1. The Resurrection of Christ. The raising of Christ from the dead is the great prop and foundation of our Faith, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith also is vain. All the Apostles preaching was built upon this supposition, that Christ died and rose again. Partly because this is the great evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion; for hereby Christ was evidenced to be what he gave out himself to be, the eternal Son of God, and the Saviour of the World, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he raised him from the dead, Acts 23.31. that is the ground of Faith and Assurance. So Acts 13.33. God hath raised Jesus from the dead, for it is written, Thou art my son, &c. Partly to show, that he is in a capacity to convey life to others both spiritual and eternal; which, if he had remained under the state of death, could not be: ⟨p. 161⟩The life of Believers is derived from the life of Christ, Joh. 14.19. Because I live, &c. If he had been holden of death, he had neither been a fountain of Grace nor Glory to us; 1 Pet. 1.3. He hath begotten us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Partly, because the raising of Christ is the pledge of Gods omnipotency, which is our relief in all difficult cases; the power which raised Christ, exceedeth all contrary powers, Eph. 1.20, 21. Now the resurrection of Christ, besides the veritableness of the report, manifested by the circumstances, when a great stone was rolled at the mouth of the Sepulchre, a guard of Soldiers set to watch against all fraud and impostures, yet he brake through; his frequent Apparitions to the Apostles, yea to 500 disciples at once; 1 Cor. 15.6. a great part of which were alive to testify the truth of it, for some competent space of time; his pouring out of the Spirit; the Apostles witnessing the truth of it in the teeth of opposition; his appearing from Heaven to Paul; the prophesies of the Old Testament foretelling of it; the Miracles wrought to confirm it; the holiness of the Persons who were employed as chosen Witnesses, their unconcernedness in all temporal Interests; their hazarding of all, their success: It ⟨p. 162⟩would make a volum to give you the evidences.
1. The Resurrection of Christ. The raising of Christ from the dead is the great prop and foundation of our Faith, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith also is vain. All the Apostles preaching was built upon this supposition, that Christ died and rose again. Partly because this is the great evidence of the truth of the Christian Religion; for hereby Christ was evidenced to be what he gave out himself to be, the eternal Son of God, and the Saviour of the World, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he raised him from the dead, Acts 23.31. that is the ground of Faith and Assurance. So Acts 13.33. God hath raised Iesus from the dead, for it is written, Thou art my son, &c. Partly to shew, that he is in a capacity to convey life to others both spiritual and eternal; which, if he had remained under the state of death, could not be: ⟨p. 161⟩The life of Believers is derived from the life of Christ, Ioh. 14.19. Because I live, &c. If he had been holden of death, he had neither been a fountain of Grace nor Glory to us; 1 Pet. 1.3. He hath begotten us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Partly, because the raising of Christ is the pledge of Gods omnipotency, which is our relief in all difficult cases; the power which raised Christ, exceedeth all contrary powers, Eph. 1.20, 21. Now the resurrection of Christ, besides the veritableness of the report, manifested by the circumstances, when a great stone was rolled at the mouth of the Sepulchre, a guard of Souldiers set to watch against all fraud and impostures, yet he brake thorow; his frequent Apparitions to the Apostles, yea to 500 disciples at once; 1 Cor. 15.6. a great part of which were alive to testifie the truth of it, for some competent space of time; his pouring out of the Spirit; the Apostles witnessing the truth of it in the teeth of opposition; his appearing from Heaven to Paul; the prophesies of the Old Testament foretelling of it; the Miracles wrought to confirm it; the holiness of the Persons who were employed as chosen Witnesses, their unconcernedness in all temporal Interests; their hazarding of all, their success: It
