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Tea, doubtles (as he goes on in the 8th Verfe) I account all Things but Loß for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jefus my Lord, for whom I bave fuffer'd the Loss of all Things, and do count them but Dung, that I may win Christ: That is to fay, Not only the above-named Privileges, but all other Things whatfoever, Wealth, Greatnefs, Fame, Friends, and Life itself, Í account them all very pitiful Things, if they be compared with the ineftimable Advantages of being a Christian. As I have once, fo I will again readily forfake all, part with all Things that the World holds moft dear and valuable, nay, I will trample them under my Feet, like Dirt and Dung; provided I may obtain the Favour of Christ.

And (as he goes on in the 9th Verse) that I might be found in him, not having my own Righteoufneß, which is of the Law, but that which is by the Faith of Jefus Christ, the Righteousneß which is of God by Faith. This Paffage hath been frequently mif understood, and interpreted to a Senfe, that I believe St. Paul did not think of. St. Paul doth not here oppose an inherent Righteoufneß to an imputed one; but an outward, natural, legal, Righteoufnefs to that which is Inward and Spiritual, and wrought in a Man by the Spirit of God. The Righteousness which the Apostle here defires to be found in, is not the Righteousness of Christ made his, or imputed to him; but a real Righteousness produced in his Soul by the Faith of Jesus Christ.

The plain Senfe of the Verfe feems to be this: That which above all Things I defire,

is, To be found in Christ, i. e. To be found a Difciple of his, ingrafted into him by being a Member of his Church; Not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law, i. e. Not being content with thofe outward Privileges, and that outward Obedience, which by my own natural Strength, I am able to yield to the Precepts of the Law, which is that Righte ousness, in which the Jews place their Confidence, and by which they expect to be juftified before God; But that which is by the Faith of Jefus Chrift, the Righteoufneẞ which is of God by Faith; i. e. That Righteousness which I defire, and in which only I fhall have the Confidence to appear before God, is an inward Principle of Holiness; that Spiritual renewed Obedience to God's Laws, which he doth require as the Condition of his Favour and Acceptance, and which I can never attain to, but by the Faith of Chrift; by becoming a Chriftian: This is none of my own Righteousness but God's, it' being wrought in me by his Spirit, accompanying the Preaching of the Gofpel; and as it is his Gift, fo he will own it, and reward it at the laft Day.

This is the full Importance of that Verfe, and then it follows by way of Explication of what he now faid, That I may know him, and the Power of his Refurrection, &c. This is the Righteousness that I afpire after, that I may know Chrift, not only by a Notional Belief of his Doctrines, or Profeffion of his Religion, but by a Spiritual experimental Knowledge of him, fuch a Knowledge as transforms me into his Spirit

Spirit and Temper; And that I may know the Power of his Refurrection, i. e. that I may Experience in my felf all the good Effects, that his Resurrection has a Power to work in me; that I may feel the Vertue and Efficacy of it, in my daily dying to Sin, and rifing again to a New, Holy, and Heavenly Life. This is that Righteousneß I long for, and in comparifon of which, I account all Things in the World but as Loß, and as Dung.

Thus have I given you a full Account of the Text, and all the Apoftle's Difcourse that it depends upon. I come now to treat more particularly of it, with Reference to the Solemnity of this Day.

We all here prefent do profefs to believe the Article of our Saviour's Refurrection, and our Business, at this Time, is to celebrate the Memory of it. But we must not rest here. We are not to look upon our Lord's Refurrection merely as a Thing to be believed, or profeffed, or commemorated; or as a matter of Fact, that only concerned himself: But there is a great deal in it, which doth nearly concern us. The Apostle tells us, there is a great Power in it; even a Power of railing us from Sin to a Holy and Vertuous Life. It is fo ordered, as to be capable of being, and it ought to be, a Principle of New Life in us, as it was the beginning of a New Life in our Saviour. Now this Vertue, this Power, this Efficacy of it, as it is that which, with the Apostle, we ought all moft earnestly to endeavour the experiencing in ourselves; fo it is that which will be fitteft

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for us, at this Time, to apply our Meditations to.

My Work, therefore, at this Time, fhall be to give fome Account of the Power of Chrift's Refurrection, in order to the making Men good, which the Apostle here fpeaks of; to fhew how, or in what Refpects it doth influence upon the Lives of Chriftians.

Now if we look into the Holy Scriptures, we shall find, that there is a Four-fold Power attributed to it, or that it hath an Influence upon our Lives, in these Four Respects; That is to fay,

I. As it lays an Obligation upon Christians to Holineẞand Vertue.

II. As it is the Principal Evidence of the Truth of our Religion, the Defign of which is to make Men Holy and Vertuous.

III. As it is the great Support of our future Hopes, or our Hopes of another Life; which, indeed, is the main Encouragement we have to apply ourselves feriously to the Business of Holineß and Vertue.

IV. And Fourthly, As to it we do principally owe all that fupernatural Grace and Strength, by which we are enabled to live Holily and Vertuously. Of thefe Four Points, I fhall discourse very briefly.

I. And First of all, our Saviour's Refurrection hath an Influence upon our Practice, as it lays an Obligation upon Chriftians to lead Holy and Vertuous Lives; As it is in itself an Incitement to Piety, and Heavenly-Mindednefs.

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This is, indeed, the lowest Instance of its Power; but yet we ought not to pass it by, because the Writers of the New Testament, do frequently infift on it: For thus they ar gue; If Chrift was crucified for our Sins; then ought we to crucify them in our Members. And if Chrift rofe again the Third Day; then are we engaged, in Conformity to him, to rise again to Newness of Life, to lead a Spiritual, Divine, Heavenly Life, fuch a Life as he now lives with God.

And this, in the ancient Times, was taught every Christian in and by his Baptifm. Whenever a Perfon was Baptized, he was not only to profess his Faith in Chrift's Death and Refurrection, but he was alfo to look upon himfelf as obliged in Correfpondence therewith, to mortify his former carnal Affections, and to enter upon a new State of Life. And the very Form of Baptifm did lively represent this Obligation to them. For what did their being plung'd under Water fignify, but their Undertaking, in Imitation of Chrift's Death and Burial, to forfake all their former Evil Courfes : As their afcending out of the Water did their Engagement to lead a Holy, Spiritual Life? This our Apoftle doth more than once declare to us.

Thus, Rom. vi. 4. We are buried (faith he) with Christ by Baptifm unto Death, that like as Christ was raifed up from the Dead, by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in Newnes of Life. Thus again in the 10th and 11th Verfes of that Chapter, In that Chrift

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