1 Cor. xv.

holy Apostle Paul, that Chrift rofe again, then our preaching were in vain, your faith which you have received avere but void, ye were yet in the danger of your fins. If Chrift be not rifen again, faith the Apoftle, then are they in very evil cafe, and utterly perished, that be entered their fleep in Chrift; then are we the most miferable of all men, which have our hope fixed in Chrift, if he be yet under the power of death, and as yet not reflored to his blifs again. But now be is rifen again from death, faith the Apostle Paul, to be the first-fruits of them that be afleep, to the intent to raise them to everlasting life again: yea, if it were not true that Chrift is rifen again, then were it neither true that he is afcended up to heaven, nor that he fent down from heaven unto us the Holy Ghoft, nor that he fitteth on the right hand of his heavenly Father, having the rule of heaven and earth, Pfal. xvii. reigning, as the Prophet faith, from fea to fea; nor that he fhould after this world be the judge as well of the living as of the dead, to give reward to the good, and judgment to the evil. That thefe links therefore of our faith fhould all hang together in fteadfast eftablishment and confirmation, it pleafed our Saviour not straightway to withdraw himfelf from the bodily prefence and fight of his Difciples; but he chofe out forty days, wherein he would declare unto them by manifold and moft ftrong arguments and tokens, that he had conquered death, and that he Luke xxiv. was alfo truly rifen again to life. He began, faith Luke, at Mofes and all the Prophets, and expounded unto them the prophecies that were written in all the Scriptures of bim, to the intent to confirm the truth of bis refurrection, long before Spoken of: which he verified indeed, as it is declared very apparently and manifeftly, by his oft appearance to fundry perfons at fundry times. Firft, he fent his angels to the fepulchre, who did fhew unto certain women the empty grave, faying, that the burial linen remained therein. And by thefe figns were thefe, women fully inftructed that he was rifen again, and fo did they testify John xx. it openly. After this Jefus himself appeared to Mary Magdalen, and after that to certain other women, and ftraight afterward he appeared to Peter, then to the two Difciples, which were going to Emmaus. He appeared to 1 Cor. xv. the Difciples alfo, as they were gathered together, for

Matt. xxviii.

fear of the Jews, the door thut. At another time he was Luke xxiv. feen at the Sea of Tiberias of Peter and Thomas, and of

other Difciples, when they were fishing. He was feen of John xxi. more than five hundred brethren in the mount of Galilee, where Jefus appointed them to be by his angel, when he

faid, Behold, he shall go before you into Galilee; there shall ye fee him, as be bath faid unto you. After this he appeared unto James, and laft of all he was vifibly feen of all the Apoftles, at fuch time as he was taken up into heaven. Acts i. Thus at fundry times he fhewed himfelf after he was rifen again, to confirm and ftabiifh this article. And in these revelations fometime he fhewed them his hands, his feet, and his fide, and bade them touch him, that they fhould not take him for a ghoft or a fpirit. Sometime he alfo did eat with them, but ever he was talking with them of the everlasting kingdom of God, to affure the truth of his refurrection. For then be opened their understanding, that Luke xxiv. they might perceive the Scriptures, and faid unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Chrift to fuffer, and to rife from death the third day, and that there should be preached openly in his name pardon and remiffion of fins to all the nations of the world. Ye fee, good Chriftian people, how neceffary this article of our faith is, feeing it was proved of Chrift himself by fuch evident reafons and tokens, by so long time and fpace. Now therefore, as our Saviour was diligent for our comfort and inftruction to declare it ; fo let us be as ready in our belief to receive it to our comfort and inftruction. As he died not for himself, no more did he rife again for himself. He was dead, faith St. Paul, for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification. moft comfortable word, evermore to be borne in remembrance! He died, faith he, to put away fin; be rofe again to endow us with righteoufness. His death took away fin and malediction, his death was the ranfom of them both; his death deftroyed death, and overcame the Devil, which had the power of death in his fubjection; his death detroyed hell, with all the damnation thereof. Thus is death fwallowed up by Chrift's victory, thus is hell spoiled for ever. If any man doubt of this victory, let Chrift's glorious refurrection declare him the thing. If death could not keep Chrift under his dominion and power, but that he rofe again, it is manifeft that his power was overcome. If death be conquered, then muft it follow that fin, wherefore death was appointed as the wages, muft be alfo deftroyed. If death and fin be vanished away, then is the Devil's tyranny vanifhed, which had the power of death, and was the author and brewer of fin, and the ruler of hell. If Chrift had the victory of them all by the power of his death, and openly proved it by his moft victorious and valiant refurrection, (as it was not poffible for his great might to be fubdued of them) and it

O1 Cor. xv.

is

1 Sam.

xvii.

Jonas i.

Col. ii.

is true, that Chrift died for our fins, and rofe again for our juftification; why may not we, that be his members by true faith, rejoice, and boldly fay with the Prophet Holea and the Apoftle Paul, Where is thy dart, O death? Where is thy victory, O bell? Thanks be unto God, fay they, which hath given us the victory by our Lord Jefus Chrift.

This mighty conqueft of his refurrection was not only fignified before by divers figures of the Old Teftament, as by Samfon when he flew the lion, out of whofe mouth came sweetness and honey; and as David bare his figure when he delivered the lamb out of the lion's mouth, and when he overcame and flew the great giant Goliath; and as when Jonas was fwallowed up in the whale's mouth, and caft up again on land alive: but was also most clearly prophefied by the Prophets of the Old Teftament, and in the New alfo confirmed by the Apoftles. He bath spoiled, faith St. Paul, rule and power, and all the dominion of our Spiritual enemies. He bath made a fhew of them openly, and bath triumphed over them in his own perfon. This is the mighty power of the Lord, whom we believe on. By his death hath he wrought for us this victory, and by his refurrection hath he purchased everlasting life and righteoufnefs for us. It had not been enough to be delivered by his death from fin, except by his refurrection we had been endowed with righteoufnefs. And it fhould not avail us to be delivered from death, except he had rifen again, to open for us the gates of heaven, to enter into life everlasting. And therefore St. Peter thanketh God the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift for his abundant mercy, because he bath begotten us, faith he, unto a lively hope by the refurrection of Jefus Chrift from death, to enjoy an inheritance immortal, that never fhall perish, which is laid up in heaven for them that be kept by the power of God through faith. Thus hath his refurrection wrought for us life and righteousness. He paffed through death and hell, to the intent to put us in good hope, that by his ftrength we fhall do the fame. He paid the ransom of fin, that it should not be laid to our charge. He deftroyed the Devil and all his tyranny, and openly triumphed over him, and took away from him all his captives, and hath raised and fet them with himfelf among Ephef. ii, the heavenly citizens above. He died to deftroy the rule of the Devil in us, and he rofe again to fend down his holy Spirit to rule in our hearts, to endow us with perfect righteousness. Thus it is true that David fung, Ve

# Pet. i.

tivitatem.

dia et veri

ritas de terra orta eft, et juftitia de cœlo profpexit. The Pfal.lxxxiv. truth of God's promife is in earth to man declared, or Ephef. iv. from the earth is the everlafting Verity, God's Son, rifen Captivam to life, and the true righteoufnefs of the Holy Ghoft duxit caplooking out of heaven, and in moft liberal largess dealt upon all the world. Thus is glory and praise rebounded upwards to God above, for his mercy and truth. And Luke ii. thus is peace come down from heaven to men of good and faithful hearts. Thus is mercy and truth, as David Pfal. xlviii. writeth, together met, thus is peace and righteousness em- Mifericor bracing and kiffing each other. If thou doubteft of fo great tas obviawealth and felicity that is wrought for thee, O man, call verunt fibi. to thy mind that therefore haft thou received into thine own poffeffion the everlafting Verity, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, to confirm to thy confcience the truth of all this matter. Thou haft received him, if in true faith and repentance of heart thou haft received him; if in purpofe of amendment thou haft received him for an everlafting gage, or pledge of thy falvation. Thou haft received his body which was once broken, and his blood which was fhed for the remiffion of thy fin. Thou haft received his body, to have within thee the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, for to dwell with thee, to endow thee with grace, to ftrengthen thee against thine enemies, and to comfort thee with their prefence. Thou haft received his body to endow thee with everlasting righteousness, to affure thee of everlasting blifs, and life of thy foul. For with Chrift by true faith art thou quickened again, faith St. Paul, from death of fin to life of grace, and Ephef. v, in hope tranflated from corporal and everlasting death, to the everlasting life of glory in heaven, where now thy converfation fhould be, and thy beart and defire fet. Doubt not of the truth of this matter, how great and high foever these things be. It becometh God to do no fmall deeds, how impoffible foever they feem to thee. Pray to God that thou mayeft have faith to perceive this great mystery of Chrift's refurrection; that by faith thou mayeft certainly believe nothing to be impoffible with God. Only bring thou faith to Chrift's holy word and facrament. Let thy Luke xviii. repentance fhew thy faith, let thy purpofe of amendment and obedience of thy heart to God's law hereafter declare thy true belief. Endeavour thyfelf to fay with St. Paul, From henceforth our converfation is in heaven, from Phil. iv. whence we look for a Saviour, even the Lord Jefus Chrift, which shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like bis glorious body, which be fhall do by the fame power

B b

whereby

whereby he rose from death, and whereby be fhall be able to fubdue all things unto himself. Thus, good Chriftian people, forafmuch as ye have heard thefe fo great and excellent benefits of Chrift's mighty and glorious refurrection, as how that he hath ranfomed fin, overcome the Devil, death and hell, and hath victoriously gotten the better hand of them all, to make us free and fafe from them, and knowing that we be by this benefit of his refurrection rifen with him by our faith unto life everlasting, being in full furety of our hope, that we fall have our bodies likewife raifed again from death, to have them glorified in immortality, and joined to his glorious body, having in the mean while his holy Spirit within our hearts, as a feal and pledge of our everlafting inheritance: by whofe affiftance we be replenifhed with all righteoufnefs, by whofe power we fhall be able to fubdue all our evil affections, rifing against the pleasure of God:-thefe things, I fay, well confidered, let us now in the rest of our life declare our faith that we have in this most fruitful article, by framing ourselves thereunto, in rifing daily from fin to righteoufnefs and holinefs of life. For what 2 Pet. ii. ball it avail us, faith St. Peter, to be efcaped and delivered from the filthiness of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, if we be entangled again therewith, and be overcome again? Certainly it had been bet ter, faith he, never to have known the way of righteousness, than, after it is known and received, to turn back again from the holy commandment of God given unto us. For fo fhall the proverb have place in us, where it is faid, The dog is returned to bis vomit again, and the fow that was cuafhed to her wallowing in the mire again. What a fhame were it for us, being thus fo clearly and freely wathed from our fin, to return to the filthinefs thereof again! What a folly were it, thus endowed with righteoufnefs, to lose it again! What madness were it to lofe the inheritance that we be now fet in, for the vile and tranfitory pleasure of fin! And what an unkindness fhould it be, where our Saviour Chrift of his mercy is come to us, to dwell with us as our gueft, to drive him from us, and to banish him violently out of our fouls, and inftead of him, in whom is all grace and virtue, to receive the ungracious fpirit of the Devil, the founder of all naughtiness and mifchief! How can we find in our hearts to fhew fuch extreme unkindness to Chrift, which hath now fo gently called us to mercy, and offered himself unto us, and he now entered within us? Yea, how dare we be fo bold to renounce the

prefence