they fhall at length, attain to glory, bonour, immortality, and eternal life.

We likewife learn, in the gospel, that Chrift is appointed both to raise all the dead, and to judge the world at the last day. Addreffing himself to the Jews, he says, John vi. 40. "This is the will of him that fent "me, that every one who feeth the fon, "and believeth on him, may have everlast

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ing life and I will raife him up at the

laft day." Speaking to Martha, upon the occafion of the death of Lazarus, he fays, "I am the refurrection, and the life;" and when he was folemnly adjured by the high prieft, at his trial, to fay whether he was the Chrift, he faid, Mark xiv. 62. “I am, and ye fhall fee the fon of man fitting "on the right hand of power, and coming "in the clouds of heaven." Our Lord gives a more particular account of the proceedings of this great day. Matt. xxv. 31.

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46

When the fon of man fhall come in his

glory, and all the holy angels with him, "then fhall he fit upon the throne of his

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glory. And before him fhall be gathered

" all

"all nations; and he fhall feparate them one " from another, as a fhepherd divideth his fheep from the goats:" when he will fay to the righteous, Come, ye blessed of

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my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the "world;" but to the wicked he will fay, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlafting fire, prepared for the devil and "his angels."

The reason why Chrift fhould be appointed by God to act this illuftrious part, is pretty clearly intimated to be his being a man, viz. of the fame rank and fpecies with ourselves, John v. 22. "The Father judgeth "no man; but hath committed all judg"ment unto the Son." And, v. 27. “ he hath

given him authority to execute judgment "alfo, because he is the fon of man;" fo that being, with respect to his nature, in all refpects, like ourselves, fubject to the fame infirmities and paffions, we may be well affured, that he will feel for us, and be difposed to make all the reasonable allowances that our fituation and circumstances fhall require

VOL. II.

Bb

require; fo that we can have no reason to complain, or be apprehenfive of unjust severity from our judge. For this reason, among others, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews obferves, chap. ii. 10. that "it became him, for whom are all things, "and by whom are all things, to make the captain of our falvation perfect through

fufferings;" ver. 17. "That in all things "it behoved him to be made like unto his "brethren;" that he fhould not be an angel, but "of the feed of Abraham, that "he might be a merciful and faithful highprieft for us."

We are informed that, at the fecond coming of Chrift, the virtuous fhall be raised firft, and immediately after that, a change, which fhall fuperfede death, will take place upon all who are alive; in confequence of which, their bodies, as well as those which are raised from the dead, will become incorruptible, and not fubject to die any more. These particulars we are informed of in the following paffages of scripture, I Theff. iv. 13. "I would not have you to

be

"be ignorant, brethren, concerning them "who are asleep, that ye forrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we "believe that Jefus died, and rofe again, "even fo them alfo who fleep in Jefus, "will God bring with him. For this we

say unto you, by the word of the Lord, "that we who are alive and remain unto "the coming of the Lord, fhall not pre"vent them who are afleep. For the Lord "himself fhall defcend from heaven with "a shout, with the voice of the archangel, "and with the trump of God: and the "dead in Chrift fhall rife firft: then we "who are alive, and remain, shall be caught

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up together with them in the clouds, to "meet the Lord in the air: and fo fhall we "ever be with the Lord." I Cor. xv. 42. "So alfo is the refurrection of the dead. It "is fown in corruption, it is raised in in

corruption: it is fown in difhonour, it "is raised in glory: it is fown in weakness, "it is raised in power: it is fown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Ver.

50.

Now this I fay, brethren, that flesh " and

Bb 2

"and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of "God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I fhew you a mys

66 tery; We shall not all fleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the "twinkling of an eye, at the last trump (for "the trumpet fhall found) and the dead "shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall "be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must

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put on immortality." Hence we may clearly infer, that all bodily imperfections will be removed, fo that every person will appear with his full powers of body and mind; but whether any will rife in the state of infancy, we are not informed.

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