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of God, because his Doctrine was con- SER M. firmed by mighty Works and Miracles: XII. So, in Other places, he is filed The Word of God, because he is the Revealer of his Will to Men; and he is the Way, the Door, the Truth and the Life, because he has diftinctly made known to us the Terms and Means of Salvation. And by the like figure of fpeech, the Sacramental Bread and Wine is ftiled the Body and Blood of Chrift, because 'tis a Solemn commemoration of his Death. And Chriftians are by the Apostle faid to be the Circumcifion made without hands, because they spiritually are, what the Jews were typically by Circumcifion which was literal. And Praife or Thanksgiving has the name of Sacrifice given to it, because 'tis a Signification of the fame Temper and Difpofition of Mind 2 which Sacrifices were intended to exprefs, and which alone made thofe Sacrifices acceptable before God.. With many other the like Inftances: In which, a careful confideration of the ground

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XII.

SER M. ground and reafon of the Manner of Expreffion, may eafily prevent Great Misunderstandings of Many Paffages in Scripture.

SERMON

SERMON XIII.

Of the Refurrection of CHRIST.

[Preached on Eafter-Day.]

I COR. XV. 14.

And if Chrift be not rifen, then is our Preaching vain, aud your Faith alfo is vain.

T

HE great Foundation of our S ERM.
Hope of Immortality, is the XIII.
Revelation of the Gospel;

and the great Evidence of

the Truth of that Revelation, is the Resurrection of Christ. Without the Revelation of the Gofpel, our Hope of Immortality, according to mens different

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SER M. different Abilities in philofophical SpeXIII, culations, had continued disputable; and, without the Refurrection of Chrift, the Proofs of the Truth of the Gofpel-Revelation had been finally fruftrated. therefore the Truth of the Chriftian Revelation, is of the greatest importance to mens Souls, in the whole; fo the proof of the Refurrection of Chrift, is of the greatest importance towards fecuring the Certainty of that Revelation, in particular. By the Light of Nature, the Being and Attributes of God, were certain and demonftrable; the Probability of a Future State, was great and undeniable; the exexpectation of God's dealing mercifully with penitent Sinners, was reasonable and hopeful. But by the Revelation of the Gospel only, was this great Hope fecured to us; the Pardon of Sin declared authentickly, by the Authority of God; Life and Immortality brought to light by Teftimony, as well as by rational Arguments; the Rewards and Punishments of Eternity, diftinctly fet forth; and the particular Method

Method of the final Judgment, affection- S ER M. ately represented to us.

IN like manner, as to the Evidence of the Truth of This Revelation; By the Prophecies of the Old Testament, it was long before predicted; By the reasonablenefs of the Doctrine itself, it was made very credible; By the Witness of our Lord and his Apoftles, it was ftrongly attefted; By the conviction and filencing of its Adverfaries, it was confirmed and efstablished; By many Signs and Wonders and mighty Works done by Christ in his Life, it was for the prefent proved beyond contradiction; But by this laft Evidence only, by the Refurrection of our Lord from the Dead, was it for ever afcertained to all generations. For had this laft Proof failed, all the reft must in course have fallen with it. The Prophecies would have appeared wonderful, but never fulfilled; The Doctrine would have continued reasonable, but its Author perished; The Miracles of his Life would have remained astonishing, but still confuted by his Death; His Enemies would have con

tinued

XIII.

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