384 Rom AND RECOVERY, &C. be restored to life, nor their persons be summoned to judgment in the lastgreat day ; and that for these two reasons : I. We have before shewn, that as bodily deathwas threa- tened by the law of innocency or covenant of works to Adam, as the head of a numerous race, so this is evidently executed upon all his infant-seed ; for death has reigned over them in every age, as the punishment of Adam's sin, being so far imputed to them ; as Rom. v. 12-14. But there is no resurrection of the body included in that threatening ; nor can we reasonably suppose, that the most gracious God, who has never threatened it, will raise these infant-bodies into an endless life, merely to suffer everlast- ing anguish and pain in the body, for the imputed in of their first father, since they have no actual or personal guilt of their own. Mere imputed sin, without actual transgression, is the leastand lowest sort of guilt that can be ; and therefore it is highly probable, a righteous and merciful God will inflict on them the least and lowest sort of punishment threatened to sin, that is, death in the mildest sense of it, or an universal and eternal destruction of soul and body, which are forfeited by sin. II. When the resurrection of sinners is mentionedinscrip- ture, it is always that they maybejudged expressly according to their works, according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil ; 2 Cor. v. 10. Now infants have done no works of sin or righteousness : They are not moral agents in the infant -state ; and it is not said in scriptures, that such shall be brought into judgment. The enquiresand decisions ofajudg- ment-seat are only appointed for actual sinners. See the words of scriptureon this subject : John v. 28, 29. The hour is coming, when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they who have dune good to the resurrection of life, and they who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation ; Rev. xx. 12, 13. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, that is, the high and low, rich andpoor, and they were,judged out of those things which were written in thebooks, according to their works. And the sea gave up its dead, and death and hell, or the grave, or the separatestate, gave up their dead, and theywere judged, every man according to their works. Observe here, that the words small and great must signify per- sons of high and low degree,' who can be judged according to their works, but the word small cannot signify infants, because they have no moral works for which they might be judged*. VI. And indeed,, where any future punishments of the '0 And to confirm this sense ofthe words small and great, let it be con sidered, that in another text of the same writer, these words cannot mean infants and adult, but must signify, poor and rich, or mean andhonourable; Rev. xi. 18. because they are both said to tear the name of the Lord, which cannot be ascribed to infants.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=