22 THE PROOF OF A SEPARATE STATE, be present with the Lord, since the verses all round it are appliT cable to all christians. 2. These chapters were written with a design, not only, to `indicate and encourage the apostle himself, under the sufferings and reproaches, which he met with, but, doubtless, to give en- couragement to the Corinthians, and all christians under any sufferings or reproaches, they might meet with in the world that, as he expresses it a little before, they might learn to walk by faith, and to look at the things, which are unseen, which are eternal. And indeed, if this peculiar blessing of the happiness of a separate state belongs only to the apostles, how much are the comforts of the New Testament narrowed and diminished, and the faith and hope of common christians discouraged and enervated, and their motives to holiness weakened, when they are told, they have nothing to tlg to lay hold upon such promised favours, such revelations of grace, because they belong only to the apostles, and not to them ? And, indeed, how shall commonchristians ever know, what part of the epistles they may apply to themselves, for their di rection and consolation, if they may not hope in such words of grace, where the holy writers use the word we, and do not plainly intimate, that they belong to preachers or apostles only 3. When our Saviour prays for himself and his apostles, in the beginning of the xvii. of St. John, he comes, in the 20th verse, to extend the blessings he had prayed for to all believers. Verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them alsó, which shall believe on me through their word: Verse 21. That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in nte, and 1 in thee,' that they may be one in us, that the world may believe, that thou liait sent 'me.` Verse 24. Father, I will that they, also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where 1 am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given: nie. Here it is evident, that our Saviour prays that those, that shall believe on him through the word of the apóstles,' may be present with him in his kingdom to behold his glory ; and is not that a very consider- able part of his glory, which the Father bath confered upon him, to be Lord and King, and head of his church I But this peculiar glory reaches no further than the resurrection and judg- ment, and cannot" be seen afterwards ; for in 1 Cor. xv. 24. Then conneth the end, and Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to God the Father : 'verse 28. The Son himself also shall be sub. jeer unto the Father, that God may be all in all As for that final blaze of supreme glory, wherein Christ shall appear at the day of judgment, just before he resigns up his kingdom, and whièh, perhaps, is once called his kingdom; 2 Tim. iv. 1. When he shall come in the glory of his Father, and' of his holy angels, as well as his own ; Nark viii. 28. Lake iä4;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=