it is, Act. xxvi. 22, 23. Having therefore obtain'd Help of God, I continue uns to this day, witnessing both to small and great, faying none other things than those which Mofes and the Prophets did fay Should come. That Chrift should fuffer, and that he should be the first that should rife from the dead, and should fhew Light unto the People, and to the Gentiles. . 2. The New Testament afferts it, Rom. vi. 9, 10. and xiv. 9. 1 Cor. XV. 20. this was the great Doctrine which the Apostles taught, Act. ii. 24. And as for the Evangelifts, tho' there be fome things which only One of them records; fome things which Two only; fome which Three fet down, yet about this Article of our Faith, they All agree, as we may fee, S. Matt. xxviii. S. Mar. xvi, S. Luk. xxiv. S. Joh. xx. Indeed, that His Body was not upon the Day after the Sabbath in the Grave, where it was laid the day before, the Jews themselves cannot but acknowledge; but only to falve the matter, they fay He was ftoin thence by fome of His Difciples; which how true it is likely to be, let any one judge, that doth confider how ftrict a Watch was fet at the Door of the Sepulchre, S. Matt. xxvii. 65. But, faith the Watch, He was ftoln away while we flept; a likely matter, that fuch a Stone as that was, which two Women were confulting how to get roll'd away, themselves, it feems, not being able to do it; a likely matter, I fay, that fuch a Stone should be roll'd away, and not waken the fleepy Watch that fat hard by; or if they were asleep all the while, How do they know he was ftola away, or that it was His Difciples Difciples that ftole Him? Stulta infania! faith S.Auftin, Si vigilabas, quare permififti? Si dormiebas, unde fcifti?" If you were awake, why would you fuffer it? If you were asleep, how could "you know it? 66 3. There were many Eye-Witnesses of it, who faw Him, and convers'd with Him as really and familiarly after His Refurrection, as they had done before His Crucifixion; and that not by fome tranfient Apparitions, but by forty Days Continuance and Abode with them. 1. Mary Magdalen, out of whom He had 4. The Eleven, the fame Day at Even, as they were met together, and the Door fhut upon them; Thomas being absent from them, S. Mar. xvi. 14. S. Job. xx. 19. S. Luk. xxiv. 36. where you have two Things that prove He had as real a Living Body after, as before His Death. r. Handle Me, and fee Me, S. Luk. xxiv. 39. 2. Have ye here any Meat? ver. 41, 43. 5. Five Hundred at once, 1 Cor. XV. 6. 6. James, ver. 7. 7. All the Apostles met together,and Thomas with them, S. Joh. xx. 26. . 8. The feven Difciples at the Sea of Tiberias, S. Joh. xxi. 1. 9. The Apostles immediately before His Afcenfion, S. Luk. xxiv. 36. Att. i. 2. 10. S. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 8. 4 The Spirit giveth Teftimony to it, even the Spirit which Chrift when upon Earth promis'd to pour out upon his Difciples; which, if He had not rifen, He could never have done, and therefore His doing it is a clear Sign of His being rifen. And truly, was there never another Argument in the World, this would be enough to convince any, that Chrift is rifen, who do but confider the extraordinary Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, which Chrift endow'd His Difciples with, after His Death and Paffion. Extraordinary Holiness in Living. Extraordinary Boldners in Preaching. Extraordinary Contempt of the World. Extraordinary Love to GOD. Extraordinary Diligence in propagating the Gospel; and the extraordinary Succefs which they had in Preaching the Gospel, that a Company of fuch defpicable Ffher-men fhould propagate fo Holy a Gofpel, through fo finful a World as that was. So that we may truly fay, that the Gospel was not only establish'd by Christ, but likewife propagated by the Apostles, in a miraculous Manner; and truly, if it had been propagated without Miracles, that would have been the greatest Miracle of all. It was a great Miracle, that a Gospel, fo contrary to Flesh and Blood, should be propagated by any Means whatfoever; but that it fhould be propagated by a Company of fimple Fisher-men, was still much more furprizing, who had neither Power to force, nor Eloquence to perfuade Men to embrace it, but were accounted the Offfcouring of the World; fo that one would have thought, that, had their Doctrine been never fo plaufible, P .plaufible, yet their very Perfons would have made it contemptible. Who would have thought, that fuch Perfons as thefe fhould ever have made any of the Jews, who expected a Meffiah that should advance them to temporal Dignities, believe that Jefus Chrift, whom they themselves crucify'd at Jerufalem, was the Perfon? But that they should plant the Gospel among the Gentiles allo, who neither believ'd in the true GOD, nor expected a Meffiah, Who can think upon it without Amazement? Seriously, when I look no farther than the Perfons themselves, I cannot but laugh at the Conceit, to fee a Company of filly Fisher-men, trudge up and down the World, from City to City, and from Country to Country, and all to perfuade Men they were undone, and fhould be damn d, unless they believ'd that one Jefus Chrift, -who was hang'd at Jerufalem, came into the World to fave them; but this they did, and brought over, not only fingle Perfons, but whole Countries to the Profeffion of this Faith; propagating the moft Holy Gofpel among the most finful People in the World, maugre all the Oppofition of Men and Devils. But, certainly, none can be fo mad, as to think they did it by their own Strength: No, there is nothing we can afcribe it to, but to the Glory of His Power and Faithfulness, who promis'd them to be with them to the End of the World. Queftionlefs, it was nothing elfe, but the Spirit of the most High GOD, that went along with them, accompanying the Word that they spoke, unto the Hearts of them that heard it, bearing all down before it, fo that none could withstand the Power and Authority of it. And thus, the Spirit working fo miraculously for Chrift, is a Sign that Chrift faithfully fent it, which he could not have done, had Himself been detain'd in in the Jaws of Death: [Vid. Vol. VI. Serm. VI. of this Author:] II. Why Chrift rofe from the Dead: 1. For GOD's Glory. 1. His Faithfulness and Immutability,to fhew that GOD is the fame yesterday, to day, and for ever, fulfilling in This, what He had promis'd many Ages ago, by Types and Prophecies. 2. His Power and Omnipotency, Ephef. i. 19,20. S. Joh. x. 18. Act. ii. 24. it was not the Chains of Death could hold the Lord of Life. 3. His Righteoufnefs and Equity; for, feeing now, that Chrift had paid a Ranfom, and fatisfy'd for our Sins; GOD manifefts His Juftice, in fending an Officer from the Court of Heaven to roll away the Stone, bring Him out of Prifon, and to fet Him at Liberty. 1. For Man's Good; for He rofe not in a private, but in a publick Capacity, as the Second Adam, as the Head of the Church, Coloff. i. 18. and therefore altogether for our Good and Benefit. 1. That we might be fully perfuaded, that He was the true Meffiah. 2. That we might be spiritually quicken'd by His Graces, who were naturally dead in Trefpaffes and Sins, Coloff. ii. 12. 3. That we might be affur'd, that He hath made complete and full Satisfaction for our Sins; which, if He had not done, He could not have rifen from the Grave. |