SERM. from the crofs defcended into the invifible manfions, reXXX. turning into his body,) then evidently our fouls are diftinct from our bodies, and capable of fubfiftence by themselves; then are they apt to exift perpetually; then may they be put to render an account for what is acted here, and accordingly may be dealt with. Hence may we fee, that St. Paul difcourfed reasonably, when he told the Acts xvii. Athenians, that, Now God hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by the man whom he hath ordained, wisi wapaqŵv nãow, exhibiting an argument most perfuafive to all, having raised him from the dead; 1 Pet. i. 3, that St. Peter alfo might well aver, that God hath regenerated us to a lively hope of an incorruptible inheritance, referved in heaven for us, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the dead.

31.

Colof. i. 18.

1 Cor. xv. 20.

Acts iii. 15.

V. 31.

1 Cor. xv.

d Particularly the resurrection of our bodies, restoring our perfect manhood to us, (a point wholly new to the world, which no religion had embraced, no reason could descry,) was hereby fo exemplified, that confidering it, we can hardly be tempted to doubt of what the Gospel teacheth Rev. i. 5. about it; that he, preceding as the first-born from the dead, and the first-fruits of them which fleep, as our forerunner, and the Captain of life; we, v idig τáyμatı, in our due rank and season, as younger fons of the refurrection, as Heb. vi. 20. ferving under his command and conduct, in resemblance and conformity to him, fhall follow; fo that, If the Spirit of him that raised up Jefus from the dead dwelleth in us, Rom. viii. he that raised up Jefus from the dead fhall alfo quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth is us; that, If we have been planted with him in the likeness of his death, we shall also grow up in the likeness of his refurrection; that, As we have borne the image of the earthly man, fo we Shall alfo bear the image of the heavenly; so that God, who raifed our Lord, fhall alfo raife us by his power; for we cannot but allow that confequence to be reasonable, 1 Thef. iv. which St. Paul doth imply, when he faith, If we believe

23.

Luke xx.

36.

11.

Rom. vi. 5.

1 Cor. xv.

22, 49.

12 Cor. vi.

14.

14.

d Credentes refurrectionem Chrifti, in noftram quoque credimus, propter

quos et ille obiit et refurrexit. Tert. de Pat. 9.

Refurrectionem carnis per femetipfum primus initiavit. Cyp. Ep. 73.

that Jefus died and rofe again, even fo them alfo which SERM. Sleep through Jefus will God bring with him, reducing XXX. them into a state conformable to his, by reunion of their body and foul.

xxviii. 18.

8. Fourthly, It was a defigned confequence of our Lord's refurrection, that he thereby fhould acquire a just dominion over us; for to this end, faith St. Paul, Christ both Rom. xiv. died, and rofe, and revived, that he might be the Lord both9 of the dead and living: by the obedience of his death he did earn that dominion, as a worthy recompenfe thereof; He did by his blood purchase us to be his fubjects and fer- Acts xx. 28. vants: but from his refurrection he began to poffefs that reward, and to enjoy his purchase; it being the first step of his advancement to that royal dignity and preeminence John xvii. over all flesh; to which, in regard to his fufferings, God Phil. ii. 9. did exalt him; concerning which, before his ascension, he faid to his difciples, All power is given me in heaven and Matt. earth on fo many great accounts was our Lord's refurrection behooveful; fo that it is no wonder, if God took fuch especial care to affure its truth, and recommend its belief to us; appointing fo many choice perfons by their teftimony to affert and inculcate it; to do fo being often Acts i. 22. expreffed a main part and peculiar defign of the office x. 41. xiii. apoftolical. Nor is it strange, that to the hearty belief and ingenuous profeffion of this one article, (it enfolding, or inferring the truth of all other Christian doctrines,) falvation is annexed, according to that affertion of St. Paul; The righteoufnefs of faith faith thus, (or this is the purport Rom. x, 6, of the Christian institution,) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and fhalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. Nor is it much, that a confideration of this point should be fo continually present to the minds of the ancient Chriftians, that whenever they did meet, they should be ready to falute one another with a Xpisòs ávésn, Christ is rifen; it importing fo great benefits, and producing fo excellent fruits; in regard whereto St. Paul expreffed his fo ardent defire and high esteem of knowing Chrift, and the power of Phil. iii. 10. his refurrection, as the most valuable of all knowledges;

31.

9.

SERM. which having in fome measure declared, I come now XXX. briefly to apply.

1. First then; The confideration of our Lord's refurrection should strengthen our faith and quicken our hope in God, caufing us firmly to believe his word, and confidently to rely upon his promises, especially those which concern our future state. God having thereby, as by a most senfible proof, against all objections of our feeble reason, demonstrated himself able, as by a moft fure pledge declared himself willing, to bestow upon us a happy immortality, in gracious reward of our obedience: for seeing by fo illuftrious an inftance God hath manifefted that he is thoroughly reconcileable to finners, that he bountifully rewardeth obedience, that death and hell are vincible, what reafon can we have to diftruft his fidelity, to doubt of his power, or to despair of his mercy? Surely, he that was so faithful in raising our Lord from the grave, so notably rewarding his obedience and patience, (in advancing him to fupreme dignity and glory at his right hand,) will not fail alfo to confer on us (walking in the footsteps of his piety) the promised inheritance of everlasting life and blifs, the never-fading crown of righteoufnefs and glory. Surely, by this noble experiment we are clearly informed, and fhould be fully perfuaded, that nothing can destroy us, nothing can harm us, nothing can feparate us from our God and our happiness; that no force, no fraud, no spite of men, or rage of hell, can finally prevail against us; what then reasonably can be dreadful or discouraging to us, what should be able to drive us into distrust or despair?

2. This point affordeth matter of great joy, and an obligation thereto. If the news of our Saviour's first birth Luke ii. 10. were (as an angel called them) good tidings of great joy to

all people, how much more may the news concerning this fecond nativity of him be hugely gladfome? for in that birth he did but affume our flefh; in this he did advance it then he began to fuftain our infirmities; now he furPhil. ii. 8. mounted them by his incarnation he became fubject to death; by his refurrection death was fubdued to him: at

1 Cor. xv.

57.

e

that he entered into the field, and fet upon the bloody SERM. conflict with our foes; in this he returned a triumphant XXX. conqueror, having utterly vanquished and quelled them: the fury of the world, the malice of hell, the tyranny of fin, the empire of death, all of them combined to render us miferable, he did in his refurrection perfectly triumph over and doth it not then become us to attend his glorious victories with our joyful gratulations? Is it not extremely comfortable to behold our gallant champion, (the only champion of our life and welfare,) after all the cruel blows which the infernal powers laid on him, after all the ghaftly wounds which human madness did inflict, after he had paffed through the fcorching flames of divine wrath and justice, after he had felt the foreft pangs of death, perfectly recovered from all those diftreffes; standing upright, and trampling on the necks of his proud enemies? Are not most sprightful expreffions of gratitude, are not most cheerful acclamations of praise due from us to the invincible Captain of our falvation? Shall we not with, great alacrity of mind contemplate the happy fuccefs of that mighty enterprise, wherein no lefs our welfare than his glory was concerned? Is it not a pleasure to confider ourselves fo exempted from that fatal doom, to which all human race was sentenced; to fee life and immortality fo fpringing forth upon us; to view ourselves, the children of duft and corruption, from hence in age and dignity fo nigh equalled to the first-born fons of the creation?

41. Quod cre

It is faid of the first disciples, that although they faw and felt our Lord risen, yet for joy they could not believe Luke xxiv. it; fo incredibly good was the news to them; excess of love and delight choked, or rather fufpended their faith: dunt tardiwe cannot be such infidels from surprise; but let us be faithful in our joy.

us, non eft

as perfidiæ,

• Σήμερον ἡμῶν τὰ λαμπρὰ νικητήρια γέγονε. σήμερον ἡμῶν ὁ δεσπότης τὸ κατὰ θανάτου τρόπαιον ςήσας, καὶ τοῦ διαβόλα τὴν τυραννίδα καταλύσας τὴν διὰ τῆς ἀνατάσεως ὁδὸν ἡμῖν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἐχαρίσατο.

Η ποθεινὴ καὶ σωτήριος ἑορτὴ ἡ τῆς εἰρήνης ὑπόθεσις, ἡ τῆς καταλλαγῆς ἀφορ μὴ, ἡ τῶν πολέμων ἀναίρεσις, ἡ τῷ θανάτου κατάλυσις, ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου ήτα Chryf, tom. v. Or. 85.

fed amoris, Chryfoft. Serm. 81.

9.

SERM. 3. Great confolation furely it ought to breed in us, to XXX. confider, that by this event our redemption is completed, and we become entirely capable of falvation; that in it a full discharge is exhibited from the guilt and from the punishment of all our fins, whereof we do truly repent; that God's juftice appeareth fatisfied, and his anger pacified; that his countenance fhineth out clearly with favour and mercy toward us; that our condemnation is reversed, our ranfom is accepted, our fhackles are loofed, and our prison set open; so that with full liberty, fecurity, and hope, we may walk forward in the paths of righteousness, toward our better country, the region of eternal felicity. Farther,

4. This confideration fhould be a forcible engagement Rom. xiv. upon us to obedience and holy life. Our Lord did by his refurrection gain a dominion over us, unto which if we do not submit, we shall be very injurious and wicked; unto which if we do not correspond by all humble obfervance, Acts iii. 26. we shall be very ingrateful and undutiful; He was raifed to bless us, in turning every one of us from our iniquities; and no lefs unhappy than unworthy we shall be, if we defeat that gracious purpose; it is the condition of our obtaining the happy fruits and benefits of his refurrection, Rom. vi. 4. that we fhould ourselves rife with him unto righteousness and newness of life; by not complying therewith, we shall render his refurrection unprofitable to us, becoming unworthy and uncapable of any good advantage thereby. Eph. v. 14. Awake, faith the Apostle, thou that fleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life; to awake from our fpiritual flumber, to arife from dead works, are the terms on which Chrift doth offer that eternal happy life: for as the pains and ignominies of his death will nowise Phil. iii. 10. avail those who are not conformable to his death, in dying to fin and mortifying their lufts; fo will not they be concerned in the joys and glories of his refurrection, who are not planted in the likeness thereof by renovation of their 2 Cor. v. 15. minds and reformation of their lives; for as de died, fo he was also raised for us, that we should not henceforth live to ourfelves, but unto him who died and rofe again for us:

Rom. vi. 5.