away

SERM. this. This looks as if they were in great V. Hafte for an Excufe; for, befides the Improbability of fuppofing them all to be afleep together, and not to be awaken'd by the Removal of the Stone and of the dead Body, how came they to know, if they were afleep, that the Disciples ftole him ? A Man that is afleep can be an Evidence of nothing but of his not being awake; and therefore can't be admitted asEvidence to a Fact fuppos'd to be done when he was capable of knowing nothing of the Matter. Befides, had they been awake, as they really were, is their Evidence, who could say and unfay fo much, to be depended upon, as theirs who, to an unexceptionable Life and Converfation, added Miracles alfo to confirm the Truth of what they faid? This is to intereft Heaven in the Caufe, and to procure the Almighty himself to ratify the Evidence.

Thus you fee how the Matter of Fact ftands. The Witneffes on one Side were fo far from having any Motives of worldly Advantage for what they teftified, that they depriv'd themselves of all Things, liv'd a Life of great Poverty, and at laft laid down their Lives for the Truth of it; which tho' fome have done for an Error, yet this

is

is not confiftent with their Character to do, SERM.
even their Enemies themselves being Judges. V.
Neither is it to be fuppofed that they would
lay down their Lives for a Lye, whose Re-
ligion teaches them to abhor it, especially
fince they are fure to be punifhed for it ac-
cording to their own Scheme. And there-
fore the Cafe being fo, there is no replying
to this but by difproving the Fact, all o-
ther Arguments being out of the Queftion,
as I have already fhewn: But instead of
that, the Evidence on the other Side own'd
the Fact to the High-Priefts; tho' after-
wards they thought proper to difown it'
again, by faying that the Body was stolen
away, while they were afleep: Yet that
will amount to no more than this, that the
Fact was supposed to be done when they did
not know whether it was done or no; which
is too weak of itself to be further expofed.

I am fatisfy'd the Argument has drawn me too great a Length, but however I hope you will indulge me while I fhew,

III. In the third and laft Place, What will be the Benefit of Chrift's Refurrection to us. And this is no less than a Confirmation and Establishment of the whole Chriftian Scheme, which is a wonderful Contrivance

N..

SERM. trivance calculated for the Good and Hap V. pinefs of Men, in that it is a more perfect Law than ever they had before, with a Provifion in it for the Sins and Infirmities of Mankind, together with Directions where to apply for Affiftance to help us in doing what we are not able to do of ourselves, and alfo in that it points out to us the Way to that glorious Immortality, which, by means of a little Light and much Darkness, some` Conjecture, and much Uncertainty, had been hitherto fought in vain. Whereas, if Christ be not risen, then he prophefied falfly of himself, and fo did likewife the Prophets of him. The Gospel is then nothing but a Fraud, there is no Certainty of a Par don for Sin, nor any Affurance of a future State; for tho' fome of the wifeft of the Gentiles might hope that a good God would pardon their Sins, and might alfo have fome tolerable Conjectures of á future State, yet what is Hope to Certainty? We have now an Afsurance of all these Things. Now we can fee the glorious OEconomy of our Redemption, viz. that he who died for our Sins, rofe again also for our Juftifica

tion.

2. The Refurrection of Chrift from the Dead is the Foundation of our own Refur

rection 3

rection; for if he is risen as the First SARM.: Fruits, we ball alfo rife as the Harveft.

ft, Because the fame Power can raise us too; and, 2dly, Because it will do fo. For he that raifed up Chrift from the Dead, fball alfo quicken our Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. But then we are to confider that thefe Benefits extend only to those that lay hold of them: For unless we = rife with Chrift, he is not rifen for us at all. We have no Benefit of his Refurrection. We fhall rife again, 'tis true; but to what? To live in Mifery? Where's the Advantage? Who would not rather flumber away ten thousand Years in Death, than live fo long in Torment? But, alas! we have not this in our Power; for a rational Soul cannot lie in the Duft. It is Heaven-born, and unless we deprive it of its celeftial Beauty, thither it will return; but if we do, it will be fent into thofe melancholy Regions where no Light appears, fave what the Glimmering of livid Flames cafts, pale and dreadful; or, as the Poet has it, Where Hope ne'er comes, that comes to all;

where dwells a Variety of Woes, Sorrows, Tortures infupportable; where there is no other Sight of God but of his Wrath, no other Proof of the omnipotent Being, but N 2

what

V.

V.

SERM. what arifes from the Horrors and Torments of the Place; where the Worm never dies, and the Fire is never quenced. But not to detain you any longer in View of this dread. ful Profpect, this uncomfortable Scene of Horror, which I hope we fhall never fee any other wife than by the Imagination, let us now turn our Eyes to that heavenly Place, where, if we rife with Chrift, we are taught to fet our Affections. Let us view that celeftial Paradise, that is filled with the Glory of the Divine Being, in Comparison of which, Behold even to the Moon, and it fbineth not; yea the Stars are not pure in his Sight: Where is no Fear, no Sorrow, no Care, but a perpetual Round of Joy and Happiness, without Bounds, and without Expreffion. This is the happy Place we are defign'd for; and I suppose it will be readily granted, that it is good for us to be here. Let us then fit and prepare ourselves for this heavenly State, by living fuch a Life as will naturally lead us to it. And as Chrift was raised from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, even fo let us also walk in Newness of Life. So may we boldly triumph with the Apostle, O Death! where is thy Sting? O Grave! where is thy Victory and

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