Serm. CC..XXXI I. of the Chti/lian 14.1 that gives it; yet it is one of the highcft Arguments that can be of his Hoheffy and Integrity in that thing, and that he believes himtelf 5 otherwifc he would not die for it : and it is a good Evidence of the general integrity of there Per, fons, as to all other things, that they were fo confcientious, as not for fear of Death, to deny that which they believed to be a Truth 5 nor to conceal that which theybelieved to be of Importance. 2. As to the Matter or Thing which they attefted, We may confider it with there Advantages. t. The RefurredionofChrift was fuch a thing, as in its own Nature they were capable of giving Evidence to. 2.. We will confider a little the Circumfánces of it, which add much to the Credit of ir. 3, We will confider the Effel% that this Relation and Report had in the World. 4. The Circumftances of the Perlons who entertained the Belief of it. T. Let us confider that the Refurre&ion of Chrift is fuch a thing, as in the Na.: ture of it they Were capable of giving Teflimony to. Indeed if it were filch a thing, as either in the Nature of it were abfolutely impoflible, as if a Man fhould fay he had fern or handled a pure Spirit ; or elfe fuch as there Perlons could not reafonably be prefumed to be competent Witneffes of it, as if a Man that is alto- gether ignorant in Geometry fhould fay, that he had feen fuch a Man demonftrate a .Propofition in Euclide; in thefe Cafes, dio' a Man be never fo credible, yet he is not to be credited. But the Refurre&ion'of Chrift is no fuch thing 5 no Man that believes that God can make a living Bodyout of nothing. can think it abfo- lutely impoffible to ralle a dead Body tò Life 5 nit was it a thing they could not be prefumed competent Witneffes of : for that which they atteft concerning the Refurreftion of Chrift, is that which every Man may give evidence in, for it re- quires nothing but common Senfe and Underftanding 5 as to touch and handle a Body, and know that it is a Body; to fee a man perform the operations of life; to fee him walk, and eat, and hear him fpeak : and this they atteft of Chrift, after he was Crucified, Dead and Buried, that they faw him fevers! times, and convers'd with him ; and theycouldnot be miftaken in the Perron, being fo inti- mately and familiarly acquainted with him in his Life time. a..,We._wilL.confrder..a.little the. Circumflances of his Refurre&ion. He had foretold in his Life time, that he would rife again the third Day. The Chief Priefts and the Pharifees remembred this Saying, and therefore left his Difciples fhould come by night and (teal him away, they make the Sepulchrelure, feat the Stone, and fet a Guard of Souldiers. The Difciples whom they were afraid of they were fcatter'd with fear 5 and that it might appear that it was the work of God, there was a great Earthquake which made the Guard to tremble; and in their fight an Angel appearing in a molt glorious manner rolled away the Stone and when he was rifen and appeared to his Difciples, they were terrified, and thought it had been a Spirit, till our Saviour bids them fee him, and handle him, that be had FlefhandBones, which a Spirit could not have. He convers'd familiarly with them 5 and for their greater fatisfa&ion did eat with them ; and to fatisfie the fcrupulous unbelief of Thomas, he bids him put his hand into the hole of his fide, and fee in his hands the print of the Nails, to fhew that it was the fame Body that was Crucified. Now the greater their Jealoufte and Unbelief was, the greater is the Evidence of the thing 5 and it (hews that it was upon great Con. viftion ; and when they could no longer refift the Evidence of the thing, that ^41tey-did.believe-ir andafter all this, they law him afcend up into,. Heaven, and found the Promife of the Spirit made good ro them, CO furnifh them with Power and Gifts, for carrying on the work of the Gofpel. 3. We will confider the ftranoe and wonderful Effe&s that this Report and Re- lation had in the World. ThePreaching of Chrift Crucified, and rifing from the Dead, had a ftrange operation upon the Worlds Wich fuch admirable Succe£s did thisprevail, iliac in a few years the Gofpel was entertaitf'd in a great part of the
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