A sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of London, and the Court of Aldermen, &c., on Easter-Monday, 1692 being one of the anniversary spittal-sermons / by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester. Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714. 1692 Approx. 56 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 20 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A40096 Wing F1723 ESTC R37351 16396779 ocm 16396779 105354 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40096) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 105354) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1092:13) A sermon preached before the right honourable the lord maior of London, and the Court of Aldermen, &c., on Easter-Monday, 1692 being one of the anniversary spittal-sermons / by Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester. Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714. [4], 31, [1] p. Printed by Ric. Chiswel ..., London : MDCXCII [1692] Half-title page reads: The Bishop of Gloucester's sermon on Easter-Monday. Advertisement: p. 31-[1]. Reproduction of original in the British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- Corinthians, 1st, VI, 14 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-09 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2003-11 Olivia Bottum Sampled and proofread 2003-11 Olivia Bottum Text and markup reviewed and edited 2003-12 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preached Before the Right Honourable , THE Lord Maior , OF LONDON , AND The Court of Aldermen , &c. ON EASTER-MONDAY , 1692. Being one of the Anniversary Spittal-Sermons . By EDWARD Lord Bishop of Gloucester . LONDON , Printed for Ric. Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard . MDCXCII . THE Bishop of Gloucester's Sermon ON EASTER - MONDAY . STAMP , Maior . Jovis xiv o. Die Aprilis , 1692. Annoque Regni Regis & Reginae Willielmi & Mariae , Angliae , &c. Quarto . THis COURT doth desire the Right Reverend Father in God , Edward Lord Bishop of Gloucester to Print his Sermon Preached at St. Brides-Church on Monday in Easter-Week , before the Lord Maior , Aldermen , and Governours of the several Hospitals of this City . Goodfellow . 1 COR. vi . 14. God hath both Raised up the Lord , and will also Raise up Us by His own Power . BOTH this great Festival of the Catholick Church , and the special occasion of this Anniversary Meeting , have directed me to the Choice of these Words for my present Subject . A Discourse on that greatest Article of our Christian Faith , Our Lords Resurrection , you need not be told , is what this Festival calls for ; and a Discourse on our own future Resurrection , and the Life to come , as we shall now Apply it , you will be satisfied is no less suitable to the design of this Meeting . And in speaking to the Former of the Propositions which our Text consists of , I shall with all possible brevity lay the Evidence before you , which commands our Belief of Our Lord's Resurrection from Death to Life . That He was put to Death , is no more to be doubted than that such a Person once lived ; nor did either the Jews or Pagans , who lived in those days , ever question it . He was Publickly Crucified , and in the sight of a Great Multitude , between two Thieves ; and not taken down from the Cross , till after the Spear had pierced His Heart : And all the Spectators were so satisfied He was dead , that they brake not His Legs , as they did His Fellow sufferers ; where by a Prophecy concerning Him , was , unawares to His Enemies , fulfilled by them . After which His Body was Buryed , and the Sepulchre watched till the Third Day by a Guard of Souldiers . The Jews His Inveterate Enemies , do to this day upbraid Us Christians with His Death , and scoff at us for Believing in a Crucified Saviour : And His Ignominious Death is the great Scandal which hath hitherto prejudiced them against the Christian Faith. Christ Crucified , saith the Apostle , is to the Jews a Stumbling - block , and to the Greeks Foolishness . The Turks indeed say , that Our Saviour did not dye , but was Translated , Mahomet having told them , that Judas was Crucified in the place of Jesus . But if the Followers of that Great Impostor were not miserably Bewitched , they could never have rested on his sole Authority , about a Matter of Fact of six Ages standing , against the Evidence of Universal Tradition . And besides , what Blindness are they under , who prefer Mahomet before Christ , whilst they believe Christ so dear to God as to be received up into Heaven , when they acknowledge Mahomet not only to have dyed like other Mortals , but likewise still to remain among the dead ! There were also those in the Primitive Times among the Gnosticks , who to their other monstrous Forgeries , added this , That Simon , who was compelled to bear Christ's Cross , being changed into His likeness , was Crucified for Him ; Christ himself standing in the Crowd looking on him , and deriding him , But S. Irenoeus and Tertullian who lived in their Time have given us such an Account of these People , as speaks them scarcely otherwise distinguishable from the Devils , than as they had humane Bodies . And as it is no less Evident that our Lord was put to Death , than that he once lived , so 't is as manifest that He Rose again , as that He Dyed and was laid in the Grave . For , First , Those who bare witness to His Resurrection , were themselves at first most averse to the Belief of it . Notwithstanding His having plainly told them , that after He was put to DEATH , He would rise again , yet ( as if they thought those Words were not to be taken in a Literal Sense ) they had no Expectation of any such thing . And whereas the Two Maries and Salome went Early , on the Third Day , to His Sepulchre , their design was so far from being to be satisfied whether He were Risen or no , that it was to Embalm His Dead Body : Which alone was a Demonstration of their not imagining it should Rise again till the Last Day ; the end of Embalming being to preserve Bodies from Putrefaction . Nay , when they missed His Body in the Sepulchre , this did not at all incline them to think 't was Risen , for they concluded upon it , that it was taken away . Mary Magdalen makes her Complaint to Peter and John , that they had taken away the Lord out of the Sepulchre , and she knew not where they had laid Him. And the other Mary stood weeping at their Disappointment , and made the same Complaint to the Angels , whom she took for Men ; and immediately after to her Lord Himself , whom she supposed to be the Keeper of the Garden where the Sepulchre was , and modestly taxed Him with taking Him away . If thou hast born him hence , said she , tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away : Or I will provide some other Burying Place for Him , if He mayn't lye here . And when these Women had informed the rest of the Disciples , that the Body was not in the Sepulchre ; and how that Two Men in shining Garments said unto them , why seek ye the Living among the Dead ? He is not here but is Risen . Remember how He spake unto you , when He was in Galilee , saying , The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be Crucified , and the third day Rise again , they could by no means perswade them to give them Credit . Their Words , it is said , seemed to them as idle Tales , and they believed them not , Luk. 24. 11. And when their Lord Appeared to them , as He quickly after did , they took him for some Spectre , and were Frighted at the sight of Him ; so far were they from being hereby convinced that He was Raised to Life . And when He spake to them , and told them that it was He Himself , and moreover , shewed them His Hands and Feet , or the Wounds in them , we read that they believed not for Joy and Wondered ; they thought 't was infinitely too good News to be true . So that He was fain to Call for Meat , and did eat before them , for their full satisfaction that what they saw , was not a Phantastical but His Real Body . And after all this , Thomas , being then absent , when he was told these things by the Eye-witnesses , would not believe them , but roundly Answered them , That except he not only saw in His hands the Prints of the Nails , but also put his Finger into them , and thrust his Hand into His Side , he would not believe . So that , I say , the Witnesses of our Lords Resurrection were at first most averse to the Belief of it . They were so far from being Credulous , that never were there more unreasonably incredulous People . They would not believe the Resurrection of their Lord , till invincible irresistible Evidence had compelled them to it . Secondly , These Witnesses had not onely the forementioned , but all imaginable Evidence given them of His being Risen . As some of them were informed thereof by Two Angels , and as they all saw Him , and heard Him speak , and He shewed them His Pierced Hands , Feet and Side , so they farther Handled Him , they Ate and Drank with Him , they Conversed with Him ; and that not once or twice , but , at times , for fourty days together . So that well might S. Luke say , That He shewed Himself alive after His Passion , to the Apostles , by many infallible Proofs , Acts 1. 3. And at last , after He had given them Commission to Preach and Baptise , and promised to be with them to the end of the World , they saw Him ascend towards Heaven , till a Cloud received Him out of their sight . And therefore S. John begins His first Epistle with these powerful Words : That which was from the beginning , which we have heard , which we have seen with our eyes , which we have looked upon , and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life , &c. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you . And those Words of S. Peter do well deserve to follow these , tho' they chiefly relate to what he and two other Apostles saw before Christs Death , viz. We have not followed cunningly devised Fables , when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ; but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty . For He received from God the Father Honour and Glory , when there came such a Voice to Him from the excellent Glory , This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased . And this Voice which came from Heaven we heard , when we were with Him on the Holy Mount , 1 Ep. 1. 16 , &c. Nor was He onely seen by the Eleven Apostles , and the forementioned good Women , but by above five hundred Brethren at once ; as S. Paul told the Corinthians , adding , That the greater part of them were at that time living . And after His Ascension , He was seen by this Apostle too in his Journey to Damascus ; and that in so astonishing a Brightness , as both blinded his eyes , and struck him to the Ground . And He farther spake audibly these Words to him , Saul , Saul , Why persecutest thou Me ? 'T is in vain for thee to kick against the Pricks . And asking Him who He was , he received this Answer , I am Jesus whom thou persecutest . So that He who was an outragious Persecutor of the Witnesses of our Lords Resurrection , was now compelled to be one of that Number , and became as Couragious an Attestor of it , as any of those he before had persecuted . And many years after this , our Lord appeared to His beloved Disciple in the Isle of Patmos , in the most Glorious Form. His Countenance being as the Sun , when it shineth in its strength . And so terrified was he with the sight , that he fell as dead a ! his feet , Apocal. 1. 17. And when I saw Him , I fell at His feet as dead ; and He laid his Right Hand upon me saying unto me , Fear not , I am the First and the Last ; I am He that liveth and was dead , and behold I am alive forevermore : And have the Keyes of Hell and Death . And Lastly , His so abundantly performing His promise of Sending the Holy Ghost , was so great an Evidence of His Resurrection and Ascension too , as a greater was not possible to be given . He made this Promise not only before His death , but likewise immediately before his Ascension : Some of his last words to His Apostles being these , That they should not depart from Jerusalem , but wait for the Promise of the Father which they had heard of Him. And they waited no longer than ten days , for the Accomplishment thereof . For on the tenth Day , there came a Sound from Heaven , as of a rushing mighty wind , and filled all the House where they were sitting . And there appeared Cloven Tongues like as of Fire , and they Sate upon Each of them . And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost , and began to speak with other Tongues , as the Spirit gave them utterance , &c. Acts 2. beginning . And v. 43. We read , that many wonders and signs , besides that of Speaking all Languages for the Preaching of the Gospel throughout the World , were done by the Apostles . Nor did the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost quite cease , for at least the three first Ages , or till Christianity became the Religion of Nations ; when it was protected by the Emperours Sword and Encouraged by their Laws . By which means the Church was under no necessity of the longet Continuance of those Gifts . To our Lords Accomplishment of this Promise may be added the wonderful fulfilling of his Threats against the Jewish Nation for their Obstinate persisting in Unbelief , and His prediction of the Destruction of Jerusalem ; which came to pass within fourty Years after his death . And 't is marvellous to see , what an Exact Agreement there is betwixt Josephus his History of the Miserys that then befel that People , with divers Circumstances relating to them , and our Blessed Lords Predictions of them . Thirdly , The Apostles Witnessed most boldly their Lords Resurrection before His Crucifiers and most deadly Enemys ; Nor could they be deterred from it by all their Threats , nor by the Executions of them neither : And therefore Chose to Suffer , not onely the greatest Shame and Ignominy , but all manner of Calamitys , and the Cruellest deaths , rather than desist from Preaching this Doctrine . He who had been so great a Coward , as to deny Him in his very presence , and to be scared thereto by a silly Maid , had the Courage to Own him even in the midst of His Murtherers , after the Descent of the Holy Ghost . Ye men of Israel , said He , Acts 2. 22 , &c , hear these words , Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by Miracles , Wonders and Signs , which God did by Him , in the midst of you , as you your selves also know . Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God , ye have taken and with wicked hands have Crucified and slain : Whom God hath raised up , having loosed the bands of death , because it was impossible He should be holden of it , &c. And in the next Chapter , he and S. John having cured a Cripple before a great Confluence of People , at one of the Gates of the Temple , he immediately declared to them , that this they had done by the Power of that Jesus whom they had Murdered . Ye men of Israel , said he , v. 12. why marvail ye at this ? Or why look ye so earnestly on us , as tho' by our own Power or Holiness we had made this Man to walk ? The God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob hath glorified His Son Jesus , whom ye delivered up and denyed Him in the presence of Pilate , when He was determined to let Him go . But ye denyed the Holy one and the just , and desired a Murtherer to be granted unto you ; and killed the Prince of life , whom God hath Raised from the dead , whereof we are Witnesses . And His name , through faith in His name , hath made this man strong , &c. And we find that by the Sermon of which these words are part , there were Converted to the faith of Christ about five thousand Souls ; and by the foregoing Sermon about three thousand . But the Priests and Captain of the Temple , and the Saducees being Enraged at this Boldness of theirs , with the Success thereof , laid hands on these two Apostles ; and the next day being brought before the High-Priest , with the Rulers , Elders , and Scribes , and being asked by them , by what Power they had done this Miracle , S. Peter declared to them as he had done before to the People with the Self-same Courage , Ch. 4. 10. Be it known unto you all , and to all the People of Israel , that by the Name of Jesus of Nazareth , whom ye Crucified , whom God hath raised from the dead , Even by Him doth this man stand before you whole . This is the Stone which was set at nought by you Builders , which is become the Head of the Corner . Neither is there Salvation in any other , &c. It would take up a long time to shew , with what Admirable Resolution these and the other Apostles , and especially S. Paul , persisted to the death in Preaching the Resurrection of Jesus , with the other Christian Doctrines ; and what Miserys they Underwent , because they would not be taken off from this Work. So that who is able to suspect such Witnesses as these , who is not as hardned an Infidel as the most Obdurate of our Lords Enemies ? That they could not be deceived themselves , we have seen is as apparent as the Light , and ( setting aside the Consideration of their most Exemplary Goodness ) 't is impossible that any Interest could prevail with them to deceive others : Except we should suppose them so unlike all other of their Fellow-Creatures , as to be in love with Ignominy , Torment and Death . But there are some who Object , that Our Lords Resurrection would have been more Unquestionable , had he at least shewed Himself alive after His Passion to Herod and Pontius Pilate , the Chief Priest , and the great Sanhedrin , that Condemned Him. In answer here to I will say these four things . 1. That this is most impudently to prescribe to the Great God. Was not He who is infinitely Wise the best judge , what Evidence was fittest to be given in this Case ? And shall not He chuse His own Way and Method ? 2. Those most perverse and Obstinate Infidels had rendred themselves utterly Unworthy of so great a Favour , who would not be Convinced by such an Abundance of most Miraculous Works , which Jesus had wrought before their Eyes ; but still followed Him with the most horrible Calumnies , until they had put Him to the most horrible death . It seems Unworthy of Almighty God thus to necessitate and extort by main force Belief from those , who had so maliciously shut their Eyes against the Clearest Light , and had in the most insolent manner , Rejected the Counsel of God against themselves . 3. In that those who were chosen to be Witnesses of Christ's Resurrection , were indued with such Divine Power , and did such Mighty Works for the Confirmation of the truth thereof , there was every whit as Effectual a Course taken , for the Conviction of all not utterly incurable , as if He had appeared to every one of them , and Suffered Himself to be Handled by them . And they might as reasonably have Questioned their own Senses , as the Truth of those who did so admirably Confirm their Testimony . But , 4. Had He shewed Himself alive to His Enemys , they might have Objected that it was not He , but the Devil in His likeness , with as great an Appearance of Reason , as they could before impute His Casting out Unclean Spirits , and His other most Supernatural Works , to the power of Belzebub the Prince of the Devils . We will make a very short Application of what hath been delivered on this former Part of the Text , and then proceed to the latter Part. First , We hence Learn the Strange Force and Power of Prejudice . A rooted Prejudice is so Masterly , so Unruly a thing , that there is no dealing with it . The Rulers and Generality of the Jews being strongly prejudiced against our Saviour , chiefly upon the account of His being in diverse Respects , quite a different person from what , without ground , they expected their Messias should be : And because He declared that He came upon as different a Design from that which they vainly fancied , and promised themselves , He would come upon , viz , Not to deliver them from the Roman Yoke , but from the Power of incomparably worse Enemys , Sin and Satan : Not to bless them with a great Affluence of Worldly Wealth , and a Mighty Dominion in the World , but to purchase Eternal Happiness for them in the Life to come , and to Qualify them for it : I say this great disappointment of their Carnal Expectations , did make them Conclude it impossible that He of all men should be the Messias . And because such Sensual Wretches as they were , could not bear the thoughts of His being so , His giving them the greatest Demonstrations imaginable that He was so , was labour in vain , they were all lost upon them . Not only the most Rational Evidence in the World , is Ordinarily compell'd to yield to the Power of Prejudice , but even Sensible and Ocular Demonstrations have Submitted to it . Our Blessed Saviour having had such sad Experience hereof among the Jews , it is said , not only that he Bewailed , but also that He Marvailed , at their Unbelief . And Constant Experience assures us , that the greatest strength of Argument signifies nothing to those , who come with Byassed and Prepossest minds to the hearing of Truth : Who judge of what is offered to them by their Wills , not by their Understandings . Nay , the clearer and more irresistible the Evidence is , the more are the Prejudiced incensed against the Proposer of it , if they have but Ill Will equal to their Prejudice . Secondly , We learn from what hath been discoursed , That we ought exceedingly to admire , and deeply to be affected with the Divine Goodness , in that there is given us such Wonderful Evidence of the Truth of the Gospel . This none can call in Question who believe Christs Resurrection ( as I need not though I had time , stand to shew ) and it is apparent from what hath been said , that God hath done much more than barely enough , to remove from us all Uncertainty concerning this great Point . I cannot doubt but that the quarter Part of the Evidence for it he hath vouchsafed us , would be sufficient to prevail on the Minds of all such , as can perswade themselves to be impartially considerative . And therefore how utterly inexcusable must those , who are made acquainted with the Whole of it , needs be , if they continue not withstanding Unbelievers ! And by Unbelievers we are to understand , not only those who disbelieve the Gospel , but such also as yield so weak and feeble an Assent there to , as not to govern their lives by it . For we had every jot as good give no Credit at all to our Lords Doctrine , as refuse to live in Obedience to it . We now come to discourse a while on our own future Resurrection , expressed in the following Words of the Text , And will also raise up us by His own Power . And two things are herein implyed . First , That God will not suffer our Souls , when our Bodies dye , to go out of Being . Secondly , That our dead Bodies shall be raised to Life again . First , That God will not suffer our Souls , when our Bodies dye , to go out of Being ; or to dye with them . For as much as to Sense , the Man seems to dye , and not his meer Body , ( and therefore we always say such a Man is dead , not such a ones Body ) the Restoration of the Soul , which alone is truly the Man , to the Exercise of its Faculties , after the Stound of Death is over , is in several places of Scripture exprest by the Word Resurrection . Our Saviour proves the Resurrection of the Dead , Mark 12. 26. from Gods saying to His Servant Moses , I am the God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob. But this saying did imply necessarily no more than this , that they were not gone out of Being , but that their Souls were still alive , tho' their Bodies were dead , and crumbled to dust . And so much is intimated in the next Words : He is not the God of the Dead , but the God of the Living . And 't is plain , that the Word Resurrection is taken in the same sense , Acts 23. 8. where we read , That the Sadduces say there is no Resurrection , neither Angel nor Spirit , but the Pharisees confess both . And ( to name but one Place more , as we might do divers ) it is so to be understood too , 1 Cor. 15. 32. where the Apostle saith , If after the manner of men , I have fought with Beasts at Ephesus , what advantageth it me , if the dead rise not ? Would onely the Resurrection of S. Pauls Body have made him an amends for all his Sufferings ? Would not his Souls Enjoyment of his dear Jesus to all Eternity , have been an abundant Recompence , though he never had seen his Body more ? Yes undoubtedly ; and therefore by these Words , If the dead rise not , he meant , If there be no Life after this . But , Secondly , By He will also raise up us by His own Power , is especially to be understood , He will raise up our dead Bodies as He did our Saviours . Our Souls and they shall be re-united by the Divine Power . There is no Doctrine more clearly or fully revealed , than is this of the Resurrection of the Body . We have a very Particular Account thereof . We are informed , who shall rise again . Not some few , or so many , but all the Sons and Daughters of Adam , without Exception . 1 Cor. 15. 22. Our Saviour saith that , That , The Hour is coming , in the which , All that are in the Graves shall hear His Voice , and shall come forth . John 5. 28. And S. Paul , That there shall be a Resurrection both of the just and of the unjust . We are told in what Order they shall rise , The dead in Christ , or True Christians , shall rise first . 1 Thes. 4. 16. We are told by whom they shall be immediately raised , viz. by Jesus Christ ; or by the Power of God the Father given to Him. By which Power He is also again and again said to have raised Himself . We now heard that it is His Voice that shall raise us : And He saith , John 6. 40. This is the Will of Him that sent me , that every one which seeth the Son , and believeth on him , may have eternal Life , and I will raise him up at the Last Day . And thus we see we are informed too , of the Time when the Dead shall be raised , viz. at the Last Day ; And in the end of the World ; as our Lord saith , Mat. 13. 39. We are told for what End Christ will raise the dead , viz. That they who have done good , may come forth to the Resurrection of Life , and they that have done evil , to the Resurrection of Damnation . Lastly , We read also , what Kind of Bodies the Raised ones shall be : 1 Cor. 15. 35 , &c. But some man will say , how are the dead raised up , and with what body do they come ? Or , how can it be that Dead Bodies being Putrified and Rotten should be made to Revive , and what Kind of Bodies may we suppose they will be ? It follows , Thou Fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye . Or , is any thing more Common , than things rising to life from Putrifaction ? Don't we see that the Rotting of the Corn is so far from making it impossible that it should Spring up again , that 't is necessary thereto ? And that which thou sowest , thou sowest not that Body that shall be , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , bare meer Grain , it may Chance of Wheat or some other Grain . Or , thou sowest not the Grain with the Ear or Blade , but it comes up again with both . But God giveth it a Body as it pleaseth Him , and to every Seed it s own Body . A Body of the same Kind , Proportion and Form. All Flesh is not the same Flesh , &c. There are various Sorts of Flesh , as there are of Grain . And there is great variety of other Bodies , as it follows , There are Bodies Coelestial and Bodies Terrestial , but the Glory of the Coelestial is one , and the Glory of the Terrestial is another , &c. And our Bodies , when raised , shall be of a different nature and quality from what they were when laid in the Grave ; as we see v. 42. They are sown in Corruption , they are raised in Incorruption : They are sown in Dishonour they are raised in Glory ; they are sown in weakness they are raised in Power : They are sown Natural Bodies , or Animal ones , which need to be sustained and nourished with meat and drink , they are raised Spiritual Bodies , or such as need neither . Thus have I given you the substance of what we find in Scripture upon this Argument ; and if we can be satisfied with the Scriptural Account of the Resurrection of the Body ( and he is a Wanton Wit that cannot ) it will not appear to be so Contradictious or impossible a thing , as many have endeavoured to make it ; or at all Contradictious , or impossible to the infinite Power of God. We find in the Holy Scriptures that the Bodies Raised are in some sense the same with the Bodies buried , and in some sense not the same : And we find their Sameness illustrated , by the Sameness of the Corn Sprung up , with the Corn Sown . And those who affect not to be wiser than the Apostle S. Paul in this matter , are not at all Concerned to trouble themselves with the Cavils which have been often raised , against the Resurrection of the Body ; they all supposing such a Sameness , as is no where to be found in the sacred writings ; nay the Contrary to which the Apostle , in the fore-cited words , hath at least intimated . And the Argument taken from our Bodies being such Fluid things as we know they are , do nothing hinder , but that the Dead may rise with as much the same Bodies with those that were Buried , as the Buried are the Same with those they were Born with , or that they had but a few years before they dyed . But , in short , we shall doubtless Rise with as much the Same Bodies , as it can be our Interest to desire we should ; and he who believes this , needs not fear in the least , that he believes too little relating to this great Doctrine of the Resurrection of the dead . And tho' he may not have so large a Faith as some others , yet if it hath its due Influence upon his Practice , he hath every whit as good a one to all Intents and Purposes . Now as to our Evidence for the truth of this Article , we have the greatest that can be , since our Lord did so plainly Reveal it before His death , and Confirmed the truth of all His Doctrines by His Resurrection . Or , which is the same thing , demonstrated hereby that He was no Imposter , in having declared Himself to be Sent of God , and the Son of God. We are therefore altogether as certain of our own future Resurrection , as we can be of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And from what hath been said we may be assured , that we can be certain of no matter of fact , which we have not beheld with our own Eyes , if we are not sure of this . But the Apostle doth not stick to say , that if there be no Resurrection of the dead , then is not Christ risen , 1 Cor. 15. 13. And he both repeateth this and Enlargeth upon it , v. 15 , 16. Yea , saith he , and we are found false Witnesses of God , because we have testified of God , that He raised up Christ , whom He raised not up , if so be that the dead rise not . For if the dead rise not , then is not Christ risen . And farther , Christ in rising again is declared by S. Paul to be the Representative of all true Christians . He saith , Now is Christ risen from the dead , and is become the First Fruits of them that Slept . Now the First Fruits under the Law did represent the whole Harvest ; and their being offered to God brought a Blessing on all the Other Fruits ; and by the offering of them ( as he also saith ) the rest were sanctified ; or Consecrated to God. And so is the whole Church both in Soul and Body by Christs Resurrection . And I add , by His presenting Himself to His Father in Heaven , upon that very day , on which the First Fruits were offered according to the Law. And so , His Resurrection to Glory , was a proof and pledge of all His sincere Disciples rising to Glory also . And therefore this Apostle tells the Ephesians that , as they who were dead in Sins were quickned together with Christ , or raised from the death of Sin to the life of Righteousness , so likewise God hath raised them up together , and made them sit together , in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus . That is , in Christ their Head their dead Bodies are already raised , and with their Souls may be said to be at present Glorified in Him : in Him , I say , considered as their Head or Representative . And thus we see there is a necessary Connexion between the two Propositions in our Text : God hath raised up the Lord , and He will raise up us by his own Power . Now , to make Application of what hath been said on this Part of the Text ; In the First place , Is it so certain that God will raise up us by His own Power , even as certain as that He hath raised up Christ , then are we not all of us infinitely concerned , to make it our greatest Business , while we remain in these Bodies , which is our state of Probation and Tryal , to be found in the Number of those , who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World ( to use our SAVIOURS own Words ) and the Resurrection from the Dead , and to stand before the Son of Man ? That is , to attain a Glorious Resurrection , and to stand with Courage and Confidence before the Son of Man. And how should we Watch and Pray always , that we may escape those dreadful things which shall come upon the wicked . S. Paul having said , That he had hope towards God , that there shall be a Resurrection both of the just , and of the unjust , immediately adds , And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of Offence , both towards God and towards men . And no man can be perswaded of this , and withal consider it , but it must of necessity have this effect upon him . Especially since , though the Resurrection of the Body may still be at a great distance , yet the other Life is at the door , and near at hand , as to each of us : The Doctrine of the Soul-sleepers being plainly confuted both by our blessed Saviour , and the now mentioned great Apostle . And indeed that Doctrine is no better Philosophy than Divinity , it speaking great Ignorance of the Nature of Souls . Nor have I ever met with a Philosopher , who believed a Future Life ( as they all did , or were inclined to do , except the profest , or the sly Atheists ) but took it for granted , that humane Souls are so far from being deprived of all Sense and Consciousness of Being , that they gain much the freer use of their Faculties , by their leaving these Bodies : They looking upon them as Prisons and dark Dungeons to Souls , in which they are miserably straitned and pent up . And they were so far from thinking , that Bodies do give Life and Activity to Souls , that they held the quite contrary . And not onely that the Life and Activity of Bodies is wholly from their Souls , but also that Souls can never be so truly said to live , as when they are let loose from these Bodies . And the Book of Wisdom presents us with the same Doctrine , Ch. 9. 15. Where 't is said , That the Corruptible Body presseth down the Soul , and the earthy Tabernacle weigheth down the mind , that museth upon many things . And in saying , that we are all upon the Borders of the other World , I say we are very near to great Happiness or great Misery . Good Souls in the separate State being very Happy , by their having got rid of that Body of Death , with which they were here so clogged , and by the free Exercise of Love to God , and to one another , and of all the Divine Virtues thereby obtained ; in which their Bodies , to their great grief , miserably interrupted them . As also they must needs feel great Happiness , from comfortable Reflexions on the good they did , or endeavoured to do , in these Bodies ; and the joyful Foresight of that Crown of Righteousness , which their Righteous Judge hath declared He will confer upon them , at the day of his appearing . And wicked Souls must necessarily be as miserable in this separate State , by reason of as bad Company they shall be confined to ; and the evil Affections and corrupt Habits they carry out of their Bodies with them ; which are mightily disquieting in this Life ; and must much more be so in the other , through the want of those Satisfactions of inordinate Appetites this World abounds with . And their Condition must needs be extreamly sad too , through the Lashes of their Guilty Consciences , and their certain looking for of Vengeance , and fiery Indignation . Now then what inexpressible Folly is it , and especially in us Christians , who profess to believe the Resurrection of the Body , and the Life everlasting , so to dote upon these vile Bodies , and this vain World , as generally we do ! As if our inward thought were , that there shall be no Resurrection , that there is no Life to come . This is great Folly even in those who are utter Strangers to the Christian and all Revealed Religion ; but that they who are acquainted with the Doctrine of Jesus Christ , with His description of the Future State both of the Good and Bad , and with the abundant , the superabundant Evidence He hath given us of the Truth thereof , with all His other Revelations ; that they I say should be so Unconcerned about these things , is most amazing . This is such Madness as no Tongue can give it its due Aggravation . Let me address my self to those who remain under the Guilt hereof , in the Words of the Prophet , Remember this , and shew your selves Men ; bring it again to mind O ye Transgressors . Let it appear that you are a sort of Creatures superiour to the Brutes , in being no longer only affected with present things , and those which can signifie nothing to you one moment longer , than while you continue in these Bodies . Let this appear by your so laying to heart what you have now been minded of , relating to the Doctrine of the Resurrection , as in all your Actions and inward Affections to be powerfully influenced thereby , for the time to come . But to be more particular , In the Second Place , Let me commend to you those Words of our blessed Saviour , Luk. 16. 9. ( a Text which I formerly discoursed on to you upon this same Occasion ) viz. I say unto you , make to your selves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness , that when ye fail , they may receive you into everlasting Habitations . The Argument I have now been upon contains , one would think , an irresistible Motive to abound , during our stay in these Bodies , in Works of Piety , Mercy and Charity , according to the Ability God hath given us . This is evident from too many Texts of Scripture to be now recited , in which the Happiness of the other Life is intitled to the sincere Performance of such Works as these . Our Lord doth particularly assign no other Reason , for the pronouncing of that most joyful Sentence to the Sheep on His Right Hand , Come ye blessed of my Father , inherit the Kingdom prepared for you , from the Foundation of the World , but this , I was an hungred , and ye gave me Meat , I was thirsty and ye gave me drink , &c. Or my Brethren were so , and you Relieved them , as He explains Himself in the Words following . Nor doth He express any other Reason , for the fearful Sentence which shall be pronounced against the Goates on His Left Hand , Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire , prepared for the Devil and his Angels , but their Averseness to Works of Mercy and Charity . Tho' there will be many other Reasons for each of these Sentences , yet these onely are particularly mentioned , to shew what a mighty Weight shall be laid upon them , at the day of Judgment . And He declares , Matth. 5. 7. That Blessed are the Merciful , for they shall obtain Mercy . And Luk. 6. 35. That The Reward of such shall be great , and they shall be the Children of the Highest . He likewise calls the imploying of Riches in the fore-mentioned good Works , laying up a Treasure in Heaven , in Opposition to Hoarding them up , which He calls laying up Treasures upon Earth , Mat. 6. 20 , &c. And He commands His Disciples , as poor as they were , to sell what they have and give Alms , Luk. 12. 33. And farther expresseth this Injunction of Giving Alms by such Words as these , Provide your selves Bags which wax not old , a Treasure in the Heavens which faileth not ; where no Thief approacheth , neither Rust corrupteth . S. Paul calls being Rich in good Works , laying up in store for our selves a good Foundation against the time to come , that we may lay hold on Eternal Life . And that is the Motive with which he backs the Charge , which he requires his Son Timothy to lay upon Rich Men , 1 Ep. 6. 17. Charge them who are Rich in this World , that they be not high-minded , nor trust in uncertain Riches , but in the Living God : Who giveth us all things richly to enjoy . That they do good , that they be rich in good Works , ready to distribute , willing to communicate . And S. James , having divided Pure Religion into Two Parts , makes visiting the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction , or being bountiful and compassionate , the whole former Part , Ch. 1. 27. And he puts this Question , Ch. 2. 14. What doth it profit , my Brethren , if a Man say he hath Faith and hath not Works ? Can Faith save him ? That is , it can not profit a man to say he hath Faith , when he hath not Works ; no nor to have Faith neither without Works , such a Faith cannot save him . And the next Words tell us what Works he means , without which Faith cannot save , If a Brother or Sister be Naked and Destitute of daily Food , &c. And S. John hath pronounced him a false Hypocrite in pretending to be a Lover of God , who makes little Conscience of these good Works : For saith he , Whoso hath this Worlds Goods , and seeth his Brother hath need , and shutteth up his Bowels of Compassion from him , how dwelleth the Love of God in him ? 1 Ep. ● 17. So that we see , there is nothing more indispensably Necessary to our Resurrection to a Blessed Immortality , than is our being indued with such a Love of God and Goodness , as powerfully inclineth us , and makes us forward , to works of Mercy and Charity . There is no duty more Earnestly Pressed , nor the Recommending of which is inforced with more Promises , nor so many neither ( as may be shewed out of the Old as well as New Testament ) than is this of being Charitable , and doing good with this Worlds Goods , in proportion to the Share of them wherewith God has blest us . I might shew also , how greatly this Grace of Charity is perfective of our Nature , how it dignifieth and Beautifieth our Souls , and so is not only a necessary Condition of , but likewise as necessary a Qualification for , that Blessedness which Consists in the Enjoyment of that God , who is Goodness and Charity it self , alwaies showering down Bounty and Mercy on the whole Creation . I might Shew too , that nothing is so Amiable as this Vertue in the Opinion of the World , that nothing procures such Love and Esteem , and how it Perfumes mens Memories , like Precious Oyntment , when they are dead and gone : Of which I need not tell you there are Innumerable Examples . And it is impossible to Recount , how many of these , This Renowned City may make her Boast of , whose greatest Renown is Owing to the great Numbers of most Exemplarily Charitable Christians , who will be had in Everlasting Remembrance , which from Age to Age She hath produced . And , thanks be to the Divine Grace , This City , with the Sub-Urbs , is Blest at present ( as lamentably degenerate as the Age is grown ) with not a few , whose works both of Piety and Charity do praise them in the Gates . I am sure our persecuted and distressed Brethren of France and Ireland , as well as Multitudes of Miserable Families in Our Out-Parishes , have great cause to Praise God for them ; and to Remember them and theirs in their dayly Prayers . For Abundance of them , notwithstanding the Publick Collections , and their Majesties Exceeding great Bounty , must have Perished , had it not been for the private Contributions of these good Christians . And by the way , I must needs put in a word here , for our French Brethren , whose Extreme sufferings you know are for the Best of Causes . I Certainly inform you , that their Condition is so deplorable at this time , by the means of the Ceasing of the publick Charity , that between three and four thousand of them ( and among these , many Ministers and Persons of Quality ) must Starve , or Beg about our Streets , if Extraordinary and Speedy Care be not taken of them . There is a Noble project newly set on foot , by certain worthy and Excellent Persons , for their dayly Relief ; and I promise my self that all those will gladly , according to their Power , close with it , who are Sincere Lovers of our Blessed Lord , whose Suffering Members they are , and of His Religion , for which they are next to Martyrs . But to proceed , There is One Sort of Charity which This City is deservedly very Famous for , that the Present Occasion requires my particular Taking Notice of ; namely , That of improving , and from time to time Supplying , Ancient Hospitals . And most worthy Instances of this Nature , are presented to you in this Paper . A True Report , &c. WE see by these Reports , Which have for a long time been Published Every Easter , what a Vast Treasure of Charity hath been Deposited in Each of these Hospitals ; and Especially in that of Christ's Church . As also how very faithfully and prudently it hath still been Employed , by the Respective Governours . We have a yearly Account of great Numbers of poor Orphans , Extraordinarily well Maintained and as well Educated , both in Learning and Piety , and afterwards put forth to good Callings , and the best Qualified sent to the Universities , by that most Noble Hospital of Christ Church . We have the like Account of Abundance of Sick , Lame and Wounded People , Restored to their Health and the use of their Limbs , in the Hospitals of S. Bartholmew and S. Thomas . Of Many poor Lunaticks , whose Case is the most Compassionable of all Mortals , Restored to their Understandings in the Hospital of Bethlem . And of many idle and Vicious People taken out of Harms way , and kept to Work , and indigent Vagrants taken in and Relieved , in order to their being returned to their Proper Homes ; as also poor Youths well brought up and Bound to Honest Trades , by the Hospital of Bride-well . All these , I need not say , are great Works of Charity , and works , most of them , of the greatest Charity ; being so no less to the Souls than to the Bodies , of Helpless Wretches . So that the Charitably disposed among us can never be at a loss , where Excellently well to bestow their Charity . Where it may be secured from Embezzlement , and from being conferred too upon the less Necessitous . But to come to a Conclusion , The only thing that can make more than a meer Competency , for our selves and Families , in the least desirable , is the Advantage that 's gotten by Riches , of having the great Pleasure in this World , of being Benefactors , and of Encreasing our Happiness in the World to come . And 't is a Wonderful thing , that so few mens Observation and Experience should convince them , that nothing besides these two things can make any amends , for the innumerable Troubles and Vexations that attend Riches . And that Spending them in the Gratifying of Fleshly Lusts , or on Pride and Vanity , will make them far more Unhappy Even in this life , than they can be made by the Want of them . But 't is impossible that those should not be perswaded , to Employ themselves in doing good , Suitably to the Talents they are intrusted with , who do so firmly believe , as to bestow Every day a few Serious Thoughts on , Such Texts as this , God hath both Raised up the Lord , and will also Raise up Us by His own Power . THE END . Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswel . JACO BI USSERII Historia Dogmat. Controvers . inter Orthodox . & Pontificios de Scripturis & Sacris Vernaculis . Nunc primum Edita . Descripsit Digessit & Notis atque Auctuario locupletavit Henricus Wharton , A. M. Dr. PATRICK ( now Lord Bishop of E L Y ) His Exposition of The Ten Commandments , and Lord's Prayer . — Private Prayer in Difficult Times . — Thanksgiving for our late wonderful Deliverance . — Two Prayers for the Happy Success of their Majesties Forces by Sea and Land. — Prayer for Charity , Peace , and Unity . — His Thanksgiving Sermon before the Lords , on the 26th of November , 1690. for the Preservation of their Majesties , and the Reducing of Ireland , and the King 's safe Return . Dr. TENISON ( now Lord Bishop of Lincoln ) His Sermon of Doing good to Posterity . — His Sermon concerning Discretion in giving Alms. — His Sermon against Self-Love , before the House of Commons , June 5 , 1689. — His Sermon before the Queen , concerning the Wandering of the Mind in God's Service . — His Sermon before the Queen , of the Folly of Atheism . February 22. 1690. — Dr. FOWLER ( now Lord Bishop of Gloucester ) his Sermon before the Queen , March 22. 1690. Dr. BURNET ( now Lord Bishop of Sarum ) His Sermon before the King and Queen , April 29. 1691. Dr. FREEMAN ( now Dean of Peterborough ) his Sermon at the Assizes at Northampton , Aug. 1690. — His Thanksgiving Sermon before the House of Commons Nov. 5 , 1690. Some Remarks upon the Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of PIEDMONT . By PETER ALLIX , D. D. Treasurer of the Church of Sarum . — His Remarks upon the Ecelesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the ALBIGENSES . A Vindication of their Majesties Authority , to fill the Sees of the deprived Bishops , in a Letter out of the Country , occasioned by Dr. B — 's Refusal of the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells . A Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a New Separation on account of the Oaths : With an Answer to the History of Passive Obedience , so far as relates to Them. A Vindication of the said Discourse concerning the Unreasonableness of a New Separation , from the Exceptions made against it , in a Tract called , A brief Answer to the said Discourse , &c. The present State of Germany ; by a Person of Quality . 8vo . The Judgment of God upon the Roman Catholick Church , from its first rigid Laws for Universal Conformity to it , unto its fast End. With a Prospect of these near approaching Revolutions , viz. The Revival of the Protestant Profession in an Eminent Kingdom , where it was totally suppressed . The last End of all Trukish Hostilities . The General Mortification of the Parts of the Roman Church in all Parts of its Dominions . By DRUE CRESNER , D. D. 4to . ANGLIA SACRA Sive Collectio Historiarum antiquitus Scriptarum de Archiepiscopis & Episcopis Angliae , a Prima Fidei Christianae susceptione ad Annum MDXL. Opera Hen. Whartoni A. M. in 2. Vol. Fol. Mr. RUSHWORTH's Historical Collections , the Third Part in Two Volums in Folio ; from the Beginning of the Long Parliament , 1640. to the End of the Year 1644. Wherein is a Particular Account of the Rise and progress of the Civil War to that Period . The Bishop of ELY's Fast Sermon before the Queen , April 8. 1692. — His Letter to the Clergy of his Diocess .