I8i The Certainty, and the `leednefr of Vol. II. in the Body, ferving,God and his Church ? 2 Cor. 5. 6. Therefore we are always ,confident; knowing that while wefojourn in the Body, we are abfent from the Lord; we are confident, 1fay, andwilling rather to be abfent from the Body, and prefent with the Lord. But certainly, to be prefent with the Lord, which the Apoftle here affirms that good Men are, to loon as they departout of the Body, mull needs fgnifie a State of "Happinefs ; which Sleep is not, but only of Infenfibility. Betides that the Apoftle's Argument would be very flat, and but a cold Encouragement to Chriftians again(( the Fears of Death, that as foon as we are dead, we (hall fall afleep and become infenfible. But the Apoftle ufeth it as an Argument, why we-fhould be willing to die as foonas God pleated), and the fooner the better . becaufe fo foon as ever we quit thefe Bodies, we fleall be prefent with the Lord, that is, fhall be admitted to the blifsful Sight and Enjoyment of him ; and that whilft we abide in the Body, we are detained from our Happinefs. But if our Souls fleep as well as our Bodies, 'till the general Refurre&ion, it is all one whe- ther we continue in the Body or not, as to any Happinefs we (hall enjoy in the mean time; which is dire&ly contrary to the main Scope of the Apoftle's Argument. Secondly, What is here meant by God's bringing with him thofe thatfleep inMil. In general there Words lignifie a blefèd Refurre&ion, as may be feen by the Oppolition ; Ifwe believe that fefus died; and rot again; evenfo them alfo thatfleep in refits(hall God bring with him. Where toChrift's Death is oppofed ourfleeping in fetus ; and to his Refitrre5iion, God's bringing us with himg that is, his railing us out of the Grave to accompany him at his Coming. But theMeaning of this Exprefon will beft appear, byconuidering what follows'after theText.' For this we fay by the Word of the Lord, that is, by fpecial Revelation, that we that are alive, and remain at the Coming of the Lord,(hall not prevent them that are afleep; that is, we (hall not be taken up into Heaven, before the Saints who are already dead (hall be raifed : But thus it (hall be, The Lord himfelfflail chfcend from Heaven with a Shout, and the Voice of an Archangel, and with the Trump of God, and the Dead in Chrift )hall rife frfi ; then we which are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air. The plain Meaning of all which is, that firft the Dead in Chrifi (hall be raifed, and taken up to him in the Air, to accompany him at his Coming, and thus he (hall bring them with him ; and then thofe which are alive at his Coming (hall be changed and taken up likewife, to meet the Lord in the Air. And the fame Account the fame Apoftle gives us, r Cor. 15. 5r, 52. Behold, fays he, I fhew you a *fiery, (which is the fame he had Paid before in the former Text. Thiswe fay untoyou by the Word of the Lord) I ßxe'wyou a Myflery (fo he calls that which was not revealed to all by our Saviour, but to himfelf particularly) We fhall not all fleep, but wefhall be changed ; that is, all (hall not die, but at the Coming of Chrift many (hall be found alive and changed ; butthefe (hall have no Advantage of thofe who were (dead in Chrift before ; for in a Moment, in the Twinkling of an Eye, at the laff Trump, the Dead (hall be railed incorruptible ; that is, with Spiritual Bodies which (hall be no more liable to Corruption ; and we, that is, chore that remain then alive, fhall alto be changed. From all which it appears, that the Meaningof this Expre(lion, lhofe that fleep in Jefus fhall`God` bring with him, is this, that the Lord Jefus (hall come in the Clouds of Heaven, in the Glory of his Father, and by the Sound of the Trump of God (hall raife the Dead in Chrift. And our Saviour tells us more particularly, that this (hall be done by the Miniftry of Angels, Matth. 24. 3o, 3r. When ta Son of Man comes with Power and great Glory, that the Angels flail with the great Sound of the Trumpet, - gather. the Elea from the four Winds ; and when they are thus gathered, Godfhall bring themwith him. And here I cannot but obferve, that the Title of God is given to our Saviour, who is to be Judge of the World. Them that fleep in fefm, )hall God bring with him. And elfewhere our Apoftle fpeaking of this glorious Appearance and Co- ming of Chrift to Judgment, calls him the great God, Tit. 2. 13. Looking for the blefed Hope, and glorious Appearance of the great God and our Saviour yefus Chrift. Which cannot be underftood of the Appearance of two Perfons, viz. God the Father,
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