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II. Great will the Influence and Power of Christ's Refurrection upon our Lives appear to be, when we confider, that it is, indeed, the principal Evidence that we have for the Truth of our Religion, the very Defign of which is to make us Vertuous and Holy.

If any Thing in the World can make a Man good, it must be a hearty Belief of the Gospel. And if any Thing in the World can make a Man heartily to believe the Gofpel, it must be the Refurrection of our Saviour from the Dead. All that Power therefore, that the Gospel of Christ hath to make Men good; all that Force and Efficacy, that its Arguments, its Promises, its Precepts, its Encouragements, its Threatnings, have upon the Underftandings and Wills of Men, in order to bring them to Vertue and Holiness; I fay, all this may, in a great measure, ultimately be refolved into the Article of Chrift's Refurrection. For this Refurrection of his was the Thing that did from the Beginning, and doth now, and ever will afcertain Mankind of the Truth of Chrift's Re ligion. This was, and will be for ever, the convincing Evidence that what Jefus taught was true Doctrine; that what he commanded was of perpetual Obligation; that what he promised or threatned, he was able to make good.

If Chrift had not rifen from the Dead, but had for ever been detained in the Grave, notwithstanding all that might be urged from the Goodness of his Doctrine, and the Innocency of his Life, and the Multitude of his Miracles for

the

nocency

the Proof of the Truth of Chriftianity (though yet very ftrong and concluding Proofs thefe are) I doubt it would hardly have met with that ready Entertainment in the World, that we find it did: But a great many, both then and now, would have made the fame Objection against Jefus Chrift and his Gospel, that the Pharifees did of old; that is to fay, That all his great Works and Miracles were done by Sorcery and Magick. And that as for the Inof his Life, and the great Vertue and Strictness that he expreffed in his Converfation; that was only used as a Trick and an Artifice, the more eafily to impofe upon the World. But now, when it appears that Jefus, who taught this holy Religion; who did thofe Miracles; who liv'd that vertuous Life; did, after he was put to a cruel Death, rife again to Life, and converfed upon Earth for Forty Days together; and after that, in the Prefence of many Spectators, did afcend into Heaven; I fay, when this appears (as God be thanked, it is evident beyond all Contradiction) here is no room left for any Suspicion of this Nature, but all Pretences of Impofture do perfectly vanish. It is impoffible for any confidering Man to believe Chrift's Refurrection, and at the fame Time to doubt of the Truth of his Religion.

For thus let us reafon; Chrift over and over again told his Apoftles that he should be put to Death; but after that, he would within Three Days rife again, Matt. 16. 21. 17. 22. John 16. 16.

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Nay,

Nay, he told this not only to the Apostles, but to all the People; nay, more than that, he gave this as a Token, as an Evidence to them, whereby they fhould know, and be convinced that he was what he gave himself out to be, the Son of God, and the great Prophet and Saviour that was to come, John 2. 19.

Nay, in the laft Place, he not only refers the Jews to his Refurrection, as an Evidence of his being the Chrift; but as the last and greateft Evidence that he had to give, and fuch as if they were not convinced by, they must expect no other, Matt. 12. 39, 40.

Our Saviour now laying fuch a mighty Strefs upon this Point of his Refurrection, putting his whole Caufe (as I may speak) upon this Iffue; I ask, How is it poffible to imagine, that God Almighty fhould make these Predictions of our Saviour good, if he was not really what he pretended to be?

If Chrift had been an Impoftor, it had been the easiest Matter in the World to have ftifled all his Pretences for ever. It had but been to have let him mouldered to Duft in his Grave, as all other Men do, and as He, without the Help of Omnipotency, would have done; and then all the World would have feen that he was a. Deceiver. But now, when inftead of perifhing in the Grave, he was, after three Days, reftored to Life again, as he had foretold the People; nay, to a glorious immortal Life; what are we to conclude from hence?

Did not God in this, appear with a Witness, as a Voucher and Approver of his Caufe? Was

not

not this a Demonstration to all the World, that Chrift Jefus was no Deceiver, but that he came from God; and that whatever he delivered, was the Truth of God, and to be received as the Oracles of God? Certainly it was.

For that a Man fhould be raised from the Dead by any other Power, than the very Power of God, all the World knows to be impoffible. The Devil, though he can do very strange Feats in the Natural World; yet I never heard or read, that either he, or any of his Agents or Ministers, so much as pretended to raise the Dead to Life again: And certainly, if he could have done it, he would have done it often before this, (as in the Cafe of Apollonius Tyanaus, Mahomet, and others) if it had been for no other Reason, than to baffle thereby the Evidence of our Saviour's Refurrection, to render it unconcluding.

It must therefore certainly be the Power of God that raised up Jefus from the Dead. But then to fuppofe that God fhould employ this Power, for the giving Teftimony to a Falfhood, that he should fet his own Seal to atteft an Untruth, as he must be fuppofed to have done, if Jefus was not his Son; What an unaccountable Thing is this? no Man that believes that God is faithful and just and true, and that he governs the World, can poffibly imagine fuch a Thing. For this had been to have contradicted all his own Attributes, and to have laid an invincible Temptation and Snare before all Mankind, to believe an Impious Lye. You fee then what an unexceptionable Proof,

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(nay,

(nay, Demonftration I may call it) the Refurrection of Chrift doth afford us of the Truth of his Religion; which is the Second Inftance of the Power that is in it, to bring Men over to Holiness and Vertue.

III. But, Thirdly, the Power of Chrift's Refurrection for the making us holy and vertuous, will further appear in this Refpect: Namely, as it is, in particular, the great Support of our Future Hopes; the great Pledge and Affurance of our own Refurrection and Immortality.

For if Chrift be rifen, then may we also be certain that we shall at last be raised by him. Because Chrift is not rifen for himself only, but as the first Fruits of them that flept, 1 Cor. 15. Good Reafon therefore had St. Paul to argue as he doth in that Place, If Chrift be preached that be is rifen from the Dead; how Jay fome among you, that there is no Refurrection? On the contrary (as he urges) If we believe that Jefus Chrift died and rofe again; even fo them alfo that fleep in Jefus will God bring with him, 1 Theff. 4. 14.

For how can we defire to be better affured, that our Bodies fhall not for ever fleep in the Grave, but fhall at laft be re-united to our Souls, and both Soul and Body live eternally in unfpeakable Bliss and Happiness; I fay, How can we have greater Affurance of this, than by what was on this Day brought to pass in our Saviour?

We have hereby a clear Demonftration, that the Refurrection is poffible. For Chrift, who was once dead, is alive again, and lives in unexpreffible Glory, at the Right Hand of God,

And

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