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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
any
particu-
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
it
not
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
others
have
quite
mistaken
it."
See
page
124,
&c.