thy hand and thrust it into my fide; which manifefts that the Body which he then of fered to that Tryal, was that very Body which had fuffered on the Crofs, and ftill retained the Print of the Nails, and the Impreffion of the Spear. That this fame Body and Soul reunited, was alfo joyned to the Divinity, as before his Paffion, appeared from his many Miracles wrought after his Refurrection.

Thus we have a true, proper and real Refurrection. And that all these things were so, we have the Testimony, first of his own Disciples; the Faith of whom, although fo nearly related to him, cannot be called in queftion, fince they laid down their Lives in confirmation of it: Nor can it be imagined that any Men fhould die for the Teftimony of what they knew to be falfe. Of these the pious Women were first blessed with the fight of him; whether it were in reward of their maintaining their Love and Fidelity to him, when his Apoftles had forfaken him; or that they came into the Garden where the Sepulchre was, immediately after the Refurrection, and before he was yet departed out of it. They faw him, knew him, and faluted him, held him by the feet and worshipp'd him. The Apoftles being advertised of it by them, hafted to fee their Mafter, and received not only a tranfient view of him, but converfed with him for forty days together; and by many infallible proofs

proofs were affured of the Truth of it. Afterwards he appeared to more than five hundred at once; and at last afcended up to Heaven in the presence of them all.

To the Witnefs of Friends, we will add the Testimony of his Enemies, which in all Cafes is allowed to be of great weight. The Soldiers who were employed by the Jews to watch his Sepulchre, plainly faw the Effects of Divine Power, which accompanied his Resurrection; although being aftonished and confounded at fuch unusual Prodigics, they did not well perceive it, or perhaps were not fuffered by their Fears to ftay till Chrift fhould proceed out of the Sepulchre. They felt the Earthquake, which removed the Stone rolled to the Mouth of the Sepulchre, they faw the countenance of an Angel like lightning, and his raiment white as snow, upon which they did Jhake, and became as dead Men, and coming into the City fhewed to the chief Priefts all the things that were done, as we read, Matth. xxviii. II.

The Angels and heavenly Hofts had before joyned with Men in celebrating the Nativity of Chrift, and they here concur. red in witneffing his Refurrection. The Women coming to the Sepulchre betimes. in the Morning, prefently after the Refur rection, and looking for the Body of their beloved Lord in the Sepulchre, found there two Angels in white, fitting one at

the

the head, the other at the feet, where the Body of Jefus had lain; who faid to them, why feek ye the dead among the living? He is not here, he is rifen: come, fee the place where the Lord lay.

Laftly, If we should imagine both his Friends and Enemies, the report of Senfe oft-times repeated, to have been deceived in the Opinion of his Refurrection, God hath been pleased to confirm the Truth of it, and to fet his Seal to it. This he hath done, not only by his Holy Spirit comforting, enabling, and encouraging the Apo ftles in preaching the Mystery of Chrift's Refurrection, but alfo in confirming their Testimony with concurrent Miracles. As it is, Acts iv. 33. With great power gave the Apoftles witness of the Refurrection of the Lord fefus. They openly affirmed it upon their own Knowledge, aud then in Proof of the Truth of their Affirmation wrought Signs and Miracles; which to the Spectators did as fully evince the Truth of the Relation, as if they had feen it done with their own Eyes; fince it was impoffible, that God fhould exert his omnipotent Power, in working Miracles for the Atteftation of a Lye. Thus much for the Reality. I proceed in the Second place to the

II. Manner of the Refurrection, expreffed in thefe Words, having loofed the pains

of

of death, which are variously interpreted; fome maintaining that they imply only a Deliverance from Death, and refcue from the Grave; others that they point out the dolorous Sufferings by which our Lord was brought to the Grave, and raifing him up to a state oppofite to that Humiliation; a third Sort understanding by them a Destruction of the Power and Dominion of Death. All these Opinions are fupported with great Reasons; nor will it be here proper to enter into a strict Examination which of them rather is to be embraced. They are all rational, confonant to the Design of the Apoftle, and fignificative of the Manner of Christ's Refurrection. I will therefore apply them all.

In

The First Opinion includeth only a Deliverance from Death, that is, a reunion of Soul and Body feparated by Death. which Sense it chiefly referreth to the Words of David, and the Promises made to him, here alledged by the Apostle. David had been often brought by his Enemies into extreme danger of Death, which he commonly expreffeth by the fame or the like Words; as Pfal. xviii. 4. The forrows of death compassed me; and Ver. 5. The forrows of hell compaffed me about; and Pfal. cxvi. 3. The forrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell gat hold upon me. Yet trufting in the Promifes of God, amidst all these Calamities he refted affured of Deliverance,

and

and expreffeth his Confidence of it in the Words cited by the Apostle in the following Verfes; my flesh fhall reft in hope; becaufe thou wilt not leave my foul in hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thine holy one to fee Corruption.

It was a Matter at that Time received, and on all hands granted by the Jews, that David was a Type of the Meffias; that his Actions, Sufferings, and Deliverance prefigured the Office, the Death, and Refurrection of Chrift, who fhould defcend from him; and particularly the Apoftle fheweth, how this Paffage was much more evidently and literally fulfilled in Chrift than in David. He indeed was delivered from his Enemies, and died in Peace; yet die he did; and after Death his foul was left in hell, that is, among the Dead, or in the Place of departed Souls; and his body did fee Corruption, having been buried many hundred Years. But as for Chrift, he died indeed, yet his foul was not left in hell, neither did his body fee Corruption. His Soul was. presently reunited to the Body, and even during the feparation not left by the Divine Nature, which ftill continued to be joyned to it; neither was his Body corrupted, but raised up and united to the Soul in lefs than forty Hours, in which Time the Bodies of deceased Men are wont to be corrupted.

According