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embalm him; and that Jofeph of Arimathea wrapp'd his Body in a clean Linen Cloth, and laid it in his own Tomb, which he had hewn out in the Rock, and roll'd a Stone at the Door of the Sepulchre, as we find it related by all the Evangelifts. And this too was according to the Scriptures, that is, agreeable to the Predictions of the Qld Teftament; for we find the Prophets foretold his Burial as well as his Death. The Prophet Ifaiah, who declar'd long before the Particulars of his Death, fpake likewife of the Circumftances of his Burial, faying, He made his Grave with the Wicked, and with the Rich in his Death; Ifa. 53.9. Jonas's lying three Days and three Nights in the Whale's Belly, hath been look'd upon as a Type of Chrift's Burial, or his lying three Days and three Nights in the heart of the Earth; fo 'tis interpreted and apply'd, Mat. 12. 40.

The Pfalmift fpeaking in the Perfon of the Meffias, faith, My Flefh fhall reft in Hope; which can be understood only of his refting in the Grave in hope of a Refurrection.

And as Chrift's Burial was thus foretold by the Prophets in the Old Testament, fo was the fulfilling of it as plainly reveal'd by the Apoftles in the New. This Truth St. Paul deliver'd to the Corinthians, as a thing neceffary to be believ'd by them, for the Confirmation of his Death, for Men are not bury'd before they are dead; and a Preparation for his Resurrection, for Men cannot be faid to rife, who were never dead: and a greater Confirmation of his Death we cannot have, than his being deliver'd up to it by his Enemies, and his Body's being laid in the Grave by his Friends. But

The 3d and great Point of Doctrine the Apostle deliver'd to them, was his Resurrection; That he refe again the third Day, according to the Scriptures: that is, after his Body had lain part of three Days in the Grave, viz. from FridayEvening to Sunday-Morning, he came to life again, as the Prophets long before foretold of him. This is the Pillar and Groundwork of all our Faith and Hope in him; and therefore the Apostle spends all the remaining part of this Chapter in afferting and applying this great Article, of which I fhall take notice as far as the Epiftle for this Day reaches. v

Indeed, the Refurrection of Chrift gave the greatest Af furance of the Divinity of his Perfon, of the Certainty of his Doctrine, of the Efficacy of his Death, and of the Truth of his Metliahfhip. And therefore no Article of

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our Faith either deferv'd or needed greater Confirmation: in which the Holy Ghoft hath not been wanting to our Faith, proving it in this Chapter by fundry forts of Arguments; beginning with the Teftimony of Eye-witneffes of it, which in a matter of Fact, as this is, is the best and fulleft Evidence. Accordingly therefore the Apostle gave thefe Corinthians a Catalogue of thofe that faw and convers'd with him after he rose from the Dead.

The firft whereof here mention'd, is St. Peter, who was the first and chiefeft of the Apoftles; ver. 5. He was feen of Cephas which was one of the Names of Peter. He was firft call'd Simon the Son of Jonas, after by God's Appointment Cephas, which is by Interpretation a Stone, John 1.42. After that, upon his famous Confeflion of Chrift, he was call'd Peter, Mat. 19. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church. To him Chrift fhew'd himself after his Resurrection; fo we read, Luke 24. 34. The Lord is rifen indeed, and hath appear'd unto Simon. Indeed, the pious Women that embalm'd his Body for the Funeral, had the first news of his being rifen; for they coming to his Sepulchre, and feeing the Stone roll'd away, an Angel ap pear'd to them, and faid, I know that ye feek Jefus, that was crucify'd, he is not here, for he is rifen: withal calling them to come and fee the place where the Lord lay. Hereupon the Women ran away with the news hereof unto the Difciples, fome whereof look'd upon it as an idle Tale, and believ'd it not, Luke 24. 11. But Peter arofe, and ran to the Sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the Linen Clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering at what was come to pass; ver. 12. For which reafon, 'tis fuppos'd, he had the honour of his first Appearance: for we find the Eleven declaring that he was indeed rifen, and had appear'd to Simon, ver. 34. and St. Paul reckons him here as the firft that had the fight of him; He was feen of Cephas.

Next, he appear'd to the twelve Difciples or Apoftles; the eleven, faith Mark, one of the twelve being then wanting, Mark 16. 12. where we read, he appear'd to them as they fat at Meat, and upbraided them with the Backwardnefs of their Belief; and because some of them took him for a Spectre or Apparition, and were terrify'd as if they had feen a Spirit, he bid them behold his Hands and his Feet, that it was he himself: Handle me and fee me (faith he) for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye fee me have. Vol. IV. Part 2.

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And to remove all their Fears, he call'd for Meat, and eat before them.

But Thomas, the abfent Difciple, would not believe upon the Report of all this, but requir'd a more fenfible Demonftration, by feeing the Print of the Nails in his Body, that faften'd him to the Cross, and by thrusting his Hand into his fide, where the Soldier's Spear had pierc'd: to all which Chrift graciously condefcended for his Satisfaction, faying to him, Reach hither thy Finger, and behold my Hands, and reach hither thy Hand, and thrust it into my Side, and be not faithless, but believing. Upon which he was fully fatisfy'd of the Truth of his Refurrection, and in the ftrength of his Faith cry'd out, My Lord and my God! as we read, John 20. 27, 28.

After this he was feen of above five hundred Brethren at once, of whom the greater part, were alive, and present at that time, but fome of them were dead or fallen asleep, as he tells us in the fixth Verfe of the Epiftle for this Day. Now these five hundred Brethren were those to whom he appear'd in Galilee, of whom we read, Mat. 28.7, 10. who all believ'd the Truth of it, and after teftify'd it to the World.

After that he was feen of James, ver. 7. This James was the Brother of our Lord, whom fome of the Antients affirm to be conftituted Bishop of Jerufalem by Chrift himfelf, at this Appearance of his unto him; for which fee St. Ferom, Epiphanius, St. Chryfoftom, and Theodoret on this place.

And laft of all (faith St. Paul) he was feen of me alfo, as of one born out of due time; ver. 8. meaning, that tho he knew him not before his afcending into Heaven, and fo could not fee him in the Flesh with the other Apoftles, yet after his Afcenfion he faw him in a Vifion; when being converted by him, he vouchfafed to fpeak to him by a Voice from Heaven, and exhibited himself to his fight, and receiv'd him thro his fpecial Grace and Favour into the number of his Apoftles, tho moft unworthy of that Dignity: for fo he acknowledges in the next Verfe, I am the leaft of the Apostles, and not meet to be call'd an Apoftle, because I perfecuted the Church of God: that is, his former Rage in perfecuting the Church had fet him in the Rank of the meaneft of the Apostles, and much inferiour to those who were never guilty of fo vile an Enormity.

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However, faith he in the following Verfe, By the Grace of God I am what I am; and his Grace, which was beftow'd on me, was not in vain, for I labour'd more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the Grace of God which was given me meaning, that 'twas owing only to the Mercy and Favour of God that he was what he was; and that he endeavour'd to walk worthy of the Grace given to him, and to make a right use of it, which he had fo far improv'd, as to be more induftrious in the Work of the Gospel than all the other Difciples: which yet he would not in any manner afcribe to himself, but merely to the Grace and Goodness of God, that accompany'd and affifted him in all that he did.

He then fums up what he had before deliver'd to them; Therefore (faith he) whether it were I or they, fo we preach'a, and fo ye believ'd: that is, however that matter be, whether you look upon me, to whom Chrift appear'd after his Afcenfion, or on them to whom he appear'd before, you cannot have the leaft reafon to doubt of the Truth of his Resurrection; for we have all preach'd this Doctrine to you, and you have all accordingly receiv'd and embrac'd it. Let none then fhake or stagger your Faith in it, but be stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, and then your Labour will not be in vain in the Lord.

This is briefly the Senfe and Subftance of the Epiftle for this Day, which by way of Application may ferve to direct, 1. The Minifters of Chrift, in their delivering the Truths of the Gospel: And,

2. The People, in their hearing and receiving of them. 1. I fay, St. Paul's delivering to the Corinthians all, and nothing but what he had receiv'd, may teach the Ministers of the Gospel not to come fhort of, nor to go beyond their Commiffion; but faithfully to declare the whole Will of God, and no more. We fee the Apoftle conceal'd nothing which he had Authority to deliver; and St. Peter tells us, that they did not follow or publish any cunningly-devis'd Fables, when they made known the Power and Coming of the Lord Jefus, but were Eye-witnesses of his Majefty; 2 Pet. 1. 16. And St. John tells us, that which we have heard and feen, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life, that declare we unto you; I John 1. 1, 2. teaching us to be well inform'd and inftructed in the Truth of what we deliver,

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before we inftil or inculcate it upon others, that we may ot obtrude upon them any thing contrary to found Doc trine, nor teach for Doctrine the Inventions or Commandments of Men. Moreover, the Apoftles frequent delivering the main Points of Chrift's Death, Burial, and Refurrection, may direct us to make the great fundamental Truths of Chriftianity the chief Subject of our Difcourfes, to inftil those first and neceffary Principles into the Minds of the People; that by laying well the Foundation of Religion, they may be the more firmly built up in their most holy Faith,

2. This Epiftle directs the People to hear and receive thefe great Truths; and not only fo, but to remember what they have heard and receiv'd of them, and to hold them faft. The Apostle had obferv'd fome among the Corinthians, not only doubting, but even denying fome of thefe great Articles, and wavering from the Faith which they had before learnt and receiv'd: this made him ask the queftion, How fay fome among you, there is no Refurrection? as if they were fallen away from the Faith which they had once embrac❜d, and thereby caft off all Thoughts and Care of a future Life; faying with the Epicure, Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. Thefe he rebukes in the following words; Be not deceiv'd (faith he) fuch evil Communications not only deftroy the Faith, but corrupt good Manners. For they that think they fhall die like Beafts, will be easily perfuaded to live like fuch: by which means they will be for ever depriv'd of that Happiness, which they would not believe and prepare for, and likewife eternally feel that Mifery, which they would not fear and prevent. Wherefore,

Let us hold faft the Profeffion of our Faith without wa vering, and let not Satan or the World tempt us to Inconftancy, and caufe us to fall from our own Stedfastness. In a word, as the Minifters of Chrift are to preach and dif penfe to the People the Myfteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, fo are the People to give diligent heed to what they hear, to treasure it up in their Memories, to ftand firm to it, and to make it the Rule and Measure of all their Actions; fo fhall both e'er long be happy in fo doing, and receive the End of their Faith, even the Salvation of their Souls which God grant, &c.

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