SERM. CXX. Second thing I propounded to speak to, for the clearing of these words, namely, in what fenfe CHRIST is faid to be "declared, or demonftrated to "be the Son of God by his refurrection from the "dead." By which the apoftle means thefe two things. 1. That by his refurrection from the dead he was approved by God to be the true MESSIAS, and vindicated to the world from all fufpicion of being a deceiver and impoftor. And confequently in the 2. Place, that hereby God gave teftimony to the truth and divinity of his doctrine. 1. By his refurrection from the dead, he was ap proved by God to be the true MESSIAS, foretold by the prophets, and expected at that time by the Jews, and fufficiently vindicated to the world to be no deceiver and impoftor. And for our fuller understanding of this, we are to confider these two things. (1.) What the apprehenfions and expectations of the Jews were concerning the MESSIAS. And (2.) What the many crimes were which they laid to our SAVIOUR's charge, and for which they condemned him. (1.) What the apprehenfions and expectations of the Jews were concerning the MESSIAS. And it is very plain from the evangelical hiftory, that they generally apprehended these two things of him: that the MESSIAS was to be "the Son of GOD, and the king of Ifrael;" and therefore that our SAVIOUR by affirming himself to be the MESSIAS, did call himfelf the Son of God, and the king of Ifrael." John i. 41. Andrew tells his brother Simon," we "have found the MESSIAS." ver. 45. Philip tells Natha CXX. Nathanael," we have found him, of whom Mofes S ER M, "in the law, and the prophets did write;" that is, the MESSIAS. ver. 49. Nathanael upon difcourfe with our SAVIOUR, being convinced that he was the MESSIAS, owns him in these terms; "Rabbi, thou art the Son of GoD, thou art the king of "Ifrael." John vi. 69. Peter declares his belief that he was the CHRIST, or the MESSIAS, in these words, "we believe and are fure that thou art the "SON of the living GOD." This appears likewise from the high-priest's queftion to him, Matth. xxvi. 63. Art thou the CHRIST, (that is, the MESSIAS) "the Son of the living GOD;" or as it is in St. Mark," "the Son of the bleffed;" compared with Pilate's queftion, "art thou the king of the Jews?”, and when he was upon the crofs, fome reviled him under the notion of the Son of GOD, Matth. xxvii. 40. "If thou be the Son of GOD, come down from "the crofs:" others under the notion of "the king of Ifrael," ver. 42. "If he be the king of "Ifrael, let him come down from the cross." From all which it is plain that the Jews expected and believed, that the true MESSIAS was to be the SON of God, and the king of Ifrael; and whoever was not fo, was a deceiver and impoftor. But our SAVIOUR affirmed himfelf to be the true MESSIAS, and the Son of GOD. Now GOD by raifing him from the dead, did abundantly vindicate him to the world, from all fufpicion of impofture; and gave teftimony to him, that he was all that he faid of himself, viz. " the true MESSIAS, and the Son of "GOD." Which will further appear, if we confider, (2dly,) what were the crimes which the Jews laid to our SA SERM. SAVIOUR's charge, and for which they condemned CXX. him; and they were mainly these two, that by giving himself out to be the MESSIAS, he made himfelf"king of Ifrael, and the Son of GOD." Of the first of these they accused him to pilate, hoping by this accufation to make him guilty of fedition against the Roman government; for faying, that he was "the king of Ifrael." Of the other they accufed him to the chief priests, as being guilty of blafphemy, in that not being the MESSIAS, he call'd himfelf "the Son of GOD." And upon this they laid the main ftrefs, as being a thing that would condemn him by their law. They charged him with this in his life-time, as appears by those words of our SAVIOUR, John x. 36. "Say ye of "him whom the FATHER hath fanctified, and fent "into the world, thou blafphemeft, because I said "I am the SON of GOD?" And when he was arraigned before the chief priests, they accufed him of this, and he owning this charge," that he call'd "himself the Son of GOD," upon this they judged him guilty of death. Matth. xxvi. 65, 66. “Then "the high priest rent his clothes, and faid, he hath "fpoken blafphemy; what further need have we of "witness? behold, now ye have heard his blafphe my. What think ye? they answered, he is guilty "of death." And when Pilate told them, that he found no fault in him, they ftill instance in this as his crime, John xix. 7. "We have a law, and by "our law he ought to die, because he made himself "the Son of God." Now this being the crime which was charged upon him, and for which he was crucified, and put to death; GoD, by railing him from the dead, and CXX. taking him up into heaven, gave teftimony to him, SERM. that he was no impoftor, and that he did not vainly arrogate to himself to be the MESSIAS, and the SON of GOD. GOD by raifing him from the dead, by the power of the HOLY GHOST, gave a mighty demonstration to him, that he was the Son of God. For which reafon he is faid by the apostle, 1 Tim. iii. 16. to be " juftified by the SPIRIT." The SPIRIT gave teftimony to him at his baptifm, and by the mighty works that appeared in him in his life-time; but he was moft eminently and remarkably "juftified by the HOLY GHOST, by his refurrection "from the dead;" GOD hereby bearing him witness, that he was unjustly condemned, and that he affumed nothing to himself, but what of right did belong to him, when he faid he was the MESSIAS, and the Son of God. For how could a man that was condemned to die for calling himself the Son of GOD, be more remarkably vindicated, and more clearly proved to be fo, than by being raised from the dead, by the power of GOD? And, 2dly, God did confequently hereby give testimony to the truth and divinity of our SAVIOUR'S doctrine. Being proved by his refurrection to be the Son of GOD, this proved him to be a teacher fent by him, and that what he declared to the world was the mind and will of GOD. For this none was more likely to know, and to report truly to mankind, than the Son of GOD, who came from "the "bofom of his FATHER." And because the refurrection of CHRIST is fo great a teftimony to the truth of his doctrine, hence it is that St. Paul tells us, that the belief of this one article of CHRIST'S resurrection, is fufficient to a man's falvation, Rom. SER M. Rom. x. 9. "If thou fhalt confefs with thy mouth ЄXX. "the LORD JESUS, and fhalt believe in thy heart, "that GOD hath raifed him from the dead, thou "fhalt be faved." The reason is plain, because the refurrection of CHRIST Confirmed the truth and divinity of his doctrine; fo that the belief of our SAVIOUR'S refurrection does by neceffary confequence infer the belief of his whole doctrine. That Goo raifed him from the dead, after he was condemned and put to death for calling himself the Son of GOD, is a demonftration that he really was the Son of GOD; and if he was the Son of GOD, the doctrine which he taught was true, and from GOD. And thus I have fhewn you, how the refurrection of CHRIST from the dead, is a powerful demonftration that he was the Son of GOD. All that remains, is briefly to draw fome practical inferences from the confideration of our SAVIOUR'S refurrection. ft. To confirm and establish our minds in the be lief of the chriftian religion, of which the refurrection of CHRIST from the dead is fo great a confirmation. And therefore I told you that this one article is mention'd by St. Paul as the fum and abridgment of the chriftian faith; "if thou shalt confefs with thy mouth the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and "believe in thy heart that GOD hath raifed him " from the dead, thou fhalt be faved." The belief of our SAVIOUR's refurrection doth by neceffary confequence infer the belief of his whole doctrine; for he who believes that GOD raifed him from the dead, after he was put to death for calling himfelf the Son of GoD, cannot but believe him to be the |