188 ST. PAUL'S DIVINE COMMISSION. fled, a spear run into his side, his heart's blood was let out, he was buried, and Pilate the governor, and the priests sealed up the sepulchre, to guard it against all possible fraud óf stealing. away the body. Now if hebe not risen again, his religion ¡snot true, his pretences arevain ; hewas not sent from heaven, nor is he a prophet or messenger of God. St. Paulgrants, if Jesus be not risen, your faith is vain, yeare yet in your sins, and ¢e e who preach a risen Jesus arefalse witnesses; 1 Gor. xv. 14, 15. But on the other hand, if Jesus be alive, then his religion is divine. Let me just mention these two reasons for what I say. 1. It is an undeniable proof of his divine commission, be- cause the prophets foretold this resurrection concerning the Mes- siah, though in more obscure language, and darker expressions. Now if he had not risen from the dead, thenJesus had not been the Messiah whom the prophets foretold. See Acts xxvi. 6, 8. for thus St. Paul pleads : " And now I stand and am judged for the hope ofthe promise made of God unto our fathers ; Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead ? 1 Cor. xv. 4. Paul owns that he was- dead, and " that he was buried, and that he rose again the third' day according to the Scriptures." Acts xiii. 32, &c. " The pro- mise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus-from the.dead." Is. liii. 9=12. " He poured out his soul unto deaths He shall see his seed, heshall prolong hisdays." Ps.'xvi.-10, 11.' Thou wilt nòt leave my soul in hell, nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption : Thouwilt shew me the path of life. But on the other hand, if he did- rise from the dead, this is a thing which a mere man could not do by his own power, nor would the holy and all-wise, and true and faithful God, suffer any evil powers to do it for the vindication of an impostor ; and therefore he must be the true Messiah. 2. It is also a most effectual proof of his commission from God, because Jesus Christ foretold this concerning himselfJohn. ii. 18, 19, 21, 22, viz. thathe should risefrom the dead: Mat. xvi.' 21. The miracles which Christ performed were very great, and sufficient to prove his divine authority : But since he gave forth such a prophecy, concerning himself, if this prophecy had never been fulfilled, it would have weakened the force of his miracles, and given us reason to suspect what power they carne from.' This his rising from the deadwas thegreat and crowning miracle that gaveconfirmation to all the rest. Now considering this resurrection from the.dead, to before- toldby the prophets, andby himself in his life-time, this was as great a testimony as could be given of God's'approvinghim as a prophet sent from heaven : For it is the peculiar property and
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