what he would signify by those words: "Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."This latter is not spoken of christians now, or in general, but of christians in particular trying situations, such as fell to the lot of the apostles.

Fallen asleep, you know, in the scripturephrase, is being dead; and fallen asleep in Christ is the same as dying for the sake of Christ, as the term is used in other places, (Eph. iv. 1. Rev. xiv. 13.) dying or being dead in the cause of the gospel, martyrs for

it.

Having mentioned these incredible contradictory things that would follow if there was to be no resurrection, the fervent apostle relieves his mind by launching out into an exulting declaration of the reality and absolute certainty of the resurrection of Christ, and of the effects of it in that of his followers, and the character and office of Christ as the appointed judge at the last day; and of his then resigning up his delegated office to God, even the Father, the only true God, having finished the work assigned to him of bringing mankind

to

to virtue and eternal happiness. After this digression, which is a thing customary with him when his mind is full of a subject, he resumes his argument, of the consequences that would follow if there was to be no resurrection, in the words prefixed to my dis

course.

"Moreover," says he, "what must they do, what will become of those who are baptized for the dead," &c.

Who are the dead that he is here speaking of, you cannot but have in some measure perceived and gathered for yourselves from what the apostle had been stating just before: -not common dead persons, but the dead of a peculiar description; those who had fallen asleep, or died, in Christ for the sake of the gospel, whose lot would have been miserable beyond that of other men, if there was to be no resurrection; for concerning these he had been last treating.

So far then we seem to have attained towards understanding this being baptized for the dead; that the dead are those who died in Christ, for his sake, who had suffered for the gospel.

With regard to being baptized for the dead,

there

there is no reason to depart from the usual meaning of a word, when it will yield a suitable convenient sense. Being baptized, then, signifies the being initiated into Christ's religion, embracing the gospel.

The chief difficulty seems to lie in the meaning of the preposition weg, which we translate for,-being baptized for the dead. And I would observe to you, that agreeably to the usage of the Greek language, it may very properly be rendered, by reason of, on account of, for the sake of the dead. See 2 Cor. v. 20. xii. 10. Philip. i. 29.

Having now thus explained the different terms, let us see what sense they will yield put together.

The famous Mr. Locke, in his note upon the passage, says :-" What this baptizing for the dead was, I confess, I know not; but it seems, by the following verses, to be something wherein they exposed themselves to the danger of death." And such it turns out to be, according to the construction of the apostle's language, which I have been giving you.

For the being baptized for the dead, or on account of them, of those who had suffered

for

for the gospel, was the being moved by their example, and virtuous steadiness to the last, to embrace and profess the gospel, at a season when it exposed them to the like sufferings and death. "If this were not so, that there will be a resurrection," What is it, think you, may we suppose our apostle here to say to his Corinthian friends in other words," What is it that induces so many to inlist themselves among the followers of Christ in such circumstances of danger and distress, and suffering and death? Is it not very much on account of those excellent persons who have set them such a brave pattern of giving up their lives rather than renounce the truth; and thereby have afforded the strongest assurance of their belief of, and of the reality of, the virtuous dead being to be raised to an endless life and happiness, which animated them to slight and disregard all present things?"

Persons generally of most unblemished characters, giving up their lives in torments rather than deny their belief of Christ being a divine messenger and teacher, and of a future life, where men are to be called to a strict account for their behaviour here, could not but affect observers, and make many to think well of

such

such persons, and put them upon acquainting themselves with the grounds of their persuasion. And they would thus be convinced, that Christianity was no cunningly devised fable, but that the prospects and rewards of another life that it opened were real and wellfounded, by which such sufferers were supported in the heavy trial.

It is indeed a matter of great notoriety, that in the times of the apostles, and afterwards, the heathens were so far from being discoura ged from christianity, by the persecutions and most cruel tortures which its votaries and professors underwent, that their patient and noble behaviour. under them drew the attention of beholders, and was the means of their inquiring into their principles and profession, and being converted to it.

They could not forbear reverencing, and desiring to have some knowledge of, a doctrine which could inspire men with such invincible courage under the most painful conflicts, and make them at the same time such excellent creatures.

I myself," says one of them, (who lived immediately after the apostles, and who after

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