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more true, than that God hath naïfed JESS from the dead, whereof the Apostles were fufficient Witnesses And this Proof of his Resurrection fhall be the Subject of my following Difcourfe.

But before I enter upon this, I defire it may be confidered, that the Point in Hand, being a Matter of Fact, is incapable of receiving fuch a rigorous Demonftration, as that by which a mathematical Propofition may be proved And in this Cafe no more can be required, than that it be attefted by Perfons of unquesti onable Knowledge and Fidelity.

This being premised, I fhall endeavour with all poffible Brevity and Plainness to fhow,

First, That the Refurrection of CHRIST is clearly related in the Scriptures. Secondly, That those who related this, were Perfons of unquestionable Know ledge. And

Thirdly, That they were Perfons of unquestionable Fidelity.

Thefe Propofitions being made good, the Truth of my Text, I conceive, will be fufficiently eftablifh'd.

First, Then Lam to show, that the

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Refurrection of CHRIST is clearly related in the Scriptures. And I need not tairy long upon this Head; the Man who de nies it, mut be an utter Stranger to thofe facred Pages. Forin them we frequently read that the Body of CHRIST was buried in a Tomb bewn out in a Rock, that a great Stone was laid to the Door of it, which, after fome Time, was rolled away by an Angel, whereupon CHRIST arole, and left the Grave Cloaths behind him. This is recorded by every one of the four Evangelifts: The fame Perfons who men tion his State of Humiliation, give us an Account of his State of Exaltation too; the fame Perfons who have penned the Hiftory of his fhameful and flavish Death, have Lkewife registred his glorious and triumphant Refurrection from the Dead, St. Matthew fays very plainly, that an Angel told the Woman who came to the Sepulchre to feek JESUS, that he was not there, but was rifen. St. Mark fays the fame Thing almoft in the fame Words. St. Luke fays, that the Woman entred into the Sepulchre, and found not the Body of JESUS, and it came to pass as they were much perplex'd about it, two Men ftood by them in shining arments, who faid, Why Jeek ye the Living among the Dead?

Dead? He is not here, but is rifën, And St. John lays, that as Mary wept, because She could not find the Body of her Lord, the turned berfelf back and jaw JESUS Standing, whom tho' at firft Sight fhe did not know, yet upon his fpeaking to her, he quickly perceived to be her Malter. Neither do the Evangelifts give us, only the Teftimony of others to this Truth, but they confirm it allo by their own perfonal Knowledge: They tell us that CHRIST fhew'd himself to his Difciples in the fame Body which was crucified, dead and buried that they all talked with him; and that he eat with them after his Re furrection, as may be feen at large in the laft Chapters of the Gofpels To this we may add, that the fame Doctrine is deliver'd directly, or by Confequence, in every Part of thofe Writings which are extant of the other Apoftles. So that no thing can be more evident than that the Refurrection of CHRIST is clearly related in the Scriptores; which was the first Thing to be made out. I fhall now go on, to how,

Secondly, That those who related this, were Perfons of unquestionable Knowledge, or in other Words, that they were thoroughly inform'd concerning the Fact

which they related, and perfectly knew the Truth of that which they delivered. And this point will be difpatched as easily as the former: For St. Luke tells us, As i. 3. that CHRIST fbew'd himself alive to them after his Paffion, by many INFALLIBLE Proofs. Of which no Body can well doubt, that confiders First, How often CHRIST appeared to his Difciples after his Death; and Secondly, The manner of his Converfation with them.

As to the first of thefe, we read of no less than ten times of his Appearance before his Afcenfion. First of all at the Sepulchre to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had caft feven Devils. Then to other Women as they returned from the Sc-, pulchre, towards Jerufalem. Then to Cephas; then to two of his Difciples, as they went into the Country, the fame Day towards Emmaus. Then to ten of them in the Evening of the fame Day, Thomas being abfent. Then to all the Apoftles, Thomas being with them. After thefe Things, to the Difciples at the Sea of Tiberius. Then to above five hundred Brethren at once. After that to James. Then to all the Apoftles, immediately before his Afcenfion. To which

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we may add, that he was feen twice af ter his Afcenfion, cloathed with the high eft Glory and Happiness in Heaven; to wit, once by St. Stephen, and once by St. Paul.

And if we farther confider the manner of his Converfation with them, while he was on Earth, we cannot but allow that they were fully certified of his Refurrection. For he continued with them for a long time together; difcourfing upon the moft Noble and fublime Subjects; giving them the most admirable Lectures in Divinity and expounding the Scriptures with fuch a furprizing Strength and Exactnefs, that that their Hearts burn'd within 'em, even before they knew who he was. After which, at another Time of his Appearance, leaft they might fuppose. that they had feen a Spirit he eat in their Prefence a Piece of a broil'd Fish, and of an Honey-Comb; and moreover bid them handle him, that they might know that be bad Flesh and Bones, which a Spirit bath not. And at another Time, he commandcd Thomas to put bis Finger into the Print of the Nails, and to thru his Hand into the Side which was pierc'd. So that nothing. can be more manifeft, than that the Apofles were allur'd of the Resurrection of

bas.

CHRIST,

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