594 Chap.34. An Expofition upon the Book,of, o B. Verf.ztl.' thered ; but Davidwould not be gatheredas they are gathered ;. They are gathered to God, but it is that they may be for ever fe- parared from .hiasi ; they are gathered to a dayof vengeance and wrath : Therefore David prayed, Gather not my foul with fine Hers. Death is called a gathering in a threefold reference. Firft, Agathering to our people.Thus it is Paid of Aaron, (Num. zo. 24..) Aaron (hall begathered-untohis people, for hefhall not en- ter into the land, &c. Death feparates the people of God from their people , that is, from chore that are like them on earth, but . it will be a means of bringing them into the fociety of their peo, pie, or fellow believers who are gone before them into heaven. Secondly, Death is called a gathering to our Fathers, (2 Chron. 34: 28.) Behold Iwill gather thee to thyFathers, andthou(halt be ,gathered to thygrave anpeace; There's a gathering to a more fpe- cial company, and that with other like Scriptures are anargument . that we ¡hall know our relations in heaven. hor, to be gathered . to our Fathers, fpokenof in thefiat part of the verfe, is more . then to be gathered to the grave, fpoken of in the latter ; and by our fathers, we are to underfland more ofour fathers then the . bravehath in its keeping (which isbut their bodies) even their, fouls, which are kept in heaven. Thirdly, According to the phrafe of this Text, death is called: a gathering, to God ; If he gather untohimfelf hisfpirit and his breath- Whence Note, Fourthly. Thefpirit orfoul of man hath its originalfront God. It is of, him towhom it returneth ; The foul or fpirit of man is of God in a more fpecial way then his body is ; for though Godgiveth both, yet-the Scripture (in theplace before named) Speaks of the foul as the gift of God, but paffeth by the body; (Ecclef. a2. 7.) The drift fhallreturn to the earth, as it was ; and thefpirit fhall return to God whogave it. °Tis God, not man a- lone, who bath given us thefebodies, but'tis not man, but God alone who hath givenus thefe fpirits ; therefore men are called the fathers of our flefh, that is, of the body, in way of diftin&ion, fromGod, who is thefatherof fpirits (Heb. t 2.9.)1^Yehave had fathers of our flefh, which correEted us, and wegave them reve-. rinse, fhallive not tnuch.rathcr be infubjeWon to the Fatherof fpi- rits,
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