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expected. The Duration of the World is confider'd in the Scriptures, with relation to Christ's Coming, and all the Time after his Coming is styled the last Days; as in the Description of the different states of Job's Life, the space of an hundred and forty years of it, after his Sufferings, is styled the latter end of his Life; and all the precedent part is term'd the Begin ning of it, Job xlii. 12, 16.

IV. The Day of Judgment being purposely conceal'd both from Men and Angels to keep us in a continual Watchfulness and Expectation of it, the Apostle St. Paul speaks of it, as that which as to the time of it is uncertain, and therefore is at all times to be expected. And this gave occasion to some to mistake his Meaning, tho' there is nothing in his Words which implies that the Day of Judgment was then approaching. 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 asleep. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord, I Theff. iv. 15, 17. ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες, οἱ τπριλειπόμδυοι, we the living, the remaining, that is, the faithful which shall then be alive and remain upon the Earth. St. Paul speaks of the Faithful here under a twofold Denomination, viz. of the Dead and the Living, and speaking of the Living he uses the first Person Plural; as being himself yet in the number of the Living; not that he should be of that number at the Day of Judgment.

Thus frequent Examples are to be found, where Historians relating matters of Fact which happen'd long before their own Times, use the Expreffions of we and our; We fought, Our Army conquer'd; that

• Tollit animos (Tullus Hostilius) quafi ipse mandasser, spes inde noftris, metus hoftibus, Flor. l. i. c. 3. Stipendiariam nobis Provinciam fecit (Scipio Africanus) Hifpaniam, 1. ii. c. 17. Cretie cum Bellum, fi vera volumus nofcere, nos fecimus, l. iii. c. 7.

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things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, Deut. iv. 30. In the fame manner St. Paul says, we shall not

all fleep, but we shall all be changed, I Cor, xv. 51. We,

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that is, the Living; for not being yet in the number of the Dead, he reckon'd himself amongst the present and future Living. As when he writes to the Ephefians, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lufts of our Flesh, fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind, and were by Nature the Children of Wrath, even as others, (Ephef. ii. 3.) it is paraphras'd by Dr. Hammond thus, among whom we of the Gentile Church of Rome, from whence I write, formerly lived, &c. This Apostle, who so often declares himself an Ifraelite, and a Hebrew of the Hebrews, yet sometimes numbers himself among the Gentiles: Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, Rom. ix. 24. The Church confifting both of Jews and Gentiles, of Dead and Living, he writes, as a Fellow-Member not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles, not only of the Dead, but also of those, who should be Alive at the last day. It is certain St. Paul expected his own Death, 2 Tim. iv. 6. but it is usual with him to speak in his own Person by a Figure, and sometimes even when he mentions himself by Name, 1 Cor. iv. 6. and he exprefly declares that he did neither by word nor letter signify that the Day of Christ was at hand, (2 Theff. ii. 2.) to prevent or remove any Misunderstanding of his First Epistle. St. Peter speaking of the last days, gives particular Caution, that the Christians of those times should not conclude, that the End of the World was then approaching: But, Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord, as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. iii. 8. He admonishes them to take special heed not to be deceiv'd, as if the End of the World must necessarily have been near, because those were the last Days. For a thousand years are no more than a day in God's account, and according to that Estimation of Time, which the Scriptures make. And he farther warns them not to wrest St. Paul's Words in this cafe, as if he had taught any other thing, than what himself now wrote to them, ver. 16. We read indeed, d the end of all things is at hand, I Pet. iv. 7. But I prefume this ought to be understood of Persons not of Things. St. Peter speaks of the End of every one's Life, by reason of the Shortness and Uncertainty of it. For this is most agreeable both to his Second Epistle, and to the Context of this Chapter. Forasmuch as Chrift hath suffered for us in the Flesh, he exhorts Christians to live no longer in the Lusts of it: For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the Will of the Gentiles, who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to Men in the Flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit: And then it follows naturally, But the End or Death of all Men is at band! Be ye sober therefore, and watch unto Prayer.

We at this distance of Time may be sufficiently af sured by the Event, that the Apostles were not so to be understood, as if they had taught, that the Day of Judgment would certainly overtake those, who were then living: But it was order'd by the wise Providence of God, that they should make express Declaration, that this was not their Meaning; left an Advantage should have been taken by such, as defire an occafion, in these days, so much later than those, which were so long fince call'd the last Days. The precise time of Chrift's Coming to Judgment, was conceal'd not only from the Apostles, but from the Angels, and even from the Son himself, in respect of his Humane Nature, (Mark xiii. 32.) for which reason the Apostles speak of it, as a thing which might possibly be in that Age: They determine nothing concerning the Time, for it was not then reveal'd to them; but exhort all Men to live in a constant Preparation for it, according to the frequent Warning given by our Blef

* Πάλων ἢ τὸ τέλο ἤχδικές

fed that

sed Saviour: Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is, (Mark xiii. 33.) Thơ' in his Epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul plainly intimates, that the World was to continue for divers Ages. God, says he, hath raised us up together, in the Ages to come, he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Graces, (Ephef. ii. 7.) which could not be faid by one, who expected that the World would certainly not out-last the present Age.

V. The Day of Judgment is describ'd with so much Solemnity, and so many Particulars, that it may seem impossible for them all to be dispatched in the compass not only of one, but of many Days. But the F Jews, from whom our Saviour and his Apostles took the Expression of the Day of Judgment, understood by it a time of many Years continuance, and sometimes the term even of a thousand Years. And by Day, in the Language of the Scriptures, is to be understood Seafon, or any period and distinction of Time, with respect to some particular thing or occafion; as these are the Generations of the Heavens, and of the Earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heavens, Gen. ii. 4. that is, in the time confifting of fix days; the day of temptation in the Wilderness was forty Years, Heb. iii. 8, 9. Nay, St. Peter uses it to express eternal Duration, to him be Glory, says he, both now and for ever, which in the Original is, both now, and to the Day of Eternity, 2 Pet. iii. 18. Day is us'd for Judgment it self, 1 Cor. iv. 3. and so the Jews understood Days to be meant, Job xxiv. 1. In our Language, Days-man signifies Judge or Umpire, Job ix. 33. and Diem dicere was the Lawterm amongst the Romans for the Summons to a Tryal; but it doth not follow from thence, that the Cause must needs have been decided upon the fame Day,

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• Mede, Epift.xx.

Grot. ad I Cor. iv. 3.

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