220 Chap. 3o. .4n Expofition upon the Boot`¢ of J o N. Verf.23, with them in the Clouds, to meetthe Lord in the aire,-and fe Jbal vet over be with the Lord. When. Chrílt cometh to judgement, the living Saints on earth !hall not dye, nor defcend into the grave,bur (hall prefently afcendor be caught up into the Clouds. Therefore thegrave to not the houle ofall living. I Anfwer. Firft , Thofe few exceptions doe not or all irofirme the .:truth of the generall rule, but ra: her confirme it , this is the tale, that all renft dye, becaufe none efope., but upon force fpeciall ex, caption. And though none of the Saints onearth who (hall b; found alive at the generail refurre6tionofthe dead !hall dye, yet they (hall have fomewhat which is equivalent to death. they (ball be changed, and death, at the r4th Chapter of this Booke ( v, 14. ) is called a change. This change is theputting offour mortflity that changewill be the putting on of, immortality; Theone is achange by being uncipathed,the other isa change by being cloathed upon, as the Apoftlediftinguifheth them, (2 Cor. 5.4.) And becaufe the day ofthe refurreaion when all living , believers (ball be changed andnot d,e,is a fecret referved in the boform of God , wee who live can have no affurance of any change but ofthat by deáth, and therefore we have reafon to be- lieve that rod willbring its to death, or to the hour( appointedfor all living. Hence obferve ;. isirtt , we dye by appointment, the time ie - appointed when we muff dye, and a place is appointedfor tee when we are dead. Death is naturalt, but vwe.dye by a Law ; we dye by appoint- ment. Some fay of maleta&ors who are put to death for crimes committed againft the Law, They are Aline by the Law; And we may fay of every man He ieflame by a Lair, (Heb. 9.27. ) It it appointedfor menonce to dye, and the grave is thehoufe ap- pointed for all living. The living are appointed for that houfe, and that houle for them ; death carne en by mans a&, but death proceeds by an a& ofGod ; man let death in by breaking a com- tttandement; and now death a(fcults and breaks in uponmorn by a commandement. God threatned man with death in cafe of fin ; tnel I ehath appointedmen to dye, becaufe theyhave finned. And Exreptio fir° mat reg,larn. f
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