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And at the fame Time that he rofe, he raised up other Bodies alfo of Holy Men, to accompany him in his Triumph over Death.

But that is not all; He that raised up himfelf and them, hath given us his folemn Word and Promife, in as exprefs Terms as is poffible, that he will, by the fame Power, raise up us `alfo; and exalt us to the fame Glory that he is poffefs'd of. He hath told us, That he is the Refurrection and the Life: And that whofoever believeth in him, fhall not perish, but have everlasting Life: and he will raise him up at the laft Day. There cannot be a ftronger Proof of any Thing; than our Saviour's Refurrecti on is of the Happiness of good Men in another State.

Which being fo; How powerful a Means muft we needs conclude it to be, for the Reforming the Manners of Mankind, and making them truly Holy and Vertuous?

Since we have thereby fuch a Demonftration given us of a glorious Immortality to be expected by us; what is it that can be able to hinder or divert us from a ferious Purfuit of thofe Things that lead to it? What could God do more, by way of Motive and Argument, towards the Profelyting the World to Religion and Righteoufnefs, than he hath done, by thus afcertaining our future Happiness, by the Refurrection of his Son Jefus?

To be certain, that if we feriously apply ourfelves to a Life of Piety here, we shall be crowned with everlafting Felicity hereafter! To be certain, that if we follow the Steps of

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our Bleffed Saviour, we fhall for ever fhine in the fame Glory and Luftre that he now doth at the Right Hand of his Father! To be able pofitively to fay, I know that my Redeemer liveth; and I know, that if I live as he did, I fhall for ever live with him; and tho' it doth not yet appear what I fhall be, yet this I know, that when he shall appear, I shall be like him! O what noble Thoughts, what brave Refolutions is this able to infpire us with? What Difficulties fhall we be afraid of? What Labours shall we not willingly undertake?

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What Temptations fhall we not eafily vanquish in the Prospect of fuch an eternal Crown of Glory, as awaits us, and is fecured to us by our Lord Jefus ?

O happy we Chriftians! that have so clear a Revelation of those Things, which God hath prepared for them that love him; those Things which Eye hath not feen, nor Ear heard, neither did they enter into the Heart of Man! Bleffed, for ever bleffed be our Lord Jefus Christ, that hath begotten us again to this lively Hope by his Refurrection from the Dead.

O! what mighty Encouragements have we to fet ourselves against our Sins, and to labour after the Perfection of Vertue, in Comparison of what thofe have who are ignorant of our Saviour's Refurrection, and who know nothing of the other World, but by the uncertain Conjectures of their natural Reason?

If we had no other Affurance of the Immortality of the Soul, and the Rewards and Punishments of another Life, but what is af

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forded us by the Light of Nature, and the Deductions of Philofophy; I doubt we could never expect to fee any great Reformation in our Manners.

Some of the Philofophers have, indeed, to their immortal Fame, afferted the Truth of thefe Things: But then others of them have as much made it their Business to run them down. And as for thofe of them that spoke the best concerning the other World, yet God knows, their Discourses upon this Argument (as will appear to any that reads them) are generally very uncertain, and altogether conjectural.

But admitting their Reasons to be strong and conclufive (as I am far from denying, that the Soul's Immortality is demonftrable by the Light of Nature) yet there are generally these Two Inconveniencies in the Arguments they make use of, for the Proof of this Matter, which render them in a great measure ineffectual for the reforming Mens Lives.

Firft, They are generally of fo great Subtilty, fo Nice, fo Metaphyfical, fo much above the Reach of ordinary Capacities, that they are useless to the greatest Part of Mankind, who have not Understandings fitted for them.

And, Secondly, They have this Inconvenience likewife, that a Man doth not fee the Evidence of them, without actual Attention to a long Train of Propofitions; which Attention, it may be, when a Man moft ftands in need of their Support, he fhall neither have the Leifure nor the Humour to give.

But

But now the Chriftian Method of proving another Life, is quite of another Strain, and wholly free from these Inconveniencies. That Demonftration which Chrift hath given us of a glorious Immortality by his Refurrection from the Dead, as it is infinitely certain and conclufive; fo it is plain and eafy, fhort and compendious, powerful and operative. No Man that believes the Matter of Fact, can deny the Cogency of it: Men of the meanest Capaci ties may apprehend it. Perfons in a Crowd of Bufinefs, and in the midst of Temptations may attend to it. And it hath this Virtue befides, that it leaves a lafting Impreffion upon the Spirits of thofe that do believe and confider it.

Thanks therefore to our Lord Jefus Chrift, for this excellent Inftrument of Piety, that he hath given us by his Refurrection. Everlafting Praises to his Name, that he hath thus brought Life and Immortality to light by his Gospel. This very Thing alone, was there nothing else to be faid for the Chriftian Revelation, would fufficiently juftify both the Gospel itself, and our Lord Jefus the Author of it, to all Mankind; nay, and effectually recommend his Religion, above all others that ever were taught, to all Perfons, in all Nations of the World.

IV. Fourthly and Laftly, There is ftill a further Bleffing coming to us by our Saviour's Refurrection from the Dead; and in which, indeed, is chiefly feen and expreffed the great Power of it, for the making us Holy and Vir tuous: That is to fay, Unto it we do principally owe all that fupernatural Grace and Affiftance,

Affiftance, by which we are enabled to vanquish our Corruptions, and to live up to the Precepts of our Religion.

As Chrift by his Refurrection did oblige us to lead new Lives; as Chrift by his Refurrection did demonstrate the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, which is wholly in order to our leading new Lives; as by his Refurrection he cleared up to us the Certainty of our future State, and thereby gave us the greatest Motive and Encouragement to lead new Lives: So, in the laft Place, by the fame Refurrection he acquired a Power of conferring Grace, and Strength, and Influence upon us, by the Virtue of which, we are in Fact enabled to lead new Lives:

Though Chrift by his Death reconciled us to God, and procured a Pardon of Sin for us; yet the actual Benefit of this Reconciliation, the actual Application of this Pardon, did depend upon our Performance of certain Conditions which Conditions were, that we should mortify all our evil Affections, and frame our Lives fuitable to the Laws of the Gospel. But now the Grace and Power by which we are enabled to do this, was not the Effect of Chrift's Death, but of his Refurrection.

It was when he afcended up on high, and led Captivity Captive; that is, when he had vanquifhed Death, which had vanquished all the World before: It was then, (as the Scripture affures us) and not till then, that he was in a Capacity of giving Gifts unto Men. It was not till he was glorified, as St. John observes, that the Holy Spirit was given.

Hence

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