were, to Life again, and thus confidently affert the Truth of this joyfull News in the Text, The Lord is Rifen indeed?

And what Teftimony ought to be of more Authority, than that which is deliver'd by Them, who were fo far from being Credulous or eafy to admit any Delufion or Impofture, that for a while they could hardly be brought to Believe even their own Eyes? So far from forgeing themfelves a Counterfeit Relation or helping to carry on a Cheat by fpreading about a falfe ftory, tho' ready made to their hands, that even those Holy Women, People-of their own Profeffion and Party, could not prevail with them to give Credit to what was True. It was by the Holy Spirit fo ordain'd, that the Hardnefs of Belief, which the Apoftles exprefs'd, should so diftinctly and unanimoufly be recorded by all the Four Evangelifts, that the Belief of this Great Work of our Salvation might to Us, who were to come after, be made more Easy, that by their Infirmitys we might be more confirm'd. And indeed all the Generations of Chriftian People, that shall fucceed to the end of the World, are in this Cafe more beholden to Thomas, who fo long doubted; than to Mary Magdalen, who fo soon afferted for the Weaknefs of his Faith has not only made Ours more Strong, but ob

tain'd

tain'd alfo a Promife from our Saviour of a Bleffing, which elfe he had not had an Occafion to have Pronounc'd, a peculiar Bleffing to thofe that have not Seen, and have yet Believ'd, that the Lord is Rifen indeed.

From which Words I fhall First discourse of the Truth of our Saviour's Refurrection. Secondly, fhew the Benefits that accrew to us by it, and what Returns on our part ought to be made for it.

I. As to the First, I suppose that in a Chriftian Congregation it will not be thought neceffary to infift long upon the Proof of that, without which, as the Apoftle tells us, both our Preaching and your Faith is Vain, I Cor. 15. 14. If it were needfull I could produce the Teftimonys of Angels and Men, of thofe Bleffed Spirits that waited even upon the Grave Cloaths that had wrapp'd up our Saviour, and attended in the Sepulchre to certify the Devout Women, that came to feek the Lord, that he was not there, but Rifen. I could recount the feveral undeniable Witneffes, thofe that Saw, Felt Talkt, and Eat and Drank with our Bleffed Saviour after his Refurrection. I could reckon, to how great Numbers he fhew'd Himself, how he was feen of Cephas, then of the Twelve, after that of five Hundred Brethren

at

at once, the greater Part of which remain'd even then alive, at the time when St Paul teftify'd this to the Corinthians; after that how he was feen of Fames, then of all the Apoftles: and lastly, how in a Wonderful and Glorious Manner he appear'd to St Paul alfo out of Heaven. Evidences as full and clear as any Hiftory or Records Sacred and Profane can produce for the most univerfally received Truth. Now to relate the idle and abfurd Forgerys, which in Oppofition to a Truth attefted by fuch a Cloud of Witneffes, the Malice of the Jews and the High Priefts gave out, I fay to Relate them is to Confute them. For is it worth a serious Examination, How an inconfiderable Company of poor difconfolate Wretches, fo frighted and dismay'd, that most of them fled and deferted their Master affoon as he was taken, and the ftouteft and boldest of them deny'd Him foon after, fhould affoon as he was fo openly and fhamefully put to Death receive on a fuddain fo ftrange and unheard of Courage, as to undertake fo rash and odd an Adventure, as ftealing a dead Body from a Band of Soldiers fet on purpofe to guard it? And this too in order to have it believ'd, that he was risen from the Dead, by the Jews, who crucify'd him for a Malefactor, which They themfelves, who took him for the Son of God,

even

even when it was done, could fcarce believe. So wild and improbable a Story ought to be fupported, as the High Priefts in their Wisdom thought, by fufficient Witnesses to make it pafs current: and indeed they hir'd Such as were exactly fuited to the Tale they were to fwear to; for the Soldiers convincing Proof of the Matter of Fact was, that at that time the Deponents were indeed a sleep. If any thing more material, or that carry'd any manner of Likelyhood or Appearance of Reafon could have been objected against our Saviour's Refurrection, the High Priefts wanted not Malice to have urg'd and improv'd it, nor would the Holy Treasury have been backward to Disburse, nor the Soldiers to Receive, the Price of a more Plaufible and Coherent Perjury. But out of their own Mouths are the Enemys of the Refurrection condemn'd; while the groffness of their Diabolical Lyes adds further Luftre to Divine Truth, and had we lefs Affurance of it than we have, from the moft undoubted and facred Relations, yet the Weakness of whatever has, or can be, invented against it, were fufficient to make us conclude, That the Lord is Rifen indeed.

I will only take notice, on this Head, of one Thing further, for which the Word Tws, indeed, here in the Text gives a fair Occafion: which is, That our Lord, as he

fuffer'd

fuffer'd in a true and proper Body; fo with the fame true Body, that was nailed to the Crofs, he again rofe from the Dead. For tho' after that laft Enemy which was to be Deftroy'd, which was Death, had been by our Saviour overcome, and He now being Rifen once to Dye no more, his Body receiv'd an infinitely greater Perfection of Brightness and Glory than ever before his Death, much more than even at the Transfiguration on the Mount, where his Face did fine as the Sun, and his Garment was as white as Light. Tho' it was fo pure and refin'd as to appear or vanish out of their Sight, whenever the Lord pleased; and even when the doors were fhut, came in and ftood in the Midft of them; in fhort, tho' it was a Glorify'd' Body, it was nevertheless a True Body; and that very Body, which hang'd on the Tree; as the Wounds of the Nails and the Spear, which he offer'd to be handled and felt, manifeftly did convince. Quomodo enim non Corpus, faith St Ambrofe, in quo manebant Infignia Vulnerum & Veftigia Cicatricum, quæ Dominus palpanda obtulit? How could that be other than a Body, in which were ftill remaining the Marks of the Wounds and the Prints of the Nails, which the Lord offer'd to be felt and handled by his Difciple? Which, as that Father in the fame place piously obferves, fhould be of Force not

only