SERMON VIII.

REVELATIONS, xx. 6.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first

resurrection.

IN the first book of the Scriptures, that of Genesis, there is danger in departing from the letter: in this last book, this of the Revelation, there is as much danger in adhering too close to the letter. The literal sense is always to be preserved; but the literal sense is not always to be discerned: for the literal sense is not always that which the very letter and grammar of the place presents; as where it is literally said, that Christ is a vine,' and literally, that his flesh is bread,' and literally, that the new Jerusalem is thus situated, thus built, thus furnished. But the literal sense of every place, is the principal intention of the Holy Ghost in that place. And his principal intention, in many places, is to express things by allegories, by figures; so that in many places of Scripture a figurative sense is the literal sense, and more in this book than in any other. As then to depart from the

literal sense, that sense which the very letter presents, in the book of Genesis, is dangerous, because if we do so there, we have no history of the creation of the world in any other place to stick to; so to bind ourselves to such a literal sense in this book, will take from us the consolation of many spiritual happinesses, and bury us in the carnal things of this world.

The first error, of being too allegorical in Genesis, transported divers of the ancients beyond the certain evidence of truth; and the second error of being too literal in this book, fixed many, very many, very ancient, very learned, upon an evident falsehood; which was, that because here is mention of a first resurrection, and of a reigning with Christ a thousand years after that first resurrection,' there should be to all the saints of God a state of happiness in this world, after Christ's coming, for a thousand years; in which happy state, though some of them have limited themselves in spiritual things, that they should enjoy a kind of conversation with Christ, and an impeccability, and a quiet serving of God without any reluctations, or concupiscences, or persecutions; yet others have dreamed on, and enlarged their dreams to an enjoying of all these worldly happinesses, which they, being formerly persecuted, did formerly want in this world, and then should have them for a thousand years together in recompence. And even this branch of that error, of possessing the things of this world so long in this world, did very many, and very good, and very great men, whose names are in honour, and justly, in the church of God, in those first times stray into; and flattered themselves with an ima

ginary intimation of some such thing, in these words, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.'

Thus far then the text is literal,-that this resurrection in the text is different from the general resurrection. The first differs from the last. And thus far it is figurative, allegorical, mystical, that it is a spiritual resurrection that is intended. But wherein spiritual? or of what spiritual resurrection? In the figurative exposition of those places of Scripture, which require that way oft to be figuratively expounded, that expositor is not to be blamed, who, not destroying the literal sense, proposes such a figurative sense as may exalt our devotion and advance our edification; and as no one of those expositors did ill in proposing one such sense, so neither do those expositors ill, who with those limitations, that it destroy not the literal sense, that it violate not the analogy of faith, that it advance devotion, do propose another and another such sense. So doth that preacher well also, who, to the same end and within the same limit, makes his use of both, of all those exposi tions; because all may stand, and it is not evident, in such figurative speeches, which is the literal, that is, the principal intention of the Holy Ghost.

Of these words of this first resurrection' (which is not the last, of the body, but a spiritual resurrection) there are three expositions authorized by persons of good note in the church. First, that this first resurrection is a resurrection from that low estate to which persecution had brought the church: and so it belongs to this whole state and church; and blessed are we who have our part in this first

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resurrection.' Secondly, that it is a resurrection from the death of sin, of actual and habitual sin; so it belongs to every particular penitent soul; and "blessed art thou, blessed am I, if we have part in this first resurrection.”2 And then, thirdly, because after this resurrection it is said, 'that we shall reign with Christ a thousand years,' (which is a certain for an uncertain, a limited for a long time,) it hath also been taken for the state of the soul in heaven, after it is parted from the body by death; for though the soul cannot be said properly to have a resurrection, because properly it cannot die; yet to be thus delivered from the danger of a second death by future sin, to be removed from the distance, and latitude, and possibility of tentations in this world, is by very good expositors called a resurrection; and so it belongs to all them who are departed in the Lord: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first resurrection.' And then the occasion of the day which we celebrate now, being the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, invites me to propose a fourth sense, or rather use of the words; not indeed as an exposition of the words, but as a convenient exaltation of our devotion; which is, that this first resurrection should be the first fruits of the dead. The first rising is the first Riser, Christ Jesus: for as Christ says of himself, that he is the resurrection,' so he is the first resurrection, the root of the resurrection. He upon whom our resurrection, all ours, all our kinds of resurrections are founded; and so it belongs to state, and church, and par

3 Ribera.