SERMON XXX.

Verf. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jefus from the dead dwell in you: He that raised up Chrift from the dead, fball alfo quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

efaapes out of this Prifon, unto that glorious Liberty.

were Sharers together in the Miseries of this Life, fhall participate alfo in the Blef fedness of the next, like Saul and Jona than, lovely and pleasant in their Lives, and though for a Time separated in Death, yet not always divided. Now is the higheft Top of Happinefs, to which nothing can be added; 'tis comprehenfive of the whole Man, and 'tis comprehensive of all that can be imagined to be the perfective Good of Man.

But yet there is befides this an additional Comfort comprehended in the Ver. read, that the Sleep of the Body is not perpetual, that it fhall once be awakned and raised up to the Fellowship of this Glory: For though a Man should be abundantly fatisfyed if he poffels his own Soul, yet no Man bateth his own Flesh; the Soul hath fome Kind of natural Inclination to a Body fuitable unto it, and in this it differs It is no wonder then, that the Apoftle from an Angel; and therefore the Apostle, reckon this Doctrine of the Refurrection when he expreffeth his earnest Groan for amongst the Foundations of Chriftianity, the intimate Prefence of his Soul with Heb. vi. 1, 2. for truly thefe two, the Chrift,he fubjoins this Correction,not that immortality of the Soul, and the Refurwe defire to be unclothed, but clothed rection of the mortal Body, are the two upon it, 2 Cor. v. 1, 2, 3. If it were Ground-ftones, or Pillars of true Religion, poffible, fays he, we would be glad to have which if they be not well fettled in the the Society of the Body in this Glory, we Hearts of Men, all Religion is tottering would not defire to caft off thofe Cloths and ruinous, and unable to fupport it felf. of Flesh, but rather that the Garment of That the Soul cannot tafte Death, or fee Glory might be spread over all, if it were Corruption, and that the Body shall but not needful, because they are old and rag- tafte.it, and as it were salute it, and canged, and would not fuit well; and our not always abide under the Power of it, earthly Tabernacle is ruinous, and would thefe are the prime Foundations upon not be fit for fuch a glorious Gueft to which all Chriftian Perfuafion is built; dwell into; and therefore it is needful to for without these be laid down in the lowbe taken down: Well then, here is an eft and deepest Part of the Heart, all ExOverplus, and, as it were, a Surcharge of hortations to an holy and righteous Life Confolation, that feeing for the pre-t are weak and ineffectual, all Confolations fent it is expedient to put off the prefent are empty and vain; in a word, Religion Clothing of Flesh, and take down the is but an airy Speculation, that hath no prefent earthly Houfe; yet that the Day Confiftence but in the Imaginations of is coming that the fame Cloths renewed, Men; it is an House upon Sand, that fhall be put on, and the fame House re- can abide no Blaft of Temptation, no paired and made fuitable to Heaven, fhall Wave of Mifery, but muft ftraight way be built up that this mortal Body fhall fall to the Ground. From whence is it, be quickned with that fame Spirit that now I pray you, that the Perfuafions of the quickens the Soul, and makes it live out Gofpel have fo little Power upon Men, of the Body; and fo the fweet and be-that the plain and plentiful Publication of a loved Friends, who parted with fo much Saviour is of fo fmall Virtue, to stir up Pain and Grief, fhall meet again with fo the Hearts of Men to take hold on him? much Pleasure and Joy; and as they How comes it to pass that the Precepts

and

Advantage conciliate it; and therefore the Lord makes ufe of fuch felfish Principles in drawing Men to himself, and keeping them ftill with him: And truly, confidering Man's Infirmity, this is the Spirit and Life of all Religion, Immortality and Refurrection, that which gives a Luftre to all, and quickens all, that which makes all to fink deep, and that which makes a Chriftian stedraft and immoveable, 2 Cor. v. 8. It is certainly Hope that is the Key of the Heart, that opens and shuts it to any Thing. There the Apoftle Peter, Epistle 1. bleffeth God heartily for the

and Prohibitions of the moft high God,
coming forth under his Authority, lays fo
little Restraint on Mens Corruptions?
That fo few will be perfuaded to ftop their
Course, and come off the Ways they are
accustomed to? That Men pull away the
Shoulder and ftop the Ear, and make
their Hearts as Adamant, incapable of be-
ing affected with either the Authority or
Love of the Gospel? That when he pipes
unto us, fo few dance, and when he
mourns, fo few laments? Is it not because
thele two Foundations are not laid, and
Mens Hearts not digged deep by earnest
Confideration, to receive thefe Ground-new Birth, and in the expreffing of it,
ftones of Chriftianity, the Belief of their
Souls eternal Survivance after the
Duft, and of the Revivance and Re-
furrection of the Body, after it bath
Nept a while in the Duft. I remember,
Heathens have had fome noble and rare
Conceptions about Virtue, and fome have

laboured to enamour Men with the native Beauty of it, and to perfuade then. that it was a fufficient Reward to itself; and truly it would far more become a Chriftian, who knoweth the high and di vine Pattern of Holiness, to be God himfelf, and fo muft needs behold a far furpaffing Beauty and Excellency. in the Inage of God, than in all earthly Things; I lay it will become him to accuftom himfelf to a dutiful Obfervance of Religion, even without all respect to the Reward of it; he would train his Heart to do Homage to God, out of a loyal Affection and Refpect to his Majefty, and from the Love of the very intrintick Beauty of Obedience, without borrowing always from fuch felfish Contiderations of our own Happiness or Mifery. Notwithftanding, fuch is the Pofture of Man's Spirit now, that he cannot at all be engaged to the Love of Religion, except fome feen

makes Hope the very Term of that Ge-
neration, and so it must be a fubftantial
Thing. Bleed be God, who bath be-
gotten us again to a lively Hope: Hope
hath a quickning Power in it, it makes all
new where it comes, and is full of Spirit;
it is the Helmer and Anchor of a Chrifti-
an, that which bears the Dint of Tempta--
tion, and makes him fteady in Religion :
No Man will put in his Plough in this
Ground, or fow unto the Spirit, but in
Hope, for he that foweth must sow in
Hope, elle his Plough will not go deep,
1 Cor. ix. 10. This then is the very Spi-
rit and Life of Religion, the Refurrecti
on of the dead, without which our Faith
were in vain, and Men would continue
ftill in their Sins. Certainly, it is the
deep Inconfideration of this never-ending
Endurance of our Souls, and Reftitution.
of our Bodies to the fame Immortality,
that makes the most Part of Men fo flight
and fuperficial in Religion, else it were not
poffible, if that were laid to Heart, but
Men would make Religion their Business,
and chief Bufinefs.

We have here the two genuine Caufes
of the Refurrection of the Bodies of Chri-
ftians, the Refurrection of Chrift, and

the

fee then the force of the prefent Reason, If the Spirit that raifed Chrift dwell in you, be shall also raise you, namely, becaufe he raised up Chrift the very first Fruits of all the reft; so that Chrift's Refurrection is a fure Pledge and Token of yours, and both together are the main Bafis and Ground-work of all your Hope and Salvation, the Neglect and Inconfidetion whereof, makes the most part of pretended Chriftians to walk according to that Epicurean Principle, Let us eat and drink, for To-morrow we ball die; as if there were no Life to come, they with-hold nothing from their carnal Minds, that can fatisfy or please their Lufts. But for you who defire a Part in this Refurrection, and dare fcarcely believe fo great a.Thing, or entertain fuch a high Hope, because of the Sight of your. Unworthiness; As you would be awakned by this Hope to Righteousness, and to

the Inhabitation of bis Spirit. The Influence that the Refurrection of Chrift hath on ours, is lively and fully holden out by this Apostle, 1 Cor. xv. against them who deny the Resurrection from the dead. If Chrift be not raised, your Faith is in vain, you are yet in your Sins, and they that are afleep are perifbed. Religion were nothing but a Number of empty Words of Show; preaching were a Vanity and Imposture; Faith were a mere Fancy, if this be not laid down as the Ground-tone, Chrift raised, not as a natural Perfon, but as a common politick Perfon, as the first Fruits of them that Neep, ver. 17, 18, 19, 20. where he alludes to the Ceremony of offering the firft Fruits of their Harveft, Lev. xxiii. 10. for under the Law they might not eat of the Fruits of the Land till they were fanctified, all was counted prophane till they were some way confecrated to the Lord. Now, for this End, the Lord ap-fin no more, ver. 34. of that Chap. fo pointed them to bring one Sheaf for all, and that was the Representative of all the reft of the Heap, and this was waved before the Lord, and lifted up from the Earth. Now, according to the Apostle's Argument, Rom. xi. 16. If the firft Fruits be boly, fo is the Lump, for it reprefents all the Lump; and therefore Jefus Chrift the Chief of all his Brethren, was made the first Fruits from the dead, and lifted up from the Grave, as the Reprefenter of all the Lump of his Elect; and fo it muft needs follow, that they shall not continue in the Grave, but muft in due Time partake of that Benefit which he has firft entred in Poffeffion of, in their Name, and for them: For if this first Fruits be holy, fo the whole Lump must be holy; and if the firft Fruits be rifen, fo muft the Lump. You

you may encourage your felves to that Hope, by the Refurrection of Chrift; for it is that which hath the mighty Influence, to beget you to a lively Hope, Pet. i. 3. Look upon this as the grand Intent,andfpecial Defign of Chrift's both dying and rif ing again, that he might be the firft Fruits to fanctify all the Lump. Nevertheless, it is not the Defect of your Bodies, for they are often a great Impediment and Retardment to the Spirit, and lodgeth the Enemy within their Walls, when he is chafed out of the Mind by the Law of the Spirit of Life; but it is the great Design of God, through the whole Work of Redemption, and the Defert of Christ your Head; and therefore you may entertain that Hope, but take heed to walk worthy of it, and that is if we have this Hope, let us purify ourselves, let us who believe that we

are

are rifen with Chrift, let our Affections on Things above, elfe we dishonour him that is rifen in our Name, and we dif

honour that Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which he will one Day make so glorious.

SERMON XXXI.

Verf. 11. But if the Spirit of him that railed up Chrift from the dead dwell in you: He that raised up Chrift from the dead, fhall quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

fion to God is a new Birth, a new Cre

ation, and a Refurrection in Scripture
Stile; and fo both require one and the
fame Power, the Almighty Power of his
Spirit, you who were dead in Sin bath
be quickned, &c. O! what a notable
Change, it maketh them no longer the
but new
fame Men, but
Creatures; and
therefore it is the Death of Sin, and the
Refurrection of the Soul; for as long as
it is under the Chains of Darkness and
Power of Sin, it is free among the dead,
it is buried in the vileft Sepulchre. Old
Graves, and thefe full of Rottenness and
dead Mens Bones, are nothing to express
the lamentable Case of such a Soul; and
yet fuch are all by Nature; whatsoever
Excellency or Endowment Men may have
from their Birth or Education, yet cer-
tainly they are but Apparitions rather
than any real Subftance, and which is

AS there is a twofold Death, the Death of the Soul, and the Death of the Body; fo there is a double Resurrection, the Refurrection of the Soul from the Power of Sin, and the Resurrection of the Body from the Grave. As the firft Death is that which is fpiritual, then that which is bodily; lo the firft Refurrection is of the Spirit, then the second of the Body, and these two have a Connexion together; therefore, faith the Apoftle John, Bleed are they who have part in the firft Refurrection, for on fuch the Jecond Death bath no Power, but they fball be Priefs to God, &c. Rom. ii. 6. Although Death must seize on their Bodies, yet the Sting wherein the Strength of it lies, is taken away by Chrift; that it hath no Power to hurt him, whofe Spirit is raised out of the Grave of Sin. And truly it is hard to tell which is the greatest Change, or the moft difficult, to raifeworfe, their Bodies is the Sepulchre of Body out of Corruption to Life, or to raife a Soul out of Sin to Grace. But both are the greatest Changes that can be and fhadowed out under the Similitude of the greatest in Nature, for our Conver

their Souls, and if the Corruption of a Soul were fenfible, we would think all the Putrifactions of bodily Things, but Shadows of it. And therefore no fooner is there any inward Life begotten in a Soul,

but