their power, muft there quietly remain, as in their own unalterable habitations.

The laft fignification of this word is duratio abfolutè infinita, æternitas: A compleat and abfolute perpetuity, eternity. And in this fignification it is mostly used, and must always be interpreted when it is applied to God, or any of his attributes, as often it is. When Nebuchadnezzar's understanding was returned to him, he bleed the most high, and praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whofe dominion is an everlafting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation, Dan. iv. 37. Again, it is said in Isaiah, Ifrael fhall be faved in the Lord with an everlasting falvation, Ifa. xlv. 17. Now in this last sense also may the fame word in this place be safely taken; in domum æternitatis fuæ. The state we arrive at, by death, is an everlasting state, and we shall never return to this life again through all eternity. And hence it is, that usually we find fuch epitaphs; hanc æternam fedem fibi pofuit : and

Hæc domus æterna eft, hic fum fitus, hic ero femper.

Nor is the scripture without its teftimony hereunto; for David faith, Spare me a little that I may recover ftrength before I go hence and be no more, Pfal. xxxix. 13. And ob doth not only fay it, but argue upon it: There is hope of a tree if it be cut down, that it will

I

Sprout

Sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not ceafe. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground: Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant: But man dieth, and wafteth away; yea man giveth up the Ghost, and where is he? Job xiv. 7, 8, 9, And that interrogation, If a man die fhall he live again? ver. 14. which ufually is interpreted vehemently to affirm; feems on the contrary to me, most earnestly to deny, and is as much as to say, if a man die he fhall never live more, no hopes of a return to this life again: And this,

IO.

First, the manner of propofing the question feems chiefly to intend; for it is not negatively propofed; If a man die fhall he not live again? but affirmatively, fhall be live again? Now negative interrogations do in all languages, and in scripture phrase too, more properly intend affirmative propofitions, as where it is faid, Doth not each of you, on the fabbath day loofe his ex, or his ass, from the fall? and ought not this woman alfo to be loofed? Luke xiii. 15, 16. both of them most vehemently affirming : and again, another interrogation; Hew ball he not alfo with him give us all things? Rom. viii. 32. is as much as to say, he shall most surely do it. On the other hand, affirmative interrogations do for the most part intend negative propofitions: Jofeph faith, How can I do this great

wicked

wickedness and fin against God? Gen. xxxix. 9. and the Lord faith, How shall I give thee up, ọ Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Ifrael? how fball I make thee as Admah? how fball I fet thee as Zeboim? Hof. xi. 8, 9. all of them intending the denying of the thing: Both these Interrogations, about the fame subject too, are together in one verse of the Pfalms, ftill intending their contrary propofitions; What man is he that liveth, and Shall not fee death? shall he deliver his foul from the hand of the grave? Pfal. lxxxix. 48. the first part of the verse is negatively propofed, and therefore fignifies the ftrong affirming of the thing, he shall surely fee death: and the latter part of the verse is affirmatively proposed, and therefore fignifieth the vehement negation of it; he fhall in no wife deliver his foul from the hand of the grave: The manner therefore of propofing this question being without a negative, doth feem to carry the fenfe, that if a man be dead he fhall never live again.

Secondly, The inference that is hence made confirms the fame thing; All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come; doth far more naturally and powerfully proceed from the denying of life again, than from the afferting it, as to the diligent obferver will eafily appear: if a man fhall never live again in this world, it is of most high concern to prepare for that change that foreruns an everlasting state. There is no returning more from

I 2

from death, and therefore let every one wait upon his business, and finish it, before that time come: There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither we are going And fince there is no returning thence from, how cogent will the argument be, for every one to wait all the days of his appointed time, till his change shall come? If the tree fall to the fouth, or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be, Ecclef. ix. 10. And therefore it is of the greatest concern to take care how the tree fall. If a man at his departure out of this life fall towards happiness, or towards mifery, in the fame condition he falls, fhall he remain for ever; and therefore it is a business of everlasting concern, to await our fall.

But laftly, That which makes it yet more clear, that this interrogation intends the negative, is the words in the latter end of this chapter; where Job resuming the subject, and fummarily declaring what he had been before fpeaking of; he faith plainly, Thou prevaileft for ever against him, and he passeth, thou changeft his countenance, and fendeft him away, Job xiv. 20. I speak not these things in the least to enervate that most comfortable christian doctrine of the refurrection; and as Job was very careful in the forecited chapter, to keep his reserve as unto that; so that in the midst of the chapter (that therefore it might have an aspect

over the whole) he interpofeth a fentence to that purpose; Man lieth down and rifeth not, till the heavens be no more, ver. 12. So I would not have any one so far mistake the doctrine, as to think the body of man fhall be kept in everlasting chains of darkness for, though it fhall never return to this working state again, yet God hath appointed a fet time, to remember it in, ver. 13. at which time it fhall, by the word of God, shake off its corruption, difhonour, and weaknefs; and by his gift fhall be cloathed with fpirituality, glory, and immortality, 1 Cor. XV. 41, 42. Herein no one can err, who knows the scripture, and the power of God, as our Saviour intimates; the power of God teacheth us, that God can raise the dead, Mat. xxii. 29. and the fcriptures teach us that he will; and what God can, and will do, must certainly come to pafs: But the doctrine of the New Teftament gives a far clearer light hereunto; therein there is a fufficient teftimony given unto all men, in raifing Chrift from the dead, 1 Cor. xv. 23. For he being the first fruits of them that fleep, gives a certain demonftration, that all the other alfo muft follow in their order. Ιητος and ανάσασις, Ads. xvii. 18. are so nearly related to each other, that they are preached and believed, they are flighted and contemned together: their foundation is fo much the fame, that they must necessarily I 3

ft and