quently of our Intereft, in the merits of his death, unto our fuftification, of which the Apoftle difcourfeth in the Chapter foregoing, Certainly, this communion is a fruit of our union an undoubted evidence that we are engrafted into Chrift, if we be thus raifed up with him. and : ر the members of Chrift. So are all, and only the true members of Which is comJefus Chrift. When Chrift rofe out of the mon to all, and grave, he left none of his members behind proper only to him. True, the grave-cloaths he did thefe Peter and John found in the Sepulchre, when they came to vifit their Lord there, John 20. 5.6,7. They faw the linnen cloaths lying, and the napkin which was about his head, wrapped together in a place by it felfe.] But the body was gone, not a member of it left. Thus there are many who cleave unto Chrift, and unto his mysticall Body in an outward profeffion, (as thofe grave-cloaths did to his natural body,) who upon a ftrict serutiny, will be found ftill lying in the grave of fin. But not fo any of the true members of Chrift. All that have a true reall fpirituall union with him, they have alfo a communion with him, and conformity to him in his refurrection. They are made partakers of this first Refurrection, which carries with it a refemblance of his refurrection. Now, is it fo with us? Are we thus engrafted with him in the likeneffe of his Resurrection? How this fhall Quest. But how fhall we know whether be known? we be, or no? Anf. O 2 An usefull Question. ་་་་ ·Anf. A Question not unusefull: The rather, in regard that there are many who deceive themselves herein, taking fhadowes for substances. Even as Saul judged of Samuel,& his Refurrection, King.28.12.He thought it to have been the true Samuel,and a true Resurrection; when it was nothing but a spectrum,an Illufion. And as Herod thought of John the Baptift,that he was rifen from the dead, when there was no fuch matter, Mat.14.2. Thus do many judge of themselves; they flatter their own hearts with an apprehenfion of a Refurrection, that they are raised from the grave of fin, whereas in truth, their fouls ftill lie rotting, and putrifying, and stinking there. That none of us may be mistaken in a matter of fo great confequence, and concernment, let me prefent you with fome evidences Evidences of whereby the truth of this Refurrection may the first Refur- be difcerned where it is, and our felves may certainly know whether we be made partakers of it, or no. rection. Enquiry, Have we of Chrift. 1. In the first place then, Have we ever heard that voice heard the voice of Chrift, or no? By this means it was that Lazarus his body was raised from the grave, John 11. 43. by the voice of Christ speaking to him, and calling upon him. And by the fame means fhall the generall Refurrection at the last day be effected. The hour is coming, in which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and fhall come forth, John 5. 28, 29. And by the like means is this firft Refurrection wrought. wrought. The houre cometh, and now is, when the dead fhall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear it, shall live: fo you have it verfe 25. of that Chapter, our Saviour there speaking of the first Refurrection, (as I have already fhewed you.) Now, have we ever heard this voice of Chrift? Have we heard Chrift fpeaking to us in his word? The voice of his Minifters we have often heard, but have we ever heard the voice of Chrift? Fares it not with fome of us as it did with young Samuel, who had often heard Elie's voice, but had never heard the voice of the Lord: and therefore he is faid as yet not to know the Lord, 1 Sam.3.7. viz. by way of extraordinary Revelation, by voice and speech. Is it not fo with fome of us? we have often heard Elie's voice, but have we ever heard the voice of the Lord? We have often heard the voice of Christ's Minifters, but have we ever heard the voice of Chrift himselfe? We have heard the one founding in our ears, but have we heard the other entring into our hearts, awakening us from our dead fleep? 14 As it is in fleep, fo it is in death, (whereof fleep is the image,) the body firft awaketh, before it rifeth out of the bed or grave: Ma ny of them that fleep in the duft of the earth Shall awake, (faith Daniel, fpeaking of the generall Refurrection,) Dan.12 2. And thus is it in this firft Refurrection. Before the foul can 0 3 arife, arife, it must awake: Awake thou that fleepest, and stand up from the dead, Ephef.5.14. Now, >have we heard the voice of Christ awakening us? Have we found fuch an effectuall work of the word upon our hearts? rousing us out of the dead fleep of our finfull fecurity, opening our eyes, making us truely appehenfive and fenfible of our prefent condition, causing us to look about us, and to entertain serious thoughts about a Refurrection, of getting out of the ftate of fin, into a ftate of grace? Have we heard the voice of the Law, and the voice of the Gospel?& Chrift fpeaking in both? In the Law. Have we heard the voice of the Law? Chrift fpeaking to us as he did to Ifrael at Mount -Sinai, where his voice shook the earth, Heb.12. 26. which it did both literally, shaking the mountain, Exod.19.18. and metonymically, fhaIking the perfans that heard it: So terrible was the fight that Mofes faid, exceedingly fear, and shake,Hebr2.21. Now,have we heard fuch sa voice? Have we found at any time fuch an effect in the word? fo fhaking us, making fuch anearth-quake,fuch a bearriqnake in our souls? In the vifion which Ezekiel faw of the Refur rection of thofe dead and dry bones, Ezeki37 he tels us that before they were quickned and raifed up, there was a noife, and a shaking, ver. 7. And the pry informs us concerning those which feconded Chrift, and attended upon shim in his Refurrection, Mat. 8. 27. that before their Refurrection, the earth did quake, and the rocks rent, and then the gravis A 1 were were opened, and many bodies of Saints which flept,arofe,&came out of the graves,&c. v. 5 1.5 2 53.Such Preparatives God is pleafed oftimes, and for the most part,to make use of, in the working of this firft Refurrection. Not that hee is tyed to an uniformity in his way of working,alwaies to work after the fame manner. No, his difpenfations (as in other of his works, fo) in this are various. Bur ordinarily fo it is. Before dead foules arife and come out of the grave of fin, there is a Shaking, and an Earthquake, and a rending of the Rocks. God prepares the hearts of his people for this bleffed work by fome degree of a Legall contrition and compunction; gi ving the foul to feel fomewhat of the fpirit of Bondage, letting into it fome fenfe and apprehenfion of fin, and the wrath of God due unto fin. すい After this cometh the ftill voice; As it In the Gofpel. was in Eliahs vifion at Mount Horeb, 1 Kin. 19. 11, 12. After the whirlewind and the Earthquake, and the fire, came the ftill fmall voyce. Thus fareth it ordinarily in the work of Converfion. After the whirlwind, and the Earthquake, and the fire of the Law, cometh the still voyce of the Gofpell, quieting the foul with the offers of grace and mercy, letting into it fome comfortable apprehenfion of Reconciliation with God through Chrift; withall exciting it to lay hold upon that mercy, and to indeavour to walk anfwerably to it in newneffe of life. Now have we heard this 0 4 |