199 sr. PAUL'S DIVINE: è03MJIÌffisIO14. up usalso by Jeshs, had shall Present us with you:" See more; John xivs 2, 3. " I go to prepare a piace for you, that where I am there ye may be also." Eph. ii. 5, 6. as Even when wewere dead in sins, God hath quickened us together with Christ,-and bath raised ns up together, and made us sit together iii heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Occasional reflection; Ifyou are furnished with convincing arguments that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, then you may be assüred your religion is true ; though there may twenty little cavils that you cannot easily answer : You may be assured also, that all the blessings of this religion are approved and ready for his faithful followers. Is it certain that Jesus is risen from the dead ? Then my sins are fully atoned for and forgiven, if I trust in him, and give myself up to him ; Rom. viii. 33, 31, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth: Who is he that condemneth t It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, Who also maketh in- tercession fin' us; i, e. as appears from the foregoing verses, for all thosewho believeor trust in Christi . Then he hath all power to sanctifyand saveme, if Ï commit myself into his hands ; Eph. i. 17, 19, and ii. 1, 5, 8. You hath he quickenedwho were dead in trespasses and sins. We are-quick- ened together with Christ, and saved by his grace; i. e. Wewho have trusted in Christ; Eph. i. 12.Then.I shall be raised from the dead, as sure as if it Were done already ; for he is the pledge and pattern of the resurrection ofall his followers ; Rom viii. 11. If the Spirit of himwho raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you; he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.-0 happy souls, who have given up themselves sincerely to this all-sufficient Saviour, and can apply these consolations to themselves, which are written in 1 Cor. xv. in many glorious and comfortable ex- pressions. Third observation. Paul would not have affirmed Jesus Christ, who was dead, to be alive again, without very good proof of it. Here thesetwo things are to be considered, or, en- quired : 1. Why Paul would not have affirmed it without just grounds.-2. What particularreasons Paul had to believe it, or what good proof he had of it. Enquiry the first. Why Paul would not have affirmed it without just grounds. These are some of the considerations to make this evident, viz. 1. He was a man of good natural parts, of great sagacity as well as good 'learning, and be could not so easily have been im-
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