case if Christ had not risen The Gentiles Religion at that time was no better than Irreligion the Jewish Religion was now grown such a Yoke and Burden that the World grew weary of it and 't was thought by the wisest that it was high time there should be an end of that Yoke so that had not Christ risen the Christian Religion which was now to be the standing Religion had been but tottering and all the Professors of the same would have sneaked away when they saw the Founder of their Religion conquered by death and not able to rise again Had not Christ risen our Faith and Preaching had been in vain What profit had there been in his Blood if he had not risen Surely none but we had still been in our sins that therefore the cost of his Blood might not be in vain unto us necessary was it that he should rise again As also that we might have a testimony of the Father's satisfaction Christ undertook to be Man's Surety to discharge his Debts and thus made himself the Debtor as you heard very well explained last Friday so long as the Debtor is in Prison it is a sign the Debt is not satisfied therefore that we might be assured the Debt is fully satisfied the Prisoner must be let out Christ must rise the Surety being set at liberty now we are begotten unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead And necessary it was Christ should rise as the first fruits of our Resurrection in which respect one of the Fathers well calls Christ Just Mart. Q. Resp ad Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lev. 23.10 c. The Captain of our Resurrection leading the way to us that are to follow The Law concerning the First-fruits is set down in Leviticus in which we may observe that the lifting up the Sheaf before the Lord did note Christ's rising out of the Grave and as those Fruits had the name of First-fruits because they were the first that were gathered so was Christ the first that rose from the dead the first that rose in Incorruption the first that rose unto present participation of Glory S. Cyp. lib. de resur Dom. Just Mart. Q. R. ad orthod q. 85. Bern. Ser. 1. de festo S. Pasch for all who we read were raised before him did die again to take a larger Draught of that Cup they had before but tasted of so that their Resurrection was imperfect and incompleat but Christ was the first that ever rose by a full compleat and perfect Resurrection unto the present participation of Glory But that is not all the First-fruits had a special reference unto all the rest so that all the Sheafs in the Field were holy by the acceptation of that and in that Christ is said to be the First-fruits of them that slept it shews that he rose for us that our dust might be sanctified our Mortality consecrated to Eternity Christ's Resurrection hath an influence upon us in order to a twofold Resurrection a Resurrection from the Grave of Sin unto the Life of Grace and to the Resurrection of our Bodies for besides that it is a strong argument for the possibility of our rising the same power that raised Christ being able to raise us it hath the influence of an efficient cause upon our Resurrection he rising not as a private Person but as a publick Principle if the Head be raised the Members shall also rise INFERENCES If Christ be risen according as the Scriptures declared there was a necessity he should then will he undoubtedly come to Judgment for why rose he but to receive all Power in Heaven and in Earth Know this Act. 17.31 That God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World by him whom he hath raised from the dead Than which nothing can be more terrible to such who are the Enemies of Christ and lead an ungodly Life he whom Death and Hell could not hold how shall any thing hold him from revenging himself to the full upon such who shall be found his Enemies If he were in the Grave then you might swear and curse and be intemperate and unclean and break all his Commands dreaming of Impunity but consider O Christians 't is not a dead but a living Christ you thus dishonour who will come to call you to an Account who as he will be a bountiful Rewarder of them that serve him so will he be a most powerful Revenger of the Injuries offered him We will not enlarge upon so sad a Meditation at this time 't is a day of Joy and much comfort is there in Christ's Resurrection especially to those who believe in his Name If on any day you lift up your selves with Joy then on this day when Christ did rise and lifted up his Head out of the Grave the Jubilees in old time were the Figures of the Joys in this acceptable time for by the Resurrection of Christ every true Believer is set free from the hands of his Enemies his Trespasses forgiven he is restored again to his interest in that Heavenly Possession which was lost in the transgression of Adam Here is comfort against the fear of Death how may you triumph over Death and the Grave O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Assure your selves Death can have no Victory over you Tertull. lib. de Resur Caro salutis est cardo c. Tertullian doth excellently and comfortably treat upon this point The Body saith he is as it were the Hinge of Salvation as we see in Baptism the Flesh is washed and sprinkled with Water that the Soul may be cleansed And when the Holy Ghost was given by laying on of hands the Body was shadowed by laying on of hands that the Soul might be enlightened with the Holy Ghost Thus in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper the Body eats and drinks the Bread and Wine Christ's Body and Blood Sacramentally that the Soul may feast upon Christ and be satisfied It cannot therefore be imagined as the same Father well argues that the Body and Soul being thus joined in the Acts of Religion should be separated in the Reward Nay we may further take notice that where the work of Grace is truly wrought the whole Man is renewed the Body as well as the Soul so then if the Body be not raised the new Man should be destroyed the Soul alone not making the new Man but in conjunction with the Body Suffer not therefore any to shake or unsettle you in this great Foundation-Doctrine of the Resurrection Though Heathens and Epicures may laugh at this as an old Wifes Fable Vid. Min. Fel. Oct. de idâ—lâ—rum â—vanit though Atheists and Hereticks may scoff at it as a Childish Vanity and Madness yet be not shaken though it be a Doctrine above reason it is not against reason The Apostle so argues before King Agrippa Why should it be thought a thing
unreasonable with you that God should raise the dead God's word must be made good for he is as infallible in his word as in his nature now his word is That all who are in the dust shall awake and all that are in the Grave shall hear Christ's Voice and come forth As for those who talk of I know not what Vehicle of the Soul to which it shall be then joined at the great day other than the Body in which it here dwelt in this World and which is laid in the Grave it is not only contrary to the Scripture but to the Doctrine of the ancient Church * Epiphan cont Haeres lib. 2. Tom. 1. item in lib. Anchorat fusè Aeneas Gazaeus Theophrast Tertull. lib. de Resurr cap. 56. Dion Areop de Eccles Hierarch lib. cap. 11. which constantly teach that the same Body which is laid in the Grave shall be raised which can no way be said of that imagined Vehicle which never was in the Grave For your farther confirmation consider the point of Justice and Equity if it doth not require that there should be a Resurrection of the dead in the very same numerical Bodies for how else should every one be rewarded according to his Works How can it stand with the rule of Justice that one Body should serve God and suffer for God and another Body should be rewarded that one Body should Sin and another Body should be damn'd As Christ did rise in the same Body which died so shall all men rise in their own Bodies Many indeed are the vain Scruples of Atheistical Spirits against this Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Body as how it is possible This is answered by Aeneas Gazaeus in his Theophrastus By Justin Mart. Q. R. ad Graecos In also Q. R. ad orthod q. 3. Athenag de resur p. 43. when crumbled into dust and one Man's dust mixed with another nay it may be one Man devoured by another and turned into his substance How it is possible that a Man being eaten by Fishes those Fishes again eaten by Men that after so many mutations changes mixtures alterations of Mens Bodies they should be raised the very same Bodies and every one have his own Body But if you be Christians who have such thoughts give me leave to ask you what the first Article of your Christian Faith is Is it not this That God is Almighty If you believe this it will be easy to believe the Resurrection of the dead after never so many changes since that to Omnipotency all things are possible And certainly * Aug. de Civ Dei. lib. 10. cap. 30. quanto honestius creditur reverti semel animas ad corpora propria quam reverti toties ad diversa this Doctrine concerning the rising of the same Body is far more reasonable than their Opinion who held transmigration of Souls or the passing of Souls into several Bodies as St. Austin argues But why should we deny that power to God which we see in a manner in the Creature Lay a heap of all sorts of dust together Dust of Gold Silver Tinn Wood Iron apply the Loadstone to this heap of dust and it will sever the Dust of the Iron from all the rest and draw it to it self and shall we not believe that God can know every Man's peculiar Dust and separate it from the rest yea and raise it up to Heaven Look again into Nature and you may see enough to strengthen your Faith in the Resurrection of the dead Consider the daily Resurrections in the World and you may see our Resurrection shadowed in the Day and Night The Sun sets and riseth again see you not the Fruits of the Field Herbs Plants Trees do they not die as it were in the Winter and live again in the Spring Theoph. Patriarch Antioch ad Autol. lib. 1. doth not the Corn Men sowe die and rise again Theophilus Patriarch of Antioch follows this Argument at large St. Ambrose S. Amb. Hexaem lib. 5. cap. 23. and several others of the ancients urge the Phoenix to prove the Resurrection which instance is so common I need not spend time in relating it Let us observe the workings of God in our selves and we shall have no cause to doubt the Resurrection of our Bodies Consider of what a small beginning at our Conception God raiseth so goodly a Structure as our Bodies and you must acknowledge him able to raise them again Nay of what did God make Man at first Did he not make us of nothing Now consider whether it be an act of greater power to raise a Body at the last day of some matter yet remaining or at first to make it of nothing Therefore with Polycarp Polyc. Ep. ad Philip. we may look upon him who denies the Resurrection of the dead as the first begotten and eldest Son of the Devil What Enemies need Believers fear if Christ be risen He that was too hard for Death will be too hard for any of your Enemies He who hath overcome the great Goliah for you can he not overcome the lesser Philistins What Calamities or Miseries can you fall into but you may fetch comfort out of Christ's Resurrection to support you under them He that raised himself from the dead hath power to deliver us from all evil This was Job's Comfort in all his Afflictions the summ of whose Argument is this God will raise me up at the last day therefore undoubtedly he is able if it stand with his own Glory and my good to lift me up from this Dunghil again Have you parted from Believing Relations there is no reason to mourn as those without Hope since Christ is risen and will raise them again to Life And why should we trouble our selves over-much at the Frailty and Infirmities of these Bodies Christ is risen according to the Scripture and this corruptible shall put on Incorruption this mortal shall put on Immortality To conclude all Is Christ risen Let us every one look into our selves and see what power the Resurrection of Christ hath had upon our Hearts Risen he is but is he risen in our Hearts What share have we in his Resurrection Good Christians feel the power of his Resurrection quickening them unto Holiness If we can truly say he hath quickened us together with Christ that would be something to the purpose There is a Resurrection of Souls here and of Bodies hereafter 't is the Resurrection of our Souls here from the death of Sin unto the Life of Grace that is the Fruit of Christ's Resurrection in all who are for Eternal Happiness He that hath part in this first Resurrection the second Death shall have no power over him Let us learn to live as those who believe Christ's Resurrection seeking those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. It is the most unbecoming Frame for a Christian to be Earthly minded for a Man to be grasping after the World to have his Heart set upon his Covetousness to be loading himself with thick Clay to be still crying Give give never to be contented with these outward things with the Hog to be rooting in the Dunghil and wallowing in the muck and mire of the World Is this to live as becometh one who professeth himself to be risen with Christ No assuredly If we be Christians let us not inordinately mind these things let our Hearts be where our Head Christ Jesus is let us seek the Mansions Christ hath prepared for us For our Hearts to be panting after Christ as the Hart panteth after the water Brooks every day to have our set times of Communion with God and Christ to be angry at what ever draws our Hearts aside from Heavenly things to be frequent in Holy Contemplations pondering in our thoughts the weightiness of that Crown of Glory prepared for us to be in daily longing expectations of the coming and appearing of our blessed Saviour this is to live as becomes those who believe Christ is risen according to the Scripture To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for evermore Amen FINIS Books lately Printed for Walter Kettilby Mr Hesketh's Piety the best Rule of Orthodoxy 8o. 's Serious Exhortation to frequent Communion 8o. 's Case of Communicating unworthily 8o. The Faith and Practice of a Church of England Man. The third Edition 12o. Religion the Perfection of Man 8o. An Exposition on the Church Catechism By way of Question and Answer 8o. Mr Stainforth's Sermon Jan. 30. 1688 / 9. at York Mr Lynford's Sermon before the Lord Mayor Feb. 24. 1688 / 9. Dr Scott's Sermon at the late Lord Mayor's Funeral March 27. 1689. The Oration of Cicero for M. Marcellus done into English With an Appendix relating to the Prince of Orange 4 to
while appeared again a new Face came upon the World the Enemies were brought under a Cloud the Disciples and Friends of Christ revived their hope before as it were dead and buried was again raised together with their Lord and Master who rose again according to the Scriptures though for a while even the Disciples themselves understood not those places which spake of his Resurrection For as yet they knew not the Scripture That he must rise again from the dead As to that part of the Text which relates unto the Disciples not knowing the Scriptures at that time which referred unto Christ's Resurrection We might from thence draw several Observations not unuseful for us but that we purpose to apply our selves wholly to the point of the Resurrection the proper subject of the Day concerning which we consider three things I. That according to the Scripture Christ was to rise from the dead II. That Christ did truly and really rise from the dead according as the Scripture had foretold for this is that which Saint John believed and which he doth designedly prove in this place III. That there was a necessity Christ should rise again from the dead which you have in the word must for so the Scripture did declare that he must rise again from the dead I. The first thing we enter upon is to show That according to the Scripture the Messiah was to rise from the dead The Types in Scripture are many to this purpose So long ago as Adam this was typified of whom we read that soon after his Creation he was cast into a deep sleep whilst the Woman was taken out of his side and then awaked again Thus the Second Adam Christ of whom the first was a type slept the sleep of Death and sleeping his side was wounded whereout came Water and Blood which gave being to his Spouse the Church and then after a while he awoke revived and rose again You read how Isaac was laid upon the Altar with the Wood Now Abraham's Sacrificing his Son thus in Will was a type of God's giving his Son to be a Sacrifice in very deed but Isaac for all this came off and was preserved alive a Figure that our Isaac the Lord Jesus though really sacrificed yet should rise again and Death should have no power over him Many were the Conflicts of Sampson with the Philistins vanquishing them time after time of whom we read how he carried away the Gates of Gaza Posts and all up to a high Hill in all this a type of Christ who was to have many sharp conflicts with the World and the Devil for us and that he should at the last carry away the Gates of Hell and Death that none could hold him Sad was the condition of Jonas when he fled to Tarshish when followed with a Tempest when cast into the Sea when in the Jaws of the Whale when in the Whales Belly but yet he gets out in a small time and appears again upon dry land What was this but a type of Christ coming to Tarshish in his Nativity followed with a perpetual and dreadful storm in the Ocean of this World all the while he lived swallowed up of Death lying in the Grave and rising again the third day Truth it self so expounds it we may believe him Besides which Scripture-types many are the Scripture-Prophecies that Christ should rise from the dead The first Scripture which gives notice of a Christ doth not only mention him as suffering and dying but as rising and victorious If Thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 noted his sufferings yet He shall bruise thy head was a Prophecy of his Victory and made good when he rose from the dead When the Patriarch Jacob blessed his Sons he thus Prophesieth concerning Judah Gen. 49.9 Judah is a Lions Whelp from the prey my Son thou art gone up he stooped down he couched as a Lion who shall rouze him up Judah was the Tribe of which Christ came and here is even by the Confession of the Jewish Doctors themselves a Prophecy of the Messiah Christ it is that is here resembled unto the Lions Whelp in that it is said he stooped down he couched therein is set forth his suffering when he bowed the Head and gave up the Ghost but this Lion is rouzed and there 's the Prophecy of his Resurrection and in that it is said Who shall rouze him up Isid Hisp Com. in Gen. thereby is noted as Isidore expounds that no Man should do this but himself When Balaam Prophesied of a Star that should arise out of Jacob he plainly foretold not only the setting of this Star in his Passion but the rising of it again when he came out of the Grave And if the Book of Job was written by Moses as the learned conclude then Job's saying Vid. Armach Annal p. 17. several testimonies I know that my Redeemer liveth is another Prophecy out of Moses's Writings concerning Christ's Resurrection From the Writings of Moses let us proceed to the Book of the Psalms where Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee is undoubtedly a Prophecy of the Resurrection of the Messiah for so Saint Paul interprets it and shows that hereby was declared and manifested on the day of his Resurrection Act. 13.33 That Jesus was the true and eternal Son of the most high God. And as when it is said Ps 110.7 He shall drink of the brook in the way his Sufferings are foretold So when it is said He shall lift up the head his Resurrection is signified unto us And again Ps 16.10 Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption is a clear place to this purpose for David cannot herein speak of himself who died and saw Corruption as others but he doth foretel how Christ that holy one should not lie in the Grave till he saw corruption as others nor his Soul continue in Hell but his Soul should be brought back and united unto his Body and his Body raised out of the Grave And in another place where the Psalmist saith I am as a man that hath no strength thereby is noted the suffering of Christ and his lying in the Grave but then the following words free among the dead do show his rising again from the dead for he is said to be free among the dead S. Cyp. in Symb. Apost because he could not be holden of death as St. Cyprian expounds it The Prophet Isaias in many places speaks of Christ's Resurrection for whenas he brings him in born in this manner Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and then afterwards saith Isa 9.6 7. that Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end he doth suppose his rising from the dead for had he continued in the Grave there had been an end of his Government and therefore did he describe him by the
name Wonderful not only in respect of the wonderfulness of his Nativity and Death but because of the wonderfulness of his rising out of the Grave And when the same Prophet having spoken at large of his Sufferings his Death and Burial doth tell us that notwithstanding all this Isa 53.10 he should see his seed and prolong his days it hath a necessary reference to his Resurrection Nay so punctual are the Writings of the Prophets that they foretel the very time when Christ should rise even on the third day After two days will he revive us Hos 6.2 in the third day will he raise us up and we shall live in his sight And in that the Prophet speaks in the plural number it refers to those also who did rise with Christ and attended upon him for the greater Solemnity of this day By all which we see that according to the Scriptures Christ was to rise again I proceed now to II. The second point which is to shew That Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary who was Crucified and Buried by the Jews did most really and truly rise again from the dead according as these and many other Scriptures had foretold Let us see what Witnesses we can produce to prove this The very same day he rose he appeared several times to several persons First to Mary Magdalene then to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they were going together from the Sepulchre then to the two Disciples going to Emmaus then unto St. Peter alone by himself then unto the Disciples as they were together Thomas being absent To these add his Apparitions at several other times Eight days after his Resurrection he appeared to his Disciples Thomas being present After this to seven of his Disciples as they were fishing at the Sea of Tiberias Again unto the eleven Disciples as they were upon a Mount of Galilee He appeared unto above five hundred of the Brethren at once after that he was seen of James apart The day of his Ascension he was seen to the Apostles on the Mount of Olivet when he was taken up into Heaven Lastly He was seen of St. Paul and these were Witnesses chosen before of God to bear record of his Resurrection as St. Peter tells us True Witnesses were they no Deceivers as the Keepers of the Sepulchre falsly reported saying His Disciples came by night and stole him away whilst we slept See what an unhappy Dilemma St. Austin doth run these Keepers into either it was false that they slept and so Liers are not to be believed or it was true and then how could they tell what happened Foolish madness if they were awake why did they suffer it If they were asleep how did they know it Enough is there in the story to evince their Falsity and to clear the Disciples Innocency And in that Christ was not seen to one alone but to several together even to a great multitude it shows they could not be deceived in this matter If any one shall say these were his Disciples and Friends and therefore their testimonies not full enough to settle our Faith in this point to these we might add the testimonies of Enemies Let Pilate be the first who was the Man that delivered him to the Jews to be Crucified Vit. Tiberii for after these things thus passed in Judea Pilate who was Governour of Jerusalem under the Roman Emperour wrote Letters unto Tiberius in whose Reign Christ was Crucified wherein he advertised the Emperour of the Death of Christ of the manner of it of the Miracles he had done in his Life as also of his Resurrection to the end that he should advise and determine whether Christ should not be held as a God and worshipped as a God. So that here is the testimony of Pilate to the Resurrection who no doubt being their Chief Governour had the best means to inform himself of the truth To this add the testimony of the Watch. These most likely were choice busy Fellows pickt out on purpose for such a design as let the design be never so bad some will be found to carry it on and what say they Mat. 28.11 Some of the watch came unto the City and showed unto the chief Priests all the things that were done They came as it were thunder struck looking like so many Ghosts with their hair standing an end and tell all the story of the Angels descending and rolling away the Stone and Christ's rising for this is that which was done and this is that they tell them which was so plain that neither could the Chief Priests any way resist the Evidence but only through desperate wickedness hire the Souldiers with money to blaze a notorious lie to cheat the common people with So that here is the express testimony of the Watch and the implicit testimony of the High-Priests themselves to the truth of Christ's Resurrection And was not Saul afterwards called Paul for some time a notorious Enemy of Christ yet afterwards proved he a most couragious Witness of his Resurrection Now though the Friends of Christ might have been supposed not to speak the truth yet when his most desperate Enemies witness the same it must be acknowledged that Christ did according to the Scripture rise again from the dead If such a multitude of Earthly Witnesses Men Women Rich Poor Friends Foes Jews Gentiles be not enough yet at least the testimony of Heavenly Angels ought to be believed Whose are those words He is not here but is risen are they not the words of a Heavenly Angel and if it may be more convincing St. Luke makes mention of two Angels who assert this though these be enough yet we add to these the testimony of the Spirit sent down upon the Apostles on purpose to impower them to be Witnesses unto the Resurrection of Christ through the World. And who can think all this should be to give testimony to a Resurrection that was not every way true and real Some Hereticks in the Primitive Times had the impudence so to teach Against this opinion Vid. Aug. lib. de Agone Christiano cap. 24. that as Christ died in appearance only so he did rise only in appearance it will therefore be convenient in this place to show that Christ did truly and really rise from the dead in the very same Body Flesh and Bones which was Crucified and what ever tended to the perfection of the human nature Those unto whom he appeared Aq. p. 3. q. 55. a. 6. knew him to be the same who had conversed with them before The verity of Christ's Resurrection doth Aquinas show by many Arguments both in respect of his Body and Soul. That it was a true solid Body in which he rose no fantastick aerial Body is evident because he offer'd it to be seen and felt now a Spirit hath no Flesh and Bones as they saw and felt he had And that it was a true human Body was evident to