A. D. 57. 6. After that, he 7. After that, he 8. And last of all alfo, as of one born after his Refurrection. First Peter (Luke xxiv. 34.) then the whole College of Apoftles (John xx. 19, 26.) and then the five hundred Difciples in a Body, in Galilee, before his Afcenfion (Matth. xxvi. 32.) of whom the major Part are tho' fome of them be dead. 7. That moreover he was seen by James (the Lord's Brother, called James the Juft) and by all his Difciples again, at his Afcenthe Mount of Olives. 8 & 9. And lastly, That about two Years after his Afcenfion, (and feveral Times after that) he appeared in a miraculous Manner to me alfo; a Perfon by the Fury of my former Prejudices and Paffions, not fit for an earlier Difcovery of him; and like an Abortive, am, in † that Respect, below the Dimenfions of the rest of the Apostles, and scarce worthy of that honourable Name. that am not meet to 10. But by the grace vain; but I laboured that Purpose. 10. But by the divine + Favour I am called to this great Office; and as I was the leaft worthy of it, of all the other Apoftles, fo I have ftrived to make up that Defect by uncommon Labour and Diligence in the Execution of it; the Succefs whereof I do no Way ascribe to my felf, but all to the Gifts of his Holy Spirit beftowed on me for II. Now * Ver. 8. AЯş ix. and afterward in AƐts xxii. which was about five Years after the Afcenfion. + Ib. See 2 Cor. ii. 5. which is reconciled to this Verse by the Paraphrafe. Ver. 10. See Rom. xv. 17, 18, 19. 11. Therefore whether it were I or they, fo we preach, and fo ye believed. II. Now whether * you were A. D. 57. converted by me or Peter, or any other Apostle whatever, the Doctrine taught you, and on which you are to depend for Salvation, is the fame, viz. that of a crucified and a rifen Saviour. 12. Now if Chrift be preached that he rofe from the dead, how fay fome among you, that there is no refurrection of the dead? 12. But I find fome of your new Teachers have endeavoured to perfuade you, that a future State, and a + Refurrection of the Body, are weak and abfurd Notions. But if their Suggeftions be of any Weight, what becomes of that fundamental Article of your Chriftian Faith, viz. the Refurrection of Chrift? 13. For, to fay there can be no Refurrection, and yet to hold that Chrift is actually rifen, is a Contradiction. 14. And, on the other Side, to deny that Chrift is actually rifen, is to deftroy the main + Evidence of our Chriftian Religion; fo I have preached, and you have beGround and Foundation: 15. Nay we his Apoftles in particular, who pretended to give a divine Evidence, and appeal to the Truth of God, that he did raise Ver. 11. Whether it were I or they - i. e. who converted you: Or elfe, whether I or they labour'd most. + Ver. 12. No Refurrection of the Dead. Tho' the Word 'Avásnais does indeed in the New Teftament moftly fignify the future State, yet by attending to the Method and Turns of this Chapter, the judicious Reader will find the Apostle here uses it in both its Acceptations, viz. that of the future State in general, against the Sadducaical Objectors, and that of the Refurrection of the Body against the Gentile Philofophers. See the Contents of this Chapter. Ver. 14. See A&s i. 22. Rom. i. 3. iv. 25. As xvii. 31. 1 Pet. iii. 21. Rom. vi. 4. A. D. 57. of God that he raised up Chrift: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rife not. 16. For if the dead rife not, then is not Chrift raised: 17. And if Chrift be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your fins. raise up Jefus from the Dead, must be guilty of the most impious Forgery and Falfhood. 16 & 17. Confider therefore the wretched Confequences of fuch an Opinion; it deftroys the Poffibility of Chrifl's Refurrection, which is the main Proof of the Truth of your whole Religion; it difannuls all the Benefits of his Death and Sufferings, by Virtue of which alone · a Chriftian can hope for the Pardon of his Sins. For if he be dead for ever himself, it is impoffible his Death can avail any Thing to our Pardon and future Happinefs. (See Rom. iv. 21.) 18. Then they also which are fallen afleep in Chrift, are perished. 19. If in this life only we have hope in Chrift, we are of all 18. So that all that have died in the Chriftian Faith, are loft, and disappointed of all their Hopes and Promises. 19. For, if all our Prospect of Happiness were terminated in the prefent Life, a Chriftian, and efpecially an Apostle of Chrift, who is thus exposed to Sufferings and Perfecution, would have the worst and hardeft Condition of all Mankind. men moft miferable. 20. But now is Chrift rifen from the dead, 20. But be not misled with fpeculative and vain Notions. The Fact is certain and abfolute, that Chrift our Saviour is rifen; and our Refurrection is as certain a Confequence of our bleffed Mafter's, as the whole Jewish Harvest was of being accepted and bleffed by the Offering of the First-Fruits. 21.For fince by man came death, by man came also the refurrec22. For tion of the dead. 21 & 22. Nor can your Jewish Objectors, viz. of the Sadducaical Party, deny this great Truth, without deftroying all that Analogy between 22. For as in Adam all die, even fo in Chrift fhall all be made alive. between the first and second A. D. 57Adam, which themselves allow from their own Scriptures. For if all true Believers are not reftored to Life by the Meffiah, the fecond Adam, as all * Mankind were made fubject to Death by the Sin of the firft Adam, the main Inftance of the Analogy is loft. Whereas by fuppofing this contrary Truth, the Agreement is kept whole and entire. 23. But every man in his own order: Chrift the firft-fruits, afterward they that are Chrifts, at his coming. 24. Then cometh the end, when he thall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he fhall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. 24. At that Day, I fay, which fhall put an End to the mediatorial Kingdom and Government of Chrift, and finifh the whole Difpenfation of God with Mankind, in this World; when Christ shall have gained a compleat Conqueft over Sin and Death, wicked Angels and wicked Men, and shall refign the Government of all Things to God the Father. 25. For he must 25. For the Difpenfation and reign till he hath put Government of Mankind in this all enemies under his World, must continue immediatefeet 1. ly under Chrift the Meffiah, till all the Enemies of GOD and his Church be fubdued. 26. The last enemy 26. Now Death being one and that fhall be deftroy- the last of thofe Enemies, it is ed, is death. abfolutely *Ver. 21, 22. See Rom. v. where the Apoftle uses the Same Argument to another Purpose, and both there and here ufes it as an Argument ad hominem against the Jewish Notions, viz. of the Sadducees. Without Suppofal whereof, neither of the Paffages feem to carry any Reafon in them. + Ver. 23. 1 The iv. 16. The Dead in Chrift (i. e. good Chriftians) fhall rife first. Ver. 25. Till be bath put. See NOTE on Rom. v. 13. A. D. 57. abfolutely neceffary for compleating this divine and glorious Conqueft, to have that alfo deftroyed, which can never be but by a Resurrection to a future Life. 27. For he hath put 28. And when all 27. When I fay Chrift has the Government and Superiority over all Things given to him, you must naturally fuppofe I except God the Father, who committed this Government to him. 28. And thus even when Chrift fhall have fubdued all the Enemies of God, and finifhed the whole Difpenfation with Mankind upon Earth, and his mediatorial Ġovernment fhall cease, he will refign himself, his Church, and all its Members, to God the Father; who shall then either himself be for ever the immediate Governor, Lord, and Difpofer of all Things; or elfe will continue Chrift, his Son, the glorious and triumphant Lord over the Church he has fo graciously redeemed; tho' ftill in Subordination to himself the fupreme Father, who firft committed all Power unto him. [Compare Dan. vii. 14, 27.] in all. 29. Elfe what fhall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rife not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead +? Chriftians die and † 29. But to return to the main *Argument. The Denial of the future State and Refurrection difannuls all the Purposes and Effects of your Chriftian Baptifm. 'Tis the Belief of the Refurrection you are baptized into; and to fay that live no more, is to make your baptismal 29.* Main Argument, which was left off at Ver. 23, not at the 20th, as Mr. Locke, and others, by a plain Mistake, suppose. + Ver. 29. Twig Tar vençar-Baptized for the Dead? i. e. who would be fo weak as to be baptized into the Faith of a Refurrection, that give themselves up for eternally dead after this Life? I have given the undoubted Senfe and Design of the Phrase, but how the Greek of it is precifely to be conftrued, muft ftill be left to the Criticks. See Dr. Mills upon this Place. |