iniquities, or deal with them according to the demerit thereof, he would cast them off for ever; but this he will not do, because it is inconsistent with his purpose to recover them from their backslidings, and forgive their iniquities. Moreover, it cannot be denied, that, notwithstanding God’s eternal love to them, there are many instances of his hatred and displeasure expressed in the external dispensations of his providence, which are as often changed, as their conduct towards him is changed; but this does not infer a change in God’s purpose: he may testify his displeasure against them, or as the Psalmist expresses it, Visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes, Psal. lxxxix. 32. Nevertheless he cannot change his resolution to save them; and therefore, by some methods of grace, he will recover them from their backslidings, and enable them to persevere in grace, since his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure.

2. Another argument to prove the saints’ perseverance, may be taken from the covenant of grace, and the many promises respecting their salvation, which are contained therein. That this may appear, let it be considered,

(1.) That Christ was appointed to be the head of this covenant, as was observed in a foregoing answer[84]; and accordingly there was an eternal transaction between the Father and him; in which, all things were stipulated in the behalf of his elect, whom he therein represented, which relate to their everlasting salvation. In this covenant God the Father, not only promised that he should have a seed to serve him, Psal. xxii. 30. but that he should see his seed; and that the pleasure of the Lord, with relation to them, should prosper in his hand; that he should see of the travel of his soul, and be satisfied, Isa. liii. 10, 11. which implies, that he should see the fruits and effects of all that he had done and suffered for them, in order to their salvation; and this is not spoken of some of them, but of all; and it could not have had its accomplishment, were it possible for them not to persevere in grace.

(2.) In this covenant, Christ has undertaken to keep them, as the result of his becoming a Surety for them, in which he not only engaged to pay the debt of obedience and sufferings that was due from them, which he has already done; but that he would work all that grace in them which he purchased by his blood; and he has already begun this work in them which is not yet accomplished: can we therefore suppose that he will not bring it to perfection, nor enable them to endure to the end, that they may be saved, which would argue the greatest unfaithfulness in him, who is styled Faithful and True?

Moreover, as there are engagements on Christ’s part, relating hereunto, and in pursuance thereof, they are said to be in his hand; so the Father has given them an additional security, that they shall be preserved from apostasy; and therefore they are also said to be in his hand; from whence none can pluck them out; and from thence it is argued, that they shall never perish, John x. 28, 29. And we may observe, that the life which Christ is said to give them respects not only the beginning thereof, in the first grace which they are made partakers of in conversion; but it is called eternal life, which certainly denotes the completing of this work in their everlasting salvation.

(3.) The subject-matter of the promises contained in the covenant of grace, relates not only to their sanctification here, but salvation hereafter; in which respect it is called an everlasting covenant, and the mercies thereof, the sure mercies of David, Isa. lv. 3, 4. that is, either those mercies which David, who had an interest in this covenant, was given to expect; or mercies which Christ had engaged to purchase and bestow, who is here called David, as elsewhere, Hos. iii. 5. inasmuch as David was an eminent type of him, as well as because he was his seed according to the flesh; and that this is the more probable sense of the two, appears from the following words, in which he is said to be given for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people: and if these mercies are in Christ’s hand to apply, it is no wonder that they are styled sure mercies.

We might here consider the covenant of grace as containing in it all the promises that respect the beginning, carrying on, or completing the salvation of his people; and these relate not only to what God will do for them; but what he will enable them to be, and do, in those things that concern their faithfulness to him, whereby they have the highest security that they shall behave themselves as becomes a covenant-people. Thus he assures them, that he will be to them a God, that is, that he will glorify his divine perfections in bestowing on them the special and distinguishing blessings of the covenant; and that they shall be to him a people, that is, shall behave themselves so as that they shall not, by apostacy from him, oblige him to disown his relation to them, or exclude them from his covenant. He has not only encouraged them to expect those great things that he would do for them, provided they yielded obedience to his law; but that he would put his law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, whereby they might be disposed to obey him: and when he says, that they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, he gives them to understand that they should not only teach or instruct one other in the knowledge of God, which respects their being favoured with the external means of grace; but that they should all know him, from the least of them unto the greatest. This not only denotes that they should have a speculative knowledge of divine truth, but a saving knowledge thereof; which is inseparably connected with life eternal, John xvii. 3. as appears from its being accompanied with, or flowing from forgiveness of sin, as it immediately follows; for I will forgive their iniquity; and this is expressed with a peculiar emphasis, which is certainly inconsistent with their falling from a justified state, when it is said, I will remember their sin no more, Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. And elsewhere, when God speaks of his making an everlasting covenant with his people, chap. xxxii. 40. he promises that he will not turn away from them to do them good; and, inasmuch as they are prone, by reason of the deceitfulness of their hearts, to turn aside from him, he adds, I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me; it is not only said that he will not turn from them, if they fear him; but he gives them security in this covenant, that they shall fear him: can we therefore conclude that they, in whom this covenant is so far made good, that God has put his fear in their hearts, which is supposed in their being believers, shall not attain the other blessing promised, to wit, that of their not departing from him?

Moreover, the stability of this covenant, as a foundation of the saints’ perseverance, is set forth by a metaphor, taken from the most fixed and stable parts of nature; and it is said to exceed them herein; The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee; neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee, Isa. liv. 10.

Object. The principal objection that is brought to enervate the force of this argument taken from those promises of the covenant, which respect the saints’ perseverance, is, that they are to be considered either as conditional, and the conditions thereof not fulfilled, in which case they are not obliging, and therefore God is not bound to give salvation to those to whom he has promised it, upon these conditions; or else they are to be considered as made to a political body, viz. the Jewish nation, in which case it is not to be supposed that they respect their eternal salvation, but only some temporal deliverance which they were to be made partakers of, that belonged to that church in general; for everlasting salvation is never considered as a blessing that shall be applied to whole nations, how much soever an whole nation may partake of the common gifts of divine bounty which are bestowed in this world.

Answ. In answer to this objection, in both its branches, I need only refer to what has been said elsewhere. As to the former branch thereof, we have endeavoured to shew how those scriptures are to be understood which are laid down in a conditional form, without supposing that they militate against the absoluteness of God’s purpose, or its unchangeableness, and independency on the conduct of men.[85] And as to the latter branch thereof; what has been said in answer to an objection of the like nature, brought against the doctrine of election by Dr. Whitby, and others, who suppose that the blessings, which the elect are said to be made partakers of in scripture, respect the nation of the Jews, or the church in general, and not a particular number chosen out of them to salvation; and that the promises which are directed to them, are only such as they were given to expect, as a church or political body of men, may well be applied to our present purpose, and serve as an answer to this objection;[86] therefore all that I shall add by way of reply to it, in this place, is,

[1.] If any thing be annexed to these promises of the covenant, that gives occasion for some to conclude, that it is conditional, we must take heed that we do not understand such expressions as denoting the dependance of God’s determinations on the arbitrary will of man; as though his purpose relating to the salvation of his people were indeterminate, and it were a matter of doubt with him, as well as with us, whether he should fulfil it or no; because it is uncertain whether the conditions thereof shall be performed; for this supposition is inconsistent with the divine perfections: but, if, on the other hand, we suppose that the grace or duty annexed to the promise, must have some idea of a condition contained in it; this may be understood according to the tenor of God’s revealed will, as denoting nothing else but a condition of our expectation, or of our claim to the blessing promised; and then nothing can be inferred from hence, but that some who lay claim to, or expect salvation, without performing the condition thereof, may apostatize, and so miss of it; which does not in the least militate against the doctrine we are defending.

And to this we may farther add, that when such a condition is annexed to a promise (for I will not decline to call it so, in the sense but now laid down) and there is another promise added, in which God engages that he will enable them to perform this condition, that is equivalent to an absolute promise; and of this kind are those conditions that are mentioned in the scriptures before referred to, as has been already observed. When God promises that he will be a God to them, that he will forgive their iniquities, and never reverse the sentence of forgiveness, or remember their sins no more, and that he will never turn away from them to do them good; he, at the same time promises, that he will put his law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and put his fear in their hearts, and so enable them to behave themselves as his people, or to be to him a people; and when God sets forth the stability of his covenant, and intimates that it should not be removed, he adds, that his kindness shall not depart from them, which kindness does not barely respect some temporal blessings which he would bestow upon them, but his extending that grace to them that should keep them faithful to him; and therefore he says, that in righteousness they should be established; which contains a promise to maintain grace in them, without which they could hardly be said to be established in righteousness, as well as that he would perform the other things promised to them in this covenant.

[2.] As to the other branch of the objection, in which the promises are considered as given to the church in general, or to the Jews, as a political body of men; and that this cannot be supposed to respect their everlasting salvation, but only some temporal blessings which they should enjoy, it may be replied, That this is to be determined by the express words contained in the promise: if God tells them that he will do that for them which includes more in it than the blessings which they are supposed to enjoy, that are of a temporal nature, we are not to conclude that there is nothing of salvation contained in them, when the words seem to imply that there is. And though these promises are said to be given to the Jews, as a political body of men, and there are some circumstances therein, which have an immediate and particular relation to them: yet the promises of special grace and salvation were to be applied only by those who believed amongst them; and the same promises are to be applied by believers in all ages; or else we must understand those scriptures only as an historical relation of things that do not belong to us; which would tend very much to detract from the spirituality and usefulness of many parts of scripture.

To make this appear, we might consider some promises which, when first made, had a particular relation to God’s dealings with his people in those circumstances in which they were at that time; which, notwithstanding, are applied in a more extensive manner, to New Testament believers in all ages. Thus when God tells his people, in the scripture before referred to, that all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, Isa. liv. 13. whatever respect this may have to the church of the Jews, our Saviour applies it in a more extensive way, as belonging to believers in all ages, when he says, Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me, John vi. 45. And when God promises Joshua that he would not fail nor forsake him, and encourages him thereby, not to fear nor be dismayed, Josh. i. 5, 9. when he was to pass over Jordan, into the land of Canaan; and after that, to engage in a work which was attended with many difficulties: this promise is applied, by the apostle, as an inducement to believers, in his day, to be content with such things as they have; accordingly he adds, that what God told Joshua of old, the same was written for their encouragement, viz. that he would never leave them, nor forsake them, Heb. xiii. 5. We cannot therefore but conclude from hence, that this objection is of no force in either of its branches, to overthrow the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, as founded on the stability of the promises of the covenant of grace.

3. The saints’ perseverance in grace may be farther proved from their inseparable union with Christ: this union is not only federal, as he is the head of the covenant of grace, and they his members, whose salvation he has engaged to bring about, as was observed under the last head; but he may be considered also as their vital head, from whom they receive spiritual life and influence; so that as long as they abide in him, their spiritual life is maintained as derived from him: if we consider the church, or the whole election of grace as united to him, it is called, His body, Col. i. 24. the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Eph. i. 23. and every believer being a member of this body, or a part, if I may so express it, of this fulness, if it should perish and be separated from him, his body would be defective, and he would sustain a loss of that which is an ingredient in his fulness.

Moreover, as this union includes in it that relation between Christ and his people, which is, by a metaphorical way of speaking, styled conjugal;[87] and accordingly is mutual, as the result of his becoming theirs by an act of grace, and they his by an act of self-dedication; this is the foundation of mutual love, which is abiding, it is certainly so on his part; because it is unchangeable, as founded on a covenant-engagement, which he cannot violate; and though their love to him be in itself subject to change, through the prevalency of corrupt nature, which too much inclines them to be unstedfast in this marriage-covenant; yet he will recover and bring them back to him, and will not deal with them as persons do with strangers, whom they exclude from their presence or favour, if they render themselves unworthy of it; but they who stand in a nearer relation to him, and accordingly are the objects of his special love, shall not be cast off for ever, how much soever he may resent their unworthy behaviour to him. Not to be separate from Christ, is, according to the apostle’s expression, not to be separated from his love; and this, he says, he was persuaded that he should not be, or that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to do it, Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39. Accordingly it is said, that having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them unto the end, John xiii. 1.

Here I cannot but take notice of a very jejune and empty sense which some give of this text, to evade the force of the argument taken from it, to prove the doctrine we are maintaining. How plausible soever it may seem to be to those who conclude that this must be the true sense, because it favours their own cause: by his own they mean no other than Christ’s disciples, whom he was at that time conversant with; and indeed, they apply whatever Christ says, in some following chapters, to them, exclusive of all others; as when he says, Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, chap. xv. 19. and because I live, ye shall live also, chap. xiv. 19. This, they suppose, respects them in particular; and so in the text before us, having loved his own which were in the world; that is, his own disciples; as though he had a propriety in none but them; he loved them to the end; that is, not to the end of their lives; for that would prove the doctrine we are maintaining, but to the end of his life, which was now at hand; and his love to them, they suppose to be expressed in this, that he condescended to wash their feet. But if this were the sense of the words, his love to them would not be so extraordinary a privilege as it really is; for it would be only an instance of human and not divine love. And indeed, our happiness consists, not only in Christ’s loving us to the end of his life; but in his continuing to express his love in his going into heaven to prepare a place, and there making continual intercession for us; and in the end, in his coming again to receive us to himself, that where he is, we may be also; which leads us to consider,

4. That the saints’ perseverance farther appears from Christ’s continual intercession for them. This has been particularly explained in a foregoing answer;[88] and the apostle speaking of his ever living to make intercession for his people, infers that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, Heb. vii. 25. This he could not be said to do, should he leave the work which he has begun in them, imperfect, and suffer them, who come to him by faith, to apostatize from him. We have before considered Christ’s intercession, as including in it his appearing in the presence of God, in the behalf of those for whom he offered himself a sacrifice while here on earth; and also, that what he intercedes for shall certainly be granted him, not only because he is the Son of God, in whom he is well pleased, but because he pleads his own merits; and to deny to grant what he merited, would be, in effect, to deny the sufficiency thereof, as though the purchase had not been fully satisfactory; therefore we must conclude, as he himself said on earth, that the Father heareth him always. It is also evident, that he prays for the perseverance of his people, as he says to Peter, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, Luke xxii. 32. And there are many things in that affectionate prayer, mentioned in John xvii. which he put up to God, immediately before his last sufferings, which respect their perseverance in grace; as when he says, Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are, John xvii. 11. and, I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil, ver. 15. that is, either the evil that often attends the condition in which they are, in the world, that so the work of grace may not suffer, at least, not miscarry thereby; or else, that he would keep them from the evil one, that so they may not be brought again under his dominion; he also prays, that they may be made perfect in one, ver. 23. that is, not only that they may be perfectly joined together in the same design, but that this unanimity may continue till they are brought to a state of perfection; and that the world may know that God has loved them, even as he has loved Christ. And he declares his will; which shews that his intercession is founded on justice, and accordingly contains in it the nature of a demand, rather than a supplication for what might be given or denied, namely, That they whom the Father had given him might be with him where he is, that they may behold his glory, ver. 24. all which expressions are very inconsistent with the supposition, that it is possible that they, whom he thus intercedes for, may apostatize, or fall short of salvation.

Object. It is objected by some, that this prayer respects none but his disciples, who were his immediate friends and followers, and not believers in all ages and places in the world.

Answ. But to this it may be replied, That the contrary hereunto is evident, from several things which are mentioned in this prayer, as for instance, he says, That the Father had given him power over all flesh; that he should give eternal life to as many as he had given him, ver. 2. the sense of which words will sink too low, if we suppose that he intends thereby, thou hast given me power to dispose of all persons and things in this world, that I may give eternal life to that small number which thou hast given me, namely, my disciples; whereas he speaks of that universal dominion which he has over all persons and things, which were committed to him with this view, that all those who were put into his hand to redeem and save, should attain eternal life: and again, he says, I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word, ver. 6. Did Christ manifest the divine name and glory to none but those who were his disciples; and were there none but them that had kept his word? And when he says, that they whom he prayed for, are the Father’s; and adds, that all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them, ver. 9, 10. Is the number of those, whom Christ has a right to, and the Father has set apart for himself, in whom he would shew forth his glory, as the objects of his love, and in whom Christ, as Mediator, was to be glorified, so small, as that it contained only the eleven disciples? Or does it not rather respect all that have, or shall believe, from the beginning to the end of time? and when he speaks of the world’s hating them, because they are not of the world, John xvii. 14, 15. and of their being exposed to the evils that are in the world, or the assaults of Satan, who is their avowed enemy; is this only applicable to the disciples? And when he says, Neither pray I for these alone, that is, for those who now believe, but for them also which shall believe, ver. 20. does it not plainly intimate that he had others in view besides his disciples? These, and several other passages in this prayer, are a sufficient evidence that there is no weight in the objection, to overthrow the argument we are maintaining.

5. Believers’ perseverance in grace may be proved from the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them. When at first they were regenerated, it was by the power of the Holy Ghost, as condescending to come and take up his abode in them: thus we read of their being acted by, and under the influence of, the Holy Ghost, who is said to dwell where he is pleased to display his divine power and glory; and if these displays hereof be internal, then he dwells in the heart. Our Saviour speaks of him, as another Comforter given, that he may abide with his people for ever, chap. xiv. 19. And this indwelling of the Spirit is very distinct from that extraordinary dispensation which the church had, when they were favoured with inspiration; for the apostle speaks of it as a privilege peculiar to believers as such, when he says, Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9. the meaning of which cannot be, that they have no interest in Christ, who have not the extraordinary afflatus of the Spirit, such as the prophets had; therefore we must suppose, that this is a privilege which believers have in all ages. Now if the Spirit is pleased to condescend thus to take up his abode in the soul, and that for ever, he will certainly preserve it from apostacy.

And to this we may add, that there are several fruits and effects of the Spirit’s dwelling in the soul, which affords an additional proof of this doctrine: thus believers are said to have the first fruits of the Spirit, ver. 23. that is, they have those graces wrought in them which are the beginning of salvation; and as the first fruits are a part of the harvest that will follow, these are the fore-tastes of the heavenly blessedness which God would never have bestowed upon them had he not designed to preserve them from apostasy. Moreover, believers are said to be sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of their inheritance, Eph. i. 13, 14. The earnest, as given by men, is generally deemed a part of payment, upon which they who are made partakers thereof, are satisfied that they shall, at last, receive the full reward; and shall believers miss of the heavenly blessedness, who have such a glorious pledge and earnest of it? Again, if we consider the Spirit as bearing witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; and that they shall be glorified together with him, Rom. viii. 16, 17. is this testimony invalid, or not to be depended on, which it could not be were it possible for them to fall from a state of grace?

This testimony is what we depend very much upon, in order to our attaining assurance that we are in a state of grace, and shall persevere therein, as will be observed under the next answer; therefore we shall at present, take it for granted, that there is such a thing as assurance, or that this blessing is attainable; and the use which I would make of this supposition to maintain our present argument, is, that if the Spirit has an hand in working or encouraging this hope that we have of the truth of grace, and consequently shall persevere therein to salvation, this argues that it is warrantable, and not delusive; for he that is the author or giver of it cannot deceive our expectation, or put us upon looking for that which is not a reality. From whence it follows, that it is impossible that they should apostatize, to whom God has given this good hope through grace, so that they should fail of that everlasting consolation, which is connected with it, 2 Thess. ii. 16. This consequence will hardly be denied by those who are on the other side of the question; and we may observe, that they who oppose the doctrine of perseverance, always deny that of assurance, especially as proceeding from the testimony of the Spirit: nevertheless, that we may not be misunderstood, we do not say, that every one who has a strong persuasion that he shall be saved, shall be saved; which is no other than enthusiasm; but our argument is, in short, this, that if there be a witness of the Spirit to this truth, that cannot be charged therewith, then the doctrine we are maintaining, is undeniably true, which will more evidently appear from what will be said in defence of the doctrine of assurance under our next answer.

And therefore we proceed to the other branch of the argument before-mentioned, to prove this doctrine, namely, that believers have the seed of God abiding in them; which is founded on what the apostle says in 1 John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God; for the understanding of which let us consider,

(1.) That by the words, he cannot commit sin, the apostle does not intend that such an one is not a sinner, or that there is such a thing as sinless perfection attainable in this life; for that is contrary, not only to the whole tenor of scripture, and daily experience of mankind; but to what he had expressly said, If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, 1 John i. 8. Therefore, in this text, upon which our present argument is founded, he is, doubtless, speaking of persons committing sins, inconsistent with the truth of grace, as he says in a foregoing verse, Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him, chap. iii. 6. it is such a sin therefore as argues a person to be in a state of unregeneracy; and then, He that committeth sin is of the devil, ver. 8. therefore he certainly speaks of such a commission of sin, as argues us to be under the reigning power of the devil: and that this may plainly appear to be his sense, we may observe, that he elsewhere distinguishes between a sin that is unto death, and a sin that is not unto death, chap. v. 16, 17. by which he does not mean, as the Papists suppose, that some sins deserve eternal death, and others not; the former of which they call mortal sins; the latter venial; but he is speaking of a sin that is inconsistent with the principle of grace, and that which is consistent therewith; the former is sometimes called the pollution that is in the world, through lust, 2 Pet. i. 4. the latter the spot of God’s children, Deut. xxxii. 5. The least sin deserves death, though they who commit it shall not perish, but be brought to repentance; but the sin unto death is wilful sin, committed and continued in with impenitency; and with this limitation we are to understand the apostle’s words, He who is born of God doth not commit sin.

(2.) We shall now consider the reason assigned, why the person he speaks of, cannot, in this sense, commit sin; namely, because he is born of God, and the seed of God abideth, in him. To be born of God, is what is elsewhere styled regeneration, or being born of the Spirit, in which there is a principle of grace implanted, which is here called the seed of God. And, indeed, this metaphorical way of speaking is very expressive of the thing designed hereby; for as in nature the seed produces fruit, and in things moral, the principle of action produces action, as the principle of reason produces acts of reason: so in things spiritual, the principle of grace produces acts of grace; and this principle being from God, which has been largely proved under a foregoing answer,[89] it is called here, the seed of God.

(3.) This seed of God, or this principle is not barely said to be in the believer, as that which, for the present, is the ground of spiritual actions; but it is said to remain in him. As elsewhere Christ speaks of the Spirit as abiding with his people for ever, John xiv. 16. so here the apostle speaks of that principle of grace wrought by the Spirit, as abiding, that is, continuing for ever; and from thence he infers, that a believer cannot sin; for if he had been only speaking of its being implanted, but not abiding; all that could be inferred from thence would be, that he does not sin; but whereas, he argues from it, that he cannot sin, that is, apostatize; it being understood, that this principle abides in him continually; which plainly contains the sense of the argument we are maintaining, namely, that because the seed of God abides in a believer, therefore he cannot apostatize, or fall short of salvation.

They who are on the other side of the question, seem to find it very difficult to evade the force of this argument: some suppose that the apostle intends no more but that he that is born of God, should not commit sin; but that is not only remote from the sense of the words cannot sin;[90] but it does not sufficiently distinguish one that is born of God, from another that is not so; for it is as much a truth, that an unregenerate person ought not to sin, as when we speak of one that is regenerate.

Others, by not sinning, suppose that the apostle means, they sin with difficulty, or they are hardly brought to commit sin; but as this also does not answer to the sense of the word cannot sin, so it is inconsistent with that beautiful gradation, which we may observe in the words. To say that he does not sin; and then if he commits sin, it is with some difficulty, is not so agreeable to that climax, which the apostle makes use of, when he says, he does not commit sin, yea, he cannot.

Others suppose that the apostle’s meaning is, that he that is born of God, cannot sin unto death, or apostatize, so as to fall short of salvation, so long as he makes a right use of this principle of grace, which is implanted in him; but by opposing and afterwards extinguishing it, he may become an apostate. But we may observe; in answer to this, that the apostle does not attribute his perseverance in grace, to his making use of the principle, but his having it, or its abiding in him; and he sufficiently fences against the supposition of its being possible that the principle of grace may be wholly lost; for then this seed could not be said to abide in him, nor would the inference deduced from its abiding in him, namely, that he cannot sin, be just.

Thus, concerning this latter branch of the argument to prove the saints’ perseverance in grace, taken from the seed of God, abiding in believers: But there is one thing must be observed before I dismiss this head, viz. That the principle of grace, which is signified by this metaphor, though it be, and abide in a believer; yet it does not always exert itself so as to produce those acts of grace which would otherwise proceed from it. This cannot be better illustrated than by a similitude taken from the soul, which is the principle of reason in man; though it be as much so in an infant in the womb as it is in any, yet it is altogether unactive; for most allow that such have not the exercise of thought or acts of reason; and when a person is newly born, it hardly appears that this principle is deduced into act; and in those in whom it has been deduced into act, it may be rendered stupid, and almost unactive, or at least, so disordered, that the actions which proceed from it cannot be styled rational, through the influence of some bodily disease, with which it is affected, yet still it remains a principle of reason. The same may be said concerning the principle of grace; it is certainly an unactive principle in those who are regenerate from the womb; and it may cease to exert itself, and be with equal reason, styled an unactive principle in believers, when they fall into very great sins, to which it offers no resistance: This we shall take occasion to apply under a following head, when we shall consider some objections that are brought against this doctrine, by those who suppose that believers, when sinning presumptuously, as David, Peter, and others, are said to have done, fail totally, though not finally. There was indeed a total suspension of the activity of this principle, but yet the principle itself was not wholly lost; but more of this in its proper place. We are therefore bound to conclude, that because this principle abides in them, they can neither totally nor finally apostatize, and therefore, that they can neither fall from a state of grace, nor fail, at last, of salvation.

Thus we have endeavoured to explain and shew the force of those arguments which are contained in this answer to prove the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance. There are several others that might have been insisted on; and particularly it may be proved, from the end and design of Christ’s death, which was not only that he might purchase to himself a peculiar people, but that he might purchase eternal life for them; and we cannot think that this invaluable price would have been given for the procuring of that which should not be applied, in which respect Christ would be said to die in vain. When a person gives a price for any thing, it is with this design, that he or they, for whom he purchased it, should be put into the possession of it; which, if it be not done, the price that was given is reckoned lost, and the person that gave it disappointed hereby.

And this argument may be considered as having still more weight in it, if we observe, that the salvation of those whom Christ has redeemed, not only redounds to their happiness, but to the glory of God the Father, and of Christ, our great Redeemer. God the Father, in giving Christ to be a propitiation for sin, designed to bring more glory to his name than by all his other works: Thus our Saviour appeals to him in the close of his life, I have glorified thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do, John xvii. 14. The work was his, and there was a revenue of glory which he expected thereby; and this glory did not only consist in his receiving a full satisfaction for sin, that so he might take occasion to advance his grace in forgiving it; but he is said to be glorified, when his people are enabled to bear much fruit, chap. xv. 8. Therefore the glory of God the Father is advanced by the application of redemption, and consequently by bringing his redeemed ones to perfection.

The Son is also glorified, not barely by his having those honours, which his human nature is advanced to, as the consequence of his finishing the work of redemption, but by the application thereof to his people; accordingly he is said to be glorified in them, chap. xviii. 10. that is, his mediatorial glory is rendered illustrious by all the grace that is conferred upon them; and therefore, certainly he will be eminently glorified, when they are brought to be with him, where he is, to behold his glory. Now can we suppose, that since the Father and the Son designed to have so great a glory redound to them by the work of our redemption, that they will sustain any loss thereof, for want of the application of it to them, for whom it was purchased. If God designed, as the consequence thereof, that the saints should sing that new song, Thou art worthy, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: And if God the Father, and the Son, are both joined together, and their glory celebrated therein, by their ascribing blessing, glory, and power, unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever, Rev. v. 19. compared with 13. Then certainly they will not lose this glory; and therefore, the saints shall be brought into that state where they shall have occasion thus to praise and adore them for it.

If it be objected to this, that God, the Father and the Son, will be glorified, though many of his saints should apostatize, and the death of Christ be, to no purpose, with respect to them, because all shall not apostatize. The answer to this is plain and easy; that though he could not be said to lose the glory he designed, by the salvation of those who persevere, yet some branches of his glory would be lost, by reason of the apostacy of others, who fall short of salvation; and it is a dishonour to him to suppose that he will lose the least branch thereof, or that any of those, for whom Christ died, should be for ever lost.

We might also add, that for the same reason that we suppose one whom Christ has redeemed, should be lost, all might be lost, and so he would lose all the glory he designed to have in the work of redemption. This appears, in that all are liable to those temptations, which, if complied with, have a tendency to ruin them. All are supposed to be renewed and sanctified but in part, and consequently the work of grace meets with those obstructions from corrupt nature; which would certainly prove too hard for all our strength, and baffle our utmost endeavours to persevere, did not God appear in our behalf, and keep us by his power. Now, if all need strength from him to stand, and must say, that without him they can do nothing, then we must either suppose, that that grace is given to all saints which shall enable them to persevere, or else that it is given to none; if it be given to none, but all are left to themselves, then that which overthrows the faith of one, would overthrow the faith of all; and consequently we might conclude, that whatever God the Father, or the Son have done, in order to the redemption and salvation of the elect might be of none effect.

I might produce many other arguments in defence of the saints’ perseverance, but shall conclude this head with two or three scriptures, whereby the truth hereof will farther appear: Thus our Saviour says to the woman of Samaria, Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life, John iv. 14. Where, by the water that Christ gives, is doubtless understood the gifts and graces of the Spirit; these are not like the waters of a brook, that often deceive the expectation of the traveller; but they are a well of water, intimating that a believer shall have a constant supply of grace and peace till he is brought to the rivers of pleasure, which are at God’s right-hand, and is made partaker of eternal life. Again, our Saviour says, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, chap. v. 24. i. e. it is as surely his as though he was in the actual possession of it; and he farther intimates, that such are not only justified for the present; but they shall not come into condemnation; certainly this implies that their salvation is so secure as that it is impossible for them to perish eternally.

Another scripture that plainly proves this doctrine, is in 2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his; and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity; in which words the apostle encourages the church to hope for perseverance in grace, after they had had a sad instance of two persons of note, viz. Hymeneus and Philetus, who had not only erred from the truth, but overthrown the faith of some; and he cautions every one, who makes a profession of religion, as they would be kept from apostatizing, to depart from iniquity, q. d. since many of you are ready to fear that your faith shall be overthrown, as well as that of others, by the sophistry or cunning arts of those apostates who lie in wait to deceive, you may be assured that their state is safe, who are built upon that foundation which God has laid, that chief corner stone, elect, precious, viz. Christ, on whom he that believeth, shall not be confounded, 1 Pet. ii. 6. or else, that the instability of human conduct shall not render it a matter of uncertainty, whether they, who are ordained to eternal life, shall be saved or no; for that depends on God’s purpose, relating hereunto, which is a sure foundation, and has this seal annexed to it, whereby our faith herein may be confirmed, that they whom God has set apart for himself, and lays a special claim to, as his chosen and redeemed ones, whom he has foreknown and loved with an everlasting love, shall not perish eternally, because the purpose of God cannot be frustrated. But inasmuch as there is no special revelation given to particular persons, that they are the objects of this purpose cf grace; therefore every one that names or professes the name of Christ ought to use the utmost caution, that they be not ensnared; let them depart from all iniquity, and not converse with those who endeavour to overthrow their faith. And, indeed, all that are faithful shall be kept from iniquity by God, as they are here given to understand that it is their duty to endeavour to depart from it, and consequently they shall be kept from apostacy. This seems to be the sense of these words; and it is agreeable to the analogy of faith, as well as a plain proof of the doctrine which we are maintaining.

A late writer[91], by the foundation of God, which standeth sure, supposes the doctrine of the resurrection is intended, which Hymeneus and Philetus denied, saying, that it was past already; this doctrine, says he, which is a fundamental article of faith, standeth sure, having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his; that is, he loveth and approveth of them. But though it be true the resurrection is spoken of in the foregoing verse, and we do not deny that it is a fundamental article of faith; yet that does not seem to be the meaning of the word foundation, in this text. For if by the resurrection we understand the doctrine of the general resurrection of the dead, I cannot see where the force of the apostle’s argument lies, viz. that there shall be a general resurrection, because the Lord knoweth who are his, since the whole world are to be raised from the dead. But if by the resurrection we are to understand a resurrection to eternal life, so that they who are known or beloved of God, shall have their part in it, and the apostle’s method of reasoning be this, that they who believe shall be raised to eternal life; that is, so far from militating against the argument we are maintaining, that it is agreeable to the sense we have given of the text, and makes for, rather than against us.

As to what is farther advanced by the author but now mentioned, viz. that the Lord knoweth who are his, is to be taken for that regard which God had to his apostles and ministers. This seems too great a strain on the sense of the words, and so much different from the scope of the apostle therein, as well as disagreeable to the caution given, that every one who names the name of Christ should depart from iniquity, that no one who reads the scriptures without prejudice, can easily give into this sense of the text.

I shall mention but one scripture more for the proof of this doctrine, and that is in 1 John ii. 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would, no doubt, have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us; for the understanding of which, let it be considered, that the apostle is speaking of some who were formerly members of the church, who afterwards turned apostates and open enemies to Christ, and his gospel: It is plain that the words they went out from us, and they were not of us, must be taken in different respects, otherwise it would imply a contradiction, to say that a person departed from the faith and communion of the church, when he never embraced it, or had communion with it; but if they understand it thus, they left the faith and communion of the church because they were Christians only in pretence, and did not heartily embrace the faith on which the church was built; nor were they really made partakers of that grace, which the apostles, and other faithful members of the church, had received from God, as being effectually called thereby, the sense is very plain and easy, viz. That there were some false professors, who made a great shew of religion, and were admitted into communion with the church, and, it may be, some of them preached the gospel, and were more esteemed than others; but they apostatized; for they had not the truth of grace, but were like the seed that sprang up without having root in itself, which afterwards withered; whereas, if they had had this grace it would have been abiding, and so they would, without doubt, says the apostle, have continued with us; but by their apostacy it appears, that they were not, in this sense, of our number, that is believers.

They who understand this scripture, not of persons who were members of the church, but ministers, that first joined themselves with the apostles, and afterwards deserted them, and their doctrine, advance nothing that tends to overthrow the argument we are maintaining; for we may then understand the words thus, they pretended to be the true ministers of Jesus Christ, and doubtless, to be, as the apostles were, men of piety and religion, for, in other respects, they were of them visibly, whilst they preached the same doctrines; but afterwards, by departing from the faith, it appeared, that though they were ministers they were not sincere Christians, for if they had, they would not have apostatized.

IV. We shall now proceed to consider the objections that are usually brought against the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance in grace.

Object. 1. It is objected, that there are several persons mentioned in scripture, who appear to have been true believers, and yet apostatized, some totally, as David and Peter; others not only totally, but finally, in which number Solomon is included; and others are described as apostates, such as Hymeneus and Alexander, who are said concerning faith, to have made shipwreck, and therefore it is supposed that they had the grace of faith; and Judas is also, by them, reckoned to have been a true believer, whom all allow afterwards to have proved an apostate.

Answ. 1. As to the case of David and Peter, it is true, their fall was very notorious, and the former seems to have continued some months in a state of impenitency; and when they fell, there appeared no marks of grace in either of them. Peter’s sin, indeed, was committed through surprize and fear; but yet it had such aggravating circumstances attending it, that if others, whose character is less established than his was, had committed the same sin, we should be ready to conclude, that they were in a state of unregeneracy; and David’s sin was committed with that deliberation, and was so complicated a crime, that if any believer ever lost the principle of grace, we should have been inclined to suppose this to have been his case. Nevertheless, that which gives us ground to conclude that this principle was not wholly extinguished, either in Peter or him, at the same time that they fell; and therefore, that they were not total apostates, is what we before observed, that the principle of grace may be altogether unactive, and yet abide in the soul, agreeably to the sense we gave of that scripture, his seed abideth in him; and if what has been already said concerning the possibility of the principle of grace remaining, though it makes no resistance against the contrary habits of sin, be of any force,[92] then these and other instances of the like nature, on which one branch of the objection is founded, will not be sufficient to prove the possibility of the total apostacy of any true believer.

2. As to the case of Solomon; that he once was a true believer is allowed on both sides; for it is said concerning him, soon after he was born, that the Lord loved him, 2 Sam. xii. 24, 25. upon which occasion he gave him that significant name, Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord; and it is certain, that in the beginning of his reign, his piety was no less remarkable than his wisdom, as appears from his great zeal, expressed in building the temple of God, and establishing the worship thereof; and also from that extraordinary instance of devotion with which he dedicated or consecrated the house to God, 1 Kings viii. 1. & seq. and the prayer put up to him on that occasion, and also from God’s appearing to him twice: in his first appearance he condescended to ask him, what he would give him? and upon Solomon’s choosing, an understanding heart, to judge his people, he was pleased with him, and gave him several other things that he asked not for; so that there were not any among the kings like unto him, chap. iii. 5, 9, 10, 12, 13. from all this it is taken for granted, that he once was a believer: but, on the other hand, we must, if we duly weigh the force of the objection, set the latter part of his life against the former, in which we find him guilty of very great sins; not only in multiplying wives and concubines, beyond what any of his predecessors had done, but in that his heart was turned away after other gods, and, as it is expressly said, was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father, chap. xi. 4. And it is also said, that the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared to him twice, ver. 9. and on this occasion he determined to rend part of the kingdom from his son, ver. 13. which came to pass accordingly; and all this is said to have been done when he was old, ver. 4. And after this we read of several that were stirred up as adversaries to him, ver. 14, 23, 26. And in the remaining part of his history we read of little but trouble and uneasiness that he met with; and this seemed to continue till his death, of which we have an account in 1 Kings xi. chapter throughout, which contains the history of his sin, and troubles; and we read not the least word of his repentance therein; for which reason he is supposed, in the objection, to have apostatized totally and finally.

The main strength of this objection lies in the supposition, that Solomon did not repent of his idolatry which he committed in his old age, or, as it is supposed, in the latter part of his life, and also from the silence of scripture as to the matter; especially in that part of it which gives an account of his fall and death. But this is not sufficient to support the weight of the objection, and to oblige us to conclude him to be an apostate; for there is nothing that appears from the account we have of him in scripture, but that he might have sufficient time for repentance between his fall and death. It is said indeed, that in his old age his wives turned him aside, but this they might do, and yet he not die an apostate; for sometimes that part of life which is called old age, comprises in it several years; therefore, when he began to be in his declining age, he might sin, and after that be brought to repentance. And as for the scripture’s speaking first of his fall, and then of his death; it does not follow from thence that one was immediately after the other; since the history of the blemishes and troubles of his life is but short.

On the other hand, there are several things which may give us ground to conclude, that he repented after his fall; particularly,

(1.) We have an intimation hereof in God’s promise relating thereunto, in which it is supposed, that God would suffer him to fall, and a provisionary encouragement is given to expect that he should be recovered: thus he says, I will chastise him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men; but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee, 1 Sam. vii. 14, 15. and the same thing is repeated, in which his fall is supposed, and his recovery from it particularly mentioned, in Psal. lxxxix. 30-34. as though God had designed that this should be a supplement to his history, and remove the doubts which might arise from it, with relation to his salvation.

(2.) There are some things in other parts of scripture, which give sufficient ground to conclude, that he was a true penitent, which plainly refer to that part of his life which was between his fall and his death. Thus, if we duly weigh several passages in Ecclesiastes, which none can deny that he was the inspired writer of, inasmuch as it is said, in the title or preface set before it, that they are the words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem, we shall find many things in which he expresses the great sense of the vanity of his past life, when he says, I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly, Eccl. i. 17. where, by madness and folly, he doubtless intends that which was so in a moral sense, when he indulged his sinful passions, which respects the worst part of his life. And this he farther insists on; Whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, Eccl. ii. 10. or in all things, which afterwards were matter of grief and uneasiness to me; in which he observes how he did, as it were, take pains to bring on himself a long train of miseries that troubled him afterwards; and then he plainly expresses his repentance, when he says, All was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun, ver. 11. as though he should say, I turned from God to the creature, to see what happiness I could find therein, but met with nothing but disappointment; he had no profit in those things, whereof he was now ashamed. It is probable, God shewed him the vanity thereof, by his chastening him, or visiting his transgressions with the rod, and his iniquities with stripes, as he had promised to do; and this ended in vexation of spirit, which is a plain intimation of that godly sorrow that proceeded from a sense of sin, which made him, beyond measure, uneasy; and this vexation or uneasiness was so great, that he says, I hated life, that is, I hated my past wicked life, and abhorred myself for it, because the work that is wrought under the sun, is grievous unto me; that is, the work that I have wrought, was such as gave me grief of heart; for all is vanity and vexation of spirit, ver. 17. that is, this is all the consequence thereof: it cannot be supposed that he was weary of his life for the same reasons that many others are, who are deprived of the blessings of common providence, and reduced to that condition that makes them miserable, as to their outward circumstances in the world; but it was the uneasiness he found in his own spirit, the secret wounds of conscience and bitterness of soul, which arose from a sense of sin, that made him thus complain.

And elsewhere, he seems to be sensible of his sin, in heaping up vast treasures, which he calls loving silver; and adds, that such an one, which seems very applicable to his own case, shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this is also vanity, chap. v. 10. that is, this had been an instance of his former vanity: and he adds, The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep, ver. 12. If by this we understand that the increase of riches sometimes gives disturbance to, and stirs up the corruptions of those that possess them, and this be applied to himself, it is an acknowledgment of his sin. Or, if we understand by it that the abundance of a rich man will not give him rest at night, when his mind is made uneasy with a sense of the guilt of sin, and this be applied to his own case, when fallen by it; then it intimates that his repentance gave him not only uneasiness by day, but took away his rest by night; and it seems not improbable, that what gave him farther occasion to see the vanity of his past life, was the sense of mortality impressed on him; for he says, It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart, chap. vii. 3. that is, he will, or ought to improve the sense of his own frailty, which we may conclude he had done; and therefore adds, Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance, the heart is made better, ver. 3.

But if it be objected, that all these expressions are not applicable to himself, and many others of the like nature, which might have been referred to, which are expressive of his great repentance; though I cannot but think that the contrary to this seems very probable; yet there is something farther added, that he expressly applies to himself, which refers to his unlawful love of women: I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares, and nets, and her hands as bands. Whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her: behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, ver. 26, 27. If these things be not expressive of repentance, it is hard to say what are.

And to this we may add, that as he expresses a grief of heart for past sins; so he warns others that they may not be guilty of that which he himself found more bitter than death; and accordingly, having described the arts used by the wicked woman, to betray the unthinking passenger, he cautions every one to take heed of declining to her ways; inasmuch as the consequence thereof will be, that a dart will strike through his liver, and he is as a bird that hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life, Prov. vii. 23. compared with the foregoing verses. He also adds, That she hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death, ver. 26, 27. So that we find in Solomon, two of the greatest evidences that we can have of sincere repentance; namely, a great degree of sorrow for sin, and an earnest desire that others would avoid it, by giving those cautions that are necessary to prevent their falling into the snare in which he had been entangled.

(3.) There is something spoken in Solomon’s commendation, after his death, which may be gathered from what is said, that during the three first years of Rehoboam’s reign, which God approved of he walked in the way of David and Solomon, 2 Chron. xi. 17. where we may observe, that Solomon is joined with his father David: so that as there were abatements to be made for the blemishes in David’s reign; the reign of Solomon had in it great blemishes: but as one repented, so did the other, and therefore ought not to be reckoned an apostate.

And to all this we may add, that he was a penman of scripture; and it does not appear that God conferred this honour upon any that apostatized from him; but on the other hand, they have this general character given of them by the apostle Peter, that they were all holy men of God, 2 Pet. i. 21. which we must conclude Solomon to have been, till we have greater evidence to the contrary than they can produce who deny it.

3. There are others mentioned in the objection, to wit, Hymeneus and Alexander, whose apostacy we have no ground to doubt of; but we cannot allow that they fell from, or lost the saving grace of faith. It is one thing to fall from the profession of faith, and another thing to lose the grace of faith; therefore, the only thing to be proved in answer to this branch of the objection, is, that these persons, who are described as apostates, never had the truth of grace; or that they only fell from that visible profession which they made thereof; whereby they were reckoned to be, what in reality they were not, namely, true believers. Now that this may appear, let it be considered,

That the apostle speaks of them as having departed from the faith, viz. the doctrines of the gospel; and that was attended with blasphemy, for which they were delivered unto Satan, which is a phrase used by the apostle here and elsewhere, for persons being cut off from the communion of the church; upon which occasion he advises Timothy to hold faith and a good conscience, which some having put away, concerning faith, have made shipwreck, as these have done.

Now the main force of the objection seems to lie in this, that they who have made shipwreck of faith, were once true believers; therefore, such may apostatize, and so fall short of salvation.

To which it may be replied, that by faith here, is meant the doctrines of the gospel, which are often styled faith: thus it is said, that the apostle preached the faith which once he destroyed, Gal. i. 23. and elsewhere, before faith came; that is, before the gospel-dispensation began, and those doctrines were preached that were to be published therein to the world, we were kept under the law, chap. iii. 23. And again, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith, ver. 2. that is, by hearing those doctrines that are contained in the gospel. Therefore, that which he chargeth these apostates with, is making shipwreck of faith, considered objectively: they once, indeed, held the truth, but it was in unrighteousness; they had right notions of the gospel, which they afterwards lost: now the apostle advises Timothy not only to hold faith, that is, to retain the doctrines of the gospel, as one who had right sentiments of divine truths, but to hold it with a good conscience; for I take that expression, hold faith and a good conscience, to contain an hendyadis; and so it is the same as though he should say, Be not content with an assent to the truths of the gospel, but labour after a conscience void of offence towards God, that thou mayst have the testimony thereof, that thy knowledge of divine truth is practical and experimental, and then thou art out of danger of making shipwreck of faith, as these have done, who held it without a good conscience. It is not said they made shipwreck of a good conscience; for that they never have had; but concerning faith, which they once professed, they made shipwreck.

The same thing may be said concerning Judas; he apostatized from the faith, which he once made a very great profession of, being not only one of Christ’s disciples, but sent forth with the rest of them, to preach the gospel, and work miracles; yet it is evident, that he had not the saving grace of faith. For our Saviour, who knew the hearts of all men, was not deceived in him (though others were) inasmuch as it is said, He knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him, John vi. 64. However, the principal force of the objection lies in this, that Judas must needs have been a believer, because he was given to Christ; and our Saviour says, that those who were given him were kept by him, and none of them was lost but the son of perdition, chap. xvii. 12. His being styled the son of perdition, argues him an apostate; and his being given to Christ denotes that he was once a true believer; therefore he fell totally and finally. In answer to which,

(1.) Some conclude, that they who are said to be given to Christ, are such as were appointed, by the providence of God, to be his servants in the work of the ministry. Now it is said concerning them, that they were given to Christ, to be employed by him in this service; and that all of them were kept faithful, except the son of perdition. If this be the sense of their being given to him, it does not necessarily infer their being made partakers of special grace: it is one thing to be given to Christ, to be employed in some peculiar acts of service, in which his glory is concerned; and another thing to be given to him, as being chosen and called by him, to partake of special communion with him: if Judas had been given to him in this latter sense, he would not have been a son of perdition, but would have been kept by him, as the other disciples were; but inasmuch as he was only given to Christ, that he might serve the design of his providence, in the work of the ministry, he might be lost, or appear to be a son of perdition, and yet not fall from the truth of grace.

(2.) If, by being given to Christ, we understand a being given to him, as objects of his special love, we must suppose, that all who were thus given to him, were kept by him; in which sense Judas, who is called the son of perdition, and was not kept by him, was not given to him: accordingly the particle but is not exceptive, but adversative; and it is as though he should say, All that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost; but the son of perdition is lost, I have not preserved him; for he was not the object of my special care and love; he was not given me to save, therefore he is lost. Now it is certain, that the particle but is used in this sense in many other scriptures, particularly that wherein it is said, There shall in no wise enter into it, that is, the heavenly Jerusalem, any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life, Rev. xxi. 27. q. d. ungodly men shall not enter in; but they that are written in the lamb’s book of life shall[93]. Thus much concerning this objection, taken from particular persons, who are supposed to have fallen from grace.

Obj. 2. The next objection is taken from what the apostle Paul says concerning the church of the Jews, whom he describes as apostatized from God; and it is evident, that they are, to this day, given up to judicial blindness, and not in the least disposed to repent of that crime for which they were cast off by him; concerning these he says, that they once were holy; If the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches, Rom. xi. 16. and afterwards he speaks of their casting away, and some of the branches being broken off, because of unbelief, ver. 15, 17, 19, 20. Now if the whole church apostatized, we must conclude at least, that some of them were true believers, and therefore true believers may fall from the grace of God.

Answ. That the church of the Jews apostatized, and were cut off for their unbelief, is sufficiently evident: but we must distinguish between the apostacy of a professing people, such as the church of the Jews were, who first rejected God, and then were cast off by him, and the apostacy of those who were truly religious among them; the apostle himself gives us ground for this distinction, when he says, they are not all Israel which are of Israel; neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, chap. ix. 6, 7. And elsewhere he distinguishes between one who is a Jew, as being partaker of the external privileges of the covenant, which that church was under, and a person’s being a Jew, as partaking of the saving blessings thereof; as he says, He is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God, Rom. ii. 28, 29. A church may lose its external privileges, and cease to have the honourable character given it; the greatest part of them may be blinded, when, at the same time the election, that is, all among them who were chosen to eternal life, obtained it, as the apostle observes, chap. xi. 7. and thereby intimates, that some who were members of that church were faithful; those were preserved from the common apostacy, being converted to the Christian faith. Their privileges, as members of a church, were lost, but they still retained their spiritual and inseparable union with Christ, which they had as believers, and not as the result of their being the natural seed of Abraham, they were made partakers of the blessings that accompany salvation; and therefore were not separated from the love of God in Christ, whilst formal professors and hypocrites, who were Abraham’s natural seed, but not his spiritual, were cast off by Christ.

Obj. 3. It is farther objected, that there are some who have the character of righteous persons, concerning whom it is supposed, that they may fall away or perish; particularly those mentioned in Ezek. xviii. 24. When the righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned, in the trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die: And in Heb. x. 38. it is said, The just shall live by faith; but if any man, or, as the word should be rendered, if he draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Therefore, since the righteous man may turn from his righteousness, and draw back to perdition, the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance cannot be defended.

Answ. 1. As to the former of these scriptures, we must consider the sense thereof agreeably to the context, and the scope and design of the prophet therein; he had often reproved them for those vile abominations which they were guilty of, and had denounced the threatnings of God, which should have their accomplishment in their utter ruin; particularly, he fortels the judgments that should sweep away many of them before, and others that should befal them in the captivity: this is the subject principally insisted on by the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel; whereupon sometimes they were represented as disliking the doctrine, desiring that smooth things might be prophesied unto them, and the holy one of Israel might cease from before them. At other times they are represented as complaining of the hardship of this dispensation, intimating that it was unjust and severe, and, at the same time, justifying themselves, as though they had done nothing that deserved it; but all this was to befal them for the sins of their fathers, and accordingly there was a proverbial expression often made use of by them, mentioned verse 2d of this chapter, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge; by which they did not understand that we expect to perish eternally for our fathers’ sins, in which sense it must be taken, if this objection has any force in it: now God, by the prophet, tells them that they had no reason to use this proverb, and so puts them upon looking into their past conduct, and enquiring, whether they had not been guilty of the same sins that their fathers were charged with? which, if they could exculpate themselves from, they should be delivered, and not die, that is, not fall by those judgments which either should go before, or follow the captivity; for that seems to be the sense of dying, according to the prophetic way of speaking, as we have observed elsewhere.[94] For the understanding of this scripture we must consider, that the prophet addresses himself to the house of Israel, who are represented, ver. 25. as complaining, that the way of the Lord was not equal; or, that God’s threatnings or judgments, which were the forerunners of the captivity, were such as they had not deserved; and therefore he tells them that he would deal with them according to their deserts, ver. 24. When the righteous, that is, one whose conversation before this seemed to be unblemished, and he not guilty of those enormous crimes which were committed by others (which may be supposed, and yet the person not be in a state of grace) I say, when such an one turneth away from his righteousness, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth, that is, becomes openly vile and profligate; shall he live? can he expect any thing else but that God should follow him with exemplary judgments, or that he should be involved in the common destruction? In his sin that he hath sinned shall he die. And on the other hand, ver. 27. When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness; that is, they who have been guilty of these abominations shall reform their lives, or turn from their idolatry, murders, adulteries, oppressions, and other vile crimes, that the people in general were charged with, by the prophet, which are assigned as the reason of God’s sending this dreadful judgment of the captivity; I say, if there be such an instance of reformation, he shall save his soul alive; that is, either he shall be delivered from the captivity, or shall be preserved from those temporal judgments that either went before or followed after it. This reformation, and deliverance from these judgments, includes in it something less than saving grace, and a right to eternal life, which is inseparably connected with it, so that if nothing else be intended by the righteous and wicked man; and if the judgments threatened, or their deliverance from them, in case of reformation, includes no more than this, it is evident, that it does not in the least suppose, that any true believer shall apostatize or fall from a state of grace. As we may distinguish between eternal death and temporal judgments; so we must distinguish between a person’s abstaining from the vilest abominations, as a means to escape these judgments; and his exercising those graces that accompany salvation. There may be an external reformation in those who have no special grace, if nothing farther be regarded than a person’s moral character, or inoffensive behaviour in the eye of the world. If we only consider him as abstaining from those sins which are universally reckoned disreputable among those who make any pretensions to religion, and in this respect he be denominated a righteous man, such an one may turn away from his righteousness and become immoral and profligate, and so be reckoned among the number of apostates: nevertheless he cannot be said to apostatize or fall from the grace of God, since moral virtue or the exercise of righteousness in our dealings with men is as much inferior to saving grace, as a form of godliness is to the power thereof.

2. As to the other scripture, mentioned in the objection, it is generally urged against us as an unanswerable argument, taken from the express words thereof, to prove the possibility of the saints’ apostacy; and our translation is charged with a wilful mistake, to serve a turn, and make the text speak what it never intended, since all who understand the original must allow that it ought to be rendered, If he draw back, which supposes that the just man may apostatize, or draw back unto perdition. To which it may be replied,

(1.) That though the words, according to the form in which they are laid down, contain a supposition, it does not infer the being or reality of the thing supposed[95]; but only this, that if such a thing should happen, it would be attended with what is laid down as a consequence thereof. This is very agreeable to our common mode of speaking, as when we say; if a virtuous person should commit a capital crime, he will fall under the lash of the law as much as though he had made no pretensions to virtue; nevertheless, it does not follow from hence, that such an one shall do it, or expose himself to this punishment; or, on the other hand, if a king should say to a criminal, as Solomon did to Adonijah, ‘If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth,’ it cannot be concluded from hence, that he will behave himself so as that his life shall be secured to him. The proposition is true, as there is a just connexion between the supposition and the consequence; yet this does not argue that the thing supposed shall come to pass. Now to apply this to the scripture, under our present consideration; the proposition is doubtless true, that if the just man should draw back, so as to become a wicked man, if he should lose the principle of grace which was implanted in regeneration, and abandon himself to the greatest impieties, he would as certainly perish as though he had never experienced the grace of God; but it must not be inferred from hence, that God will suffer such an one, who is the object both of his love and care, thus to fall and perish, so that his soul should have no pleasure in him.

(2.) If we suppose the person here spoken of, whom we consider as a true believer, to draw back, we may distinguish between backsliding or turning aside from God, by the commission of very great sins; and apostacy. Or between drawing back, by being guilty of great crimes, so as to expose himself to sore judgments; and his drawing back to perdition. The just man in this text, is said, indeed, to draw back, but he is distinguished from one that draws back to perdition; as it is said in the following verse, ‘We are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them that believe, to the saving of the soul.’ Such a drawing back as this, though it shall not end in perdition, inasmuch as the person shall be recovered and brought to repentance; yet it shall be attended with very great marks of God’s displeasure against believers, for those sins which they have committed, as well as others; accordingly, his soul having no pleasure in them, denotes that he would, in various instances, reveal his wrath against relapsing believers, as a display of his holiness, who shall nevertheless be recovered and saved at last. If these things be duly considered, the objection seems to have no weight in it, though it should be allowed, that the words upon which it is principally founded, are not rightly translated.

However, I cannot see sufficient reason to set aside our translation, it being equally just to render the words, if any man draw back[96]; since the supplying the words any man, or any one, is allowed of in many other instances, both in the Old and New Testament. Therefore there is not the least incongruity in its being supplied in the text under our present consideration[97]; and, if it be, the sense that we give of it, will appear very agreeable to the context; accordingly the meaning is, ‘The just shall live by faith,’ or they who ‘know in themselves that they have in heaven a better and an enduring substance,’ as in one of the foregoing verses: These shall live by faith, but as for others who do not live by faith, having only a form or shew of religion, ‘whose manner is to forsake the assembling of themselves together,’ as in verse 25. these are inclined to draw back; therefore, let them know that if any one, or whosoever draws back, it will be at their peril; for it will be to their own perdition; yet saith the apostle, that true believers may not be discouraged by the apostacy of others, let them take notice of what is said in the following words, ‘We are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe, to the saving of the soul.’ These things being duly considered, it will be sufficiently evident that this text does not militate against the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance.

Obj. 4. There is another objection brought against the doctrine we have been endeavouring to maintain, taken from what the apostle says in Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. ‘It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.’ The force of this objection lies in two things, viz. that they are described as total and final apostates; and also, that according to the account we have of their former conversation, they appear then to have been true believers.

Answ. This is thought, by some, who defend the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, to be one of the most difficult objections that we generally meet with against it; especially they who cannot see how it is possible for a person to make such advances towards true godliness, and yet be no other than an hypocrite or formal professor, are obliged to take a method to set aside the force of the objection, which I cannot give into, namely, that when the apostle says, It is impossible that such should be renewed again to repentance; the word impossible denotes nothing else, but that the thing is exceeding difficult, not that they shall eventually perish; because they are supposed to be true believers; but their recovery after such a notorious instance of backsliding, shall be attended with difficulties so great that nothing can surmount, but the extraordinary power of God; and though he will recover them, yet they shall feel the smart thereof as long as they live; they shall be saved, yet so as by fire[98].

But notwithstanding the word impossible may be sometimes taken for that which is very difficult, I cannot but conclude that the apostle is here speaking of that which is impossible, with respect to the event, and therefore, that he is giving the character of apostates who shall never be recovered. This appears, not only from the heinousness of the crime, as they are said to crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame; but from what is mentioned in the following verses, in which they are compared to the earth that bringeth forth thorns and briars, which is rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned; and from their being distinguished from those who shall be saved, concerning whom the apostle was persuaded better things, and things that accompany salvation; therefore he is speaking here concerning a total and final apostasy.

But that this may not appear to militate against the doctrine we are maintaining, I shall endeavour to shew, that notwithstanding the character the apostle gives of the persons he here speaks of they were destitute of the truth of grace, and therefore nothing is said concerning them, but what a formal professor may attain to: That this may appear let it be considered,

1. That they are described as once enlightened; but this a person may be, and yet be destitute of saving faith. If by being enlightened we understand their having been baptized, as some critics take the word, which was afterwards, in some following ages, used in that sense, it might easily be alleged, that a person might be baptized and yet not be a true believer: But since I question whether baptism was expressed by illumination in the apostles age[100], I would rather understand by it, their having been convinced of the truth of the gospel, or yielded an assent to the doctrines contained therein. Now this a person may do, and yet be destitute of saving faith, which is seated not barely in the understanding, but in the will, and therefore supposes him not only to be rightly informed, with respect to those things which are the object of faith, but to be internally and effectually called, from whence saving faith proceeds, as has been before observed.

2. They are said to have tasted the good word of God; which agrees with the character before given of those who had a temporary faith[101], who seemed, for a while, pleased with the word, and their affections were raised in hearing it; as Herod is said to have heard John the Baptist gladly, and to have done many things; like those whom our Saviour compares to the seed sown in stony ground, which soon sprang up, but afterwards withered away. This a person may do, and yet not have saving faith; for it is one thing to approve of, and be affected with the word, and another thing to mix it with that faith which accompanies salvation. A person may entertain those doctrines contained in the word which relate to a future state of blessedness with pleasure; as all men desire to be happy, and at the same time be far from practising the duties of self-denial, taking up the cross, and following Christ, mortifying indwelling sin, and exercising an intire dependance upon, and resignation to him in all things: This contains much more than what is expressed by tasting the good word of God.

3. They are farther described as having tasted the heavenly gift, and being made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and of the powers of the world to come; all which expressions, I humbly conceive, carry in them no more than this, that they had been enabled to work miracles, or that they had a faith of miracles, which has been before described[102], and proved to fall very short of saving faith[103]. Therefore these characters given of them do not argue that they were true believers, and consequently the objection, which depends on the supposition that they were, is of no force to prove that saints may totally or finally fall from grace.

Obj. 5. The next objection against the doctrine we have been maintaining, is taken from Heb. x. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace. The crime here spoken of is of the heinous nature, and the greatest punishment is said to be inflicted for it: Now, inasmuch as these are described as having been sanctified by the blood of the covenant, it follows, that they were true believers, and consequently true believers may apostatize, and fall short of salvation.

Answ. The force of the objection lies principally in those words, the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified; which expression is taken, by divines, in two different senses.

1. Some take the word he in the same sense as it is taken in the objection, as referring to the apostate; and then the difficulty which occurs, is how such an one could be said to be sanctified by the blood of the covenant, and yet not regenerate, effectually called, or a true believer: To solve this, they suppose, that by sanctification we are only to understand a relative holiness, which such have who are made partakers of the common grace of the gospel: Thus it is said, Israel was holiness unto the Lord, Jer. ii. 3. or, as the apostle Peter expresses it, an holy nation, 1 Pet. ii. 9. as they were God’s people by an external covenant relation, and by an explicit consent to be governed by those laws which he gave them when they first became a church, Exod. xxiv. 3. and publicly avouched him to be their God, and he avouched them to be his peculiar people, which was done upon some solemn occasions, Deut. xxvi. 17, 18. Nevertheless, many of them were destitute of the special grace of sanctification, as it contains in it a thorough and universal change of heart and life. Moreover, they suppose that this privilege of being God’s people, by an external covenant-relation, together with all these common gifts and graces that attend it, was purchased by, and founded on the blood of Christ, which is called the blood of the covenant, inasmuch as he was given for a covenant of the people, Isa. xlii. 6. and pursuant hereunto, he shed his blood to procure for them the external as well as the saving blessings of the covenant of grace; the former of these, the persons here described as apostates, are supposed to have been made partakers of, as the apostle says, To them pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises, Rom. ix. 4. they worshipped him in all his ordinances, as those whom the prophet speaks of, who seek him daily, and delight to know his ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of him the ordinances of justice, and take delight in approaching to God; and yet these things were not done by faith, Isa. lviii. 2. In this respect persons may be sanctified, and yet afterwards forfeit, neglect, despise and forsake these ordinances, and lose the external privileges of the covenant of grace, which they once had, and so become apostates. This is the most common method used to solve the difficulty contained in the objection. But I would rather acquiesce in another way, which may be taken to account for the sense of those words, the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified. Therefore, let it be considered,

2. That the word he may be understood, not as referring to the apostate, but our Saviour, who is spoken of immediately before: thus the apostate is said to ‘trample under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant wherewith He, that is, Christ, ‘was sanctified, an unholy thing.’ That this sense may appear just, it may be observed, that Christ was sanctified or set apart by the Father, to perform all the branches of his Mediatorial office, in two respects.

(1.) As he was fore-ordained or appointed, by him, to come into the world to shed his blood for the redemption of his people: thus his undertaking to redeem them is called his sanctifying, or devoting himself to perform this work, as he says, ‘For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth,’ John xvii. 19. this he did in pursuance of the eternal transaction between the Father and him, relating hereunto. But it will be said, that this was antecedent to his dying for them; and therefore, properly speaking, he could not be said, in this respect, to be sanctified by the blood of the covenant; therefore, to this we may add,

(2.) That he was also sanctified, or set apart by the Father, to apply the work of redemption after he had purchased it; which sanctification was, in the most proper sense, the result of his shedding his blood, which was the blood of the covenant; so that as he was ‘brought again from the dead,’ as the apostle speaks, ‘through the blood of the everlasting covenant,’ Heb. xiii. 20. all the blessings which he applies to his people as the consequence hereof, are the result of his being sanctified, or set apart to carry on and perfect the work of our salvation, the foundation whereof was laid in his blood.

Moreover, that they who are here described as apostates, had not before this, the grace of faith, is evident from the context, inasmuch as they are distinguished from true believers. The apostle seems to speak of two sorts of persons, to wit, some who had cast off the ordinances of God’s worship, ‘forsaking the assembling of themselves together,’ who are distinguished from those whom he dehorts from this sin, who had the grace of faith, whereby they were enabled to ‘draw near to God in full assurance thereof, having their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and their bodies washed with pure water;’ concerning these he says, ‘We are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul,’ chap. x. 39. Therefore we must conclude that others are intended in the text under our present consideration, who were not true believers, and consequently it does not from hence appear that such may totally, or finally, fall from a state of grace.

The apostates spoken of in this and the foregoing objection, were probably some among the Jews, to whom the gospel was preached, who embraced the Christian faith, being convinced by those miracles which were wrought for that purpose, but afterwards revolted from it, and were more inveterately set against Christ and the gospel than they had been before they made this profession; and accordingly as they had formerly approved of the crimes of those who crucified Christ, in which respect they are said to have crucified him; now they do, in the same sense, crucify him afresh. And as they had been made partakers of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost; afterwards they openly blasphemed him, and this was done with spite and malice. These texts therefore not only contain a sad instance of the apostasy of some, but prove that they were irrecoverably lost; and this comes as near the account we have in the gospels of the unpardonable sin, as any thing mentioned in scripture: nevertheless, what has been said to prove that they never were true believers, is a sufficient answer to this and the foregoing objection.

Objec. 6. Another objection against the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, is taken from 2 Pet. ii. 20-22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome; the latter end is worse with them than the beginning; and they are said in the following verse, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them; which is compared to the dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

Answ. To this it may be replied, That though every one must conclude, that the persons, whom the apostle here speaks of, plainly appear to be apostates; yet there is nothing in their character which argues that they apostatized, or fell from the truth of grace; and it is only such whom we are at present speaking of. It may be observed, that the apostle is so far from including these apostates in the number of those to whom he writes this, with the foregoing epistle, whom he describes as elect, according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, and as having been begotten again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to an inheritance reserved for them in heaven, and as such, who should be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation, 1 Pet. i. 2-5. that he plainly distinguishes them from them. For in verse 1, of this chapter, from whence it is taken, it is said, ‘There shall be false teachers among you, and many shall follow their pernicious ways;’ he does not say many, who are now of your number, but many who shall be joined to the church, when these false teachers arise. These persons, indeed, are represented as making a great shew of religion, by which they gained reputation among some professors, whom they seduced which otherwise they could not have done; and therefore it is said, ‘They had escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,’ and that they had ‘known the way of righteousness.’ Such might indeed be joined to the church afterwards; but they did not now belong to it; and what is said concerning them, amounts to no more than an external visible reformation, together with their having attained the knowledge of Christ and divine things; so that they were enlightened in the doctrines of the gospel; though they made it appear, by the methods they used to deceive others, that they had not experienced the grace of the gospel themselves, and therefore they fell away from their profession, and turned aside from the faith, which once they preached. It is one thing for a formal professor, who makes a great show of religion, to turn aside from his profession, to all excess of riot; and another thing to suppose a true believer can do so, and that to such a degree as to continue therein; this the grace of God will keep him from.

Objec. 7. Another objection against the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, is taken from the parable of the debtor and creditor, in Matt, xviii. 26, &c. in which it is said, ‘The servant fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt;’ but afterwards, upon his treating one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a very inconsiderable sum, with great severity, his lord exacted the debt of him, which he had before forgiven him, and so delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him: ‘So likewise,’ it is said, ‘shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye, from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses;’ from whence it is inferred, that a person may fall from a justified state, or that God may forgive sin at one time, and yet be provoked to alter his resolution, and inflict the punishment that is due to it, at another; which is altogether inconsistent with the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance in grace.

Answ. In answer to this we must observe, that our Saviour’s design in his parables, is not that every word or circumstance contained in them, should be applied to signify what it seems to import, but there is some truth in general intended to be illustrated thereby, which is principally to be regarded therein. Thus in the parable of the judge, in Luke xviii. 2, &c. ‘which feared not God, neither regarded man,’ who was moved, by a widow’s importunity, to ‘avenge her of her adversary;’ which after a while, he resolved to do, because the widow troubled him. This is applied to ‘God’s avenging his elect, who cry day and night unto him;’ where we must observe, that it is only in this circumstance that the parable is to be applied to them without any regard had to the injustice of the judge, or his being uneasy, by reason of the importunity which the widow exprest in pleading her cause with him.

Again, in the parable of the steward, in Luke xvi. 1, &c. who being accused for having wasted his lord’s goods; and apprehending that he should be soon turned out of the stewardship, he takes an unjust method to gain the favour of his lord’s debtors, by remitting a part of what they owed him, that by this means they might be induced to shew kindness to him when he was turned out of his service. It is said indeed, verse 8. that ‘the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had acted wisely;’ whereas, our Saviour does not design, in the account he gives of his injustice, to give the least countenance to it, as though it were to be imitated by us; nor by his lord’s commending him as acting wisely for himself, does he intend that it is lawful or commendable for wicked men to pursue the like measures to promote their future interest. But the only thing in which this parable is applied, is, that we might learn from hence, that ‘the children of this world are, in their generation wiser than the children of light;’ and that men ought to endeavour, without the least appearance of injustice, to gain the friendship of others, by using what they have in the world, in such a way, as that they may be induced, out of gratitude for those favours, which they conferred upon them, to shew respect to them; but principally, that in performing what was really their duty, they might have ground to hope that they shall be approved of God, and received into everlasting habitations.

Now to apply this rule to the parable from whence the objection is taken, we must consider, that the design hereof is not to signify that God changes his mind, as men do, by forgiving persons at one time, and afterwards condemning them, as though he did not know, when he extended this kindness to them, how they would behave towards others, or whether they would improve or forfeit this privilege; since to suppose this would be contrary to the divine perfections. Therefore the only design of the parable is to shew, that they who now conclude that God has forgiven them, ought to forgive others, or else they will find themselves mistaken at last: and though according to the tenor of the divine dispensations, or the revealed will of God, which is our only rule of judging concerning this matter, they think that they are in a justified state, it will appear, that the debt which they owed was not cancelled, but shall be exacted of them to the utmost, in their own persons; so that all that can be proved from hence is, that a man may fall from, or lose those seeming grounds, which we had to conclude that his sins were forgiven: but we are not to suppose that our Saviour intends hereby that God’s secret purpose, relating to the forgiveness of sin, can be changed; or that he, who is really freed from condemnation, at one time, may fall under it at another: therefore, what is said in this parable, does not in the least give countenance to this objection, or overthrow the doctrine we are maintaining.

Objec. 8. There is another objection, taken from what the apostle Paul says concerning himself, in 1 Cor. ix. 27. I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away. Now it is certain that the apostle was a true believer; yet he concludes, that if he did not behave himself so as to subdue or keep under his corrupt passions, but should commit those open scandalous crimes, which they would prompt him to, he should, in the end, become a cast-away, that is, apostatize from God, and be rejected by him.

Answ. To this it may be replied, That though the apostle had as good ground to conclude that he had experienced the grace of God in truth, as any man, and was oftentimes favoured with a full assurance hereof; yet he did not attain this assurance by immediate revelation, so as he received those doctrines which he was to impart to the church as a rule of faith; for then it would have been impossible for him to have been mistaken as to this matter: and if this be supposed, then I would understand what he says concerning his being a cast-away, as denoting what would be the consequence of his not keeping under his body; but not implying hereby that corrupt nature should so far prevail, as that he should fall from a sanctified state. Now if he did not attain this assurance by immediate revelation, then he had it in the same way as others have, by making use of those marks and characters which are given of the truth of grace; and accordingly he argues, that though, at present, he thought himself to be in a sanctified state, from the same evidences that others conclude themselves to be so; yet if corrupt nature should prevail over him, which it would do, if he did not keep his body in subjection, or if he were guilty of those vile abominations which unregenerate persons are chargeable with, then it would appear, that this assurance was ill grounded, his hope of salvation delusive, and he no other than an hypocrite; and so, notwithstanding his having preached to others, he would be found, in the end, among them who were false professors, and accordingly rejected of God: therefore we may observe, that it is one thing for a person to exercise that caution, and use those means to prevent sin, which, if he should commit, would prove him an hypocrite; and another thing for one that is a true believer, to be suffered to commit those sins whereby he would apostatize from God, and so miss of salvation.

And this will serve to answer another objection that is usually brought against the doctrine we are maintaining, as though it were inconsistent with that holy fear which believers ought to have of falling, as an inducement to care and watchfulness in the discharge of their duty; as it is said in Prov. xxviii. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always; inasmuch as we must distinguish between that fear of caution, which is a preservative against sin, and includes a watchfulness over our actions, that we may not dishonour God thereby; and an unbelieving fear, that though we are in a state of grace, and are enabled to exercise that diligence and circumspection that becomes christians, yet we have no foundation whereon to set our foot, or ground to hope for salvation. Or, it is one thing to fear, lest we should, by giving way to sin, dishonour God, grieve his Spirit, and wound our own consciences, and do that which is a disgrace to the gospel, through the prevalency of corrupt nature, whereby we shall have ground to conclude that we thought ourselves something when we were nothing, deceiving our own souls; and another thing to fear that we shall perish and fall, though our hearts are right with God, and we have reason to expect that we shall be kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation.

We shall conclude this answer with some few inferences from what has been said, to prove the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance as contained therein. And,

1. Since we do not pretend to assert that all who make a profession of religion are assured that they shall never apostatize, but only true believers, let unbelievers take no encouragement from hence to conclude, that it shall be well with them in the end. Many are externally called who are not really sanctified; and presume that they shall be saved, though, without ground, inasmuch as they continue in impenitency and unbelief; such have no warrant to take comfort from the doctrine we have been maintaining.

2. We may, from what has been said, observe the difference between the security of a believer’s state, as his hope is fixed on the stability of the covenant, and the promises thereof, relating to his salvation, together with the Spirit’s witness, with ours, concerning our own sincerity; and that which we generally call carnal security, whereby a person thinks himself safe, or that all things shall go well with him, though he make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof: This is an unwarrantable security in a state of unregeneracy, or licentiousness, which this doctrine does not in the least give countenance to.

3. From what has been said concerning the apostasy of some from that faith which they once made a profession of, we may infer; that it is only the grace of God experienced in truth, that will preserve us from turning aside from the faith of the gospel. The apostle speaks of some who, by embracing those doctrines that were subversive of the gospel, are fallen from grace, Gal. v. 4. that is, from the doctrines of grace; concerning whom he says, that Christ profited them nothing, or was become of no effect to them, chap. v. 2, 4. that is, the gospel, which contains a display of the glory of Christ, was of no saving advantage to them. All the sad instances we have of many, who are tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, and are made a prey to those that lie in wait to deceive, proceed from their being destitute of the grace of God, which would have a tendency to preserve them from turning aside from the faith of the gospel.

4. Let us be exhorted to be as diligent and watchful against the breakings forth of corruption, and endeavour to avoid all occasions of sin, as much as though perseverance in grace were to be ascribed to our own endeavours, or as though God had given us no ground to conclude that he would enable us to persevere; and yet, at the same time, depend on his assistance, without which this blessing cannot be attained, and hope in his mercy and faithfulness, and lay hold on the promises which he has given us, that it shall go well with us in the end, or that we shall have all joy and peace in believing.

5. Let us not only endeavour to persevere, but grow in grace; which two blessings are joined together; as it is said, The righteous also shall hold on his way; and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger, Job xvii. 9.

6. This doctrine has a great tendency to support and fortify believers, under the most adverse dispensations of providence, which, at any time, they are liable to; and to comfort them under all the assaults of their spiritual enemies; since though they may be suffered to discourage or give them interruption in the exercise of those graces which they have experienced, yet grace shall not be wholly extinguished. And sometimes, by the over-ruling providence of God, those things which in themselves have a tendency to weaken their faith, shall be ordered as a means to increase it; so that when they can do nothing in their own strength, they may be enabled, by depending on Christ, and receiving strength from him, to prevail against all the opposition they meet with, and come off more than conquerors, at last, through him that loved them, Rom. viii. 37.

Footnote 81:

See Whitby’s discourse, &c. page 463.

Footnote 82:

See Vol. I. Page 469.

Footnote 83:

See Vol. I. page 481, and page 135-138.

Footnote 84:

See Vol. II. page 170, 171.

Footnote 85:

See Vol. I. page 477, & albi passim.

Footnote 86:

See Vol. I. page 437.

Footnote 87:

See Page 11, 12, ante.

Footnote 88:

See Vol. II. page 473-479. Quest. lv.

Footnote 89:

See Page 30, ante.

Footnote 90:

The words are ου δυναται αμαρτανειν.

Footnote 91:

See Whitby’s Discourse, &c. Page 67, 68, 463.

Footnote 92:

See page 213, 214, ante.

Footnote 93:

See several other scriptures, in which μη is taken adversatively, Matt. xxiv. 35. Gal. i. 7. Rev. ix. 4.

Footnote 94:

See Vol. II page 333-335.

Footnote 95:

It is a known maxim in logic, Suppositio nihil ponit in esse.

Footnote 96:

Εαν υποστειληται.

Footnote 97:

It is certain, that the particles τις, אשר, and others of the like import, are often left out, and the defect thereof is to be supplied in our translation: Thus it is in Job xxxiii. 27. where the Hebrew word, which might have been rendered and he shall say, is better rendered and if any say, &c. and in Gen. xlviii. 2. instead of he told Jacob, it is better rendered one told Jacob, or somebody told him; and in Mark ii. 1. τις, which is left out in the Greek text, is supplied in the translation, in which we do not read it after days, but after some days. See Nold. Concord. Partic. Page 41, 42. in which several texts of scripture are produced to the same purpose, and among the rest, this in Heb. x. 38. which we are at present considering as what ought to be rendered if any one draw back. In this and such like instances we may observe, that the verb personal has an impersonal signification, or that which is properly active is rendered passively; so Eccl. ix. 15. זמצא בה is not rendered and he found in it, &c. but now there was found in it; many other instances of the like nature are to be observed in the Hebrew text in the Old Testament; and sometimes this mode of speaking is imitated by the Greek text in the New. I might also observe, with respect to the scripture under our present consideration, that the learned Grotius observes that τις ought to be supplied, and consequently the text ought to be rendered as it is in our translation, if any man draw back, which he observes as what is agreeable to the grammatical construction thereof, without any regard to the doctrine we are maintaining, with respect to which, he is otherwise minded.

Footnote 98:

To give countenance to this sense of the word impossible, they refer to some scriptures, in which it does not denote an absolute impossibility of the thing, but only that if it comes to pass it will be with much difficulty. Thus it is said, Acts xx. 16. that the Apostle Paul hasted, if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost; where his making haste argues that the thing was not in itself impossible, but difficult. And Rom. xii. 18. we are exhorted, if it be possible, as much as in us lieth, to live peaceably with all men; which shews that it is hard indeed so to do; nevertheless, we are to use our utmost endeavours to do it, which does not argue that the thing is in itself altogether impossible. And there is another scripture they bring to justify this sense of the words in Matt. xix. 23-26. in which our Saviour’s design is to shew the difficulty of a rich man’s entering into the kingdom of heaven, which he compares to a camel’s going through the eye of a needle; by which very few suppose, that the beast, so called, is intended, but a cable-rope, which is sometimes called a camel; thus the Syriack[99] and Arabick versions translate the word:

And a learned writer observes, that the Jews, in a proverbial way, express the difficulty of a thing by that of a cable-rope’s passing through the eye of a needle, See Buxt. Lex. Talmud. Pane 1719. and Bochart Hiero. Part. 1. Lib. 2. Cap. 3. And by needle is not meant that which is used in working, but an iron, through which a small rope may be easily drawn; though it was very difficult to force a camel or cable-rope through it; therefore they suppose our Saviour is not speaking of a thing which is absolutely impossible, but exceeding difficult; and this may be inferred from his reply to what the disciples objected, who then can be saved, when he says, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And to apply this to the scripture under our present consideration, they suppose that the apostle, when he speaks of the renewing of those persons to repentance, does not intend that which is absolutely impossible, but that it cannot be brought about but by the extraordinary power of God, with whom all things are possible.

Footnote 99:

The ancient Syriac is ܠܓܡܠܐ the modern is the same word, which is literally καμηλον a camel, not καμιλον a cable. This Eastern proverb is now well established. Vide Campbell, Clarke, &c.

Footnote 100:

We do not find the word used in that sense till the second century, by Justin Martyr [Vid. ejusd. Dial. 2.] and Clemens Alexandrinus [in Pædag. Lib. 1. cap. 6.] and therefore we are not altogether to take our measures in explaining the sense of words, used in scripture, from them, who sometimes mistake the sense of the doctrine, contained therein. However, if we take the word in this sense, it does not militate against our argument, since a person may be baptized, who is not in a state of grace and salvation.

Footnote 101:

See Pag. 124, 125 ante.

Footnote 102:

See Pag. 122, 123 ante.

Footnote 103:

There seems to be an hendyadis in the apostle’s mode of speaking. By the heavenly gift we are to understand extraordinary gifts, which are called the Holy Ghost elsewhere, Acts xix. 2. because they were from the Holy Ghost as effects of his power, and wrought to confirm the gospel dispensation, which is called the world to come, Heb. ii. 6. and therefore they are styled the powers of the world to come.

Quest. LXXX.

QUEST. LXXX. Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?

ANSW. Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit, enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in a state of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

Having before considered a believer as made partaker of those graces of the Holy Spirit that accompany salvation, whereby his state is rendered safe, and also that he shall not draw back unto perdition, but shall attain the end of his faith, even the salvation of his soul; it is necessary for the establishing of his comfort and joy, that he should know himself to be interested in this privilege. It is a great blessing to be redeemed by Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit; but it is a superadded privilege to know that we are so, or be assured that we are in a state of grace, which is the subject insisted on in this answer: In which we are led,

I. To speak something concerning the nature of assurance, and how far persons may be said to be infallibly assured of their salvation.

II. We shall endeavour to prove that this blessing is attainable in this life.

III. We shall consider the character of those to whom it belongs. And,

IV. The means whereby it may be attained.

I. Concerning the nature of assurance, and how far persons may be said to be infallibly assured of their salvation. Assurance is opposed to doubting; which is inconsistent therewith; so that he who has attained this privilege, is carried above all those doubts and fears respecting the truth of grace, and his interest in the love of God, which others are exposed to, whereby their lives are rendered very uncomfortable: It may also be considered as containing in it something more than our being enabled to hope that we are in a state of grace; for though that affords relief against despair, yet it falls short of assurance, which is sometimes called a full assurance of hope, Heb. vi. 11. and it certainly contains a great deal more than a probability, or a conjectural persuasion relating to this matter; which is the only thing that some will allow to be attainable by believers, especially they who deny the doctrine of the saints’ perseverance, and lay the greatest stress of man’s salvation on his own free-will, rather than the efficacious grace of God. All that they will own as to this matter is, that persons may be in a hopeful way to salvation, and that it is probable they may attain it at last. But they cannot be fully assured that they shall, unless they were assured concerning their perseverance, which, they suppose, no one can be; because the carrying on of the work of grace depends on the free-will of man, as well as the first beginning of it; and according to their notion of liberty, as has been before observed under another answer[104], viz. that he who acts freely may act the contrary; and consequently, since every thing that is done in the carrying on of the work of grace, is done freely; no one can be assured that this work shall not miscarry; therefore none can attain assurance; this is what some assert, but we deny. And it is observed in this answer, that believers may not only attain assurance that they are in a state of grace, and shall persevere therein unto salvation, but that they may be infallibly assured hereof, which is the highest degree of assurance. How far this is attainable by believers, may be the subject of our farther inquiry.

It is a matter of dispute among some, whether assurance admits of any degrees, or whether a person can be said to be more or less assured of a thing? or whether that which does not amount to the highest degree of certainty, may be called assurance? This is denied, by some, for this reason; because assurance is the highest and strongest assent that can be given to the truth of any proposition; accordingly the least defect of evidence on which it is supposed to be founded, leaves the mind in a proportionable degree of doubt, as to the truth of it; in which case there may be a probability, but not an assurance. If this method of explaining the meaning of the word be true, then it is beyond dispute, that they who have attained assurance of their being in a state of grace, may be said to be infallibly assured thereof: Whether this be the sense of that expression in this answer, I will not pretend to determine; neither shall I enter any farther into this dispute, which amounts to little more than what concerns the propriety or impropriety of the sense of the word assurance. All that I shall add concerning it, is, that according to our common mode of speaking it is reckoned no absurdity for a person to say he is sure of a thing, though it be possible for him to have greater evidence of the truth thereof, and consequently a greater degree of assurance. Thus the assurance that arises from the possession of a thing cannot but be greater than that which attends the bare expectation of it: Therefore whatever be the sense of that infallible assurance, which is here spoken of; we cannot suppose that there is any degree of assurance attainable in this life, concerning the happiness of the saints in heaven, equal to that which they have who are actually possessed of that blessedness; to suppose this would be to confound earth and heaven together, or expectation with actual fruition.

As to what relates to our assurance thereof, there is another matter of dispute among some, which I am not desirous to enter into; namely, whether it is possible for a believer to be as sure that he shall be saved, as he is that he exists, or that he is a sinner, and so stands in need of salvation? or whether it is possible for a person to be as sure that he shall be saved, as he is sure of that truth which is matter of pure revelation, viz. that he, that believes shall be saved? or whether it is possible for a person to be as sure that he has the truth of grace, as he may be that he performs any actions, whether natural or religious; such as speaking, praying, reading, hearing, &c. or whether we may be as sure that we have a principle of grace, as we are that we put forth such actions, as seem to proceed from that principle, when engaged in the performance of some religious duties? If any are disposed to defend the possibility of our attaining assurance in so great a degree as this, as what they think to be the meaning of what some divines have asserted, agreeably to what is contained in this answer, that a believer may be infallibly assured of his salvation, I will not enter the list with them; though I very much question whether it will not be a matter of too great difficulty for them to support their argument, without the least appearance of exception to it.

Nevertheless, (that I may not extenuate or deny the privileges which some saints have been favoured with, who have been, as it were, in the suburbs of heaven, and not only had a prelibation, but a kind of sensation, of the enjoyments thereof, and expressed as full an assurance as though they had been actually in heaven); it cannot be denied that this, in various instances, has amounted, as near as possible, to an assurance of infallibility; and that such a degree of assurance has been attained, by some believers, both in former and later ages, will be proved under a following head, which, I am apt to think, is what is intended in this answer, by the possibility of a believer’s being infallibly assured of salvation. But let it be considered, that these are uncommon instances, in which the Spirit of God, by his immediate testimony, has favoured them with, as to this matter, which are not to be reckoned as a standard, whereby we may judge of that assurance which God’s children desire, and sometimes enjoy, which falls short of it: Therefore, when God is pleased to give a believer such a degree of assurance, as carries him above all his doubts and fears, with respect to his being in a state of grace, and fills him with those joys which arise from hence, that are unspeakable, and full of glory; this is that assurance which we are now to consider, which, in this answer is called an infallible assurance; whether it be more or less properly so called, we have nothing farther to add; but shall proceed,

II. To prove that this privilege is attainable in this present life; and that it may appear to be so, let it be considered,

1. That if the knowledge of other things which are of less importance, be attainable, then certainly it is possible for us to attain that which is of the greatest importance. This argument is founded on the goodness of God; if he has given us sufficient means to lead us into the knowledge of other things, which respect our comfort and happiness in this world; has he left us altogether destitute of those means whereby we may conclude, that it shall go well with us in a better? God has sometimes been pleased to favour his people with some intimations concerning the blessings of common providence, which they might expect for their encouragement, under the trials and difficulties which they were to meet with in the world; and our Saviour encourages his disciples to expect, that notwithstanding their present destitute circumstances, as to outward things; yet their Father, who knows that they had need of them, would supply their wants; and therefore they had no reason to be over-solicitous in taking thought what they should eat and drink, and wherewithal they should be clothed, Matt. vi. 31, 32. and if God, that he may encourage the faith of his people, gives them assurance that no temptation shall befal them, but what is common to men; or, that they shall not be pressed down, so as to sink and despair of help from him, under the burdens and difficulties that, in the course of his providence, he lays on them; I say, if God is pleased to give such intimations to his people, with respect to their condition in this world, that they may be assured that it shall go well with them, as to many things that concern their outward circumstances therein; may we not conclude from hence, that the assurance of those things that concern their everlasting salvation may be attained? or, if the promises that respect the one may be depended on so as to afford relief against all doubts and fears that may arise from our present circumstances in the world; may we not, with as good reason, suppose, that the promises which respect the other, to wit, the carrying on and perfecting the work of grace, afford equal matter of encouragement; and consequently, that the one is as much to be depended on, as the other; so that as the apostle says, they who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them, may have strong consolation arising from thence, Heb. vi. 18.

Objec. It will be objected to this, that the promises that respect outward blessings are not always fulfilled, and therefore we cannot be assured concerning our future condition, as to outward circumstances in the world; though godliness, as the apostle says, hath the promise of the world that now is, as well as that which is to come. This appears from the uncommon instances of affliction, that the best men often meet with, which others are exempted from. Therefore the promises which respect the carrying on and completing the work of grace, will not afford that assurance of salvation which we suppose a believer may attain to, as founded thereon.

Answ. In answer to this it may be replied, that the promises of outward blessings are always fulfilled, either in kind or value. Sometimes the destitute state of believers, as to the good things of this life, is abundantly compensated with those spiritual blessings, which are, at present, bestowed on, or reserved for them hereafter; and therefore, if their condition in the world be attended with little else but affliction, they have no reason to say that they are disappointed; for while they are denied the lesser, they have the greater blessings instead thereof, so that their assurance of the accomplishment of the promises of outward blessings, must be understood with this limitation: but as to spiritual blessings, which God has promised to his people, there is no foundation for any distinction of their being made good in kind or in value; if the promise of eternal life be not made good according to the letter of it, it cannot be, in any sense, said to be accomplished: therefore, since God gives his people these promises as a foundation of hope, we may conclude from thence, that the assurance of believers, relating to their salvation, is as much to be depended on as the assurance they have, founded on the promises of God, concerning any blessings which may tend to support them in their present condition in the world.

2. That assurance of justification, sanctification and salvation, may be attained in this life, is farther evident from the obligations which persons are under to pray for these privileges, and to bless God for the experience which they have of the one, and the ground which they have to expect the other. That it is our duty to pray for them is no less certain than that we stand in need of them; this therefore being taken for granted, it may be inferred from hence, that there is some way by which we may know that our prayers are answered, the contrary to which would be a very discouraging consideration; neither could the experience hereof be alleged as a motive to the performance of the duty of prayer, as the Psalmist says, O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come, Psal. lxv. 2. Nor could any believer have the least reason to say as he does elsewhere, Verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer, Psal. lxvi. 19. And the apostle says, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us, 1 John v. 14, 15. and this is said in the following words, to be known by us, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him; therefore it follows, that we may know from the exercise of faith in prayer, for the forgiveness of sin, that our iniquities are forgiven; the same may be said concerning the subject-matter of our prayer for all other blessings that accompany salvation; and consequently it is possible for us to know whether God has granted us these blessings or no.

But if it be replied to this, that it is not absolutely necessary that an humble suppliant should have any intimations given him, that his petition shall be granted; or that it would be a very unbecoming thing for such an one to say, that he will not ask for a favour, if he be not sure before-hand that it will he bestowed.

To this it may be answered, That we are not only to pray for saving blessings, but to praise God for our experience thereof; as it is said, Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me, Psal. l. 23. and praise is comely for the upright, Psal. xxxiii. 1. Now this supposes that we know that God has bestowed the blessings we prayed for upon us. If the Psalmist calls upon his soul to bless the Lord for forgiving him all his iniquities, Psal. ciii. 2, 3. we must suppose that there was some method by which he attained the assurance of the blessing which he praises God for; which leads us to consider,

3. That some have attained this privilege, therefore it is not impossible for others to attain it. That some have been assured of their salvation, is evident from the account we have thereof in several scriptures, Thus the apostle tells the church he writes to, God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation, 1 Thes. v. 7. and he says concerning himself, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day, 2 Tim. i. 12.

Objec. To this it is objected, that though it is true, some persons of old, have experienced this privilege, yet it does not follow from hence that we have any ground to expect it; since they attained it by extraordinary revelation, in that age in which they were favoured with the spirit of inspiration, whereby they arrived to the knowledge of things future, even such as it was impossible for them otherwise to have known, at least, they could not without these extraordinary intimations, have arrived to any more than a probable conjecture concerning this matter; and this is not denied by those who oppose the doctrine of assurance: whereas, to pretend to more than this, is to suppose that we have it by extraordinary inspiration, which, at present, can be reckoned no other than enthusiasm.

Answ. To this it may be replied, That though God does not give the church, at present, the least ground to expect extraordinary intimations concerning their interest in spiritual and saving blessings, as he formerly did; yet we must not conclude that there is no method whereby they may attain the assurance hereof in a common and ordinary way, by the internal testimony of the Spirit; which, as will farther appear under a following head, differs very much from enthusiasm; since it is attended with, and founded on those evidences which God has given hereof in scripture, which they, in a way of self-examination, are enabled to apprehend in themselves. That this may appear, let it be considered,

(1.) That there never was any privilege conferred upon the church by extraordinary revelation, while that dispensation was continued therein, but the same, or some other which is equivalent thereunto, is still conferred in an ordinary way, provided it be absolutely necessary for the advancing the glory of God, and their edification and consolation in Christ. If this were not true, the church could hardly subsist, much less would the present dispensation of the covenant of grace excel the other which the church was under in former ages, as to those spiritual privileges which they have ground to expect. It is, I think, allowed by all, that the gospel-dispensation, not only in the beginning thereof, when extraordinary gifts were conferred, but in its continuance, now they are ceased, excels that which went before it, with respect to the spiritual privileges which are conferred therein. Now if God was pleased formerly to converse with men in an extraordinary way, and thereby give them an intimation of things relating to their salvation, but, at present, withholds not only the way and manner of revealing this to them, but the blessings conveyed thereby; then it will follow, that the church is in a worse state than it was before; or else it must be supposed that these privileges are not absolutely necessary to enable them to glorify God, which they do by offering praise to him, and to their attaining that peace and joy which they are given to expect in a way of believing; but if the church were destitute of this privilege, it would be in a very unhappy state, and retain nothing that could compensate the loss of those extraordinary gifts that are now ceased.

They who insist on this objection, and charge the doctrine of assurance as what savours of enthusiasm, are obliged, by their own method of reasoning, to apply the same objection to the doctrine of internal, special, efficacious grace, which we have, under a foregoing answer,[105] proved to be the work of the Spirit; and if these internal works are confined to the extraordinary dispensation of the Spirit, then the church is at present as much destitute of sanctification as it is of assurance. Therefore we must conclude, that one no more savours of enthusiasm than the other; or that we have ground to hope for assurance of salvation, though not in an extraordinary way, as much as the saints did in former ages.

(2.) Our Saviour has promised his people the Spirit to perform what is necessary for the carrying on the work of grace in all ages, even when extraordinary gifts should cease: accordingly he says, The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, John xiv. 26. And elsewhere it is said, Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things, 1 John ii. 20. And to this privilege of assurance, it is said, We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12. And there are many other promises of the Spirit, which though they had their accomplishment, as to what respects the conferring extraordinary gifts, in the first age of the church; yet they have a farther accomplishment in what the Spirit was to bestow on the church in the following ages thereof, though in an ordinary way. This seems very evident from scripture; inasmuch as the fruits of the Spirit are said to appear in the exercise of those graces which believers have in all ages, who never had extraordinary gifts: thus it is said, The fruit of the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, Gal. v. 22, 23. Now if these graces be produced by the Spirit, as they are called his fruits, and the exercise thereof be not confined to any particular age of the church, then we must suppose that the Spirit’s energy extends itself to all ages.

Again, believers are said, to be led by the Spirit, Rom. viii. 14. and this is assigned as an evidence of their being the sons of God; and, on the other hand, it is said, If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his, ver. 9. from whence we may conclude, that there was, in the apostles’ days, an effusion of the Spirit, common to all believers, besides that which was conferred in an extraordinary way, on those who were favoured with the gift of inspiration; otherwise, the having the Spirit would not have been considered as a privilege belonging only to believers, and being destitute of it, an argument of a person’s not belonging to Christ. As for the extraordinary dispensation of the Holy Ghost, it was not inseparably connected with salvation; for many had it who were Christians only in name, and had nothing more than a form of godliness; and on the other hand, many true believers brought forth those fruits which proceeded from the Spirit, in an ordinary way, who had not these extraordinary gifts conferred on them. Moreover the apostle speaks of believers through the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body, Rom. viii. 13. Now if the work of mortification be incumbent on believers in all ages, then the influences of the Spirit, enabling hereunto, may be expected in all ages. Now to apply this to our present argument; the Spirit’s bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, which is the foundation of that assurance which we are pleading for, is, together with the other fruits and effects of the Spirit but now mentioned, a privilege which believers, as such, are given to desire and hope for, and stand in as much need of as those who had this or other privileges conferred on them in an extraordinary way, in the first age of the gospel-church.

And to all this we might add, that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit at that time, were conferred on particular persons, and not on whole churches; but assurance is considered, by the apostle, as a privilege conferred on the church to which he writes, that is, the greatest part of them, from whence the denomination is taken; upon which account, the apostle speaking to the believing Corinthians, says, We know that if our earthy house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. by which he does not only intend himself and other ministers, but the generality of believers, at that time, who are described as walking by faith: and there are many other things said concerning them in the foregoing and following verses; which makes it sufficiently evident, that the apostle intends more than himself and other ministers, when he speaks of their having assurance, since many had it who were not made partakers of extraordinary gifts. Therefore we must not conclude that the church has, at present, no ground to expect this privilege, so that they are liable to the charge of enthusiasm if they do. But that this objection may farther appear not to be sufficient to overthrow the argument we are maintaining, we may appeal to the experience of many believers in this present age, who pretend not to extraordinary revelation; and therefore let it be considered,

(3.) That many, in later ages, since extraordinary revelation has ceased, have attained this privilege, and consequently it is now attainable. To deny this would be to offend against the generation of God’s people, of whom many have given their testimony to this truth, who have declared what a comfortable sense they have had of their interest in Christ, and the sensible impressions they have enjoyed of his love shed abroad in their hearts, whereby they have had, as it were, a prelibation of the heavenly blessedness; and this has been attended with the most powerful influence of the Spirit of God enabling them to exercise those graces which have been agreeable to these comfortable experiences, whereby they have been carried through, and enabled to surmount the greatest difficulties which have attended them in this life. And many have been supported and comforted therewith, at the approach of death, in which respect the sting thereof has been taken away, and they have expressed themselves with a kind of triumph over it, in the apostle’s words, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. xv. 55.

That some have been favoured with this invaluable privilege is undeniable; the account we have in the history of the lives and deaths of many, who have been burning and shining lights in their generation, puts it out of all doubt. And if this were not sufficient, we might appeal to the experience of many now living, since there is scarce any age or place in which the gospel comes with power, but we have some instances of the Spirit’s testimony to his own work, whereby it comes, with much assurance, a comfortable sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, which is the first-fruits and earnest of eternal life. But since this will be particularly insisted on under a following answer[106], and farther proofs given hereof; we may, at present, take it for granted, that many have been assured of their being in a state of grace, who have not made the least pretension, to inspiration; and to charge them with enthusiasm, or a vain ungrounded delusion, is to cast a reflection on the best of men, as well as on one of the highest privileges which we can enjoy in this world.

I am sensible that it will be objected to this, that though some have indeed expressed such a degree of assurance, yet this will only afford conviction to those that have it, who are best judges of their own experience, and the evidence whereon it is founded; but this is not a sufficient proof to us, with respect to whom it is only matter of report: And it may be said, on the other hand, that it is possible they might be mistaken who have been so sure of their own salvation.

But to this it may be replied, that it is very unreasonable to suppose that all have been mistaken or deluded, who have declared that they have been favoured with this blessing; charity will hardly admit of such a supposition; and if there be no possibility of attaining this assurance, they must all have been deceived, who have concluded that they had it. Moreover, this privilege has been attained, not only by a few persons, and these the more credulous part of mankind, or by such who have not been able to assign any marks or evidences tending to support it; but many believers have experienced it, who, at the same time, have been far from discovering any weakness of judgment, or disposition to unwarrantable credulity; yea, they have enjoyed it at such a time when they have been most sensible of the deceitfulness of their own hearts, and could not but own that there was a peculiar hand of God herein; and the same persons, when destitute of the Spirit’s testimony, have acknowledged themselves to have used their utmost endeavours to attain it, but in vain.

As to the conviction which this will afford to us who are destitute hereof; that though we suppose it true to a demonstration, to those who have it, as being matter of sensation to them, it is only matter of report to us; which we are no farther bound to believe than we can depend on the credibility of their evidence, who have declared that they have experienced it. To this it may be replied, that if there be such a thing as certainty founded on report, which to deny, would be the greatest degree of scepticism; and if this has been transmitted to us, by a great number of those who cannot be charged with any thing that looks like a disposition to deceive either themselves or others; then we are bound to believe, from their own testimony, that there is such an assurance to be attained by those who pretend not to receive it by extraordinary inspiration from the Spirit of God. This leads us,

III. To consider the character of the persons to whom this privilege belongs. Accordingly they are described in this answer, as such who truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him: these only have ground to expect this privilege. It is an assurance of our having the truth of grace that we are considering; which supposes a person truly to believe in Christ; and accordingly it is distinguished from that unwarrantable presumption whereby many persuade themselves that they shall be saved, though they be not sanctified. It is not the hope of the hypocrite we are speaking of, which, as it is said, shall perish, and be cut off; whose trust shall be as the spider’s web, which shall be swept away with the besom of destruction, and be like the giving up of the ghost, which shall end in everlasting despair, Job viii. 13, 14. and chap. xi. 20. but it is a well-grounded hope, such as is accompanied with, and supported by the life of faith; so that we are first enabled to act grace, and then to discern the truth thereof in our own souls, and accordingly reap the comfortable fruits and effects that attend this assurance; as the apostle prays in the behalf of the believing Romans, that the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing, Rom. xv. 13. So that an unbeliever has no right to this privilege, and, indeed, from the nature of the thing, it is preposterous for a person to be assured of that, which in itself has no reality, as the apostle says, If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself, Gal. vi. 3. And if faith be necessary to assurance, then it follows, as it is farther observed in this answer, that they who have attained this privilege, walk in all good conscience before God; whereby the sincerity of their faith is evinced: Thus the apostle says, Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, 2 Cor. i. 12.

IV. We are now to consider the means by which assurance is to be attained, viz. not by extraordinary revelation, but by faith, founded on the promises of God. As to the former of these, we have already considered, that assurance may be attained without extraordinary revelation, as has been experienced by some in this present dispensation of the gospel, in which extraordinary revelation is ceased. And, indeed, it may be observed, in the account the scripture gives of this privilege, that it does not appear, that when extraordinary revelation was granted to many, in the first age of the gospel, that the design thereof was to lead men into the knowledge of their own state, so as that they should attain assurance of their interest in Christ, and right to eternal life that way. The main design of inspiration was to qualify ministers in an extraordinary way to preach the gospel, as the necessity of affairs seemed then to require it; it was also necessary for the imparting some doctrines; which could not otherwise be known: And, inasmuch as it was an extraordinary dispensation of divine providence, it was an expedient to give conviction to the world, concerning the truth of the christian religion, since God hereby was pleased to converse in an immediate way with men, and testified by this, the great regard he had to his church, and answered the great ends of inspiration, in propagating that religion which was then to be set up in the world. But we do not find that the work of grace was ordinarily wrought, or carried on this way; nor was it God’s instituted means, without which they could not attain assurance, which the saints’ arrived to, in that age of extraordinary inspiration, the same way as we are to expect to attain it. It is true, God has occasionally intimated, by immediate revelation, that he would save some particular persons, and that their names were written in the book of life, Phil. iv. 3. but this was a special and extraordinary instance of divine condescension, that some should be described by name, in scripture, who had obtained this privilege; though it is not designed hereby that others should expect to attain it this way; and therefore it will be hard to prove that the apostle Paul, and others whom he speaks of, who were assured of their salvation, though they received the knowledge of other things by inspiration, were led into the knowledge of their own state in such a way, much less may we expect to attain assurance by extraordinary revelation. And this leads us to consider the ordinary means whereby we may attain it, which is, in this answer, said to be, by faith, grounded on the truth of God’s promises, and the Spirit’s testimony, whereby we are enabled to discern in ourselves those graces which accompany salvation; accordingly we must consider,

1. That in order to our arriving to a comfortable persuasion that we shall be saved, there must be promises of life and salvation revealed, which are contained in the gospel; these are remotely necessary thereunto; for without a promise of salvation we can have no hope of it; but notwithstanding these promises are contained therein, yet many are destitute of it.

2. It is also necessary, in order to our attaining assurance, that there should be some marks and evidences revealed in the word of God, as a rule for persons to try themselves by, in order to their knowing that they are in a state of grace. Now we may say concerning this, as well as the former, to wit, the promises of salvation recorded, that though it be necessary to assurance; yet it is only an objective means for our attaining it, inasmuch as we are hereby led to see what graces experienced, or duties performed by us, have the promise of salvation annexed to them; and therefore let me add,

3. That it is necessary that we should discern in ourselves those marks and evidences of grace to which the promise of salvation is annexed; otherwise we have no right to lay claim to it; accordingly it is our duty to look into ourselves, and observe what marks of grace we have, from whence we may, by the Spirit’s testimony with ours, discern ourselves to be in a state of grace; which leads us to consider,

(1.) That in order to our attaining assurance, we must exercise the duty of self-examination.

(2.) What we may truly call a mark or evidence of grace, whereby we may discern that we are in a state of salvation.

(3.) Notwithstanding this we are to depend on, hope, and pray for, the testimony of the Spirit with our spirits, that we are the children of God, and that these evidences are found in us.

(1.) In order to our attaining assurance, it is necessary that we exercise the duty of self-examination, which is God’s ordinance for this end. And in order hereunto, let it be considered,

[1.] That it is certainly a duty and privilege for us to know ourselves, not only what we do, but what we are; for without this, whatever knowledge we may have of other things, we are chargeable with great ignorance in a matter of the highest importance; neither can we be sufficiently humble for those sins we commit, or thankful for the mercies we receive. If we reckon it an advantage to know what is done in the world, and are very inquisitive into the affairs of others, it is much more necessary and reasonable for us to endeavour to know what more immediately relates to ourselves; or if we are very desirous to know those things that concern our natural or civil affairs in the world; whether we are in prosperous or adverse circumstances therein, ought we not much more to enquire, how matters stand with us, as to what concerns a better world?

[2.] We cannot know the state of our souls, without impartial self-examination. This is evident from the nature of the thing. As enquiry is the means for our attaining knowledge; so looking into ourselves is a means of attaining self-acquaintance.

[3.] Self-examination is a duty founded on a divine command, and an ordinance appointed for our attaining the knowledge of our state. Thus the apostle says, Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your ownselves, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. and whatever duty God has commanded us to engage in, as expecting any spiritual privilege to attend it, that is properly an ordinance for the attaining that privilege; and if so, then it is an argument to enforce the performance of that duty. Having therefore proved self-examination to be a christian’s duty, we shall now consider how it ought to be performed. And here let it be observed, that as it is God’s ordinance, we are to have a due regard to his presence, and consider him as an heart searching God, and depend on his assistance, without which it cannot be performed to any great advantage; but more particularly,

1st, We are to engage in this duty deliberately. It cannot well be performed while we are in an hurry of business. As every thing is beautiful in its seasons, so time ought to be redeemed, and we to retire from the world, to apply ourselves to this as well as other secret duties, and the rather, because a rash and hasty judgment concerning any thing, is generally faulty, and must be reckoned an argument of weakness in him that passes it, and it will be much more so when the thing to be determined is of such vast importance.

2dly, It ought to be done frequently; not like those things which are to be performed but once in our lives, or only upon some extraordinary occasions, but often, at least, so often, that no presumptuous sin may be committed, nor any extraordinary judgment inflicted on us, or mercy vouchsafed to us, without a due observation thereof, in order to our improving them aright to the glory of God, and our own edification: Nevertheless, we cannot exactly determine what relates to the frequency of this duty, any more than we can prescribe to those who are in a way of trade and business in the world, how often they are to cast up their accounts, and set their books in order, that they may judge whether they go forward or backward in the world: Notwithstanding, as the neglect hereof has been detrimental to many, as to their worldly affairs; so the neglect of self-examination has been often found an hindrance to our comfortable procedure in our christian course: However, so far as we may advise concerning the frequency of this duty, it would redound much to the glory of God and our own advantage, if, at the close of every day, we would call to mind the experiences we have had, and observe the frame of spirit with which we have engaged in all the business thereof. This the Psalmist advises when he says, Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still, Psal. iv. 4.

Moreover, it is adviseable for us to perform this duty whenever we engage in other solemn stated religious duties, whether public or private, that we may know what matter we have for prayer, or praise, what help we want from God, against the prevalency of corruption or temptation, or what answers of prayer we have received from him, or what success we have had under any ordinance, in which we have engaged, as well as what the present frame of our spirit is, when drawing nigh to God in any holy duty.

3dly, It ought to be performed with great diligence, inasmuch as it is no easy matter to arrive to such a knowledge of ourselves, and the secret working of our hearts and affections, in what respects things divine and heavenly, or to discern the truth of grace, so as not to mistake that for a saving work, which has only the external shew of godliness, without the power of it; this requires great diligence and industry to know: Accordingly the Psalmist, in speaking concerning the performance of this duty, says, I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search, Psal. lxxvii. 6. The thing to be enquired into is not barely, whether we are sinners in general, or exposed to many miseries in this life, as the consequence thereof? for this is sufficiently evident by daily experience. But we are to endeavour after a more particular knowledge of ourselves, and accordingly are to enquire; whether sin hath dominion over us to such a degree, so that all the powers and faculties of our souls are enslaved thereby, and we commit sin in such a way, as denominates us, as our Saviour expresses it, servants of sin? John viii. 34. or, whether sin be loathed and abhorred, avoided and repented of? and as to our state, we are to enquire; whether we have ground to conclude that we are justified, and thereby delivered from the guilt of sin, and the condemning sentence of the law? or, whether we remain in a state of condemnation, and the wrath of God abideth on us? We must enquire, whether the work of grace be really begun, so that we are effectually called, and enabled to put forth spiritual actions from a renewed nature? and whether this work is going forward or declining? what is the strength or weakness of our faith? Also we are to enquire, what is the general tenor of our actions? whether the ends we design in all religious duties are right and warrantable? whether our improvement in grace bears any proportion to the means we are favoured with?

Moreover, we are to examine ourselves; whether we perform all those relative duties that are incumbent on us, so as to glorify God in our conversation with men, whereby we endeavour to do good to, and receive good from them, and accordingly improve our talents to the glory of God, from whom we received them? These and such like things are to be enquired into, which will be more immediately subservient to the attaining this privilege of assurance.

4thly, Self-examination ought to be performed with the greatest impartiality. Conscience, which is to act the part of a judge and a witness, must be faithful in its dictates and determinations, it being a matter of the greatest importance; and therefore, in passing a judgment on our state, we must proceed according to the rules of strict justice, not denying, on the one hand, what we have received from God, or resolutely concluding against ourselves, that there is no hope, when there are many things that afford matter of peace and comfort to us; nor, on the other hand, are we to think ourselves something when we are nothing.

Therefore some are obliged to conclude, as the result of this enquiry, into their state, that they are unregenerate and destitute of the saving grace of God. This sentence persons are obliged to pass on themselves, who are grossly ignorant, not sensible of the plague of their own hearts, and altogether unacquainted with the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, or the method prescribed in the gospel, for the sinner’s justification or freedom from the guilt of sin, in a fiducial application of Christ’s righteousness, which is the only means conducive thereunto; and who know not what is included in evangelical repentance; how sin is to be mortified, and what it is to depend on Christ in the execution of his offices of prophet, priest, and king, at least, if they have not such a degree of the knowledge of these things, though they cannot fully and clearly describe them, as may influence their practice, and excite those graces, which all true converts are enabled to exercise, they have ground to conclude that they are in a state of unregeneracy. And to this we may add, that a person must conclude against himself, that he is destitute of the grace of God, if he allows himself in the omission of known duties, or the commission of known sins, and is content with a form of godliness, without the power thereof, or values and esteems the praise of men more than of God; such must conclude that their hearts are not right with him.

5thly, We must examine ourselves concerning our state, with a resolution, by the grace of God, to make a right improvement of that judgment which we are bound to pass on ourselves. And therefore, if we apprehend that we are in a state of unregeneracy, we are not to sink into despair; but to wait on God in all his appointed means and ordinances, in order to our obtaining the first grace, that, by the powerful influences of the Spirit, there may be such a true change wrought in us, that we may have ground to hope better things concerning ourselves, even things which accompany salvation. And if we find that we have experienced the grace of God in truth, we may be disposed to give him all the glory; to exercise a continued dependence on him, for what is still lacking to complete the work, and as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord to walk in him.

6thly, This duty must be performed with judgment; and accordingly we are to compare our hearts and actions with the rule which is prescribed in the word of God, whereby we may know whether we have those marks and evidences of grace, from whence we may conclude, that we have a good foundation to build on, and that our hope is such, as shall never make ashamed; which leads us to consider,

(2.) What we may truly call a mark or evidence of grace, whereby we may discern that we are in a state of salvation. In order to our understanding this, we must consider,

1. That every thing, which is a mark or evidence of a thing, must be more known than that which is designed to be evinced thereby. The sign must always be more known than the thing signified by it; inasmuch as it is a means of our knowing that which we are at present in doubt about. As when the finger is placed in a cross-road, to direct the traveller which way he is to take.

2. A mark or evidence of a thing must contain some essential property of that which it is designed to evince: thus the inferring consequences from premises is an essential property belonging to every intelligent creature, and to none else; therefore it is a mark or evidence thereof; so to design the best end, and use those means that are conducive thereunto, is an essential property of a wise man, and consequently a mark or evidence of wisdom. And, on the other hand, there are some things, which are not essential properties, but accidental, as an healthful constitution is to man, or a particular action, that has some appearance of wisdom and goodness, but not all the necessary ingredients thereof, to a wise or good man.

Now to apply these rules to our present purpose, in determining what we may call marks or evidences of grace. With respect to the former of them, viz. that a mark must be more known than the thing that is evinced thereby; we may conclude, that eternal election, or the Spirit’s implanting a principle of grace in regeneration, cannot be said to be marks or evidences of sanctification, since these are less known than the thing designed to be evinced thereby.

And as to the other rule, viz. that a mark must contain an essential property of that which it evinces: it follows from hence, that our engaging in holy duties, without the exercise of grace therein; or our extending charity to the poor, when it does not proceed from faith or love to God, &c. is no certain evidence of the truth of grace, since a person may perform these duties and yet be destitute hereof; whereas, that which is essential to a thing, is inseparable from it. Thus concerning marks of grace in general; which I could not but think necessary to premise, inasmuch as some have entertained prejudices against all marks of grace, and seem to assert, that a believer is not to judge of his state thereby; than which, nothing seems more absurd. If they who are thus prejudiced against them, have nothing to say in defence thereof, but that some assign those things to be marks of grace which are not so, and thereby lead themselves and others, into mistakes about them; what has been premised concerning the nature of a mark, or evidence, may, in some measure, fence against this prejudice, as well as prepare our way for what may be said concerning them. Therefore we shall, First, consider those things which can hardly be reckoned marks of grace; and, Secondly, what marks we may judge of ourselves by.

First, As to the former of these, what are not to be reckoned marks of grace.

1. We are not to conclude that a person is in a state of grace, barely because he has a strong impression on his own spirit that he is so; since that is accidental, and not essential to grace, and many are mistaken with respect to this matter. It is not to be doubted, but they whom our Saviour represents as saying, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works, Matt. vii. 2. had a strong persuasion founded on this evidence, that they were in a state of grace, till they found themselves mistaken, when he commanded them to depart from him? Nothing is more obvious than that many presume they are something when they are nothing; and, indeed, a persuasion that a person is in a state of grace, barely because he cannot think otherwise of himself, the thing being impressed on his spirit, without any other evidence, lays such an one too open to the charge of enthusiasm.

2. An external profession of religion, discovered in the performance of several holy duties, is no certain sign of the truth of grace; for this many make who are not effectually called. Of such as these Christ speaks, when he says, Many are called, but few are chosen, Matt. xx. 16. And to this we may add, that persons may have some degree of raised affections, when attending on the ordinances, some sudden flashes of joy, when they hear of the privileges of believers, both in this and a better world; though their conversation be not agreeable to their confident and presumptuous expectation thereof. And, on the other hand, some have their fears very much awakened under the ordinances, as the subject of their meditations has a tendency thereunto; others have such a degree of sorrow, that it gives vent to itself in a flood of tears; as Esau is said to have sought the blessing with tears, Heb. xii. 17. but yet there is something else wanting to evince the truth of grace. I do not deny but that it is a great blessing to have raised affections in holy duties; but when this is only in particular instances, and they are principally excited by some external motives or circumstances attending the ordinance they are engaged in; and when the impressions made on them, wear off as soon as the ordinance is over, in this case we can hardly determine a person to be in a state of grace hereby. The affections, indeed, are warmed in holy duties; but this is like an iron heated in the fire, which, when taken out, soon grows cold again; and not like that natural heat that remains in the body of man, which is an abiding sign of life.

But since this subject is to be treated on with the utmost caution, inasmuch as many are apt to conclude, that they have no grace, because they have no raised affections, in holy duties, as well as others presume they have grace merely because they are affected therein, let it be farther considered; that when we speak of raised affections, not being a certain mark of grace, we consider them as being destitute of those other evidences, which contain some essential properties of grace: the affections are often raised by insignificant sounds, or by the tone of the voice, when there is nothing in the matter delivered, that is adapted to excite any grace, the judgment is not informed thereby, nor the will persuaded to embrace Christ, as offered in the gospel. There may be transports of joy in hearing the word, when, at the same time, corrupt nature retains its opposition to the spirituality thereof. A person may conceive the greatest pleasure in an ungrounded hope of heaven, as a state of freedom from the miseries of this life, when he has no savour or relish of that holiness which is its glory, in which respect his conversation is not in heaven; and he may be very much terrified with the wrath of God, and the punishment of sin in hell; when, at the same time, there is not a due sense of the vile and odious nature of sin, or an abhorrence of it: such instances of raised affections we intend when we speak of them as no marks or evidences of the truth of grace. But, on the other hand, when, together with raised affections, there is the exercise of suitable graces, and the impression thereof remains, when their fervency is abated or lost, this is a good sign of grace; whereas, when they are not accompanied with the exercise of any grace, they afford no mark or evidence of the truth thereof.

Now that we may not be mistaken as to this matter, let us enquire, not only what it is that has a tendency to raise the affections; but whether our understandings are rightly informed in the doctrines of the gospel, and our wills choose and embrace what is revealed therein. And if we find it a difficult matter for our affections to be raised in holy duties, let us farther enquire, whether this may not proceed from our natural constitution? and if the passions are not easily moved with any other things in the common affairs of life; we have then no reason to conclude that our being destitute hereof in the exercise of holy duties, is a sign that we have not the truth of grace, especially if Christ and divine things are the objects of our settled choice, and our hearts are fixed trusting in him.

3. The performance of those moral duties, which are materially good, is no certain sign of the truth of grace; I do not say that this is not necessary; for when we speak of a mark of grace, as containing in it what is essential thereunto, we distinguish between that which is a necessary pre-requisite, without which, none can have grace; and that which is an essential ingredient in it. Where there is no morality, there is certainly no grace; but if there be nothing more than this, there is an essential ingredient wanting, by which this matter must be determined. A person may abstain from gross enormities, such as murder, adultery, theft, reviling, extortion, covetousness, &c. and, in many respects, perform the contrary duties, and yet be destitute of faith in Christ. The Pharisee, whom our Saviour mentions in the gospel, had as much to say on this subject as any one; yet his heart was not right with God; nor was his boasting hereof approved of by Christ. There are multitudes who perform many religious duties, when it comports with their secular interests; they adhere to Christ in a time of prosperity; but in a time of adversity they fall from him; and then, that which seemed to be most excellent in them is lost, and then they appear to be, what they always were, destitute of the truth of grace. We now proceed to consider,

Secondly, What are those marks by which persons may safely conclude themselves to be in a state of grace. In order to our determining this matter, we must consider what are the true and genuine effects of faith, which we find mentioned in scripture, namely, those other graces that accompany or flow from it; as when it is said to work by love, Gal. v. 6. or as we are hereby enabled to overcome the world, 1 John v. 4. or to despise the honours, riches, and pleasures thereof; especially when standing in competition with Christ; or our hearts are thereby drawn aside from him: this effect it produced in Moses, when he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, Heb. xi. 24-26. and in others, who confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth, ver. 13, 16. who desired a better country, that is, an heavenly; whose conversation was in heaven, Phil. iii. 10. Moreover, we are to enquire whether it has a tendency to purify the heart, Acts xv. 9. and so puts us upon abhorring, flying from, watching, and striving against every thing that tends to corrupt and defile the soul! and whether it tends to excite us to universal obedience, which is called the obedience of faith, Rom. xvi. 26. and a carefulness to maintain good works, Tit. iii. 6. which proceed from, and are evidences of the truth of it? as the apostle says, Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works, James ii. 18. or, as our Saviour says, The tree is known by his fruit. But that we may more particularly judge of the truth of grace by the marks and evidences thereof, we must consider its beginning and progress, or with what frame of spirit we first embraced and closed with Christ; and what our conversation has been since that time.

1. As to the former of these, to wit, our judging of the truth of grace by the first beginning thereof. Here we are to enquire, what were the motives and inducements that inclined us to accept of Christ? Did we first see ourselves lost and undone, as sinful, fallen creatures; and were we determined hereupon to have recourse to him for salvation, as the only refuge we could betake ourselves to? Did we first consider ourselves as guilty; and did this guilt set very uneasy upon us; and in order to the removal of it, did we betake ourselves to Christ for forgiveness? and did we consider ourselves as weak and unable to do what is good, and so apply ourselves to him for strength against indwelling sin, and victory over the temptations which prevailed against us?

Moreover, let us enquire, whether it was only a slavish fear and dread of the wrath of God, and the punishment of sin in hell, that gave the first turn to our thoughts and affections, so as to put us on altering our course of life? or, whether, besides this, we saw the evil of sin arising from its intrinsic nature, and its opposition to the holiness of God; and was this attended with shame and self-abhorrence? and, at the same time, did we see the excellency and loveliness of Christ? was he precious to us as he is to them that believe? 1 Pet. ii. 7.

Again, let us farther enquire, what were the workings of our spirits when we first closed with Christ? did we do this with judgment, duly weighing what he demands of us in a way of duty, as well as what we are encouraged to expect from him? were we made willing to accept of him in all his offices, and to have respect to all his commandments? were we earnestly desirous to have communion with him here, as well as to be glorified with him hereafter? were we content to submit to the cross of Christ, to bear his reproach, and to count this preferable to all the glories of the world? were we willing to be conformed to an humbled suffering Jesus, and to take our lot with his servants, though they may be reckoned the refuse and off-scouring of all things? And let us farther enquire; whether we did this with reliance on his assistance, as being sensible of the treachery and deceitfulness of our own hearts, and our utter inability to do what is good, without the aids of his grace? did we accordingly give up ourselves to him in hope of obtaining help from him, in order to the right discharge of every duty? did we reckon ourselves nothing, and Christ to be all in all, that all our springs are in him? This was a good beginning of the work of grace, which will prepare the way for this grace of assurance, which we are now considering.

Obj. Some will object against what has been said concerning our enquiring into, or being able to discern the first acts of faith, or that frame of spirit wherewith we then closed with Christ, that they know not the time of their conversion, if ever they were converted; they cannot remember or determine what was the particular ordinance or providence, that gave them the first conviction of sin, and of their need of Christ, and induced them to close with him; much less can they tell what were the workings of their hearts at such a time: It is impossible for them to trace the footsteps of providence, so as to point out the way and manner in which this work was at first begun in their souls. This therefore is not to be laid down as a mark or evidence of grace, which so few can make use of.

Answ. I am not insensible that this is the case of the greatest number of believers. There are very few, who, like the apostle Paul, can tell the time and place of their conversion, and every circumstance leading to it; or like those converts, who, when the gospel was first preached by Peter, were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts ii. 37. or like the jailor, who broke forth into an affectionate enquiry, not much unlike to it; Sirs, what must I do to be saved? chap. xvi. 30. though the ordinance leading to it was of a different nature. Sometimes, the way of the Spirit of God in the soul at first, is so discernable, that it cannot but be observed by them who are brought into a state of grace; but others know nothing of this, especially they who have not run into all excess of riot, and been stopped in their course on a sudden, by the grace of God; in whom the change made in conversion, was real, though it could not, from the nature of the thing be so plainly discerned in all its circumstances. Some have been regenerate from the womb; others have had a great degree of restraining grace, and been trained up in the knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel from their very childhood, and retain the impressions of a religious education; these cannot so easily discern the first beginnings of the work of grace in their souls; yet they may, and ought to enquire, whether ever they found, in the course of their lives, such a frame of spirit as has been before described, which believers have when the work of grace is first begun, and it is not very material for them to be able to discern whether these were the first actings of grace or no? The main thing to be determined is; whether they have ground to conclude, that ever they experienced the grace of God in truth? In this case, the most that some can say concerning themselves, is as the blind man says in the gospel, when the Pharisees were inquisitive about the restoring his sight, and the way and manner in which this was done; this is all that I know concerning myself, that whereas I was blind, now I see, John ix. 25. so the true convert says; whereas I was once dead in trespasses and sins, I am now alive, and enabled to put forth living and spiritual actions, to the glory of God. This evidence will give as much ground to conclude that they are in a state of grace, as though they were able to determine when they were first brought into it.

2. We may judge of the truth of grace by the method in which it has been carried on, whether we are able to determine the way and manner in which it was first begun, or no, as a farther evidence of the truth thereof. Sanctification is a progressive work; therefore it is not enough for us to set our faces heaven-ward; but we must make advances towards it, and be found in the daily exercise of grace, in order to our concluding that we are in a state of grace. A believer must not only set out in the right way, but he must hold on therein; he must live by faith if he would conclude that the work of faith is begun in truth. It is not sufficient to call upon God, or implore help from him, when under some distressing providences, and afterwards to grow remiss in, or lay aside this duty; but it must be our constant work. A true christian is distinguished from an hypocrite, in that it is said, concerning the latter, Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? Job xxvii. 20. denoting that a true believer will do so. He is either habitually or actually inclined to it; and that in such a way as is attended with the daily exercise of those graces, which are the fruits and effects of faith, whereby he may conclude that he is in a state of grace. Thus far we have considered those marks or evidences of grace, which, in order to our attaining assurance, we must be able to discern in ourselves. But inasmuch as a believer may understand what are the marks of grace contained in scripture, and, at the same time, enquire into the state of his soul, to know whether he can apprehend in himself any evidences of the truth of grace; and not be able to arrive to a satisfaction as to this matter, so as to have his doubts and fears removed; let it be considered,

3. That he must depend on, hope, and pray for the testimony of the Spirit, with his spirit, that he is a child of God. It will be a difficult matter for us to conclude that we have the truth of grace, till the Spirit is pleased to shine on his own work; which, when he does, all things will appear clear and bright to us, though before this we might walk in darkness, and have no light. In speaking concerning the inward testimony of the Spirit (which is necessary to enable a believer to discern in himself the marks of grace, on which his assurance of salvation is founded) let it be premised; that as it is a branch of the Spirit’s divine glory, by his internal influence, to deal with the hearts of his people; so he does this various ways, according to the various faculties of the soul, which are the subjects thereof; particularly, when by his power, he renews the will, and causes it to act those graces which are the effects of his divine power; then he is said to sanctify a believer. But when he deals with the understanding and conscience, enabling us to discern the truth of the work of grace, that we may take the comfort of it, then he is described, in scripture, as a witness hereunto, or as witnessing with our spirits, that we are in a state of grace, the consequence of which is, that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we may know what is the hope of his calling, Eph. i. 18. accordingly he gives us to discern that he has called us by his grace; and, as the result thereof, granted us a hope of eternal life.

This is a privilege plainly mentioned in scripture; and we must not suppose that none had it but those who had extraordinary revelation, since it is so necessary to a believer’s attaining that peace and joy which the church, in this present dispensation, is certainly not less possessed of, than it was in former ages. And that the Spirit gives his testimony to the work of grace in the souls of believers, though extraordinary revelation be ceased, is evident from what is matter of daily experience; since there are many instances of those who have used their utmost endeavours in examining themselves, to know whether they had any marks of grace, who have not been able to discern any, though they have been thought to be sincere believers by others, till, on a sudden, light has broke forth out of darkness, and their evidences for eternal life cleared up, so that all their doubts have been removed; and this they could not but attribute to a divine hand, inasmuch as before this they could meditate nothing but terror to themselves; and, in this case, what the apostle prays for, with respect to the church, That the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing, that they might abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. xv. 13. is experienced by them: And on this account they are said, to be sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Eph. i. 13. whereby their hope is established, and that is now confirmed to them by this means, which they were before in perplexity about; so that we have as much ground to conclude that the Spirit is the author of assurance in believers, as we have that he is the author of sanctification.

But that this doctrine may not appear liable to the charge of enthusiasm, let it be farther considered, that the Spirit never gives his testimony to the truth of grace in any, in whom he has not first wrought it; for that would be, as it were, a setting his seal to a blank. And to this we may add, that he, at the same time, excites the lively exercise of grace, whereby they are enabled to discern that it is true and genuine; so that their assurance, though it be not without some internal, impressive influences, which they are favoured with; yet it is not wholly dependent on them: Therefore, if you demand a reason of the hope that is in them, though they ascribe the glory hereof to the Holy Spirit, as enabling them to discern the truth of grace; yet they are able to prove their ownselves, after having examined themselves, whether they are in the faith, by discovering their evidences of the faith of God’s elect; which argues that their assurance is no delusion.

Footnote 104:

See Quest. lxvii: Pag. 15 ante.

Footnote 105:

See page 54, 55, ante.

Footnote 106:

See Quest. lxxxiii.

Quest. LXXXI.

QUEST. LXXXI. Are all true believers, at all times, assured of their present being in the estate of grace; and that they shall be saved?

ANSW. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

Having considered some believers as favoured with assurance of their being in a state of grace, we are, in this answer, led to speak of others who are destitute of it. And the general method in which it may be considered, is,

I. That there is something supposed, namely, that assurance of grace and salvation is not of the essence of saving faith.

II. Some things are inferred from this supposition, namely,

1. That true believers may wait long before they obtain assurance. And,

2. That after the enjoyment thereof it may be weakened and intermitted; the reasons whereof are assigned, viz. bodily distempers, sins, temptations, and divine desertions; yet it is farther added, that they are never left without the support of the Spirit of God; whereby they are kept from sinking into utter despair.

I. As to the thing supposed in this answer, viz. that assurance of grace and salvation is not of the essence of faith. There are many who, in other respects, explain the nature of faith, in such a way as is unexceptionable, who, notwithstanding, assert that assurance is of the essence thereof; in which we cannot but think they express themselves very unwarily, at least, they ought to have more clearly discovered what they mean by faith, and what by assurance, being of the essence of faith; if they mean that no one has saving faith but he who has an assurance of his own salvation; they not only assert what is contrary to the experience of many believers, but lay a stumbling-block in the way of weak Christians, who will be induced from hence to conclude, that because they cannot tell whether they are true believers or no, therefore they are destitute of saving faith; upon which account it is necessary for us to enquire how far this supposition is to be allowed of, and in what respect denied.

It is certain, that there are many excellent divines, in our own and foreign nations, who have defined faith by assurance; which they have supposed so essential to it, that without it no one can be reckoned a believer. It may be they might be inclined thus to express themselves by the sense in which they understood several texts of scripture, in which assurance seems to be considered as a necessary ingredient in faith; as it is said, Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Heb. x. 22. and when the apostle speaks of assurance, as a privilege that belonged to the church to which he wrote, We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. and elsewhere, he so far blames their not knowing themselves, or being destitute of this assurance, that he will hardly allow them to have any faith, who were without it; Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus, Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates, chap. xiii. 5. From such like expressions as these, they who plead for assurance being of the essence of faith, are ready to conclude, that they who are destitute of it, can hardly be called believers.

But, that this matter may be set in a true light, we must distinguish between assurance of the object, viz. the great and important doctrines of the gospel, being of the essence of faith; and assurance of our interest in Christ being so. The former of these we will not deny; for no one can come to Christ, who is not assured that he will receive him, nor trust in him till he is fully assured that he is able to save him: but the latter we must take leave to deny; for if no one is a believer but he that knows himself to be so, then he that doubts of his salvation, must be concluded to be no believer; which is certainly a very discouraging doctrine to weak Christians. And also, when we lose the comfortable persuasion we once had, of our interest in Christ, we are bound to question all our former experiences, and to determine ourselves to be in a state of unregeneracy, which is, in effect to deny to give God the glory of that powerful work which was formerly wrought in us, which we then thought to be a work of grace.

If they, indeed, mean by assurance, being of the essence of faith, that an assurance of our interest in Christ is essential to the highest or most comfortable acts of faith, designing thereby to put us upon pressing after it, if we have not attained to it; and that hereby God is very much glorified, and a foundation laid for our offering praise to him, for the experience we have had of his grace, which a doubting Christian cannot be said to do; we have nothing to say against it. Or, if they should assert, that doubting is no ingredient in faith, nor a commendable excellency in a Christian; this we do not deny. All that we are contending for is, that there may be a direct act of faith, or a faith of reliance, in those who are destitute of assurance that they are in a state of grace; which is the thing supposed in this answer, when it is said, that assurance is not of the essence of faith. That this may be better understood, and we be led into the sense of those scriptures that describe believers as having assurance, such as those but now mentioned, and others to the like purpose, let it be considered, that there are many scriptures, in which believers are said to have such an assurance, as only respects the objects of faith, viz. the person, offices, and glory of Christ, the truth of the gospel, and the promises thereof; which we do not deny to be of the essence of faith. Thus, when the apostle prays for the church, That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, Col. ii. 2. and when elsewhere he says, Our gospel came to you in much assurance, 1 Thess, i. 5. and when he exhorts persons to draw near to God, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Heb. x. 22. it is probable, that he means in these, and several other scriptures of the like import, no more than an assurance of the object of faith. And as for that scripture but now mentioned, in 2 Cor. xiii. 5. where he seems to assert, that all who are destitute of this privilege are reprobates; some understand the word, which we translate reprobates, as only signifying injudicious Christians; and if so, this is not inconsistent with the character of believers: but others, with an equal degree of probability, render it disapproved;[107] and so the meaning is, that if you know not your ownselves, to wit, that Christ is in you, you are greatly to be blamed, or disapproved; especially because this proceeds from your neglect of the duty of self-examination; by which means you have no proof of Christ’s being in you, who are so ready to demand a proof of his speaking in his ministers, as in verse 3. Therefore it does not appear from this text, that every one who endeavours to know that he is in a state of grace, by diligent self-examination, but cannot conclude that he is so, must be determined to be destitute of faith; which would necessarily follow from our asserting that assurance of our interest in Christ, is of the essence of saving faith.

There are other scriptures which speak of assurance as a distinguishing character of Christians in general; which are usually brought to prove, that assurance is of the essence of faith, viz. 2 Cor. v. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens; and, 1 John v. 19. we know that we are of God: and in several places in the New Testament, in which the apostle addresses his discourse to whole churches, as having assurance, as well as the grace of faith: thus the apostle Peter, 1 Pet. i. 8, 9. speaks of them as loving Christ, believing in him, rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and receiving the end of their faith, even the salvation of their soul; which could hardly be said of them, if they were destitute of assurance of their own salvation. All that I would infer from these and such-like scriptures is, that it seems probable that assurance was a privilege more commonly experienced in that age of the church than it is in our day; and there may be two reasons assigned for this,

(1.) Because the change that passed upon them, when they were converted, was so apparent, that it was hardly possible for it not to be discerned. They turned from dead idols, and the practice of the vilest abominations, to serve the living God; which two extremes are so opposite, that their being brought from one to the other could not but be remarked by, and consequently more visible to themselves, than if it had been otherwise; but,

(2.) That which may be assigned as the principal reason of this is, because the church was called, at this time, to bear a public testimony to the gospel, by enduring persecutions of various kinds; and some of them were to resist unto blood. Therefore, that God might prepare them for these sufferings, and that he might encourage others to embrace the faith of the gospel, which was then in its infant state, he was pleased to favour them with this great privilege. And it may be hereafter, if God should call the church to endure like trials, he may in mercy grant them a greater degree of assurance than is ordinarily experienced.

Nevertheless, it may be questioned; whether those scriptures which speak of assurance, as though it were a privilege common to the whole church, are not to be understood as applicable to the greater part of them, rather than to every individual believer among them. For though the apostle, in one of the scriptures before-mentioned, considers the church at Corinth, as enjoying this privilege, and concluding that it should go well with them in another world, when this earthly tabernacle was dissolved; yet he speaks of some of them, in the same epistle, as not knowing their ownselves, how that Jesus Christ was in them. And the apostle John, notwithstanding what he says to the church, We knew that we are of God, in 1 John v. 19. which argues that many of them had assurance, plainly intimates that all had it not, from what he says, ver. 13. These things have I written unto you, that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life: and though in another scripture, but now mentioned, the apostle Peter speaks to the church to which he writes, as having joy unspeakable and full of glory consequent upon their faith, which argues that they had assurance; yet he exhorts others of them to give diligence to make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. i. 10. these therefore are supposed, at that time, not to have it: from all which it may be concluded, that assurance of grace and salvation, is not of the essence of saving faith; which is the thing supposed in this answer.[108]

II. We proceed to consider those things that are inferred from this supposition, viz.

1. That a believer may wait long before he attains it: this appears from what is matter of daily experience and observation. The sovereignty of God discovers itself herein, as much as it does when he makes the ordinances effectual to salvation, in giving converting grace unto those who attend upon them. Some are called early to be made partakers of that salvation that is in Christ, others late. The same may be said with respect to God’s giving assurance. Some are favoured with this privilege soon after, or when first they believe; others are like those whom the apostle speaks of, who, through fear of death, are all their life-time subject to bondage, Heb. ii. 15. Many have often enquired into the state of their souls, that cannot discern any marks or evidences of grace in themselves; whose conversation is such, that others cannot but conclude them to be true believers; their spirits are deprest, doubts and fears prevail, and tend to make their lives very uncomfortable; they wait and pray for the evidence and sense of God’s love to them, but cannot immediately find it: this the Psalmist speaks of, either in his own person, or thereby represents the case of many who had the truth of grace, but not the assurance thereof, when he says, O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee; I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up; while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted, Psal. lxxxviii. compared with the xv. God suffers it to be thus with them for wise ends. Hereby he lets them know, that assurance of his love is a special gift and work of the Spirit; without which they remain destitute of it, and cannot take comfort, either from their former or present experiences.

2. They who once enjoyed assurance, may have it weakened and intermitted; whether it may be entirely lost will be considered under a following head, when we speak concerning the supports that believers have, and how far they are kept hereby from sinking into utter despair: it is one thing to fall from the truth of grace, another thing to lose the comfortable sense thereof. The joy of faith may be suspended, when the acts and habits of faith remain firm and unshaken. The brightest morning may afterwards be followed with clouds and tempests; even so our clearest discoveries of our interest in the love of God may be followed with the withdrawment of the light of his countenance, and we be left under many discouraging circumstances concerning our state, having lost the assurance we once had.

If it be inquired, what reason may be assigned for this? I answer, that it must, in a great measure, be resolved into the sovereignty of God, who will bring his people which way he pleases, to heaven; and may take those comforts which had their first rise from himself; and, at the same time, none must say, why dost thou thus? However, we may observe some particular reasons, which the providence of God points out to us, to which we may in other respects, ascribe our want of assurance; and these may be reduced to four heads, particularly mentioned in this answer.

(1.) It is sometimes occasioned by manifold distempers, or bodily diseases: the soul and body are so closely joined to, and dependant on each other, that the one can hardly suffer without the other. Hence it is that bodily distempers affect the mind, excite and give disturbance to the passions; which is a great addition to the uneasiness that ensues hereupon. When the spirits are deprest, and we are under the prevalency of a melancholy disposition, we are oftentimes inclined to think that we are not in a state of grace; and though we were before this disposed to comfort others in like cases, we are at this time unable to take the least encouragement ourselves. All things look black and dismal; our former hope is reckoned no other than delusive, and we brought to the very brink of despair. And it may be observed, that these sad and melancholy apprehensions concerning our state, increase or abate, as the distemper that gives occasion thereunto more or less prevails.

Now that we may be able to determine whether our want of assurance proceeds from some natural cause or bodily distemper, we must enquire; whether, before this, we have endeavoured to walk in all good conscience in the sight of God? to hate every false way, and make religion the great business of life, so that we cannot assign any reigning sin as the cause of our present desponding frame? And also, whether we have been diligent in performing the duty of self-examination, and have been sensible that we stood in need of the Spirit’s witness with ours, in order to our arriving to a comfortable persuasion that we are in a state of grace? And if, as the result of these enquiries, we cannot see any cause leading to this dejection of spirit, but the unavoidable infirmities, which we are daily liable to, then we may probably conclude, that it arises from a distemper of body. And, in order to our determining this matter, we must farther inquire; whether some afflictive providence has not had an influence upon us, to bring us into a melancholy temper? and whether this does not appear in what relates to our secular, as well as our spiritual concerns? and if this be the case, though it be very afflictive, it is not attended with that guilt as it would be, had it been occasioned by some presumptuous sin; and there are other medicines to be used when it arises from this cause, besides those which are of a spiritual nature, that are contained in the gospel; but what they are, it is not our business, in this place, to determine.

(2.) There are many sins which are the occasion of a person’s being destitute of assurance. As all the troubles of life are brought upon us by sin; so are all our doubts and fears, arising from the want of a comfortable sense of, or interest in, the love of God. It pleases God, in the method of his providence, thus to deal with his people, that he may humble them for presumptuous sins; more especially those that are committed against light and conviction of conscience, that he may bring to remembrance their sins of omission, or neglect to exercise those graces in which the life of faith consists, that hereby they may feel the effect of their stupidity, indifferency, and carnal security, or their engaging in religious duties, in their own strength, without dependence on the Spirit and grace of God, or a due sense of their inability to perform any duty in a right way. Or, sometimes, as has been before observed, they want assurance, because they do not examine themselves, which is God’s ordinance for the attaining this privilege; or, if they do, they neglect to give that glory to the Holy Spirit which is due to him, by depending on his enlightening influence, whereby they may arrive to a comfortable persuasion of their interest in Christ.

(3.) Assurance is oftentimes weakened and intermitted through manifold temptations. Satan is very active in this matter, and shews his enmity against the interest of Christ in the souls of his people, as much as lies in his power, with this intent, that though it is impossible for him to ruin the soul, by rooting out that grace that is implanted in it; yet he may disturb its peace, and weaken its assurance, and, if not prevented, hurry it into despair. In this case the general design of his temptations is to represent God as a sin-revenging Judge, a consuming fire, and to present to our view, the threatenings whereby his wrath is revealed against sinners; and to endeavour to set aside the promises of the gospel, from which alone relief may be had.

Moreover, he puts us upon considering sin, not only as heinously aggravated, (which may, for the most part be done with justice) but also as altogether unpardonable; and, at the same time pretends to insinuate to us that we are not elected, or that Christ did not die for us; and therefore, what he has done and suffered will not redound to our advantage. Now there is apparently the hand of Satan in this matter; inasmuch as he attempts, by false methods of reasoning, to persuade us that we are not in a state of grace, or that God is an enemy to us; and therefore our condition is desperate; in which he uses the arts of the old serpent, that he may deceive us by drawing conclusions against ourselves from false premises, e. g. because we daily experience the internal workings of corrupt nature, which inclines us to many sins, both of omission and commission; therefore there is no room for us to expect mercy and forgiveness from God. And from our barrenness and unprofitableness under the means of grace, our improvements not being proportioned to the obligations we have been laid under. Or because we have had great reason to charge ourselves with many declensions and backslidings, which afford matter for deep humiliation, and should put us upon sincere repentance, he endeavours to persuade us that we are altogether destitute of special grace. And whenever we are unprepared or indisposed for the right performance of holy duties, and our affections are not suitably raised, but grow stupid, remiss, and careless therein; he puts us upon concluding that it is a vain thing for us to draw nigh to God, and that he has utterly rejected, both our persons and services. Or, if we are not favoured with immediate returns of prayer, and sensible communion with God therein; he tempts us to infer, that we shall never obtain the blessing we are pressing after; and therefore we may as well lay aside this duty, and say, why should I wait on the Lord any longer? And if by this method he cannot discourage us from engaging in holy duties, he sometimes injects blasphemous thoughts or unbecoming conceptions of the divine Majesty, which fills the soul with the greatest grief and uneasiness, that hereby he might give us occasion to conclude that we sin in persisting therein; and by all these temptations he endeavours to plunge us into the depths of despair.

As to what concerns the purpose of God relating to the event of things: when we are led to determine that we are not elected, this is alleged without sufficient ground, and therein he deceives us, by pursuing the same false methods of reasoning, and puts us upon presuming to enter into those secret things which do not belong to us, because we deserve to be cast off by him for our sins, instead of giving diligence to make our calling and election sure. It is one thing not to be able to conclude that we are elected; and another thing to say that we are not so: the former of these is the consequence of our present doubts and desponding apprehensions concerning our state; the latter is plainly a temptation of Satan: this we are often subject to, when we have lost that assurance of our interest in Christ that we once enjoyed,

(4.) A believer’s want of assurance is, for the most part, attended with, and arises from divine desertion; not that we are to suppose that God will cast off his people, whom he has foreknown, effectually called and preserved hitherto, so as to forsake them utterly; for that is inconsistent with his everlasting love, and the promises of the covenant of grace, which respect their salvation. But that which we understand by divine desertions, is God’s withdrawing his comforting presence, and withholding the witness of his Spirit to the work of grace in the soul, from whence arises those doubts and fears which attend the want thereof; as God says to his people, For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee, Isa. liv. 7. In this respect they are destitute of God’s comforting presence; though at the same time they may be favoured with his supporting presence, and those powerful influences which are necessary to maintain the work of grace; which, at present, appears to be very weak and languishing.

And this leads us to consider the last thing mentioned in this answer, viz. That though they are thus described, they are not left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from sinking into utter despair. This observation ought to be explained and considered, with certain limitations, lest while on the one hand, we assert that which affords matter of encouragement to believers, when they have some degree of hope, we should, on the other hand, throw discouragements in the way of others, who will be apt to imagine, when they are ready to sink into despair, that this is wholly inconsistent with any direct act of faith. I dare not say that no believer was ever so far deserted as to be left to despair of his interest in Christ: inasmuch as scripture and daily experience give us instances of some, whose conversation in many respects discovers them to have had the truth of grace; whom God has been pleased for wise ends, to leave to the terror of their own thoughts, and they have remained for some time, in the depths of despair; and others have gone out of the world under a cloud, concerning whom there has been ground to hope their state was safe. Therefore it is somewhat difficult to determine what is meant in this answer, by a believer’s being kept from sinking into utter despair: if the meaning is, that they have the supports of the Spirit of God, so as to be kept from relapsing into a state of unregeneracy, in their despairing condition, that may be easily accounted for; or, if we are to understand by it, that believers are not generally given up to the greatest degree of despair; especially such as is inconsistent with the exercise of any grace, that is not to be denied. But I would rather say, that though a believer may have despairing apprehensions concerning his state, and the guilt of sin lie upon him like a great weight, so as to depress his spirits, yet he shall not sink into endless misery; for though darkness may continue for a night, light and joy shall come in the morning; and accordingly we may consider,

[1.] That though there are many who are far from having assurance, yet they are at some times, favoured with a small glimmering of hope, which keeps them from utter despair.

[2.] If they are in deep despair, yet they are not so far left as not to desire grace, though they conclude themselves to be destitute of it, or not to lament the loss of those comforts, and their being unable to exercise those graces which once they thought themselves possessed of.

[3.] A believer, when in a despairing way, is notwithstanding enabled, by a direct act of faith, to give up himself to Christ, though he cannot see his interest in him, and so, long for those experiences and comforts which he once enjoyed; and when he is at the worst, he can say with Job, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job xiii. 15.

[4.] In this case a person has generally such a degree of the presence of God, as that he is enabled to justify him in all his dealings with him, and lay the blame of all the troubles that he is under, on himself; and this is attended with shame and confusion of face, self-abhorrence, and godly sorrow.

[5.] Despairing believers have, notwithstanding, such a presence of God with them, as keeps them from abandoning his interest, or running, with sinners, into all excess of riot, which would give occasion to others to conclude that they never had the truth of grace.

From what has been said concerning true believers being destitute of assurance, and yet having some degree of the presence of God with them at the same time, we may infer,

1st, That this is not inconsistent with what has been said concerning a believer’s perseverance in grace; yet it must be considered with this limitation, that though the truth of grace shall not be lost, yet the comforts and evidences thereof may, and often are.

2dly, This should put us upon circumspect walking and watchfulness against presumptuous sins, which, as has been before observed, are often the occasion of the loss of assurance; and also on the exercise of a faith of reliance on Christ, for the maintaining the acts of grace, as well as restoring the comforts thereof.

3dly, This should instruct believers what to do when destitute of this privilege of assurance. We have observed that this is attended with divine desertion, which is generally occasioned by sins committed. Therefore let us say with Job, Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me, chap. x. 2. let me know what are those secret sins by which I have provoked thee to leave me destitute of thy comforting presence; enable me to be affected with, humbled for, and unfeignedly repent of them; and exercise that faith in Christ which may be a means of my recovering that hope or assurance which I am, at present, destitute of.

4thly, What has been said concerning a believer’s being destitute of assurance, should put us upon sympathizing with those who are in a despairing way, and using endeavours to administer comfort to them, rather than censure them, or conclude them to be in an unregenerate state; as Job’s friends did him, because the hand of God had touched him, and he was destitute of his comforting presence.

5thly, From what has been said concerning that degree of the presence of God which believers enjoy, which has a tendency to keep them from utter despair, at least, from sinking into perdition, how disconsolate soever their case may be at present; we may be induced to admire the goodness and faithfulness of God in his dealings with his people, who will not lay more on them than he will enable them to bear; though they are comfortless and hopeless, yet they shall not be destroyed; and, in the end, they shall be satisfied with God’s loving kindness; and when the clouds are all dispersed, they shall have a bright and glorious day in his immediate presence, where there is fulness of joy, and at his right hand where there are pleasures for evermore, Psal. xvi. 11.

Footnote 107:

The word αδοκιμοι, though it be sometimes used to signify such as are rejected as objects of God’s hatred, as in Heb. vi. 8. and consequently is inconsistent with the character of believers; yet, in other places it may be taken according to the grammatical construction thereof, as opposed to δοκιμοι; which signifies persons approved, 2 Tim. ii. 15. and so it signifies a person whose conduct is blame-worthy, or whose actions are not to be approved of; and this may be applied to some who are not altogether destitute of faith, though they are not able to vindicate themselves in all respects as blameless. That the apostle uses the word in this sense here, seems probable from the application he makes of it to himself; it is said, ver. 3. Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, δοκιμην ζητειτε; and verse 6. he says, I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates; so we render the words ελπιζω δε οτι γνωσεθε oτι hμεις ουκ εσμεν αδοκιμοι; but it would be more agreeable to what is said in verse 4. if we should render them, I trust that ye shall know that we are not disapproved, or that ye shall find a proof of Christ speaking in us: and in verse 7. he farther says, I pray to God, not that we should appear approved. ουχ iνα hμεις δοκιμοι φανωμεν, that is, I am not so much concerned about your finding a proof of Christ speaking in us; but that ye should do that which is honest, q. d. I am more concerned for you than myself, though we be as reprobates, hμεις δε wς αδοκιμοι ωμεν that is, whether you think we have a proof of Christ’s speaking in us or no, or his approving us in the course of our ministry, my great concern is, that you may be approved; so that it is plain the apostle uses the word αδοκιμοι, as signifying disapproved; and therefore as it is applied to those he speaks of in verse 5. the meaning is this; you seek to know whether we are approved of God as ministers; therefore I would advise you to examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith, and to prove your ownselves: and if you know not yourselves, you are in this respect blame-worthy, or to be disapproved; especially because you seem to have been negligent as to the duty of self-examination. Whether he who is diligent in the exercise of this duty, and yet cannot apprehend that he is in a state of grace, be, in this respect to be disapproved or no, it is certain, that he who is a stranger to himself, because of the neglect hereof, is disapproved.

Footnote 108:

Vide Bellamy’s Works, 3 Vol. p. 81-83.

Quest. LXXXII.

QUEST. LXXXII. What is the communion in glory, which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?

ANSW. The communion in glory, which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is, in this life, immediately after death; and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.

After having considered believers, or the members of the invisible church, as enjoying this privilege of union with Christ, and, as the immediate consequence hereof, communion with him. It has been farther observed, that this communion with him, is either in grace, or glory. Their communion with him in grace consists in their partaking of the virtue of his mediation, in their justification, adoption, and sanctification; which have been particularly considered, together with other graces and comforts that accompany or flow from them. We are now led to speak concerning the communion which they have with him in glory; which contains the highest privilege they are capable of receiving; consisting in his giving them some right discoveries of the glory which they behold and enjoy by faith, in this life, and also of that which shall be immediate, and, in some respects, complete, after death; and, at the resurrection and day of judgment, be brought, in all respects, to the utmost degree of perfection; when their joy, as well as their happiness, shall be full, and continued throughout all the ages of eternity. These are the subjects insisted on in several following answers, which remain to be considered in this first part of the Catechism.

Quest. LXXXIII.

QUEST. LXXXIII. What is the communion in glory, with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life?

ANSW. The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life, the first-fruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so, in him, are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of; and as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory; as, on the contrary, the sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are, to the wicked, the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.

There are two sorts of persons mentioned in this answer, namely, the righteous and the wicked, and the different condition of each of them considered,

I. With respect to the righteous, who are here styled the members of the invisible church. There are several invaluable privileges which they are made partakers of in this life, in which they are said to have a degree of communion in glory with Christ; particularly as they enjoy the first-fruits or earnest of that glory which they shall have with him hereafter: And that,

1. As they are members of him, their head; and accordingly may be said, in some respects, to be interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of.

2. As they have a comfortable sense of his love to them, attended with peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and an hope of glory.

II. We have an account, on the other hand, of the dreadful condition of impenitent sinners, when God sets their iniquities in order before them; which is represented in a very moving way. Thus they are said to be filled with a sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment; which is considered as the beginning of those torments which they shall endure after death.

I. There are several invaluable privileges which the righteous enjoy in this life, that are styled the first-fruits or earnest of glory. Though Christ has reserved the fulness of glory for his people hereafter, when he brings them to heaven; yet there are some small degrees thereof, which they enjoy in their way to it. The crown of righteousness, as the apostle speaks, is laid up for them, which the righteous Judge shall give them at that day, 2 Tim. iv. 8. to wit, when we shall come to judgment; then their joy shall be full; they shall be satisfied in his likeness, and made compleatly blessed: Nevertheless there are some prelibations, or foretastes, which they have hereof, for their support and encouragement, while they are in this imperfect state. For the understanding of this it may be premised,

1. That we are not to suppose that the present enjoyments which believers experience in the highest degree, do fully come up to those that are reserved for them. There is a great difference as to the degree thereof. As a child that is newly born has something in common with what he shall have when arrived at a state of manhood; but there are several degrees, and other circumstances, in which he falls short of it: or, as a few drops are of the same nature with the whole collection of water in the ocean; yet there is a very small proportion between one and the other: so the brightest discovery of the glory of God, which we are capable of enjoying in this world; or the comfortable foretastes that believers have of heaven, fall very much short of that which they shall be possessed of, when they are received into it. And there are very great allays, and many things that tend to interrupt and abate their happiness, agreeably to the imperfection of this present state. Whatever grace they are enabled to act, though in an uncommon degree, is attended with a mixture of corruption; and as their graces are imperfect, so are the comforts that arise from thence, which are interwoven with many things very afflictive; so that they are not what they shall be, but are travelling through this wilderness to a better country, and exposed to many evils in their way thither.

2. All believers do not enjoy these delights and pleasures that some are favoured with in their way to heaven; the comforts, as well as the graces, of the Holy Spirit, are bestowed in a way of sovereignty, to some more, and to others less: Some have reason to say with the apostle, Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, 2 Cor. ii. 14. others are filled with doubts concerning their interest in him, and go mourning after him all the day; and if they have, at some times a small glimpse of his glory, by which they conclude themselves to be, as it were, in the suburbs of heaven, they soon lose it, and find themselves to be in the valley of the shadow of death, as the disciples, when they were with Christ at his transfiguration, which was an emblem of the heavenly blessedness, when his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light; which occasioned them to say, it is good for us to be here; before they had done speaking, or had time to reflect on their present enjoyment they were deprived of it when the cloud overshadowed them, Matt. xvii. 2,-5. so the believer is not to expect uninterrupted communion with God, or perfect fruition with him here. However, that which we are at present to consider, is that degree thereof which some enjoy; which is here called the first-fruits and earnest of glory. The scripture sets it forth under both these expressions.

(1.) They are said to receive the first-fruits thereof; or as the apostle styles it, The first-fruits of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 23. that is, the graces and comforts of the Holy Ghost, which are the first-fruits of that blessedness, that they are said to wait for; which is called the adoption, viz. those privileges which God’s children shall be made partakers of; or, the glorious liberty which they shall hereafter enjoy. This is styled, the first-fruits, as alluding to the cluster of grapes, which they who were sent to spy out the land of Canaan, were ordered to bring to the Israelites in the wilderness, that hereby they might be encouraged in their expectation of the great plenty that was to be enjoyed when they were brought to it. Or, it has reference to the feast of ingathering, before the harvest, when they were to bring the sheaf which was first to be cut down, and wave it before the Lord, Lev. xxiii. 10, 11. compared with Deut. xxvi. 10, 11. with thankfulness and joy, in expectation of the full harvest, which would be the reward of the industry and labour of the husbandman. Thus believers are given not only to expect, but to rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

(2.) This is also called an earnest of glory. Thus believers are said to be sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance, Eph. i. 13, 14. and elsewhere it is said, God hath given us the earnest of his Spirit, 2 Cor. i. 5. An earnest is a small sum, given in part of payment; whereby they who receive it, are encouraged hereafter to expect the whole: So a believer may conclude, that as sure as he now enjoys those spiritual privileges that accompany salvation, he shall not fail of that glory which they are an earnest of. In this respect God is pleased to give his people a wonderful instance of his condescending love, that they may hereby be led to know what the happiness of the heavenly state is, in a greater degree than can be learned from all the descriptions that are given of it, by those who are destitute of this privilege. Heaven is the port to which every believer is bound, the reward of all those labours and difficulties which he sustains in his way to it; and to quicken him to the greater diligence in pursuing after it, it is necessary that he should have his thoughts, meditation, and conversation there. The reason why God is pleased to give his people some foretastes thereof, is, that they may love and long for Christ’s appearing, when they shall reap the full harvest of glory. Now this earnest, prelibation, or first-fruits of the heavenly blessedness which believers enjoy in this life, is considered in this answer.

[1.] As it is included in that glory which Christ is possessed of as their head and Mediator.

[2.] As they have those graces wrought in them, and comforts flowing from thence, which bear some small resemblance to what they shall hereafter be made partakers of.

[1.] Christ’s being possessed of the heavenly blessedness, as the head of his people, is an earnest of their salvation. For the understanding of which, let it be considered, that our Lord Jesus sustained this character, not only in what he suffered for them, that he might redeem them from the curse of the law; but in the glory which he was afterwards advanced to: Thus it is said, that he is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept, 1 Cor. xv. 20. and accordingly they are said to be risen with him, Col. iii. 1. as respecting that communion which they have with him herein; and when, after this, he ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, his people are said to sit together in heavenly places in him, Eph. ii. 6. not that we are to suppose that they are made partakers of any branch of his mediatorial glory, or joined with him in the work which he there performs, as their exalted head: But his being considered as their representative, appearing in the presence of God for them, is a foundation of their hope that they shall be brought hither at last; and therefore, when he is about to depart out of this world, he gave an intimation to his people, whom he left behind him in it, that he went to prepare a place for them, John xiv. 3. and assures them, that because he lives they shall live also, ver. 19.

[2.] The graces and comforts of the Holy Spirit, which believers are made partakers of, may also be said to be a pledge and earnest of eternal life. Heaven is a state in which grace is brought to perfection, which, at present, is only begun in the soul: nevertheless, the beginning thereof affords ground of hope that it shall be compleated. As a curious artist, when he draws the first lines of a picture, does not design to leave it unfinished; or he that lays the foundation of a building, determines to carry it on gradually, till he has laid the top-stone of it; so the work of grace, when begun by the Spirit, is a ground of hope that it shall not be left unfinished. As God would never have brought his people out of Egypt with an high hand and an outstretched arm, and divided the red sea before them, if he had not designed to bring them into the promised land; so we may conclude, that when God has magnified his grace in delivering his people from the dominion of darkness, and translating them into the kingdom of his dear Son; when he has helped them hitherto, and given them a fair and beautiful prospect of the good land to which they are going, he will not leave his work imperfect, nor suffer them to fall and perish in the way to it. Christ, in believers, is said to be the hope of glory, Col. i. 27. and the joy which they have in believing, is said not only to be unspeakable, but full of glory, 1 Pet. i. 8. that is, it bears a small resemblance to that joy which they shall be filled with, when brought to glory, and therefore may well be styled the earnest or first-fruits of it.

Now, that this may farther appear, let it be considered, that the happiness of heaven consists in the immediate vision and fruition of God, where the saints behold his face in light and glory[109], and enjoy all those comfortable fruits and effects that arise from thence, which tend to make them compleatly happy. Thus it is said, They shall see him as he is, 1 John iii. 2. and they are said to enter into the joy of their Lord, Matt. xxv. 21. Believers, it is true, are not in all respects, said to be partakers of this blessedness here; and their highest enjoyments bear but a very small proportion to it: Yet, when we speak of some as having the foretastes of it, we must consider, that there is something in the lively exercise of faith, and the joy that arises from it, when believers have attained the full assurance of the love of God, and have those sensible manifestations of his comfortable presence with them, that bears some small resemblance to a life of glory.

That which in some respects resembles the beatific vision, is a sight of God’s reconciled face, and of their interest in all the blessings of the covenant of grace, by faith. It is true, the views which they have of the glory of God here, are not immediate, but at a distance; and therefore they are said to behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18. Thus we see things at a distance, as through a perspective glass, which enlarges the object[110], and brings it, as it were, near to the eye, though in reality, it be at a great distance from it; and so gives us a clear discerning of that which could otherwise hardly be discovered: So faith gives us clearer views of this glory than we could have any other way. Hereby we are said to see him that is invisible, Heb. xi. 27. Thus, when God bade Moses go up to the top of Pisgah, and strengthened his sight, he took a view of the whole land of Canaan, though without this he could only have beheld a small part thereof: So when God not only gives an eye of faith, but strengthens it in proportion to the views he designs it shall take of the heavenly state, that lies at so great a distance, the soul is enabled to see it, and herein has a faint emblem of the beatific vision.

Moreover, as heaven is a state, in which the saints have the perfect fruition of those blessings which tend to make them compleatly happy; the view which a believer is enabled, by faith, to take of his interest in Christ, and the glory he shall be made partaker of with him, is sometimes attended with such an extasy of joy and triumph, as is a kind of anticipation of that glory which he is not yet fully possessed of. Such an one is like an heir who wants but a few days of being of age; who does not look upon his estate with that distant view which he before did, but with the satisfaction and pleasure that arises from his being ready to enter into the possession of it; or like one who after a long and tedious voyage, is within sight of his harbour, which he cannot but behold with a pleasure, which very much resembles that which he shall have when he enters into it; this is more than a bare hope of heaven; it is a full assurance, attended with a kind of sensation of those joys which are inexpressible, which render the believer a wonder to himself, and afford the most convincing proof to others, that there is something real and substantial in the heavenly glory, whereof God is pleased to favour some of his people with the prelibations. That some have enjoyed such-like manifestations of the divine love to them, and been filled with those raptures of joy, accompanying that assurance which they have had of their salvation, is evident from the experience which they have had of it in some extraordinary and memorable occurrences in life; and others at the approach of death.

Of this there are multitudes of instances transmitted to us in history: I shall content myself with a brief extract of some passages which we meet with in the life and death of some who appear to have had as comfortable a foretaste of the joys of heaven, as it is possible for any one to have in this world. And the first that I shall mention is that eminently learned and pious Dr. Rivet; who, in his last sickness seemed to be in the very suburbs of heaven, signifying to all about him, what intimate communion he had with God, and fore-views of the heavenly state; his assurance of being admitted into it; and how earnestly he longed to be there: and, in the very close of life, one who stood by him could not forbear expressing himself to this purpose; I cannot but think that he is now enjoying the vision of God, which gave him occasion to signify that it was so, as well as he was able to express himself, which account, and much more to the same purpose, is not only mentioned by the author of his last hours, but is taken notice of in a public funeral oration, occasioned by his death.[111]

And what a very worthy writer observes,[112] concerning that excellent servant of Christ, Mr. Rutherford, who recites some of his last words to this purpose, is very remarkable, who says, “I shall shine, I shall see him as he is, and all the fair company with him, and shall have my large share. It is no easy thing to be a Christian; but as for me, I have got the victory; and Christ is holding forth his arms to embrace me. I have had my fears and faintings, as another sinful man, to be carried through creditably; but as sure as ever he spake to me in his word, his Spirit witnessed to my heart, saying, Fear not; he had accepted my suffering, and the outgate should not be matter of prayer, but of praise.” And a little before his death, after some fainting, he said, “Now I feel, I believe, I enjoy, I rejoice, I feed on manna, I have angels’ food, my eyes shall see my Redeemer; I know that he shall stand, at the latter day, on the earth, and I shall be caught up in the clouds to meet him in the air. I sleep in Christ; and when I awake I shall be satisfied with his likeness; O for arms to embrace him!” And to one speaking concerning his painfulness in the ministry, he cried out, “I disdain all; the port I would be in at, is redemption and forgiveness of sins through his blood.” And thus, full of the Spirit; yea, as it were overcome with sensible enjoyment, he breathes out his soul, his last words being these; “Glory, glory dwelleth in Emmanuel’s land.”

To this I may add the account given of that great man Dr. Goodwin, in some memoirs of his life, composed out of his own papers published by his son,[113] who intimates that he rejoiced in the thoughts that he was dying, and going to have a full and uninterrupted communion with God; “I am going, said he, to the three Persons with whom I have had communion; they have taken me, I did not take them; I shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye; all my lusts and corruptions I shall be rid of, which I could not be here; those croaking toads will fall off in a moment.” And mentioning those great examples of faith, Heb. xi. said he, “All these died in faith. I could not have imagined I should ever had such a measure of faith in this hour; no, I could never have imagined it. My bow abides in strength. Is Christ divided? No, I have the whole of his righteousness; I am found in him, not in my own righteousness, which is of the law; but in the righteousness which is of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Christ cannot love me better than he doth; I think I cannot love Christ better than I do; I am swallowed up in God:” and then he says, “Now shall I ever be with the Lord.” With this assurance of faith, and fulness of joy his soul left this world, and went to see and enjoy the reality of that blessed state of glory.

There is also an account, in the life and death of Mr. John Janeway, of the great assurance and joy which he had in his last sickness, in which he expresses himself to this purpose; “I am, through mercy, quite above the fears of death, and am going unto him whom I love above life. O that I could let you know what I now feel! O that I could shew you what I see! O that I could express the thousandth part of that sweetness which now I find in Christ! you would all then think it worth the while to make it your business to be religious. O my dear friends, you little think what a Christ is worth upon a death-bed! I would not, for a world, nay, for millions of worlds, be now without Christ and a pardon. O the glory! the unspeakable glory that I behold! My heart is full, my heart is full; Christ smiles and I cannot choose but smile. Can you find in your heart to stop me, who am now going to the complete and eternal enjoyment of Christ? Would you keep me from my crown? The arms of my blessed Saviour are open to embrace me; the angels stand ready to carry my soul into his bosom. O did you but see what I see, you would all cry out with me, How long dear Lord, come Lord Jesus, come quickly? Or why are his chariot-wheels so long a coming?” Much more to the same purpose may be found in the life of that excellent man, which is exceedingly affecting.

And there is another who does not come short of him in his death-bed triumphs;[114] who says concerning himself, “Death is not terrible, it is unstinged; the curse of the fiery law is done away: I bless his name I found him; I am taken up in blessing him; I am dying rejoicing in the Lord; I long to be in the promised land; I wait for thy salvation; how long! Come sweet Lord Jesus, take me by the hand; I wait for thy salvation, as the watchman watcheth for the morning; I am weary with delays; I faint for thy salvation: Why are his chariot-wheels so long a coming? What means he to stay so long? I am like to faint with delays.” After that he said, “O Sirs, I could not believe that I could have born, and born cheerfully this rod so long: This is a miracle, pain without pain. And this is not a fancy of a man disordered in his brain, but of one lying in full composure: O blessed be God that ever I was born; O if I were where he is! And yet, for all this, God’s withdrawing from me would make me as weak as water: all this I enjoy, though it be a miracle upon miracle, would not make me stand without new supply from God; the thing I rejoice in is, that God is altogether full; and that in the Mediator Christ Jesus, there is all the fulness of the Godhead, and it will never run out. I am wonderfully helped beyond the power of nature, though my body be sufficiently teazed, yet my spirit is untouched.” Much more to this purpose we have in the latter part of his life, which I shall close with one thing that is very remarkable. When he was apprehensive that he was very near his death, he said, “When I fall so low that I am not able to speak, I’ll shew you a sign of triumph, when I am near glory, if I be able;” which accordingly he did, by lifting up his hands, and clapping them together, when he was speechless, and in the agonies of death.

Many more instances might have been given to illustrate this argument, whereby it will evidently appear, that God is pleased, sometimes, to deal familiarly with men, by giving them extraordinary manifestations of his presence, before he brings them into the immediate enjoyment of himself in heaven; which may be well called an earnest or prelibation thereof.[115] And it may serve as a farther illustration of an argument before insisted on,[116] to prove that assurance of God’s love is attainable in this life, from the various instances of those who have been favoured with it. This assurance, as it may be observed, is accompanied with the lively acts of faith, by which it appears to be well grounded; so that, as the apostle says, The God of hope is pleased to fill them with all joy and peace in believing; whereby they abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. xv. 13. in which respect it may be said, to use the prophet’s words, that they joy before thee, according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil, Isa. ix. 3. This is like the appearing of the morning-star, which ushers in a bright and glorious day, and gives a full discovery to themselves and others, that there is much of heaven enjoyed in the way to it, by those whom God delights to honour. Thus concerning the communion in glory, which the members of the invisible church sometimes enjoy in this life; which leads us to consider,

II. The miserable condition of the wicked in this life, when God is provoked, as a sin-revenging Judge, to fill them with a sense of his wrath; from whence arises horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment; which is the beginning of those torments which they shall endure after death, as it is observed in the latter part of this answer. We have many instances in scripture, of the punishment of sin in this world, in whom God is said to reprove and set their iniquities in order before their eyes, Psal. l. 21. which fills them with horror of conscience,[117] and leaves them in utter despair. They who once thought themselves in a prosperous condition, concerning whom it is said, Their eyes stand out with fatness, they have more than heart could wish, Psal. lxxiii. 7. yet their end was terrible, when it appears that they were set in slippery places, being cast down into destruction, brought into desolation as in a moment, and utterly consumed with terrors, ver. 18, 19.

We have a sad instance of this in Cain, after he had slain his brother, and fell under the curse of God, whereby he was sentenced to be a fugitive and vagabond in the earth. He separated himself indeed from the presence of the Lord, and the place in which he was worshipped; but could not fly from the terrors of his own thoughts, or get any relief under the uneasiness of a guilty conscience; which made him fear that he should be slain by the hand of every one that met him; and complain, My punishment is greater than I can bear, Gen. iv. 13.

And some understand that expression of Lamech in the same sense, when he says, I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold, truly Lamech seventy and seven-fold, Gen. iv. 23, 24. The wrath of God was also denounced against Pashur; as it is said, the Lord hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magor-missabib; for thus saith the Lord, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends, Jer. xx. 3, 4.

And Judas, after he had betrayed our Saviour, was filled with the terrors of an accusing conscience, which forced him to confess, not as a believing penitent, but a despairing criminal; I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood; after which it is said, He departed, and went and hanged himself, Matt, xxvii. 4, 5. Nothing is more terrible than this remorse of conscience, which renders sinners inexpressibly miserable. This is a punishment inflicted on those who sin wilfully, presumptuously, and obstinately against the checks of conscience and rebukes of providence, and various warnings to the contrary, who treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath; who are contentious, and do not obey the truth; that is, they are so far from obeying it, that they persecute and oppose it; and, on the other hand, obey unrighteousness: to these belong, as the apostle says, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, Rom. ii. 5, 8, 9. This not only waits for them, as laid up in store, and sealed up among God’s treasures, to whom vengeance belongeth, Deut. xxxii. 34, 35. but they are made to taste the bitterness of that cup, which shall afterwards be poured forth without mixture. In this world their eyes shall see their destruction, and afterwards they shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty, Job xxi. 20. This is a most affecting subject; how awful a thing is it to see a person surrounded with miseries, and, at the same time, shut up in darkness, and left destitute of hope! With what horror and anguish was the soul of Saul filled, when he uttered that doleful complaint; I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, 1 Sam. xxviii. 15. much more for a person to apprehend himself fallen into the hands of the living God, who is a consuming fire; and having nothing left but the fearful expectation of future judgment, and an abyss of woes that will ensue hereupon. These are the evils that some endure in this life; which is no less terrible to them than the comfortable foretastes of the love of God are joyful to the saints.

From the different view of the end of the wicked, and the righteous, many useful instructions may be learned.

1. When we consider the wicked as distressed with the afflicting sense of what they feel, and with the dread of that wrath which they would fain flee from, but cannot, we may infer,

(1.) That a state of unregeneracy, whatever advantages may attend it, as to the outward blessings of common providence, is a very sad and deplorable condition, far from being the object of choice to those who duly consider the consequences hereof. The present amusements that arise from the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, from whence the sinner concludes himself to be happy, is the most miserable instance of self-deceit, and will appear to be so, if we consider the end thereof, or that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment, Job xx. 5. and after that, nothing shall remain but what wounds his spirit, and makes his misery intolerable.

(2.) When we meet with instances of persons sunk in the depths of despair, and tormenting themselves with the fore views of hell and destruction, let this be a warning to others to flee from the wrath to come. I would not be peremptory in passing a judgment on the state of those who apprehend themselves to be irretrievably lost, and feel those terrors in their consciences which no tongue can express. A person can hardly read the account of the despair of poor Spira, soon after the reformation; and how much his sentiments concerning himself, resembled the punishment of sin in hell, without trembling: he was, indeed, a sad instance, of the wrath of God breaking in upon conscience; and is set up as a monument to warn others, to take heed of apostacy; and in this, and suchlike instances, we have a convincing proof of the reality of a future state of misery; or, that the punishment of sin in hell is not an ungrounded fancy: nevertheless, it is not for us to enter into those secrets which belong not to us, or to reckon him among the damned in another world, because he reckoned himself among them in this. And as for any others that we may see in the like circumstances, we are not so much to pass a judgment concerning their future state, as to infer the desperate estate of sinners, when left of God, and to bless him that it is not our case. And on the other hand, let not unregenerate sinners think that they are safe, merely because their consciences are quiet, or rather stupid, since that false peace, which they have, is no better than the hope of the hypocrite, which shall perish, and be cut off; and his trust shall be as a spider’s web, if he continue in his present condition.

From what has been said concerning the happiness of the righteous, in the enjoyment they have of the first fruits of the heavenly glory, we may learn,

(1.) That this may afford farther conviction to us, that there is a state of complete blessedness reserved for the saints in another world; since, besides the arguments we have to prove this taken from scripture, we have others founded in experience, so far as it is possible for any to attain to the joys of heaven before they come there. Though the instances we have here given thereof are uncommon, yet this inference from them is just, and may afford matter of conviction to those who are wholly taken up with earthly things, and have no taste of, nor delight in things spiritual, that religion has its own rewards attending it, and consequently that a believer is the only happy man in the world.

(2.) This may serve as an encouraging motive to induce Christians to hold on their way. Whatever difficulties or distressing providences they may meet with in this life, if they have the earnest and foretastes of heaven at any time, this will make their afflictions seem light; inasmuch as they work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And if they are rather waiting and hoping for them, than actually enjoying them, let them adore and depend on the sovereignty of God, who dispenses these comforts when he pleases: and if they are destitute of the joy of faith, let them endeavour to be found in the lively exercise of the direct acts thereof, trusting in Christ, though they have not such sensible communion with him as others have; and let them bless God, (though they have not those foretastes of the heavenly glory, which accompany a full assurance thereof,) if they have a quiet, composed frame of spirit, and are not given up to desponding thoughts, or unbelieving fears, and have ground to conclude, that though their state be not so comfortable as that of others; yet it is no less safe, and shall, at last, issue into the fruition of that felicity of which others have the first-fruits here on earth.

(3.) Let them who are at any time favoured with this privilege of assurance, and the joy that arises from it, walk very humbly with God, as being sensible that this frame of spirit is not owing to themselves, but to the quickening and sealing influences of the Holy Ghost; and if, by neglecting to depend on him for the continuance thereof, we provoke him to leave us to ourselves, we shall soon lose this desirable frame, and be left in darkness: since as without him we can do nothing, so without his continued presence we can enjoy none of those privileges which tend to make our lives comfortable, and give us an anticipation of future glory.

Footnote 109:

See Quest. lxxxvi. xc.

Footnote 110:

Reflecting as mirrors, or beholding as by mirrors.

Footnote 111:

Vid. Dauberi orat. Funeb. ad front. & Hor. Noviss. ad calc. Tom. 3. Riveti operum: in which he is represented as saying, Nolite mei causa dolere, ultima hæc momenta nihil habent funesti; corpus languet quidem, at anima robore & consolatione plena est, nec impedit paries iste intergerinus, nebula ista exigua, quo minus lucem Dei videam. Atq; exinde magis magisque optavit dissolvi & cum Christo esse. Sufficit mi Deus exclamabat subinde, sufficit, suscipe animam meam: Non tamen moram impatienter fero. Expecto, credo, persevero, dimoveri nequeo, Dei Spiritus meo spiritui testatur, me ex filiis suis esse. O amorem ineffabilem! id quod sentio, omnem expressionem alte transcendit. Veni Domine Jesu, veni, etenim deficio, nan quidem impatiens Domine, sed anima mea respicit te ut terra sicca. Preces & votum, ut Deus Paradisum aperiret, & huic fideli servo suo faciem suam ostenderet; his verbis supplevit; cum animabus justorem sanctificatis; Amen, Amen. Exinde lingua præpedita verbo affirmare; mox ad vocem adstantium, ipsum jam visione Dei frui, annuere; paulo post sub mediam decimam matutinam placide in Domino obdormiit.

Footnote 112:

See Fleming’s Fulfilling of the Scripture, in fol. Part 1. page 287.

Footnote 113:

See Dr. Goodwin’s Works, Vol. 5. in his life, page 19.

Footnote 114:

See the Memoirs of the Life of Mr. Halyburton, Cap. 6.

Footnote 115:

See this argument improved by Mr. Fleming, in his Fulfilling of the Scripture, Edit. in Fol. page 394, & seq. in which he takes several remarkable passages out of Melchoir Adam’s Lives, and gives several instances of that extraordinary communion which some have had with God, both in life and death; whose conversation was well known in Scotland; so that he mentions it as what is a matter undeniably true: and he relates other things concerning the assurance and joy which some have had; which has afforded them the sweetest comforts in prisons and dungeons, and given them a foretaste of heaven, when they have been called to suffer death for Christ’s sake.

Footnote 116:

See Page 252, ante.

Footnote 117:

See Vol. II. page 151.

Quest. LXXXIV., LXXXV.

QUEST. LXXXIV. Shall all men die?

ANSW. Death being threatened as the wages of sin, it is appointed unto all men once to die; for that all have sinned.

QUEST. LXXXV. Death being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ?

ANSW. The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it; so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love, to free them perfectly from sin and misery; and to make them capable of farther communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.

In these answers we have an account,

I. Of the unalterable purpose of God, or his appointment that all men once must die; which is also considered as the wages of sin.

II. It is supposed, that death has a sting and curse attending it with respect to force.

III. It is the peculiar privilege of the righteous, that though they shall not be delivered from death, yet this shall redound to their advantage: For,

1. The sting and curse of it is taken from them.

2. Their dying is the result of God’s love to them; and that in three respects,

(1.) As they are thereby freed from sin and misery.

(2.) As they are made capable of farther communion with Christ in glory, beyond what they can have in this world.

(3.) As they shall immediately enter upon that glorious and blessed state when they die.

I. God has determined, by an unalterable purpose and decree, that all men must die. Whatever different sentiments persons may have about other things, this remains an incontestable truth. We have as much reason to conclude that we shall leave the world, as, at present, we have that we live in it. I know, says Job, that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living, Job xxx. 23. and upon this account the Psalmist says, I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were, Psal. xxxix. 12. And if scripture had been wholly silent about the frailty of man, daily experience would have afforded a sufficient proof of it. We have much said concerning man’s mortality in the writings of the heathen; but they are at a loss to determine the origin or first cause of it; and therefore they consider it as the unavoidable consequence of the frame of nature, arising from the contexture thereof, as that which is formed out of the dust must be resolved into its first principle; or that which is composed of flesh and blood, cannot but be liable to corruption. But we have this matter set in a true light in scripture, which considers death as the consequence of man’s first apostacy from God. Before this he was immortal, and would have always remained so, had he not violated the covenant, in which the continuance of his immortality was secured to him; the care of providence would have prevented a dissolution, either from the decays of nature, or any external means leading to it. And therefore some of the Socinian writers have been very bold in contradicting the express account we have hereof in Scripture, when they assert that death was, at first, the consequence of nature;[118] for which reason man would have been liable to it, though he had not sinned; whereas the apostle says, By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, Rom. v. 12.

We have a particular account of this in the sentence God passed on our first parents immediately after their fall; when having denounced a curse upon the ground for their sake, he says, Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return, Gen. iii. 19. And it may be observed, that as this is unavoidable, pursuant to the decree of God, so the constitution of our nature, as well as the external dispensations of providence, lead to it. This sentence no sooner took place, but the temperament of human bodies was altered,[119] the jarring principles of nature, on the due temperament whereof life and health depends, could not but have a tendency by degrees to destroy the frame thereof; if there be too great a confluence of humours, or a defect thereof; if heat or cold immoderately prevails; if the circulation of the blood and juices be too swift or slow: or if the food on which we live, or the air which we breathe be not agreeable to the constitution of our nature, or any external violence be offered to it; all these things have a necessary tendency to weaken the frame of nature, and bring on a dissolution. David includes the various means by which men die, in three general heads, speaking concerning Saul, The Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle, and perish: the Lord shall smite him, 1 Sam. xxvi. 10. denotes a person’s dying by a sudden stroke of providence, in which there is the more immediate hand of God; and his falling into battle, a violent death by the hands of men; in both which respects men die before that time which they might have lived to, according to the course of nature; and what is said concerning his day’s coming to die; that is, a person’s dying what we call a natural death, or when nature is so spent and wasted that it can no longer subsist by all the skill of the physicians, or virtue of medicine; and then the soul leaves its habitation, when it is not longer able to perform the functions of life.

We might here consider those diseases that are the fore-runners of death, which sometimes are more acute; and by this means, as one elegantly expresses it, nature feels the cruel victory before it yields to the enemy. As a ship that is tossed by a mighty tempest, and by the concussion of the winds and waves, loses its rudder and masts, takes water in every part, and gradually sinks into the ocean: so in the shipwreck of nature, the body is so shaken and weakened by the violence of a disease, that the senses, the animal and vital operations decline, and, at last, are extinguished in death.[120] This seemed, so formidable to good Hezekiah, that he utters that mournful complaint, Mine age is departed and removed from me as a shepherd’s tent: I have cut off like a weaver, my life; he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night, wilt thou make an end of me. I reckoned till the morning, that as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me, Isa. xxxvii. 12, 13.

We might here consider the empire of death as universal; as the wise man says, One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh, Eccl. i. 4. and then they pass away also, like the ebbing and flowing of the sea. Death spares none; the strongest constitution can no more withstand its stroke, than the weakest; no age of man is exempted from it. This is beautifully described by Job; One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet: his breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow: and another dieth in the bitterness of his soul; and never eateth with pleasure: they shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them, Job xxi. 23-26.

We might also consider the body after death, as a prey for worms, the seat of corruption; and lodged in the grave, the house appointed for all living; and then an end is put to all the actions, as well as enjoyments of this life; and, as the Psalmist speaks, In that very day all their thoughts perish, Psal. cxlvi. 4. Whatever they have been projecting, whatever schemes they have laid, either for themselves or others, are all broken: as the historian observes concerning the Roman emperor, that when he had formed great designs for the advantage of the empire,[121] death broke all his measures, and prevented the execution thereof.

We might also consider it as putting an end to our present enjoyments, removing us from the society of our dearest friends, to a dismal and frightful solitude. This was one of the consequences thereof, that was very afflictive to Hezekiah, when he says, I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world, Isa. xxxviii. 11. It also strips us of all our possessions, and the honours we have been advanced to in this world, as the Psalmist speaks, When he dieth he shall carry nothing away, his glory shall not descend after him, Psal. xlix. 27.

We might also consider the time of life and death as being in God’s hand. As we were brought into the world by the sovereignty of his providence, so we are called out of it at his pleasure; concerning whom it is said, Our times are in his hand, Psal. xxxi. 15. So that as nothing is more certain than death, nothing is more uncertain to us than the time when. This God has concealed from us for wise ends. Did we know that we should soon die, it would discourage us from attempting any thing great in life; and did we know that the lease of life was long, and we should certainly arrive to old age; this might occasion the delaying all concerns about our soul’s welfare, as presuming that it was time enough to think of the affairs of religion and another world, when we apprehend ourselves to be near the confines thereof; and therefore, God has by this, made it our wisdom, as well as our duty, to be waiting all the days of our appointed time, till our change come.

From what has been said under this head, we may learn,

1. The vanity of man as mortal. Indeed, if we look on believers as enjoying that happiness which lies beyond the grave, there is a very different view of things; but as to what respects the world we have reason to say as the Psalmist does, Verily, every man at his best estate is altogether vanity, Psal. xxxix. 5. We may see the vanity of all those honours and carnal pleasures which many pursue with so much eagerness, as though they had nothing else to mind, nothing to make provision for but the flesh, which they do at the expence of that which is in itself most excellent and desirable: We may also infer,

2. That this affords an undeniable and universal motive to humility; since death knows no distinction of persons, regards the rich no more than the poor; puts no mark of distinction between the remains of a prince and a peasant; and not only takes away every thing that men value themselves upon, but levels the highest part of mankind with common dust: They who boast of their extract, descent, and kindred, are obliged, with Job, to say, to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister, Job xvii. 14. Shall we be proud of our habitations, who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust? chap. iv. 19. Are any proud of their youth and beauty? this is, at best, but like a flower that does not abide long in its bloom, and when cut down, it withers. The finest features are not only spoiled by death, but rendered unpleasant and ghastly to behold; and accordingly are removed out of sight, and laid in the grave.

3. From the consideration of man’s liableness to death, and those diseases that lead to it, as the wages of sin, we may infer; that sin is a bitter and formidable evil. The cause is to be judged of by its effects. As death, accompanied with all those diseases which are the forerunners of it, is the greatest natural evil that we are liable to; sin, from whence it took its rise, must be the greatest moral evil; we should never reflect on the one without lying low before God in a sense of the other. The Psalmist, when meditating on his own mortality, traces it to the spring thereof; and ascribes it to those rebukes with which God corrects men for their iniquities, that they die, and their beauty consumes away like a moth, Psal. xxxix. 11. And elsewhere, when he compares the life of man to the grass, which in the morning fourisheth, and groweth up; and in the evening is cut down and withereth, he immediately adds; thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance, Psal. xc. 6, 8. And when Hezekiah had an intimation of his recovery, after he had the sentence of death within himself, he speaks of his deliverance from the pit of corruption, Isa. xxxviii. 17. as that which was accompanied with God’s casting all his sins behind his back. And since we cannot be delivered from these sad effects of sin, till the frame of nature is dissolved, and afterwards rebuilt; it should put us upon using those proper methods whereby we may be freed from the guilt and dominion thereof; and accordingly it should have a tendency to promote a life of holiness in us.

4. From the uncertainty of life, let us be induced to improve our present time, and endeavour so to live, as that, when God calls us hence, we may be ready. And therefore, we ought to pray with the Psalmist, So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, Psal. xc. 12. that by this means, that which deprives us of all earthly enjoyments, may give us an admission into a better world, and be the gate to eternal life. This leads us to consider,

II. That death has a sting and curse annexed to it, with respect to some. Thus the apostle expressly says, The sting of death is sin, 1 Cor. xv. 56. As sin at first brought death into the world; so it is the guilt thereof, lying on the consciences of men, which is the principal thing that makes them afraid to leave the world; not but that death is, in itself, an evil that nature cannot think of without some reluctancy. And therefore the apostle Paul, although he expresses that assurance which he had of happiness in another world, which he groaned after, and earnestly longed to be possessed of; yet had it been put to his choice, he would have wished that he could have been clothed upon with the house which is from heaven, 2 Cor. v. 2. that is, had it been the will of God, that he might have been brought to heaven without going the way of all the earth, this would have been more agreeable to nature. But when the two evils of death meet together, namely, that which is abhorrent to nature, and the sting which makes it much more formidable, this is, beyond measure, distressing. In this answer, the sting and curse of death are both put together, as implying the same thing. Accordingly, it is that whereby a person apprehends himself liable to the condemning sentence of the law, separated from God, and excluded from his favour, so that death appears to him to be the beginning of sorrows; this is that which tends to embitter it, and fills him with dread and horror at the thoughts of it. Which leads us,

III. To shew that it is the peculiar privilege of the righteous, that though they shall not be delivered from death, yet this shall redound to their advantage. That they shall not be exempted from death is evident; because the decree of God relating hereunto, extends to all men. We read, indeed, of two that escaped the grave, viz. Enoch, who was translated that he should not see death, and Elijah, who was carried to heaven in a fiery chariot; but these are extraordinary instances, not designed as precedents, by which we may judge of the common lot of believers. And the saints that shall be found alive at Christ’s second coming, shall undergo a change[122], as the apostle speaks; which though it be equivalent to death, it cannot properly be styled a dying; inasmuch as he opposes it thereunto, when he says, We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 1 Cor. xv. 51. and he speaks of it as a future dispensation of providence, which does not immediately concern us in this present age. Therefore we must not conclude that believers are delivered from the stroke of death; nevertheless, this is ordered for their good, as the apostle says, with a particular application to himself, For me to die is gain, Phil. i. 21. And when he speaks of the many blessings that believers have in possession or in reversion, he says, Death is yours; as though he should say, it shall redound to your advantage; and this it does if we consider,

1. That the sting of death is taken away from them. This is the result of their being in a justified state; for since a person’s being liable to the condemning sentence of the law is the principal thing that has a tendency to make him uneasy, and may be truly called the sting that wounds the conscience; so a sense of his interest in forgiveness through the blood of Christ, tends to give peace to it; such an one can say, who shall lay any thing to my charge? It is God that justifieth; or though I have contracted guilt, which renders me unworthy of his favour; yet I am persuaded that this guilt is removed; and therefore iniquity shall not be my ruin; and even death itself shall bring me to the possession of those blessings that were purchased for me by the blood of Christ, which I have been enabled to apply to myself by faith; and with this confidence he can say with the apostle, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. xv. 55.

2. Their dying is an instance of God’s love to them. As those whom Christ is said to have loved in the world, he loved unto the end of his life; so he loves them to the end of theirs, John xiii. 1. And as nothing has hitherto separated them from this love, nothing shall be able to do it. There are three instances wherein the love of God to dying believers discovers itself.

(1.) In that they are hereby freed from sin and misery; this they never were, nor can be till then. As for sin, there are the remainders thereof in the best of men, which give them great disturbance, and occasion for that daily conflict which there is between flesh and spirit, as has been before observed. But at death the conflict will be at an end, and the victory which they shall obtain over it, compleat. There shall be no law in the members warring against the law of the mind; no propensity or inclination to what is evil; nor any guilt or defilement contracted; which would be inconsistent with a state of perfect holiness. And as it is a state of perfect happiness, there is an entire freedom from all those miseries which sin brought into this lower world. These are either internal or external, personal or relative; none of which shall occur to allay, or give any disturbance to the saints’ blessedness after death. But more of this will be considered under a following answer; in which we shall be led to speak of the happiness of the righteous at the day of judgment, both in soul and body[123]; and therefore we proceed to consider,

(2.) That the death of a believer appears to be an instance of divine love, in that hereby he is made capable of farther communion with Christ in glory. Persons must be made meet for heaven before they are admitted to it. Though our present season and day of grace is a time in which God is training his people up for glory; and there is an habitual preparation for it, when the work of grace is begun; which is what the apostle intends when he speaks of some who are made meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, Col. ii. 12. when they were first translated into Christ’s kingdom: nevertheless this falls very short of that actual meetness which the saints must have when they are brought to the possession of the heavenly blessedness. Then they shall be made perfect in holiness, as will be observed in the next answer; otherwise there can be no perfect happiness.

And besides this, the soul must be more enlarged, that hereby it may be enabled to receive the immediate discoveries of the divine glory, or to converse with the heavenly inhabitants, than it can be here. The frame of nature must be changed; which is what the apostle intends, when he says, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption, 1 Cor. xv. 50. accordingly he adds, ver. 53. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality; whereby he intimates, that frail, mortal, and corruptible man, is not able to bear that glory which is reserved for a state of immortality. Therefore the soul must be so changed as to be rendered receptive thereof; and in order thereto, all its powers and faculties must be greatly enlarged; otherwise it can no more receive the immediate rays of the divine glory, than the weak and distempered eye can look steady on the sun shining in its meridian brightness. In this world our ideas of divine things are very imperfect, by reason of the narrowness of our capacities, and God condescends to reveal himself to us in proportion thereto; but when the saints shall see him as he is, or have a perfect and immediate vision and fruition of his glory, they shall be made receptive of it; this is done at death; whereby they are rendered capable of farther communion with Christ in glory.[124]

(3.) At death believers immediately enter upon, and are admitted into the possession of this glory. At the same time that the soul is enlarged and fitted for the work and enjoyment of heaven, it is received into it; where it shall have an uninterrupted communion with Christ in glory; which is the subject insisted on in the following answer.

Footnote 118:

Sequela naturæ.

Footnote 119:

Before this there was what some call temperamentum ad pondus, which was lost by sin; and a broken constitution, leading to mortality ensued thereupon.

Footnote 120:

See Dr. Bates on Death, chap. ii.

Footnote 121:

Vid. Sueton. in Vit. Jul. Cæs. Talia agentem atq; meditantem mors prævenit.

Footnote 122:

See more of this in Quest. lxxxvii.

Footnote 123:

See Quest. xc.

Footnote 124:

The belief of a separate state is very ancient. Cicero and Seneca have asserted, that all nations believed the immortality of the soul. Yet we know there were not only individuals, but sects who were exceptions. Saul the first king of Israel believed that the soul survived the death of the body, or he would neither have made laws against necromancers, nor have applied to one in his distresses. If Samuel was raised, it is a fact, directly in point, but the words though express, are probably an accommodation to the sentiments of men. The son of Sirach who lived two hundred years before Christ, says that Samuel prophesied after he was dead. (Ecclus. c. 46. v. 20.) And Josephus in his account of the life of Saul, shows his belief to be that Samuel actually arose. The same feats of apparitions which the disciples had, still exist with the common people, and are proofs that they entertain the same sentiment.

Some of the Pharisees, who are represented as believing a separate state, thought souls might return to other bodies. This was the opinion of Josephus with respect to the virtuous; and also of those Jews, who supposed that Jesus was Elijah or Jeremiah; but the question of the disciples, whether a man had been born blind for his own sins, implies a possibility of a return also of the wicked into other bodies. Nevertheless the prevailing opinion of the Pharisees was of a separate state; otherwise Paul’s professing their sentiments, which must have been known to him, was disingenuous; nor, if they had known the difference, would they have protected him. The approbation of the multitude when he proved the doctrine from the words of Jehovah to Moses at the bush, (Matt. xxii. 32.) and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, evince that the common opinion was such.

This subject, has been enlightened, not first brought to light, through the Gospel, but plainly asserted: this day shalt thou be with me in paradise. At home in the body, and absent from the Lord, absent from the body, and present with the Lord, is descriptive but of two states. The desire to depart to be with Christ, shows an immediate expectation. And otherwise it cannot be said that the spirits of just men are made perfect.

The Jews, Greeks, and Romans assigned the Heaven to the gods, earth to men, and under the earth (שאול, αδης, inferi) to the dead. The passages “the spirit shall return to God,” and “the spirit of a man goeth upwards” are not exceptions, for then they would prove that the evil, as well as the good, went to heaven. That the spirit is disposed of by God, and that the spirit of a man survives the death of the body, seem to be all that is respectively implied. Samuel was believed to come out of, and return to his place under the earth; and Saul was to be with him, below the earth; but, possibly, in a different apartment. Thus Abraham and Lazarus were in sight of, and only divided from the man in torments by a gulph.

Under the gospel the place of separate saints is represented to be in Heaven. Heaven had been always assigned to God among the Jews, and even the heathens thought it the most honourable place: Virgil assigned it to Cæsar. Jesus declared he came from thence, and would return thither; and for the comfort of his disciples, told them, he would prepare a place for them, and take them to himself. They saw him actually ascend. He is to come from thence, and to bring them with him to judgment.

This change of representation implies no contradiction, for pure spirits are not confined to place. Our souls are connected with our bodies, and therefore go and come with, or rather in them. But when the connexion is broken, the soul cannot be said to be in one place more than another, except as it is occupied with material objects. It can attend to one thing only at once, and therefore when in, it cannot be out of the body, and must be wherever occupied, but not in any place, except concerned with material objects. The infinite Spirit had no connexion with space in all the eternity which preceded creation; since time began as every thing is known and supported by him, he is said to be in all places. But the idea of place is not necessary to our conceptions of Spirit.

To speak of the planets as the residence of spirits, and to talk of souls flying through the visible Heavens in quest of paradise is idle. If all souls must ascend to Heaven, from India they go in a direction opposite to our course thither.

There is no sun nor moon enjoyed by saints in glory; the Lord is their light. And spiritual bodies are not flesh and blood, nor belly, nor meats; nor corruptible nor mortal; but fit for the society of spirits. The soul at death is discharged from the prison of these bodies, and not confined to place. It receives new faculties, which entertain it with more than substitutes for the sensations it had in the body; it obtains a perception of light more vivid than in dreams, and permanent. It enjoys the discernment, society, and communion of other Spirits; the presence of God and the Redeemer; and progresses in the knowledge and love of God, and so in holiness and happiness forever.

Quest. LXXXVI.

QUEST. LXXXVI. What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death?

ANSW. The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which, even in death, continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls: Whereas the souls of the wicked are at death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

Having considered the soul as separated from the body by death; the next thing that will be enquired into, is what becomes of it, and how it is disposed of in its separate state? and here we find that there is a vast difference between the righteous and the wicked in this respect: the former have communion with Christ in glory, the latter are in a state of banishment and separation from him; being cast into hell, and there remaining in torments and utter darkness. Both these are particularly insisted on in this answer. In speaking to which, we must consider,

I. That there is something supposed; namely, that the soul of man is immortal; otherwise it could not be capable of happiness or misery.

II. We shall consider the happiness which the members of the invisible church enjoy; which is called communion with Christ in glory.

III. The misery which the souls of the wicked endure at death; which is contained in the latter part of the answer.

I. To speak concerning the thing supposed in this answer; namely, that the soul of man is immortal. This is a subject of that importance, that we must be first convinced of the truth of it before we can conclude that there is a state of happiness or misery in another world. But before we proceed to the proof of it, it is necessary for us to explain what we are to understand thereby; accordingly let it be premised,

1. That we read, in scripture, of the death of the soul, in a spiritual sense, as separated by sin, from God, the fountain of life and blessedness, and as being destitute of a principle of grace; whereby it is utterly indisposed to perform any actions that are spiritually good, as much as a dead man is unable to perform the functions of life. In this sense we are to understand the apostle’s words, She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth, 1 Tim. v. 6. And in this respect unregenerate persons are said to be dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. ii. 1. and a condemned state, which is the consequence hereof, is a state of death. Now that which is opposed hereunto, is called, in scripture, a spiritual life, or immortality; but this is not the sense in which we are to consider it in our present argument.

2. Immortality may be considered as an attribute peculiar to God, as the apostle says, he only hath immortality, 1 Tim. vi. 16. the meaning of which is, that his life, which includes his Being, and all his perfections, is necessary and independent; but in this respect no creature is immortal; but their life is maintained by the will and providence of God, which gave being to it at first.

3. When we speak of creatures being immortal, we must consider them either as not having any thing in the constitution of their nature, that tends to a dissolution, which cannot be effected by any second cause; or their eternal existence, pursuant to the will of God, who could, had he pleased, have annihilated them. It is in both these senses that we are to consider the immortality of the soul.

That it is in its own nature immortal, has been allowed by many of the Heathens, who have had just conceptions of the spirituality of its nature, possessed due regards to the providence of God, and those marks of distinction that he puts between good and bad men, as the consequence of their behaviour in this life. That the soul survives the body, has been reckoned, by some of the Heathens, as an opinion that has almost universally obtained in the world[125]. Thus Plato introduces Socrates[126] as discoursing largely on this subject, immediately before his death: and, in some, other of his writings, not only asserts, but gives as good proofs of this doctrine as any one, destitute of scripture-light, could do. One of his followers, in the account he gives of his doctrine, recommends and insists on an argument which he brings to prove it, which is not without its weight, namely, that the soul acts from a principle seated in its own nature, and not by the influence of some external cause, as things material do[127]. And Strabo speaks of the ancient Brachmans, among the Indians, as entertaining some notions of the immortality of the soul, and the judgment passed upon it in its separate state; agreeable to what Plato advances on that subject[128].

Some, indeed, have thought that this notion took its rise from Thales, the Milesian, who lived between two and three hundred years before Plato, and about six hundred years before the Christian Æra, from an occasional passage mentioned by Diogenes Laertius, in his life, which is hardly sufficient to justify this supposition; which he brings in only as matter of report[129]: And Cicero[130] supposes it was first propagated by Pherecydes, who was cotemporary with him; though Diogenes Laertius makes no mention of it. But it may be inferred from many things in Homer, the oldest writer in the Greek tongue, who lived above three hundred years before Thales, that the world had entertained some confused ideas of it in his time: As we often find him bringing in the souls of the deceased heroes appearing in a form, and speaking with a voice like that which they had when living, to their surviving friends. And he not only supposes, but plainly intimates that their souls existed in a separate state[131]. And in other places he represents some suffering punishment for their crimes committed here on earth[132]; which plainly argues, whatever fabulous account we have of the nature of punishment, or the person suffering it, that it was an opinion, generally received at that time, that the soul existed in a separate state.

And, indeed, this maybe inferred from the doctrine of Dæmons, or the superstitious worship of the heathens, which they paid to the souls of those heroes who formerly lived on earth, and had done some things which they thought rendered them the peculiar favourites of God, and the objects of worship by men; and that their souls existed with God in great honour and favour in a separate state[133]. But passing this by, it may be farther observed, that whatever notions some of the heathens had of the immortality of the soul in general; they were very much at a loss, many of them, in determining the place, or many things relating to the state in which they were; and therefore many of them, with Pythagoras, asserted the doctrine of transmigration of souls, or their passing from one body to another; and being condemned to reside in vile and dishonourable bodies; which, though it perverts, yet doth not overthrow the doctrine of the soul’s immortality; and others seemed to doubt whether, after four or five courses of transmigration of souls from one body to another, they might not at last shrivel into nothing.

It must also be acknowledged, that there was a considerable party among the heathen that adhered to the sentiments of Epicurus, who denied the immortality of the soul, as supposing it to be material. And the Sadducees are represented, in scripture, as imbibing that notion; who are said to deny both angels and spirits, Acts xxiii. 8. In this respect they gave into his philosophy, as to what concerns his denying the immortality of the soul, or its existence in a future state[134]: But passing this by, we may observe, that notwithstanding all that has been said concerning this doctrine, by the better and wiser part of the heathen in their writings; yet their notions seem very defective, if we trace them farther than what concerns the bare separate existence of the soul; or, if they attempt to speak any thing concerning its happiness in a future state, they then discover that they know but little of this matter; and many of them, though they cannot deny the soul’s immortality, yet they seem to hesitate about it; and therefore we may say with the apostle, that life and immortality is brought to light through the gospel, 2 Tim. i. 10. that is, if we would be sure of the immortality of the soul, and know its state and enjoyments in another world, we must look farther than the light of nature for it: and in seeking for arguments in scripture, we shall find great satisfaction concerning this matter, which we cannot do from the writers before mentioned.

That some of the heathen were in doubt about this important truth, is very evident from their writings; for Plato himself[135], notwithstanding the many things which he represents Socrates as saying, concerning a state of immortality after death, endeavouring to convince his friend Cebes about that matter, and apprehending that he had so far prevailed in the argument, as that his antagonist allowed that the soul survived the body, but yet held the transmigration of souls into other bodies; this he seems to allow him, and adds, that it is uncertain whether the soul, having worn out many bodies, may not at last perish with one that it is united to[136]. And he farther says to him, that I must now die, and you shall live; but which of us is in the better state God only knows[137].

As for Aristotle, though, in many places of his writings, he seems to maintain the immortality of the soul; yet in others it appears that he is in doubt about it; and seems to assert, that neither good nor evil happens to any man after his death[138]. And the Stoicks, who did not altogether deny this doctrine; yet they supposed that in process of time, it would be dissolved[139]. And even Cicero himself, notwithstanding all that he says, by which he seems to give into this doctrine; yet sometimes speaks with great hesitation about it[140]. And notwithstanding what Seneca says concerning the immortality of the soul, as has been often before observed; yet he speaks doubtfully of it[141]; so that we must have recourse to scripture, and those consequences that are deduced from it, as well as those things that may be inferred from the nature of the soul to prove that it is immortal. And,

(1.) For the proof of this doctrine, let it be considered, that the soul is immaterial; which appears from its being capable of thought, whereby it is conversant about, and takes in ideas of things divine and spiritual, which no creature below man can do. It has a power of inferring consequences from premises, and accordingly is the subject of moral government, capable of conversing with God here, and expecting rewards or punishments from him hereafter; all this cannot be produced by matter or motion: As for matter, that is in itself altogether unactive; and when motion is impressed upon it, the only change that is made therein, is in the situation and contexture of its parts, which cannot give it life, sensation or perception, much less a power of judging and willing, or being conversant about things spiritual and immaterial.

(2.) This power of thinking or reasoning was not derived from the body to which it was united; for that which has not in itself those superior endowments, cannot communicate them to another: Its union with the soul cannot impart them to it; for whatever sensation the body has, (which is below the power of reasoning,) is derived from the soul, as appears from its being wholly destitute thereof, when the union between the soul and body is broken: And therefore, since those superior powers, or excellencies of the soul, are produced by another cause, we must conclude, that they are immediately from God: This evidently appears from scripture; the body of Adam was first formed, and then it is said, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, Gen. ii. 7. that is, he put into it that soul which was the spring and fountain of all living actions; and then it follows, man became a living soul: And it is considered as a peculiar display of the glory of God, that he formeth the spirit of man within him, Zech. xii. 2.

(3.) It follows from hence, that the dissolution of the body makes no alteration in the powers and faculties of the soul; which is not hereby rendered subject to death. For, as it did not derive those powers from the body, as was before observed, it could not be said to lose them in the ruin of the body: Thus our Saviour speaks of the soul as not being affected with those injuries that tend to the bodies destruction, when he says, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, Mat. x. 28.

(4.) We have a particular account in scripture, of the soul when separated from the body, as disposed of in a different way from it; it does not go down to the earth as the body does, from whence it was, but returns to God who gave it, Eccl. xii. 7. Its return to God supposes that it was accountable to him for its actions performed in the body, or the way and manner in which the faculties were exerted; and accordingly, when separate from it, it is represented as returning to God to give an account of its behaviour in the body, and to reap the fruits and effects thereof. And as it is said to return to God; so believers breathe forth their souls, and resign them by faith into the hand of God, as our Saviour expresses it, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, Luke xxiii. 46. or, as Stephen says, Lord Jesus receive my spirit, Acts vii. 59.

(5.) The soul’s immortality may be proved from the extent of the capacities thereof, and the small improvement men make of them in this world, especially the greatest part of mankind. What a multitude are there who never had the faculties of the soul deduced into act, in whom the powers of reasoning were altogether useless, while in this world; I mean in those whose souls are separated from their bodies as soon as they are born; others die in their childhood, before reason comes to maturity; and how great a part of the world live to old age, whose souls have not been employed in any thing great or excellent, in proportion to their capacities? Were these made in vain? or did God design, when he brought them into, or continued them either a longer or a shorter time in the world, that they should never be employed in any thing that is worthy of these noble faculties? Therefore we must conclude that there is another state, in which the soul shall act more agreeably to those capacities which it is endowed with.

(6.) This may be farther proved, not only from the natural desires, which there are in all men, of immortality; but more especially those desires, which the saints have, of enjoying some things in God, which cannot be attained in this life. The natural desire of immortality is what belongs to all: With what reluctancy does the soul and body part; which arises from a natural aversion to a dissolution, unless there be a well-grounded hope of a life of blessedness that shall ensue? Moreover there is not only a desire but an expectation of the soul’s living for ever, when separated from the body, in a state of happiness; which believers are made partakers of, as a peculiar blessing from God: Therefore we must conclude, that he that gave them will satisfy them; so that as they have a thirst after happiness, which is the effect of a supernatural power, they shall not be disappointed or destitute of it; which they must be if the soul does not survive the body.

(7.) The immortality of the soul may be proved from the justice of God as the Governor of the world. This divine perfection renders it necessary that rewards and punishments should be distributed according to men’s behaviour in this life. We observe, under a foregoing head, that man is supposed to be accountable to God, from the consideration of the spirit’s returning to him: And it also follows, from what was said under another head, concerning the soul’s being the subject of moral government: But this argument will be farther improved under a following answer, when we consider our Saviour’s coming to judge the world[142]. All the use therefore that we shall at present make thereof, is, that the soul being thus accountable to God, has reason to expect some peculiar marks of favour beyond what it receives in this world; or to fear some punishment as the consequence of crimes committed, from the hand of the supreme Judge of all: Thus it is said, God will render to every man according to his deeds, Rom. ii. 6. And elsewhere, Every one shall receive according to what he hath done in the body, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. v. 10. Now that which makes for our present argument, is, that the best men in the world do not receive those peculiar marks of divine favour, as to what respects their outward condition therein, as some of the vilest men often do: This the prophet Jeremiah takes notice of, when he says, Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee; yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? Jer. xii. 1. And the Psalmist, when observing the prosperity of the wicked, says, They are not in trouble like other men; neither are they plagued like other men, Psal. lxxiii. 5. that is, not exposed to those rebukes of providence, as to what concerns outward things, as good men are.

That which is alledged by some to solve this difficulty, is, that virtue has its own reward; and therefore, the good man cannot but be happy, whatever troubles he meets with in this life, since he has something within himself that makes him so. But to this it may be replied, that this cannot give the least satisfaction, that the divine distributions are just and equal, to those who are destitute of this inward comfort; and the principal ingredient in that internal happiness which arises from the exercise of religion and virtue, consists in the divine approbation, and the interest which such have in that love, which shall discover itself more fully, when the soul, being separate from the body, shall enjoy the happiness resulting from it in another world: Therefore, this is so far from militating against the doctrine we are maintaining, that it affords a considerable argument to support it.

If it be objected also, on the other hand, that sin brings its own punishment along with it, in that uneasiness which the wicked find in their own breasts; concerning whom it is said, They are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest; whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. lvii. 20. This also proves the immortality of the soul; inasmuch as this fear arises from a sense of guilt, whereby persons are liable to punishment in another world, who are not in the least concerned about the punishment of sin in this, and are ready to conclude themselves out of the reach of human judicature; therefore, that which they are afraid of, is God’s righteous judgments in another world, which they cannot, by any means, free themselves from the dread of. We must therefore conclude that this is as natural to man, considered as sinful, as the hope of future blessedness is to one that is righteous; and both these are the result of a divine impression enstamped on the souls of men, which affords an evident proof of their immortality.

The objections against this doctrine, are generally such as carry in them the lowest and most abject thoughts of human nature in those who may truly be said to despise their own souls. When they pretend, as was before observed, that they are material, this is to set the soul on a level with the body; for matter, how much soever it be refined, when it is resolved into the particles of which it consists, has no excellency above other material beings.

As to the objections that are brought against this doctrine from scripture, by which the frailty of this present life is set forth: These do not in the least tend to overthrow the immortality of the soul. Thus, when it is said in Eccles. iii. 19, 20. That which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them: As the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast; all go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. It is plain, that Solomon here speaks of the inferior part of man, in which he has no pre-eminence above the beasts, as the body is resolved into dust, as well as the bodies of the brute creatures; but then the following words sufficiently confute the objection, in which it is said, the spirit of man goeth upward; whereby he asserts, not only the superior excellency, but the immortality of the soul.

Again, when it is said in chap. ix. 5. The living know that they must die, but the dead know not any thing; neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. This is sufficiently answered by only reading the following words; by which it appears, that their memory is forgotten; and they are said to have no farther reward in this world; or, as it is expressed, They have no more any portion for ever, in any thing that is done under the sun; but this does not in the least intimate that they have no portion in what respects the things of another world; and, indeed, their labour being unrewarded here, affords us an incontestible argument, that they shall have it hereafter, when the soul leaves this world.

And as for other scriptures, that seem to intimate as though death put an end to all those actions of religion which were performed by good men in this life, as in Psal. xxx. 9. ‘When I go down to the pit, shall the dust praise thee, shall it declare thy truth?’ and, ‘The dead praise not the Lord; neither any that go down into silence,’ Psal. cxv. 17. and what Hezekiah says to the same purpose, ‘The grave cannot praise thee; death cannot celebrate thee; they that go down to the pit cannot hope for thy truth,’ Isa. xxxviii. 18. These and such-like expressions intend nothing else but this; that the praises of God cannot be celebrated by those who are in the state of the dead, in such a way as they were by them while they lived in this world, viz. in the assemblies of his saints, from which they are separated, being no longer considered as members of the militant church; neither are they apprized of, or affected with the things done in this lower world, in which respect they are said to know nothing: But this does not in the least, militate against their praising God with the church triumphant, and having those privileges conferred upon them, which are adapted to a state of immortality and eternal life.

As to what is farther objected by others, that the immortality of the soul respects only the righteous; because the apostle says in 1 John ii. 17. ‘The world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.’ This sense given of the words contradicts all those scriptures that speak of the punishment of sin in another world; for if none are said to abide for ever, but the righteous, or they who do the will of God; the wicked must necessarily go unpunished. Therefore we must understand the word abiding in the same sense as the Psalmist does, when he says, ‘The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,’ Psal. i. 5. which does not signify their not existing in a future state, but not being admitted into the congregation of the righteous, or made happy with them therein.[143]

II. We shall consider the happiness that the members of the invisible church enjoy; which is called communion with Christ in glory, as it includes in it perfect holiness; accordingly we read of the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. xii. 23. This perfection consists in the rooting out all those remainders of corruption, and those habitual inclinations to sin, that they were never wholly freed from in this world. The most that can be said concerning a believer at present, is, that he has a principle of spiritual life and grace, which inclines him to oppose, and stand his ground against, the assaults of sin that dwelleth in him, whereby it is mortified, but not wholly destroyed. The work of sanctification is daily growing to perfection, though it does not fully attain to it: But when the soul leaves the world, it arrives to perfection in a moment; so that the power which man had at first, to yield sinless obedience, which was lost by the fall of our first parents, is regained with great advantage. For this perfection of holiness not only denotes a sinless state, but the soul’s being confirmed therein; and accordingly it is said to be received into the highest heaven, the place into which no unclean thing can enter; where there is spotless purity, as well as everlasting happiness; and here they are described as beholding the face of God in light and glory. These things need not be particularly insisted on in this place, since the same privileges are said, in a following answer, to belong to believers after the day of judgment, both in their souls and bodies, when they shall be received into heaven, and be made perfectly holy and happy, and be blest with the immediate vision of God[144]; Therefore all that we shall consider at present, with relation hereunto, is,

1. That the soul is immediately made partaker of this blessedness on its separation from the body.

2. It is farther described as waiting for the full redemption of the body, which is still supposed to continue under the dominion of death, though united to Christ, and consequently under his special protection: Upon which account believers are said, when they die, to rest in their graves as in their beds, till their bodies are again united to their souls at the last day.

1. We shall consider that the soul is made partaker of this blessedness immediately after its separation from the body, as it is observed in this answer; which seems to militate against three opinions that have been advanced relating to the state of separate souls.

[1.] That of the Papists, who maintain that the soul is not made perfect in holiness at death, but enters into a middle-state, which they call purgatory, in which it is to endure exquisite torments, designed partly as a punishment inflicted for those sins committed in this life, which have not been expiated by satisfaction made by them, and partly to free them from the sin which they brought with them into that state.

[2.] Another opinion which seems to be opposed in this answer, is what was maintained by some of the ancient Fathers; namely, that the souls of believers do not immediately enter into the highest heaven before they are reunited to their bodies, but into paradise; not to suffer, as the Papists pretend that they do who are in purgatory; but to enjoy those pleasures which are reserved for them in a place not much inferior to heaven.

[3.] There is another opinion which is subversive of the doctrine contained in this answer; namely, that the soul, at its separation from the body, sleeps till the resurrection; and consequently, in that intermediate space of time in which it is separate, it is no more capable of happiness or misery than the body that lies in the grave. The absurdity of these opinions we shall take occasion farther to consider. And,

[1.] That of the Papists concerning a middle-state, into which they suppose, souls enter at death, in order to their being cleansed from the remainders of sin, whereby they are made meet for heaven. This doctrine, how ludicrous and ungrounded soever it may appear to be, they are so fond of, that it will be as hard a matter to convince them of the absurdity thereof, as it was of old to convince the worshippers of Diana at Ephesus, of their stupid idolatry; because it tends to promote their secular interest. They first endeavour to persuade the poor deluded people, that they must suffer very great torments after death, unless they be relieved by the prayers of their surviving friends; and then, to induce them to shew this favour to them, as well as that they may merit some abatement of these torments or a speedy release from them, they tell them, that it is their duty and interest to leave their estates, by their last will and testament to pious uses; such as building of churches, endowing of monasteries, &c. by which means they have got a great part of the estates of the people into their own hands. And to carry on this cheat, they give particular instances, in some of their writings, of souls being released from this dreadful place by their prayers.

The account they give of this middle-state, between heaven and hell, is not only that they are not admitted into the immediate presence of God; but are exposed to grievous torments by fire, little short of those that are endured in hell; and if they are not helped by the prayers of the church, they are in danger of being sent from thence directly to hell, from whence there is no release. They also add, that the punishment, in this state, is either longer or shorter, in proportion to the crimes committed in this world; for which satisfaction has not been made by penances endured, or money given to compensate for them. Some, indeed, are allowed, by them, to pass immediately into heaven, without being detained here; namely, those who have performed works of supererogation; or if by their entering into a vow of poverty, they have parted with their estates, while living in the world, for the use of the church, in which case no end could be answered, by telling them of this fable of purgatory. Others are told that they may escape it, by entering into a vow of chastity and canonical obedience; which belongs more especially to the priests, when entering into holy orders; whereby they take care to make provision for themselves, that so the deluded people may have a greater regard to their prayers, since they will find none in purgatory to perform that service for them. This is so vile and absurd an opinion, that it cannot but expose the church of Rome to the scorn and contempt of all who are not given up to strong delusions.

But though it sufficiently appears, that secular interest is the main foundation of this doctrine; yet there are some arguments, which they take from scripture, to support it; which is the only thing that requires our notice.

One scripture brought to this purpose, is in Isa. iv. 4. where the prophet speaks concerning the Lord’s purging the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning; supposing that this should have its accomplishment when the soul left the body, and was detained in this place of torment. But this is very remote from the design of the Holy Ghost herein; for it only contains a metaphorical description of some judgments which God would inflict on people in this life, and as a means to reclaim them from them: therefore we often read, in the prophets, of God’s refining his people in the furnace of affliction, Isa. xlviii. 10. and accordingly it is said, that the Lord’s fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem, chap. xxxi. 9. denoting the sore judgments they should undergo in this world, as a punishment for their idolatry.

Another scripture, which is miserably perverted, to support this doctrine, is that in Zech. ix. 11. By the blood of thy covenant have I sent forth thy prisoners, out of the pit wherein is no water; which they suppose, is to be understood of some state after this life; because it is called the pit; and it is also described as a place of misery, inasmuch as there is no water, that is, no refreshing comforts; and they add, that the prophet does not speak of hell because some persons are described as sent forth, or released from it; therefore it must needs be understood of this middle-state, between heaven and hell. But this is far from being the sense of the text, since it contains a prediction of their being delivered from the Babylonish captivity, which, in a metaphorical way of speaking, is called the pit, wherein is no water, to denote the great distress that the people were to be brought under therein; thus the prophet Isaiah, speaking of their deliverance from the captivity, says, The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, Isa. li. 14. Or else it denotes some future deliverance, which the church was to expect after great calamities undergone by them; and this is said to be by the blood of the covenant, denoting that all the happiness the church shall enjoy in this world, as well as the other is founded in the blood of Christ, pursuant to the covenant of grace: and if the text must necessarily be understood of a deliverance from evil after death, it may be considered as a prediction of our being delivered from eternal destruction, by the blood of Jesus.

Again, another scripture which they bring to support this fabulous doctrine, is in 1 Cor. iii. 13, 14, 15. Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is, If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. The reason why this scripture is forced into that cause which they maintain, is, because we read of persons being saved so as by fire; and this they suppose to respect that which should follow after the particular judgment of every one at death in which, a scrutiny shall be made concerning their works, or their behaviour in this world; and if they are found faulty, they may, notwithstanding, be saved after they have endured those sufferings which are there allotted for them.

But there is nothing in the text that gives the least countenance to this notion, since the apostle seems to be speaking concerning those ministers who preach false doctrines, that is, propagate errors not directly subversive of the fundamental articles of faith, but such as tend to embarrass the consciences of men, and, in many respects, lead them out of the way; or of others, who have been perverted by them, and have embraced pernicious errors, which, in their consequences, are subversive of the faith, but yet do not hold those consequences: these may be saved, but their salvation shall be attended with some difficulty, arising from the mistaken notions which they have imbibed. Some compare this to a person whose house is in flames, and he saves his life with difficulty, being scorched thereby. God will, in his own time, take some method to discover what notions we have received in religion; and he is said to do it by fire. Whether this, as a learned writer observes, is to be understood of the clear gospel-dispensation,[145] or else respects some trying dispensation of providence, accompanied with a greater measure of the effusion of the Spirit, that shall lead men into the knowledge of their mistakes, and set them in the right way, I will not determine. But whether the one or the other of these senses of the texts seems most agreeable to the mind of the apostle, it is sufficiently evident that no countenance is given, either in this or any other scripture, to this absurd doctrine of the Papists.

Another scripture which they bring for the proof of this doctrine, is in 1 Pet. iii. 19. in which it is said, that our Saviour went and preached unto the spirits in prison. The sense they give of that text, compared with the foregoing verse, is, that as our Saviour, after his death, visited those repositories, where the Old Testament-saints were lodged, and preached the gospel to them, which they embraced; and pursuant hereupon, were admitted into heaven: so he went down into this subterraneous prison, and preached to them also; but whether this was attended with the same success, or no, they pretend not to determine; but only allege this as a proof that there is such a place: and to give countenance to this sense they say, that by the prison here spoken of, the prison of hell cannot be intended; inasmuch as there is no hope of salvation there, and consequently no preaching of the gospel. And it cannot be meant of his preaching to any in this world; for they suppose, that he went after he left the world, and preached to spirits, that is, to persons, whose souls were separate from their bodies; therefore he went, as they argue, and preached to those that are in purgatory: but in giving this sense of the text, they are obliged to take no notice of what follows, which, if duly considered, would plainly overthrow it.

The meaning of this scripture therefore is this, that our Saviour preached by his Spirit, to the old world, in the ministry of Noah, while he was preparing the ark; but they being disobedient, were not only destroyed by the flood, but shut up in the prison of hell; in which respect it is said he preached to those that are now in prison: so that this scripture makes nothing for that doctrine which we are opposing; nor any other that is or can be brought; so that all the arguments pretended to be taken from it, are a manifest perversion thereof.

However, there is one method of reasoning which they make use of, that I cannot pass over; inasmuch as they apprehend that it contains a dilemma that is unanswerable; namely, that there is some place in which persons are perfectly freed from sin, which must be either this world, or heaven, or some middle state between them both. It is allowed by all, that there is no perfect freedom from sin in this world; and to suppose that persons are perfectly freed from sin after they come to heaven, is to conclude that that is a state of probation, in which the gospel must be preached, and persons that attend upon it, inclined to embrace it, which is not agreeable to a state of perfection: and this is contrary to scripture, which speaks of no unclean thing entering therein. Therefore it follows, that the state in which they are fitted for it, must be this which they plead for, to wit, a middle-state, in which they are first purged, and then received into heaven.

But to this it may be replied, that it is true, believers are not perfectly freed from sin in this world, nor do they enter into heaven, either with the guilt or pollution of their sins upon them; but they are made perfect in an instant, in passing out of this world into heaven: the same stroke which separates the soul from the body takes away the remainders of corruption, and fits it for the heavenly state; it passes out of this world perfect, though it was imperfect while in it; in like manner as the body being raised out of the grave is rendered incorruptible thereby, so that we have no occasion to invent a middle state, into which the saints are brought. Therefore it follows, as it is expressed in this answer, that the souls of believers, immediately after death, are made perfect in holiness.

[2.] There is another opinion embraced by some of the Jews, and several of the Fathers, in which they are followed by some modern writers; namely, that the souls of believers, at death, enter into paradise, where they continue till they are reunited to their bodies, and, after the day of judgment, are received into the highest heaven: thus they understand our Saviour’s words to the penitent thief on the cross, To day thou shalt be with me in paradise, in a literal sense, as contra-distinguished from heaven. And these assert, that the soul of our Saviour, when separate from his body, went immediately into paradise, and not into heaven, till after his resurrection. This is supposed to import the same thing as Abraham’s bosom does in the parable; and indeed, the Greek word,[146] in the metaphorical sense thereof, which we translate bosom, signifies a port or haven; which is, as it were, a bosom for shipping.

This is described as very distinct from the Popish doctrine of purgatory; for it is not a place of suffering, but of delight and pleasure. Tertullian, who gave into this notion,[147] describes it as a place of divine pleasure, designed for the reception of the spirits of holy men, being separate either from the world, or other places near it, by an inclosure of fire, designed to keep the wicked out.

This is what they suppose the apostle Paul speaks of when he says, that he was caught up into paradise, 2 Cor. xii. 5. and they conclude that this vision or rapture which he mentions, includes in it what he experienced at two several times; and that this is agreeable to what he mentions in verse 1. where he speaks not of one single vision, but of visions and revelations. Accordingly they suppose that he had first of all a vision of the glory of heaven, and then he had another of paradise: thus a late writer understands the text.[148] However, I cannot think that this can be sufficiently inferred from the apostle’s words, which are, as it were, a preface to introduce the account which he gives of himself, when he says, I will come to visions and revelations; that is, I will now tell you how God sometimes favours his people with extraordinary visions and revelations: then he proceeds to give an instance hereof in himself, as being caught up into the third heaven, or into paradise; for I cannot suppose that he speaks of two visions, or distinguishes paradise from heaven; and therefore I am obliged not to pay that deference to the sentiments of the Fathers he mentions, as he does, but must conclude the notion to be altogether ungrounded, though it is supported by the credit of Irenæus, Tertullian, Epiphanius, Methodius, as well as of several Jewish writers; such as Philo, and some others,[149]

[3.] We shall now consider another doctrine, maintained by some, which is inconsistent with what is said in this answer, concerning the souls of believers being made perfect in holiness, and entering immediately into heaven, when separate from their bodies, viz. that at death the soul sleeps as well as the body, till the resurrection, when one shall be raised, and the other awakened out of its sleep. These do not suppose that the soul ceases to exist; but that it enters into, and continues in, a state of inactivity, without any power to exercise the faculty of thinking, and, as a consequence thereof, whilst remaining in this state, it must be incapable either of happiness or misery. These do not assert that there shall be no rewards and punishments in a future state; but that there will be a deferring thereof until the last day.

This doctrine was generally maintained by the Socinians, as may be seen in several of their writings referred to by a learned author, who opposes them;[150] and the arguments by which it is usually supported, are taken partly from the possibility of the soul’s being destitute of thought, and partly from those scriptures that compare death to a sleep; by which they understand not only a cessation of action in the body, but likewise in the soul. In defence of the former of these, viz. that it is possible for the soul to be without the exercise of thought, they argue, that the soul of a new-born infant, (or, at least, before it is born,) has no ideas: though there be a power of reasoning, which is essential, to the soul; yet this is not deduced into act, so as to produce thought, or actual reasoning, from whence moral good or evil would proceed, and a sense of happiness or misery, arise from it. And this notion is carried somewhat farther by a late celebrated writer;[151] who, though he takes no notice of the tendency of his assertion to support this opinion concerning the soul’s sleeping at death; yet others make a handle of it, to defend it with a greater shew of reason than what was formerly discovered in maintaining this argument.

He asserts, that the souls of those that are adult do not always think; and particularly when a person is in a sound sleep, that he has no thought; how much soever there may be the exercise of thought, though confused and irregular, in those who, between sleeping and waking, not only dream a thousand things which they never thought of before, but also remember those dreams when they awake. That a person, in a sound sleep, has no dreams, and consequently is destitute of thought, he attempts to prove; inasmuch as when any one is suddenly waked out of a sound sleep, he can give no account of what he had been thinking of; and he supposes it impossible for a person who was thinking, to forget the next moment what his thoughts were conversant about. This is the principal argument whereby he supports this notion; and he has so far the advantage thereof, as that it is impossible for us to prove the contrary from any thing that we know or experience concerning ourselves: Nevertheless, it will not appear very convincing, when we consider that there are innumerable thoughts which we have when awake, that we can hardly give an account of the next minute: And if the thoughts are very active in those that dream, (who are as much asleep as others that do not dream; though the sleep may not be so refreshing as if it were otherwise,) I cannot see how this consequence can be inferred, that sleep is inconsistent with thought. Moreover, a person who is delirious, or distracted, undoubtedly thinks, though his thoughts are disordered; but when the delirium or distraction is over, he can no more remember what he thought of, than a person that is waked out of the soundest sleep: This argument therefore tends rather to amuse, or embarrass the cause they maintain, than to give sufficient conviction.

Now from this method of reasoning it is inferred, that when the soul is separated from the body, it is altogether destitute of the exercise of thought, which is what they mean by the soul’s sleeping: And to give farther countenance to this matter, they produce several scriptures, in which death is compared to a sleep; as when God speaks of the death of Moses, he says, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, Deut. xxxi. 26. and Job speaks of sleeping in the dust, Job vii. 21. And concerning the resurrection after death, he says, That man lieth down and riseth not, till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep, chap. xiv. 12. and David prays, Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, Psal. xiii. 3. and our Saviour, speaking concerning Lazarus, when dead, says, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep, John xi. 11. which he afterwards explains, ver. 14. when he says, Lazarus is dead. There are several other scriptures to the like purpose, they bring to prove that the soul sleeps in death, taking the word in the literal sense thereof.

But to this it may be replied, that as to what respects the possibility of the soul’s being rendered incapable of thinking, when separate from the body; it is no just way of reasoning to infer from the possibility of a thing, the actual being of it: Therefore if it could be proved to a demonstration, (as the author above-mentioned supposes he has done, though, I think, without sufficient ground,) that sleep deprives a person of thought; yet it will not follow from hence, that the soul, when separate from the body, ceases to think. When the powers and faculties of the soul are deduced into act, experience tells us, that they are greatly improved and strengthened; and therefore the exercise thereof cannot be so easily impeded as is pretended; especially when we consider that it does not derive this from the body, which contributes very little to those ideas it has of things immaterial, which are not the objects of sense; and how much soever bodily diseases may weaken or interrupt the soul in its actings, we do not find that they so far destroy those powers, but that, when the distemper ceases, the former actings return, like the spring of a watch, which may be stopped by something that hinders the motion of the wheels, which, when it is removed, continues to give motion to them as it had done before: The body, at most, can be considered but as a clog and impediment to the activity of the soul; and consequently it may be argued from thence, that in a state of separation the soul is so far from being impeded in its actings, that it becomes more active than before.

But that which I would principally insist on, as what will sufficiently overthrow this doctrine, is, the account which we have in many scriptures; and several just consequences which may be deduced from them, by which it will appear, that nothing that has been said concerning the possibility of the soul’s being unactive, when separate from the body, can enervate the force of the argument taken from thence to support the contrary doctrine. It is true, the scripture oftentimes represents death as a sleep, as in the places before-mentioned; and it is sometimes described as a state of rest, which is of the same import with sleep; but this is explained as a state of peace, holiness, and happiness, and not a cessation from action. Thus it is said, He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness, Isa. lvii. 2. which is plainly meant of the death of the righteous, as appears from the preceding verse, where it is said, The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart. Now these are said to enter into peace; which supposes that they are capable of the enjoyment of those blessings which the soul shall then be possessed of, and they are said to walk in their uprightness; which signifies their being active in what respects the glory of God, which is very inconsistent with the soul’s sleeping, when separate from the body. Rest and sleep are metaphorical expressions, when applied to this doctrine; and nothing is more common than for such figurative ways of speaking to be used in the sacred writings; and therefore it is very absurd for us to understand the words otherwise in this instance before us.

We will now proceed to consider those proofs we have from scripture, of the soul’s being in a state of activity when separate from the body.

The first scripture that may be brought to prove this, is what the apostle says in 2 Cor. xii. 2, 3, 4. when speaking concerning himself as caught up into the third heaven; and not knowing whether he was at the same time, in, or out of the body. If he was in the body, his senses were locked up, and he must be supposed to have been in a trance; which militates against the supposition that the soul’s power of acting may be impeded either by sleep or some bodily disease, in which there is not the exercise of the senses. Or if, on the other hand, he was out of the body, his hearing unspeakable words plainly proves our argument, viz. that the soul is capable of action, and consequently of enjoying the heavenly glory, when separate from the body.

Moreover, this is evident from our Saviour’s words to the penitent thief on the cross, Verily I say unto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise, Luke xxiii. 43. To be in paradise is certainly to be in heaven in a state of compleat blessedness, where the soul delights itself in the enjoyment of God, which is altogether inconsistent with a state of insensibility. Were it otherwise, it ought rather to have been said, thou shalt be with me in paradise after the resurrection of the body, than to day. The method which some take to evade the force of the argument, who say, that to day, refers not to the time of his being admitted into heaven, but to the time when Christ spake these words, is so low and trifling, that it doth not deserve an answer.

There is another scripture which fully proves this doctrine, namely, what the apostle says, I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better, Phil. i. 23. In which he takes it for granted, that as soon as he departed out of this world, he should be with Christ; which denotes that he should be in his immediate presence, beholding his glory; which is inconsistent with the supposition that the soul sleeps at death. And this is farther evident from what he says, that this is far better, which could not be said to be, if the notion we are opposing were true; for it is so much better for a saint to be serving Christ’s interest in this world, and made so eminently useful in promoting his glory, as the apostle was, than to be in a state of inactivity, wherein the soul is not capable of doing any thing for him, nor enjoying any thing from him, that there is no comparison between them; and whereas he was in a strait which of these two he should chuse, had it been referred to him, the matter might easily have been determined in favour of his continuing in this world; for there he was useful; whereas, in the other, he would not only be useless, but incapable of enjoying those privileges which he was made partaker of here.

My next argument shall be taken from what is said in 2 Cor. v. 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord; where one infers the other, without any intimation of his waiting till the soul is united again to the body, before he is admitted into Christ’s presence.

Again, this farther appears from the words of Solomon, in Eccl. iv. 2. I praised the dead which are already dead, more than the living which are yet alive. By which we are to understand, that the state of believers, when they die, is much more happy than it can be in this life; which supposes that they are capable of happiness, and consequently that the soul, when separated from the body, is not in a state of insensibility; which is altogether inconsistent with happiness.

And to all this we may add what our Saviour says in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus; the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom: The rich man also died and was buried, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, Luke xvi. 22, 23. In which parable we have an account of the different state of the souls of the righteous and wicked at death, and not barely what shall follow upon the resurrection of the body; for when the rich man is represented as being in torments, he says, in a following part of the parable, I have five brethren; and he would have had Lazarus sent to testify to them, lest they should also come into that place of torment; to which it is replied, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them, ver. 28, 29. which plainly intimates, that the parable refers to the state of separate souls, before the resurrection, whilst others enjoyed the means of grace; and consequently it proves that the soul, when separate from the body, is capable of happiness or misery; and which is more, is fixed in one or the other of them.

As to those scriptures that speak of the happiness or misery of men, as deferred to the end of the world. It is intimated in the parable of the tares, that the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from the just, Mat. xiii. 9. and the former are said to be cast into a furnace of fire, ver. 49, 50. and the latter, viz. the righteous, to shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, ver. 43. which respects the dealings of God with man, in the end of time. Moreover our Saviour speaks of his people as blessed and recompensed at the resurrection of the just, Luke xiv. 14. And the apostle Paul expresses his hope of a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, should give him at that day, 2 Tim. iv. 8. that is, the day of his coming to judgment; and several other scriptures that speak of what is consequent to the resurrection. To this it may be replied, that these scriptures respect not the beginning, but consummation of the happiness of the saints, or their compleat blessedness in soul and body, which is not inconsistent with the happiness that separate souls enjoy before the resurrection. Nor is the misery that is consequent upon the resurrection, inconsistent with that which sinners endure before it, when their souls are separate from their bodies. Thus concerning the happiness of the souls of believers at death; which leads us to consider,

2. What is farther observed in this answer, concerning the soul’s waiting for the full redemption of the body; which though it continues under the dominion of death, is notwithstanding united to Christ; and accordingly believers are said to rest in their graves as in their beds, till the resurrection.

The souls of believers are described as waiting for the full redemption of their bodies; which is the same expression that the apostle uses, Rom. viii. 23. where redemption denotes a full discharge from that prison, or state of confinement in the grave; in which the body was rendered incapable of answering the end for which it was redeemed by Christ, and, at the same time, the soul was destitute of that happiness which its re-union therewith shall convey to it. Its enjoyments were all spiritual, and, in their kind perfect; but yet it was naked, or, as the apostle expresses it unclothed; inasmuch as it wanted that which was designed to be a constituent part, necessary to compleat the human nature; without which it was indisposed for those actions and enjoyments which arise from its union with the body. This it is said to wait for, as a desire of re-union therewith is natural to it. Nevertheless it waits without impatience, or any diminution of its intellectual happiness.

(2.) As to what respects the bodies of believers, they are said to continue united to Christ, which is the result of their being redeemed by him, and of his condescending to dwell in them by his Spirit. Accordingly his love extends itself to their lower part, as well as to their souls; and, as the apostle says, Nothing shall separate a believer from his love, no, not death itself, ver. 38, 39. upon which account they are said to sleep in Jesus, 1 Thes. iv. 14. or to die in the Lord, Rev. xiv. 14. They are indeed buried in the grave, and seem to lie neglected like common dust: nevertheless it is said, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, Psal. cxvi. 15. Christ reckons every particle of their dust among his jewels, Mal. iii. 17. and is no more ashamed to own them as his peculiar care, than he was when they were in their most flourishing state in this world; and for this reason they are also said to rest in their graves as in their beds. This is a scripture-expression, as the Psalmist says, My flesh shall rest in hope, Psal. xvi. 9. and the prophet Isaiah, He shall enter into peace, they shall rest in their beds, Isa. lvii. 2. The body, indeed, remains, at the same time, under the external part of the curse due to man for sin; yet it is freed from that which is the most bitter ingredient therein; which will be abundantly demonstrated when death shall be compleatly swallowed up in victory. In this the bodies of believers have the advantage of all others. The frame of nature indeed is dissolved; there is no visible mark of distinction from the wicked put upon them in the grave; yet there is a vast difference in God’s account, which one elegantly compares to the removing of the tabernacle in the wilderness: when the Israelites changed their stations, all the parts thereof were carefully taken down and delivered to the Levites’ charge, in order to its being raised again with honour; whereas, the house incurably infected with the leprosy, was plucked down with violence, and thrown into an unclean place with execration. The bodies of the saints are committed to the bosom of the earth, as the repository Christ has appointed for them; from whence he will call them forth at last, when their souls shall be again united to them in the glorious morning of the resurrection. This leads us to consider,

III. The misery which the souls of the wicked endure at death, which is contained in the latter part of this answer.

We have here a different scene opened, the final estate of the wicked described in words adapted to strike dread and terror into those who have, at present, no sense of their future misery: their souls are considered as cast into, or shut up in hell; their bodies imprisoned in the grave, and both, the objects of divine wrath. We shall have occasion, under a following answer,[152] farther to speak concerning the punishment that shall be inflicted on sinners, whose torments shall be inexpressible, both in body and soul, after the day of judgment: and therefore we shall, at present, consider the misery which the souls of the wicked shall undergo before they are united to their bodies. The soul, which carries out of the world with it the power of reflecting on itself as happy or miserable, immediately sees itself separate from the comfortable presence of God, the fountain of blessedness. And that which tends to enhance its misery beyond what it is capable of in this life, will be the enlargement of its faculties; as the apprehension shall be more clear and its sensation of the wrath of God more pungent; when it is not oppressed with that drowsiness and stupidity as it was before; nor will it be possible for it to delude itself, with those vain hopes, which it once conceived, of escaping that misery, which it is now plunged into; when all the waves and billows of the Almighty shall overwhelm and swallow it up. The soul is, in a peculiar manner, the subject of misery, as it is made uneasy by its own thoughts; which are compared to the worm that dieth not. While it looks backwards, and calls to mind the actions of his past life, and all his sins are charged upon him, this fills it with such a sense of guilt and confusion as is inexpressibly tormenting; and when he looks forward, there is nothing but what administers despair, which increases his misery to the highest degree. These torments the soul endures before it is reunited to the body, and thereby rendered receptive of others, which we generally call the punishment of sense, that are conveyed by it.

The place of punishment is the same that is allotted for soul and body, viz. hell; and this is called utter darkness; which is an expression used to signify the greatest degree of misery. As for their bodies, they dread the thoughts of being united to them again; inasmuch as that will bring with it new accessions of torment. These are considered as liable to a double dishonour; not only that which arises from their being in a state of corruption in common with all mankind; but in their being detained in the grave, as prisoners to the justice of God, from whence they shall not be released as persons acquitted or discharged, but remanded from that prison to another, from whence there is no deliverance. But more of this under a following answer.

Footnote 125:

Vid. Senec. Epist. 117. Cum de animarum immortalitate loquimur, non leve momentum apud nos habet consensus hominum, aut timentium inferos, aut colentium. Utor hac persuasione publica. Et. Cic. Tusc. Quest. Lib. 1. permanere animos arbitramur consensu nationum omnium; qua in sede maneant, qualesque sint ratione discendum est.

Footnote 126:

In Phæd.

Footnote 127:

Vid. Alcin. de doct. Plat. Cap. xxv. Αυτοκινητον δε φησι την ψυχην· οτι συμφυτου εχει τηυ ζωηυ, αει ενεργσσαν καθ αυτην.

Footnote 128:

Vid. Strab. Geog. Lib. xv. Παραπλεκσι δε και μυθους, ωσπερ και πλατωγ περι τε αφθαρσιας ψυχης, και τωγ καθ᾽ αδη χρισεων, και αλλα τοιαυτα, περι μεγ τωγ βραχμαναν ταυτα λεγει.

Footnote 129:

Vid. Diog. Laert. in Vit. Thal.

Footnote 130:

Vid. Cic. Tusc. Quæst. Lib. 1.

Footnote 131:

Vid, Hom. Iliad. 23. lin. 65. & seq.

Ήλθε δ᾽ επι ψυχη Πατροκληος δειλοιο, Παντ᾽ αυτω μεγεθος τε και ομματα καλ᾽ εικυια, Και φωνην. και τοια πρι χροι ειματα εστο. Στη δ᾽ αρ᾽ ὑπερ κεφαλης, και μεν προς μυθον ἑειπεν.

In which, after he had killed Hector, he addresses himself to his friend Patroclus, signifying that he had done this to revenge his death; upon which, the poet brings in Patroclus as appearing to him.

Footnote 132:

Vid. Odys. Lib. xi. lin. 575. & seq. in which he speaks of the punishment of Tityus and Tantalus. In this, as well as many other things, he is imitated by Virgil. See Æneid. Lib. vi. lin. 595, & seq.

Footnote 133:

See this argument managed with a great deal of learning and judgment by Mede, in his apostasy of the latter times, who proves that the gods whom the heathens worshipped, were the souls of men deifyed or cannonized after death, from many of their own writers, chap. iv. and Voss. de orig. &c. idol. Lib. 1. cap. xi, xii, xiii. who refers to Lanct. Lib. 1. de fals. Relig. cap. v. his words are these; Quos imperiti, & insipientes, tanquam Deos & nuncupant, & adorant, nemo est tam inconsideratus, qui non intelligat fuisse mortales. Quomodo ergo, inquiet aliquis, Dii crediti sunt? Nimirum quia reges maximi, ac potentissimi fuerunt, ob merita virtutum suarum, aut munerum, aut artium repertarum, cum chari fuissent iis, quibus imperitaverunt, in memoriam sunt consecrati. Quod si quis dubitet, res eorum gestas, & facta, consideret: quæ universa tum poetæ, tum historici veteres, prodiderunt. Et August. de Civ. Dei, Lib. viii. cap. v. Ipsi etium majorum gentium Dii, quos Cicero in Tusculanis, tacitis nominibus videtur attingere, Jupiter, Juno, Saturnus, Vulcanus, Vesta, & alii plurimi, quos Varro conatur ad mundi partes, sive elementa transferre homines fuisse produntur. Et Cic. Lib. 1. de nat. Deor. Quid, qui aut fortes, aut potentes viros tradunt post mortem ad Deos pervenisse; eosq; ipsos quos, nos colere, precari, venerariq; soleamus?

Footnote 134:

Some have wondered how the Sadducees could deny angels, and yet receive the five books of Moses, in which there is so frequent mention of the appearance of angels; and it might as well be wondered how they could make any pretensions to religion, who denyed the immortality of the soul; but as to both these, it may be said concerning them, that they were the most irreligious part of the Jewish nation. To make them consistent with themselves, is past the skill of any who treat on this subject. Some suppose that they understand all those scriptures that speak concerning the appearance of angels, as importing nothing else but a bodily shape, appearing for a time, and conversing with those to whom it was sent, moved and actuated by the divine power, and then disappearing and vanishing into nothing.

Footnote 135:

In Phæd.

Footnote 136:

His words are these; Κεβης δε μοι εδοξε τουτο μεν εμοι ξυν χωρειν, πολυχρονιωτερον γε ειναι Ψυχην σωματος᾽ αλλα τοδε αδηλον παντι, μη πολλα δη σωματα και πολλακις κατατριψασα η ψυχη, το τελευταιον, σωμα καταλεπουσα νυν αυτη απολλυνται και η αυτο τουτο θανατος, ψυχης ολεθρος επει σωμα γ εξει απολλυμενον ουδεν παυεται.

Footnote 137:

Ὁποιεροι δε ημων ερχονται επι αμεινον πραγμα, αδηλον παντι πλην η τω θεω.

Footnote 138:

Vid. ejusd. moral. Lib. iii. cap. ix.

Footnote 139:

Vid. Diog. Laert. in Vit. Zen. Την ψυχην μετα θανατον επιμενειν, φθαρτον δε ειναι; upon which occasion Cicero says, That though they assert that they shall continue a great while in being, yet they deny that they shall exist for ever. Vid. ejusd. in Tusc. Quæst. Lib. 1. Stoici usuram nobis largiuntur, tanquam cornicibus; diu mansuros animos ajunt; semper negant.

Footnote 140:

Et ibid. Ea quæ vis, ut potero, explicabo, nec tamen quasi Pythius Apollo certa ut sint, & fixa quæ dixero, sed ut homunculus unus e multis, probabilia conjectura sequens; ultra enim quo progrediar quam ut verisimilia videam, non habeo; which Lactantius observes, speaking of him as in doubt about it. Vid. Lactant. de Vit. Beat. Lib. vii. § 8. And elsewhere he says, in Lib. de Amicitia. Sin autem illa vetiora, ut idem interitus sit animorum, & corporum, nec ullus sensus maneat: Ut nihil boni est in morte, sic certe nihil est mali; & in Lib. de Senect. Quod si in hoc erro, quod animos hominum immortales esse credam, libenter erro: Nec mihi hunc errorem, quo delector, dum vivo, extorqueri volo. Sin mortuus, ut quidam minuti philosophi censent, nihil sentiam; non vereor, ne hunc errorem meum philosophi minuti irrideant: Quod si non sumus immortales futuri, tamen extingui hominem suo tempore, optabile est.

Footnote 141:

Epist. 102. Credebam opinionibus magnorum virorum rem gratissimam promittentium, magis quam probantium.

Footnote 142:

See Quest. lxxxviii, lxxxix.

Footnote 143:

The doctrines of the immortality of the soul, and of the resurrection of the body equally rest upon the will and word of God. But when viewed with the eye of natural reason, they have been deemed to possess very unequal grounds of probability. The properties of matter and of mind are so very different, they have been distinguished by almost all. If the mind be not matter, no argument for its extermination can be drawn from the dissolution of the body; and as its materiality has never been shown, no premises have been found from which its death can be inferred. Some wise men who had not the scriptures, have indeed withholden their belief; but the reason is discernible, they have demanded proofs which the God of nature has not vouchsafed; and their rejection of the preponderating evidence of probability, argues weakness and fastidiousness.

The resurrection of the body has been held to be impossible. If so, the impossibility should either consist in the absolute incapacity in the dead body to be raised; but this it does not, for death can only reduce the body to its first element, and the dust which has been a body is not any more unfit to be reanimated, than it was to receive life in the first instance; or it must be owing to some detect of wisdom or power, or of both in him, who should raise the body; but God is unchangeable, and in all respects as able to raise him from the dead, as to create man at the first; and there is no contradiction implied in the thing, which should prevent the exertion of his power; a resurrection is therefore possible.

The usual arguments for its probability drawn from analogy to the return of day, of spring, of vegetation, &c. are not conclusive. But those drawn from the resurrection of Christ, from the identity of man considered as a compound from the removal of moral evil, from which natural evils arise, from the earnest expectation of animal nature for a better condition, and from the perfection of the future state, seem to raise a presumption which is probable; yet these are not appreciated by the natural man; hence the world has so generally denied a resurrection of the body.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit on both points has been always the same, but not with equal lustre.

Jesus Christ explicitly affirmed both, and brought his proofs from the old testament, pressed them as motives of comfort or terror to saints and sinners, and so connected their truth with that of his own character, that every thing which proves the latter, is a proof of the former. Not only did his actually raising the dead, and arising himself, prove that the dead shall rise, but every prophecy accomplished in him, and every miracle wrought by him and his apostles, the continuance of his church, the purity of his system of doctrines, the doctrines of election, redemption, justification, regeneration and perseverance, as well as the express declarations on this subject, both in the old and new testament, all form a solid mass of evidence upon which the hopes of the Christian may firmly rest.

Footnote 144:

See Quest. xc.

Footnote 145:

See Dr. Edward’s exercit. Part II. on 1 Cor. iii. 15. who, to give countenance to this opinion, produces two scriptures, viz. Mark xiv. 54. and Luke xxii. 56. where the word φως, is put for fire; from whence he supposes, that φως and πυρ, are used promiscuously.

Footnote 146:

Κολπος. Sinus, a bosom, coast, or haven.

Footnote 147:

Vid. Tertull. Apologet. Cap. xlvii. Et si paradisum nominemus, locum divinæ amænitatis recipiendis sanctorum spiritibus destinatum, materia quadem igneæ illius Zonæ segregatum.

Footnote 148:

See Whitby in loc.

Footnote 149:

See also his notes on Luke xxiii. 43.

Footnote 150:

Vid. Hoornbeck Socin. Confut. Tom. III. Lib. v. Cap. 1. who quotes some passages out of several Socinian writers, among whom I shall only mention what is said by two of them, with whom several others of their brethren agree herein. Vid. Socin. in Epist. v. ad Volkel. Tantum id mihi videtur statui posse, post hanc vitam, animam, sive animum hominis non ita per se subsistere ut præmia ulla pænasve sentiat; vel etiam ista sentiendi sit capax, quæ mea firma opinio facile potest colligi ex multis quæ a me dicuntur, &c. Et Smalc. in Exam. Error. Pag. 33. Animam vel spiritum hominis post mortum aliquid sentire, vel aliqua re perfrui, nec ratio permittit nec scriptura testatur: ut enim corpus sine anima, sic etiam anima sine corpore, nullus operationes exercere potest; & perinde sic ac si anima illorum nulla esset, etiamæ suo modo sit, quia scilicet nullius rei sensum habeat, aut per se voluptate aliqua fræ possit. And elsewhere the same author is so hardy as to term the contrary doctrine no other than a fable, in Lib. de Dei filio, Cap. vi. Pag. 43. Quod vern de vita animarum disserit, hoc instar fabulæ est, &c. Spiritum hominis ad Deum redire testatur sacra scriptura, at eum vivera vita, ut ait Smiglecius, spirituum, & vel aliquid intelligere, vel voluptate frui hoc extra, & contra scripturam dicitur.

Footnote 151:

See Locke’s Essay concerning human understanding, Lib. ii. Chap. 1. § ix. to the xix.

Footnote 152:

Quest. lxxxix.

Quest. LXXXVII.

QUEST. LXXXVII. What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

ANSW. We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust; when they that are then found alive, shall, in a moment, be changed; and the self-same bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls for ever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ; the bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection, as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonour, by him, as an offended Judge.

In the foregoing answers, we have considered the soul and body as separated by death, the body turned to corruption, and the soul immediately entering into a state of happiness or misery; and are now led to insist on the doctrine of the resurrection, when these two constituent parts of man shall be reunited. And accordingly we shall endeavour,

I. To explain what we are to understand by the resurrection of the dead.

II. We shall prove that there is nothing in this doctrine contrary to reason, at least, if we consider it as a supernatural and divine work.

III. We shall farther observe, that this doctrine could not be known by the light of nature; and therefore we believe it as founded in divine revelation.

IV. What arguments are contained in scripture for the proof thereof; some of which might be taken from the Old Testament, and others from the New, in which it is more clearly revealed.

V. We shall answer some of the most material objections brought against it.

VI. We shall consider it as universal, as it is here styled a general resurrection of the dead, from the beginning of time to Christ’s second coming; yet with this exception, that they who are found alive shall be changed. And,

VII. The condition in which the body shall be raised; and those circumstances of honour and glory, which respect, more especially, the resurrection of the just. And, on the other hand, we shall consider the resurrection of the wicked, as being in dishonour, by Christ, as an offended Judge.

I. What are we to understand by the resurrection of the dead. We sometimes find the word taken, in scripture, in a metaphorical sense, for God’s doing those things for his church, which could not be brought about any otherwise than by his extraordinary and supernatural power. Sometimes the work of regeneration is set forth by this figurative way of speaking; whereby they who are dead in trespasses and sins, are said to be quickened; and our Saviour speaks of this when he says, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live, John v. 25. But we are to understand it in a proper sense, as denoting that change which shall pass upon the body, when it shall be delivered from the state of corruption, into which it was brought at death, and reunited to the soul; which is distinguished in a following verse, from this metaphorical sense of it, when he says, All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation, ver. 28. This includes in it not barely the repairing, but the rebuilding the frame of nature; which was not only decayed, but dissolved in death; or the gathering together those particles of matter, of which the body was before constituted; which was not only turned into corruption, but common dust; whereby a new body, as to the form and qualities thereof, is erected out of its old materials; otherwise it could not be called a resurrection. It is said, indeed, that the body shall not, in all respects, be the same that it was when separated from the soul; as the apostle compares to a grain of wheat sown in the ground, which, when it springs up, is not altogether the same as it was before; for God giveth it a body,[153] as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body, 1 Cor. xv. 37, 38. It is the same for substance, as it consists of the same materials, but very different as to its qualities; as will be farther considered, when we speak concerning the condition of the body when raised from the dead; and as it is raised with a design that it should be re-united to the soul, which will immediately follow upon it; and this union shall be indissoluble and eternal.

II. We shall now consider that there is nothing contrary to reason, or impossible, from the nature of the thing, which might have a tendency to overthrow this doctrine; especially if we consider it as a supernatural and divine work, brought about by the almighty power of God.

If we look no farther than the power of natural causes, we may conclude it to be impossible for a creature to effect, as much as it was at first to produce the body of man out of the dust of the ground; but this is not impossible with God: He that gave life and being to all things; and, by his sovereign will, puts a period to that life, which had been, for some time continued by his power and providence, can give a new life to it; especially if there be nothing in this work that renders it unmeet for it to be performed by him.

That there is nothing in the nature of the thing that renders a resurrection impossible, appears, in that death, though it be a dissolution of the frame of nature, does not annihilate the body. If the body, indeed, were annihilated at death, then it would be impossible, or contrary to the nature of things, that there should be a resurrection thereof; since the bringing it again into a state of existence would be a new creation; which, though it would not be too great a work for omnipotency, yet it could not be styled a resurrection, or restoring the same body to life that was separated from the soul, to which it was once united. But when we suppose that the matter of which the body consisted is still in being, and nothing is necessary to the raising it from the dead but the recollecting the various particles thereof, and forming it again into a body, fitted to receive the soul: this is not in its own nature impossible; nor does it infer a contradiction, so as that we should argue from thence, that it cannot be brought about by divine power.

That this may more fully appear, let it be considered, that nothing which God has brought into being, can be annihilated, but by an act of his will; since nothing can defeat or disannul his providence, which upholdeth all things that were brought into being by the word of his power. It is also certain, that God has given us no ground to conclude that any part of his material creation has been, or shall be turned into nothing; from whence it follows, that the particles of all the bodies of men, that once lived in this world, though turned to corruption or dust, are as much in being as ever they were, though not in the same form.

Again, it is certain that God, who made and upholdeth all things, has a perfect knowledge of that which is the object of his power, since his understanding is infinite: therefore he knows where the scattered dust, or the smallest particles of matter that once constituted the bodies of men, are reserved: and when we speak of a resurrection from the dead, we understand hereby the gathering them together, and disposing them in such a way as that new bodies shall be framed out of them: therefore, though this could not be done by any but God, it is not impossible, from the nature of the thing, for him to do it; and that he will do it will be considered, when we come more directly to the proof of this doctrine. We shall therefore proceed,

III. To consider it as a matter of pure revelation, such as we could not have known by the light of nature, without the assistance of scripture-light. Something, indeed, might be known by reason concerning the immortality of the soul, and its being not only capable of happiness or misery in a future state, but dealt with therein according to its behaviour in this world: nevertheless, when we enquire into that part, which the body shall bear therein; whether it shall be raised and reunited to the soul, to be for ever a partner with it in what respects its state in another world, or shall remain for ever in a state of corruption; this cannot be known by the light of nature.

There are, indeed, many things which we find in the writings of the Heathen, that discover them to have had some notion of what bears a resemblance to a resurrection: as when they speak concerning the transmigration of souls, or their living in other bodies, when separated from those which they formerly were united to. And others of them speak concerning the general conflagration, and the restoration of all things, immediately after, to their former state, as well as give some hints which are contained in their writings, concerning particular persons that have been raised from the dead, at least, pretended to have been so. What we find of this nature therein, very much resembles the fabulous account we have in the Popish legends of miracles, said to have been wrought, though without proof: thus we are told of one Aristeas, the Proconnesian, who had a power of expiring and returning to life at pleasure, and relating what he had seen in a separate state.[154] The same is reported of one Hermotimus of Clazomena.[155] But the most famous story of this kind, is what is related by Plato,[156] and transcribed from him by Eusebius,[157] concerning one Er, the son of Armenius; who, after he was slain in battle, and had continued ten days among other dead bodies, was brought home to his house; and two days after, being laid on his funeral pile, came to life again: this Plato, while he is relating it, calls little better than a fable.[158] And it was treated by others with ridicule, how much soever believed by some who regarded reports more than solid evidence of the truth thereof.

I might also mention others, who are said, by Heathen writers to have been translated into heaven in their bodies and souls[159]: Which might take its first rise from what they had received by tradition, concerning the translation of Enoch and Elijah; as the stories of those that were raised from the dead might be first invented by them with this view, that their religion might have as great reputation as that of the Jews.

But notwithstanding these particular instances related by them, of some translated, or others raised from the dead; there were very few of them that believed the doctrine of the resurrection; and some treated it with as much contempt as we do the before-mentioned account which they give of particular persons raised from the dead[160]. This agrees very well with what we read in scripture, concerning the treatment the apostle Paul met with, when he encountered the Epicureans and Stoicks at Athens, preaching to them Jesus and the resurrection, Acts xvii. 18. upon which occasion they call him babbler; and insinuated that he seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods. Oecumenius and Chrysostom think, that they supposed he reckoned the resurrection among the gods[161], as well as Jesus, whose divinity he doubtless maintained; but whether they were so stupid as thus to wrest his words, is not material. It is no wonder to find the Epicureans treating this doctrine with ridicule; for they, denying the immortality of the soul, could not entertain the least idea of the resurrection of the body in any sense: Whereas the Stoicks, though they did not own the doctrine of the resurrection, yet they could not think it so strange a doctrine as some others might do; since they held that the soul, after death, continued at least, as long as the body; and they knew very well, that many of the philosophers strenuously maintained the transmigration of souls; and, indeed, this was held by many of them, as well as the Platonists and Pythagoreans; and therefore the resurrection, though it differed from it, could not seem so strange and unheard of a notion, as that they should reckon it among the gods: However, it plainly appears from hence that this doctrine could not be learned by the light of nature; whatever confused ideas the Heathen might have entertained by tradition, concerning it.

Therefore it follows from hence, that we must look for a satisfactory account hereof from scripture: Thus when the Sadducees put a stupid question to our Saviour concerning the woman that had seven husbands, which successively died; and they would know whose wife she should be in the resurrection; by which they designed to express their opposition to this doctrine, rather than a desire of information as to the question proposed: Our Saviour in his reply to them refers them to the scriptures, Matt. xxii 29. as the fountain from whence a clear and satisfactory knowledge of this doctrine is to be derived as well as from the power of God. This divine perfection argues the possibility thereof, the justice and goodness of God, its expediency; but the scriptures, which contain a revelation of his will, represent it as certain; and this leads us to consider some arguments that are contained in, or deduced from scripture for the proof thereof; and here we shall consider,

1. Those proofs which we have for it, taken from the Old Testament. These I chuse first to insist on, because I am sensible there are many who think, that the church knew nothing of it, till it was revealed, by our Saviour, in the New Testament: This very much detracts from the importance of the doctrine, as well as renders the state of those who lived before Christ’s incarnation, very uncomfortable, since the saints, according to this opinion, must have had no hope of a glorious resurrection to eternal life. This notion is defended by many who extend the darkness of the dispensation farther than what is convenient; and among others, it is generally maintained by the Socinians, probably with this design, that since according to them, our Saviour had little else in view, in coming into the world, but to lead men into the knowledge of some things which they were ignorant of before; this might be reckoned one of those doctrines that he came to communicate. Thus Volkelius denies that there were any promises of eternal life made to the church under the Old Testament; and concludes that there was no one who had the least surmise that any such doctrine was contained in those scriptures which we commonly bring from thence to prove it[162]. And to give countenance to this opinion, several quotations are often taken from Jewish writers, since our Saviour’s time, who either speak doubtfully of this matter, or give occasion to think that they did not understand those scriptures which establish the doctrine of the resurrection in the Old Testament, as having any reference to it.

Therefore it may not be amiss for us to enquire; what were the sentiments of some of the Jews about this matter? Every one knows that there was one sect amongst them, namely, the Sadducees, who distinguished themselves from others by denying it: And Josephus gives the largest account of any one, concerning another sect, to wit, the Essens, who affected to lead a recluse life, in their respective colleges, and were governed by laws peculiar to themselves: Among other things which he relates concerning their conduct and sentiments, he says, that it was an opinion established among them, that the bodies of men were corruptible, and the matter of which they were compounded, not perpetual; though the soul remained for ever: And then he represents them as speaking, according to the Pythagorean and Platonick way, concerning the body’s being the prison of the soul, and its remaining when released from it, and of the soul’s dwelling in a pleasant place, and enjoying many things that tend to make it happy, &c.[163]. Nevertheless, his account of them is so short, and the expression on which the whole stress of this supposition is founded, a little ambiguous, namely, that the bodies of men are corruptible, and their matter not perpetual, which may be understood as agreeing with the common faith concerning man’s mortality, and the body’s turning to corruption, and not remaining in the same state in which it was; that it seems to leave the matter doubtful, whether they asserted or denied the resurrection. It is also supposed, that Philo denied this doctrine from several passages observed in his writings, which a late learned writer takes notice of[164]; but this is only the opinion of a single person, who, according to his general character, seems to be halting between two opinions, to wit, the doctrine of Moses, and the philosophy of Plato; and therefore I take his sentiments, about this, to be nothing else but an affection of thinking or speaking agreeably to the Platonic philosophy, which had probably given such a tincture to his notions, that he might deny the resurrection. And if the Essens, before-mentioned, should be allowed to have denied it, they received it from their attachment to the same, or, at least, the Pythagorean philosophy: But we cannot from hence conclude that the doctrine of the resurrection was denied by the main body of the Jews, or the greatest part of them; or by any, excepting those who were led out of the way, by the writings of the philosophers: Which gave occasion to the apostle Paul to warn the church to beware of philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ, Col. ii. 8. as foreseeing that some of them, in after-ages, would, in many respects, corrupt the doctrines of the gospel, by accommodating them to, or explaining them by what they found in the writings of the Heathen philosophers, as Origen, Justin Martyr, and some others did; and he seems to take the hint from what had been before observed relating to the corruption of the Jewish faith, by those who were attached to them. Thus concerning the opinion of those Jews, who are supposed to deny the doctrine of the resurrection.

On the other hand, there are several Rabbinical writers, who sufficiently intimate their belief of this doctrine; though it is true, some of them infer it from such premises, as discover great weakness in their method of reasoning. Thus the learned bishop Pearson observes, that they produce several places out of Moses’s writings, which when the resurrection is believed, may, in some kind, serve to illustrate it, but can, in no degree, be thought to reveal so great a mystery[165]. And Dr. Lightfoot produces other proofs, which they bring for this doctrine, as little to the purpose[166], of which all the use that can be made is, that we may from hence observe, that they believed the doctrine we are maintaining, to be contained in scripture. Whether they were able to defend it by shewing the force of those arguments on which it is founded therein or no, is not much to our present purpose, my design in referring to their writings being to prove that this doctrine was embraced by the Jews, in the ages before, as well as since our Saviour’s time. It is true, the Talmud, and other writings, which are generally quoted for the proof of it, are of later date, and the most ancient of the Chaldee paraphrases now extant, is supposed to have been written about that time, or, at least, but little before it: And there are no uninspired writings, relating to the Jewish affairs, more ancient, except those which we generally call Apocryphal; which most suppose to have been written about 150 years before the Christian Æra. And it is very evident, that about that time the doctrine of the resurrection was believed by the Jewish church; as the author of the book of Maccabees, in the history of the martyrdom of the seven brethren in the reign of Antiochus[167], represents some of them in the agonies of death, as expressing the firm belief they had of a resurrection to eternal life; their mother, in the mean while, encouraging them from the same consideration. These, as it is more than probable, the apostle includes in the number of those noble Old Testament worthies who were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection, Heb. xi. 35. which is an undeniable evidence that the church at that time believed the doctrine of the resurrection.

All that I shall add under this head is, that how weak soever the reasoning of some Jewish writers, concerning this subject, has been, there are others who give substantial proofs from the Old Testament; which not only argues that they believed it, but that their belief proceeded from a just conviction of the truth thereof. And they give the same sense of some of those scriptures which are generally produced for the proof hereof, as we do[168].

The first scripture that we shall take notice of, is what contains the vision mentioned in Ezek. xxxvii. 1, & seq. concerning the valley which was full of bones, which were very dry: Upon which occasion God says, Son of man, Can these bones live? to which he replies, O Lord God, thou knowest. And afterwards we read of God’s laying sinews, and bringing up flesh upon them, covering them with skin, and putting breath into them; and their being hereupon restored to life. I am sensible that they who are on the other side of the question, pretend that this is no proof of a resurrection; because the design thereof was to illustrate and make way for the prediction mentioned in the following verses, concerning the deliverance of God’s people from the Babylonish captivity: But that which seems to have its weight with me is, that God would never have made use of a similitude to lead them into this doctrine, taken from a thing which they had no manner of idea of: But if we suppose that they believed that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, agreeable to the literal sense of the words here made use of to illustrate it, then the argument taken from thence is plain and easy, q. d. as certainly as you have ground to believe that the dead shall be raised at the last day (which though it could not be brought about by any natural means, yet it shall be effected by the power of God;) so your deliverance, how unlikely soever it may appear to those who look no farther than second causes, shall come to pass by God’s extraordinary power and providence, which will be as life from the dead.

And whereas it is farther objected, that when God asked the prophet, whether these dry bones could live? He seems to be in doubt about it; which argues that he had no idea of the resurrection of the dead. To this it may be replied, that his doubt respected an event that should immediately ensue; he knew that God could put life into these bones; but whether he would do it now or no, he could not tell: Therefore it does not contain any disbelief of the doctrine of the resurrection at the last day; and, indeed, this scripture, how little soever it may seem to some to make for the doctrine we are maintaining, is alleged by others, as an undeniable proof of it. Tertullian expressly says, that this would have been a very insignificant vision, if this doctrine were not true[169]. And Jerome speaks to the same purpose, supposing that God would never illustrate any truth which they were in doubt of, by a similitude taken from an incredible fiction[170]. And Menasseh Ben Israel, a learned Jew, supposes this text to be an express and infallible proof of the resurrection; which plainly argues that he thought the Jews, in former ages, were convinced of this doctrine thereby[171].

But supposing this scripture be not reckoned sufficient to evince the truth of this doctrine, there is another which has more weight in it, viz. that in Job xix. 25-27. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Job, as is generally supposed, lived in Moses’ time; therefore, if it can be made appear that he professes his faith in the doctrine of the resurrection, we may conclude that the church was acquainted with it in the early ages thereof; and nothing seems more evident, from the plain sense of the words, than that he here professes his faith in, and encourages himself from the hope of future blessedness, both in soul and body, at Christ’s second coming in the last day.

It is with a great deal of difficulty that they who deny this doctrine, are obliged to account for the sense of this text, so as to evade the force of the argument taken from thence to prove it. These suppose that Job intends nothing hereby but a firm persuasion which he had, that he should be recovered from that state of misery in which he then was, which not only affected his mind, but his body, as it was smitten with sore boils, from the sole of his foot unto his crown, Job ii. 7. his flesh being clothed with worms, and his skin broken and become loathsome, chap. vii. 5. and accordingly he says, I shall be redeemed from this affliction, and brought into a happy state before I die; and so they suppose that the words are to be taken in a metaphorical sense; and therefore do not prove the doctrine of the resurrection. But this will appear to be a very great perversion of the sense of this text, if we consider,

1. In how solemn a manner he brings it in, in the verses immediately foregoing. Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever! Which seems to import that he had something to communicate, that was of far greater moment than the account of his deliverance from the afflictions he was under in this world. Therefore it seems more agreeable to understand the sense of the words, as denoting that great and important truth, in which all believers are concerned, relating to Christ’s second coming, and the happiness that his saints shall then enjoy in soul and body; this deserves to be writ with a pen of iron, that it may be transmitted to all generations. But,

2. It is evident that he is here speaking of something that should be done, not whilst he lived, but in the end of time; for he considers his Redeemer, as standing in the latter day upon the earth. The person whom he here speaks of as his Redeemer, is, doubtless, our Saviour, who is frequently described, both in the Old and New-Testament, under that character: And, if at any time God the Father is called the Redeemer of his people, it may farther be observed that he is never said in redeeming them to make himself visible to their bodily eyes, or to stand upon the earth, much less to do this in the latter or last day, in which Christ is said to come again in a visible manner, to raise the dead and judge the world: And this Job intends when he says, In my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

3. It is evident also that he intends hereby something that should befal him after his death, and not barely a deliverance from his present misery in this world; for he speaks of his skin or body as devoured by worms, and his reins consumed within him; which can intend no other than a state of corruption in death.

4. It does not appear that Job had any intimation concerning the change of his condition in this world, before God turned his captivity, having first made him sensible of his error, in uttering that which he understood not, when he testified his reconciliation to his friends, notwithstanding the injuries he had received from them, by praying for them, chap. xlii. 3, 10. And, indeed, he was so far from expecting happiness in this life, that he says, Mine eye shall no more see good, viz. in this world, chap. vii. 7. and hereupon he takes occasion to meditate on his own mortality in the following words; The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more; thine eyes are upon me, and I am not: And after this he prays, O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, chap. xiv. 13. &c. And immediately before he speaks of his Redeemer as living, and the deliverance which he should obtain in the latter day, in the text under our present consideration, he earnestly desires the compassion of his friends: Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me; which does not well agree with the least expectation of a state of happiness in this world; in which case he would not need their pity; he might only have convinced them of the truth thereof, and it would have given a turn to their behaviour towards him; for we find, that, when God blessed his latter end more than his beginning, every one was as ready to comfort him concerning the evil that the Lord had brought upon him, and shew their very great respect to him, by offering him presents, as any were before to reproach him. Therefore upon the whole, it is very evident that Job is not speaking concerning his deliverance from his present evils in this world, but of a perfect deliverance from all evil in the great day of the resurrection: Accordingly we must conclude, that the doctrine of the resurrection is plainly asserted in this scripture; and indeed, Jerome says, that no one who wrote after Christ has more plainly maintained the doctrine of the resurrection than Job does in this scripture, who lived before him[172].

There is another scripture, by which, if I do not mistake the sense thereof, Job appears to have had a steady faith in the doctrine of the resurrection, and was firmly persuaded concerning his happiness, when raised from the dead, namely, in chap. xiv. 13, 14, 15. in which he says, O! that thou wouldst hide me in the grave, that thou wouldst keep me secret until thy wrath be past; that is, till a full end is put to all the afflictive providences which men are liable to in this present world, namely, till the day of Christ’s second coming; or, that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me; namely, that thou wouldst deliver me from the evils which I now endure. As to the former of these expedients, to wit, his deliverance by death, that he counts a blessing, because he takes it for granted that if a man die he shall live again, ver. 14.[173] and therefore says, all the days of my appointed time, that is, not of the appointed time of life, but the time appointed that he should lie in the grave, in which he desired that God would hide him; there, says he, I shall wait, or remain, till my change come, that is, till I am changed from a state of mortality to that of life. And he goes on in the following words, Thou shalt call, that is, by thy power thou shalt raise me, and I will answer thee, or come forth out of my grave; and hereby thou wilt make it known that thou hast a desire to the work of thine hands.

If it be objected to this sense of the words, that Job says, ver. 12. that man lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more; they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep; therefore he is so far from expecting relief from his misery in the resurrection, that he seems plainly to deny it. To this I answer, that he doth not deny the doctrine of the resurrection in those words wherein he says that they shall not be raised from the dead, till the heavens be no more; which seems to intimate that he concluded that the dead should rise when the frame of nature was changed, as it will be, at the last day, in which the heavens shall be no more. I confess this sense is not commonly given of these verses, nor any argument drawn from, them to prove a resurrection from the dead; therefore I would not be too tenacious of mine own sense thereof; but I cannot but think it more probable than the common sense that is given of the words, and if so, it may be considered as a proof of the doctrine that we are maintaining.

There is another scripture which plainly proves the doctrine of the resurrection, namely, Dan. xii. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. This scripture is brought by several Rabbinical writers, as a proof of this doctrine; and the words are so express, that it will be very difficult to evade the force of them; though, it is true, some modern writers, who are ready to conclude that the Old Testament is silent as to the doctrine of the resurrection, take the words in a metaphorical sense, for the deliverance of the church from those grievous persecutions which they were under in the reign of Antiochus; and so sleeping in the dust is taken, by them, for lying in the holes and caves of the earth, the Jews being forced to seek protection there from the fury of the tyrant: But this cannot be properly called sleeping in the dust of the earth; and their deliverance from this persecution is not consistent with the contempt that should be cast on some that were raised out of the dust; nor could the happiness that others enjoyed in this deliverance, be called everlasting life, it being only a temporal salvation, that according to them, is here spoken of; and it must be a straining the metaphor to a great degree, to apply the following words to their wise men and teachers, after this deliverance, that they should shine as the brightness of the firmament; therefore this sense has such difficulties attending it, that every person who is not prepossessed with prejudice must give into the literal sense of the text; and confess that it is an argument to prove the doctrine of the resurrection.

The only difficulty that is pretended to be involved in this sense of the text is its being said, Many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake; whereas the doctrine that we are defending, is that of an universal resurrection. But since we shall have occasion to speak to that under a following head, we shall rather choose to refer it to its proper place, in which, according to our designed method, we are to consider that all who have lived from the beginning to the end of time, shall be raised.

There are other scriptures in the Old Testament that might be brought to prove this doctrine, such as that in Deut. xxxii. 39. in which God says, I kill, and I make alive; and that parallel text, in which the same thing is confessed, and farther explained, by Hannah, in her song, in 1 Sam. ii. 6. The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. I know that death and life are sometimes taken for good and evil; but why should deliverance from the miseries of this present life be represented by the metaphor of a resurrection, and this attributed to the almighty power of God, if the doctrine of the resurrection was reckoned by the church at that time, no other than a fiction or chimera, as it must be supposed to be if they had no idea of it, as not having received it by divine revelation?

We might, as a farther proof of this doctrine, consider those three instances that we have in the Old Testament of persons raised from the dead, namely, the Shunamite’s child, by the prophet Elisha, 2 Kings iv. 35. and the man who was cast into his sepulchre, that revived and stood on his feet, when he touched his bones, chap. xiii. 21. and the widow of Zarephath’s son, by the prophet Elijah, on which occasion it is said, He cried to the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee let this child’s soul come into him again; and accordingly the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived, 1 Kings xvii. 21, 22. From hence we must conclude, that this doctrine was not unknown to the prophet; for if it had, he could not have directed his prayer to God in faith. And these instances of a resurrection of particular persons could not but give occasion to the church at that time, to believe the possibility of a resurrection at the last day; so that it might as reasonably be expected that God will exert his power by raising the dead then, as that he would do it at this time, unless there was something in this possible event contrary to his moral perfections; but the resurrection appeared to them as it doth to all who consider him as the governor of the world, and as distributing rewards and punishments to every one according to their works, as not only agreeable to these perfections, but, in some respects, necessary for the illustration thereof. Therefore we must conclude, that as they had particular instances of a resurrection, which argued the general resurrection possible, they might easily believe that it should be future; which is the doctrine that we are maintaining.

To this we may add, that the patriarch Abraham believed the doctrine of the resurrection; therefore he had it some way or other revealed to him, before the word of God was committed to writing. This appears from what the apostle says when speaking concerning his offering Isaac, that he accounted that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, Heb. xi. 19. From hence it is evident that he was verily persuaded when he bound him to the altar, and lifted up his hand to slay him, that God would suffer him to do it, otherwise it had been no trial of his faith, so that his being prevented from laying his hand on him was an unexpected providence. Now how could he solve the difficulty that would necessarily ensue hereupon; had he expected that God would give him another seed instead of Isaac, that would not have been an accomplishment of the promise which was given to him, namely, that in Isaac his seed should be called; therefore the only thing that he depended on, was, that when he had offered him, God would raise him from the dead, and by this means fulfil the promise that was made to him concerning the numerous seed that should descend from him; therefore it cannot be supposed that Abraham was a stranger to the doctrine of the resurrection.

There are other scriptures by which it appears that the doctrine of the resurrection was revealed to the church under the Old Testament dispensation, either from the sense of the words themselves, or the explication thereof in the New, which refers to them: thus it is said in Psal. xvi. 10. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption; which the apostle Peter quotes to prove the resurrection of Christ, in Acts ii. 24-27. If David therefore knew that the Messiah should be raised from the dead (which, as will be considered under a following head, is a glorious proof of the doctrine of the resurrection of the saints) we cannot suppose that he was a stranger to this doctrine himself.

Again, it is said in Isa. xxv. 8. He will swallow up death in victory; and this is mentioned immediately after a prediction of the glorious provision, which God would make for his people under the gospel-dispensation, which is called, by a metaphorical way of speaking, ver. 6. A feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined; and of the gospel’s being preached to the Gentiles, ver. 7. which is expressed by his destroying the face of covering, and the veil that was spread over all nations: therefore it may well be supposed to contain a prediction of something consequent thereupon, namely, the general resurrection: and there is another scripture to the same purpose, viz. Hos. xiii. 14. I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plague; O grave, I will be thy destruction; and both these scriptures are referred to by the apostle, as what shall be fulfilled in the resurrection of the dead; when he says, Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 1 Cor. xv. 54, 55. Therefore we cannot but think that the prophets, and the church in their day, understood the words in the same sense.

There is another scripture in the Old Testament, in which the premises are laid down, from whence the conclusion is drawn in the New for the proof of this doctrine, namely, when God revealed himself to Moses, Exod. iii. 6. which our Saviour refers to, and proves the doctrine of the resurrection from, against the Sadducees. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, Luke xx. 37, 38. which argument was so convincing, that certain of the Scribes, said, in the following words, Master, thou hast well said; and after that, they, that is, the Sadducees, durst not ask him any question at all; so that it silenced, if it did not convince them. There are some, indeed, who, though they conclude that it is a very strong proof of the immortality of the soul, which the Sadducees denied, since that which does not exist cannot be the subject of a promise; yet, they cannot see how the resurrection can be proved from it; whereas it is brought, by our Saviour, for that purpose: therefore, that the force of this argument may appear, we must consider what is the import of the promise contained in this covenant, that God would be the God of Abraham; which is explained elsewhere, when he told him, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward, Gen. xv. 1. He was therefore given hereby to expect, at the hand of God, all the spiritual and saving blessings of the covenant of grace; but these blessings respect not only the soul, but the body; and as they are extended to both worlds, it is an evident proof of the happiness of the saints in their bodies in a future state, and consequently that they shall be raised from the dead. This leads us,

2. To consider those arguments to prove the doctrine of the resurrection which are contained in the New Testament, in which it is more fully and expressly revealed than in any part of scripture. Here we may first take notice of those particular instances in which our Saviour raised persons from the dead in a miraculous way, as the prophets Elijah and Elisha did under the Old Testament dispensation, as was before observed. Thus he raised Jairus’s daughter, whom he found dead in the house, Matt. ix. 25. and another, to wit, the widow’s son at Nain, when they were carrying him to the grave; which was done in the presence of a great multitude, Luke vii. 11, 14, 15. and there was another instance hereof in his raising Lazarus from the dead, John xi. 43, 44. which he did in a very solemn and public manner, after he had been dead four days, his body being then corrupted and laid in the grave, from whence Christ calls him, and he immediately revived and came forth. These instances of the resurrection of particular persons tended to put the doctrine of the general resurrection out of all manner of doubt; and, indeed, it was, at this time, hardly questioned by any, excepting the Sadducees: therefore before Christ raised Lazarus, when he only told his sister Martha that he should rise again, she, not then understanding that he designed immediately to raise him from the dead, expresses her faith in the doctrine of the general resurrection; I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day, John xi. 24. upon which occasion our Saviour replies, I am the resurrection and the life, ver. 25. denoting that this work was to be performed by him.

Moreover, this doctrine was asserted and maintained by the apostles, after Christ had given the greatest proof hereof in his own resurrection from the dead: thus it is said, that they preached through Jesus, the resurrection from the dead, Acts iv. 2. And the apostle Paul standing before Felix, and confessing his belief of all things which are written in the law and the prophets, immediately adds, that he had hope towards God, which they themselves also allow; that is, the main body of the Jewish nation; that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust.

And he not only asserts but proves it with very great strength of reasoning, in 1 Cor. xv. and the argument he therein insists on, is taken from Christ’s resurrection, ver. 13. If there be no resurrection, then is Christ not risen; which is a doctrine that could not be denied by any that embraced the Christian religion, as being the very foundation thereof; but if any one should entertain the least doubt about it, he adds, ver. 17. If Christ be not raised from the dead, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins; that is, your hope of justification hereby is ungrounded, and they also which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished; but this none of you will affirm; therefore you must conclude that he is risen from the dead: and if it be enquired, how does this argument prove the general resurrection, that he farther insists on from ver. 20. Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept? Christ’s resurrection removes all the difficulties that might afford the least matter of doubt concerning the possibility of the resurrection of the dead; and his being raised as the first-fruits of them that slept, or, as the head of all the elect, who are said to have communion with him in his resurrection, or to be risen with him, Col. iii. 1. renders the doctrine of the resurrection of all his saints, undeniably certain. As the first-fruits are a part and pledge of the harvest, so Christ’s resurrection is a pledge and earnest of the resurrection of his people. Thus the apostle says elsewhere, If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, Rom. viii. 11. And our Saviour, when he was discoursing with his disciples concerning his death, and resurrection that would ensue thereupon, tells them, that though after this he should be separated for a time from them, and the world should see him no more, yet that they should see him again; and assigns this as a reason, because I live ye shall live also, John xiv. 19. q. d. because I shall be raised from the dead, and live for ever in heaven; you, who are my favourites, friends, and followers, shall be also raised and live with me there; so that the resurrection of believers is plainly evinced from Christ’s resurrection.

I might produce many other scriptures out of the New Testament, in which this doctrine is maintained; but we shall proceed to consider what proofs may be deduced from scripture-consequences. And it may here be observed, that our Lord Jesus Christ, has by his death and resurrection, as the consequence thereof, purchased an universal dominion over, or a right to dispose of his subjects in such a way as will be most conducive to his own glory and their advantage. Thus the apostle speaks of him as dying, rising, and reviving, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living; and infers from thence, that whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s, Rom. xiv. 8, 9. And his being Lord over the dead is expressed in other terms, by his having the keys of hell and death; and this is assigned as the consequence of his being alive after his death, or of his resurrection from the dead, Rev. i. 18. Therefore he has a power, as Mediator, to raise the dead. And to this we may also add, that this is what he has engaged to do, as much as he did to redeem the souls of his people. When believers are said to be given to him, or purchased by him, it is the whole man that is included therein; and accordingly he purchased the bodies as well as the souls of his people, as may be argued from our obligation hereupon, to glorify him in our bodies as well as in our spirits which are God’s, 1 Cor. vi. 20. And they are both under his care; he has undertaken that their bodies shall not be lost in the grave; which is very emphatically expressed, when he is represented as saying, this is the will of the Father which hath sent me, John vi. 39, 40. or, contained in the commission that I received from him, when he invested me with the office of Mediator; that of all which he had given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. What should be the reason that he here speaks of things rather than persons, if he had not a peculiar regard to the bodies of believers? which, as they are the subjects of his power when raised from the dead; so they are the objects of his care, and therefore he will raise them up at the last day.

We might farther consider Christ’s dominion as extended to the wicked as well as the righteous. He is not, indeed, their federal head; but he is appointed to be their Judge; and therefore has a right to demand them to come forth out of their graves, to appear before his tribunal; though they are neither the objects of his special love, nor redeemed by his blood, nor the dutiful and obedient subjects of his kingdom; inasmuch as it is said, God has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead, Acts xvii. 31. And elsewhere it is said, that he was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead, chap. x. 42. Therefore we read, that he shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, Matt. xxv. 31, 32. and of his determining the final estate, both of the righteous and the wicked, as it is expressed in the following verses; and this is described more particularly as being immediately after the universal resurrection; as it is said, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened,’ Rev. xx. 12, 13. which, as will be observed under our next answer, respects his judging the world; and in order hereto it is farther said, that ‘the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.’ And since Christ is represented as a judge, it is necessary that he should execute his vindictive justice against his enemies, and punish them as their sins deserve; but this respects not only the soul but the body; and therefore Christ that he may secure the glory of his justice, shall raise the bodies of sinners, that he may punish them according to their works; and therefore he is said to be the object of fear, in that he is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, Matt. x. 28.

Thus we have endeavoured to prove the doctrine of the resurrection by arguments taken from the Old and New Testament, and those scripture-consequences from which it may be plainly deduced: so that how much soever it may be thought a strange and incredible doctrine, by those who have no other light to guide them but that of nature; it will be generally believed by all whose faith is founded upon divine revelation, and who adore the infinite power and impartial justice of God, the Governor of the world: and, indeed, it is not attended with such difficulties arising from the nature of the thing, as many pretend, since we have several emblems in nature which seem to illustrate it; which are very elegantly represented by some of the Fathers, and especially by Tertullian;[174] whom the learned and excellent bishop Pearson refers to and imitates in his style and mode of expression;[175] his words are these; “As the day dies into night, so doth the summer into winter: the sap is said to descend into the root, and there it lies buried in the ground. The earth is covered with snow, or crusted with frost, and becomes a general sepulchre. When the spring appeareth all begin to rise; the plants and flowers peep out of their graves, revive, and grow, and flourish; this is the annual resurrection. The corn by which we live, and for want of which we perish with famine, is notwithstanding cast upon the earth, and buried in the ground, with a design that it may corrupt, and being corrupted, may revive and multiply; our bodies are fed with this constant experiment, and we continue this present life by succession of resurrections. Thus all things are repaired by corrupting, are preserved by perishing, and revive by dying; and can we think that man, the lord of all those things, which thus die and revive for him, should be detained in death, as never to live again? Is it imaginable that God should thus restore all things to man, and not restore man to himself? If there were no other consideration but of the principles of human nature, of the liberty, and remunerability of human actions, and of the natural revolutions and resurrections of other creatures, it were abundantly sufficient to render the resurrection of our bodies highly probable.” We shall now consider,

V. Some objections that are generally brought against the doctrine of the resurrection. Some things, indeed, are objected against it, that are so vain and trifling, that they do not deserve an answer: as when the followers of Aristotle assert that it is impossible for a thing which is totally destroyed, to be restored to that condition in which it was before[176]: And some have been so foolish as to think that those nations, who burnt their dead bodies, put an eternal bar in the way of their resurrection; since the particles being so changed and separated by fire as they are, can never return again to their former bodies; or they who have been swallowed up by the ocean, and the particles of which they consisted, dissolved by water; and every one of them separated from the other, can never be again restored to their former situation. Such-like objections as these, I say, do not deserve an answer; because they consider the resurrection as though it were to be brought about in such a way, as effects are produced by second causes, according to the common course of nature; without any regard to the almighty power of God, that can easily surmount all the difficulties which, they pretend, lie in the way of the resurrection.

And there are other objections, taken from a perverse sense, which they give of some texts of scripture, without considering the drift and design thereof, or what is added in some following words, which sufficiently overthrows the objection. Thus some produce that scripture in Eccles. iii. 19, 20, 21. where it is said, That which befalleth the sons of men, befalleth beasts. So that a man hath no pre-eminence above a beast, all go unto one place, and all are of the dust, and all turn to the dust again; which we before mentioned as brought against the immortality of the soul; and it is also alleged against the resurrection of the body, by those who conclude that it shall be no more raised from the dead than the bodies of brute creatures. But this is rather a cavil or a sophism, than a just way of reasoning; inasmuch as the following words plainly intimate, that men and beasts are compared together only as to their mortality, not as to what respects their condition after death; and therefore it is no sufficient argument to overthrow the doctrine of the resurrection. These and such-like objections are so trifling, that we shall not insist on them: However, there are three or four that we shall lay down, and consider what answers may be given to them.

Obj. 1. It is objected against the doctrine of the resurrection, that though the power of God can do all things possible to be done; yet the raising the dead, at least, in some particular instances thereof, is impossible from the nature of the thing; and therefore we may say, without any reflection cast on the divine Omnipotency, that God cannot raise them, at least, not so as that every one shall have his own body restored to him; since there are some instances of Cannibals, or men-eaters, who devour one another, by which means the flesh of one man is turned into the flesh of the other. And in those instances which are more common, the bodies of men being turned into dust, produce food, like other parts of the earth, for brute creatures; and accordingly some of those particles of which they consisted, are changed into the flesh of these creatures; and these again are eaten by men; so that the particles of one human body, after having undergone several changes, become a part of another; therefore there cannot be a distinct resurrection of every one of those bodies that have lived in all the ages of the world.

Answ. To this it may be replied, that it cannot be proved, that in those instances mentioned in the objection, that when one man preys upon another, or when brute creatures live upon that grass which was produced by the ground, which was made fertile by the bodies of men turned to corruption, and it may be, may have some of the particles thereof contained in them: It cannot, I say, be proved, that these particles of the bodies of men are turned into nourishment, and so become a part of human flesh; since providence did not design this to be for food. If so, then it is not true in fact, that the particles of one human body become a part of another. But, suppose it were otherwise (to give the objection as much weight as possible) we may farther observe, that it is but a very small part of what is eaten, that is turned into flesh; and therefore those particles of one human body, that by this means are supposed to pass into another, make up but a very inconsiderable part thereof. Therefore, if some few particles of one human body in the resurrection are restored again to that body to which they at first belonged, this will not overthrow the doctrine of the resurrection of the same body. If the body of man loses a few ounces of its weight, no one will suppose that it is not the same body. So when the bodies of men are raised from the dead, if the far greater part of the particles thereof are recollected and united together, they may truly be said to constitute the same body; this therefore does not overthrow the resurrection of the same body from the nature of the thing.

Object. 2. It is farther objected, especially against the possibility of the resurrection of the same body that was once alive in this world; that the bodies of men, while they live, are subject to such alterations, that it can hardly be said that we are the same when we are men as when we are children. The expence of those particles which were insensibly lost by perspiration, and others being daily gained by nutrition, make such an alteration in the contexture of the body, that, as some suppose, in the space of about seven years, almost all the particles of the body are changed, some lost and others regained. Now if it be supposed that the same body we once had shall be raised, it is hard to determine; whether those particles of which it consisted when we were young, shall be gathered together in the resurrection, or the particles of the emaciated or enfeebled body, which was laid down in the grave.

Answ. We are obliged to take notice of such-like objections as these, because they are often alleged in a cavilling way, against the doctrine of the resurrection. The answer therefore that I would give to this, is, that the more solid and substantial parts of the body, such as the skin, bones, cartilages, veins, arteries, nerves, fibres, that compose the muscles, with the ligaments and tendons, are not subject to this change that is mentioned in the objection, by evaporation or perspiration; which more especially respects the fluids, and not the solids of the body. These remain the same in men as they were in children, excepting what respects their strength and size: And if the body, as consisting of these and some other of the particles that it has lost, which the wisdom of God thinks fit to recollect, be gathered together in the resurrection; we may truly say, that the same body that once lived, notwithstanding the change made in the fluids thereof, is raised from the dead.

Obj. 3. There is another objection which is sometimes brought against the doctrine of the resurrection of the just, especially against their being raised with the same body they once had, taken from the inconsistency hereof, with their living in the other world, called heaven; which is generally distinguished from the earth, as being a more pure subtil and etherial region, therefore not fit to be an habitation for bodies compounded of such gross matter as ours are, which are adapted to the state and world in which they now live: Whereas, to suppose them placed in heaven, is inconsistent with the nature of gravity; so that we may as well conclude a body, which naturally tends to the earth its centre, to be capable of living in the air, at a distance from the surface of the earth, as we can, that it is possible for such a body to live in heaven: Therefore they argue that the bodies of men, at the resurrection must be changed, so as to become etherial, which does, in effect, overthrow the doctrine of the resurrection, as respecting, at least, the restoring the bodies of men to the same form which once they had.

Moreover, this objection is farther improved by another supposition: which gave the Socinians occasion to assert, that the same body shall not be raised; namely, that if the bodies of men should be the same as they are now, they would be rendered incapable of that state of immortality which is in heaven. For by the same method of reasoning, by which, as has been before observed, they argue that man would have been liable to mortality, though he had not sinned, viz. that death was then the consequence of nature, inasmuch as the body was to be supported by food, breathe in proper air, and be fenced against those things that might tend to destroy the temperament thereof, or a dissolution would ensue, they conclude that we must not have such bodies as we now have, but etherial. And to give countenance to this, they refer to the apostle’s words in 1 Cor. xv. 50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: And ver. 40. where he speaks of celestial bodies as distinguished from terrestrial, and of the body’s being raised a spiritual body, ver. 44. And there is another scripture generally referred to, wherein our Saviour speaks of believers, in the resurrection, being as the angels of God, Matt. xxii. 30. which is to be understood, at least, as signifying that their motion will be no more hindered by the weight of the body, than the motion of an angel is; therefore their bodies must be of another kind than what we suppose they shall be in the resurrection.

Answ. 1. As to what respects the inconsistency of bodies like ours, living in the upper world, as being contrary to the nature of gravitation: It may be answered, that according to the generally received opinion of modern philosophers, gravity arises from an external pressure made upon bodies which are said to be heavy or light, according to the force thereof; and therefore those bodies that are in the upper regions, above the atmosphere, are equally adapted to ascend or descend; which sufficiently answers that part of the objection. This a learned writer takes notice of[177]: And if this be not acquiesced in, he advances another hypothesis; which, because it has something of wit and spirit in it, I shall take leave to mention, though I must suspend my judgment concerning it, whether it be true or false. He says, perhaps, our heaven will be nothing else but an heaven upon earth; and that it seems more natural to suppose that, since we have solid and material bodies, we shall be placed as we are in this life, in some solid and material orb; and this he supposes agreeable to the apostle Peter’s words, when he speaks of a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, 2 Pet. iii. 13. From whence he concludes, that either this world shall be fitted to be the seat of the blessed, or some other that has a solid basis like unto it. And to give countenance to this opinion, he refers to some ancient writers; and particularly tells us, that Maximus speaks of it as the opinion of many in his time; and Epiphanius brings in Methodius in the third century, as asserting the same thing.

2. As to what concerns that part of the objection, that bodies, like those we have now, are unmeet for the heavenly state, inasmuch as they cannot be supported without food and other conveniences of nature, which tend to the preservation of life in this world. To this it may be answered, that it is not necessary to suppose that the body shall be raised with such qualities as that it will stand in need of food, rest, or other conveniences of nature; which, at present, tend to the support of life: The apostle seems to assert the contrary, when he says, Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats; but God shall destroy both it and them, 1 Cor. vi. 13. There is certainly a medium between asserting, with some, that we shall be raised with an etherial body, in all respects unlike to that which we have at present; and maintaining, that we shall have such as are liable to the imperfections of this present state, and supported in the same way in which they now are.

As to what the apostle says concerning flesh and blood not inheriting the kingdom of heaven, he does not mean thereby that our bodies shall be so changed, that they shall in no respect consist of flesh and blood: And when he speaks of celestial and spiritual bodies, it is not necessary for us to suppose, that hereby he intends ærial or etherial bodies. But this will be more particularly considered under a following head, when we speak of the circumstances in which the bodies of believers shall be raised from the dead. As for that other scripture, in which they are said to be as the angels of God in heaven, that respects their being immortal and incorruptible; or as the context seems to intimate, that they need not marriage, to perpetuate their generations, in that world: Therefore we have no occasion to strain the sense of the words, so as to suppose that our Saviour intends in his saying they shall be as the angels, that they shall cease to be like what they were when men on earth.

Objec. 4. The last objection which we shall mention, is taken from its not being agreeable to the goodness of God, extended to those who are made partakers of the resurrection to eternal life; inasmuch as it is a bringing them into a worse condition than the soul was in, when separate from the body. This objection is generally brought by those who give into that mode of speaking often used by Plato[178] and his followers, that the body in this world, is the prison of the soul, which at death, is set at liberty: therefore they suppose, that its being united to the body again, is no other than its being condemned to a second imprisonment, which is so far from being a favour conferred, that it rather seems to be a punishment inflicted. Others, with Celsus, reckon it a dishonour for the soul to be reunited to a body that is corrupted.[179] And others speak of the body as being a great hindrance to the soul in its actings; and frequently inclining it to the exercise of some of those passions that tend to make men uneasy, and thereby unhappy; and that this may, some way or other, take place in a future state.

Answ. It is no great difficulty to answer this objection, in which there is not a due difference put between the present and future state of believers. The only thing which might give occasion to men to conclude that their souls are imprisoned in this world is, because they are abridged of that happiness which they shall be possessed of in another; which the apostle calls The glorious liberty of the children of God, Rom. viii. 21. And as for the reproaches which some of the greatest enemies to Christianity have cast on this doctrine, these are not sufficient to beget the least dislike of it in the minds of serious and unprejudiced Christians. What though the body be turned to corruption? It shall be raised incorruptible, and in glory; and therefore shall be a palace fit to entertain its noble inhabitant: what though it has, in this world, offered many temptations to the soul to sin, by which it has been sometimes overcome and exposed to those passions that have defiled, and made it very uneasy; is this to be objected against its being raised from the dead in such a state of perfection, that it shall never more contract any guilt, or render the soul unhappy, by any inconvenience arising from it? But this will farther appear, when we speak of the condition in which the body shall be raised under a following head. We shall therefore proceed,

VI. To consider the resurrection of the dead as universal, including in it all who have lived, or shall live, from the beginning of time, till Christ’s second coming, excepting those who shall be found alive; on whom a change shall pass which is equivalent to a resurrection.

1. That all the dead shall be raised: this is expressly mentioned in that vision, I saw the dead both small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works, Rev. xx. 12, & seq. where the Judge is represented as demanding the bodies of men of all ranks, conditions, and ages, out of those places where they have been lodged, with a design to reward or punish them according to their works: therefore, if the justice of God is to be displayed in this solemn and awful transaction, and the bodies as well as the souls of men, are the subjects on which this judgment must pass; then it follows, that it will be universal: thus our Saviour says, All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation, John v. 28, 29. This is so evident a truth, founded on the divine perfections, as well as express words of scripture, that it is strange to find that any, who allow that the dead shall be raised, should deny the universality thereof.

However, we meet with several expressions in Rabbinical writers, which seem to speak of it as a peculiar privilege belonging to some, but not to all; and therefore they have a proverbial expression, that though the rain descends on the just and on the unjust, yet the resurrection of the dead belongs only to the just:[180] and this they infer from the words of the prophet Daniel, in chap. xii. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; which words contain a difficulty which most have found it an hard matter to account for, agreeably to the sense of the prophet, who speaks, in the words immediately following, of the consequence hereof, as, some shall awake to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt; whereby he divides the world into two parts, and considers one as happy, the other as miserable; therefore he must, doubtless, speak of an universal resurrection. But the great difficulty lies in these words; Many of them that sleep in the dust shall arise; from whence, some conclude that this expression contains an exception of others who shall not arise: thus some Jewish writers seem to have understood it; but I rather think, that the word many, there, imports nothing else but the multitude, q. d. the whole number of those that sleep shall awake.[181]

It is somewhat hard to determine what the Rabbinical writers intend when they seem to confine the resurrection to the Israelites; and some of them to exclude, not only the wicked from it, but those that had not addicted themselves to the study of the law, whom they call the Gnam Haaretz: thus they are represented in scripture as giving them but a very indifferent character, The people that knoweth not the law are accursed, John vii. 49. by this means they bring the number of those that shall be raised from the dead into a very narrow compass: nevertheless they speak of future rewards and punishments in another world; therefore some have thought, when they exclude all but the Israelites, and, of them, all but those who were in the greatest reputation amongst them, that they understand nothing else by the resurrection, but that which they fancied would happen in the days of the Messiah; in which, they suppose, that some of the Jews shall be raised from the dead before the general resurrection at the last day; and in this sense we may easily understand their exclusive account, when they speak of many that shall not be partakers of this privilege; and if it be extended to the resurrection at the last day, then I am apt to think, that they intend hereby a resurrection to eternal life, and so some understand that common proverb but now mentioned, concerning the rain’s descending upon all; but the resurrection’s belonging only to the just, in this sense; that though the rain descends upon the wilderness, and barren ground; yet it is only some places which are made fruitful thereby: accordingly, though the resurrection be universal, both of the righteous and wicked; yet the resurrection to eternal life belongs only to the just.[182]

All that I shall observe at present is, that this is not altogether disagreeable to the scripture-mode of speaking; which, though in some places it asserts the resurrection of the whole world, in others, by the resurrection, we are to understand nothing else, but a resurrection to eternal life: thus the apostle Paul, when he speaks of his attaining unto the resurrection of the dead, Phil. iii. 11. intends hereby his obtaining a glorious resurrection. And our Saviour, when speaking concerning the happiness of the saints in another world, expresses it on this wise; that they shall be counted worthy, or meet, to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, Luke xx. 35. so that whatever is said by Jewish writers, tending to limit the resurrection of the dead to eternal life, to some particular persons, it does not appear but that even they held, in other respects, a general resurrection, both of the just and unjust; which is as demonstrable as is the resurrection in general.

2. They who are found alive at Christ’s second coming, shall undergo a change; which, though it cannot be called a resurrection, will be equivalent to it. The apostle Paul gives an account of this, as what was before unknown to the church; Behold I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52. And elsewhere he speaks of them when thus changed, as caught up in the clouds together with other saints, that are raised from the dead, to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thess. iv. 17. This is no less an effect of almighty power than a resurrection; for hereby their bodies, though never separated from their souls, are brought into the same state as the bodies of others shall be, when re-united to them, and thereby be rendered incorruptible and immortal, as the bodies of all other saints shall be, and made partakers of the same glory with which they are said to be raised. We have an emblem of this in Christ’s transfiguration, when there was such a change made, for the present, on his body, that his face shined as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And there was not only a resemblance, but a kind of specimen hereof, in the translation of Enoch and Elijah, whose bodies were before this, liable to corruption, and all other infirmities that attend this present life, but were made, in a moment, celestial and glorious. And the body of our Saviour, though it was raised from the dead incorruptible and immortal, yet, during the space of forty days, while he continued on earth, it was not made so glorious as it was immediately after the cloud received him into heaven, when it underwent such a change as was agreeable to the place and state into which he then entered; even so the bodies of the saints, at last, shall, by this change, be made meet for heaven, and received, with other saints into it.

VII. We shall now consider the condition in which the body shall be raised. And,

1. Those circumstances of honour and glory which respect more especially the resurrection of the just: this the apostle mentions, and describes them as raised in glory, 1, Cor. xv. 43. It is the same body indeed, that is raised, which he illustrates by a grain of wheat springing up, and changed into a full-grown ear; which, though it be greatly improved, and very much altered from what it was, when cast into the ground, yet every seed, as he observes, has its own body, ver. 38. From whence we may infer, that the same body shall be raised from the dead, though with very different qualities. There are several things mentioned by the apostle, in the account he gives of the bodies of the saints after the resurrection; which some have attempted to explain in such a way, as is hardly consistent with a resurrection of the same body. The Socinians generally maintain that the body shall be altogether new, as to its substance, as well as its qualities: and others speak of it as an aerial body; as supposing that the gross and heavy matter, of which it formerly consisted, is not adapted to an heavenly state, and would render it not altogether free from a liableness to corruption. This opinion a late writer mentions, as what was espoused by some of the Fathers, which he speaks very favourably of; and inasmuch as the apostle calls it a spiritual body, 1 Cor. xv. 45. and seems to distinguish it from flesh and blood, which cannot inherit the kingdom of God, ver. 50. he thinks that though the same flesh and blood may rise from the grave, it will then or afterwards, receive such a change, as will render it spiritual and incorruptible; and so, perhaps, when it comes to heaven, will not be flesh and blood; or, that it will clothed with such an heavenly body as will keep it from a possibility of corruption; and accordingly he supposes that the apostle is to be understood in this sense, that flesh and blood unchanged and unclothed with its heavenly body, cannot inherit the kingdom of God; and that this body with which it shall be invested, will be thin, aerial, spiritual, bright, and shining; and, in that respect, may be called celestial.[183] The reason he assigns why flesh and blood, namely, such as is subject to corruption here, cannot inherit the kingdom of God, is, because the flesh may be cut and divided, and the blood let out, which would subject it to corruption; therefore it must be changed, and put on incorruption.

This account of the bodies of the just after the resurrection, seems, indeed, to be a medium between the two extremes, either of those who suppose that the body shall differ but little from what it was whilst here on earth, or of others, who conclude it to be nothing else but an aerial body; yet it contains several things taken for granted, without sufficient proof, which I cannot readily give into: nevertheless what he farther adds on this subject is undeniably true, viz. that the body, which before was subject to filth and deformity, is raised in glory and splendor, shining like the sun, Matt. xxiii. 43. That which was once vile, is fashioned like Christ’s glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. and is freed from all defect or deformity in its members, and from any dishonourable parts. Not subject to weakness by labour, decays of age, to impotency and wasting by diseases; but nimble, strong, active, and that without reluctancy or molestation, grief, pain, or lassitude; it is raised a spiritual body, possessed and acted by the Holy Spirit; and advanced so far to the perfection of spirits, as to be free from grossness, ponderosity, from needing rest, sleep, or sustenance, and is fitted for a spiritual and celestial state in which our bodies shall wholly serve our spirits, and depend upon them, and therefore may be styled spiritual. If we stop here, without giving too much scope to our wit and fancy, in advancing things too high for us, and confess that we know not, or, at least, but a little of the affairs of an unseen world; or, as the apostle says, what we shall be, Phil. iii. 21. we say enough to give us an occasion to conclude that it is a glorious and desirable state, and the change wrought therein, such as fully answers our most raised expectations, and is agreeable to a state of perfect blessedness. Thus concerning the condition and circumstances in which the saints shall be raised.

There is one thing which must not wholly be past over, which is farther observed in this answer, namely, that the bodies of the just shall be raised by the Spirit of Christ: This is what the apostle expressly says, If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you, Rom. viii. 11. The bodies of believers, which were, in this world, the temple of the Holy Ghost, and were under his divine influence whilst living, shall not cease to be the objects of his care when dead; and as an instance of his regard to them, as well as denoting the subserviency hereof, to their attaining that complete redemption which Christ has purchased for them, the Spirit, in a peculiar manner, demonstrates his personal glory in raising them from the dead: Whereas, others are said to be raised only by the power of Christ.

2. We shall now consider the circumstances in which the wicked shall be raised, namely, in dishonour; or, as the prophet Daniel expresses it, to shame and everlasting contempt. Some marks of dishonour shall, doubtless, be impressed on their bodies, in that they shall be raised with all those natural blemishes and deformities, which rendered them the object of contempt. That part which the body bore in tempting the soul to sin, shall tend to its everlasting reproach; and when reunited to it, those habits of sin which were contracted, shall incurably remain, as well as the tormenting sense of guilt consequent hereupon, which exposes them to the wrath of God for ever; so that their resurrection, which renders them immortal, brings upon them endless misery. And it is said to be brought about by Christ, as an offended Judge, as the consequence whereof, they are summoned to his tribunal, who will render to every one according to his works. Which leads us to consider Christ as coming to judge the world; which is that solemn transaction that will immediately follow after the resurrection.

Footnote 153:

“By affirming, that the grain produced from the seed sown, is not the very body which is sown, the apostle I think insinuates, that the body to be raised is not numerically the same with the body deposited at death, but something of the same kind formed by the energy of God. Having such an example of the divine power before our eyes, we cannot think the reproduction of the body impossible, though its parts be utterly dissipated. Farther, although the very numerical body is not raised, yet the body is truly raised, because what is raised, being united to the soul, there will arise in the man thus completed, a consciousness of his identity, by which he will be sensible of the justice of the retribution which is made to him for his deeds. Besides, this new body, will more than supply the place of the old, by serving every purpose necessary to the perfection and happiness of the man in his new state. According to this view of the subject, the objection taken from the scattering of the particles of the body that dies, has no place; because it does not seem necessary, that the body to be raised, should be composed of them. For the scripture no where affirms, that the same numerical body is to be raised. What it teaches is; that the dead shall be raised.”

DR. MACKNIGHT.

Footnote 154:

This is reported in a very fabulous manner, and is reckoned no more than an idle tale by Pliny, who mentions it among other stories of the like nature. Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. Lib. vii. Cap. lii. Animam Aristæi etiam visam evolentem ex ore, in Proconneso, corvi effigie, magna quæ sequitur fabulositate. This is also mentioned as a fable by Origen. Vid. Origin. Lib. iii. Contr. Cels.

Footnote 155:

Vid. Plin. Nat. Hist. Cap. lii. Reperimus inter exempla Hermotimi Clazomenii animam relicto corpore, errare solitam, vagamq; e loginquo multa annunciare, quæ nisi a præsenti nosci non possent; but by the following words he speaks of him as not dead, but in a kind of deliquium; corpore interim semianimi; but yet it was given out by many, that he died and rose again very often. This Lucian himself laughs at as a foolish tale. Vid. Lucian. Enc. Musc.

Footnote 156:

Vid. Plat. de Repub. Lib. x.

Footnote 157:

Vid. Euseb. Præparat. Evang. Lib. xi. Cap. xxxv. It is mentioned by Plutarch, Symp. Lib. ix. Cap. v.

Footnote 158:

Macrobius speaking concerning it, in Somn. Scip. Lib. 1. Cap. 1. represents Cicero as being under a great concern, that this story of Er was ridiculed, by many who did not stick to say, Visum fuisse Erem, vitam effundere, animamq; recipere, quam revera non amiserat. See more to this purpose in Hust. Demonst. Evang. Prop. ix. Cap. cxlii.

Footnote 159:

See a late learned writer, Hody on the resurrection of the same body; who refers to several places in Heathen writers, of whom some believed it; others exposed it as fabulous, Pag. 13-16.

Footnote 160:

Thus Pliny, who a little before related several stories of persons raised from the dead, notwithstanding calls the doctrine of the resurrection, puerile deliramentum. Vid. Ejusd. Nat. Hist. Lib. vii. Cap. lv. and elsewhere he speaks of it as a thing in its own nature impossible; and therefore concludes it to be one of those things which God cannot do. Lib. ii. Cap. vii. Ne Deum quidem posse omnia, nec mortales æternitate donare, aut revocare defunctos. And Minutius Felix. Vid. Ejusd. Octav. Cap. xi. brings in an Heathen, who was his friend, railing at it, without any decency, as though it was no better than an old wives fable; and the principal argument he produces, is, because he supposes it impossible for a body that was burnt to ashes, to spring up into life again. And Celsus, speaking concerning the impossibility of God’s doing any thing contrary to nature, reckons this among those things. Vid. Orig. Contr. Cels. Lib. v. Page 240. and says, the hope hereof is more worthy of worms than men and styles it an abominable, as well as an impossible thing, which God neither can nor will do.

Footnote 161:

Αναστασις.

Footnote 162:

Vid. Volkel. de vera relig. Lib. iii. Cap. xi. Apparet promissionem vitæ sempiternæ in prisco illo foedere factam minime fuisse. And in a following part of this chapter, wherein he professedly treats on this subject, he adds; Quæ apertis luculentissimisq; verbis ut in nova scriptura fieri videamus, hoc Dei beneficium nobis polliceantur. Ex quorum munere, hoc de quo agimus, nequaquam esse hinc patet, quod antequam Christus illud explicaret, nemo unquam extitit, qui vel suspicari auderet, tale quid illo comprehendi.

Footnote 163:

Vid. Joseph. de Bell. Jud. Lib. ii. Cap. vii. Και γαρ ερρωτσαι παρ αυτοις ηδε διξα φθαρτα μεν εναι τα σωματα, και τήν υλὴγ ου μονιμον αυτοις, &c.

Footnote 164:

See Dr. Hody on the resurrection, &c. Page 56-59.

Footnote 165:

See Bishop Pearson on the Creed, Artic. 11. who observes, from their writings, that because, in the formation of man, mentioned in Gen. ii. 7. Moses uses the word וייצר, and in the formation of beasts, verse 19. the word ויצר, the former having two jods, the latter but one: Therefore the beasts are made but once, but man twice; to wit, once in his generation, and the second time in his resurrection. And they strangely apprehend a proof of the resurrection to be contained in the malediction, Gen. iii. 19. Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return, q. d. thou art now dust while thou livest; and, after death, thou shalt return unto this dust, that is, thou shalt live again, as thou, dost now: And those words in Exod. xv. 1. then sang Moses and the children of Israel; they render he shall sing, viz. after the resurrection in the life to come, and from thence infer this doctrine, which could afford but very small satisfaction to the Sadducees, while they omitted to insist on other pregnant proofs thereof.

Footnote 166:

See Vol. II. Heb. and Talmud. Exercit. on John iv. 25. wherein he says, that they pretend to prove it from Deut. xxxi. 16. where God says to Moses, Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, and rise again; which is an addition to, as well as a perversion of the text; which says, the people shall rise up and go a whoring, &c. and Page 541, and 787. he represents them as proving it from Josh. viii 30. where it is said, that Joshua built an altar unto the Lord; which they translate, he shall build an altar; supposing this to be after the resurrection: And from Psal. lxxxiv. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee, they suppose is meant of their praising God after the resurrection. See many other absurd methods of reasoning to the same purpose, referred to by him in the same place.

Footnote 167:

Macab. vii. 9, 11, 14, 23, 29.

Footnote 168:

Thus Josephus Jacchiades, referred to by Witsius in Symb. Exercit. xxvi. § 41. in explaining that famous text in Daniel xii. 2. says, Et tunc fiet miraculum resurrectionis mortuorum: Nam multi dormientium in terra pulverulenta expergiscentur, hi ad vitam æternam, qui sunt sancti; illi vero ad opprobria & detestationem æternam; qui sunt impii. Quorum resurrectionis causa est, ut impii fateantur palam, suam fidem esse falsam, & eos qui ipsis fidem habuerint, prosecutos fuisse vanitatem atque evanuisse, ipsique agnoscant suos majores falsitatem possedisse. And Menasseh Ben Israel, de Resurr. mort. Lib. ii. Cap. viii. proves it from the same scripture. More to the same purpose may be seen in Dr. Hody on the resurrection, Page 72. & seq. who quotes several of the Talmudical writers, as signifying their belief of this doctrine; and especially Pocock in Maimon. Port. Mos. Cap. vi. who produces a multitude of quotations to the same purpose; in which some assert this doctrine without proof, others establish it by solid arguments, and some mix a great many absurd notions with it, which we shall, at present, pass over.

Footnote 169:

Vid. Tertull. de Resurrect. Carn. Cap. xxx. Non posset de ossibus figura componi, si non id ipsum, & ossibus eventurum esset.

Footnote 170:

Vid. Hieron. in Ezek. xxxvii. Nunquam poneretur similitudo resurrectionis, ad restitutionem Israelitici populi significandam, nisi staret ipsa resurrectitio, & futura crederetur; quia nemo de rebus non extantibus incerta confirmat.

Footnote 171:

Vid. Menasseh Ben Isr. Lib. 1. de Resurrect. Cap. ii. § 4. Hic textus expressus est. & infallibilis quo sine omni dubio resurrectio probatur.

Footnote 172:

Vid. Hieron. Epist. 61. ad Pammach. de error. Joh. Hieros. Quid hac prophetia manifestius? Nullus tam aperte post Christum, quam iste ante Christum de resurrectione loquitur.

Footnote 173:

The words are put in the form of an interrogation, which sometimes argues a strong negation, but not always, since here it seems to imply a concession that he should live again.

Footnote 174:

Vid Minut. Fel. in Octav. § 33. Vide adeo quam in solatium nostri resurrectionem futuram omnis natura meditatur Sol demergit, & nascitur; astra labuntur, & redeunt; fiores occidunt, & reviviscunt; post senium arbusta frondescunt semina non nisi corrupta revirescunt; ita corpus in sepulchro ut arbores in hyberno occultant virorem, ariditate mentita. Expectandum nobis etiam corporis ver est, &c.

Footnote 175:

See his Exposition on the Creed, Artic. xi. and Tertull. de resur. Carn. cap. xii. Aspice nunc ad ipsa qunq; exempla divinæ potestatis: dies moritur in noctem, & tenebris usquequaq spelitur. Funestatum mundi honor, omnis substantia deusgratur. Sordent, silent, stupent cuncta; ubiq; justitium est, quies rerum. Ita lux amissa lugetur; & tamen rursus cum suo cultu, cum dote, cum sole, eadem & integra & tota universo orbi reviviscit, interficiens mortem suam noctem, rescindens sepulturam suam tenebras, hæres sibimet existens, donec & nox reviviscat, cum suo & illa suggestu. Redaccenduntur enim & stellarum radii, quos matutina successio extinxerat. Reducuntur & siderum absentiæ, quas temporalis distinctio exemerat. Redornantur & specula lunæ quæ menstruus numerus adtriverat. Revolvuntur hyemes & æstates, & verna, & autumna, cum suis viribus, moribus, fructibus. Quippe etiam terræ de cœlo disciplina est, arbores vestire post spolia, flores denuo colorare, herbas rursus imponere, exhibere eadem quæ absumpta sunt semina; nec prius exhibere quam absumpta: mira ratio: de fraudatrice servatrix: ut reddat, intercipit: ut custodiat, perdit: ut integret, vitiat e ut etiam ampliet, prius decoquit. Siquidem uberiora & cultiora restituit quam exterminavit. Revera foenore interitu, & injuria usura, & lucro damno: semel dixerim universa conditio recidiva est. Quodcunq; conveneris, fuit: quodcunq; amiseris, nihil non iterum est. Omnia in statum redeunt, quum abscesserint. Omnia incipiunt, quum desierint. Ideo finiuntur, ut fiant. Nihil deperit, nisi in salutum. Totus igitur hic ordo revolubilis rerum, testatio est resurrectionis mortuorum. Operibus eam præscripsit Deus ante, quam literis: viribus predicavit ante, quam vocibus. Præmissit tibi naturam magistram, submissurus & prophetiam, quo facilius credas prophetiæ, discipulus natura: quo statim admittas, quum audieris, quod ubiq; jam videris; nec dubites Deum carnis etiam resuscitatorem, quem omnium noris restituorem. Et utiq; si omnia homini resurgunt, cui procurata sunt porro non homini, nisi & carni, quale est ut ipsa depereat ut totum, propter quam & cui nihil deperit? Et Vid. ejud. apologet cap. xlviii. in which he proves the resurrection of the body from the possibility of that being restored to a former being, with the same ease that it was made out of nothing; and shews how God has impressed upon this world many testimonies of the resurrection; and then he adds, Lux quotidie intersecta resplendet, & tenebræ, pari vice decedendo succedunt, sidera defuncta vivescunt, tempora, ubi finiuntur, incipiunt, fructus consummantur, et redeunt. Certe semina non nisi corrupta et dissoluta foecundius surgunt, omnia percundo servantur, omnia de interitu reformantur. Tu homo tantum nomen, si intelligas te, vel de titulo Pythix discens, dominus omnium momentum et resurgentium, ad hoc morieris, ut pereas?

Footnote 176:

This is what they generally intend by that aphorism, a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus.

Footnote 177:

See Hody on the resurrection, &c. Pag. 205-208.

Footnote 178:

Vid. Plat. in Cratyl, who brings in Socrates as gravely punning on the word σωμα, q. d. σημα, sepulchrum; and supposing that this name, was given to denote that the soul suffers punishment for its faults, by being detained or shut up in prison. And Seneca speaks to the same purpose: corpus hoc, animi pondus, & poena est, permanente illo urgetur, in vinculis est. Vid. Sen. Epist. 65.

Footnote 179:

Vid. Orig. in Loc. supra citat.

Footnote 180:

Beneficium pluviæ ad omnes spectare, resurrectionem mortuorum ad justos tantum.

Footnote 181:

The words are, רב’ם מישני, multi ex dormientibus. Now it is certain that רבים, is often translated a multitude, or multitudes, and signifies the same with רוב, or the Greek word το πληθος, as in Gen. xvii. 5. Psal. cix. 30. and in several other places. But the principal difficulty lies in the sense of the particle Mem, which is prefixed to the following word; and is generally supposed to be taken distributively; and accordingly the sense must be, Many, that is, a great number, or part, taken out of them that sleep, shall awake; though, I am apt to think, that the prefix Mem here, is not taken distributively; but denotes the following word to be in the Genitive case, as Lamed and Beth often do; and if so, the words may be rendered, The multitude of them that sleep, shall awake; that is, the whole number of them that sleep shall awake; and so it is the same with what is mentioned by our Saviour in the text but now referred to; all that are in their graves shall come forth, and be disposed of in a different way, as he particularly expresses it; which contains the sense of the prophet’s prediction in this place. There is a scripture, in which the word many plainly signifies το πληθος, the multitude, or all mankind: thus the apostle speaks, Rom. v. 15. of many, as being dead by the offence of one, and by one man’s disobedience, many being made sinners; which none, who allow all the world to have fallen in Adam, will suppose to be taken in any other sense. See other instances of the like nature in Glas. Phil. Sacr. Lib. v. Tract. 1. Cap. xv.

Footnote 182:

Vid. Poc. Not. Misc. in Maimon. Port. Mos. Cap. vi. who treats largely on this subject, and gives an account of the opinions of several Rabbinical writers concerning this matter; which renders it needless for me to refer to particular places.

Footnote 183:

Vid. Whitby in 1 Cor. xv. 44, 50. If by the bright and shining body, which this author speaks of, he intends that it shall be invested with some rays of glory in the heavenly state, as many others suppose: this, I think, none will deny since it agrees well with what the apostle says concerning the body’s being made like to Christ’s glorious body, and also what the prophet Daniel says, chap. xii. 2. concerning their shining as the brightness of the firmament, and as the stars; or, as our Saviour says, Matt. xiii. 43. They shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Quest. LXXXVIII.

QUEST. LXXXVIII. What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?

ANSW. Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

Our Lord Jesus Christ having finished the work which he undertook to perform, in gathering in his elect, and bringing that grace which he wrought in them to perfection; the only thing then remaining to be done, will be his receiving them into his immediate presence, to behold his glory; and banishing others, for ever, from him, with marks of infamy and detestation. And, in order hereunto, he will raise the dead, and give a summons to the whole world of angels and men, to appear before his tribunal in that day in which he is appointed, by the Father, to judge the world in righteousness; which is the subject insisted on in this answer. In speaking to which, we shall

I. Prove that there shall be a day of judgment.

II. Consider the person, the character, and the solemnity of the appearing of the great Judge, to whom this work is committed.

III. The persons to be judged, angels and men.

IV. The manner in which he shall proceed in judging them. And,

V. Some circumstances concerning the place where, and the time when this great and awful work shall be performed.

I. We are to prove that there shall be a day of judgment. This is as evident a truth as that there is a providence, or that God is the Governor of the world. Every intelligent creature, who is the subject of moral government, affords an argument for the proof of this doctrine. And accordingly we must consider them as under a law which he has given, as that by which they are to be governed. From hence arises our obligation to duty, and being rendered accountable to the great Lawgiver, as to what concerns our obedience to, or violation of his law. And God is obliged, in honour, to make a scrutiny into, or take an account of our behaviour, that it may be known whether we have obeyed or rebelled against him. This is evident from the concern which the glory of his own perfections has herein; and the promises and threatnings annexed to his law, which he is obliged to fulfil or execute. From whence it follows, that God will display his glory as the Judge of the world.

This is plainly revealed in scripture; it was foretold in the early ages of the world, as contained in the epistle of Jude, in ver. 14, 15. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him: which words, though they might have a peculiar relation to the judgment which God would execute in the destruction of the old world; yet it is plain by the application hereof made by the apostle, that it looks as far as the final judgment, which shall be in the end of time. And this likewise appears from what is said in Eccles. xii. 14. that God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. There are, indeed, many displays of God’s judicial hand in the present dispensations of his providence, as he is said to be known by the judgment which he executeth, Psal. ix. 16. The visible token of his regard to his saints in this world, as well as the public and dreadful display of his vengeance poured forth upon his enemies, proclaim his glory, as God, the Judge of all. But inasmuch as sin deserves greater punishments than what are inflicted here; and the promises which God has made for the encouragement of his people, give them occasion to look beyond the present scene of affairs; and especially since the divine dealings with men, as to what respects outward things, cannot so clearly be accounted for, while we behold the righteous oppressed, and many of the wicked having, as it were, more than heart could wish; this plainly argues, that there is a time coming when matters will be adjusted; and, as the Psalmist says, ‘A man shall say,’ or every one shall have occasion to say, ‘Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth,’ Psal. lviii. 11.

Moreover, this doctrine is not only revealed in scripture, but it is impressed on the consciences of men; which, though they never took so much pains to extinguish their apprehension or dread thereof, it is impossible for them to do it. That secret remorse or terror which sinners feel within their own breasts, which makes them restless and uneasy, especially when they perceive themselves to stand on the confines of another world, is an undeniable argument that there is a future judgment. What was it that made Belshazzar’s countenance to change? Why did his thoughts trouble him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another, when he saw the hand-writing on the wall, in the midst of all his mirth and jollity? Dan. v. 6. Was he afraid of the united forces of the Persians and Medes, who at that time invested the capital city in which he was? Did he know that he should be slain before the morning? That was most remote from his thoughts, as apprehending himself safe from any danger that might arise from that quarter. Was he afraid of punishment from men? His condition in the world set him above the dread of any such event. It was only the sense he had of a future judgment from God, that produced these effects in him. It was this that made the Heathen governor tremble, when the apostle reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Acts xxiv. 25. And when he was disputing with the Athenians, though they mocked and treated what he said about the resurrection with ridicule; yet none of them had any thing to object against this doctrine that God would judge the world in righteousness, chap. xvii. 31.

It may be observed that the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, as the result of a sentence passed on men after death, is so often mentioned by heathen-writers, that it is evident they either received by tradition, or understood it by the light of nature; though, when they enter into particular explications thereof, we meet with little but what is fabulous and trifling. Some of them suppose the rewards and punishments to be in other bodies, agreeably to the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, as before-mentioned. Others speak of fictitious lakes and rivers in the other world, where men are doomed to abide, at least, for some time; though they know nothing of the day of judgment, or the appearance of the whole world before Christ’s tribunal; which is a matter of pure revelation[184].

II. We are now to consider the person, character, and solemnity of the appearing of the great Judge, to whom this work is more especially committed. This is a doctrine that can be known no other way than by divine revelation. The light of nature, indeed, discovers to us that God shall judge the world; but there is something more than this may be learned from scripture, as well as those circumstances of glory with which this work shall be performed. Accordingly we read,

1. That the person who is to perform this great work, is the Lord Jesus Christ; of whom it is said, he shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom, 2 Tim. iv. 1. And elsewhere, We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; 2 Cor. v. 10. If we consider his glory as a divine person, he is fit to engage in it. For as he knoweth all things, he can judge the secrets of men, which no mere creature can do; and as he has all the other perfections of the divine nature, he can display and glorify them, in such a way as is necessary, in determining the final estate of men, and rewarding every one according to his work.

We may also observe, that this is a branch of his Mediatorial dignity, and contains in it a part of the execution of his Kingly office; it was contained in that commission which he received of the Father. Thus it is said, that the Father judgeth no man, John v. 22. that is, not in a visible manner, or by any delegated power, which he is invested with, ‘but hath committed all judgment to the Son,’ and, it is said, he has ‘given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man,’ ver. 27. And to this we may add, that it is a part of the work which was incumbent on him in the application of redemption, which cannot be said to be brought to the utmost perfection, till the day of judgment: Thus when he speaks concerning his ‘coming in a cloud with power and great glory’; then he bids his people ‘lift up their heads, inasmuch as their redemption draweth nigh,’ Luke xxi. 27, 28. We might also add to this, that it was very expedient that he should judge the world, since he was unjustly judged and condemned by the world; therefore the cause must have a second hearing, that his enemies, at whose bar he once stood, may be fully convinced, to their eternal confusion, that he was not the person they took him to be, that he did not deserve the treatment and rude insults which he met with from them, when he stood at their tribunal. They asked him this question, ‘Art thou the Christ, the Son of the blessed?’ to which he replied, ‘I am: And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven,’ Mark xiv. 61-64. wherein he applied to himself what the prophet Daniel said concerning him, Dan. vii. 13. and thereby intimated, that this would be the most visible and incontestible proof of his Mediatorial glory, with which he was invested, as the Son of man; upon which the high-priest rent his clothes, apprehending that he spake blasphemy; after which they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Therefore it is expedient that this visible proof of his Sonship and Mediatorial glory should be given, and that he should perform this great work, which was incumbent on him, as he gave them to expect. It is his ‘coming with clouds, that every eye shall see;’ that shall oblige ‘them which pierced him, and all the kindreds of the earth,’ who set themselves against him, ‘to wail because of him,’ Rev. i. 7.

It was also necessary that he should judge the world, that he might publicly vindicate his people, who have been judged and condemned by the world for his sake; and that his cause and interest, which has been trampled on by them, might be defended in the most public and glorious manner, which will afford an everlasting conviction, that he whom men despised, whose glory was set light by, whose gospel was rejected and persecuted, is a person worthy of universal honour and esteem. Thus concerning the person who is appointed to judge the world, and the character in which he shall do it: which leads us,

2. To consider the solemnity of his appearing, when engaging in it. The work being the most glorious that ever was performed since the world was created, and the honour redounding to Christ as the result thereof, being the last and highest degree of his state of exaltation; it cannot but be supposed that he will appear with those ensigns of majesty and regal dignity that become his character as the Judge of quick and dead: accordingly we have an account of his ‘appearing in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels,’ Luke ix. 26. His own glory respects the rays of his divinity shining forth; whereby it will appear, that he has a natural right to summon the whole world before him. This cannot but strike a terror into his enemies, and enhance the joy and triumph of his friends, and excite the adoration that is due to so glorious a person. His appearing in his Father’s glory, denotes that this is the highest display of his Mediatorial dignity; the reward of his having perfectly fulfilled the commission given him by the Father, and fully answered the end for which he became incarnate. And his appearing in the glory of his holy angels, implies the reverence and homage which they will pay to him, into whose hands they are given, as ministering spirits, to fulfil his pleasure, and who always rejoice in the advancement of his kingdom.

The angels shall not indeed be employed in raising the dead, for that is a work too great for finite power; but we read of their ministry as subservient to the glory of the solemnity, as consisting in their appearing with Christ as his retinue; so it is said, that he shall ‘come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,’ Matt. xxv. 31. These, indeed make up his train; but do not convey to him the least branch of that glory or character he is invested with: but it is their honour to attend him, whose servants they are; their work is to praise and adore him, and to shew their readiness to fulfil his pleasure, without desiring to usurp the least branch of his glory.

The first thing they are represented as doing, is, their attending his coming with a shout, or the word of command first given forth by Christ, and transmitted by them to the whole world, whereby they shall be summoned to appear before him. This shall doubtless be attended with universal joy and triumph expressed by them. And whereas Christ is said to come with the sound of a trumpet, 1 Thess. iv. 16. this is either to be considered in allusion to the custom of calling the hosts together, which was by the sound of a trumpet, Num. x. 2. &c.[185] or else we may understand it in a literal sense, for some sound like that of a trumpet, which shall be heard throughout the world, which shall have a tendency to excite the joy and triumph of the saints, and to strike terror into the wicked. And as this trumpet gives an alarm to all to appear before Christ’s tribunal; the angels are represented as assisting in bringing them thither. It is by them that the saints which remain alive, shall be caught up with others in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 1 Thess. iv. 17. and they are said to gather together the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.[186] And elsewhere, our Saviour, speaking of the end of the world, which he calls the harvest, represents the angels as reapers, Matt. xiii. 39. which he explains as denoting that at the end of the world the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, ver. 49. which plainly intimates that they are to gather the elect together. And inasmuch as there must be a separation between them and the wicked, so that one shall be set at Christ’s right hand, the other at his left; this, as it is more than probable, shall be done by the ministry of angels, chap. xxv. 32. And then the Judge is represented as sitting on his throne, ver. 31. this is called elsewhere a judgment-seat, agreeable to his character as a judge; and it is here styled his throne, as expressive of the majesty and royal dignity with which he shall perform this great work. Which leads us,

III. To consider the persons who are to be judged, things being thus prepared for it; and these are said to be angels and men, i. e. all who are summoned to appear before Christ’s tribunal. Whether the holy angels are included in the number of those whom Christ will judge, it is not safe for us to pretend to determine, since scripture is silent as to this matter. That they are the subjects of moral government is evident, because they are intelligent creatures; and it follows from hence, that they are accountable to God for their behaviour as such. It is also certain, that they are employed by our Saviour, in fulfilling his pleasure; and pursuant thereto, they are sent forth by him to minister to the heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14. and upon this account it may not be reckoned foreign to the work of the day, for Christ to give a public testimony to their faithfulness in the discharge of every work which has been committed to them; especially since the saints, who, in some respects, may be said to have been their charge and care, have received no small advantage from the good offices which they have performed for them by Christ’s appointment: but more than this, I think, cannot be determined, with respect to their being judged by Christ. Therefore, many conclude, that, properly speaking, they are not included in the number of those that shall be judged by him; and that either because they are represented as attending him, when he comes to judgment; and are never spoken of as standing before his tribunal, as persons whose cause is to be tried by him; or because they are considered, as long before this confirmed in holiness and happiness, and as beholding the face of God in heaven; and consequently not to be dealt with as those who are to undergo a farther scrutiny, in order to their having, a new sentence passed upon them.

As to what respects the fallen angels, they are to be brought as criminals before Christ’s tribunal, in order to his passing a righteous sentence upon them. Whether the charge of their apostacy from God, shall be again renewed, and hereby sin traced to the very first spring and fountain of it, we know not: but all the guilt that they have contracted since they were, by a former sentence, cast out of heaven, shall be laid to their charge: all that they have done against the interest of God in the world, begun in the seduction of our first parents, and continued ever since, with all those methods of revenge and subtilty whereby they have opposed the kingdom of Christ in the world, and endeavoured to ruin his people, will be alleged against them, as well as the bold attempt they made on him in his own Person, whilst he was in a state of humiliation. Thus the fallen angels, though represented as cast down to hell, are yet said to be delivered into chains of darkness, and reserved unto judgment, 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude, ver. 6. This they are, at present, apprehensive of, and are accordingly said to tremble, Jam. ii. 19. at the fore-thoughts of it: it may also be inferred from what they said to our Saviour, Art thou come to torment us before the time, Matt. viii. 29. and, as the result hereof, it is said, that the devil was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, Rev. xx. 10. i. e. adjudged to endure a greater degree of torment in proportion to the increase of his guilt.

But that which is more particularly insisted on in scripture, in which we are immediately concerned, is what relates to men, as those who are to be judged by Christ. This is set forth in universal terms; the apostle says, We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. v. 10. men of all ranks and conditions, small and great, Rev. xx. 12. quick and dead, 2 Tim. iv. 1. i. e. those who died before, or shall be found alive at his coming, the righteous and the wicked, Eccl. iii. 17. and among these, not only them that have lived under the gospel-dispensation; but others, who have had no other light but that of nature; As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law, Rom. ii. 12. We have no account, indeed, in scripture, of their being adjudged to eternal life, for their doing, by nature, some things that are contained in the law; to suppose this, is to be wise above what is written; and, indeed, it seems contradictory to those scriptures which assert the necessity of faith in Christ to salvation; but these are generally described as suffering punishment proportioned to their works. Thus we read of the men of Nineveh, Matt. xii. 41. the queen of the South, ver. 42. the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, chap. xi. 22. and those of Sodom and Gomorrah, ver. 24. as appearing in judgment, and exposed to a less degree of punishment than those that sinned against greater light; but there is not the least intimation given of their being discharged from condemnation. Our Saviour, indeed, speaks of the ‘servant which knew his master’s will, and prepared not himself to do according to it, who should be beaten with many stripes,’ i. e. exposed to a greater condemnation; nevertheless, he, at the same time, intimates that the servant who did not know, i. e. who sinned under greater disadvantages for want of gospel-revelation, even he should be beaten with few stripes; or adjudged to suffer a less degree of punishment.

The Pelagians, indeed, have endeavoured not only to exempt the Heathen from the consequences of this judgment; but some have insinuated as though they were not concerned in it at all: thus one[187] supposes, that the persons who are represented as appearing at Christ’s tribunal, Matt. xxv. and sentenced, by him, according to their works, are only those who made a profession of the Christian religion. And the principal argument that he brings to support this opinion is, because they, on whom a sentence of condemnation is passed, are accused of not ministering to Christ’s members, which is interpreted as not giving him meat, when he was hungry, or drink when he was thirsty, &c. which charge could not have been brought against those that never heard of Christ; or if it had, they might have excused themselves by alleging that it was impossible for them to shew this respect to him whom they never knew. But to this it may be replied, that though our Saviour’s design here, is to aggravate the condemnation of those who sinned under the gospel, and to charge some with crimes of the highest nature; yet there is nothing mentioned, exclusive of others, so as to give occasion to suppose that the judgment of the great day will respect only those who have set under the sound of the gospel. Therefore we have ground to conclude, that as the resurrection of the dead will be universal; so all that have lived, or shall live, from the beginning to the end of time, shall be the subjects of the judicial proceedings in that solemn and awful day; which leads us to consider,

IV. The manner in which Christ shall proceed in judging the world. It is evident, that the design of this glorious transaction is to determine the final state of all men, which will be done in a public and visible manner, that it may appear that the Judge of all does right: this differs very much from that particular judgment that is passed on every one at death; in which, though their state be unalterably determined, yet it is not done in an open and visible manner; but with a design that the cause should be tried again in that day which is appointed for it. The account we have in scripture, of the manner in which this shall be done, bears some resemblance to the proceedings in human courts of judicature; accordingly the day is set in which causes are to be tried; the Judge appears with the ensigns of his authority; and being seated on the tribunal, the persons to be tried appear before him; the cause is heard; and since all are to be judged according to law, the law is supposed to be known, or the particular statute, which is the rule of judgment, must be produced; and whatever charge is to be brought against any one, it is drawn up in the form of an indictment, and supported by sufficient evidence, and the persons hereupon acquitted or condemned. In allusion hereunto we read of Christ’s appearing in a visible manner, seated on a throne of judgment; or, as it is expressed, of the Son of man, as appearing with all the holy angels with him; and his sitting upon the throne of his glory, and all nations being gathered before him, Matt. xxv. 31, 32. the judgment seat, and the books opened, Dan. vii. 26. Rev. xx. 12.

The righteous, who are a part of those that shall stand before Christ’s tribunal, shall be separated from the wicked; the former placed at his right hand, the latter at his left. With respect to the wicked, an indictment shall be brought in, in which they shall be charged with the violation of the holy law of God, with all the aggravating circumstances thereof, the subject-matter of which is contained in the books that are said to be opened. And this charge shall be supported by evidence; in which case men shall be witnesses against one another, so far as they have been apprised of each other’s behaviour, or immediately concerned therein: and it is not improbable, that since the holy angels are conversant in this lower world, as they are sometimes represented as being present in worshipping assemblies, 1 Cor. xi. 10. and observing the actions of men, 1 Tim. v. 21. that they shall appear as evidences against the wicked. And it may be farther observed, that the Judge himself will be a witness against the criminals, which is not usual in human courts of judicature; though it does not savour of the least injustice: thus it is said, ‘I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts,’ Mal. iii. 5. The divine Omniscience will put the charge out of all manner of doubt; from whence there can be no appeal; since it is impossible for God, either to be deceived himself, or to deceive others.

But besides this, there shall also be the testimony of conscience, whereby persons shall stand self-convicted; their ‘own hearts shall condemn them,’ as well as ‘God, who is greater than their hearts,’ 1 John iii. 20. Thus it is said, that ‘the consciences of men bear witness, and their thoughts, in the mean while, accuse or else excuse one another, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ;’ and accordingly ‘every mouth shall be stopped, and all the world’ of the ungodly ‘become guilty,’ Rom. ii. 15, 16. or appear, by their own confession, to be so, before God, chap. iii. 19. And in order hereunto, there shall be a particular dispensation of providence, whereby those sins which have been long since forgotten, shall be brought to remembrance: this seems intimated in our Saviour’s words in the parable; ‘Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things,’ &c. Luke xvi. 25. and also in God’s setting the iniquities of sinners in order before their eyes, Psal. l. 21. and this will have a greater tendency to support the charge, than ten thousand witnesses.

As to the things that shall be brought into judgment, or be charged, and proved upon them; these are mentioned in a very particular manner, as it is said, ‘God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil,’ Eccl. xii. 14. And elsewhere, he is represented as ‘executing judgment upon all, and convincing all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him,’ Jude, ver. 15. And our Saviour particularly intimates, Matt. xxv. 42, 43. that their behaviour, under the means of grace, shall be enquired into, and what they have done against him, and his interest in the world, alleged against them.

But now we are speaking concerning those matters which shall be produced in judgment against the wicked, it may be enquired; whether the smallest sins committed by them, shall be brought into judgment against them? This seems to be intimated by our Saviour, when he says, that ‘every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment,’ chap. xii. 36. on which some take occasion to complain of the severity of the divine dispensations, as though it was intended hereby, that persons shall be condemned to suffer eternal punishments for a vain thought: but to this it may be replied, that no one will bring this as an objection against the methods of the divine proceedings in the great day, who duly considers the infinite evil of sin; or, that the least sin deserves a sentence of banishment from God, as it is an affront to his sovereignty, and opposite to his holiness. However let it be considered that no person in the world shall have reason to complain that he is separated from God, or rendered eternally miserable, only for a vain thought, or a sin of infirmity, as though he had been guilty of nothing else: therefore, when our Saviour says, that ‘every idle word shall come into judgment,’ the meaning is, that this shall tend to fill up the measure of their iniquity; so that the punishments which they shall be exposed to, shall be for this, in conjunction with all other sins. Every sin brings guilt with it; and all sins taken together, smaller, as well as greater, enhance the guilt: therefore, our Saviour’s meaning is this, that every sin exposes men to a degree of condemnation, in proportion to the aggravation thereof; though they which are of a more heinous nature, bring with them a greater degree of condemnation. Thus concerning the charge brought against the wicked.

The next thing to be considered is, the trial of the righteous, who are said to stand before Christ’s judgment-seat. Here it may be observed, that no indictment shall be brought against them, at least, with the judge’s approbation; for they have been before this acquitted and discharged, when brought into a justified state; and therefore, as the consequence hereof, none, as the apostle says, shall lay any thing to their charge, since it is God that justifieth, Rom. viii. 33. If any thing be alleged against them by the enemies of God, who loaded them with reproach, and laid many things to their charge in this world, of which some have been just, and others unjust and malicious: I say, if these things should be suffered to be alleged against them, the great and merciful Judge will appear as an advocate for, and vindicate them from those charges which are ungrounded; and will farther allege, as a foundation of their discharge from the guilt of all others, that he has made a full atonement for them; upon which account, when they are sought for, they shall not be found in judgment, or charged upon them to their shame, confusion, or condemnation; but they shall be pronounced righteous, as interested in Christ’s righteousness; and this shall be evinced by his producing those graces which are inseparably connected with, though not the foundation of their justification, that so the method of the divine proceedings, in this respect, may be vindicated, and it may appear, that as it is said, without holiness no one shall see the Lord; so these are holy, and therefore they have this internal quality, which denotes them such whom God designed to save: this I take to be the meaning of that expression of our Saviour to the righteous, when he pronounces them blessed, and invites them to come and inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, &c. Matt. xxv. 34, 35. where the word for is taken demonstratively, and, not casually; and denotes that they were such who might expect to be admitted to this honour and blessedness, as having those marks and characters of his children upon them, to which the promise of salvation was annexed; not as though any thing done by them was the cause of it. From hence it appears, that the graces of God’s people shall be published before angels and men, to the praise of the glory of him who was the author of them.

But there is a difficult question which is proposed by some, namely, whether the sins of God’s people shall be published in the great day; though it is certain they shall not be alleged against them to their condemnation? This is one of the secret things which belong to God, which he has not so fully or clearly revealed to us in his word; and therefore we can say little more than what is matter of conjecture about it. Some have thought that the sins of the godly, though forgiven, shall be made manifest, that so the glory of that grace which has pardoned them, may appear more illustrious, and their obligation to God for this, farther enhanced. They also think that the justice of the proceedings of that day, requires it; since it is presumed and known by the whole world, that they were prone to sin, as well as others; and, before conversion, as great sinners as any; and after it their sins had a peculiar aggravation: therefore, why should not they be made public, as a glory due to the justice and holiness of God, and being infinitely opposite to all sin? And this they farther suppose to be necessary, that so the impartiality of divine justice may appear. Moreover, since God by recording the sins of his saints in scripture, has perpetuated the knowledge thereof; and if it is to their honour that the sins there mentioned were repented of, as well as forgiven, why may it not be supposed that the sins of believers shall be made known in the great day? And besides, this seems agreeable to those expressions of every word, and every action, as being to be brought into judgment; whether it be good, or whether it be bad, as in the scripture before-mentioned.

But it is supposed by others, that though the making known of sin that is subdued and forgiven, tends to the advancement of divine grace; yet it is sufficient to answer this end, as far as God designs it shall be answered, that the sins which have been subdued and forgiven, should be known to themselves, and this forgiveness afford matter of praise to God. Again, the expressions of scripture, whereby forgiveness of sin is set forth, are such as seem to argue, that those sins which were forgiven, shall not be made manifest; thus they are said to be blotted out, Isa. xliii. 25. covered, Psal. xxxii. 1. subdued, and cast into the depths of the sea, Micah vii. 19. and remembered no more, &c. Jer. xxxi. 34. Besides, Christ’s being a Judge, doth not divest him of the character of an advocate, whose part is rather to conceal the crimes of those whose cause he pleads, than to divulge them. And to this we may add, that the law which requires duty, and forbids the contrary sins, is not the rule by which they who are in Christ, are to be proceeded against; for then they could not stand in judgment; but they are dealt with according to the tenor of the gospel, which forgives and covers all sin. And furthermore it is argued, that the public declaring of all their sins before the whole world, notwithstanding their interest in forgiving grace, would fill them with such shame, as is hardly consistent with a state of perfect blessedness. And lastly, the principal argument insisted on, is, that our Saviour in Matt. xxv. in which he gives a particular account of the proceedings of that day, makes no mention of the sins, but only commends the graces of his saints. Such-like arguments as these are alleged to prove that it is probable the sins of the saints shall not be exposed to public view, in the great day. But after all that has been said, it is safest for us not to be too peremptory in determining this matter, lest, by pretending to be wise beyond what is clearly revealed in scripture, we betray our own folly, and too bold presumption, or assert that which is not right of this glorious Judge. Thus concerning the method in which Christ shall proceed in judging the world. We are now led to consider,

V. Some circumstances relating to the place where, and the time when, this great and awful work shall be performed, at least, so far as it is convenient for us to enquire into this matter, without giving too much scope to a vain curiosity, or desire to be wise above what is written. And,

1. As to the place; it does not seem probable that it shall be upon the surface of the earth; because we read, that they which are found alive at Christ’s coming, shall be caught up together with them, that is, the others who are raised from the dead, in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; which immediately follows after the account which the apostle gives of the Lord’s descending from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God, 1 Thes. iv. 16, 17. which is the signal to be given of the immediate appearance of the Judge: therefore, their being caught up in the clouds, denotes that Christ shall judge the world, in some place above this earth; otherwise they must be supposed to be caught up thither, and afterwards obliged to descend from thence, to the place from whence they were taken, to be judged; which does not seem probable. This is all that we dare assert, concerning the place where this great and solemn transaction shall be performed.

And I the rather observe this, because some are of opinion, that the valley of Jehoshaphat is designed to be the place, from the application of that prediction mentioned in the prophet Joel, in chap. iii. 2. I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people:[188] but that seems to be a prophesy of some signal victory which the church should gain over its enemies; which shall have its accomplishment before Christ come to judgment, and be no less remarkable than that which God gave Jehoshaphat over the Moabites, Ammonites, and the inhabitants of mount Seir, mentioned in 2 Chron. xx. upon which occasion the place where it was obtained, was called the valley of Berachah, which signifies blessing: and the prophet does not seem by the valley of Jehoshaphat, to point out any particular place known by that name; but rather to allude to the signification of the word, as importing the judgment of the Lord: so that nothing else is intended by it but that God shall, in the latter day, probably when those scriptures shall have had their accomplishment, which relate to the conversion of the Jews, execute some remarkable judgment against the heathen, amongst whom they were scattered. Therefore it cannot, with the least shadow of justice, be argued from hence, that this is the place where all nations of the earth shall be gathered to judgment. Besides, some have observed, that how great soever this valley may be, it is not large enough to hold the vast multitudes that shall be convened on this occasion.

As to what concerns the time when Christ shall judge the world; this is called, in scripture, a day, Acts xvii. 31. not to signify that the whole work shall be performed in that space of time, which we generally call a day; for that can hardly be sufficient for the performing the many things that are to be done in it. Some have thought that the whole process shall take up no less than a thousand years; and suppose, that the apostle Peter intimates as much, when speaking concerning the day of judgment, he says, One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. iii. 8. Thus the excellent Mr. Mede understands that scripture:[189] but since this is not more clearly explained by other scriptures, speaking to the same purpose, I dare not be too peremptory in giving into this opinion; but would rather conclude, that the time of the continuance thereof, is called a day, as denoting a season appointed for the dispatch of a work, whether it be longer or shorter. Thus Christ calls that season, in which the gospel was preached to the Jews, their day, Luke xix. 42. And therefore it is the safest way for us to acknowledge this to be a secret which belongs not to us to enquire into.

As to the time when Christ shall come to judgment, or when this glorious day shall begin, that is also considered, not only as a matter kept secret from us, but from all creatures: thus our Saviour, speaking concerning it, says, ‘Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only,’ Matt. xxiv. 36. This is particularly intimated in the answer we are explaining; and the reason assigned why it is kept secret from us, viz. that all may watch and pray, and be ready for the coming of the Lord; which is certainly a matter of the highest importance; and it is evident, that if God had either revealed the time of Christ’s coming to judgment, or let men know how long they should continue in this world, before that judgment, which is past on all at death, it might have given occasion to the corruption of our nature, to have put off all thoughts about it, till it was at hand: therefore our Saviour, in wisdom, as well as kindness to his people, has represented his coming under the similitude of a thief in the night, 2 Thes. v. 2. and accordingly says, Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh, Matt. xxiv. 44. Thus concerning the day of judgment. As to what respects the consequence hereof, and the sentence which shall be pronounced on the righteous and the wicked, that is the subject-matter of the two following answers.

All that I shall add at present is, some practical inferences from this doctrine of Christ’s coming to judgment.

(1.) What has been observed concerning Christ’s coming to judge the world in his own glory, and that of his Father, and of his holy angels, should fill us with high and honourable thoughts of him; and since the angels reckon it an honour to attend him as ministering spirits in that great day, this should excite in us an holy ambition to approve ourselves his servants in all things, and to account it our honour that he will esteem us such.

(2.) Since Christ at his coming to judgment, will bring all things to light, and impartially state and try the cause of every one, who shall be rewarded according to their works; this should silence, and fence against, all unbelieving thoughts, which may arise in the minds of men, concerning the seemingly unequal distributions of providence, in God’s dealing with the righteous and the wicked, as to what respects the outward affairs of life, and make us easy, though we know not his design in the various afflictive providences wherewith we are exercised; since we are not to expect those blessings here, which he has reserved for his people, at Christ’s appearing to judgment; which, if he is pleased to bestow upon us hereafter, we shall then have the highest reason to admire his wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness, in the whole method of his providential dealings with us.

(3.) This doctrine tends to reprove the atheism and profaneness of those, who make a jest of, or scoff, at the day of judgment; like those the apostle Peter mentions, whom he calls scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation, 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4. It also reproves those who abuse the day of God’s patience; and because his coming to judgment is delayed, take occasion to commit the vilest crimes. Thus our Saviour speaks of some as doing, and intimates that he will come in a day when they look not for him, and shall cut them asunder, and appoint them their portion with hypocrites, Matt. xxiv. 48-51.

(4.) This doctrine should stir us up to universal holiness, and the greatest circumspection and diligence in the service of God; as the apostle says, when speaking concerning Christ’s coming to judgment, with those displays of terrible majesty that shall attend it, what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, 2 Pet. iii. 11, 12.

(5.) Since we expect that Christ will judge the world at the last day, it behoves us to be often judging and trying ourselves, examining how matters stand between God and us; and whether we behave ourselves in such a way as that we may be meet for Christ’s coming, and have boldness in the day of judgment; as the apostle says, If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, 1 Cor. xi. 31. that is, with the judgment of condemnation.

(6.) It is an inexpressible advantage when we can conclude, upon good grounds, that this great Judge is our Friend, our Saviour, our Advocate, and that, living and dying, we shall be found in him; for then, though he come in such a way as will strike the utmost terror and confusion into his enemies, we shall be found of him in peace: and the consequence of this day’s solemnity shall be our admission into his immediate presence, and being for ever blessed therein.

Footnote 184:

We often read in Heathen-writers, of Æacus, Minus and Rhadamanthus, as appointed to pass a judgment on every one at death, fix them in their respective places of residence, and determine their rewards and punishments. These are generally supposed to have lived about Moses’s time, and are commended for the exercise of justice, and making laws, some of which they are supposed to have received from heaven; and as the reward hereof, have the honour, of being judges of men at death, conferred upon them. Some have been ready to conclude that the account which the Heathen give of these three famous law-givers and judges, is nothing else but a corruption of a tradition which they had received concerning Moses, the great law-giver to the Israelites, set forth by different names, with several things fabulous added thereunto. They who have a mind to see a very learned and critical disquisition on this subject, may consult Huet Demonst. Evang. Prop. iv. § 9-13. And as for the variety of punishments which these judges inflicted, the lakes and rivers of fire to which they are condemned, see Plato’s account thereof, translated by Eusebius, in Præp. Evang. Lib. xi. Cap. xxxvii. who thinks that some things mentioned by him, bear a resemblance to the punishment of sin, which we read of in scripture, which he supposes he received by tradition, from some that were acquainted with divine revelation, as he did many other things which he speaks of in his writings.

Footnote 185:

See Vol. II. Quest. LVI.

Footnote 186:

Matt. xxiv. 31. This is the most common sense of those words; and how far soever they are supposed, by some, to be taken in a figurative sense, for the preaching of the gospel throughout the whole world, after the destruction of the Jewish state, which some have supposed, is principally intended by what is mentioned in the foregoing verses; yet most conclude that several things in this account of Christ’s glorious appearance, are not without some allusion, at least to what shall be more eminently accomplished, when he shall come to judgment.

Footnote 187:

Curcellæus in Dissert. de necessit. cognit. Christ. § vi.

Footnote 188:

Of this opinion were some among the Papists, and particularly Cornelius a Lapide, Vid. ejusd. comment in Loc. who describes it as a place situate at the foot of the mount of Olives, in or near the place where our Saviour was in his agony betrayed and delivered by Judas, into the hands of his enemies. Therefore this will be, according to him, the fittest place for him to execute judgment upon them, and to appear in this triumphant and glorious manner, in order thereunto. And this is mentioned by many Jewish writers, who maintained it. Thus the author of the Chaldee Paraphrase on Canticles viii. 5. speaks to this purpose, that the dead shall be raised, and the mountain of Olives shall be cleft, and all the dead of Israel shall come out from thence; and that the just, who died in the captivity, and consequently were not buried in or near that place, shall come through the caverns of the earth, that they may here arise to judgment. And several Rabbinical writers give into this chimera, which is also mentioned in both the Talmuds. And many of the modern Jews, as is observed by some late travellers into the holy land, are so fond of burying their dead in or near this place, that they might not have far to come under the earth, when they rise from the dead, and must appear here at the day of judgment, that they pay a certain sum of money for the privilege of burying their dead therein. See Hody on the resurrection, Page 70, 71.

Footnote 189:

See his works, Lib. iii. Comment. apocal. page 662. and his remains, chap. xi. page 748. in which he is followed by some others, and the learned Gale, in his court of the Gentiles, Part I. Book iii. chap. vii. Page 78. speaks of some Jewish writers as maintaining, that the world shall continue 6000 years; and from thence to the 7000th shall be the day of judgment. And he also mentions this as an opinion which Plato had received by conversing with some of them; and concludes, that this is the great Platonick year, which is mentioned by him, and his followers.

Quest. LXXXIX.

QUEST. LXXXIX. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?

ANSW. At the day of judgment the wicked shall be set on Christ’s left hand; and upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful, but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favourable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels for ever.

Having, under the last answer, taken a view of Christ, as coming to judgment; and the whole world as seated at his tribunal, the wicked on his left hand, and the righteous on his right; the books opened, the cause tried, and the evidence produced; we are now to consider the sentence that will be past on each of them, together with the consequences thereof: and particularly we have an account in this answer, of a sentence of condemnation, pronounced against the wicked, and the punishment inflicted on them, pursuant thereunto; which our Saviour expresses in words full of dread and horror; Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, Matt. xxv. 41, 45. This includes in it an eternal banishment and separation from him, in whose favour there is life. As sin is the object of his detestation, it being contrary to the holiness of his nature, they who are found in open rebellion against him, shall not stand in his sight, Psal. v. 5. As they did not desire his special and gracious presence, which his saints always reckoned their chief joy, in this world; they shall be deprived of it in the next. And when they are commanded to depart from him, they are described as cursed, that is, bound over to suffer all those punishments which the vindictive justice of God will inflict, that are contained in those threatenings which are denounced by his law that they have violated, and sent down into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both in body and soul, with the devil and his angels, for ever. Accordingly there are three things to be considered, relating to the punishment of sinners in another world, namely, the kind thereof, its degree, and eternal duration.

I. As to the kind of punishment; that is generally considered in two respects, namely, the punishment of loss and sense.

1. Concerning the punishment of loss. This contains in it a separation from God, the fountain of blessedness; a being destitute of every thing that might administer comfort to them; and, as the consequence hereof, they are deprived not only of fellowship with Christ, but with his saints. Not that they were ever the objects of their love or delight, but, on the other hand, their conversation was distasteful and burdensome; especially when it was in itself most savoury and spiritual: nevertheless, it is reckoned to be one ingredient in their misery, as our Saviour expresses it, when he speaks of the workers of iniquity, as first commanded to depart from him, Luke xiii. 27, 28. and then tells them, Ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out: where the happiness of others is considered as what will raise their envy, and prove a torment to them.

2. There is the punishment of sense: this is set forth by those unspeakable torments to be endured both in soul and body; and because no pain is so exquisite as that which is occasioned by fire, it is therefore called unquenchable and everlasting fire, Matt. iii. 12. chap. xxv. 41. As for that enquiry which some make, whether the fire be elementary or material, like that which is in this world, it savours more of curiosity than what tends to real advantage: and since it is called a fire, prepared for the devil and his angels, some have a little hesitated about this matter, as concluding it impossible for material fire to affect spirits; but I am not desirous to enter too far into this disquisition. It is, indeed, a hard matter for us to determine whether, or how far a spirit is capable of the punishment of sense, any otherwise than, as, by reason of its union with the body, it has an afflictive sensation of the evils which that immediately endures; and therefore, some have thought, that when we read of the fire of hell, it is to be taken in a metaphorical sense, to denote those punishments which are most exquisite, and have a tendency to torment both soul and body in different respects. The soul is to be tormented as the wrath of God has an immediate access to it, to make it miserable: and though this cannot be styled the punishment of sense in the same respect as that is of which the body is the more immediate subject; yet if we take the word sense, as importing an intellectual perception of those miseries that it undergoes, whereby it is made uneasy, and in a moral sense, subject to pain, as we sometimes speak of the pain of the mind, as well as that of the body, then it may be said to endure the punishment of sense, though it be in a spiritual substance.

There are various ways by which the wrath of God may have access to the soul, to make it miserable; and this punishment is sometimes compared to fire, as it is beyond expression dreadful; and accordingly God, when inflicting it, is styled, A consuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. and his jealousy is said elsewhere to burn like fire, Psal. lxxix. 5. Therefore, some have described the punishment of sin in hell, as including in it the insupportable weight of the wrath of God lying on the consciences of men, and sinking them into perdition; whereby it appears to be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 31. A judicious divine considers this as the effect of God’s immediate presence, as a sin-revenging Judge; and therefore understands that text, in which it is said, They shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, 2 Thes. i. 9. not as denoting an exclusion from his comforting presence, which is an undoubted truth, and the more generally received sense thereof; but he speaks of the presence of God, as well as his power, as the immediate cause of their destruction; in like manner as when the Psalmist joins both these ideas together, when he says, Who knoweth the power of thine anger, Psal. xc. 11. and it seems most agreeable to the grammatical construction of the words.[190] This is that punishment which is more immediately adapted to the soul.

As for the punishment of sense, which the body shall endure, whether it be compared unto fire, as containing in it some effects, not unlike to those produced by fire; or, whether it only signifies that the punishment shall be most exquisite, as no pain is so terrible as that which is the effect of fire, I will not pretend to determine. There are, indeed, other expressions by which it is set forth in scripture, as well as fire, viz. cutting asunder, Matt. xxiv. 51. tearing in pieces, Psal. l. 22. drowning men in destruction and perdition, 1 Tim. vi. 9. a being bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness, Matt. xxii. 13. or, into a furnace of fire, chap. xiii. 42. or, a lake of fire burning with brimstone, Rev. xix. 20. some of which are, doubtless, metaphorical expressions, by which the punishment of sin is set forth; but whether they are all so we must not be too positive in determining: however, some suppose they are, because the glory of heaven is described by the metaphors of streets of gold, gates of pearl, Rev. xxi. 21. rivers of pleasure, &c. Psal. xxxvi. 8. and the wrath of God is metaphorically described, when he is called a consuming fire, Heb. xii. 29. Therefore, as the glory of heaven is represented by metaphors, denoting that it is inconceivably great; so, if we suppose that the punishment of sin in hell, is set forth by metaphorical ways of speaking, we cannot from hence, in all respects, take an estimate of the quality thereof; nevertheless we must conclude in general from such-like expressions, by which it is represented, that it is inexpressibly terrible, such as respects both soul and body, which is called, as has been observed in different respects, the punishment of sense. Which leads us,

II. To consider this punishment, as to the degree thereof, which is generally described as being various, in proportion to the aggravations of sin committed; accordingly they who have sinned under the gospel-dispensation, are considered as exposed to a greater degree of punishment than others who have not had those advantages. Thus the apostle says, Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, chap. x. 29. And our Saviour speaking concerning the Scribes and Pharisees, who were notorious hypocrites, whose religion was no more than a pretence, and made subservient to the vilest practices, tells them, that they should receive the greater damnation, Matt. xxiii. 14. that is, a greater degree of punishment, as they had contracted greater guilt than others: and the apostle speaks of some who had had great advantages through the riches of God’s goodness and forbearance towards them, but yet were impenitent, and hardened in sin; these, says he, treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath, Rom. ii. 5. that is, add greater degrees to the punishment which they shall endure in another world.

III. We are to consider the punishment, which sinners are liable to in the world to come, as to its duration, in which respect, it shall be without intermission, and eternal. That there shall be no relaxation of punishment, may be proved from what our Saviour says in the parable; in which the rich man, who was tormented in flames, could not obtain one drop of water to cool his tongue, Luke xvi. 26. Thus we read of those who are said to drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and that the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever; and that they have no rest day nor night, Rev. xiv. 10, 11. And our Saviour speaks of the two main ingredients in the punishment of sin; namely, the tormenting sense which conscience shall have of the wrath of God due to it; and the punishment of sense, which is compared to that that proceeds from fire, and both are described as eternal; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, Mark ix. 44, 46, 48.

That the punishment of sin in another world will be eternal, may be argued from the impossibility of their obtaining a discharge from the sentence of condemnation, under which they are, unless satisfaction be given to the justice of God for sins committed; but this cannot be given by the person that suffers; inasmuch as his sufferings are due to him, pursuant to the sentence of the judge, and agreeable to the demerit of sin; which being, as it is usually expressed objectively infinite, because committed against an infinite God, and containing a contempt of his sovereignty and other perfections which are infinite; therefore it deserves a punishment proportionable thereto. And since the sufferings of finite creatures are no other than finite, and consequently bear no proportion to the demands of infinite justice, they must be infinite in duration, that is, eternal. It may also be observed, that at the same time that persons are suffering for past sins, they are committing others. This is not like God’s furnace, which is in Zion; whereby he designs not to consume, but to refine and purge away the dross and the tin; for it cannot, in any instance be said, that this is overruled for good. Therefore the habits of sin are increased rather than weakened thereby; and consequently sinners are set at a farther distance from God, from holiness and happiness; which, because it is still increasing, their punishment must be eternal.

And to this we may add, that there is no Mediator appointed between God and them; none who has undertaken to pay this debt for them, and procure their discharge, as the apostle says concerning those who have sinned wilfully after they had received the knowledge of the truth; there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, Heb. x. 26. no advocate to plead their cause; no ordinances in which the glad tidings of salvation are published, nor any golden sceptre of mercy held forth to invite them to come in, or give them hope of finding acceptance in the sight of God; no covenant of grace that contains any promise that will afford relief; and no inclination, in their own souls, to return to God with an humble sense of sin, and desire to forsake it, and from hence arises everlasting despair, beyond expression tormenting, which the apostle calls blackness of darkness for ever, Jude ver. 13.

This is a very awful and awakening subject; and many are as little desirous to hear of these things, as the people were to hear of the account which the prophet Isaiah gave them of approaching judgments; and therefore they say, Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us, Isa. xxx. 11. But since there is such a passion in men as fear; and this is oftentimes made subservient to their spiritual advantage, it pleases God, in wisdom and mercy, sometimes to reveal those things in his word, which have a tendency to awaken our fears, and to set before us death as well as life, the threatenings as well as the promises, that hereby we may see it to be our duty and interest to flee from the wrath to come; and to use those precautions prescribed in the gospel, which may have a tendency, through divine grace, to prevent our sinking into everlasting perdition. They who cast off fear, and think themselves safe, because the rod of God is not upon them, generally cast off a sense of duty, and say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways, Job xxi. 9, 14. Therefore these subjects are to be insisted on as warnings to induce men to avoid the rock on which multitudes have split and perished; not to lead them to despair. However, there is great need of prudence in applying every truth in such a way as that it may be of advantage; which renders the work of those that are employed in preaching the gospel, exceeding difficult: every one must have those doctrines inculcated and applied to him, that are adapted to his respective condition, as well as founded on the word of God; and therefore we may observe,

1. That such subjects as these, though they are not to be concealed, as being a part of the counsel of God, and a means ordained by him, to answer some valuable end; yet they are not only, or principally to be insisted on, as though there were no passion to be wrought upon but fear. It is the stupid person that is to be awakened out of his lethargy, by violent methods: the man that says, I shall have peace, though I walk according to the corrupt inclinations of my own heart; the danger is over; or that no ill consequences will attend that wilful impenitency and unbelief, which is like to prove destructive to him; or, if a person is willing to deceive himself, and endeavours to extenuate his sin, apprehending the consequences thereof not to be so pernicious as they really are; or, that the mercy of God will save him, though remaining in open rebellion against him, as though there were no arrows in his quiver, or vials of wrath to be poured forth on his enemies. Such ought to be dealt with, by representing God as a consuming fire, with whom is terrible majesty; and they must be told of the punishment of sin in this and another world, that they may see their danger before it be too late to escape. If it be said, that the terrors of God have a tendency to drive persons to despair. To this it may be replied, that the persons we are speaking of, are so far from despairing of the mercy of God, that they are inclined to abuse it; and that which is like to be their ruin, is the contrary extreme, viz. presumption; which leads them to turn the grace of God into wantonness.

2. As for others, who are humbled under a sense of sin, whose flesh trembles for fear of God’s judgments, there is not so much occasion to insist on these awakening subjects, when we have to do with them; for this would be like adding fuel to the fire. If the heart be broken and contrite, and is apt to meditate little else but terror; then such subjects are to be insisted on as are encouraging. Thus when the prophet Jeremiah had been reproving the people for their abominations, and threatening many sore judgments which God would execute upon them, he applies healing medicines; Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Jer. viii. 22. And elsewhere when he had been reprehending them for their idolatry, and putting them in mind of those judgments they had exposed themselves to; he encourages them to cry unto God, my Father, thou art the guide of my youth: Will he reserve his anger for ever? Will he keep it to the end? Jer. iii. 4, 5. It is God’s usual method in dealing with sinners, first to excite their fear by charging sin on the conscience, and putting them in mind of the dreadful consequences thereof; in which respect, as the apostle expresses, The law enters that the offence might abound; and then he shews him, that the soul may take encouragement, when humbled under a sense of its own guilt; that where sin has abounded, grace did much more abound, Rom. v. 20. The gospel is designed to administer comfort to those, who are distressed under a dread of the wrath of God. Therefore, there are promises as well as threatenings; and each of these are to be applied as the occasion requires it; so that the happiness of heaven is to be set in opposition to the punishment of sin in hell; and accordingly as the answer we have been explaining, contains a very awful and awakening subject; so, in the next, we are led to consider a doctrine which is full of comfort to those who have an interest in Jesus Christ.

Footnote 190:

See this largely insisted on by Dr. Goodwin, in his works, Vol. III. Book xiii. His critical remarks in chap. ii. seem very just, viz. that απο is causal here, as well as in many other scriptures which he refers to: and his strongest argument to prove that it is to be taken so in this verse, is, because, as he observes, απο must be applied to the glory of his power, as well as to his presence; so that if it denotes a separation from the one, it must also denote a separation from the other; whereas no one supposes that this punishment consists in a separation from the power of God, but that it is to be considered as the effect thereof.

Quest. XC.

QUEST. XC. What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?

ANSW. At the day of judgment, the righteous being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged, and acquitted; shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven; where they shall be fully and for ever freed from all sin and misery, filled with unconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy, both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints, and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity: and this is the perfect and full communion which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory at the resurrection and day of judgment.

We have, in this answer, an account of the great honours and privileges that the saints shall be advanced to, and partake of, as the consequence of that sentence that Christ will pass on them, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, Matt. xxv. 34. which are words that contain a gracious invitation given them to take possession of that glory which will tend to make them completely and for ever happy. We have already considered the righteous as caught up to Christ in the clouds, which is either done by the ministry of angels, or else their bodies will be so changed, that they shall be able to mount upward, with as much ease as they are, now to walk upon the surface of the earth. We have also considered them as set at Christ’s right-hand. Whether this has any regard to the place of their situation, we cannot determine; but, according to the scripture mode of speaking, it certainly denotes the highest honours conferred upon them; which will be not only spiritual but external and visible; whereby it shall appear to all, that they are Christ’s peculiar friends and favourites; and this will tend to raise in them the highest astonishment, that they should thus be dealt with by so glorious a person, who were in themselves unworthy of his notice; and it shall afford matter of eternal praise. What is farther observed concerning them in this answer, is contained in the following heads.

I. They shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted.

II. They shall join with Christ in the judging of reprobate angels and men.

III. They shall be received into heaven, in which their happiness is farther described; as therein they shall be freed from sin and misery, filled with unspeakable joy, made perfectly holy and happy, both in body and soul, and admitted into the company of saints and holy angels, and have the immediate vision and fruition of God to all eternity.

I. They shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted. Our Lord Jesus was not ashamed to own his people, when he condescended to take their nature upon him, and dwell among them; or, as the apostle expresses it, He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Heb. ii. 11. And he gives them many tokens of his approbation, by those spiritual privileges which he bestows on them here: but at last he shall own them publicly, in the presence of the whole world, as a people whom he has chosen, redeemed, sanctified, and brought the work of grace in them to perfection. He overlooks all their former failures and defects, and looks upon them as adorned with perfect beauty, appearing without spot before him, and having now nothing that may be offensive to his holy eye, or denote them unmeet for the relation which they stand in to him, and the blessings which they shall enjoy with him.

Moreover, it is said that he shall openly acquit them, i. e. declare publicly, that he has given satisfaction for all their offences; and therefore they are for ever pronounced clear from the guilt thereof. And, as it was before observed, it is not improbable, that their former sins shall not be so much as mentioned, being all covered; and if sought for, shall not be found: but it is certain, that if they shall be mentioned, it shall not be to their confusion or condemnation; for it shall be declared, that the justice of God has nothing to lay to their charge; and, as the consequence thereof, they shall be delivered from that fear, shame, and distress, which they had before been subject to, through the afflicting sense of the guilt and prevalency of sin: however, when they are represented as thus acquitted, this does not suppose that their sins were not fully pardoned before, or that justification in this life, is imperfect, as to what concerns their right to forgiveness, or eternal life. The debt was fully cancelled, and a discharge given into Christ’s hands, in the behalf of all his elect, on his making satisfaction to the justice of God; but this was not their visible discharge; and not being a declared act, it could not be claimed by, nor was it applied to them till they believed; and then they might say, Who shall lay any thing to our charge? it is God that justifieth[191]: nevertheless, their justification, as it is declared to, and apprehended by faith, could not be said to be in all respects, so apparent, nor attended with those comfortable fruits and effects, which are the consequence hereof, as it is when they are pronounced justified by Christ at death; and even then the discharge is not so open and visible to the whole world, as it shall be in the day of judgment.

II. It is farther said, that they shall join with Christ in judging of reprobate angels and men: this is very often asserted by those who treat on this subject; and it seems to be taken from the sense which is commonly given of the apostle’s words in 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3. Know ye not that saints shall judge the world; and, know ye not that the saints shall judge angels? However, we must take heed, if we apply that scripture to the case before us, that we do not advance any thing that tends, in the least, to derogate from the glory of Christ, who only is fit for, and appointed to perform this great work: therefore, if we suppose that the apostle is here speaking concerning the judgment of the great day, the saints are said to judge the world in a less proper sense; but whatever be the sense in which we explain it, we must not think that they shall be assessors with Christ in his throne of judgment: it is one thing for them to be near his throne in the capacity and station of favourites; and another thing for them to be in it: if they are in any sense said to judge the world, it must not be understood, as though the trying of the cause, or passing the sentence, were committed to them; but rather of their approving what Christ shall do: this they are represented as doing, when Christ is set forth as judging the great whore, Rev. xix. 2. namely, the anti-christian powers; they so far join with him herein, as that they ascribe glory and honour to him, and say, Righteous are his judgments.

And there is another sense in which some understand this scripture, concerning the saints judging the world, as denoting that the public mention which shall be made of the graces of the saints, their faith, repentance, love to God, and universal holiness, will have a tendency to condemn those whose conversation in this world has been the reverse thereof. Their having forsaken all, and followed Christ, and accounted all things but loss, that they might win him. The choice which they have made of suffering rather than sinning, which appears to be an instance of the highest wisdom, shall condemn the wickedness and folly of those, who have exposed themselves to inevitable ruin and misery, by being otherwise-minded. Thus Noah is said to have condemned the world by his faith, Heb. xi. 7. when, in obedience to the divine command, he prepared an ark to the saving of his house, which the world then thought to be the most preposterous action that ever was performed, though they were afterwards, to their cost, convinced of the contrary. And the men of Nineveh, and the queen of the South, are said to rise up in the judgment with that generation, and condemn it, Matt. xii. 41, 42. (to wit, objectively, rather than formally,) as their respective behaviour tended to expose the impenitency and unbelief of the Jews, whom Christ there reproves. If the saints judging the world, be taken in either of these senses, it is an undoubted truth: but more than this we dare not assert.

Nevertheless, we may take occasion to enquire, whether that text, on which this doctrine is founded, may not be explained in another sense, as denoting some privilege which the saints were to enjoy in this world, when the empire should become Christian; and accordingly, magistrates and judges should be chosen out of the church, in which respect they should judge the world. This seems, to me, the most probable sense of the apostle’s words, as an excellent and learned writer understands them[192]; and it is very agreeable to the context, in which they are dissuaded, in ver. 1. from going to law before the unjust, and not before the saints, as signifying the inexpediency of exposing those controversies, that ought to be compromised in the church, before Heathen-magistrates, as though they thought themselves unfit to judge the smallest matters, of which he here speaks, not of capital offences, which were to be tried only by the civil magistrate; and to enforce this advice, he says, Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world.

Obj. 1. It is objected to this sense of the text; that, at the same time when the saints are said to judge the world, he speaks of them as judging angels; which comes not within the province of civil magistrates; though we suppose them to be Christians.

Answ. To this it may be replied, that when the apostle speaks of the saints judging angels; this is brought in occasionally, the former sense of judging being more agreeable to the context. But since he is insisting on an honour that should be conferred on the church, he farther enlarges on that subject, and so speaks of their judging angels, as denoting that the consequence and success of the gospel would be an evident conviction to the world, that the Devil’s empire was weakened, that he had no right to reign over the children of disobedience, as he before had done. Thus our Saviour speaks of Satan’s kingdom being destroyed by the preaching and success of the gospel, when he says, ‘Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out,’ John xii. 31. And elsewhere it is said, ‘Now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,’ Rev. xii. 10. Moreover, the apostle may have a particular reference to their power of casting out devils, not only in that, but in some following ages, as our Saviour, promised they should have, before he left the world, Mark xvi. 17. which is known to have continued in the church till the third century[193].

Obj. 2. There is another scripture which seems to favour this opinion, namely, that the saints shall judge the world in the last day, viz. our Saviour’s words, in Matt. xix. 28. ‘Ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;’ and that which makes this sense more probable, is what he speaks of in the following verse, as a reward which they, who had ‘forsaken all for his name’s sake,’ should enjoy, namely, ‘ye shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.’

Answ. To this it may be replied, that our Saviour, in one of these verses, may, without any strain on the sense of the words, be understood as giving them to expect some honours, that should be conferred on them here, and in the other, those which they should receive in another world: As to the honours which were to be conferred on them here, namely, their sitting on thrones, &c. This is said to be ‘in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory,’ that is, not when the Son of man shall come to judgment; but when he shall enter into his state of exaltation, and sit at God’s right-hand. And inasmuch as this was to be done for them in the regeneration, it seems most applicable to the gospel-state; in which, as the apostle says, ‘Old things are past away; behold, all things are become new,’ 2 Cor. v. 17. agreeable to what is foretold by the prophet, ‘Behold I create new heavens and a new earth,’ Isa. lxv. 17. which may well be called the regeneration. And, as for the apostles sitting on thrones, that may signify the spiritual honours that should be conferred upon them; so that however they might be despised by the world, they should be reckoned, by all that entertain just notions of things, the chief and most honourable men of the earth. And, as to what respects their judging the twelve tribes of Israel, that may be understood of their convicting the Jews, and condemning them for their unbelief in crucifying Christ, and rejecting and persecuting the gospel. This they might be said to do, partly in the exercise of their ministry, and partly in the success thereof, and, indeed, the gospel may be said to judge men when it convicts and reproves them. If this be the sense of the text, then it does not respect any honours which the apostles should be advanced to in the day of judgment; and consequently it does not appear from hence, that they, any more than other saints, shall bear a part in judging the world, either of angels or men.

III. The saints shall be received into heaven. This includes in it their being brought into a glorious place, and state. Thus the apostle calls it, An house not made with hands, 2 Cor. v. 1. which, doubtless, far exceeds all the other parts of the creation: For, as the earthly paradise far exceeded all other places in this world, being planted immediately by God, and furnished with every thing which might be delightful and entertaining for man, for whom it was designed: so this must be supposed to be the most glorious part of the frame of nature, as being designed to be the place of the eternal abode of the best of creatures; and indeed, whatever is called heaven in scripture, comes short of it, this being styled, the heaven of heavens, Psal. cxlviii. 4. it is also particularly described as God’s throne, Isa. lxvi. 1. the place of his immediate residence, where he displays his glory in an extraordinary manner. As for that particular part of the universe, in which it is situate, it is neither possible, nor of any advantage for us to determine, any otherwise than as it is described, as being above this lower world. But the principal thing to be considered, is, the glory of the state, into which the saints shall there be brought; which is set forth in this answer, by variety of expressions.

1. Herein they shall be fully, and for ever, freed from all sin and misery; which being inseparably connected, they are delivered from both at once. As to what respects the guilt of sin, this includes in it not only their being for ever discharged from the guilt of past sins, which is contained in their being openly acquitted, as was before observed, but their not contracting guilt for the future; accordingly they are put into such a state as that they shall be disposed, and enabled to yield sinless obedience; and as they are presented without spot and blemish before God, they shall never contract the least defilement, or do any thing which shall render them unmeet for that glory, to which they are advanced, afford matter of reproach to them, or provoke God to cast them out of that place which cannot entertain any but sinless creatures. Therefore it differs not only from that sinless state in which man was created at first, but that in which the angels were created, who were not all confirmed in their state of holiness, so as to render it impossible for any of them to fall; but this is the happiness of glorified saints.

And we may also infer from hence, that there shall be no temptations to sin; none arising from themselves, since there are no lusts, or remainders of corruption, to draw them aside from God; and no temptations from others, since they are all made perfectly holy. The soul meets with no temptations from the body, as it often did, while it was subject to the infirmities of nature, in this imperfect state. It shall never be liable to any weakness, weariness, stupidity, nor any of those diseases with which it is now oppressed; so that the soul shall never meet with any temptations arising from thence, inasmuch as the happiness of the body consists in its subserviency to it, in all those things that may tend to promote its compleat blessedness. Moreover, they are also considered as delivered from all misery, whether personal, or relative. The afflictions of believers are confined to this present state; therefore in heaven ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away,’ Rev. xxi. 4. and nothing remains that may tend to abate their happiness, or render the state in which they are, imperfect.

2. They shall be filled with inconceivable joys. Thus our Saviour says to the man in the parable, who had improved the talents he had been entrusted with; Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord, Matt. xxv. 21, 23. and they are said not only to be presented faultless before the presence of the glory of Christ; but with exceeding joy, Jude, ver. 24. This is the necessary result of a state of perfect blessedness; which cannot but administer the highest satisfaction and comfort to those who are possessed thereof; inasmuch as it not only answers, but even exceeds their most raised expectations. These joys are not indeed carnal, but spiritual; for as the greatest delight which the saints have here, consists in the favour and love of God, and in the bright rays of his glory shining into the soul, so they shall be perfectly blessed with this hereafter, in which respect their joy shall be full.

3. They shall be made perfectly holy and happy, both in body and soul. The soul shall be unspeakably more enlarged than it was before, as to all the powers and faculties thereof. The understanding rendered more capable of contemplating the divine perfections, and it shall be entertained with those discoveries of the glory thereof, which, at present, we have but a very imperfect knowledge of: It shall be fitted to behold the wisdom of God in the works of creation and redemption, and be led into the deep mysteries of his providence, and the reason of the various dispensations thereof, which, though they know not now, they shall know hereafter. The will shall be perfectly free, having no corrupt nature to bias, or turn it aside, from that which is its chief good and happiness; neither shall it choose any thing, but what is conducive thereunto: There are no remains of rebellion and obstinacy to be found therein, but a perfect and entire conformity to the will of God. The affections shall be perfectly regulated, and unalterably run in a right channel, fixed upon the best objects, and not in the least inclined to deviate from them. And, as for the body, that shall be fitted for a state of perfection, as well as the soul; for it shall be raised a spiritual, celestial, and glorious body, and therefore perfectly adapted to be a partaker with the soul, of that glory which the whole man shall be possessed of; and sanctified to be a temple of the Holy Ghost for ever.

4. They shall be joined with the innumerable company of the saints and holy angels. The apostle speaks of an innumerable company of angels, and the general assembly and church of the first-born, Heb. xii. 22, 23. to which we are said, in this world, to come by faith; but hereafter these two assemblies shall be joined together, and make one body, that so they may, as they are represented doing, with one consent, adore and proclaim the worthiness, riches, wisdom, and strength of the lamb that was slain, who lives for ever and ever, Rev. v. 11, & seq. Now since the saints and angels are described as making up the same body, and engaged in the same worship, some have taken occasion to enquire concerning the means by which they shall converse together in another world; or, in what manner this united body shall be made visible to each other; but these things we must be content to be ignorant of in this present state. However, as to the saints, they shall converse with one another by the organ of sense and speech; for this is one of the ends for which the body shall be raised and re-united to the soul; and it may also be proved, from what we read of Moses and Elias conversing with Christ at his transfiguration in such a manner, Matt. xvii. 3.

As for that question which some propose, relating to this matter, viz. whether there shall be a diversity of languages in heaven, as there is on earth? This we cannot pretend to determine. Some think that there shall; and that as persons of all nations and tongues, shall make up that blessed society, so they shall praise God in the same language which they before used when on earth; and that this worship may be performed with the greatest harmony, and to mutual edification, all the saints shall, by the immediate power and providence of God, be able to understand and make use of every one of those different languages, as well as their own. This they found on the apostle’s words, in which he says, That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord; which, they suppose, has a respect to the heavenly state, because it is said to be done both by those that are in heaven, and those that are on earth, Phil. ii. 10, 11. But though the apostle speaks, by a metonymy, of different tongues, that is, persons who speak different languages, being subject to Christ, he probably means thereby persons of different nations, whether they shall praise him in their own language in heaven, or no.

Therefore some conjecture, that the diversity of languages shall then cease; inasmuch as it took its first rise from God’s judicial hand, when he confounded the speech of those who presumptuously attempted to build the city and tower of Babel; and this has been, ever since, attended with many inconveniencies. And, indeed, the apostle seems expressly to intimate as much, when he says, speaking concerning the heavenly state, that tongues shall cease, 1 Cor. xiii. 8. that is, the present variety of languages. Moreover, since the gift of tongues was bestowed on the apostles, for the gathering and building up the church in the first age thereof, which end, when it was answered, this extraordinary dispensation ceased; in like manner, it is probable that hereafter the diversity of languages shall cease[194].

I am sensible there are some who object to this, that the saints, understanding all languages, will be an addition to their honour, glory, and happiness: but to this it may be answered, that though it is, indeed, an accomplishment in this world, for a person to understand several languages; that arises from the subserviency thereof, to those valuable ends that are answered thereby; but this would be entirely removed, if the diversity of languages be taken away in heaven, as some suppose it will.

There are some, who, it may be, give too much scope to a vain curiosity, when they pretend to enquire what this language shall be, or determine, as the Jews do, and with them, some of the Fathers, that it shall be the Hebrew; since their arguments for it are not sufficiently conclusive; which are principally these, viz. That this was the language with which God inspired man at first in paradise, and that which the saints and patriarchs spake, and the church generally made use of in all ages, till our Saviour’s time; and that it was this language which he himself spake, while here on earth: and since his ascension into heaven, he spake unto Paul in the Hebrew tongue, Acts xxvi. 14. And when the inhabitants of heaven are described in the Revelations as praising God, there is one word used, by which their praise is expressed, namely, Hallelujah, which is Hebrew; the meaning whereof is, praise ye the Lord: but all these arguments are not sufficiently convincing; and therefore we must reckon it no more than a conjecture.

As for the opinion of those who suppose that it will not be any particular language that is, or has been spoken in this world, but one that is more perfect and significative, and that this is what the apostle means when he speaks of the tongues of angels, in 1 Cor. xiii. 1. To this it may be replied, that it is more than probable, that there shall be some language which shall be more perfect and significative than any that is now known in the world; which glorified saints shall receive by immediate inspiration; yet this does not fully appear to be the apostle’s meaning in that scripture; since it is not certain that angels express their ideas by the sound of words; inasmuch as they have no bodies, nor organs of speech; neither can we certainly determine that they frame voices some other way. Therefore, the tongue of angels, which the apostle speaks of, is an hyperbolical expression, signifying the most excellent language, or such an one as angels would speak, did they use a voice; as the face of angels, chap. vi. 15. is expressed to signify the most bright, glorious, and majestic countenance; and as manna is called angels food, Psal. lxviii. 25. that is, the most pleasant and delightful: therefore the tongue of angels signifies the most excellent language. But these things, though often enquired into by those who treat on this subject, are very uncertain; neither is it of any advantage for us to be able to determine them.

But there is another thing arising from the consideration of the saints being joined in one society, which is much more useful, and, so far as we have light to determine it, will afford a very comfortable and delightful thought to us, namely, what concerns their knowing one another in heaven. The scripture, indeed, does not so fully determine this matter as it does some others, relating to the heavenly state; yet many of God’s children have died with a firm persuasion that they shall see and know their friends, in another world; and have been ready to conclude this to be a part of that happiness which they shall enjoy therein; and we cannot think this altogether an ungrounded opinion; though it is not to be contended for as it were a necessary and important article of faith.

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