But the most express and remarkable text to this purpose, is, Luke xx. 36. where good men after the refurrection, are for this reafon said to be the children of God, because they are the children of the refurrection. But they who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the refurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage, neither can they dy any more; for they are equal to the Angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the refurrection. For this reafon they are faid to be the children of God, because they are raised by him to a new life; and to be made partakers of that which is promised to them, and referved for them. For all that are raised by the power of God out of the dust of the earth, are not therefore the children of God; but only they that have part in the bleffed refurrection to eternal life, and do inherit the kingdom prepared for them. Not thofe who are raised to a perpetual death, and the refurrection of condemnation. Thefe are not the children of God; but the children of wrath, and the children of perdition.

But the refurrection of the jut, is the full and final declaration, that we are the children of God: not only becaufe we are reftored to a new life, but becaufe at the refurrection, we are admitted to the full poffeffion of that bleffed inheritance which is purchafed for us, and promised to us.

And the Spirit of God which is conferred upon believers in their regeneration, and afterwards dwells and refides in them, is the pledge and earnest of our final adoption, by our refurrection to eternal life; and upon this account and no other, is faid to be the earneft of our future inheritance, and the feat and confirmation of it, Eph. i. 13. In whom alfo, after that ye believed, ye were fealed by the Holy Spirit of promife, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased poffeffion; that is, the Holy Spirit of God, which Chriftians were made partakers of, upon their fincere belief of the Chriftian religion, is the feal and earnest of our refurrection to eternal life, as the Apoftle plainly tells us, in that remarkable text, Rom. viii. 11. If the Spirit of him

that

that raised up Jefus from the dead dwell in you, he that raifed up Chrift from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

I have been the longer upon this, becaufe it ferves fully to explain to us thofe obfcure phrafes of the feal and earnest and firft fruits of the Spirit, which many have mistaken to import fome particular and fpiritual revelation or impreffion upon the minds of good men, affuring them of their falvation. Whereas the Apoftle intended no more by them, but that the Spirit of God which dwells in believers, enabling them to mortify the deeds of the flesh, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, is a pledge and earnest to us of a bleffed refurrection to eternal life by the power of the Spirit of God which now dwells in us, and is the fame Spirit which raised up Jefus from the dead. And in this chapter the Spirit of God is faid, ver. 16. to bear witness to our fpirits, that is, to affure our minds, that we are the children of God, that is, that we are his children now, and confequently heirs of a glorious refurrection to eternal life: for fo it follows in the next words, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Chrift; if fo be that we Juffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. And this being glorified together with Chrift at the refurrection, he calls, ver. 19. the manifeftation of the fons of God. Thus you fee how in conformity to the Son of God, our elder brother, we are faid to be the fons of God, because we are now regenerated, and fhall at the last day be raised up to eternal life, by the power of the Spirit of God. I proceed to the

Second thing I propounded to speak to, for the clearing of these words, namely, in what fenfe Chrift is faid to be declared or demonstrated to be the Son of God, by his refurrection from the dead. By which the Apostle means these two things:

1. That by his refurrection from the dead he was approved by God to be the true Meffias, and vindicated to the world from all fufpicion of being a deceiver and impoftor. And confequently, in the

2. Place, That hereby God gave teftimony to the truth and divinity of his doctrine.

J. By

1.

By his refurrection from the dead, he was approved by God to be the true Meffias, foretold by the Prophets, and expected at that time by the Jews, and fufficiently vindicated to the world to be no deceiver and impoftor.

And for our fuller understanding of this, we are to confider these two things:

(1.) What the apprehenfions and expectations of the Jews were concerning the Meffias. And,

(2.) What the many crimes were which they laid to our Saviour's charge, and for which they condemned him.

(1.) What the apprehenfions and expectations of the Jews were concerning the Meffias. And it is very plain from the evangelical hiftory, that they generally apprehended thefe two things of him; That the Meffias was to be the Son of God, and the King of Ifrael; and therefore that our Saviour, by affirming himself to be the Meffias,did call himself the Son of God, and the King of Ifrael. John i. 41. Andrew tells his brother Simon, We have found the Meffias. v. 45. Philip tells Nathanael, We have found him of whom Mofes in the law and the Prophets did write; that is, the Meffias, ver. 49. Nathanael, upon difcourfe with our Saviour, being convinced that he was the Meffias, owns him in these terms, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Ifrael. John vi. 69. Peter declares his belief that he was the Chrift, or the Meffias, in these words, We believe and are fure that thou art the Son of the living God. This appears likewise from the High-prieft's queftion to him, Matth. xxvi. 63. Art thou the Chrift (that is, the Meffias) the Son of the living God? or, as it is in St. Mark, the Son of the blessed; compared with Pilate's question, Art thou the King of the Jews? And when he was upon the cross, fome reviled him under the notion of the Son of God, Matth xxvii. 40. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross: others under the notion of the King of Ifrael, ver. 42. If he be the King of Ifrael, let him come down from the crofs. From all which it is plain that the Jews expected and believed, that the true Meffias was to be the Son of God, and the King of

Ifrael; and whoever was not fo, was a deceiver and impoftor. But our Saviour affirmed himself to be the true Meffias, and the Son of God. Now God by rai fing him from the dead, did abundantly vindicate him to the world, from all fufpicion of impofture; and gave teftimony to him, that he was all that he faid of himself, viz. the true Meffias, and the Son of God.

Which will further appear, if we confider (2dly,) What were the crimes which the Jews laid to our Sa viour's charge, and for which they condemned him; and they were mainly these two, that by giving himfelf to be the Meffias, he made himself King of Ifrael, and the Son of God. Of the first of these they accufed him to Pilate, hoping by this accufation to make him guilty of fedition against the Roman government, for faying, that he was the King of Ifrael. Of the other they accufed him to the chief Priests, as being guilty of blafphemy, in that not being the Meffias, he called himself the Son of God. And upon this they laid the main ftrefs, as being a thing that would condemn him by their law. They charged him with this in his lifetime, as appears by thofe words of our Saviour, John x. 36. Say ye of him whom the Father hath fanctified, and fent into the world, Thou blafphemeft, because I faid I am the Son. of God? And when he was arraigned before the chief Priests, they accufed him of this, and he owning this charge, that he called himself the Son of God, upon this they judged him guilty of death. Matth. xxvi. 65, 66. Then the High-prieft rent his clothes, and faid, he hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witneffes? behold, now ye have heard his blafphemy. What think ye? They answered, he is guilty of death. And when Pilate told them, that he found no fault in him, they still inftance in this as his crime, John xix. 7. We have a law, and by our law he ought to dy, because he hath made himfelf the Son of God.

Now this being the crime which was charged upon him, and for which he was crucified, and put to death; God, by raising him from the dead, and taking him

up

up into heaven, gave teftimony to him, that he was no impoftor, and that he did not vainly arrogate to himself to be the Meffias and the Son of God. God, by raifing him from the dead by the power of the Holy Ghoft, gave a mighty demonftration to him, that he was the Son of God. For which reafon he is faid by the Apostle, 1 Tim. iii. 16. to be justified by the Spirit. The Spirit gave teftimony to him at his baptifm, and by the mighty works that appeared in him in his lifetime; but he was most eminently and remarkably juftified by the Holy Ghoft, by his refurrection from the dead; God hereby bearing him witnefs, that he was unjuftly condemned, and that he affumed nothing to himself, but what of right did belong to him, when he faid he was the Meffias, and the Son of God. For how could a man that was condemned to dy for calling himself the Son of God, be more remarkably vindicated, and more clearly proved to be fo, than by being raised from the dead, by the power of God?

And, 2dly, God did confequently hereby give teftimony to the truth and divinity of our Saviour's do&trine. Being proved by his refurrection to be the Son of God, this proved him to be a teacher fent by him, and what he declared to the world was the mind and will of God. For this none was more likely to know, and to report truly to mankind, than the Son of God, who came from the bosom of the Father. And because the refurrection of Chrift is fo great a teftimony to the truth of his doctrine, hence it is that St. Paul tells us, that the belief of this one article of Christ's refurrection is fufficient to a man's falvation, Rom. x. 9. If thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the Lord Jefus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raifed him from the dead, thou shalt be faved. The reafon is plain, because the refurrection of Chrift confirmed the truth and divinity of his doarine; fo that the belief of our Saviour's refurrecti on does by neceffary confequence infer the belief of his whole doctrine. That God raised him from the dead, after he was condemned and put to death for calling himself theSon of God, is a demonstration that he really was the Son of God; and if he was the Son of Ged,

the