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to confecrate and purchase a Bleffing upon the Afterfruits, and enfuing Harveft: So Chrift rofe the Morrow after the Jewish Sabbath, and of all Men that ever took Life, and died, Chrift was the First-fruits and Sanctifier, as was foretold by Mofes and the Prophets, that he fhould Suffer, and that he should be the First-fruits that should rife from the dead,and fhould fhow light unto the People, and to the Gentiles.

He alone was offered up an acceptable Sacrifice to God the Father, who witneffed his Acceptation thereof, by raifing him from the dead: They who rofe before Chrift, rofe but as private Men, like fome fingle Ears of Corn, gathered here and there, occafionally before the due time of reaping the whole; but Chrift, as a publick Perfon, and as a fecond Adam, reprefenting all his Members, was the Firft that ever rofe in the Nature and Quality of the Firft-fruits, duly gathered, Never to die again, but to Sanctify and. Confecrate the whole Har veft of the Dead, in his Refurrection; for if the FirstFruits be holy, the Lump alfo is holy; and if the Root be holy, fo are the Branches; there is a near Relation betwixt Chrift and us, even fuch as is betwixt the Head, and the Members, the Vine and the Branches; hence he is faid to be the First-begotten, and the Firft-born from the Dead: Now these are relative Expreffions, and respect more Brethren, even us; therefore he is not fhamed to call us Brethren, to affure us that we fhall follow him in that New Birth and Regeneration, from the Womb of our common Mother, the Earth, and fhall inherit with him in the Heavens.

This Inferrence is fo clear and certain, that the Apoftle fpeaks of it as a Thing already done, faying, God hath raised us up together, and made us fit together in Heavenly Places in Chrift Fefus; that is, He hath raifed us up virtually, and reprefentatively, in our Head, who

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was

Job.

10.

was delivered for our Offences, and was raifed again for our Juftification; therefore, being Juftified by Chrift's Refurrection, and Difcharged of the Guilt of our Sins, for which he Suffered, our Bodies fhall not ly perpetu ally in the Prison of the Grave, under the Dominion of Death, which is the Wages of Sin.

This needs not feem very ftrange in Religion, that the Refurrection of one, near Seventeen Hundred Years fince, should be the Caufe of our rifing, by his Migh Power and Merit, more than the Death of one, for his Tranfgreffion, above thrice Seventeen Hundred Years ago, fhould be the Caufe of our Dying: For fince by Man came Death, by Man came alfo the Refurrecti on from the Dead; for as in Adam all Die, fo, in Chrift fhall all be made Alive; as he faid unto Martha, I am the Refurrection, and the Life; he that believeth in me, though he were Dead, yet ball he Live.

If we confider our firft Production from our Parents and the marvellous Frame of our Bodies, how fearfully, and wonderfully we are made, from a very mean Be ginning, our Refurrection (which is a fecond Birth, as it were from the Earth) will feem lefs ftrange, when we are no more at first and laft, but as a Drop of a Bucket, and as the fmall Duft in the Ballance. Behold as the Clay is in the Potter's Hand, fo are ye in mine Hand, O Ifa. 15. House of Ifrael, faith the Lord. Why then should it be 9. thought a thing impoffible, that God fhould release these Prifoners of Hope, and raife the Dead, which the AJer. 18. poftle makes fo plain in this Chapter, by an Inftance 6. of Wheat, of any other Grain caft into the Ground, which revives, and hath its Refurrection, after its caft Into the Duft and covered with Earth. So true is that faying, even to common Experience, that except a Corn of Wheat fall into the Ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much Fruit, fuch as fhall

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be accounted worthy to obtain the next World, and the Kefurrection from the Dead, fhall revive as the Corn, and grow as the Vine.

This one Article of our belief of the Refurrection of our Bodies from the Grave, is the Tye of all the reft, and the greatest Eendearment of Religion; which therefore, God was pleafed to make, not only credible, but' eafy and familiar, by daily Eexperiments and Examples, of Winter, and Summer, Night and Day, the Fall of the Leaf, the Spring, Totus hic Orda revolubilis rerum Teftatio eft Refurrectionis mortuorum, Operibus eam pre feripfit Deus, antequam Literis: All this vifible Creation, and the reverting of the things in Nature, are Shadows Rom. and Types of our Refurrection, which God hath writ- 10. ten in the Book of the Creatures, before he revealed the fame in the Book of the Scriptures.

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This is the Word of Faith which we Preach, whofoever th fhall confefs with his Mouth the Lord Jefus, and hall believe in his Heart, that God hath raised him from the Dead, he fhall be favéd, fhall rife, and be glori hed together with Chrift.

Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, according to his abundant Mercy, hath begotten us again into a lively Hope, by the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the Dead, to an Inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, referved in Heaven for us.

What remains then, but to reduce this Doctrine of the Refurrection to Practice, and improve it in well doing, and patient Suffering, to fupport us under the Hardships of this Life,and to comfort us under the Fears of Death, and thofe greater Fears of eternal Condemnation.

First, This Doctrine of the Refurre&ton is a great Encouragement to Virtue, becaufe God hath appointed a

Day

r. Pet.

I. 39.4.

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Day, in the which, he will judge the World in Righteoufnefs, by that Man whom he hath Ordained, whereof he hath given Affurance to all Men, in that he hath raised him from the Dead; Wherefore let us not degrade our Bodies with ignoble and bafe Offices, but keep them pure, and clean, as Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in, and as Veffels appointed unto Honour. If our dead Bodies are to be washed and wrapt in clean Linnen, as Dorcas was,not only for Decency,but in hopes likewife of the Refurrection,for the Apoftle argues, (alluding perhaps to this Cuftom) What fhall they do which are. washed for the Dead? If the Dead rife not at all, Why are they then wafhed for the Dead? How much more fhould we keep our living Bodies holy and pure, from Whoredom and Intemperance? Meats for the Belly, and the Belly for Meats; but God fhall deftroy both it and them. Now the Body is not for Fornication, but for the Lord,and the Lord for the Body, and God hath both raised the Lord, and will alfo

Power: Know ye not that your pus up by his own

are the Members of Chrift? fhall I then take the Members of Chrift, and make them the Members of an Harlot? God for bid: What, know ye not that he which is joined to an Cor. Harlot is one Body? for two (faith he) fhall be one Flesh, 6. 16. but he that is joined to the Lord, is one Spirit.

Flee Fornication. Every Sin that a Man doth is without the Body, but he that commiteth Fornication, Sinneth against his own Body: What, know ye not that the Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a Price, therefore glorify God in your Body, and in your Spirit, which are God's.

Therefore fays the fame Apoftle, I beseech you, Bre thren, by the Mercies of God, that ye prefent your Bodies a

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living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable Service, and be not conformed to this World, (to the depraved Manners, and bad Examples of Wicked Men in the World) but be ye transformed by the renewing of your Minds, that ye may prove what is that Good, and Acceptable, and perfect Will of God: And again, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of fleep, and carnal Security; for now is our Salvation nearer than when we believed; the Night is far fpent, the Day is at hand, Let us therefore caft off the Works of darkness, and let us put on the Armour of light; let us walk honestly, as in the Day; not in Rioting and Drunkennefs, not in Chambering and Wantonness, not in Strife and Envying; but put on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and make no Provifion for the Flefb, to fulfil the Lufts thereof.

In that day, when the Lord of Hofts fhall make up his Jewels, and turn the Shadows of Death into the Morning, Then ball ye return, and difcern between the Righteous and the Wicked, between him that ferveth God, and him that ferveth him not; then all the Evils of the World shall be amended, and every Man Rewarded according unto his Works.

Ifam the Dead (fays St. Jolin) Small and great, ftand before God, and the Books were opened, and another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the Dead were Judged out of thofe things which were written in the Books, according to their Works; and the Sea gave up the Dead, which were in it, and Death, and Hell delivered the Dead which were in them, and they were fudged every one according to his Work.

Therefore, my beloved Brethren, be ye steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your Labour is not in vain in the Lord, for we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ, that every one may receive

the

Mal. 3.

17, 18.

Rev.

20. 12.

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