6. Eph. ii. 5, and συνεζωοποίησε, συνήγειρε, συνεκάθισε, he co-quickened, co raised, and co-feated us (if I may so speak) with him in heavenly places. &c. 14. 3. We may alfo hence with good reafon hope for aid Rom. vi. 4. fufficient to fanctify our hearts and lives: that he which Eph. ii. 2, raised our Saviour from a natural death, both can and will Col. ii. 13, raife us from spiritual death, from that mortal flumber in fins and trefpaffes, in which we lie buried naturally, to walk in that newness of life, and heavenly conversation, to which the Gospel calls us, and the divine Spirit excites Rev. xx. 6. us; which is that firft refurrection, which blessed and holy is he that hath a part in; on fuch the fecond death fhall have no power: for alfo, confequently, our Saviour's refurrection affures to us the falvation of our fouls; for by it, 1 Pet. i. 3. as St. Peter tells us, God the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift hath regenerated us unto a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, reserved for us in the heaRom. v. 10. vens: and, If when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be faved by his life. Thus may our Saviour's refurrection confirm our faith concerning the efficacy of his performances for us. 4. It was also a most strong and proper argument to demonftrate the validity of his promises, and the truth of his doctrine concerning the future ftate; (a matter most important, and a fundamental ingredient of all religion ;) an argument most strong, I say, as demonftrating by palpable instance the poffibility of what he promifed and taught, exemplifying in himself, what he bade others to expect, that by divine power they should be raised to life: by his doctrine he brought life and immortality to light, (a point fo much doubted and disputed of before; fo little feen in the darkness of natural reafon, fo clouded in the uncertainties of common tradition;) but by his refurrection he proved that light to be true and certain; He thereby, as St. Paul expreffes it, (A&s xxvi. 23.) by the refurrection from the dead, did most effectually, pãç xaTayyéλλa, denounce and declare light to the people, and to the nations, (to all men, both Jews and Gentiles.) i. 3, 4. Infinitely weak and unfatisfactory are all the arguments, which the fubtleft fpeculation could ever produce, to affert the diftinction from the body, the feparate exiftence, the continuance of man's foul after death; the providence and juftice of God over men here; the difpensations of reward and punishment hereafter, (those great incentives to virtue, and difcouragements from vice,) in comparison of this one fenfible experience, attesting to and confirming that doctrine which contains thofe great things; and for the fame reason a most proper argument: Vid. 1 Pet. for though any miracle (plainly and convincingly fo) may fuffice to confirm any point of doctrine; yet a miracle in the fame kind, about the fame matter, is more immediately pertinent and efficacious to that purpose. By curing the fick, our Saviour proved that he could remit fins; and that he was Lord of the Sabbath; having authority to difpenfe with the rigorous obfervation of pofitive laws; and in like manner all the miracles he did were in their nature apt to prove the truth of whatever he taught; These were writ, faith St. John, that ye might believe that Joh. xx, 31. Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God; yet fo as to beget perfuafion by discourse interceding, and by virtue of a parity in reafon but our Saviour's resurrection did prove the poffibility of ours (with all that coheres or is confequent thereto) directly and immediately, with all evidence poffible to fense itself: we cannot (confidering this) have any pretence to doubt of what he and his Apostles have taught us; that he preceding as the firfiborn from the Rev. i. 5. dead, as the firftfruits of them that fleep, as the captain 1 Cor. xv. of life, as our forerunner and pattern, we v idi Tayμati, 20, 23. in our due rank and season, as younger fons of the refur-v.: rection, as ferving under his command and conduct, in Heb. vi. 20. resemblance and imitation of him, fhall follow: fo that, if 36. the Spirit of him who raifed up Jefus from the dead doth Rom. viii. dwell in us, he that raised up Jefus from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us: that if we have been planted together with him in the like- Rom. vi. 5. nefs of his death, we shall be alfo (planted) in the likeness Col. i. 18. Acts iii. 15. Luke xx. 11. 22, 49. of his refurrection: that as in Adam we died, fo in Chrift 1 Cor. xv. Vid.1 Theff. iv. 14. Vid. Acts xvii. 3. 46. Acts x. 41. we shall revive; as we have borne the image of the earthly 1 Cor. vi.14. man, we shall alfo bear the image of the heavenly: that he 2 Cor.iv.14. who raised our Lord, shall raife us by his power: knowing that he who raifed the Lord Jefus fhall alfo raife us by Jefus. Thus is the refurrection of our Saviour able and apt to beget and establish our faith concerning his person, his performances, and his doctrine; and it being in fuch manner conducible to fo high purposes, it was requifite itself should be declared with most clear and full evidence; and that it should be fo, God did abundantly provide. I omit the types and mystical representations which did foreshadow it; and the prophetical paffages expreffing or alluding to it; (having incidently, upon other occafions bordering on this point, formerly touched upon the principal of them ;) and only fay, that no matter of fact is capable of furer atteftation, than God did order this to have. He did goxegoroviv (predefign, with an especial Luke xxiv. care pick out and appoint) witneffes for this purpose; perfons in all respects, for their number, for their qualifications, for their circumstances most confiderable and cre1 Cor. xv. 6. dible: not one or two, but very many, (five hundred, St. Paul tells us, faw him at once;) not strangers, but perfons John xv.27. most familiarly acquainted with him, (who were with him from the beginning, who went out and in with him, for three years' space, from his baptifm to his afcenfion ;) not upon relation, or at a diftance, but by immediate fenfe Acts x. 41. and converfe with him, (who did, as St. Peter, one of them, tells us, eat and drink with him after that he rose from the dead ;) not from a fingle, tranfient experience, but by frequent conversation for a good continuance of time; ènì wλelous nμégas, for many days together, (To whom, faith St. Luke, he prefented himself living after he had fuffered by many certain tokens, being seen of them forty days, and Speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God;) perfons of unquestionable discretion and honesty, who preached fincerity to others, (with effectual perfuafion,) and in other things irreprovably practised it; who could have no imaginable defign in teftifying it, befide the difcharge of their confcience in God's fight; as encountering Acts i. 21, 22. Acts xiii. 31. thereby the most terrible oppofitions and difficulties; incurring most certain and most grievous dangers, troubles, and fufferings; without any poffible benefit (of worldly profit, honour, or pleasure) accruing thence to themselves; without any comfort or support, except the reward they might hope for from God for the performance of so difficult and troublesome a duty: in fine, by perfons whose teftimony God himself ratified by extraordinary graces (invincible courage, conftancy, patience, felf-denial, meeknefs, and charity) conferred on them; by miraculous works openly and frequently performed by them; fo that they did effectually with great power yield their teftimony concerning the refurrection of the Lord Jefus, and great grace was upon them, (great appearance of the divine favour toward them, of divine goodnefs in them,) as we have it, Acts iv. 33. It was the principal part of their office (of the highest apostolical office) to testify this truth; as we see in the choice of Matthias, where it is faid, Wherefore of these men which have companied with us A&ts i. 21, all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and out among us, muft one be ordained to be a witness with us of his refurrection. And beyond the providing witnesses so qualified, teftimonies fo credible, what could God himself do neceffary to convince men endued with any competency of reafon and ingenuity, or to diftinguish them from men of contrary difpofition, (unreasonably and unworthily incredulous ;) what means, I fay, could farther be required, to beget and confirm our faith in the matter of our Saviour's refurrection, and confequently of all doctrines taught by him and his difciples, which by this most signal miracle are fo perfectly afferted and proved? Now the great end and ufe of our Saviour's refurrection being thus declared, I shall not infift upon explaining the nature thereof, (it being clear that his death confifting in the feparation of foul and body, each departing to its place, his refurrection, opposed thereto and restoring him into the fame state, must confist in resuscitating, reducing, and reuniting them together, fo as to recover all vital faculties, and exercise vital operations,) nor in confidering 22. · 18. ii. 19. the causes efficient thereof, (which it is certain could be no other than that divinity common to the three Persons individed in nature, power, and operation ;) whence it is attributed, as most commonly to God, fo peculiarly fomeRom. vi. 4. times to the glory and power of the Father, who in order of nature and in all common operations doth precede; John x. 17, fometimes to the Son, who laid down his life, and took it up again, who demolished the temple of his own body, and Rom. i. 4. reared it up again; fometimes to the Holy Ghoft, by which, as he did caft out devils, and performed other his great works, fo he did this grand miracle; which dwelling in him, did quicken his mortal body, as is intimated and by confequence arifes from the place forecited, Rom. viii. 11. Upon these things, as alfo upon the manner and circumftances of our Saviour's refurrection, I fhall not infift, having not leifure fufficient to confider and prosecute all, but only to touch those things which feem most material and useful. viii. 11. Matt. xii. 28. Yet muft I not altogether pafs over the circumftance Acts x. 40. of time, (because mentioned here,) Upon the third day. 1 Cor. xv. 4. "This is added, as it is commonly in Scripture when mention is made of our Saviour's refurrection, according to the common manner of speech, in which, when we relate any story or matter of fact, we are wont to adjoin the circumstances, (of time most commonly, many times of place, and fometimes of other refpects and adjuncts,) as figns and arguments of the things certainly, and our affurance in affirming it. Fictions ufually go naked of circumftances, nor can the relators of them tell when or where or how the matter of them did exift; but when we are punctual in circumstance, it fignifies we are serious and confident, and grounded in the thing itself. As for this circumstance itself, that which is moft remarkable therein seems to be the wisdom of God choosing a convenient diftance of time, after our Saviour's death, for his refurrection; he stayed fo long, that it might be thoroughly certain our Saviour was really dead, beyond all poffibility of recovery by natural means; (all natural heat being neceffarily extinguifhed by that durance in the grave, although he had |