The four last things viz. death, judgment, heaven, hell, practically considered and applied in…

Indeed his Death is incomparably a greater Wonder than his Resurrection. For 'tis apparently more difficult that the Son of God, who originally possesses ⟨p. 63⟩Immortality, should die, than that the humane Body united to him, should be raised to a glorious Life. It is more conceivable that God should communicate to the humane Nature some of his Divine Perfections, Impassibility, and Immortality, than that he should submit to our lowest Infirmities, Sufferings, and Death.

Now the Resurrection of Christ is the argument and claim of our happy Resurrection. For God chose and appointed him to be the Example and Principle from whom all Divine Blessings should be derived to us. Accordingly he tells his Disciples in a fore-cited Scripture, Because I live, ye shall live also. Our Nature was raised in his Person, and in our Nature all Believers: Therefore he is called the first-fruits of them that sleep; because as the first Fruits were a pledge and assurance of the following Harvest; and as from the condition of the first Fruits being offered to God, the whole Harvest was entitled to a Consecration; so our Saviour's Resurrection to the Life of Glory is the earnest and assurance of ours. He is called the first-born among the Dead, and owns the Race of departed Believers ⟨p. 64⟩as his Brethren, who shall be restored to Life according to his Pattern. He is the Head, Believers are his Members, and therefore shall have Communion with him in his Life. The effect is so infallible, that now they are said to be raised up together, ¹and made to sit in heavenly Places in Christ Jesus. If his Victory over our Enemies had been imperfect, and he had saved himself with difficulty and hazard, [as it were by Fire] in the Apostle's expression, our Redemption had not been accomplished: But his Passion was triumphant; and is it conceivable, that he should leave the Saints, his own by so many dear titles, under the power of Death? If Moses, the Deliverer of Israel from the Tyranny of Pharaoh,