Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση
[ocr errors]

eat and drink with them, and permit them to handle SERM, his body, and to put their fingers into the wound of CLXXXIV, his fide; and all this exactly agreeing with his own prediction, So that if we believe the providence of GOD, we cannot think it to be fo little vigilant, as that men after their utmost care, muft neceffarily be deluded in a matter of fo great confequence.

[ocr errors]

Now I fhall fhew, that the death and resurrection of CHRIST is a very good argument of our refurrection. Cor. xv. 20. CHRIST is faid to be "rifen from the dead, and become the firft-fruits "of them that flept." Not that he was the firft that was raised from the dead; for Elijah and Elifsha raised fome, and fo did our SAVIOUR himself in his life-time but the apoftle here alludes to the firstfruits among the Jews, which were a pledge and an earneft of a future harveft. In like manner the refurrection of CHRIST is call'd" the first-fruits of "them that flept," because it is an earnest of that - general harvest, which should be at the end of the world, when" the angels, the reapers, fhall come "to gather the elect from the four winds." But the refurrection of others before CHRIST was no earneft of this, because they " were raised," but CHRIST is faid "to rife from the dead by his "own power." And in this fenfe he is truly faid by St. John, Rev. i. 5. to be the first-begotten "from the dead." And this fecures our refurrection to eternal life; because he who hath promifed to raife us up, did raise himself from the dead."

And that CHRIST intended to lay great stress upon this argunient, appears in that he foretold it fo often, as the great sign that he would give to the Jews to convince their infidelity. John ii, 18, 19. "The

SERM." The Jews faid unto him, what fign fheweft thou CLXXXIV. « unto us? JESUS anfwered, deftroy this temple,

no

" and I will raise it up in three days; fpeaking of
"the temple of his body." And Matth. xii. 39,
40. he tells the Jews, that he would give them "
"other fign, but the fign of the prophet Jonah,
"that as he was three days and three nights in the
"whale's belly, fo fhould the Son of man be three
"days in the bowels of the earth."

''

Now the refurrection of CHRIST from the dead, and, which was confequent upon it, his ascension into heaven, does firft give us fatisfaction in general of another life after this, and an immortality after death; and then of his power to raise us from the dead, because "he raised himself;" as the apostle argues, Rom. viii. 11. If the SPIRIT of him "that raised up JESUS from the dead dwell in "you, he that raifed up CHRIST from the dead, "fhall alfo quicken your mortal bodies, by his "SPIRIT which dwelleth in you." And then, lastly, it fecures us of his truth and fidelity, that he will perform what he hath promised us. He could not have promised any thing more improbable than this, that he himself would rise again the third day; and therefore fince he kept his word in this, there is no reason to distruft him in any thing elfe that he hath promised. By his own refurrection from the dead, he wrought fuch a miracle, as is the most proper to confirm us in the belief of our refurrection to eternal life: Rev. i. 18. "I am he that liveth, and "was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, << amen, amen." What is that? we have it explained, Rev. iii. 14. where he fays of himself, “ I am the amen, the faithful and true witness.”

CLXXXIV.

This very thing that CHRIST was dead, and SER M. lives again, makes him "the amen, the true and "faithful witnefs." I proceed to the

Third and last thing, viz. wherein the bleffedness of the refurrection of the juft fhall confift; namely in these two things.

I. In the mighty change which fhall be made in thefe vile and mortal bodies of ours, and the glorious qualities they fhall then be invested withal. And,

II. In the confequent happiness of the whole man, of the foul and body united and purified.

I. In the mighty change which fhall then be made in these vile and mortal bodies of ours, and the glorious qualities which they fhall then be invested withal. But wherein this glory fhall confist, because it is matter of pure revelation, we must wholly rely upon scripture for the particular account and explication of it. And there are three texts of fcripture, wherein this glorious change which shall be made in our bodies at the refurrection, is more particularly mentioned and defcribed.. The

First is Luke xx. 35, 36. " But they who fhall "be counted worthy to obtain that world, and the "refurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are

given in marriage." This our SAVIOUR fpeaks, because that which occafioned this difcourfe concerning the refurrection, was a question moved by the Sadducees concerning a woman that had feven husbands in her life time; upon which they captioufly afked our SAVIOUR, "whofe wife of the feven "this woman fhould be at the refurrection?" To which our SAVIOUR anfwers, by taking away the foundation of it, telling them, that in the other world

SERM. world " they neither marry, nor are given in mar CLXXXIV. de fiage." And the reafon of this is very obvious;

because the reason why men marry now, is because they are mortal, and therefore to preferve and propagate the kind, which would otherwife fail, marriage was instituted: but in the other world this reason will ceafe; because then men fhall be immortal, and die no more. And therefore our SAVIOUR, after he had faid, "that at the re"furrection of the dead, men neither marry, "nor are given in marriage," he immediately adds as the reafon of it, "neither can they die "any more, for they are equal unto the angels," that is, they fhall be like them in the immortal duration of their beings," and are the children of "GOD, being the children of the refurrection.” Good men are now" the children of GoD," because they resemble him in the holy difpofition of their minds: but then they fhall be like him in the participation of his happiness, fo far as finite and created beings are capable; the whole man, the body as well as the foul, fhall be partakers of immortality. And this is a glorious change, for a frail and mortal body, liable to pains, and difeafes, and death, to become immortal, and freed from all those troublesome accidents, to which they are now liable. The

Second text to this purpofe is, Phil. iii. 20. "But ❝our converfation is in heaven," fays St. Paul, fpeaking of true and fincere chriftians; "but our "converfation is in heaven, from whence also we "look for the SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS

CHRIST, who fhall change our vile body, that "it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, ❝ accord

st

according to the working of that mighty power, SER M. "whereby he is able even to fubdue all things to CLXXXIV. "himself." And this is a great change indeed whether we confider that our bodies now are vile and corruptible; or the pattern according to which they fhall be changed, "they shall be fashioned like "to the glorious body of our bleffed SAVIOUR;" that wherein he now fits in the highest heavens, at the right hand of the throne of GOD. And what glory can we defire beyond that, with which God thought fit to reward his own SoN, after all his obedience and fufferings? And this will be the more credible, if we confider the relation which the fcripture mentions so often between CHRIST and all true chriftians. He is the head, and they are the mem bers; now there must be a conformity between these. A glorious head, and vile members, would make a monftrous and irregular body; nay, the head could not be glorious, if the members were not fo too. Or, laftly, if we confider the mighty power which will be put forth for the effecting this change. The omnipotency of the Son of GOD will exert itself in this work. So the apostle here tells us," that "the LORD JESUS CHRIST will change our vile body, and fashion it like unto his glorious body, according to the working of that mighty power, whereby he is able even to fubdue all things to "himself." Omnipotency will display its whole force in bringing about this change. And what cannot that almighty power do, which is able to conquer and fubdue all things?

[ocr errors]

16

The third text, and that wherein this change is most fully and particularly defcribed, is 1 Cor. xv. 35. "But fome will fay, how are the dead raised?

2

and

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »