Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Job XIX. 25, 26, 27 —For I know that my redeemer liveth
& that he shall stand at y^e latter day on y^e
Earth. And tho after my skin, worms
destroy this Body, yet in my flesh shall I
see God: whom I shall see for my self, &
mine Eyes shall behold & not another; tho
my reins be consumed within me.

"There is no part of a scripture which hath
afforded greater occasion for critical specu
-lations, or concerning which more elaborate
Dissertations have been written."

Some have been contended that there
never was in reality such a person as Job,
but that [illegible] ^Boothe's only apathetic & elegant
Fable, pregnant with y^e sublimest moral
Instructions. Others have mentioned that
it is a History of absolute facts — among
whom are some of our latest and best
critics, who have [with great] solidity in
judgment [blot]that there has
really such [blot]— and have
judiciously [blot] circumstances to
determined ye age in which he lived; w[hich]
was in all probability sometime better
that of Abraham.

To me it appears now that this
proposition will not be so much disputed
longer "That y^e History of Job is true"

"It is highly probable that Elihu was
the first penman of this History, as he
was y^e youngest person mention'd, & as
having a full acquaintance with Job & y^e
several particulars of his life, who c[oul]^d
therefore y^e best ascertain them. His
amiable character & remarkable modesty,
also fitted him for relating facts as they
happened. And lastly, his being little more
than a spectator, his mind was more ^[free] from
prej[udice] & passion than y^e other characters
interested, was therefore better qualified
than even Job himself, to examine and
recollect the several circumstances of
the affliction [blot]plaint ^{ye diaglogue} y^e accusat[io]ⁿ
defence & other [blot]which compose
this very [blot]able story. — I say
[tear] is hence probable that young Elihu
y^e original compiler of y^e History of
Job: However Tho indeed it is likely that
2 Moses gave it that sublimity of diction
& other dramatic & poetial ornaments
with which it every where abounds.

The design of this Ancient and
venerable Book seems to be first. —
to justify y^e conduct of an all wise being,
who always sees things as they are, & who in
all his Dispensations intends y^e chief good
of his creatures: — To show that men often
mistake characters; & ⁱⁿ consequence fre-
-quently draw conclusions prejudicial to
themselves & others: — That afflictions
in y^e present state, simply considered, are
no proofs of y^e displeasure of y^e almighty,
but occasionally are quite y^e contrary:— And
lastly, as a general Lesson, by showing
that y^e behaviour of Job was considered as
a man, was upon y^e whole agreeable to
truth, reason [& not][blot] this seems
to be y^e [blot] and parti
-cularly in this [blot]Job in y^e most
moving [blot] complains of y^e cr[illegible]
of his pretended friends, who instead of compos
-ing his mind under his dreadful affliction,
[illegible] -ing onerously y^e worst things ag[ains]^t him,
as if he had been y^e vilest & most detes-
-table Hypocrites upon Earth. How long
says y^e poor man, will y^e vex my soul;
& break me in pieces with words? [These] ten
times have y^e reproached me; & are y^e not
ashamed of your barbarity. — Is it not
enough that God the tremendous hand of
God is upon me? He hath set dismal
darkness in all my paths: — He hath
striped me of my glory, & taken my crown
from my head; he hath destroy'd me on every
side: — My Houses, lands, flockes, children,
health — all are gone! Yea he hath put mine
acquaintance ^brethren far from me, & my acquaintance
are verily estranged from me.— My kinsfolk,
have failed, & my familiar friends have for-
gotten me. — They that dwell in mine house,
& my maids cannot [blot] a stranger:— I called
my servant & [he gave me no answer]; I intreated
him with my mouth — alas! Job ye [blot]n hearts
[o]f they comforters — My [breath is] strange
[tear] my [wife], tho I intreated for y^e children & take
of my own body. —— Yea y^e young children
despised me; I arrose & they spake ag^t me. All
3 my domestic friends abhorred me; & they whom
I loved are turned ag^t me. — Nay more: my
bone cleaveth to my skin & my flesh! The
[terrours] of God set themselves in array ag^t
me! — And is ^now such an army of Evils suf-
ficient to break an Irron heart, with &
y^{e additional weight of your} in human & malignant reproaches.—

— Cease, o cease, my friends! — Nay, if
you are still friends — I beseech you by our
former friendship — I conjure you by every
thing that is sacred— have pity, have pity
upon [O ye my] friends! for y^e hand of god is
upon me. — No; in vain to expect it
from you: — — O! that my words were
written in Tables of lead, or engraved upon
y^e rock forever! A momento to ^{rememberancer} of my
Integrity, afflictions & resignation to Posteri-
-ty ^who w[oul]^d [indicate] my Cause! —— But
tho y^e world sh[oul]^d [condemn me] a hypocrite,
yet am I not [cast] [blot] while I have y^e
root of y^e matter [blot] while I am in y^e house
of wise, just & merciful Being; — He knows
my heart — therefore, tho he slay my, y[et so]
I trust in him;

"For
I know that my redeemer liveth &c.
I know that my redeemer will first arise
for if himself from y^e dead — Then tho my
skin be disfigured & torn — yea tho worms
feast upon & consum this mortal — yet in
my flesh — yea my redeemer shall revive this
flesh — in my own glorious spiritual Body
shall I see God; — I shall see God — & not [igno]
-rant partial, blind man — I shall see God
whom I shall see for myself — who knows
my heart, will plead my cause, & amply reward
my present afflictions. — Yea I say mine
own Eyes shall behold, & tho my reins, &
all y^e vital functions of my Body be con-
-sumed — yet in this very Body spiritually
shall I see god.

This I take to be y^e connexion & sense
of y^e words; — in which every pious xtn [Christian]
may Join — only in t[blot]of saying my
Redeemer liveth [blot] & arise — my Re[deeme]^r
hath raised [blot] Tho, worms
prey upon my Body [blot]al fabric be
[faded] mingled with y^e co[blot] filth of
[y^e E]arth — yet Redeemer will [revive], [illegible]alt &
[illegible]talize this with my happy soul in [me]

4

1 Cor.15.20 "But now is xt [Christ]
"risen from the dead, & become the first
"fruits of them that sleep."

In this chapter from the important
fact of xt's [Christ's] resurrection, S^t Paul is
arguing & proving the doctrine of a
general resurrection of the dead, par-
-ticularly of the pious dead. Because
it seems there were some among the
xns [Christians] at Corinth who said, there is no res[urrectio]ⁿ
of y^e dead. If we suppose those
persons to have sprung from the sa-
-duces or Epicureans, both which held
that the soul perished with the body, &
so denied a future state of existence
absolutly; the Apostle's way of reason[in]^{g
will be} more intelligible [& strongly] conclusive
ag[ains]^t his [blot] for accord[in]^g
to their [principle of][blot] is no resur[illegible]
there is no [future]state at all: & they
that are fa[alse] or a[sleep] in xt [Christ] are p[unishe]d
as the Apostle justly argues ag[ains]^t them.

The same view of the case will sug-
-gest a very good reason, why he en-
-larges so much upon the resurrection
of the pious dead in particular.

Because he was led in the course of
his argument to interest a moral
providence in the question, with respect
to the hard usage, & ill treatment,
which many persons in those days
met with, for honestly asserting &
maintaining the xn [Christian] cause. And
this is the ground of his remark in
the verse before the text: — If in this
life only we have hope in xt [Christ] we are
of all men the most miserable. But
(as a false assurance of the contrary) now is
xt [Christ] risen from y^e dead & become y^e first &c

In which [case] we have a double vie[w]
of xt's [Christ's] resurrection [blot] as a true &
certain fact in itself & a matter of great importance to us. X

5

Regions of eternal perfection.

X The subject leads to these two
important propositions.

I. That xt[Christ] hath ^is risen from y^e dead.

II. That mankind consequently, as
members of this glorious hoard, shall also be raised.

Now that xt[Christ] is risen from ^{the dead} is such
an unquestionable fact, that it is established
upon y^e soundest evidences. It is a fact
attested by a sufficient number of witnesses.
He was soon, after his resurrection, first
of Cephas, then of y^e twelve Apostles; & after
that he was seen of above five ¹⁰⁰⁰ Brethren
at once. A sufficient number, surely,
to authenticate any fact.

And those witnesses were such that
they c[oul]^d not be deceived themselves nor is
it in y^e least probable that they w[oul]^d deceive
others in this [blot]— It is impossi
ble that they [should deceive] themselves
to y^e reality of [Resurrec]tion) because
most of them were personally acquainted
with our Lord before his Death; &
consequently c[oul]^d easily know him after
he arose, as he abode with them forty Days;
with whom they frequently They eat &
drank. He appeared with y^e same face
& voice, he felt no corruption, nor any change
as yet in his bodily substance ^& shape,
features & aspect, & with y^e marks of his
crucifixion, which they saw & felt.
Wherefore, says Peter, of those men, who
have accompanied with us, all the time y^t
the Lord Jesus went in & out among us,
beginning from y^e Baptism of John unto
y^e same day that he was taken up from
us must one be ordain'd to be a witness with
us of his resurrection. And as those
witnesses co[ul]^d not be deceived as to this
matter themselves; so neither c[oul]^d they
have any possible motive to impose upon
others. So far from it that they indulged
great doubt about y^e [truth of] [illegible] & with
most scrupulous [blot]w[oul]^d not
believe until he [showed on] his hands y^e
[prin]t of y^e nails, & put his finger therein
[&] thrust his hands into [his side]— But
if they were disposed to believe to propogate
w[ha]^t they thot to be a lie — w[ha]^t motive c[oul]^d
they have to it? — Had they any prospect
of some honour or worldly advantage from
testifying their truth of xt's[Christ's] resurrection?
So far from it, that by proacting this
Doctrine they suffered shame — y^e loss of
all their worldly interests — exposed themselves
^to every danger — & at last laid down their lives
in attestation of it's truth. — w[oul]^d men be
cheats & Imposters for nothing? never:
If they were not sure their testimony
was true they must incur both y^e dis-
-pleasure of God & men, & be of all men y^e
most stupid & most miserable. — No set
of men ever gave greater proofs of their
sincerity than y^e Apostles did in bearing
witness to y^e Resurrection of xt[Christ] — They
were in every view very sufficient & credible
witnesses, & the [blot] Resurrection is
an in[contestable fact]

[ more[blot] of y^e Apostles &c
confirmed by y^e [blot] of y^e holy
spirit. [blot][End] our Lord promised
y^e apostles — y^e shall ^[illegible] receive power af[ter]
that y^e holy ghost is come upon you: & y^e shall be witnesses unto [me] both in
Jerusalem & in Judea, & Samaria, & unto y^e
uttermost parts of y^e Earth. To this
Effusion of y^e spirit they therefore justly
appealed, as a divine confirmation of their
Testimony concerning y^e Resurrection
of xt [Christ]: — This Jesus hath God raised
up whereof we are all witnesses. Therefore
being by y^e right hand of God exalted, and
having received of y^e Father y^e promise of y^e
holy ghost, he hath shed forth this, which
y^e now see & hear, in y^e gift of Tongues.
again to the same purpose — and we are
witnesses of these things; & so is y^e holy ghost
whom God hath thus given to them that
obey him for a confirmation of y^e Resur-
-rection of his son: — But surely y^e God
truth w[oul]^d never ^have set his seal to a lie; there-
-fore y^e Testimony of y^e Apostles is true,
& xt [Christ] is verily risen from y^e dead.] X

Lastly: The [blot]Testimony
of apostles, [saints] [blot] be
[rel]ied upon [as][blot]universal
[state Nations] of [blot]
[illegible] Jerusalem [blot] been
[torn]greatest folly to a[blot] propagate
a falsehood in a place & country where,
7 if it had been so, might easily have
been immediately detected refuted & ex-
-posed. — But y^e Jews instead of dispro[vin]^g
y^e fact, only bribed y^e soldiers to deny it &
when y^e Apostles ascerted y^e Resurrection
among them, they never called them to
an acc[oun]^t for teaching a falsehood, but only
peremptorily commanded their silence
upon y^e subject.

Thus, my fellow xns [Christians], y^e Resurrection
xt [Christ] is established upon y^e [illegible]ible
foundation, which ^{the brutality of Atheism} y^e powers of hell cant
over turn. And upon y^e truth of im-
-portant fact we chiefly ground our
explanation of y^e Resurrection of his
followers. — For thus y^e great Apostle
Paul states y^e case: —— Now is xt [Christ] risen
from y^e dead & become y^e first fruits of them
them that st[oop]. — This is y^e

Because xt [Christ] is risen

II View [blot] subject
Christ[blot] first fruits of
them that [blot] y^e plans
of di[blot][from] restoration of
Mankind[blot] is y^e sure pledge [tear]
secure f[illegible] y^e general resurrection
of all his faithful followers to life and
immortality. And this compleats his
character as y^e Saviour of y^e human Race.

For

X So y^e Apostle argues: For
[1] as in Adam all die, so in xt [Christ] shall be
made alive; but every man in his own order:
xt [Christ] y^e first fruits, and after, they that are
xt's [Christ's] — since by man came death, so also
by man came y^e Resurrection of y^e dead.
By y^e sin of Adam [Death] to possession
of y^e human Race, so in consequence of
their relation to xt [Christ] y^e 2^d Adam they are
entitled a Resurrection from y^e dead.

"2 This is a power xt [Christ] is invested with,
in y^e accomplishment of his high office
as our Redeemer, until he finishes his
mediatorial kingdom. Then cometh y^e
End when he shall have delivered up y^e kingdom
unto God, even[blot]when he shall have
put down all [blot][death] for he must
[design] 'til he hath [blot] under
his feet; the [blot] destroy'd
[tear] [flesh — Elsewhere] [blot]Apostle — who
[illegible] change our vile [blot] might be
fashion'd like unto his own glorious body,
8 according to y^e working — observe — whereby
he is able to subdue all things unto himself
— or according to y^e power which he is
invested with to receive & spiritualize y^e Bodies
of good Men like unto his own glorious &
immortal body.

This my friends is the great priviledge
of y^e [servants] of God — most worthy of y^e
power, wisdom & grace of God, most
advantageous & honourable to Man! [Tho
the ignorance, presumption & vanity of
many have tempted them to cavil & object
to it as a thing Romantic, unreasonable,
impossible. — And this was y^e case seen
in y^e time of y^e Apostles, yea & soon in a
xtn [Christian] [illegible] at Corinth: — How are y^e
dead raised? — Or it may be read thus:
How are the dead to be raised up! "is it
possible [to] [blot] thing? — "Yes
S^t . Paul might [tear,blot] Resurrection
shows [blot, tear] y^e Apostles
known [blot] objected [illegible]
y^e cause was [blot, tear]hol believe in y^e [tear]
of one who laid [blot] grave only three d[ays] & therefore had not dis[erv]ed, or seen
corruption, & these Bodies which putrify
& mingle with y^e common dust of y^e Earth, &
the particles of it dispersed into a thousand
quarters. — No; he takes a shorter way with
y^e objection — ^{& co[illegible] him by the testimony of his senses} — thou fool! That which thou
sawest, is not quickened except it first
die, or Rot in y^e ground. — Look arround
thee! — view y^e productions of y^e Earth: — behold
a resurrection every year: — is y^e restoration
of a putrified Body more impossible to
that Being than who sendeth forth his
spirit continually in creative [miracles],
than y^e revival of y^e face of y^e Earth.?
"Expose thy weakness no more with such
with palpable absurdities."

—But if y^e dead are raised again he
objects — with w[ha]^t body do they come?

—why y^e same body in some respects,
tho not altogether [blot] shall be so
[for] the [blot, tear]ted to that
[they now possess] [tear, blot] & from
[tear]— Their [blot, tear]perations
[tear] com[illegible]rs of [tear, blot] a
[tear] of corn: - it is [blot] which thou
9 that grows up again, but bare grain, whe-
-ther it be wheat, or any other grain; as
God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him; that
is to every seed its own body. — "To every
seed its own Body" — mark that! — Thus every
seed, by y^e wisdom ^{& power} of God, is made to produce it's
own proper Body, which is extracted from its
seminal substance, in y^e natural course of
vegetation. In like manner or, by y^e same
divine chemistry, can be reduced from y^e substance
of y^e human Body ^tho putrified in y^e grave, another
proper Body, which may therefore be called
it's own Body.

Such are y^e futile objections ag[ains]^t y^e Resurrection
which surely can^t shake our faith in this
interesting truth. — No: — we have y^e highest
reason to believe that xt [Christ] is risen, & that can &
will change our vile Bodies into y^e similitude
of his own glorious Body. — And so may every
good man [blot][everlasting] language of
Job; [nay][blot, tear]nce th[ose]
him [blot, tear] my Redeemer liveth
—"hath risen [blot, tear] he will stand [on]
y^e Earth [blot, tear]
X the [after] [blot]
reins be [blot, tear]
to my im[blot, tear]
These are y^e glad tidings of y^e word of God, par-
ticularly y^e gospel — This is y^e confidence
of all good men, & eminently xtns[Christians]: — then

1. How thankful sh[oul]^d we be to almighty
God for this amazing display of his grace
& love to fallen Man — in whom he hath raised
y^e hope eternal glory by y^e Resurrection of
Jesus xt[Christ]! Man had no right to being
at first, nor after he was created had he any
claim to immortality: — Much less after he had
forfeited it by sin. — By y^e first Transgression
^Death received an empire over y^e human race; for
sting of death is sin — The guilty cause of Death.
But thanks be to God who hath given us y^e
victory thro our Lord Jesus xt[Christ]! — who hath
abolished Death, & brot Life & immortality
to Light thro y^e gospel: — for y^e wages of sin
is Death, but gift of God is eternal Life thro
our Lord Jesus xt[Christ]. — Blessed be god!

Then
2. Religion [blot]ing —There-
fore my brother [blot] with y^e
apostles — be [blot]able always
[illegible]ding [blot] much as
[blot]Resur-
[blot] shall [illegible]in [illegible]
[blot] you to
10 stedfast in your principles — & immovable
in your profession, always abounding in y^e
practice of Religion — w[ha]^t greater encourag[emen]^ts
hereto can you have than such glorious
prospects? — prospects which you now can
but dimly see — as thro a glass darkly!—for no
^eye hath seen, no ear heard, nor is possible for
y^e heart of man to conceive y^e happiness w[hic]ch
hath prepared for those that are his!
[Love God—serve God—Love & follow xt[Christ], &
your labour shall not be in vain.

3 From w[ha]^t hath been said good men
have abundant cause to moderate their
fears of Death themselves, & their sorrows
for y^e Death of their pious friends.
Death, my friends is unstung! — This
king of sorrows is disarm'd by y^e hopes of
immortality, now brot to light, by the sun
of Righteousness shining in his gospel
with brig[ht] [blot]ture
[Such [tear][blot] makes
us res[tear]we ha[ve]
any [tear]y^e [tear]
of s[tear]
have [tear]
that hath set their feet at large from
y^e necessities, incumberances of this mortal
life & thrown open to them y^e gates of
Heaven! ——— Shall we
exceed the bounds of truth if we believe
that this is y^e happy change — our departed
friend hath made? I trust not — May
we not hope that He who was so dear
to some of you — He whom you now
mourn —[Nature fools y^e wound blood
of [rest]]— may we not hope that he whose
Death it concerns us all to improve — I
say may we not hope that He hath been
released from all comforts troubles & gone
to that blessed abode, where y^e weary are at
rest? — May we not hope that in leaving
you, he is admited to y^e society of purer
happier beings — Saints & Angels — nay to
Jesus himself [blot]iator of y^e new
covenant wh[tear]ife his
[illegible]tal B[tear]er to his
[tear]al to his
[tear]at
[tear]s —
[tear]May
we not hope that you if you love [tear]
Jesus — that [illegible]ds you parents [tear]
wife — Brothers, Sisters — or whatever
other [tend] or Relation you bore to h[tear]
— May we not hope that you yet
shall see him, be forever happy in his
comunion to be separated no more? yet
if you are followers of that which is
good. —— Then cease your
sorrows — alas it is impossible!
Nature must have it's way! — But
surely those transporting hopes sho[ul]^d
surely abate, & moderate your sorrows,
tho not at once be able to altogether
to stifle them.]

X Let this be your consolation and
rejoicing — that Death is disarmed!
— O Death where is thy sting? I [have]
broke [tear] thy victory
It is [tear]ng [tear]
man[tear]ter [tear]
"I [tear]
[tear]
that hope by y^e Resurrection of Jesus xt [Christ]
[illegible] y^e dead, to ^{the list of} an inheritance m[illegible]
[illegible]le undefiled & that fadeth not away:
[illegible] a sure Earnest whereof xt [Christ] is now
[ris]en from y^e Dead, & become y^e first fruits
[o]f them that sleep.

Wherefore, my beloved Brethren,
encourage your selves — comfort one
another with those faithfull sayings.—
—May y^e peace of God be with you!—
—May y^e spirit of God suport & guide
you, & at last conduct you unto his
heavenly kingdom; where are Rivers
of pleasure, & Joy forevermore!

The fun^l for Richard B Christopher
[Brownton 1773] [blot] &[blot]