2. St. Paul, a blessed Martyr for his Testimony to the Doctrine of the Resurrection and last Judgment, also thus speaks..." If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the Dead, shall also quicken your Mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you--I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us---For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now; and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our Body---persuaded 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 separate us from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 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." St. Paul's whole 15th chapter, to the Corinthians, will admit of no abstract, and is to be read only entire. It is a beautiful proof of what the Christian Religion depends upon, as its chief Basis; namely, the Certainty of the Resurrection of the Body of Man, and its Re-union with the Soul (in order to make the complete man for Judgment) founded upon the Certainty of Christ's Resurrection. St. Paul's Rom. Ch. viii. Ver. 11. 18. 22, 23. 38, 39. † 1 Cor. Ch. iii. Ver. 13. Doctrine on this subject, is contained in the text to these Sermons,* and is fully stated therein. 3. St. Peter. "The answert of a good conscience towards God (saith this apostle) doth now save us, by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right Hand of God, Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject unto Him."..." By the Word of God the Heavens were of Old, and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water, whereby the World that then was, being overflowed with Water, perished. But the Heavens and the Earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment and Perdition of Ungodly men---The Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night, in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the Elements shall melt with fervent beat, the Earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up---Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for New Heavens and a new Earth, wherein dwelleth Righteousness." 4. Revelation of St. John. In this book, although there are many dark and mysterious passages; yet it comes closely, (as was above said of St. Peter) to the End or Consummation of things, nay into the very midst of their final Catastrophe, in language clear, and of unparalleled Grandeur, as in the following descriptions of Death, &c. **And I looked, and behold a pale Horse; and his name that sat on him was ⚫ 1 Thess. Ch. iv. Ver. 13---18. 2 Peter, Ch. ii. Ver, 5-13. the end of tlf. chapter. † 1 Peter, Ch. iii. Ver. 21, 22. **Rev. Ch. vi. from verse 8, to Death, and Hell (or the Grave) followed with him; and Power was given unto them, over the fourth part of the Earth, to kill with Sword, and with Hunger, and with Death, and with the Beasts of the earth---and I saw under the Altar the Souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the Testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying---How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also, and their Brethren that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfiilled. And I beheld, and lo! there was [there followed] a great Earthquake, and the Sun became black as Sackcloth of Hair, and the Moon became as Blood; and the Stars of Heaven fell unto the Earth, even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind; and the Heaven departed as a Scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places; and the Kings of the earth, and the Great men, and the Rich men, and the chief Captains, and the Mighty men, and every Bond-man, and every Free-man, hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the Mountains; and said to the Mountains and Rocks... Fall on us, and hide us from the Face of Him that sitteth on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" "And I saw another * Rev. Ch. x. Ver. 1-.-6. mighty Angel come down from Heaven, clothed with a Cloud, and a Rain-bow was upon his Head; and his Face was as it were the Sun, and his Feet as Pillars of Fire; and he had in his hand a little book open; and he set his right Foot upon the Sea, and his left Foot upon the Earth; and cried with a loud Voice, as when a Lion roareth, and when he had cried, seven Thunders uttered their Voices; and when the seven Thunders had uttered their Voices, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from Heaven, saying unto me, seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. And the Angel which I saw stand upon the Sea and upon the Earth, lifted up his hand to Heaven and Sware, By Him that liveth forever and ever, who created Heaven and the things that therein are, and the Earth and the things that therein are, and the Sea and the things which are therein, that there should be Time* no longer!". "And I saw another † Angel fly in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to Preach unto Lowman, in his interpretation of these words." Time shall be no longer"---clearly refers them to the last times---the End of things, viz. the Resurrection and last Judgment; when the Mystery of God, and the several Dispensations of Providence towards the Church militant on earth, shall be fully accomplished, or brought to an end---This prophecy, of John, as quoted just above, in the body of the Sermon "I saw the dead, &c." confirms this. "A series of prophecy, says Lowman, which thus reaches to the Resurrection, the last Judgment and the dissolution of the world, must certainly reach the period of duration, when Time (as it now is) shall be no more." Many of the prophecies of the Old Testament, have a double reference, will bear a double interpretation, and may have a double accomplishment, one near at hand, the other more remote, approaching even to the last day or end of time. Rev. Ch. xiv. Ver. 6, 7. them that dwell on the Earth, and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People; saying with a loud voice---Fear God and give Glory to him, for the Hour of his Judgment is come; and worship Him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Waters." "Behold* I come as a Thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."" And† I saw an Angel come down from Heaven, having the Key of the bottomless Pit, and a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold on the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless Pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more"---But what comes more immediately to our purpose, is to shew, in John's own words, that this prophecy extends to the last day; for after shutting up the Devil for a season, our misterious prophet in this very chapter, brings him back again at the last day, to receive his final Retribution---" And the Devil that deceived the Nations, was cast into the lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the Beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented Day and Night, forever and ever! And I saw a great white Throne and him that sat on it, from whose face, the Earth and the Heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them; and I saw the Dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book * Rev. Ch. xvi. Ver. 15. † Ch. xx. Ver. 1---3. Rev. Ch. xx. Ver. 10, to the end of the chapter. |