our having a stedfaft Faith in it. This will appear by the following Confiderations.

Ift, That Chrift's Refurrection from the Dead is the Confirmation of his being the Meffiah, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World. 2dly, This was that great fundamental Article of our Faith, which the Apostles were chofen of God to bear Witness and Testimony of to the World. 3dly, This is the Ground of our Hope of Juftification in the Sight of God. 4thly, To this we owe the fure Hopes we have of a blessed Refurrection to immortal Life & Happiness.

ift, The Importance of this Doctrine, and of having a stedfaft Faith herein, is very evident, if you confider that this is the Confirmation of the Truth of his being the Meffiah, the Son of God, and the Saviour of the World. He fuffered Death under the Notion of being a Deceiver, an Impoftor, and a Blafphemer, though he was, as to his real Character, the Son of God, the Lord of Glory. Had they known him to be fo, they would not have crucified him. What they did was done ignorantly; for which Reason the most charitable Jefus, in his expiring Moments, recommended them to his Father's Mercy; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Not that

their Ignorance did wholly excufe them from Guilt; for had they duely attended to his miraculous Works they might have known him to be the great Prophet and Meffiah whom God had promised to fend into the World; had they fearched the Scriptures, and compared them with his Doctrine and Miracles, they would have feen that thefe teftified of him. Their Ignorance, therefore, and outrageous Zeal were culpable and criminal. St. PETER obferves, that though they did it ignorantly, yet it was by wicked Hands. Our Lord often appealed to his Works, that by these they might form a Judgment of his Character and Miffion. When he faw that nothing would move them, but, after all the Demonstrations he should give of the Divinity of his Miffion and Authority, that they would condemn and crucify hiin, he tells them that enquired after a Sign, that no other should be given them but this of his RESURRECTION, and what should follow it. He predicted and foretold his Death, and that he would rife again the third Day. Since, then, he appealed to this, 'tis the fame as if he had faid, After all that I

have done to prove my Divine Miffion, if I rife not from the Dead believe not in me? His RESURRECTION, which could be accomplished by no Power but that of GOD, wiped off the Ignominy of his Crofs; by

this he was entirely freed from the Calumny of being a Deceiver and a Blafphemer. Had he not been risen from the Dead, there could be no fufficient Reason for believing in him: But when God displayed his Power in raifing him, he hereby fet his Seal to his Divine Miffion and Doctrine: For 'tis con+ trary to all the Notions we can form of the Wisdom, Goodness, and Holiness, of GOD, to fuppofe that he should exert his Power in raifing from the Dead one who had counterfeited a Commiffion from him, and laid a false Claim to the Honour of being the promised Meffiah, the Son of God, and Sa+ viour of the World: Confequently, his Re furrection, being accomplished by the Power of GOD, was the Confirmation of his Miffion, and of the Truth of his Character and Doctrine. Obfervable to this Purpofe are the Words of the Apostle, Rom. i. 4. Declared to be the Son of God, with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the Refurrection from the Dead. The Meaning of which is, that God, by raifing our Saviour from the Dead, declared to all the World that he was his Son, the promised Meffiah, and Saviour: God fealed his Miffion and Authority. This may explain what the Apostle means when he fays, that Chrift was justified in the Spirit; that is, freed from the Asper fion of being a Deceiver, for he was put to

death

death in the Flesh, but quickened, or raised to Life, by the Spirit.

2dly, The great Importance of this Arti cle of our Faith appears from hence, that this was the principal Thing which the Apoftles were chofen of God to testify to the World. That he expired on the Cross was vifible to all the Spectators. He hung for feveral Hours on the Crofs, and the Soldier pierced his Side, from whence flowed forth Water and Blood. It was therefore the RESURRECTION they were principally to bear witness to: Acts ii. 32. This Jefus hath God raifed up, whereof we all are Witneffes. See alfo Acts i. 21, 22, Wherefore of thofe Men who have accompanied with us, all the Time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the Baptifm of John, to the fame Day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a Witness with us of his RESURRECTION. JUDAS, the Traitor, had forfeited the Honour of the Apoftleship, falling from it by his Tranfgreffion; and, being ftruck with amazing Horror at the View of his most execrable Sin, despairing of Mercy, became his own Executioner, and went to bis own Place. It was neceffary they should fill up the Vacancy; and you may obferve, that one Qualification of the Perfon that must be chofen in his room, and be added B b

to

afcended, and was And the And the great Deelected was, that he

to the Number of the other eleven Apostles, was this, he must be chofen out of their own Company, one who had affociated with them, all the Time that Christ was with them, beginning from the Baptism of John, to the Day wherein he received up to Heaven. fign of his being thus might join with them, and unite his Teftimony with theirs to the Truth of Chrift's RESURRECTION. This was neceffary, to make him a proper authentick Witness. Answerable hereto, we read, that, when the Apoftles endeavoured to convert any to the Christian Faith, they infift on Chrift's Death, whereby he fealed the Truth of his Doctrine, and that God fealed the fame by difplaying his Power in RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD; and alfo affirmed, that God had ordained him to be the Judge of all. These are the Subjects which St. PETER infifted on, when he preached the Gospel to CORNELIUS and his Kinímen. So in I. Cor. XV. 3, 4. I delivered to you first of all that which I alfo received, how that Chrift died for our Sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried; and that he rofe again the third Day according to the Scriptures. Upon this latter Article he chiefly infifts and enlarges, obferving that he was feen, after his Refurrection, of CEPHAS (that is, of PETER) then

of