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and that with a supreme love, above all persons, and all things he has an awful and partial regard to God's commands: he opposeth and wrestleth against that sin, which, of all other, most easily besets him: he approveth and loveth the holy law, even in that very point wherein it strikes against his most beloved lust: his hope of heaven engageth him in the study of universal holiness; in the which he aims at perfection, though he cannot reach it in life: he serves the Lord, not only in acts of worship, but in the whole of his conversation: and, as to both is spiritual in the principle, motive, aims, and ends of his service: yet he sees nothing in himself to trust to, before the Lord: Christ and his fulness is the stay of his soul: and his confidence is cut off from all that is not Christ, or in Christ, in point of justification, or acceptance with God; and in point of sanctification too. Every one in whom these characters are found has a title to heaven, according to the word. It is convenient and profitable to mark such texts, for this special use, as they occur, while you read the scriptures, or hear sermons.

The marks of a regenerate state thus fixed; in the next place, impartially search and try your own hearts thereby, as in the sight of God, with dependance on him for spiritual discerning, that ye may know whether they be in you or not. And when you find them, form the conclusion deliberately and distinctly; namely, that therefore you are regenerate, and have a title to hea ven. Thus you may gather evidences. But be sure to have recourse to God in Christ, by earnest prayer, for the testimony of the Spirit, whose office it is to "bear witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God," Rom. viii. 16. Moreover, carefully observe the course and method of providence towards you; and likewise, how your soul is affected under the same, in the vari ous steps thereof: compare both with scripture-doctrines, promises, threatenings, and examples: so shall ye perceive, if the Lord deals with you as he useth to do unto those that love his name," and if you be "going forth by the footsteps of the flock." This may afford You confortable evidence. Walk tenderly and circum

spectly, and the Lord will " manifest himself to you," according to his promise, John xiv. 21. "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." But it is in vain to think of successful self-examination, if ye be loose and irregular in your conversation.

Lastly, Dispatch the work of your day and generation, with speed and diligence." David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep," Acts xiii. 36. God has allotted us certain pieces of work, of this kind, which ought to be dispatched, before the time of working be over, Eccl. ix. 10. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might for there is no work, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest," Gal. vi. 10. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." If a passenger, after he has got on ship board, and the ship is getting under sail, remember that he has omitted to dispatch a piece of necessary business, when he was ashore, it must needs be uneasy to him even so, reflection in a dying hour, upon neglected seasons, and lost opportunities, cannot fail to disquiet a Christian. Wherefore, whatever is incumbent upon thee to do for God's honour and the good of others, either as the duty of thy station, or by special opportunity put into thy hand, perform it seasonably, if thou wouldest die comfortably.

HEAD III..

THE RESURRECTION.

JOHN V. 28.

Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that ure in the graves shall hear his voice:

Ver. 29. And shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

HESE words are part of the defence our Lord Jesus Christ anker for himself, when persecuted by the Jews, for curing the impotent man, and ordering him to carry away his bed on the sabbath; and for vindicating his conduct when accused by them of having thereby profaned that day. On this occasion he professeth himself not only Lord of the sabbath, but also Lord of life and death; declaring, in the words of the text, the resurrection of the dead to be brought to pass by his power. This he introduced with these words, as with a solemn preface, "Marvel not at this," i. e. at this strange discourse of mine: do not wonder to hear me, whose appearance is so very mean in your eyes, talk at this rate; for the day is coming, in which the dead shall be raised up in my power.

Observe in this text, (1.) The doctrine of the resurrection asserted: "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." The dead bo dies, which are reduced to dust, shall revive, and evidence life by hearing and moving. (2.) The author of it, Jesus Christ, "The Son of man," ver. 27. The dead shall hear his voice, and be raised thereby. (3.) The number that shall be raised, "All that are in the graves,' i. e. all the dead bodies of men, howsoever differently disposed of, as it were, in different kinds of graves; or all the dead, good and bad. They are not all buried in graves, properly so called: some are burnt to ashes;

some drowned, aud buried in the bellies of fishes; yea, some devoured by man-eaters, called cannibals: but wheresoever the matter or substance of which the body was composed, is to be found, thence they shall come forth. (4.) The great distinction that shall be made betwixt the godly and the wicked. They shall indeed both rise again"in the resurrection." None of the godly shall be missing, though, perhaps, they either had no burial, or a very obscure one: and all the wicked shall come forth; their vaulted tombs shall hold them no longer than the voice is uttered. But the former shall have a joyful resurrection to life, whilst the latter have a dreadful resurrection to damnation. Lastly, The set time of this great event: there is an hour, or certain fixed period of time, appointed of God for it, We are not told when that hour will be, but that it is coming; for this, among other reasons, that we may always be ready.

DOCTRINE, THERE SHALL BE A RESURRECTION OF THE

DEAD.

IN discoursing of this subject, I shall first shew the certainty of the resurrection; next, I shall inquire into the nature of it; and, lastly make some practical improvement of the whole.

I. In shewing the certainty of the resurrection, I shall evince, (1.) That God can raise the dead. And (2.) That he will do it; which are the two grounds or topics laid down by Christ himself, when disputing with the Sadducees, Matt. xxii. 29. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scrip tures, nor the power of God."

First, Seeing God is almighty, surely he can raise the dead. We have instances of this powerful work of God, both in the Old and New Testament. The son of the widow in Sarepta was raised from the dead, 1 Kings xvii. 22. The Shunammite's son, 2 Kings iv. 35. And the man cast into the sepulchre of Elisha," chap. xiii. 23. In which we may observe a gradation, the second of these miraculous events being more illus

trious than the first, and the third than the second. The first of these persons was raised when he was but newly dead; the prophet Elijah, who raised him, being present at his decease. The second, when he had lain dead a considerable time; namely, while his mother travelled from Shunem to mount Carmel, (reckoned about the distance of sixteen miles) and returned from thence to her house with Elisha, who raised him. The last, not till they were burying him, and the corpse was cast into the prophet's grave. In like manner, in the New Testament, Jairus's daughter, (Mark v. 41.) and Dorcas, (Acts ix. 40.) were both raised to life, when lately dead; the widow's son in Nain, when they were carrying him out to bury him, Luke vii. 11, 15. And Lazarus, when stinking in the grave, John xi. 39, 44.

Can men make curious glasses out of ashes, reduce flowers into ashes, and raise them again out of these ashes, restoring them to their former beauty; and cannot the great Creator, who made all things of nothing, raise man's body, after it is reduced into dust. If it be objected, How can men's bodies be raised up again, after they are resolved into dust, and the ashes of many generations are mingled together? Scripture and reason furnish the answer; With men it is impossible, but not with God. It is absurd for men to deny that God can do a thing, because they see not how it may be done. How small a portion do we know of his ways! How absolutely incapable are we, of conceiving distinctly of the extent of almighty power, and much more of comprehending its actings, and the method of procedure! I question not but many illiterate men are as great infidels to many chemical experiments as some learned men are to the doctrine of the resurrection and as these last are ready to deride the former, 66 so the Lord will have them in derision." What a mystery was it to the Indians, that the Europeans could, by a piece of paper, converse together at the distance of some hundred of miles? And how much were they astonished to see them, with their guns, produce, as it were, thunder and lightning in a moment, and at plea