riches, from pains to pleasure; but upon such terms they judged it not worth acceptance. They would not expose their fouls to fecure their bodies. They had the same natural affections that other men have. They were made of as tender flesh as we are, but fuch was the care they had of their fouls, and the hope of a better refurrection, that they liftned not to the complaints and whinings of their bodies. O that we were all in the fame refolutions with them.

Fourthly, With-hold not, upon the pretence of the wants your own bodies may be in, that which God and confcience bid you to communicate for the refreshment of the faints, whose present neceffities require your afsistance. O be not too indulgent to your own flesh, and cruel to others. Certainly, the confideration of that reward which shall be given you at the refurrection, for every act of Christian charity, is the greatest spur and incentive in the world to it. And to that end it is urged as a motive to charity, Luke xiv. 13, 14. "When thou makest a "feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and thou " shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee, for thou " shalt be recompensed at the refurrection of the just." It was the opinion of an eminent modern divine, that no man living, fully understands and believes that scripture, Mat. xxv. 40. " In as much as you have done it to one of the least of these

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my brethren, ye have done it unto me." How few faints would be exposed to daily wants and necessities, if that scripture were but fully understood and believed ?

Inference 3. Is Christ risen from the dead, and that as a public person and representative of believers? How are we all concerned, then, to fecure to ourselves an interest in Christ, and, confequently, in this blessed refurrection? What confolation would be left in this world, if the hope of the refurrection were taken away? It is this blessed hope, that must support you under all the troubles of life, and in the agonies of death. The fecuring of a blefsed resurrection to yourselves, is, therefore the most deep concernment you have in this world. And it may be secured to yourselves, if upon serious heart-examination, you can discover the following evidences.

Evidence 1. First, If you are regenerated creatures, brought forth in a new nature to God, for we are "begotten again to

a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jesus Christ from the "dead." Christ's refurrection is the ground-work of our hope. And the new birth is our title or evidence of our interest in it,

Mr. Marshal.

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محمد

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So that until our souls are partakers of the spiritual refurrection from the death of fin, we can have no assurance our bodies shall be partakers of that blessed refurrection to life.

" Blessed and holy, (faith the Spirit,) is he that hath part in "the first refurrection, on such the second death hath no pow"er," Rev. xx. 6. Never let unregenerated souls expect a: comfortable meeting with their bodies again. Rise they shall by God's terrible citation, at the found of the last trump, but not to the fame end that the saints arise, nor by the fame principle. They to whom the spirit is now a principle of fanctification, to them he will be the principle of a joyful refurrection. See then that you get gracious souls now, or never expect glorious bodies then.

Evidence 2. "If you be dead with Christ, you shall live a"gain by the life of Christ. If we have been planted together " in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of "his refurrection," Rom. vi. 5. συμφυτοι, planted together. Some refer it to believers themselves; Jews and Gentiles are planted together in Christ. So * Erasmus, " Believers grow " together like branches upon the fame root." which should powerfully enforce the great gospel-duty of unity among themfelves. But I would rather understand it, with reference to Christ and believers, with whom believers are, in other scriptures, faid to suffer together, and be glorified together; to die together, and live together; to be crucified together, and buried together; all noting the communion they have with Christ, both in his death, and in his life. Now, if the power of Christ's death (i. e.) the mortifying influence of it, have been upon our hearts, killing their lufts, deading their affections, and flatting their appetites to the creature, then the power of his life, or refurrection, shall come (like the animating dew) upon our dead withered bodies, to revive and raise them up to live with him in glory.

Evidence 2. If your hearts and affections be now with Chrift in heaven, your bodies in due time shall be there also, and conformed to his glorious body. So you find it, Phil. iii. 20, 21, " For our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for "the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vilę " body, that it may be fashioned like unto his own glorious bo"dy t." "The body is here called vile, or the body of our "vileness." Not as God made it, but as fin hath marred it,

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Not abfolutely, and in itself, but relatively, and in comparifon of what it will be, in its fecond edition, at the refurrection. Then those scattered bones and dispersed dust, like pieces of old broken battered filver, will be new caft, and wrought in the best and newest fathion, even like to Christ's glorious body. Whereof we have this evidence, that our conversation is already heavenly. The temper, frame, and difpofition of our fouls is already fo; therefore the frame and temper of our bodies in due time shall be fo.

Evidence 4. If you strive now by any means to attain the refurrection of the dead, no doubt but you shall then attain what you now strive for. This was Paul's great ambition, " that by any

means he might attain the refurrection of the dead," Phil. iii. 11. He means not simply a refurrection from the dead, for that all men shall attain, whether they strive for it or no. But by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct, he intends that complete holiness and perfection, which shall attend the state of the refurrection, so it is expounded, ver. 12. So then, if God have raifed in your hearts a vehement defire, and assiduous endeavour after a perfect freedom from fin, and full conformity to God, in the beauties of holiness; that very love of holiness, your present pantings, and tendencies after perfection, speak you to be the persons designed for it.

Evidence 5. If you are fuch as do good in your generation. If you be fruitful and useful men and women in the world, you shall have part in this blessed refurrection, John v. 28, 29. "All

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that are in the graves shall hear his voice and (hall come forth; they that have done good unto the refurrection of life." Now it is not every act materially good, that entitles a man to this privilege; but the same requisites that the ‡ schoolmen assign to make a good prayer, are also necessary to every good work. The perfon, matter, manner, and end, must be good. Nor is it any fingle good act, but a feries and course of holy actions, that is here meant. What a spur should this be to us all, as (indeed, the apostle makes it, closing up the doctrine of the refurrection, with this folemn exhortation, 1 Cor. xv. 58. with which I also close mine) "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, " unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, " for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in "the Lord."

Thanks he to God for his unspeakable gift.

‡ Si bonus bona facit bene ad bonum. i. e. If one is good, he does what is good, in a good manner, and for a good end.

SERMON XL.

Wherein the ASCENSION OF CHRIST is opened, and variously improved, being the second Step of his Ex

ALTATION.

John xx. 17. Jesus faitb unto her, Touch me not: for I am not yet afcended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and fay unto them, I afcend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.

N all the former fermons we have been following Chrift thro' his humiliation, from the time that he left the blessed bosom of the Father: And now having finished the whole course of his obedience on earth, and risen again from the dead; we must, in this discourse, follow him back again into heaven, and lodge him in that bosom of ineffable delight and love, which for our fakes, he so freely left. For it was not his end in rising from the dead, to live such a low animal life as this is, but to live a most glorious life, as an enthroned King in heaven; upon which state he was now ready to enter, as he tells Mary in the text, and bids her tell it to the disciples, "Go, tell my brethren, "that I afcend to my Father," &c.

In the former verses you find Mary waiting at Christ's sepulchre, in a very pensive frame; exceedingly troubled, because she knew not what was become of Chrift, ver. 15. In the next verse, Christ calls her by her name, Mary; she knowing the voice, turned herself, and answered, Rabboni. And as a foul transported with joy *, rushes into his arms, as defirous to clafp and embrace him. But Jesus said, "Touch me not,"

c.

In which words we have Christ's inhibition, "Touch me "not:" Strange that Christ, who rendred himself so kind and tender to all, that not only admitted, but commanded Thomas to put his finger into his wounds, should forbid Mary to touch him; but this was not for want of love to Mary; for he gives another reason for it presently, " I am not yet ascended;" i. e. fay some, the time for embracing will be when we are in heaven. Then and there shall be the place and tiine, we shall embrace one another for evermore. So Augustin. Or, thou dotest too

** Mary would embrace Chrift, out of her great love to him, and joy that the had seen him again in the flesh. Bucer. on the place.

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much upon my present state, as if I had now attained the very ακμη, culininating point of my exaltation. When as yet I am not ascended; fo Cameron and Calvin expound it. Or lastly, Christ would fignify hereby, that it was not his will and pleafure in fo great a juncture of things as this, to spend time now in expressing (this way) her affections to him; but rather to shew it by hasting about his service. Which is

The second thing observable, viz. his injunction upon Mary, to carry the tidings of his refurrection to the disciples. In which injunction we have,

First, The persons to whom this message was sent, my brethren, so he calls the disciples. A sweet compellation, and full of love. Much like that of Joseph to his brethren, Gen. xlv. 4. save only that there is much more tenderness in this than that; for he twits them in the fame breath with what they had done against him; "I am Jofeph your brother, whom ye fold;" but in this it is, "Go, tell my brethren," without the least mention of their cowardice or unkindness. And,

Secondly, The message itself. "Tell my brethren, I afcend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God;" αναβαινω, 1 afcend. It is put in the present tenfe, as if he had been ascending; though he did not ascend in some weeks after this; but he so expresses it, to shew what was the next part of his work, which he was to act in heaven for them; and how much his heart was set upon it, and longed to be about it, "I " ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your "God." Not our Father, or God in common; but mine and yours in a different manner. Your's by right of donation, mine in a different manner. Your's by right of dominion, mine (in reference to my human nature) not only by right of creation, though so too; but also by special covenant and confederation. * By predestination of my manhood, to the grace of perfonal uion, by designation of me, to the glorious office of Mediator. My Father, as I am God, by eternal generation. As man, by collation of the grace of union. And your Father by spiritual adoption and regeneration. Thus he is my God, and your God; my Father, and your Father. This is the substance of that comfortable message, fent by Mary to the pensive disciples. Hence the observation is,

Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christ, did not only rise from the

* Mr. Henry Jeanes's Second part of the mixture of scholaftical and practical divinity, p. 273.