:

A. D. 57. 6. After that, he
was seen of above five
hundred brethren at

once: of whom the
greater part remain
unto this present, but
some are fallen asleep.

still alive to testify

7. After that, he was seen of James, then of all the apo

stles.

fion into Heaven at

8. And last of all

he was seen of me

alfo, as of one born
out of due time.
19. For I am the

least of the apostles,
be called an apoftle,
because I perfecuted
the church of God.

that am not meet to

it,

after his Resurrection. First Peter (Luke xxiv. 34.) then the whole College of Apoftles (John xx. 19, 26.) and then the five hundred Disciples in a Body, in Galilee, before his Ascension (Matth. xxvi. 32.) of whom the major Part are tho' some of them be dead.

7. That moreover he was seen by James (the Lord's Brother, called James the fuft) and by all his Disciples again, at his Afcenthe Mount of Olives.

8 & 9. And lastly, That about two * Years after his Ascension, (and several Times after that) he appeared in a miraculous Manner to me alfo; a Person by the Fury of my former Prejudices and Pafsions, not fit for an earlier Difcovery of him; and like an Abortive, am, in † that Respect, below the Dimensions of the rest

of the Apostles, and scarce worthy of that honourable Name.

10. But by the grace
of God I am what I
am: and his grace
which was bestowed
upon me, was not in

vain; but I laboured
more abundantly than
they all: yet not I,
but the grace of God

which was with me.

that Purpose.

10. But by the divine † Favour I am called to this great Office; and as I was the least worthy of it, of all the other Apostles, so I have strived to make up that Defect by uncommon Labour and Diligence in the Execution of it; the Suc

cess whereof I do no Way afcribe to my felf, but all to the Gifts of his Holy Spirit bestowed on me for 11. Now

* Ver. 8. Ats ix. and afterward in Alls xxii. which was about five Years after the Ascension.

+ Ib. See 2 Cor. ii. 5. which is reconciled to this Verse by the Paraphrafe.

Ver. 10. See Rom. xv. 17, 18, 19.

11. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

11. Now whether * you were A. D. 57. converted by me or Peter, or any other Apostle whatever, the Doctrine taught you, and on which you are to depend for Salvation, is the same, viz. that of a crucified and a risen Saviour.

12. Now if Chrift be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you, that there is no refurrection of the

dead?

12. But I find some of your
new Teachers have endeavoured to

perfuade you, that a future State,
and a + Refurrection of the Body,

are weak and absurd Notions. But if their Suggestions be of any Weight, what becomes of that fundamental Article of your Christian Faith, viz. the Resurrection of Christ?

13. But if there be 13. For, to say there can be no no refurrection of the Resurrection, and yet to hold that dead, then is Chrift Christ is actually risen, is a Con

not risen.

14. And if Chrift

be not risen, then is our preaching vain‡†, and your faith is also

vain.

tradiction.

14. And, on the other Side, to deny that Christ is actually risen, is to destroy the main † Evidence of our Christian Religion; so I have preached, and you have beGround and Foundation:

15. Nay we his Apostles in particular, who pretended to give a divine Evidence, and appeal to the Truth of God, that he did

raife

* Ver. 11. Whether it were I or they-i.e. who converted you: Or else, whether I or they labour'd most.

† Ver. 12. No Resurrection of the Dead. Tho' the Word ̓Ανάςησις does indeed in the New Testament mostly fignify the future State, yet by attending to the Method and Turns of this Chapter, the judicious Reader will find the Apostle here uses it in both its Acceptations, viz. that of the future State in general, against the Sadducaical Objectors, and that of the Refurrection of the Body against the Gentile Philosophers. See the Contents of this Chapter.

$ Ver. 14. See Alts i. 22. Rom. i. 3. iv. 25. Alts xvii. 31. 1 Pet. iii. 21. Rom. vi. 4.

A. D. 57. of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

16. For if the dead rife not, then is not Christ raised :

17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

raise up Jefus from the Dead, must be guilty of the most impious Forgery and Falfhood.

16 & 17. Confider therefore the wretched Consequences of such an Opinion; it destroys the Possibility of Chrift's Refurrection, which is the main Proof of the Truth of your whole Religion; it disannuls all the Benefits of his Death and Sufferings, by Virtue of which alone a Christian can hope for the Pardon of his Sins. For if he be dead for ever himself, it is impossible his Death can avail any Thing to our Pardon and future Happiness. (See Rom. iv. 21.)

18. Then they also which are fallen a

sleep in Chrift, are perished.

19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all

19. For, if all our Prospect of Happiness were terminated in the present Life, a Christian, and especially an Apostle of Chrift, who is thus exposed to Sufferings and Perfecution, would have the worst and hardest Condition of all Mankind.

men most miferable.

20. But now is Christ

risen from the dead,
and become the first-
fruits of them that
lept.

20. But be not misled with speculative and vain Notions. The Fact is certain and absolute, that Christ our Saviour is rifen;

and our Refurrection is as certain a Consequence of our blessed Master's, as the whole Jewish Harvest was of being accepted and blessed by the Offering of the First-Fruits.

21. For fince by man came death, by man came also the refurrection of the dead.

21 & 22. Nor can your Jewish Objectors, viz. of the Sadducaical Party, deny this great Truth, without destroying all that Analogy

22. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be

made alive.

between the first and * second A. D. 57Adam, which themselves allow { from their own Scriptures. For

if all true Believers are not restored to Life by the Messiah, the second Adam, as all * Mankind were made fubject to Death by the Sin of the first Adam, the main Instance of the Analogy is loft. Whereas by supposing this contrary Truth, the Agreement is kept whole and entire.

23. But every man in his own order: Chrift the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christs, at his coming.

24. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power.

23. And thus Chrift's Resurrection is an Assurance and Pledge of the Resurrection of all good and fincere Christians at the laft Day † of his Appearance to Judg

ment.

24. At that Day, I say, which shall put an End to the mediatorial Kingdom and Government of Chrift, and finish the whole Dispensation of God with Mankind, in this World; when Chrift shall have gained a compleat Conquest over Sin and Death, wicked Angels and wicked Men, and shall resign the Government of all Things to God the Father.

25. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet I.

25. For the Dispensation and Government of Mankind in this World, must continue immediately under Chrift the Messiah, till all the Enemies of GOD and his Church be fubdued.

26. The last enemy that shall be destroy ed, is death.

26. Now Death being one and the last of those Enemies, it is abfolutely

* Ver. 21, 22. See Rom. v. where the Apostle uses the Same Argument to another Purpose, and both there and here uses it as an Argument ad hominem against the Jewish Notions, viz. of the Sadducees. Without Supposal whereof, neither of the Passages seem to carry any Reason in them.

+ Ver. 23. 1 Theff. iv. 16. The Dead in Chrift (i. e. good Chriftians) shall rise first.

‡ Ver. 25. Till be bath put. See NOTE on Rom. V. 13.

A. D. 57. absolutely neceffary for compleating this divine and glorious Conquest, to have that also destroyed, which can never be but by a Resurrection to a future Life.

27. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he faith all things are put under him, it is manifeft that he is excepted which did put all things under him. 28. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him,

27. When I fay Chrift has the Government and Superiority over all Things given to him, you must naturally suppose I except God the Father, who committed this Government to him.

28. And thus even when Chrift shall have subdued all the Enemies of God, and finished the whole Dispensation with Mankind uport Earth, and his mediatorial Government shall cease, he will ré

that God may be all fign himself, his Church, and all

in all.

its Members, to God the Father;

who shall then either himself be for ever the immediate Governor, Lord, and Disposer of all Things; or else will continue Christ, his Son, the glorious and triumphant Lord over the Church he has so graciously redeemed; tho' still in Subordination to himself the supreme Father, who first committed all Power unto him. [Compare Dan. vii. 14, 27.]

29. Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead,

if the dead rise not at

29. But to return to the main * Argument. The Denial of the future State and Resurrection difannuls all the Purposes and Effects of your Christian Baptifm. 'Tis the Belief of the Refurrection you are baptized into; and to say that Christians die and † live no more, is to make your baptismal

all? why are they
then baptized for the
dead + ?

29. Main Argument, which was left off at Ver. 23, not at the 20th, as Mr. Locke, and others, by a plain Mistake, suppose.

+ Ver. 29. Ὑπὲρ τῶν νεκρῶν-Βaptized for the Dead? i. e. who would be so weak as to be baptized into the Faith of a Resurrection, that give themselves up for eternally dead after this Life? I have given the undoubted Sense and Design of the Phrafe, but how the Greek of it is precisely to be construed, must still be left to the Criticks. See Dr. Mills upon this Place.