imposition. The very ground-work of all the Gospel is, the resurrection of Christ; "that he died for our offences, and was raised again for our justification;" for as his death was necessary, because he had undertaken to pay our debt, so his resurrection was also necessary, to shew that he had fully discharged it: if therefore he be not risen, all preaching of the Gospel, all credit given to it, and all hope of deliverance through him is vain; and this is what the Apostle himself has said, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."

Again: If Christ be not risen, the Old Testament is also false―It is said, "He rose again according to the Scriptures" His resurrection was typified, perhaps in the exaltation of Joseph from the prison to the government of the Egyptian kingdom; probably also in the live bird which was dipped in the blood of one that had been sacrificed and let loose into the air: there can be little doubt but that Isaac's restoration, as it were, from the dead, was intended to prefigure it; and it is absolutely certain, that Jonas was a type of Christ in that particular: that type, therefore, must be fulfilled in Christ, or else it was false. It had also been foretold by David; "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption :" by this passage the Apostle Peter, in his first Sermon, convinces three thousand of the Jews that Jesus was to rise: and indeed it intimates the time of his continuance in the grave; for in Judea bodies began to corrupt on the fourth day; so that he must rise before that time, because he was to see no corruption. Thus the Old Testament, as well as the New, must be false, if Christ be not risen.

But further: If Christ be not risen, we, notwithstanding we be believers in Christ, are yet laden with the guilt of all our sins. By believing in Christ, we profess to be delivered from condemnation and to be cleansed from the guilt of all sin: but it has already appeared, that if Christ be not risen, he is a deceiver, his Apostles are false witnesses, the Gospel is an imposition, and the Old Testament itself is false: so

that we must of necessity be under the guilt of our sins as much as ever, unless we can be delivered from it by crediting what is not true. And this is what the Apostle has also said, "If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins."

I add once more: If Christ be not risen, there neither is nor ever will be so much as one person in heaven. All those eminent saints that we suppose to have been exalted to heaven, died in the faith of Christ; of Christ, who should come; or of Christ, who did come. They themselves disclaimed every other hope but through Christ; and if they were deceived by him, woe be to them; for the Apostle testifies, "If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins; then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished;" so that not one of them is saved, if Christ be not risen.

The

We see then of what importance the doctrine of the Resurrection is! for if it be not true, Christ is an impostor. The Apostles are false-witnesses. Gospel is an imposition, (and consequently the Apostle's preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain); moreover, ye are yet in your sins, and all the saints that have ever lived have perished. Surely a doctrine of such importance ought to be well considered, and unquestionably proved. I proceed therefore,

II. To the proofs of this doctrine

Time will not allow us to enter into a large discussion of this point; nor indeed is it as necessary for us to do so, as it was for the Apostles; for the minds of men in these days are open to conviction, whereas they had to combat with all the prejudices of those who put him to death. A few proofs therefore may suffice. We will prove it then,

First; From the testimony of angels. At the sepulchre of our Lord there appeared, both to the women and to others, a vision of angels, who told them that he was risen, saying, "He is not here but is risen; come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Next; From the testimony of friends. He appeared to many, and ate and drank with them at different times after he rose from the dead. He suffered them to handle his body, to put their fingers into the print of the nails, and to thrust their hand into his side. And the very incredulity of all his Disciples, and especially of Thomas, convinces us, that they would not have believed it without the fullest evidence. He moreover appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, and in the presence of them all was taken up into heaven.

Next; From the testimony of enemies. Where did the Apostles begin to preach Christ? At Jerusalem, the very place where he had been crucified; and that too within a few days after his death and so clearly did they prove, that he who had been crucified was risen from the dead, that in the first sermon three thousand of his enemies were converted and became his followers. Paul declared, that the greater part of the five hundred who had seen his ascension, were then alive now, if it had not been true, it must have been strange that so many should enter into such a conspiracy, from which they could derive no advantage, and which would most probably expose them to persecutions and death and it must be a miracle indeed if neither fear nor interest had induced some one or other of them to discover the cheat, particularly since there was one traitor even among the Twelve Apostles. But the very falsehood which the enemies framed on this occasion, was a testimony in favour of what they endeavoured to disprove. They said, "His Disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept :" now this was the most absurd falsehood that ever was contrived; it confutes itself; for it might be asked, 'If you were not asleep, Why did you suffer them to take him away? and if you were asleep, How could you tell that they did take him?'

The last testimony shall be from God himself. Jesus had said, that after his ascension to his Father, he would send down the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and that the Father also would send the Spirit in his

name. Accordingly on the day of Pentecost, God poured out the Spirit upon the Disciples, and immediately after upon great numbers of his enemies, and thereby bore the strongest testimony both to the resurrection and ascension of Christ.

Here then are the united testimonies of Angels, of Friends, of Enemies, and of God himself: if these be not sufficient, further arguments would be multiplied to no purpose.

We come then,

III. To set before you the uses which we should make of this doctrine

Doctrines are of no value any further than they have a practical effect: in order therefore to improve that which has been now established, permit me to point out in two or three particulars the uses which we are taught to make of it.

We should, in the first place, consider the Resurrection of Christ as a pledge of our resurrection. In the Old Testament the resurrection of the body was but obscurely intimated; but in the New Testament it is clearly revealed. Whatever difficulties may appear to arise from the innumerable changes which our bodies shall have undergone, He who first created us out of nothing, knows how to reunite our scattered atoms; and with him all things are possible. Moreover he has assured us, that he will do so: He has told us, that this frame of ours, which is sown in the earth a weak, corrupt, dishonoured body, shall be raised in incorruption, power, and glory. Of this the Resurrection of Christ is a pledge; for the Apostle says, "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." The first-fruits were a sheaf taken from the field, and waved before the Lord as the appointed means of obtaining his blessings upon the whole harvest: so we, by virtue of Christ's Resurrection, and through the favour which he has procured for us, shall in due time be raised, and "our vile body shall be made like unto his glorious body." Let us remember therefore, that this life

is only a state of probation for another; and that, though our mortal part sleep for a little season in the dust, "the hour is coming," as our Lord expressly tells us, "when all that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and that they have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."

Another use which we should make of Christ's Resurrection is, to consider it as a pattern of our life. In this view the Holy Scriptures frequently represent it: St. Paul tells us that "We must be planted in the likeness of Christ's Resurrection;" that "like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" and again he says, "Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him; for in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God: likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thus plainly is his Resurrection proposed to us as a pattern for our life; and this it should be, in the source, the manner, and the end of it. As to the source of his Resurrection, it was by the glorious power and operation of the Father: It is by the same divine power that we must be quickened from our death in trespasses and sins: that same Spirit which re-animated his body must restore our souls to life. As to the manner of his Resurrection, it was irresistible; the stone, the seal, the guard were all in vain. So must we break through every obstacle that might detain us in the ways of sin. No desire of man's applause, no regard to worldly interests, no delight in sensual indulgence, must keep us from following the steps of our Divine Master. As to the end of his Resurrection, he rose, that he might "live unto God:" and such must be our life on earth; we must live unto God in a state of holy communion with him, making his word our rule, his glory our aim, and his service the joy and delight of our souls: nor is there any doubt, but that a life, thus begun in this world, will