Imatges de pàgina
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gion which he inftituted must be true and Divine.

Thirdly, The Refurrection of CHRIST confirmeth us in the Hope and Expe&tation of our own Refurre&ion. CHRIST by rifing from the Dead became the First-fruits of them that flept: And there can be no furer Pledge of the Harvest which fhall be in the End of the World, than that the Firstfruits of it are already offer'd: No furer Token that we who are the Members of CHRIST fhall rife at the Laft-day, than that CHRIST our Head is already rifen, by our Baptifm we become united to CHRIST; by being united to CHRIST we become Partakers of God's Holy Spirit; and if the Spirit of him that raised up CHRIST from the Dead dwell in us, then he that raised up CHRIST from the Dead, fhall alfo quicken our mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us.

Farthermore, CHRIST by rifing from the Dead, deftroy'd the Power of Death, and gain'd an entire Victory over the Grave: Hereby he got Poffeffion of the Keys of Death, and fo hath Power to deliver from its Prifons all thofe that are holden of it: And as certainly as he hath this Power, fo certainly will he put it in Execution;

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as in Adam all die, so in and by the Power of CHRIST fhall all be made alive. Fourthly, therefore and Laftly, The Refurrection of CHRIST should make us rife from the Death of Sin to the Life of Righteoufnels. To this Purpose St. Paul fpeaks in the fixth Chapter of his Epiftle to the Romans, at the fourth Verfe; Like as CHRIST was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father, even fo we alfo fhould walk in newness of Life. Since by the Refurrection of CHRIST an Affurance is given to us of our own Refurrection, we must live agreeable to our Holy Profeffion, otherwife our Refurrection will only complete our Mifery. If we would have our Bodies railed to Glory hereafter, we must not abuse them in any thing bafe and shameful here; and we must mortify our Members, and not overindulge in the empty fleetingPleasures that Earth; if we would live in that fulness of Foy, and thofe everlasting PleaJures which are at God's Right-Hand in Heaven.

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Let us therefore not fuffer Sin to reign in our mortal Bodies; but let us yield our felves unto God as thofe that are alive from the Dead, and our Members as Inftruments of Righteoufnefs unto God. Let us

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put away from us Fornication, Uncleannefs, inordinate Affection, evil Concupifcence, and Covetoufness, which is Idolatry, Anger, Wrath, Malice, and Uncharitableness, and all other Sins whatfoever; and let us live in the fincere and conftant Performance of all the Duties that are enjoyn'd us; and then when CHRIST Shall appear, he shall change our vile Bodies, that they may be fashion'd like unto his own glorious Body, according to the mighty Workings, whereby he is able to fubdue all Things to himself.

SERMON iii.

·Acts ii. 33.

Therefore being by the Right-Hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the Promife of the Holy Ghoft, he hath fhed for this, which ye now fee, and bear.

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HESE Words are Part of a Sermon preach'd by St. Peter, upon

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that aftonishing Defcent of the Holy . Ghoft; which the Church doth on this Day commemorate.

The Perfons upon whom this Defcent was made, were the Apoftles of the bleffed JESUS, Men whom he chofe out of the World to be the Objects of his extraordinary Love and Kindness: Men whom he employ'd in the honourable, yet difficult and laborious Office, of planting his Religion, and publishing the glad Tydings of Salvation.

But notwithstanding thefe Privileges and Advantages which they enjoy'd above the rest of the Sons of Adam; they were very ignorant, and unlearned, and exceedingly remarkable for the Dulness of their Understanding: So that it was highly Neceffary to give them a great Measure of Divine Afliftance, whereby they might be qualified for the Discharge of that weighty Truft which was commited unto them. Our Saviour therefore who very well knew the Neceffity of fuch a fupernatural Aid promised to bestow the fame upon them. This he did a little before his Crucifixion; and again after that, before his Afcenfion. For perceiving that they were mightily troubled and caft a Preached on Whitsunday, down,

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rection of CHRIST; and the most unreafonable Thing in the World to believe the contrary. Especially, if he confiders in the laft Place, that they lay down their Lives, in confirmation of what they related, and by fo doing, feal'd their Teftimony with their Blood. For can it with: any Senfe be imagin'd, that Men who a little before their Master's Death, had fhow'd themselves fo much afraid of Luffering, that none of them had Courage enough to adhere firmly to him, at his Apprehenfion; can it, I fay, with any Senfe be imagined that thefe Men fhould be fo much in Love with fuffering after his Death, as to die in Confirmation of their Reports, concerning his rifing from the Dead, if fo be they had not full Proof that he arose from the Dead? The Man' must be very foolishly credulous, that can entertain fuch a Thought as this.

And thus I have done with the third and laft Thing propos'd, which was to fhew, that those who related the Refur rection of CHRIST, were Perfons of unquestionable Fidelity. I might indeed. prove it by feveral other Arguments: Such is the amazing Defcent of the Holy Ghost upon them, after CHRIST's Alcenfion: The aftonishing Miracles which

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