these poor Wretches, dejected and caft SERM. down for the Lofs of their Mafter, were XIII. fit Inftruments to undertake fo bold, fo daring, fo manifeftly defperate an Adventure? Or, if they had attempted it, would they have made fo long a Stay in performing it, as to take off the Linen from his Joh. xx. Body, and the Napkin from his Head, 6, 7. and carefully to fold them up, and lay them apart in feveral Places? And yet all this was done; the Linen which was faftened to the Body, and, as it were, pitched on with Myrrh and Aloes, about Chap.xix. an hundred Weight, was carefully taken off, 39. and neatly folded up, by fuch Men, who carried their Lives in their Hands, and every Moment were in Dread of a Difcovery; how ill do thefe Things hang together? How little Probability is there in this incoherent Account? If they defigned to have impofed upon the World, they fhould have done it with greater Ingenuity. But the Prophecy of the Pfalmift in this, as well as in all other Particulars, exactly accorded with them, They have imagined pr. xxi. fuch a mischievous Device, as they are not 11. able to go through with.

BUT that there might not be the least Doubt remaining, of this great Article of our Faith, our Saviour has given fufficient

SERM. Satisfaction to the Scruples of every raXIII. tional Perfon, and put the Matter of Fact

Luke

I Cor.

out of Queftion, by raising himself from the Dead and fhewing himself frequently alive, after his Refurrection, to his Difciples and Followers, and continuing fome Time on Earth for this very Purpose, before his Afcenfion; and thus by infallible Proofs demonstrated to the World the Truth of his Refurrection. He fhewed himself to Cleophas, and that xxiv. 18. other Difciple, to above five hundred Brethren at once, and to the twelve Apostles; often explaining the Scriptures to them, opening their Understandings, and upbraiding their Unbelief. This, one would think, might be fufficient to settle the most doubtful Difciple, and to convince the most incredulous Unbeliever: But he defcended farther ftill, he appealed to all their Senfes, be bad them feel and handle his Flesh and xxiv. 39. Bones, that they might be fatisfied his Ver. 41, Body was real; he called for Meat, and

xv. 6.

Luke

eat, and drank before them; and that they might be affured it was the very fame Body, which was crucified, he retained the Marks of his Paffion, even the Prints and Holes which the Nails had made in his Hands and Feet, and the Spear in his Side; and these he exposed to the View

of

27.

of all the Apostles in general, and of un- SE RM. believing Thomas in particular; saying, XIII. Reach hither thy Finger, and behold my Joh. xx. Hands, and reach hither thy Hand, and thruft it into my Side; and be not faithless, but believing. Well then might they boldly deliver (and we are fenfeless if we do not believe) what their Ears had heard, and their Eyes looked upon, and their Hands handled, concerning the Refurrection of our Saviour. And to clofe And to close up all, well might they feal with their Blood the Doctrine which they taught.

2. CONSIDER the Power of our Saviour's Refurrection. I mean both that Power by which he rofe, and that Efficacy which went along with it, and attended it.

18.

1.) THE Power by which he rose was his own. I have Power to lay down John xẻ my Life, and I have Power to take it again; and again, Deftroy this Temple, and John ii. in three Days I will raife it up. And, in 19. this Senfe principally, he is called by St. Paul, Primitia dormientium, the first Fruits of them that flept. And then,

(2.) As for the Power which attended it, it was no lefs than the fubduing Principalities and Powers, the pulling down Col. ii. the ftrong Holds of the Devil. By this 15.

T

glorious

25.

SERM. glorious and triumphant Act of our Sa XIII. viour, the Devil was fubdued, Sin loft its Sting, the Mouth of Hell was stopped, and Death itself became a Paffage to Life.. Thefe are the Fruits and Benefits of our Saviour's Refurrection, this feals and ratifies to us all the Bleffings of his Death and Paffion; for he was delivered for our Rom. iv. Offences, and rofe again for our Juftification, i. e. he died for our Guilt, and rofe again to acquit us. If he had not died, he had not conquered; if he had not risen again, he had not reaped the Benefits of his Victory. And therefore the Question Pía. xxx. is asked, What Profit is there in my Blood, when I go down to the Pit? Which is as much as if he had faid, Then comes the Profit of my Sufferings, when I fhall rise. again. Agreeable to this is that of St. Rom. viii. Paul, It it is Chrift that died, yea rather,

9.

34.

that is rifen again. For it is our Saviour's Refurrection, which is the Example and Pattern unto which ours must be conformed; and his Refurrection is the only fure Foundation upon which we build the Hopes and Belief of ours. For, if he be rifen, we shall rife alfo; and, if he 1 Cor. xv. be not rifen, our Faith is vain, and our Hope is vain: Nay, we are of all Men moft miferable. But now we may be affured

14.

Ver. 19.

affured, that the fame Power, by which SERM. he was raised, fhall raife us up alfo. XIII. And fince the Partition-Wall is now broken down, and all the Jewish Rites and Privileges at an End; all Men now may enter into the Church, all alike may participate the Fruits of Chrift's Triumph and Victory. Such is the Power, and fuch are the Benefits which attend his Refur

rection.

8.

3. CONSIDER the Glory of his Refurrection. For through Tribulation he entered into Glory, and because he humbled Luke bimfelf, and became obedient unto Death, xxiv. 26. even the Death of the Cross, therefore did he rife again, to be highly exalted. How Phil. ii. glorious was his Body, how triumphant was his Soul, when he broke out of the Prison of the Grave, in his full Strength invefted with Light unfpeakable, and invironed with the Rays of his Divinity? What Excess of Joy flowed in upon his Soul, when he first heard his Church Triumphant, confifting of Angels and Archangels, of Patriarchs and Prophets, and the Spirits of juft Men made perfect, chanting out his Praifes and attending his Triumphs with Shouts, and giving him the Titles of Faithful and True? With what Joy did he confider his T 2 Church