time inquire into the particular meaning of the feveral vifions and predictions contained in it. It is confeffedly, in feveral parts of it, a very obfcure book: and there needs no other argument to fatisfy us that it is fo, than that fo many learned and inquifitive perfons have given fuch different interpretations of feveral remarkable paffages in it; as particularly concerning the flaying of the two witneffes, and the number of the beast.

The words which I have read to you, though there be fome difficulty about the interpretation of fome particular expreffions in them; yet, in the general fenfe and intendment of them, they are very plain, being a folemn declaration of the bleffed state of good men after this life.

And that we may take the more notice of them, they are brought in with a great deal of folemn preparation and addrefs, as it were on purpose to befpeak our attention to them: I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Bleed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth. And, for the greater confirmation of them, the fpecial teftimony of the Spirit is added to the voice from heaven, declaring the reafon why they that die in the Lord are pronounced to be in fo happy a condition: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them.

In the handling of these words, I fhall, 1. inquire into the particular fenfe and meaning of them.

2. Profecute the general intendment of them; which, I told you, is to declare to us the bleffed ftate of thofe that die in the Lord; that is, of faints and good men after they are departed this life.

I. I fhall inquire into the particular fenfe and meaning of the words. To the clearing of which, nothing will conduce more, than to confider the occafion of them; which was briefly this. In the vifions of this and the foregoing chapter, is reprefented to St. John, the great ftraits that the Chriftians, the true worshippers of the true God, fhould be reduced to. On the one hand, they are threatened with death; or if they be fuffered to live, they are interdicted all commerce with human society, chap. xiii. 15. And he had power to cause, that as many as would not worship the image of the beat, bould be

Ff3

killed;

killed; and y 17. That no man might buy or fell, fave he that had the mark of the beast. And, on the other hand, they that do worship the beast, are threatened with damnation, chap. xiv. 9. 10. If any man do worship the beast, the fame jhall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, and Shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. So that, whenever this fhould happen, it would be a time of great trial to the fincere Chriftians, being threatened with extreme perfecution on the one hand, and eternal damnation on the other; and therefore it is added in the 12th verse, Here is the patience of the faints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jefus. This is represented in St. John's vifions, as the laft and extremeft perfecution of the true worshippers of God, and which fhould preceed the final downfal of Babylon. And when this fhould happen, then he tells us, the patience of the faints would be tried to purpose, and then it would be seen who are faithful to God, and conftant to his truth; and upon this immediately follows the voice from heaven in the text: And I heard a voice from heaven, faying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow

them.

The main difficulty of the words depends upon the word d'apri, from henceforth; which interpreters do varioufly refer to feveral parts of the text. Some, by changing the accent, and reading it, drapri, would change the fignification of the word into cmninò; Omninò beati funt; They are altogether blessed, very happy, who die in the Lord. But this is altogether deftitute of the countenance and warrant of any ancient copy. We will then fuppofe that the word is d7p71, and to be rendered as we tranflate it, from henceforth, from this time. All the difficulty is, to what part of the text we are to refer it. Some refer it to the word bleffed: Bleffed from henceforth are the dead which die in the Lord: as if from this time, and not before, the fouls of good men were immediately after death admitted into heaven; which, many of the ancient fathers thought, the fouls of good men who died before the coming of Chrift were not. But then this bleffedness ought to have been dated, not

from

from the time of St. John's vifion, but of Chrift's afcenfion; according to that of St. Ambrose, in the hymn called Te Deum, "When thou hadst overcome the "fharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of "heaven to all believers."

Others refer it to dying in the Lord: Blessed are the dead that from henceforth die in the Lord. But this hath no peculiar emphafis in it, because they were bleed that died in the Lord before that time.

Others refer it to the words following, concerning the teftimony of the Spirit: Yea, from henceforth faith the Spirit. All thefe varieties agree in this fenfe in general, that fome fpecial bleffedness is promised and declared to those who fhould die after that time: but what that is in particular, is not eafy to make out.

But the most plain and fimple interpretation, and that which feems to be most fuitable to the occafion of these words is this, that the word d'apri, from henceforth, is to be referred to the whole fentence, thus: From henceforth bleed are the dead which die in the Lord: as if St. John had faid, Confidering the extremity and cruel circumstances of this laft and fevere perfecution, we may from that time forward reckon thofe who are already dead (fuppofing that they died in the Lord) to be very happy, in that they did not live to fee and fuffer thofe things which will then befal the faithful fervants of God, when the devil fhall come, having great wrath, becaufe he knoweth he hath but a short time: much in the fame fenfe as Solomon, when he confidered the oppreffions that were done under the fun, fays, Eccl. iv. 2. that he praifed the dead which were already dead, more than the living which were yet alive; that is, confidering the oppreffions which were fo frequent in the world, he reckoned those happier that were out of it, than those who ftill lived in it.

And as this is very agreeable to the scope of what goes before, so it fuits very well with what follows after, as the reason why thofe perfons are declared to be fo happy: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them; that is, that they may be at an end of their troubles and fufferings, and may not be tried beyond their strength and patience

under

under that terrible perfecution which will reign at that time; and likewife that they may receive the reward of all the good they have done and the evils they have suffered in this world: in the very fame fenfe, that the righteous are faid to be taken away from the evil to come, If. lvii. 1. 2. The righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He fhall enter into peace: they shall reft in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness; that is, enjoying the comfort of his integrity and fincerity towards

God.

And now, the main difficulty being over, we fhall need to trouble ourselves the lefs about the other expreffions in the text; yet there are two which I fhall a little explain to you.

1. What is here meant by dying in the Lord. And this fort of phrafe, in the Lord, in Chrift, and in the name of Chrift, is ufed in fcripture very variously. In general it fignifies, the doing or suffering any thing, with relation to Chrift, and upon his account; and fo to die in the Lord doth most frequently fignify to die in the faith of Chrift, and the profeffion of the Chriftian religion. Sometimes it fignifies to die for his caufe, and to bear teftimony to his truth; which is therefore called martyrdom, as St. Paul is faid to be dio ev xupie, Eph. iv. 1. e prifoner in the Lord; that is, for his caufe. So likewife St. Peter: If ye be reproached ev ovoμal Xpiors, in the name of Chrift; happy are ye. And it is probable, that the expreffion, 1 Cor. xv. 18. Then they alfo which are fallen afleep in Chrift, is to be underflood of thofe that died for his caufe; because it follows immediately, If in this life only we have hope in Chrift, we are of all men moft miferable; that is, confidering how much Chriftians fuffered for him in this life, they were in a moft miferable condition, if there were nothing to be expected beyond it but especially if we confider the parallel phrafe, I Theff. iv. 14. So them alfo that fleep in Jefus, dia 78 "Ino, for Jefus fake, (that is, them that have fuffered martyrdom for him), will God bring with him. And in this fense many understand the phrafe in the text, as fpoken of martyrs: Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord; that is, for his caufe. And though I think the phrase may well enough be understood more generally, yet I

:

fhall

fhall not reject this fenfe; because it is not unfuitable to the scope and occafion of the words. For confidering that last and extreme perfecution which he had defcribed, it was not altogether improper to pronounce thofe happy, that had fuffered martyrdom already, and were taken away from those dreadful calamities, which in these last days of antichrift were to fall upon the faithful fervants of Christ.

2. The other expreffion is the laft in the text, And their works do follow them. So we render the word d'xoA0; which yet does moft properly fignify to accompany or go along with one: and fo indeed the expreffion will rather be more emphatical, They rest from their labours; and their works accompany them.

But whether the word be rendered, to follow, or to accompany, the difference is not very material.

Thus you fee what the particular fenfe and meaning of the words probably is, to declare the happy estate of thofe faints or martyrs who were already dead, in and for the faith of Chrift; and should not live to see those cruel and fearful fufferings which fhould afterwards come upon the Chriftians. But then this is grounded upon that general truth, That they are happy that die in the Lord. And this is that which I intend now to profecute, abftracting from the particular occafion upon which thefe words were fpoken. Which brings me

to the

II. Second thing I propounded, and chiefly defigned to handle upon the occafion of this day, namely, the happy eftate of good men after they have departed out of this life. And, in fpeaking to this, I fhall confine myfelf to two particulars, which the text mentions as the reafons and grounds, why they that die in the Lord are declared to be in fo bleffed a condition: Yea, faith the Spirit, that they may reft from their labours; and their works do follow them.

1. Good men, when they are departed this life, are freed from all the labours and pains they were exercifed with in this world: That they may rest from their labours.

2. They reap the comfort and reward of all the good which they have done in this world. And their works da

follow