Boston - BT155 B677 1755

190 Yhe Promije of everlafiing lifCi!.' This was more fparingly revealed under the Old-Tefiament, than under the New, 2 'Tim. i. 10. Yet was it, even then, fo clearly -reveal· · ed, that all the holy patriarchs lived and died I in the f:'lith of it, Heb. xi. 13, to 16. The fatheliS before A· hraham fa·\Vt it in the promife of the feed of the wo· man, which was ·to bruife the Serpent's head: and · from Abraham, they faw it in the promife of Canaarz. But now by the gofpel this life and immortality are . fet in a full light. By the breach of the firfi covenant that life was forfe-ited, the heavenly paradife loft tq J1dam an'd all mankind: in token whereof he w;ts turn'd out of the earthly paradife. But the fecond 4· , dam. having in the fecond covenant, undertaken the redemption of the forfeited inheritance ; there was a new proinife of1t made in favour of his feed, and they are inveHed \vith an indefeafible right thereto, in the firfi moment oftheir union with Chrift by faith; howbeit they are not inihntly put in poffeffion there· of. And when they do come to the p~offeffion, it is not given them all at once, but at two different periods, ia different mea lures; according to the two chiefbranches ofthe promife thereof, namely, a promife oftranfport• ing their fouls into heaven at death, and a promife of tranfporting them foul and body thither at the laft day. Firfl, There is a promife of tranfporting their fou!s feparate from their bodies, into heaven, there to be•' hold and enjoy the face of God. And 'tis accomplilh'd to them immediately after their death. It was mofl: plainly doclared and applied by our Saviour, to the penitent thief ort the crofs; Luke ~xiii. 43• ' To day. fualt thou be with me in paradife. ~ But it was in the · faith of it, that the covenant was to Bavid, even in the face of death, a.ll .hisfalvation, and all his defire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5· and that Paul had a dejire to .depart, knowing that he was to be with Chrifl upon his departure, Philip. i. 23. And 'tis in the faithofthe . fame, that the whole church· militant cloth ' groan · earnefi· I I •

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