riches, from pains to pleafure; but upon fuch terms they judged it not worth acceptance. They would not expose their fouls to fecure their bodies. They had the fame natural affections that other men have. They were made of as tender flesh as we are, but fuch was the care they had of their fouls, and the hope of a better refurrection, that they liftned not to the complaints and whinings of their bodies. O that we were all in the fame refolutions with them.

Fourthly, With-hold not, upon the pretence of the wants your own bodies may be in, that which God and confcience bid you to communicate for the refreshment of the faints, whofe prefent neceffities require your affiftance, O be not too indulgent to your own flesh, and cruel to others. Certainly, the confideration of that reward which shall be given you at the refurrection, for every act of Chriftian charity, is the greatest spur and incentive in the world to it. And to that end it is urged as a motive to charity, Luke xiv. 13, 14. "When thou makeft a "feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou "fhalt be bleffed; for they cannot recompenfe thee, for thou "fhalt be recompenfed at the refurrection of the juft." It was the opinion of an eminent modern divine, that no man living, fully understands and believes that fcripture, Mat. xxv. 40. "In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." How few faints would be exposed to daily wants and neceffities, if that scripture were but fully understood and believed?

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Inference 3. Is Chrift rifen from the dead, and that as a public perfon and reprefentative of believers? How are we all concerned, then, to fecure to ourselves an intereft in Chrift, and, confequently, in this bleffed refurrection? What confolation would be left in this world, if the hope of the refurrection were taken away? It is this bleffed hope, that must support you under all the troubles of life, and in the agonies of death. The fecuring of a bleffed refurrection to yourselves, is, therefore the moft deep concernment you have in this world. And it may be fecured to yourselves, if upon ferious heart-examination, you can discover the following evidences.

Evidence 1. First, If you are regenerated creatures, brought forth in a new nature to God, for we are begotten again to "a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the "dead." Chrift's refurrection is the ground-work of our hope, And the new birth is our title or evidence of our intereft in it,

Mr. Marshal.

SERM. XXXIX. So that until our fouls are partakers of the spiritual refurrection from the death of fin, we can have no affurance our bodies shall be partakers of that bleffed refurrection to life.

"Bleffed and holy, (faith the Spirit,) is he that hath part in "the first refurrection, on fuch the fecond death hath no power," Rev. xx. 6. Never let unregenerated fouls expect a comfortable meeting with their bodies again. Rife they shall by God's terrible citation, at the found of the laft trump, but not to the fame end that the faints arife, nor by the fame principle. They to whom the fpirit is now a principle of fanctification, to them he will be the principle of a joyful refurrection. See then that you get gracious fouls now, or never expect glorious bodies then.

Evidence 2." If you be dead with Chrift, you shall live a"6 gain by the life of Chrift. If we have been planted together " in the likeness of his death, we shall be alfo in the likenefs of "his refurrection," Rom. vi. 5. ovμQUTO, planted together. Some refer it to believers themselves; Jews and Gentiles are planted together in Chrift. So Erafmus, "Believers grow "together like branches upon the fame root." which should powerfully enforce the great gofpel-duty of unity among themfelves. But I would rather understand it, with reference to Chrift and believers, with whom believers are, in other fcriptures, faid to fuffer together, and be glorified together; to die together, and live together; to be crucified together, and buried together; all noting the communion they have with Christ, both in his death, and in his life. Now, if the power of Chrift's death (i. e.) the mortifying influence of it, have been upon our hearts, killing their lufts, deading their affections, and flatting their appetites to the creature, then the power of his life, or refurrection, fhall come (like the animating dew). upon our dead withered bodies, to revive and raise them up to live with him in glory.

Evidence 2. If your hearts and affections be now with Chrift in heaven, your bodies in due time shall be there also, and conformed to his glorious body. So you find it, Phil. iii. 20, 21, "For our converfation is in heaven, from whence we look for "the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall change our vilę "body, that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious bo"dy t." "The body is here called vile, or the body of our "vilenefs." Not as God made it, but as fin hath marred it.

*In unum concrefcere vel coalefceres

* Το σώμα της ταπεινώσεως.

Not abfolutely, and in itself, but relatively, and in comparison of what it will be, in its fecond edition, at the refurrection. Then those scattered bones and dispersed duft, like pieces of old broken battered filver, will be new caft, and wrought in the best and newest fashion, even like to Chrift's glorious body. Whereof we have this evidence, that our converfation is already heavenly. The temper, frame, and difpofition of our fouls is already fo; therefore the frame and temper of our bodies in due time. fhall be fo.

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Evidence 4. If you strive now by any means to attain the refurrection of the dead, no doubt but you fball then attain what you now ftrive for. This was Paul's great ambition, ..that by any means he might attain the refurrection of the dead," Phil. iii. 11. He means not fimply a refurrection from the dead, for that all men shall attain, whether they strive for it or no. But by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct, he intends that complete holinefs and perfection, which shall attend the state of the refurrection, fo it is expounded, ver. 12. So then, if God have raifed in your hearts a vehement defire, and affiduous endeavour after a perfect freedom from fin, and full conformity to God, in the beauties of holiness; that very love of holiness, your prefent pantings, and tendencies after perfection, fpeak you to be the perfons defigned for it.

Evidence 5. If you are fuch as do good in your generation. If you be fruitful and useful men and women in the world, you fhall have part in this bleffed refurrection, John v. 28, 29. "All "that are in the graves shall hear his voice and (hall come forth; "they that have done good unto the refurrection of life.' Now it is not every act materially good, that entitles a man to this pri vilege; but the fame requifites that the fchoolmen affign to make a good prayer, are alfo neceffary to every good work. The perfon, matter, manner, and end, must be good. Nor is it any fingle good act, but a feries and course of holy actions, that is here meant. What a fpur fhould this be to us all, as (indeed, the apostle makes it, clofing up the doctrine of the refurrection, with this folemn exhortation, 1 Cor. xv. 58. with which I alfo close mine)" Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, “unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, "for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in "the Lord."

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.

Si bonus bona facit bene ad bonum. i. e. If one is good, he does what is good, in a good manner, and for a good end.

SERM ON XL.

Wherein the ASCENSION of CHRIST is opened, and varioufly improved, being the fecond Step of his Ex

ALTATION.

John xx. 17. Jesus faith unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet afcended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and fay unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.

IN

N all the former fermons we have been following Chrift thro' his humiliation, from the time that he left the bleffed bofom of the Father: And now having finished the whole course of his obedience on earth, and rifen again from the dead; we must, in this discourse, follow him back again into heaven, and lodge him in that bofom of ineffable delight and love, which for our fakes, he fo freely left. For it was not his end in rifing from the dead, to live fuch a low animal life as this is, but to live a moft glorious life, as an enthroned King in heaven; upon which ftate he was now ready to enter, as he tells Mary in the text, and bids her tell it to the difciples, "Go, tell my brethren, "that I afcend to my Father," &c.

In the former verfes you find Mary waiting at Christ's fepulchre, in a very penfive frame; exceedingly troubled, becaufe fhe knew not what was become of Chrift, ver. 15. In the next verfe, Chrift calls her by her name, Mary; fhe knowing the voice, turned herself, and anfwered, Rabboni. And as a foul tranfported with joy *, rushes into his arms, as defirous to clafp and embrace him. But Jefus faid, "Touch me not," &c.

In which words we have Chrift's inhibition, "Touch me "not" Strange that Chrift, who rendred himself so kind and tender to all, that not only admitted, but commanded Thomas to put his finger into his wounds, fhould forbid Mary to touch him; but this was not for want of love to Mary; for he gives another reason for it presently, "I am not yet afcended;" i. e. fay fome, the time for embracing will be when we are in heaven. Then and there fhall be the place and time, we shall embrace one another for evermore. So Auguftin. Or, thou dotest too

* Mary would embrace Chrift, out of her great love to him, and joy that he had feen him again in the flesh. Bucer on the place,

1

much upon my prefent state, as if I had now attained the very axun, culminating point of my exaltation. When as yet I am not afcended; fo Cameron and Calvin expound it. Or lastly, Chrift would fignify hereby, that it was not his will and pleafure in fo great a juncture of things as this, to spend time now in expreffing (this way) her affections to him; but rather to fhew it by hafting about his fervice. Which is

The fecond thing obfervable, viz. his injunction upon Mary, to carry the tidings of his refurrection to the difciples. In which injunction we have,

First, The perfons to whom this message was fent, my brethren, fo he calls the difciples. A fweet compellation, and full of love. Much like that of Jofeph to his brethren, Gen. xlv. 4. fave only that there is much more tenderness in this than that; for he twits them in the fame breath with what they had done against him; "I am Jofeph your brother, whom ye fold;" but in this it is, "Go, tell my brethren," without the least mention of their cowardice or unkindnefs. And,

Secondly, The meffage itfelf. "Tell my brethren, I afcend "to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God;" avabavo, I afcend. It is put in the prefent tense, as if he had been ascending; though he did not afcend in fome weeks after this; but he fo expreffes it, to fhew what was the next part of his work, which he was to act in heaven for them; and how much his heart was fet upon it, and longed to be about it, "I "afcend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your "God." Not our Father, or God in common; but mine and yours in a different manner. Your's by right of donation, mine in a different manner. Your's by right of dominion, mine (in reference to my human nature) not only by right of creation, though fo too; but alfo by fpecial covenant and confederation. By predeftination of my manhood, to the grace of perfonal uion, by defignation of me, to the glorious office of Mediator. My Father, as I am God, by eternal generation. As man, by collation of the grace of union. And your Father by spiritual adoption and regeneration. Thus he is my God, and your God; my Father, and your Father. This is the fubftance of that comfortable meffage, fent by Mary to the penfive difciples. Hence the obfervation is,

*

Doct. That our Lord Jefus Chrift, did not only rise from the

* Mr. Henry Jeanes's Second part of the mixture of scholastical and practical divinity, p. 273.