Or elfe, 2. That we exercise fuch a fincere and unfeigned repentance before death for the errors and mifcarriages of our lives, as produceth a firm purpose and refolution of amending our lives, if God fhould be pleafed to prolong and continue them. For only fuch a belief and profeffion of the Chriftian religion as produceth one of these effects, doth put us into a ftate of grace, and give us hope of a bleffed refurrection to eternal life.

The firft of thefe effects is much to be preferred, viz. the general course and tenor of a holy life; the latter being infinitely more hazardous, by reafon of the deceitfulness of our hearts, and the infinite uncertainty of a death-bed repentance.

Secondly, I fhall fhew how the death and refurrection of Christ are an argument and proof of our refurrection from the dead. If we believe, &c.

I shall fhew by and by, how the refurrection of Chrift is an argument and proof of our refurrection. But why is his death here mentioned, as part of the argument? If we believe that Chrift died. The reafon is obvious: because the truth of the miracle of his refurrection depends upon the reality of his death; for if Chrift was not really dead, then he could not rife from the dead, and the pretence of his refurrection was a delufion and impofture; but if he was really dead, and rofe again from the dead, then have we a firm ground for the belief of a future refurrection. Now this Chriftians do believe, that Chrift was really dead, and rofe again from the dead, and that upon very good grounds. We need not doubt, but that the malice of the Jews took care to kill him; and the story makes it evident, becaufe blood and water came out of his fide, which is a certain proof that his heart was pierced; and it could not be a deliquium, or a fainting fit, because after his blood was exhaufted, he could not naturally return to life again. But we need not contend much about this, fince the Heathens who were unconcerned confels this Tacitus, in the 15th book of his annals,. tells us, that "Jefus was put to death by crucifixion under Pontius "Pilate 33. And Jofephus,, who was a Jew, both by his birth and religion, and lived prefently after our Savi

our's

our's time, in the 18th book of his Jewish Antiquities tells us, that" Chrift was crucified, and that he appear"ed to his followers the third day, rifen from the "dead."

Now this cannot in reafon be faid to be done only in appearance, and to be a mere illufion of mens fenfes, as fome ancient hereticks pretended; because that which may be an evafion in any cafe, is to be admitted in 'none. For what greater evidence is poffible of any one's rifing from the dead, than the circumstances of our Saviour's refurrection? that there was a great earthquake, and that the ftone was rolled away from the grave, and the grave-cloaths found there, and his body gone; and that after this he appeared, and converfed fo often with fo many, to whom he was well known when alive, and entertained long difcourfes with them, and did eat and drink with them, and permit them to handle his body, and to put their fingers into the wound of 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.

Now I fhall fhew, that the death and refurrection of Christ is a very good argument of our refurrection. 1 Cor. xv. 20. Chrift is faid to be rifen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that flept. Not that he was the first that was raised from the dead, for Ehjah and Elisha raised fome, and fo did our Saviour himfelf in his life-time: but the Apoftle here alludes to the frit-fruits among the Jews, which were a pledge and an carneft of a future harveft. In like manner the refurrection of Chrift is called the firft fruits of them that lept, because it is an earneft of that general harvest, which hall be at the end of the world, when the Angels, the raapers, hall come to gather the elect from the four

inds. But the refurrection of others before Chrift was no earneft of this, because they were raised; but Chrift is Laid 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

our refurrection to eternal life; becaufe he who hath promised to raise us up, did raife himself from the dead.

And that Chrift intended to lay great ftrefs upon this argument, appears in that he foretold it fo often as the great fign that he would give to the Jews to convince their infidelity. John ii. 18, 19. The Jews faid unte bim, What fign fhewest thou unto us? Jefus anfwered, Deftroy this temple, and I will raife it up in three days; Speaking of the temple of his body. And Matth. xii. 39, 40. he tells the Jews that he would give them no 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 Chrift from the dead, and, which was confequent upon it, his afcenfion 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 himfelf; as the Apostle argues, Rom. viii. 11. If the Spirit of him that raifed up Jefus from the dead dwell in you, he that raifed up Chrift from the dead, Jhall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his fpirit which dwelleth in you. And then, laftly, 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 rife again the third day; and therefore, fince he kept his word in this, there is no reason to diftruft him in any thing elfe that he hath promifed. 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 himfelf, I am the men, the faithful and true witness. This very thing, that Chrift was dead, and lives again, makes him the Amen, the true and faithful witness. I proceed to the

Third and laft thing, viz. Wherein the bleffedness of the refurrection of the juft fhall confift; namely, in thefe two things:

I. In the mighty change which fhall be made in these 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 shall then be made in thefe vile and mortal bodies of ours, and the glorious qualities which they fhall then be invefted withal. But wherein this glory fhall confift, because it is matter of pure revelation, we muft wholly rely upon fcripture 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

Firft is Luke xx. 35, 36. But they who shall 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 had even husbands in her life-time; upon which they captioufly asked our Saviour, Whofe wife of the feven this waman fhould be at the refurrection? To which our Saviour answers, by taking away the foundation of it, telling them, that in the other world they neither marry, nor are given in marriage. And the reafon of this is very obvious; because the reafon why men marry now is, because they are mortal; and therefore to preferve and propagate the kind, which would otherwife fail, marriage was inftituted; but in the other world this reafon will ceafe; because then men fhall be immortal, and die no more. And therefore our Saviour, after he had faid, that at the refurrection 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 chil dren of God, being the children of the refurrection. Good men are now the children of God, because they xefemble him in the holy difpofition of their minds : but then they shall be like him in the participation of

his happinefs, fo far as finite and created beings are capable: the whole man, the body as well as the foul, shall 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 thofe troublefome 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 alfo we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall change our vile body, that it may be fafhioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working of that mighty power, whereby he is able even to subdue all things to himself. And this is a great change indeed, whether we confider what 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 bleed 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 Chrift and all true Chriftians. He is the head, and they are the members; now there must be a conformity between thefe. 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 Apoftle here tells us, that the Lord Jefus Chrift 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. Onnipotency will difplay its whole force in bringing about this change. And what cannot that almighty power do, which is able to conquer and fubdue all things?

The Third text, and that wherein this change is moft fully