3I6 ESSAY 'TOWARD THE [SECT. rY., fore cannot make us any recompence. Now, this sort of arguing, does not at all preclude the separate state of happiness, but rather establish it. I might add here a further answer to this objection, viz. the apostle is representing the sufferings of the body' for Christ's sake, ver. 30---32, , and, therefore, he thinks it proper to encourage Christians with the recompence of the resurrection of the body, without taking anyparticu- lar notice of the happiness of the separate state of the soul : And, in this view of things, his argument stands .good. If there be-no resurrection of the body, there is no recompence for sufferings in the body ; let us then give the body its pleasures of sense ; let us eat and drink while we live, for there is' an utter end of us in death. But, saith he, ver. 33. such `f evil traditions corrupt good manners," and,' therefore, they are not, they can- 'not be true : There must he a resurrection of the body, to encourage sufferings in the body, for the sake of vir- tue and religion*. Objection VI. Doth not the New Testament con- stantly refer the rewards and punishments,. of good and ,bad men, to the time of the resurrection of the dead, or the second coming- of Christ ? Is it not with this pros- pect it terrifies the sinner ? Is itnot with this it comforts the good man, and supports him under his present suf- ferings ? It would be endless to cite all the particular texts on this occasion. That one text; l Thess. iv. 14, 17, 18. speaks the sense of many others, and'is suffi- cient to be cited here. The apostle persuades Christians le There are several pages of just and pertinent answer, to this objec, tion, by my learned and ingenious friend Mr. Henry Grove, in his " ° Thoughts concerning the Proof of a future State from Reason," which confirm the,replies I have here made. Then they, saith he, who are fallen 'asleep in Christ, by whom the martyrs seem to be more especially intended, are perished, for any thing that Christ can do for them, who twill never reward them for their sufferings ; never restore that life, which they lost for his sake." And particularly his exposition on those woçd,s, " .we are most miserable of all men," is very agreeable to the place. "The greek Assivorspoi signifies, that we are more to be pitied than any men, as wanting the conunon understanding of Men, to suffer death for Christ's sake, who would never be able to recompense us for it, if he be not risen from the dead." " And it is, saith he, a little afterward, for want of observing the intermediate links of the apostle's argument, which he there represents, that some have been at a loss for his meaning, whils othershave quite mistaken it." See page 124, &c.
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