geſurreQion prove the Reſurrection of the Saints ? He being the cter- nal Son of God might have a Priviledge aboye all, Aw, This firſt ſhews the thing is poſſible,God hath already done it in Chrift, 2.Chriſt roſe for our Juſtification, Rom. 5. laſt, and in Juſtification fin is par- don'd which brought in Death, and which alone by its Guilt can keep under the Dominion of Death, 3. Chriſt roie not as a private Perſon, but as the Head of the Body, his Church, #ph. 1. q. 20, G&c. and fo looſed the bands of Death, and conquered the Grave for all his People, 4. As the Firſt-fraits, 1 Cor. 15. 20. which was a pledge and atſurance of the whole Harveſt to follow. $s, God hath predeſtinated the Elect whom he foreknew, tobe conformed to the Image of his Son, Rom. 8, 29, 6, He is not complcat without them, Eph. 1. uit, Laſtly, They {lcep in Jeſus, as the Text ſpeaks; not only live, but die in him, Rev, 14. 12. their Unjon remains with Chrift even in Death, 0 By which Words aiſo the Apoſtle diſtinguiſheth Believers from all others; its only they ſhall have the priviledge of this bleſſed Reſurretion who fleep in Jeſus» And perſeverance in Chrift to the end, is here alſo in- timated, p And though their Returrection 1s not expreſs'd in the Text, yet it is implied in this ſaying. By God is meant, as ſome un- derſtand here, the Son of God, who is to come from Heaven, chap. 1, Jift. And who will bring the ſpirits of juſt men made perfett in Hea- ven with him, and unite them to their Bodies, WHich cannot be done without their Reſurrc&ion. Whereby the Apoſtle gives another Ar- vument againſt cxceffive Sorrow for the Saints departed, they ſhall re- turn from Heaven azain with Chrift at his coming, Others under-
ſtand it of God the Father, who will raiſe the Dead, and then bring
them to his Son, and bring them with him to Heaven, Thoſe that read the Text, thoſe that ſleep or die for Feſus, and ſo confine it only to Martyrs, refirain it to too narrow a tenſe,
15 For this we ſay unto you by the word of the Lord g, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, ſhall not prevent them which are aſleep r,
The Apoſtle here ſets down particularly the manner of the Lords coming, the method and order how all the Saints ſhall then mcet with him, and with one another, which we find not to diſtinctly in any other <cripture ; ard whereby he further prolecutes the Argument he is up- on. q That they might not think that what he ſpeaks was either by ſome Iradition from others, or an Invention of his own ; and that
pets under the Law atſembled the Congregation of ſjrae), ] thall nr | poſitive, And this is the Account of the Saints that are railcd,
. []
I7 Then we which are alive, and remain, ſhall [- caught vp together with them * in the clouds, to mat l-* the Lord in the air ; and ſo ſhall we * ever be with itz,” Lord w. q
w Chrift will have a Church to the end of the World, and fin? will - be found alive at his coming, and will be caught up, or ſnatch'd uw, denote its ſuddenneſs, it may be in the Arms of Angels, or by ſc
immediate attrattive Power of Chriſt ; and it will be together vc!
great Body, and it will be 7 the Clouds, . As Chrift himſelf afcendel ina Cloud, As 1,9, and ſo will return again, Mut. 24. 30, he mals | ing the Clouds his Chariots, Pſal. 104, 3. To meet the Lord in to 3 1. To congratulate his coming, when others ſhall tee and tromb!s, 2, Io put Honour upon hims as the Angels will allo atten in ! that end. - 3. To receive their final Diſcharge, 4, To be vii joined to their Head, 5, To be Affiſtants with him in judging © the World, and to reign with him upon#arth. And-whether the lai Judgment will be upon the Earth, or in the Air, J hall not « mine, But after this C hrift and his Saints ſhall never part, Thr firft meeting ſhall be in the Air, and their continuance will be wi. him while he is in this lower World, and after that they ſhall a" with him into Heaven, and (o be for ever with him, Augiltin nil gined that the Saints that are found alive ſhall in their Rapiuic and then immediately revive, becauſe it is appointed ro af en die ; but the Apoſtle laith exprefly, we ſhall not all dic, 6u: : be changed, 1 Cor. 15. 52,
[area that are now raiſed from the dead ; they ſhall all aſcend in 0:2
18 Wherefore, comfort || one another with £16! words x. |
x 1 he Apoſtle maketh Application of all this Diſcourſe to1% © he deſinged, which was-to comfort them under their ſorrows 7 2: parted Chriſtian Friends, hit
qi,
And he faith not, be ye comfortcu, " comfort one another : To put them upon the great Duty of C/ rn Sympathy, tho' this is a Duty we owe to all, yet eſpecially to {115 58m
| and more eſpecially of the ſame particular Congregation, Ai rent
lOrrOWS are ulually moſt attlidtive, and theretore need 16 ! with words of comfort,and not with any words, but, but {a.t{ the A
itle, with theſe words, or theſe things, as the 2b. the things 03 words that he had before laid before them. T he Pliilofophers uied many Arguments againſt the fears of Death, and -for £om/ort under funeral ſorrows, but Chriſtians ſhould fetch their cam'orts from the Scriptures. Theſe are the beſt, moſt ſolid, moit Crave, and univerial, and therefore the Apoſtle comments 11:07 5 UÞ believing Komars, Rom, 15. 4. as here to theie Theſjaloniuns Pare cularly. Theſe Conſiderations, that thoſe which {{cep in Jeſs 112% riſe again, and that we ſhall meet them again, and ve and ty tes: be for ever with the Lord together, is a great relief again ow i rrovs
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