rever and ever,"
recognized the goodness of God in redeeming love, and sang the song of
_certain victory_ over death and Hades. Then "the kingdom and dominion
and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven was given to
the saints of the MOST HIGH," and in this "kingdom of their Father
they shone forth like the sun." The above promiscuous quotations from
Scripture justify the expression, that the living were "changed in a
moment at the last trump," which announced to the world the immortal
resurrection of the dead. That this trump, whose sound proclaims the
resurrection of all mankind, is the gospel trump, the doctrine of
Christ, we cannot doubt.

That the change of the living, in the context, has any reference to
changing them into immortal beings, I cannot admit without further
evidence. It is contrary to the whole tenor of revelation--it is
contrary to our text, which declares that all, who are made alive in
Christ first die in Adam. As the change of the living is an important
point in our present investigation, we will give it further attention.
That the Christians were to experience a great and sudden change at
the destruction of Jerusalem is certain. They were to be delivered
from all their trials and persecutions, and be raised into the full
and felicitous enjoyment of the reign of Christ. Those Christians, who
had not seen our Saviour alive from the dead, who had believed on the
testimony of his apostles and of the "five hundred brethren," were
delivered from all their doubts and fears on seeing his predictions
fulfilled, were perfected in faith, and their "hearts established
unblamable in holiness." This was to them a resurrection day, not only
in reviving their faith and hope in the doctrine of the immortal
resurrection of all that died in Adam, but in delivering them from
their sufferings, and raising them into the sublime enjoyments of the
reign of Christ. In reference to this period, Jesus says, "thou shalt
be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." And Paul says, "If by
any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as
though I had already attained, either were already perfect." What
sense would there be in his saying--if by any means I might, by my
exertions, become an immortal being, not as though I had already
attained to immortal existence? No sense at all. But the apostles
meaning is clear, if we render it thus--If by any means I might
continue faithful unto the end, an