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SERM. Hope, because thou wilt not leave my Soul V. in Hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption.

The Apostle here addreffing himself to the Jews, does not argue about the Poffi bility of the Refurrection (for they had been long enough train'd up by Miracles to know, that nothing was too hard for an omnipotent Power; befides, 'twas a Thing done fo lately that it must have been well known, as appears from their not contradicting it) but declares and maintains the Certainty of it, and refers them to their own Prophet for their farther Satisfaction.

Before I come to handle the Doctrine which I fhall draw from this Text, I think it will be proper to make the Way to it as clear as I can; and therefore I fhall lay before the moft confiderable Interpretayou tions which have been given of thefe Words, that you may see which has the best Right

to be the true.

Some are of Opinion that the Soul in this Place is put figuratively for the Body, and that Hell fignifies the Grave; and to maintain theirOpinion, have produced feveral Texts of Scripture in which these two Words are thus understood. But tho' this be very true in thofe Places, yet it don't seem to be

the

the Signification or Meaning of the Word SERM in this; for then they would ftand thus, V. Thou shalt not leave my Body in the Grave, nor fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption. Now here we may fee the Abfurdity of leaving the literal Senfe of Scripture without a Neceffity for fo doing; for, according to this Interpretation, there is no Mention made of the Soul of Christ at all, without which to animate it again, the Body must have been ftill left in the Grave; for if it had risen again with another Soul, it would not have been a true Refurrection. So that if the Soul in this Place be not taken in a literal Senfe, then it is not taken into this Interpretation at all, and confequently there could have been no Refurrection of the Soul with the Body. For the Soul can't be implied in the latter Part of the Text, neither shalt thou Suffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption, because the Soul could not fee Corruption; and if the Soul were not risen, as it could not be if the Body only was rifen, then there could be no Refurrection, and fo it could not answer the Prophet's Hope and Expectation.

Others are of Opinion, that by Hell we are to understand the Place of Departed Souls;

SERM. Souls; but that Chrift did not go there V. locally but virtually. And then the Text

will ftand thus; "Thou wilt not leave my
Soul in Hell, or in the feparate State of
departed Souls, where it never was, nor
fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption;
which Interpretation founds very harsh and
inconfiftent. For if it was there only vir-
tually, then it could not be there fo as to
juftify the Expreffion of not being left
there; for a Thing can't be said to be ta-
ken away, or not to be left in the Place,
where it never was, only in a virtual Man-
ner. If this were true, it must have been
express'd after this Manner, Thou wilt not
Suffer my Soul to go into Hell, instead of
faying it would not be left, where it never
had been before. Befides, this is directly
contrary to Scripture; for our blessed Sa-
viour promised the penitent, Thief juft
before his Death, that that Day he should be
with him in Paradife; and as he was giving

up
the Ghoft, he faid, Father, into thy
Hands I commend my Spirit.

Others again are of Opinion, that Hell fignifies a Place of Torments, or the State of the Damned; and that there it was where the Soul of Chrift was not to be left. But if we look into the Reafons that are given

for

V

for it, we fhall be able to give a better SERM, Judgment of this Interpretation. Now one Reafon forChrift's going into that State is faid to be, To fuffer there; but for what? To fave others from it? That he did to all Intents and Purposes by his Death. Another Rea fon that is given for it is, That he went there to triumph over the Powers below; but this alfo was finifh'd upon the Crofs. But all this is founded upon a Suppofition that the original Word, which we tranflate Hell, is always taken in a bad Senfe, which I think is falfe, as I fhall fhew by and by; and therefore it is at best only an Argument drawn from a Suppofition that wants to be proved.

Others are of Opinion, that by the Soul is meant the rational Soul, and that Hell fignifies the State of departed Souls; and accordingly this Interpretation ftands thus i Thou wilt not leave my Soul, i. e. my real rational Soul in the State of departed Sculs, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption; i. e. neither wilt thou leave his Body to corrupt in the Grave. this feems to claim the greateft Right to be the true Meaning of the Words: For the original Word always fignifies the feparate State of the Dead in general. Virgil and others conftantly use it in that Senfe ;

L

T

And

and

V.

SERM. and tho' it may be fometimes taken in a good Senfe, and fometimes in a bad, yet 'tis very rarely taken in either, and never fo as to exclude the largest Senfe of it. However, let those Interpretations be as different as they will in other Refpects, yet all agree in this, that the Words of the Text are a Prophecy of the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift from the Dead; and accordingly in my fol lowing Difcourfe I fhall

I. Prove them fo to be.

II. I fhall prove that Jefus Christ did really and truly rife from the Dead, according to this Prophecy.

III. I fall fhew what will be the Benefit of Chrift's Refurrection to us.

First, then, I am to prove that the Words of the Text are a Prophecy of the Refurrection. That the Prophecy here before us could not relate to David is plain from hence, that he did fee Corruption; and this the Apoftle urges to the Jews, in the Words immediately following the Text, that they might not think that David prophefied of himself. Men and Brethren,

fay's

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