THE GLORIOUS RESURRECTION OF OUR Lord Jesus Christ: ILLUSTRATED AND APPLIED IN TWO SERMONS UPON ST. LUKE XXIV. 39. "BEHOLD MY HANDS AND MY FEET; THAT IT IS I MYSELF; HANDLE ME AND SEE; FOR A SPIRIT HATH NOT FLESH AND BONES, AS YE SEE ME HAVE." PREACHED AT KINGSTON UPON HULL, BY THE REVD. GEORGE NICHOLSON, LATE PERPETUAL CURATE OF LITTLE BUDWORTH, CHESHIRE. London: Printed for the Author, by F. Marshall, 31, Kenton Street, Brunswick Square: And Sold by L. B. SEELEY, 169, Fleet Street; T. HAMILTON, Paternoster Row; and WILLIAMS & Co. Stationers' Court, Ludgate Street. 1817. PRICE TWO SHILLINGS. SERMON I On Luke xxiv. 39. “Behold my Hands and my Feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye see me have." THE only Idea we can form of the Lord our God, must arise from the internal perception implanted in every man by Creation; or from the written revelation he hath given of himself; or from the nature, order, and process of our spiritual regeneration, which is the best Emblem of the glorification of Christ's Humanity, super-eminently signified by his Resurrection. All these united mediums of Spiritual Information, are perfectly consistent with the Form of God, in which (we are taught to believe) our Redeemer was, from all eternity. And accordingly we find, that whatever occasional manifestations 66 the Deity hath ever made of himself to mankind, he hath always adopted the human Form, either representatively, by an Angel, whom he filled with his Spirit, under the Old Testament Dispensation, or actually in the person of Jesus Christ, under the Dispensation of the Gospel. Concerning this, it is thus written, in the most memorable and striking language, Without Controversy great is the mystery of Godliness, God was manifest in the Flesh, God was justified in the Spirit, God was seen of Angels, God was preached unto the Gentiles, God was believed on in the world, God was received up into Glory.". For there seems to be no other form in the Universe, so worthy of himself, and so acceptable, familiar, and beneficial to us being well adapted to the apprehension of finite Beings, created in his image and likeness, to discover and reflect his excellencies, and thereby to become his everlasting Companions. Nor can we know, worship, or love any Being, without previously having some mentál idea of his Form. And, toro'adw bu 90 Upon a right idea of God, Heaven and the Church are instituted: the Form of heaven and the church being derived from the form of Him, "who is in the midst ofthe Throne," and "who fills Heaven and Earth with the Majesty of his Glory." Therefore, the clearer our ideas are of the Lord, the more fully will our faith in him be established; we shall be better qualified to understand other Divine Truths, depending on this Foundation; (“and other foundation can no man lay”) and so much the more shall we be made fit for eternal Communion with him. For, This greatest of all Divine Subjects reigns throughout the Bible. It constitutes the wisdom, and delights the minds of angels; and is the only life of our faith and hope, of our love and obedience. Incomprehensible, indeed, is the nature of our Redeemer's Divine Soul, and of his glorified Resurrection Body. And so likewise is the manner how that body was raised again, or glorified. And this is equally the case with the mode of our own Existence and spiritual Regeneration, for ever. Nevertheless, our present |