Senn. CXL. aflertrd'and proved. 3,59 'Tis true indeed, Abraham, when he was offeringup his Son Ifaac, is Paid ágainfl Hope to have believed in Hope : But he did not believe againft aplain Impofhbility 5 for the Apoftle to the Hebrews exprefly tells us, that He reafoned that Godwas able to raiffe himfrom the Dead. But had he believed this impoffible, he could not have reconciled the Command of God, with his Promife the Command to facrifice Ifeac, with the Promife which he had made before, That in his Seed (which was Ileac) all the Nations of the Earth fhould be blefd. So that tho' God was pleaíed to try his Faith with a great Difficulty, yet with no Impofíìbility. I premife all this, to fatisfyMen how neceffary it is to vindicate the Chriftian Religion from this Obje&ion, ofthe Impofübility ofany ofits Articles. And what- ever Tertullian might fay in a rhetorical Rant, it is very plain, that the ancient Fathers did not think the Refurrè &ion to be a Thing impoffible ; for then they would never have attempted, as they very frequently do, to have anfwered the Objections of the Heathens againft it, from the pretended Impoffibilityof it.. To be fure St. Paul did riot think the Refurre&ion of the Dead a Thing im- poffible, for then he would never have ask'd that Queftion, Why fhouldit be thought a Thing incredible with you, that Godfhoulel reife the Dead ? Nothing being fo likely to be thought incredible, and upon fo good Reafon, as that which is impoffible. Leaving theitefore to the Churchof Rome that Fool -hardinefs of Faith, to believe Things to be true, which at the fame Time their Reafon plainly tells them are im- poffible, I thall at thisTime endeavour to aflèrt and vindicate thisArticle of the Refurre&ion, from the pretended Impoflìbility of it. And I hope, by God's Af- fiftance, to make the Poffibility of the Thing fo plain, as to leave no confiderable Scruple about it, in any free and unprejudicedMind. And this I (hall do from thefe Words ofSt. Paul, which are Part of theDefence whichhe made for hi mfelfbefore Fefiuc and Agrippa the Subftance whereof is this: That he had lived a blamelefs and inoffenfrve Life among the Jews, in whofe Religion he had been bred up ; that he was of the ftri&eft Seca of that Religion, a Pharifee, which in Oppofition to the Sadduces, maintained the Refurre&ion of the Dead, and a future State of Rewards and Punifhments in another Life ; and that for the Hope of this he was call'd in queftion, and accufed by the Yews, Ver. 6. 7. And now I fiend here, and am judged, for the Hope of the Promife made unto the Fathers ; unto which Promife, our twelve Tribes, ingently ferving God Day and Night, hope to come; for which Hope fal¿e, .KingAgrippa, I am accufed ofthe Jews. That is, hewas accufed for Preaching that yefus was rifen from the Dead, which is a particular Inftance of the general Do&rine of the Refurre&ion, which was entertained by the greateft Part of the yews, and which to the natural Reafon of Mankind, (however the Heathen in Oppofition to the Chriltian Religion, were prejudiced againft it) hath nothing in it that is incredible. And for this he appeals to his Judges, Feflus and Agrippa, Why fhould it be thought a Thing incredible with you, thee God fhould raif the Dead ? Which Words being a Queftion without an Anfwer, imply in them thefe two Propofitions : Fir/l, That it was thought by force aThing incredible, that theDead fhould be railed. This is fuppofed in the Queftion, as the Foundation ofit : For he who asks why a Thing is fo, fuppofeth it to be fo. Secondly, That this Apprehenlion, that it is a Thing incredible, that God fhould raife the Dead, is very unreafonable : For the Queftion being left unanfwered, implies its own Anfwer, and is to be refolved into this Affirmative, That there is noReafon why they, or any Man elfe, fhould think it a Thing incredible, that God fhould raife the Dead. I (hall fpeak to there two Propofitions, as briefly as I can ; and then (hew, what Influence this Do&rine ofthe Refurrefion ought to have upon ourLives. Firft, That it was thought by force aThing incredible, that God fhould raife the Dead. This St. Paul had Reafon to fuppofe, having from his own Experience found Men Co averle from the entertaining of thisDo&rine. When he preached to the Philofoehers at Athens, and declared to them the Refurre&ion ofone jefua from the Dead, they were amazed at this new Do&nine, and knew not what he L I a meant
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