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Now here could be no Room for Timerouf- s E R M. ness or Fear: Their Numbers must fecure them against any Thing of this Kind. So many together adding Courage to each other, by animating and heartening one another not to be afraid. And it is plain, from the Account which the Evangelifts give, that they were fo far from being afraid to fee him, that they undertook a Journey as far as to Galilee, on purpose that they might. And as thus it appears that there was no Danger of their being deceived through any Apprehenfion or Fright; fo 'tis certain, on the other Hand, that neither were they deluded through an overmuch Credulity, or Eafinefs of Belief. They were fo far from being too hafty in their Belief, that it could hardly at first be extorted from them upon any Testimony or Evidence whatever: They not only doubted the Reports of others; but miftrufted their own Senfes: They would not readily believe their own Ears, or Eyes, or Hands. But though they heard him talk, and faw him eat, and felt his Wounds; yet all together would scarce convince them that it was really He.; Luke xxiv. 41. Nay, though ten of them together had this Evidence given them, yet Thomas imagines them to have been all deceived; and refolves

SER M. refolves that no Teftimony or Report what

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ever, nothing but his own having the fame Satisfaction, fhall make him alter his Doubts. John xx. 25. Except I shall fee in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails, and thrust my Hand into his Side, I will not believe. In fhort, (had it not been that God faw it needful, the Difciples fhould doubt, for the more Confirmation of the Faith of thofe, who were to live and believe in After-Generations) all the Witnefes of Chrift's Refurrection, instead of being too credulous and eafy, were blame-worthy for be→ ing too mistrustful and unbelieving. There is no room to charge them with not requiring Evidence enough, but rather with demanding more than was necessary. Infomuch, that we find that our Lord himself upbraids them with their Unbelief and Hardness of Heart, for not believing upon fufficient Teftimony. But,

Thirdly, For the greater Confirmation of the Truth of our Lord's Refurrection, I obferved that he was not only feen feveral Times, and feveral Times by many at once; but that alfo at these Times he gave fufficient Demonstration that it was not the Appearance of his Spirit only, but of the fame Jefus, Soul and Body, which died on the Crofs. And indeed,

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it was the Affurance of this grand Article, SERM. which our Saviour feems to have had continually in view in the Methods he took for the fatisfying all his Apoftles Doubts. For, (if we mind it) he discovered the Truth and Reality of his Refurrection leifurely and by Degrees; and in fo admirable a Manner, as that every Appearance should add fomething to their Conviction, beyond what they had received before; and that no Circumftance whatever should be wanting at last to prove the Fact. The empty Sepulchre plainly shewed that his Body was gone: And his Appearance to Mary Magdalen, was a Proof (as far as feeing could prove) that it was rifen. His Discourse with the two Difciples that were going to Emmaus, to whom he opened the Scriptures, and by whom at last he was known by breaking of Bread, fhewed that it was really the fame Spirit revived; and the Privilege which he allowed to the Apostles to handle him, proved that it was his Spirit, clothed as before with Flesh and Bones. The Conviction he was pleased to vouchsafe to Thomas, thewed that his Body was the selffame individually that had been crucified and flain; and the Miracle of Fishes by the Sea of Galilee, was a Proof that the Divine Na

ture

SERM. ture was ftill perfonally united, as it had forI. merly been. So that all together is a full Demonftration that our whole Saviour both Body and Soul, both God and Man, returned from the Dead; and therefore, by the Apofles not believing, but because they had seen, we who have not feen, yet have fufficient Reafon to believe.

I should now proceed to my Second Head, under which I am to confider the Refurrection of Jefus, as it is an Earneft, a Pledge, and a Security of our own. But as this will lead me into too copious a Subject to enter upon now, I fhall referve it for a Difcourfe at another Time; and conclude what has already been faid, by obferving, correspondently to what I faid in the Beginning, what a Confirmation and Seal the Refurrection of our Bleffed Saviour is to the Truth of his Gospel; what a Security for the Completion of all the Hopes and Promises it contains! For if Jesus Chrift be rifen from the dead; then we may be fure that he was a Perfon fent and authorized by God to do the Work he came about. Because the Majefty of Heaven would never have given any Impoftor fo glorious Credentials as a Refurrection from the Dead, a Work which nothing but Omnipotency itself could

poffibly

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poffibly accomplish. For this would have SER M. been to have fet his own Seal to the Delufion, and fo to have made it pafs for credible among Men by the Authority of Heaven.

The Refurrection therefore of Chrift from the Dead, which he himself made the Teft of his Doctrine, plainly demonftrates that his Doctrine is true, and his Precepts obligatory upon all Mankind: For a Minifter from Heaven, and He too declared to be the true and only Son of God, could not poffibly teach any thing to the World, but what fhould be exactly agreeable to the Mind of him that fent him. So that we have all the comfortable Affurance that can be, that all the Promifes of the Gospel relating to the Enjoyments and Happiness of a future State, will certainly be fulfilled: And therefore Chriftians are not only perfectly fecure, in fubmitting to the Laws and Inftitutes of Chrift; but are also the wifeft Men in the World for doing fo. Since whatever Inconveniences a ftrict and faithful Discharge of their Duty here may be attended with at present; they are fure of an abundant Recompence in a future State, where despised or oppreffed Virtue, and a good Life will be crowned with all the Rewards and Glories that Chrift can confer, or Heaven afVOL, III. C

ford.