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this

he says, "" verily, I say unto you, generation shall not pass till all these "things be fulfilled." What we translate" the world," might perhaps mean "that age of the world," the time when the Jewish establishment should be over thrown, and Christ's kingdom be considered as commencing, but the disciples might mistake its meaning, and might suppose that "the end of all the people "upon earth" was really the thing intended. St. Peter says, 1 Pet. iv. 7. " 'T'he end of all things is at hand." In 2 Pet, iii. 10. he says, "The day of the "Lord will come as a thief in the night: " in which the heavens shall pass away "with a great noise, and the elements "shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." In 1 Thess. iv. 15, St. Paul says, "This we say unto you "by the word of the Lord, that we "which are alive and remain unto the "coming of the Lord, shall not pre

I

vent," (i. e. come before,) "them which "C are asleep" (i. e. the dead,)" for the "Lord himself shall descend from heaven "with a shout, with the voice of the "archangel, and with the trump of God,

and the dead in Christ shall rise first. "Then we which are alive, and remain, "shall be caught up together with them in "the clouds to meet the Lord in the air;

and so shall we ever be with the Lord." In 2 Tim. iv. 1. St. Paul adds to the mention of Jesus Christ," who shall "judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, and his kingdom;" and in same chapter, verse 18. he says, "the "Lord shall deliver me from every "work, and will preserve me unto his

evil

heavenly kingdom," as if he expected that kingdom before he himself should die. In 1 Pet. iv. 5. he speaks of them whom he addresses as persons "who shall "give account to him that is ready to judge

the quick and the dead," as if the judgment were then at hand. In 1 Pet. i. 13. he exhorts them to "gird up the loins of

Ι

"All things are put under him," it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And 28. when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. Else what shall they do 24 which are baptized for the dead (e), if

"their mind," (that is to have their minds in a proper state for Christ's coming) and to be sober, and hope to the end. I v. 51. infra, St. Paul says, "we shall not "all sleep, but we shall all be changed; "in a moment, in the twinkling of an

66

eye, at the last trump, (for the trumpet "shall sound) and the dead shall be "raised incorruptible, and we shall be "changed." And Philipp. iii. 21. St. Paul says, 66 we look for the Saviour, the "Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change "our vile body that it may be fashioned "like unto his glorious body." So I John iii, 2. ante 68. Other passages will occur upon further pursuing the point, and this mistake of the Apostles, if they really were mistaken, and if the effect of these 'passages is not misapprehended, so far from disparaging their writings, appears to furnish very strong, not to say irre sistible, critical evidence that those in which the mistake occurs were written before the destruction of Jerusalem, that is, in less than 40 years after the Cruci fixion; and this is a point of no inconsiderable importance. Our Saviour had said, Matt, xxiv. 36. "of that day and "hour' knoweth no man, no, not the angels "of heaven, but my Father only." So that it might be part of the plan of Providence that as to the period and particulars of that day, even the Apostles should be left to conjecture only; and if these epistles had not been written until after the event, this mistake in them could not have occurred. See ante 68. note on 1 John iii. 2. and Tillotson's 129th Serm., and Whitby, note on Matt.xxiv. 3.

(c) "Till," &c. This may allude to the passage in the prophetic Psalm cx. 1. "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit "thou on my right hand, until I make "thine enemies thy footstool;" or to Ps. viii. 27. "Thou hast put all things in "subjection under his feet."

(d)" He," i. e. God.

(e) For the dead," i. e. probably, "for Jesus Christ, in his Name," for if

the dead rise not at all? Why are they 30, then baptized for the dead? and why stand we in jeopardy (f) every hour? 31. I protest by your (g) rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die 2. daily. If after the manner of men I have fought (b) with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?" Let us eat (i) and "drink; for to-morrow we die." Be not deceived (k): evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare (1) grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some s, other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every

the dead rise not, then, according to V. 13. 16. Christ is not risen, he is still dead. See Rom. vi. 3. ante 178.

(f)" In jeopardy," i, e. subject to (ƒ) persecution, &c. Should we be so mad as to expose ourselves as we do, had we not the fullest conviction of Christ's resurrection? Though St. Paul was not converted until after our Saviour's ascension, yet what passed upon his own conversion, and the miraculous power he received, left him no room for doubt. 1. (g) For "your," some read "our," which depends upon the change of a single letter; but whether it were bis rejoicing or theirs, he protests thereby, that he is daily in a situation equal to or as bad as death. (b)" Fought," &c. This probably alludes to something which had happened to him at Ephesus.

(i) "Let us eat," &c. If it be true that the dead rise not, then might we follow this advice, attend to present gratification, or to the gratification of the body, and disregard futurity. He al ludes to Isaiah xxii. 13.

3. (k) Be not deceived," &c. This checks the thought in verse 32. 7.() "Bare," i. e. (probably) without any body.

seed his own body. All flesh is not 39. the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also ce- 40 lestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the 41 sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also (m) is the resur- 42. rection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonour; it is 43. raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown 44. a natural (n) body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, "The first (0) 45. "man Adam was made a living "soul," the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was 46.

(m) "So also," &c. i. e. in the resur- v.42. rection the body shall be celestial, differ-. ing in kind and in glory from the terres trial body; the one, the earthly, being corruptible, dishonourable, weak, and subject to the infirmities of human nature; the other, the heavenly one, incorruptible, honourable, glorious, powerful, and free from all human imperfections.

(n) For "natural," the reading should v.44. probably be "animal." Ψυχικον, not φυσικονο man in his animal state here on "earth."

(9) "The first," &c. This refers to v.45. Gen. ii. 7. The Lord God formed

man of the dust of the ground, and "breathed into his nostrils the breath of "life; and man became a living_soul." The present translation of this verse, in I Cor. does not perhaps shew so clearly as might be the contrast St. Paul means to draw. The meaning seems to be this; "The first Adam was made" (as we read of him in Genesis) " a living soul," (i. e. with the breath of life in himself, but nothing more)" but the last Adam was made a quickening spirit," i. c. with the power of granting life to others.

not first (p) which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward 47. that which is spiritual. The first

man (q) is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48. As (r) is the earthy, such are they

that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49. And as we have borne the image of the earthy (s), we shall also bear the 50. image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood (t) cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incor51. ruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (u), but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53. For this corruptible must put on in

52.

corruption, and this mortal must put 54. on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality; then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in vic55. " tory (x)," O death, where is thy

sting? O grave, where is thy vic56. tory (y)? The sting of death is sin,

and the strength of sin is the law (z). 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth

v. 46.

v.47.

v.48.

v. 49.

v. 50.

v.51.

2.54.

(p) "Not first," &c. as Adam, who had nothing beyond the natural or animal state of man, was before Christ, so man must first be in a natural or animal state; his spiritual state is to follow.

(9) "The first man, i. e. Adam ; "the second man," i. e. Jesus Christ.

(r)" As," &c. i. e. as was Adam, so is man on earth; as was Christ, so shall man be in heaven.

(s)" The earthy," i.e. Adam; "the "heavenly," i.e. Jesus Christ.

(t) "Flesh and blood," i. e. bodies in their natural state. See the queries in verse 35.

(u)" Not all sleep." See note on

us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved 58. brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

When they come to the Grave, while the Corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the Priest shall say, or the Priest and Clerks shall sing : MAN that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay.

In the midst of life we are in death of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?

Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not thy merciful ears to our prayers; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee.

dom, is this passage,

"He will swallow up death in victory," (or, for ever) "and "the Lord God will wipe away tears " from off all faces, and the rebuke of "his people shall he take away from off

all the earth, for the Lord hath spoken "it."

(y) This verse, with a very small alteration, is from the Septuagint translation of Hos. xiii. 14. The passage there is, "O death, where is thy punishment? "O grave, where is thy sting?" Sien ou Javale ; π8 lò xiiigov σu, adn. and the Greek here is, we σu, Šavale, lo xeûlgos, wa σε, αδη, Το νίκος.

(z) "The law." For, according to j Rom. iii. 20. 66 By the law is the knowledge of sin; and Rom. iv. 15. "where no law is, there is no transgres"sion."

Then while the earth shall be cast upon the Body by some standing by, the Priest shall say,

FORASMUCH as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great mercy to

take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

brother out of the miseries of this sinful world; beseeching thee, that it may please thee of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Collect.

O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also hath taught us, by his holy Apostle Saint Paul, not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him; We meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness that when we shall depart this life, we may rest in thee, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.