of all the unjust. Daniel says, "Some shall rise to everlasting life, and some to everlasting contempt;" therefore the unjust shall awake and rise as well as the just. And Christ says, "all that are in their graves shall hear His voice, and come forth; the good to the resurrection of life, the wicked to the resurrection of damnation *." Therefore there shall be a resurrection of all mankind.

This resurrection will not take place till the end of the world. Martha spake of "the resurrection of the last day †," and so did Job, “in the latter day;" and thus it is represented in the Scripture passim.

The necessity of this belief is evident

1st. Because it tends to illustrate the wisdom, power; mercy and justice of God.

2nd. To teach us the value of our redemption, by which the power of death is destroyed.

3rd. To strengthen us against the fear of death, and to moderate our grief for the departed.

4th. To deter us from sin, as accountable beings, who must rise and stand before the judgment

seat.

Recapitulation. I believe that at the last day the bodies of the dead, wherever scattered into dust

* John v. 28.

+ Ibid. xi. 24.

and ashes, shall be re-collected and re-united to the souls, which in this life occupied them; that every dead body shall be thus raised, none being left in the grave; that to the just it shall be a resurrection to life, to the unjust a resurrection of damnation; that this shall take place at the last day, "when the trump shall sound." Thus "I believe the Resurrection of the Body."

CHAPTER XII.

ARTICLE XII.

The Life Everlasting.

THIS article, though not found in all, yet was so in most ancient creeds. Life everlasting has here a double meaning: one, everlasting happiness; the other, everlasting misery; after death. Now, al. though life everlasting, in its most general acceptation, means the former; yet it may also be taken for an everlasting existence. Thus, "the resurrection of the dead," means the resurrection generally; and yet St. Paul uses it for the resurrection of the just: "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead *." And so life everlasting, though used frequently for a reward to the just, may and does here mean, simply, eternal existence. All men, therefore, shall rise from the dead; and by a true vital union of their souls and bodies, which shall never be dissolved, shall enter upon an ever

lasting life. The wicked shall rise to this life, for the purpose of receiving everlasting punishment.— This punishment does not mean an annihilation; for we are told that "they shall be tormented day and night, for ever and ever *." And Christ tells us, that the wicked shall "go away into everlasting fire +." Therefore, if the fire be everlasting, the beings which it torments must be, by implication, everlasting also; to complete this argument, Christ also says, "they shall go away into everlasting punishment;" therefore, if the punishment be everlasting, the persons punished must be so too.Hence, everlasting punishment is not only an eternal effect, as complete as total annihilation could be; but an eternal efficient, producing eternal torment. And the destruction or perdition, which Scripture mentions as the lot of the wicked, can therefore only mean the separation or disjoining of them from God's presence.

Neither can the opinion of annihilation be supported, from the expression that the wicked are doomed to a "second death;" for this second death is thus explained;" all murderers, liars, &c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death 1." And

* Rev. xx. 10.

+ Matt. xxv. 41.

Rev. xxi. 8.

as this fire, we have shewn,

"will never be

quenched," a part in it, must mean an everlasting perpession of torment. Hence the wicked shall rise to everlasting punishment, continuing both in soul and body under the wrath of God, never to be quitted of them, by annihilation.

There can also be no hope of their ever escaping; for it would not be hell if there were hope; neither can there be any mediator; for at the end of the world Christ's office of mediator will cease, and God will be all in all: and, therefore, as the tree falleth, there it must lie. To conclude this branch, the wicked shall be demonstratively punished; and, therefore, shall be raised and judged by Christ; their punishment shall be proportionable to their sins, 66 according to the deeds done." Their punishment shall be a pain of loss, the loss of God; a pain of despair and regret in mind; and a pain of sense in corporal sufferance; which shall continue for ever, in a remediless condition.

The other sense of life everlasting, is a reward of righteousness in the world to come. This eternal life is initial, partial, perfectional: initial, as to that foretaste which the good enjoy here; "he that heareth my word hath everlasting life:" partial as to that which is enjoyed by the soul in its separate state: perfectional, as to that which shall be con