fays he, let me freely speak to you of the SERM. Patriarch David, that he is both dead and V. buried, and his Sepulchre remaineth with us unto this Day: Therefore seeing he was a Prophet, and knew that God had fworn with an Oath to him, that of the Fruit of his Loins, according to the Flesh, he would raife up Christ to fit upon his Throne: He knowing this before, spake of the Refurrection of Chrift, that his Soul should not be left in Hell, neither his Flefh fhould fee Corruption; neither could this Prophecy relate to any one elfe fince that Time, becaufe every one fince (our bleffed Saviour excepted) has also seen Corruption. It is plain then that it must relate to one who did not fee Corruption, which was Chrift.

But to proceed. 'Tis a ftrong Argument with me that thefe Words are a Prophecy of the Refurrection, becaufe David makes it the Reason of his Hope that he should not be shaken, or left helpless. Therefore, fays he, my Heart is glad, and my Glory rejoiceth, my Flefb alfo fhall reft in Hope, becaufe thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou fuffer thine Holy One to fee Corruption. Now what could it be to him, whether any one did or did not see Corruption, unless he had foreseen the Refurrection

L 2

SERM. furrection of fome one from the Dead, that

V.

would be an Advantage to him? How could his Flesh reft in Hope, unless he had had fome Ground for his Hope? But now feeing, as the Apostle fays, he was a Prophet, and knew that God had fworn with an Oath to him, that of the Fruit of his Loins, according to the Flefb, he would raife up Chrift to fit upon his Throne, here was fufficient Ground for his Hope. Upon the Whole, 'tis a mean Way of Reasoning, that fome have got, to throw afide an Argument merely because they don't like it, without being able to fubftitute another in the Room of it, that has any more Strength in it than only what they wish it to have. Let this Prophecy then be allowed to be fulfilled, or else let those who object against it lay down fome other certain Rules, by which we may know when a Prophecy is fulfilled, and when not.

II. I come now, in the fecond Place, to prove that Jefus Chrift did really and truly rife from the Dead according to this Prophecy; which, being a Matter of Fact, depends entirely upon Evidence. Here then it will be proper to enquire what Evidence we have for this Fact, and whether they

have

V.

have the proper Qualifications neceffary for SER M. an Evidence in this Cafe. And then, in the next Place, whether there be any Evidence on the other Side; and if fo, whether they be rightly qualified to give Testimony in this Matter. But before I do this, I think it will be proper to premife, that about the Time of our Saviour's Coming into the World the Jews look'd for fome great Prophet, according to Mofes's Prediction; and the chief Priefts, and Scribes, and learned in the Law, fent from Jerufalem to ask John the Baptift, whether he was that Prophet, i. e. which Mofes gave them Reafon to expect; and many concluded that Chrift was that Prophet, because, as they faid, no one could do the Miracles which he did, except God were with him. And St Peter tells the Jews, that he was approved of God among them with great Works, and Wonders, and Signs that God did by him; as ye yourselves also know, says he. Here he appeals to their own Knowledge; and we find they did not deny it, but immediately upon it receiv'd the Word gladly, and the fame Day there were added unto them about three thousand Souls. And he himself alfo, when the Jews asked him, whether he was the Chrift, appeal'd

to

SERM. to his Works; They, fays he, bear Witness V. of me. And 'tis evident what a good Opinion many had of the Works he had done from this Saying, When Chrift cometh will he do more Miracles than these which this Man hath done? From all which it is

plain that they took him to be fome very extraordinary Perfon. And the Use I pro pofe to make of it is this, That upon the Strength of this Opinion of his Works, when he foretold of his rising again the third Day, they thought it would come to pass; and accordingly were in Expectation of it, as appears from the Precaution they us'd to prevent it, viz. by fealing a Stone, and setting a Watch. Now, while the Jews expected he would rife, the Apoftles, on the other hand, thought he would not, but that they had with him loft all the Hopes he had ever given them: For as yet they knew not the Scriptures that he must rife again from the Dead. So that from the Expectation of the Jews on the one hand, and the no Expectation of the Apostles on the other, there is no room to fufpect a Collufion in this Matter; and I think it is a corroborating Argument of the Fact, it being now brought as far as a Probability, and wants nothing but to be ripe for better Proof

And

V.

And I chufe to mention this here, becaufe SERM. the Matter of Fact is a distinct Thing, and ought to be tried by itself.

Another Thing I think proper to premise is, That no Objections about the Difficulties, that may be thought to attend this Event, can affect the Argument at all, because this is not a Subject of Philofophy, but a Matter of Evidence. And tho' fuch Objections are eafily anfwer'd by fhewing what a vast Extent of Knowledge it muft require to be able to pronounce concerning the Poffibility and Impoffibility of Things, and how much we fall fhort of this Knowledge, and alfo how many thousand Things there are in Nature which we meet with every Day of our Lives, the very Poffibility of whose Existence or Operations we should doubt of, did we not fee them with our Eyes, and therefore are fatisfied of the Truth of them, notwithstanding any feeming Difficulties or Impoffibilities to the contrary; yet if the Matter of Fact is proved, all things of this Kind are out of the Question. Suppofe a Man fhould start a thousand Diffi culties concerning the Soul's re-animating the Body, what will an Argument drawn from hence prove? It will prove his Ignorance of the Thing, it's true, but it can

never