Serm. CXXX. the Refurrehfion of true Chrtflians. 18; Father, and hisSon Jefus, Chrift Or Saviour; for ,then the Article would have been added to diftingui(h then, and it would not have been m.YÇ9 ñe, but so- ri a, as if he had faid, The Appearance of the great God, and of yefut Chrifi our Savionr.g When, ás according w the Propriety of the Greek, the Article beingWanting, it ought to be render'd thus, Looking for the Appearing of Jefur. Chrifi the greatGod and our Saviour. This is very much confirmed, in that the fame Apoftle here in the Text, fpeaking öf Chrift's coming to Judgment, calls him Gods Them(hall God bring with him. The Words thus explained, give us this Obfervation,, That . it..is a .firm Prin- ciple of the Chriftian Religion, that thofe who die in the Faith ofChrift, that is, in the State of true Chriftianity, Ihall have á blefièd Refurre&ion.. If we believe, faith the Apofile, that Yeti's died, and role again; even fo them alf that fleep in him, fhall God bring with him. The Apoftle,to the Hebrews reckons the Re- furreJion of the Dead, among the Principles of the DaElrine ofChrift, Heb. 6. 2. In fpeaking to this Obfervation, I (hall do thefe, three Things : Firfi,. I [hall thewwhat it is to die in the Faith of Chrift, or in the State of a true Chriftian, which is here called, fleeping in yefor. Secondly, I (hall thew how the Death and Refurre&ion of Chrift are inArgu- ment and Proof of our Refurre&ion from the Dead. And, Thirdly, Wherein the, Bleffednefs of the Refurre&ion of the Jult Both .confift. Firft, What it is to.die in the Faith of Chrift, or in the State of a true Chri- ftian, which is here called, fleeping in Jefus. And this imports One öf thefe two Things either, r. That we die in fuch a Belief of the Do&rine of Chrift, as hath been ac- companied with a Holy Obedience of Life, to the Commands and Precepts of the Gofpel ; that our Profeffion of the Chriftian Religion bath evidenced it felf in the Virtues of a good Life, in the confront Courfe and Tenour of an holy and unblameable Converfation. ThisAfl'urance the Chriftian Religion gives us, that ifwe have our Fruit unto Holinefi, our End{hall be everlafling Life. Or elfe, 2. That we exercife fuch a frncere and unfeigned Repentancebefore Death for the Errors andMifcarriages of our Lives, as produceth a firm Púrpofe and Refolution of amendingour Lives, if God fhould be pleafed toprolong and continue them. For only fuch a Beliefand Profeflion of the Chriftian Religion,, as produceth one of thefe Effe&s, doth put us into a State of Grace, and give us Hope of a bleffèd Refurre&ion to eternal Life. Thefirfl of thefe Effe&s is much tobe preferr'd, viz: the general Coutfe and Tenour of a holy Life ; the latter being infinitely more hazardous, by reafoti Of the Deceitfulnefs ofour Hearts, and the infinite Uncertainty of á Death-Bed Repentance., Secondly,. I (hall thew how the Death and Refurre&ion of Chrift are anArgu- ment and Proof of our Refurre&ion from the Dead. If we believe, &c. I (hall (hew, by and by, how the Refurreftionof Chrift is an. Argument and Proof of our Refurre&ion. But why is his Death here mentioned, as Part of the Argument ? If we believe that Chrifi died. The Reafon is obvious 5 becaufe the Truthof the Miracle of his Refurrection depends upon the Realityof his Death for if Chrifi was not really dead, then he could not rife from the Dead, and the Pretence of his Refurre&ion was a Delufion and Impofture: But if he was really ,dead, and rote again from the Dead, then have we a firm Ground for the Belief of a future Refurre&ion. Now this Chriftians do believe, that Chrift Was ieally; dead, and rofe again from the Dead, and that upon very good Grounds: We need not doubt but that the. Malice of the Yews.took care to kill him; and the Story makes it evident, becaufe Blood and Water came out of his Side, which is a certain Proof that his Heart was pierced ; and it could not be a Deliquium,, or a fainting Fit, becaufe after hisBlood was exhau- fled, he could not naturally return to Life again. But :we need not contend much about this,fince the Heathenswho were unconéern'd confefs this.Tacitas,in the r5t1ì Book of.his Annals, tells us, that 'efuswasput toDeath by Crucifixion under Pontius Pi- late. And jofephu.t, who was aYewbothby his Birth and Religion, and livedprefently after
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