334 / 674
n14
ESSAY
TOWARD
THE
SECT.
TY.
world
of
separate
souls,
without the
resurrection of
the
body.
Answer
1.
It
must
be
granted,
that
the scripture,
iri
order
to
support
christians
under present
trials,
chiefly
refers
them to the day
of
the
resurrection,
and
final
judg-
ment,
as
the
great
and
chief
season
of
retribution
:
The
reason of
this
will
appear under
my
answer to
a
following
objection
:
Now the apostle
may be
supposed
to
argue
here
only on this foot,
neglecting
or overlooking the
separate
state,
as
though this
final
retribution
at
and
after
the
resurrection
of
the body, were
comparatively
the
whole,
because it
is
far the chief and
most
consider-
able part, being
much the most sensible
and
conspicu-
ous,
and
of
the longest duration.
The
chief part of
any
thing
is
often taken for the whole
:
And
if
there
were
no
resurrection of
the dead,
that
is,
if
there were
no state
of
retribution at
all,
then
the epicurean
reasoning
would be
.good,
" Let
us
eat and
drink
for
to- morrow
we
die,"
verse
32.
And, to confirm this exposition,
we may
take notice,
that,
in
other places-of scripture,
where
the
resurrection
of
the
dead
is
mentioned,
this
"anastasis,"
includes
the
whole
state
of
existence
after
death, both the
separate
and
the resurrection state
:
This
seems
to
be
the
sense
of
it
in
that
famous place,
Luke
xx.
35.
where
Christ
argues
with
the
Sadducees,
who
denied
the
separate
state,
as well
'as
the
resurrection
of
the body: Now
if
you
take
away
this
"
anastasis," this
whole
state of
existence and
retri-
bution, then
they
that
suffer for
Christ
have no
advance
tage
or
recompence, and the
epicurean doctrine is
plainly preferable,
at
least
in
the common sense
and
reasoning
of
men,
and
in such
seasons
of
trial and perse-
cution.
Nor
is
it
unreasonable
to
suppose,
that
there
might be
some
of
these principles
of
sadducism
begun to
be
in-
-stilled
into some
of
the
Corinthians,
viz.
that
there
wert
po rewards
and
punishments
at
all in
any
future
state;
for
he tells them,
verse
34.
that
some
of
them had
not
the
"
knowledge
of God
;
that'is, as
a
righteous rewarder
of
them
that
diligently
seek
him,
I
speak
this,
says he,
to
your
shame." And, verse 58.
"he
encourages
theta
to
be
stedfast and
unmoveable,
always
abounding
in
the
work
of
the
Lord, for
as
much
as
ye
know
that
your
la-,