41 SERMON III. The Greatness and Certainty of a [The First Sermon upon this Text.] I COR. XV. 58. Therefore my beloved Brethren, be ye ftedfaft, unmoveable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, forafmuch as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord, T HIS Day He, who was Vol. II. deliver'd for our Offences, Preaek'd rofe again for our Jufti- on Eafterfication; this Day was ful-day. fill'd that of the Royal 25. Pfalmift, Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Pf.xvi.ro. Hell; neither wilt thou fuffer thy Holy one to Rom. iv. Vol. II.to fee Corruption. This Day our Lord, who had before defeated all Temptations, and baffled the Malice, Subtilty, Activity and Force of Satan, triumph'd over Death itself. Ah! how much greater was he, than all the Conquerors either before or after Him, which the World falfly calls Great? They conquer'd by Policy and Force, he by Humility and Suffering; their Conquest wrought the Destruction, his the Salvation of Mankind; they, when they had fill'd the World with Defolation and Blood, became at last themselves a Prey and Spoil to Death and the Grave. This Victory of our Lord is matter of inexpreffible Joy to us, for there is fuch a clofe Connection between his ResurrectiEph. ii 6. On and ours, that we are faid to be rais'd together with him, and to fit together with him in Heavenly Places; and no wonder, Joh.xiv. 2. for he tells us himfelf, I go to prepare a Place for you; and St. Paul tells us, that Beb. vi. He is enter'd into Heaven for us as our Forerunner; and we are every where affur'd, that if we tread in his Steps we 2 T. ii hall partake of his Glory; that if we fuffer with him, we shall alfo reign with him; that, if we die to Sin and to the World, and rife with him by Newness of Life, when he fhall appear, we also fball appear 20. Coloff, iii. appear with him in Glory. How natural Ser. III. then is the Exhortation of my Text, which is built upon this Suppofition, or rather on this Doctrine eftablish'd on uncontestable Evidence? Therefore my Beloved Brethren, &c. In the Text we have Two Parts. First, The Reward referv'd for Chriftians at the laft Day, for as much as you know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord. Secondly, The Inference that is to be deduced from it, Therefore my Beloved Brethren, be ye fteadfast, unmoveable, &c. They are both very proper Subjects for this Day, but I doubt the firft of them will be as much as I fhall be able to profecute now. Firft then, Of the Reward referv'd for Chriftians. Here are two Things that offer themselves to our Confideration. 1. The greatnefs of it, for this Expreffion, That your Labour is not in vain in the Lord, is what they call a Meiofis, and imports, that they fhall receive a full Recompence, an unfpeakable and unconceivable Reward. The fame way of Vol.II. of fpeaking is us'd by this Apostle in ver. 10. of this fame Chapter, where he fays his Grace (God's) which was bestow'd upon me was not in vain, which he thus immediately explains in the following Words, But I labour'd more abundantly than they all 2. The Certainty of it, for as much as you know. He does not fay you think, or you hope; but you know, you are fure, you are fully convinced and perfwaded of this Truth, by clear, full and unanswerable Arguments. In difcourfing of both thefe Properties of a Future Reward, I will not go about to lay before you all that the Scripture has furnish'd me with, but will confine my felf to the Chapter of my Text. 1. Of the Greatness of this Reward; this the Apostle makes to confift in two Things, the Refurrection of the Body, and the neceffary Confequences of it. It will be impoffible for us to form a full 1 John and adequate Notion of that Happiness iii. 2. which the Refurrection of the Body im- |