the promises made to the peni- REPROOF, blame or repre tent; and the absolute incapa-hension spoken to a person's face. bility of enjoying God here or It is distinguished from a reprihereafter without it. See Dickin-mand thus. He who reproves anson's Letters, let. 9; Gill's Body other, points out his fault, and of Divinity, article Repentance; blames him. He who reprimands, Ridgeley's Body of Divinity, ques-affects to punish, and mortifies the tion 76; Davies's Sermons, ser. 44, offender. In giving reproof, the vol. iii; Case's Sermons, ser. 4; following rules may be observed, Whitefield's Sermons; Saurin's Ser- 1. We should not be forward in mons, ser. 9. vol. iii, Robinson's reproving our elders or superiors, Translation; Scott's Treatise on but rather to remonstrate and supRepentance. plicate for redress. What the miREPROACH, the act of find- nisters of God do in this kind, they ing fault in opprobrious terms, or do it by special commission, as attempting to expose to infamy those that must give an account, and disgrace. In whatever cause 1st Tim. v, 1. Heb. xiii, 17.-2. we engage, however disinterested We must not reprove rashly; there our motives, however laudable should be proof before reproof.our designs, reproach is what we 3. We should not reprove for slight must expect. But it becomes us matters, for such faults or defects not to retaliate, but to bear it pa- as proceed from natural frailty, tiently; and so to live, that every from inadvertency, or mistake in charge brought against us be matters of small consequence.-4. groundless. If we be reproached We should never reprove unseafor righteousness sake, we have sonably, as to the time, the place, or no reason to be ashamed nor to be the circumstances.-5. We should All good men have thus reprove mildly and sweetly, in the suffered, Jesus Christ himself espe- calmest manner, in the gentlest cially. We have the greatest pro- terms.-6. We should not affect mises of support. Besides, it has to be reprehensive: perhaps there a tendency to humble us, detach is no one considered more troubleus from the world, and excite in us some than he who delights in finda desire for that state of blessed-ing faults with others. In receivness, where all reproach shall being reproof it may be observed, 1. done away. That we should not reject it mereREPROBATION, the act of ly because it may come from abandoning, or state of being aban- those who are not exactly on a ledoned to eternal destruction, and vel with ourselves.-2. We should is applied to that decree or re- consider whether the reproof given solve which God has taken from be not actually deserved; and all eternity to punish sinners who that, if the reprover knew all wheshall die in impenitence; in which ther the reproof would not be sense it is opposed to election. See sharper than what it is.-3. WheELECTION and PREDESTINA-ther, if taken humbly and patiently, it will not be of great advan TION. tage to us,-4. That it is nothing neighbour whatever we have un- Moralists observe respecting RESENTMENT, generally restitution, 1. That where it can be used in an ill sense, implying a made in kind, or the injury can determination to return an injury. be certainly valued, we are to resDr. Johnson observes, that resent- tore the thing or the value.-2. ment is an union of sorrow with We are bound to restore the thing malignity; a combination of a pas-with the natural increase of it, sion which all endeavour to avoid, that is, to satisfy for the loss suswith a passion which all concur to tained in the mean time, and the detest. The man who retires to gain hindered.-3. Where the meditate mischief, and to exaspe- thing cannot be restored, and the rate his own rage, whose thoughts value of it is not certain, we are are employed only on means of to give reasonable satisfaction, acdistress and contrivances of ruin,cording to a middle estimation.— whose mind never pauses from the 4. We are at least to give by way remembrance of his own sufferings, of restitution what the law would but to indulge some hope of enjoy-give, for that is generally equal, ing the calamities of another, may and in most cases rather favourable justly be numbered among the than rigorous.-5. A man is not most miserable of human beings; only bound to restitution for the among those who are guilty; who injury he did, but for all that dihave neither the gladness of pros-rectly follows upon the injuriousperity, nor the calm of innocence. act. For the first injury being RESIGNATION, a submis- wilful, we are supposed to will all sion without discontent to the will that which follows upon it. of God. The obligations to this lotson's Serm., ser. 170, 171; Childuty arise from, 1. The perfec- lingworth's Works, ser. 7. tions of God. Deut. xxxii, 4.- RESURRECTION, a rising 2. The purposes of God, Eph. i, again from the state of the dead; 11.-3. The commands of God, generally applied to the resurrecHeb. xii, 9.-4. The promises of tion of the last day. This doctrine God, 1st Pet. v, 7.-5. Our own is argued, 1. From the resurrection interest, Hos. ii, 14, 15.-6. The of Christ, 1st Cor. xv.--2. From prospect of eternal felicity, Heb. the doctrines of grace, as union, iv, 9. See articles AFFLICTION, election, redemption, &c.-3. From DESPAIR, and PATIENCE; Wor-scripture testimonies, Matt. xxii. thington on Resignation; Gros-23, &c. Job xix, 25, 27. Isaiah venor's Mourner; Brooks's Mutexxvi, 19. Phil. ii. 20. 1st Cor. xv. Christian; and Books under AF- Dan. xii, 2. 1st Thess. iv, 14. Rev. xx, 13.-4. From the general judg ment, which of course requires it. As to the nature of this resurrec FLICTION. RESTITUTION, that act of justice by which we restore to our VOL. II. 3 D Til tion, it will be, 1. General, Rev. || our particular attention,, because it xx, 12, 15. 2d Cor. v, 10.-2. Of is the grand hinge on which Christhe same body. It is true, indeed, tianity turns. Hence, says the that the body has not always the apostle he was delivered for our same particles, which are continu-offences, and raised again for our ally changing, but it has always the justification. Infidels, however, same constituent parts, which have disbelieved it, but with what proves its identity: it is the same little reason we may easily see on body that is born that dies, and considering the subject. "If the the same that dies that shall rise body of Jesus Christ," says Saurin, again; so that Mr. Locke's ob- " were not raised from the dead, jection to the idea of the same it must have been stolen away. body is a mere quibble.-3. The But this theft is incredible. Who resurrection will be at the com- committed it? The enemies of mand of Christ, and by his power, Jesus Christ? Would they have John v, 28, 29.-4. Perhaps as contributed to his glory by counto the manner it will be successive; tenancing a report of his resurthe dead in Christ rising first, 1st rection? Would his disciples? It Cor. xv. 23. 1st Thess. iv, 16. is probable they would not, and This doctrine is of great use and it is next to certain they could importance. It is one of the first not. How could they have underprinciples of the doctrine of Christ; taken to remove the body? Frail the whole Gospel stands or falls and timorous creatures, people with it. It serves to enlarge our who fled as soon as they saw him views of the Divine perfections. taken into custody: even Peter, It encourages our faith and trust the most courageous, trembled at in God under all the difficulties of the voice of a servant girl, and life. It has a tendency to regulate three times denied that he knew our affections and moderate our him. People of this character, desires after earthly things. It would they have dared to resist supports the saints under the loss the authority of the governor? of near relations, and enables Would they have undertaken to them to rejoice in the glorious oppose the determination of the prospect set before them. See Sanhedrim, to force a guard, and Hody on the Resurrection; Pear-to elude, or overcome, soldiers son on the Creed; Lime Street Lect. armed, and aware of danger? If ser. 10; Watt's Ontology; Young's Jesus Christ were not risen again Last day; Locke on the Understan-(I speak the language of unbeding, l. ii. c. 27; Warburton's Le-lievers), he had deceived his gation of Moses, vol. ii, p. 553, disciples with vain hopes of his &c.; Bishop Newton's Works, vol. resurrection. How came the disiii, p. 676, 683. ciples not to discover the imposture? Would they have hazarded themselves by undertaking an enterprise so perilous in favour RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. Few articles are more important than this. It deserves of a man who had so cruelly imposed on their credulity? But, were we to grant that they formed the design of removing the body, how could they have executed it: How could soldiers armed, and on guard, suffer themselves to be over-reached by a few timorous people? Either, says St. Augustine, they were asleep or awake: if they were awake, why should they suffer the body to be taken away? If asleep, how could they know that the disciples took it away? How dare they, then, depose that it WAS STOLEN?" they bore their testimony. Not at a distance, where they might not easily have been detected, if false, but at Jerusalem, in the synagogues, in the Pretorium.-7. The time of this testimony: not years after, but three days after, they declared he was risen; yea, before their rage was quelled, while Calvary was yet dyed with the blood they had spilt. If it had been a fraud, it is not likely they would have come forward in such broad day-light, amidst so much opposition-8. Lastly, the motives which induced them to publish the resurrection: not to gain fame, riches, glory, profit; no, they exposed themselves to suffering and death, and proclaimed the truth from conviction of its importance and certainty. The testimony of the apostles furnishes us with arguments, and there are eight considerations which give the evidence sufficient weight. 1. The nature of these witnesses. They were not men of power, riches, eloquence, credit, "Collect," says Saurin, "all to impose upon the world: they these proofs together; consider were poor and mean.-2. The them in one point of view, and see number of these witnesses. See how many extravagant supposi1st Cor. xv. Luke xxiv, 34. Mark tions must be advanced, if the rexvi, 14. Matt. xxviii, 10. It is surrection of our Saviour be deninot likely that a collusion should ed. It must be supposed that have been held among so many to guards, who had been particularly support a lie, which would be of cautioned by their officers, sat down no utility to them.-3. The facts to sieep; and that, however, they themselves which they avow: not deserved credit when they said suppositions, distant events, or the body of Jesus Christ was stoevents related by others, but real len. It must be supposed that men, facts which they saw with their who have been imposed on in the own eyes, 1st John i.-4. The most odious and cruel manner in agreement of their evidence: they the world, hazarded their dearest all deposed the same thing.-5. enjoyments for the glory of an Observe the tribunals before which impostor. It must be supposed they gave evidence: Jews and that ignorant and illiterate men, heathens, philosophers and rab-who had neither reputation, forbies, courtiers and lawyers. If tune, nor eloquence, possessed the they had been impostors, the fraud art of fascinating the eyes of all certainly would have been disco-the church. It must be supposed vered.-6. The place in which either that five hundred persons were all deprived of their senses revealing or making a thing public at a time, or that they were all that was before unknown; it is aldeceived in the plainest matters so used for the discoveries made of fact; or that this multitude of by God to his prophets, and by false witnesses had found out the them to the world; and more parsecret of never contradicting them-ticularly for the books of the Old selves or one another, and of be- and New Testaments. A revelaing always uniform in their testi-tion is, in the first place, possible. mony. It must be supposed that God may, for any thing we can the most expert courts of judica- certainly tell, think proper to make ture could not find out a shadow some discovery to his creatures of contradiction in a palpable im- which they knew not before. As posture. It must be supposed that he is a Being of infinite power, we the apostles, sensible men in other may be assured he cannot be at a cases, chose precisely those places oss for means to communicate his and those times which were most will, and that in such a manner as unfavourable to their views. It will sufficiently mark it his own.must be supposed that millions 2. It is desirable. For, whatever madly suffered imprisonments, the light of nature could do for tortures, and crucifixions, to man before reason was depraved, spread an illusion. It must be it is evident that it has done little supposed that ten thousand mira- for man since. Though reason cles were wrought in favour of be necessary to examine the aufalsehood, or all these facts must thority of Divine revelation, yet, be denied; and then it must be in the present state, it is incapable supposed that the apostles were of giving us proper discoveries of idiots; that the enemies of Chris-God, the way of salvation, or of tianity were idiots: and that all the bringing us into a state of commuprimitive Christians were idiots." aion with God. It therefore fol The doctrine of the resurrec-lows, 3. That it is necessary. tion of Christ affords us a variety Without it we can attain to no of useful instructions. Here we certain knowledge of God, of see evidence of Divine power; Christ, of the Holy Ghost, of parprophecy accomplished; the cha-don, of justification, of sanctificaracter of Jesus established; histion, of happiness, of a future state, work finished and a future state of rewards and punishments-4. proved. It is a ground of faith, the No revelation, as Mr. Brown obbasis of hope, a source of conso-serves, relative to the redemption lation, and a stimulus to obedience. of mankind could answer its reSee Saurin's Sermons, ser. 8, vol.spective ends, unless it were sufii, Robinson's Translation; Ditton ficiently marked with internal and and West on the Resurrection; but external evidences. That the Bible especially a small, but admirable hath internal evidence, is evident Essay on the Resurrection of from the ideas it gives us of God's Christ, by Mr. Dore. perfections, of the law of nature, REVELATION, the act of of redemption, of the state of man |