fefted it to be poffible by the actual effecting of it.

No wonder then, that as the Church did at first receive our Lord from the Dead with unfpeakable Joy and Triumph; so it always continued to renew the remem brance of that Triumph by extraordinary Solemnities; that the Apostles urged the Miracle of his Resurrection, as the highest Argument of Conviction to Jews and Gentiles; and admonished their Disciples to comfort one another with the Remembrance of it. And not only fo, but also drew continual Arguments of Inftruction and Motives of Holiness from it, and made all the Myfteries and Sacraments of the Chriftian Religion to be in fome measure fubfervient to it.

An Action of so great importance was not barely to ftrike the Senfes, and to fatisfie the doubtful, or convince the incredulous; but to affect the Soul, and become a Foundation of Practice, as well as Belief to all Chriftians. Our Lord raised not his natural Body from the Grave, to leave us his Mystical Body groveling on the Ground; he refumed not his bodily Life, to leave us in a fpiritual Death; but taught us thereby to raise our Thoughts and Affections from the Earth; to free our felves from the Power of Darkness, and enter into the Regions of Light. For we are rifen with Chrift, if we be true Chriftians, as the Apostle affureth us

in my Text; and if fo, the natural confe quence will be, That we feek those things which are above, and act agreeably to the new state of Life into which we are entred, If then ye be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right band of God,

The Words therefore will oblige me to treat First of our Refurrection with Chrift; and Secondly, of the Conclufion drawn from thence by the Apostle, that we ought therefore to feek those things which are above.

That we fhall hereafter rife and be with Chrift, is the most firm Relief of all Chriftians; but that we are already rifen, may not perhaps be fo eafily conceived, especially by thofe, who experience not in themselves any Effects of this Bleffed Refurrection. We are therefore faid to rife with Chrift even in this Life, either by Similitude, or by Hope; by mortifying and changing our for mer vicious Course of Life, into a new and Heavenly Life; or by conceiving firm hopes and affurance of the Divine Promises concerning our own Refurrection, by the Example of our Lord's Refurrection.

The former manner indeed is purely Allegorical, but an Allegory as well most natural in its felf, as molt familiar to the Apostle; who treats of it often and largely, and inculcates it in almost all his Epiftles. As in the Chapter preceding my Text he tells the Coloffians, Col. ii. 12, 20. Te are

buried with him in Baptifm, wherein alfo ye are rifen with him; and ye are dead with Chrift from the Rudiments of the world, Galat, ii. 20, I am Crucified with Chrift. Philip, iii. 10. That I may know him, and the power of his Refurrection, and the fellowship of his Sufferings; being made conformable unto his Death, 2 Cor. iv. 10. Always, bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jefüs; that the life alfo of Jefus might be made manifeft in our body. But more efpecialy in the iii, and ivth. Chapters of 1 Pet. and Rom. vi, this Conformity between our Lord and us in dying and rifing again is at large explained. We were baptized into his death; therefore we are buried with him by Baptifm into death; that like as Chrift was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father; even fo we alfo fhould walk in newness of life, &c.

Thefe Allegorical Conclufions were not the mere products of Fancy, but the defigns of the Divine Wisdom; which so admirably contrived the Chriftian Religion, that all the Actions of our Saviour's Life tend no less to our Inftruction than his Precepts; and could not but have exceeding influence upon the Minds of Chriftians, whofe Thoughts were then, and ought now to be, chiefly employed about our Saviour's Refurrection. They were excellently fitted to the Genius of the World at that time, when both Heathen Philofophers, and Jewjh Doctors employed themselves almost wholly

wholly in Allegorical Explications of Natural or Divine Truths; and were more particularly adapted to the Religion of the Jews, and the Writings of the Old Teftament concerning the Meffias, confifting in Types, Shadows and fymbolical Representations of things to come. And lastly, leaft wę fhould conceive any unreasonable Prejudice against these Allegorical Inferences; befides that they are recommended by the Authority of the Divine Pen-man, the prefent Allegory drawn from our Saviour's Refur rection, doth most excellently describe to us the Nature and Duties of our fpiritual Regeneration; as it will appear, if we confider it more fully,

The defign of the Chriftian Religion was to recover Mankind from his loft Condition, free him from the Subjection of the Devil, reform his Life, and fit him for the Reception of thofe infinite Benefits, which God had defigned for him in another Life. To this end a total Desertion of that corrupted state of Life, wherein he was before engaged, was abfolutely neceffary: As well in the Nature of the thing; it being wholly impoffible that a vicious Soul fhould receive that Reward; as by the Appointment of God, who had determined not to grant the Reward on any other Condition. And therefore our Saviour had affured his Followers, That unless a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

It

It was required, that every one should felinquish all thofe temporal Enjoyments and Satisfactions, which were contrary either to fight Reason, or the exprefs Command of God; and because the greatest part of Mankind placed the whole Satisfaction of their Life in these unlawful Enjoyments; whoever renounced the ufe of them, might well be faid to die unto the World.

And this was it, which all Chriftians were obliged to promife at their Baptism, folemnly to renounce the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and give themselves wholly to a new Life instituted by God; which was excellently reprefented in the antient Form of Baptifm, to which the Apostle in all the places before-mentioned referrs; wherein the Perfon baptized, was wholly immerged in tlie Water; fo that the immerfion represented his Refolution of dying to the World, and imitation of our Lord, who was by Death taken from the World; and then his Emerfion prefently following, fignified his entrance into a new ftate of Life, and the Refurrection of our Saviour reviving and appearing after Death.

It is not fufficient therefore to mortifie one fingle Luft, or to give up this or that finful Affection in exchange for eternal Rewards, and retain the reit. This is not to die in imitation of our Saviour; whofe Soul was fully feparated from his Body, and continued in a feparate State till the Refur

rection.