for if we believe c. 2. Concerning Christs death and resurrection see upon Gal. 1. 1. doct 7. Jesus dyed and rose again 3. Though thus saith the Lord and divine revelation be a ground sufficient in it self whereupon to build our faith Psal. 60. 6. yet such is our unwillingness to believe especially when the thing spoken hath no ground in reason Gen. 18. 12. and so great is Gods condescendence to help and supply our weakness Joh. 20. 27. that he alloweth us to make use of any other lawful mean whereby we may strengthen our faith and as it were reason our selves up to a belief of that which the Lord saith for so the Apostle doth teach us to take help from Christs death and resurrection to strengthen us in the faith of our own resurrection for if we believe saith he that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 4. Among other things helpful to bring us to the solid and fixed belief of revealed truths this is one to single out some truths which are more easily believed than others as having besides the authority of God interposing for the truth of them some further confirmation from humane testimony or their powerful effects upon our own hearts or the hearts of others that so being once fixed and setled in the faith of those we may be thereby in some measure helped to give credit unto all such other truths as have dependence upon them for Paul to bring them to the faith of their own resurrection would have them improving the faith they had of Christs death and resurrection which was confirmed by so many witnesses Luke 1. 1 2. and accompanied with wonderful effects upon the hearts of many If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 5. As those and those only shall attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto life who continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ to their last breath Heb. 3. 14. So the union betwixt Christ and believers once made by faith is so sure and firm that death it self cannot dissolve it yea not only their souls but also their bodies being separate from their souls and in a manner from it self when dissolved in the grave to ashes do yet remain united to Christ For those whom God shall raise to a glorious life are designed to be such as sleep in Jesus and living dying and dead are still in him yea and their bodies which only do properly sleep are also in him Even so also them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 6. The great prop for our faith to rest upon as to the truth of the resurrection is the power of God whereby he is able to do what he will Psal. 135. 6. and to make us of new out of our own ashes as once at the first he made all things of nothing Heb. 11. 3. for he leads them to Gods power for grounding of their confidence while he saith Them will God bring with him 7. Through vertue of that union betwixt believers and Christ it cometh to pass that whatever hath befallen Christ as he is the head of believers shall in Gods due time be verified in believers themselves that due proportion and distance being always kept which is betwixt head and members for he inferreth that we shall be raised because he arose because of our union with him them will God bring with him Ver. 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are aâ—leep Followeth a third head of the forementioned doctrine expressing the order wherein the dead shall arise which serveth also for a third ground of consolation against immoderate sorrow And first in this verse that he may conciliate authority to the following doctrine which transcends the reach of humane reason to know and understand without special revelation he doth after the manner of the Prophets Zech. 4. 6. premit a preface asserting that what he was to say was by or in the word of the Lord that is in his name and by vertue of express commission from him 2. He sets down the order wherein the dead were to rise first negatively to this purpose They which shall be then alive and remain on earth until Christs second coming as a small remnant of all that numerous company of believers who had formerly lived but ere then will be removed by death that small remnant I say shall not prevent or have the start of those who are asleep or dead to wit neither as to their meeting with Christ in the air nor their actual possession of glory spoken of v. 17. and Paul puts himself among those who shall be then alive while he speaketh in the first person we not as if he had been to continue until then but because he divides all believers at Christs coming in two ranks the living and the dead he doth as it were for an example of the purpose in hand place himself among the living as he then was when he wrote or that he may thereby teach believers in all times to make ready for that day as if it were to come in their own time because the peremptory time when it shall come is uncertain Matth. 24. 42. Doct. 1. So violent is the current of impetuous affections when once given way to Psal. 77. 3. so hardly are we convinced of the evil that is in the excess of any thing in it self lawful and in particular in the excess of immoderate grief Joh. 4. 4 9. that a word in the by will not allay it there must be word upon word and reason upon reason to demonstrate not only the sinfulness of it but also that there is no reason for it for Paul having given two reasons already to allay their immoderate sorrow he doth here give a third taken from the order wherein the dead shall rise for this we say unto you c. 2. As Ministers should bring forth nothing for truth but that to which they may premit Thus saith the Lord So whatever truths they deliver though never so far above the reach of natures light if once it be made known that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them we ought without further enquiry to stop our ears unto all that carnal or corrupt reason can suggest against the truth of them for being to deliver some mysterious truths above the reach of natural understanding he premitteth this that they had divine authority for them and therefore should have credit for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord saith he 3. The Lord Christ shall never want a Church of believers upon earth which in despight of Satans malice to the contrary shall still have a being either more conspicuously Isa. 2. 2. or more hidly Rev. 12. 6. in some one place or other until Christs second coming for Paul sheweth there will be
speaks not of the wicked expresly but only describes them from their height of security which long continuance in sin should at length drive them to as from an infallible evidence of a wicked man for when they shall say peace and safety 2. There is not any one more speaking evidence of approaching judgement of one kind or other than carnal security in sin and wickedness arrived to such an height as to make men wholly fearless of Gods judgement and atheistical mockers at all threatnings which forewarn them of it for saith he when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh 3. What ever grounds of confidence or undoubted perswasion flowing from those grounds a wicked man may have to escape a threatned judgement yet all shall serve tâ— little purpose when God beginneth in earnest to reckon with him his strongest fancy with all its grounds will prove but a weak bulwark to bear off the overflowing waves of Divine wrath when the haile shall sweep away the refuge of lies and the waters shall overflow the hiding place Isa. 28. 17. for the word rendred safety implyes they should have a certain perswasion of safety as if they were above all doubt and this doubtless upon some grounds satisfactory to themselves and yet for all that even then sudden destruction shall come upon them and at unawares surprize them 4. As a lingring death hath in it much of mercy even to wicked men who have thereby time and leisure given them to repent and to plead with God for mercy Rev. 2. 21. So of all deaths or wayes of calling sinners to an account those which are sudden and make quick dispatch are to a wicked liver most dangerous as hardly leaving any place either for Gods patience or mans repentance but making an end of the person stricken before he can solidly think upon his end for he placeth a great part of the terrour of the destruction threatned in that it should be sudden and unexpected Then sudden destruction cometh upon them 5. Though none can know the peremptory day month or year of Christs second coming see v. 1. doct 2. yet there are certain signs from which when they shall fall out a man may certainly know that the day of the Lord is near approaching such as these a general height of carnal security Matth. 24. 38 39. the conversion of the Jews Rom. 11. 15. and total destruction of the Antichrist 2 Thes. 2. 8. for besides other things so much may be implyed in this similitude whereby Christs second coming and the destruction of the wicked which doth accompany it are compared to travail upon a woman with child who though she know not the very day and hour when her pains shall take her yet she hath certain signs whereby to know that her time approacheth 6. The pain and horrour which the day of the Lord shall bring on Godless reprobates is such that no tongue can utter nor can it be expressed in proper terms so as we might conceive it yea and such as the greatest of all earthly torments are but weak shadows and slender representations of it and too little to express it for therefore doth the spirit of God alwayes while speaking of this destruction make use of borrowed similitudes from the most terrible of earthly and bodily torments as of those occasioned by fire Mark 9 45. by fire of brimstone Rev. 21. 8. by an eating worm never dying Mark 9. 46. and here the pains and torment of a woman in travail all which doubtless come far short of expressing to the full that pain and torment which is incomparable incomprehensible and cannot be expressed but by such shadows and representations 7. Even damned souls and the most profane and lawless of Godless reprobates are not only overruled by and under the dominion of a divine providence but shall also know so much by sad experience when in the great day nill they will they they shall appear before their dreadful Judge and receive their sad and woful sentence from his blessed mouth and be presently made without all delay or shifting to undergoe it for saith Paul they shall not escape Ver. 4. But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief Lest the Godly should be terrified and shaken with the apprehension and fear of that suddain destruction presently mentioned he doth here cast in a seasonable word of comfort for all such against the terrour of it as appeareth from his entrance made to the present purpose with an adversative particle But. And first he propoundeth the ground of the following comfort namely that they to wit as many of them to whom he writeth as were sincere believers in Jesus Christ for so must this indefinite compellation and that note of universality also v. 5. be understood according to the use of Scripture elsewhere 1 Cor. 15. 22. none such I say were in darkness that is they were not living in their gross and natural ignorance of God nor yet in carnal security or Godless profanity for the word darkness doth point at both those here as elsewhere in Scripture Rom. 2. 19. 1 Joh. 1 6 Next he expresseth the comfort it self flowing from this ground to this purpose that however the precise day and time of Christs second coming could not be known by them no more than by the wicked Matth. 24. 36. yet it should not overtake them or as the word implyeth violently apprehend them to their hurt and prejudice as a thief and robber doth apprehend the person and goods of those whom he spoiles and destroyeth Now the force of the inference whereby he draweth the present consolation from the forementioned ground doth lye in the similitude take it thus that as a thief can only do hurt to those who are sleeping securely in the dark night and not to others So this terrible day could do no hurt to them because it should not find them lying secure in the dark night of ignorance or impiety Doct. 1. The truly Godly and they to whom the terrible threatnings of eternal judgement do least belong are of such a tender frame and temper of heart Isa. 66. 2. that usually they are most affected sadded and discouraged by them when Godless livers to whom they properly appertain are so little moved with them that they rather mock them 2 Pet. 3. 4. for Paul did foresee so much while presently after he had denounced sudden destruction to come upon secure reprobates he seeth a necessity to guard the Godly against the terrour of it But ye brethren are not in darkness saith he 2. It concerneth therefore the wise and faithful servant of Christ so to denounce the terrible threatnings of everlasting wrath against the wicked as that he presently caution them for the comfort of the Godly lest otherwise they for whom they are not intended be dejected shaken and discouraged by them for so doth Paul here guard the former threatning with
Ministers duty not only to labour upon the affections of people for making them choose and embrace that which is good though he ought to do that mainly 2 Tim. 4. 2. but also to inform their judgement by clearing their dangerous mistakes that they may be able to discern truth from errour and that as for other reasons so because of the great influence which a darkened judgement hath in misguiding the affections for it 's like they were not totally ignorant of the resurrection yet of some comfortable circumstances of it or at least did not seriously perpend them which occasioned their excessive grief and therefore Paul doth set himself to inform them I would not have you ignorant that ye sorrow not 3. It is not granted to the most near of Christian friends to enjoy the comfortable society of one another alwayes but however they may eschew all those other sad accidents which either do locally separate chief friends before their death Psal. 88. 18. or make their society one way or other useless Job 13. 4 5. yet death will inevitably make a separation at last and therefore Christians in wisdom ought to improve to the best advantage their mutual society while they enjoy it for Paul supponeth that death had removed some eminent Christians at Thessalonica which was cause of immoderate sorrow to such as were left behind while he saith concerning them that are asleep tâ—at ye sorrow not 4. Though believers in Jesus Christ be freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. and consequently from death it self as it is a piece of that curse Gen. 2. 17. yet death doth seize even upon them and die they must the Lord having so appointed Heb. 9. 27. that through the strait and terrible passage of death they may have an entry unto life Rev. 14. 13. So that death hath changed its nature and use as to them and of a prison to detain them as Malefactors it is made a passage for them to walk safely through to the possession of their Kingdom as victorious Conquerours In which respect among others Christ by his death hath removed the sting of death unto all his followers 1 Cor. 15. 55 c. for Paul sheweth that even believers among them did dye concerning them that are asleep saith he 5. There is a moderate sorrow and grief which the Lord alloweth for the death of Christian friends though not because of any hurt or damage of theirs who are thereby freed from all sin and misery and rendred eternally happy Rev. 14. 13. yet for the loss which either we or the Church of God sustain in their removal 2 King 2. 12. and because the death of such is often a forerunner of sad dayes to come Isa. 57. 1. for Paul by forbidding only immoderate grief doth tacitely allow that which is moderate That ye sorrow not saith he even as others who have no hope But 6. there is an immoderate and excessive sorrow either for time or measure which as even the Godly through infirmity are apt to entertain so the Lord doth disallow and from which he willeth Christians to refrain as savouring much either of want of charity to our deceased friends contrary to Isa. 57. 2. or of Atheistical doubtings concerning the immortality of the soul and a blessed Resurrection of the body contrary to 1 Cor. 15. or at least of too great diffidence of Gods care and providence to supply what loss we our selves or the Church of God do sustain by their removal contrary to Matth. 9. last for Paul dischargeth this immoderate sorrow and upon those grounds while he saith sorrow not even as others who have no hope 7. The serious consideration of death and how its nature and use is changed to believers might be of it self sufficient to stop the current of immoderate and excessive grief for their removal for his expressing their death by a sleep doth serve for an argument to allay their immoderate grief the force whereof is expressed in the exposition concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not 8. As Heathens who live and die without the knowledge of Christ are as to salvation in a case wholly hopeless and desperate So that our bodies being turned to ashes in the grave and after that worms have consumed our flesh Job 19. 26. shall again be raised the same for substance and united to our souls is a truth which natures light not being inlightened by the written word could never comprehend Act. 17. 32. for the Gentiles are said here to have been without hope to wit both of salvation and chiefly of the Resurrection as he afterwards explains Now if they could have known a Resurrection they might hâ—ve had hope of it even as others saith he who have no hope Ver. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Here is a second head of the forementioned doctrine and a second ground of consolation to wit that in Gods due time there shall be a Resurrection unto a glorious life after death I say unto a glorious life for the whole strain of the text doth shew that he speaks only of the Resurrection of the Godly and not of the wicked unto condemnation mentioned Joh. 5. 29. Because that would have served nothing to his present scope which is not to terrifie but to comfort them against the death of their beloved friends See v. 18. and he proves that there shall be such a glorious Resurrection first by laying down an undoubted truth which he supponeth all did believe and take for granted to wit that Jesus Christ the head had dyed and after death arose again 2. By inferring from this ground that therefore the power of God shall raise and bring from the grave to life and immortality 1 Cor. 15. those which sleep in Jesus that is who are dead in Christ and shall continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ Eph. 3. 17. to the last gasp And he shall bring them with Christ that is through vertue of their union with him as members with their head where he shortly hints at the force of the inference from Christs Resurrection to ours to wit because we are so nearly united to him to which add that Christs death and resurrection are an infallible forerunner and necessary cause of our resurrection seeing by his death he destroyed death 2 Tim. 1. 10. and arose that he might quicken us from death 1 Cor. 15. 20 21. Doct. 1. As there shall be a blessed resurrection of believers unto life after death So the faith of this truth is a singular cordial for comfort against the terrour of death in so far as though death get us once at under yet we shall not be detained by it and dearest friends who at death do part with grief shall then meet with joy for the Apostles scope is to comfort them against death from the faith of the resurrection