THese words are part of the Gospel ap­pointed by our Church, for this Day; guiding us to speak concern­ing the lofty Mystery of Christ's Resurrection; Easter-Day being kept by our Church, as a solemn Festival Day, and day of Rejoycing for the Miracle of Christ's rising from the dead. Among our Festivals this seems to carry the brightest splendour of Antiquity upon it, it having been the practice of the Church from the Apostles days downward, to keep this day in a more than ordinary solemn [Page 2]manner. It is the opinion of no mean Divines, that what the Apostle saith to the Corinthians, Let us keep the Feast, 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. doth look to the special and Religious Solemnization of the Feast of Easter, having immediately before made men­tion of Christ our Passover.

Great difference there was among the Primi­tive Christians about Easter, but this, concern­ing the time, not the thing. Some kept the Pass­over, or Easter, at the same time as the Jews kept theirs; others afterwards, so that this oc­casioned no small stir in the Church: yet here it may not be unworthy of your observation, that although they differed in their Opinion and Practice,Of the time of keeping Easter. Vid. Epi­phan. cont. Haeres. lib. 3. Tom. 1. cont. Sect. Audiano­tum. concerning this particular, the Eastern Church keeping Easter with the Jews before the Spring Solstice, the Western Church after the Spring Solstice, or Equinoctial; they did not in the early days, next the Apostles, separate from each other, but, as occasion served, Communi­cated together. This point was in the Council of Nice determined, that the Christians should not symbolize with the Jews, nor with them keep the Passover before the Spring Solstice, or Equinoctial, which was afterwards confirmed by the Synod of Antioch, Syn. Anti­och. Can. 1. and so this difference was composed. And I pray God send us as happy a com­posure [Page 3]of these unhappy differences at this day among Protestants, as there was in the Primitive Church of the difference relating to the Feast of Easter. By what hath been said of this early difference in the ancient Church, concerning the time of keeping Easter; it is so much the more evi­dent, that it always hath been the practice of the Universal Christian Church, to keep Easter Day with a special Solemnity, in memory of Christ's Resurrection.

It was no ordinary Piety, strictness, devoti­on, with which the Primitive Christians were wont to keep this Solemnity, by extraordinary fasting sometime before, the better to humble their Souls for their Sins, and prepare them for so joyful a Feast; and great things do they speak of this day. A Great Council calls it,syn. 6. in Trullo. Can. 90, 91. Greg. Naz. Orat. 42. The great Sabbath. Gregory Nazianzen calls it, The Feast of Feasts, and Solemnity of Solemnities, as much excelling the rest of the Feasts, as the Sun doth the rest of the Stars. And in the same Oration calls it, the greatest of days. S. Chrysostom goes so far as to tell us,S. Chrysost. Tom. 5. Serm. 34. de Resur. Christi. that this Solemnity is not only a Feast on Earth, but a Feast in Heaven. To day (saith he, speaking of Easter-Day) there is Joy on Earth, to day there is Joy in Heaven: And he gives this reason of it, For if there be Joy in Earth [Page 4]and Heaven, for one Sinner that repenteth; how much more will there be Joy in Heaven on this Day, when the whole World was extorted out of the hands of the Devil?

From the Birth of Christ, the World began to expect great things from a person so born and attended with such notable Signs and Wonders; and still as he grew up, and gave Evidence of his Vertue and Power, the expe­ctations of men were more raised and strength­ned: But when he began to Preach, and work such mighty Miracles as he did, how must Mens Hearts be affected and filled with hopes of great designs to be carried on by such a Person? but see how the Scene was altered, a little while was it, and he on whom all their Eyes and Hearts were fixed, was betrayed; by the vulgar abused, by the Governours con­demned, by their Instruments Executed, his Hands and Feet nailed to the Cross; the Sun was under a Cloud, the object of the Worlds Hopes and Joy expired, gave up the Ghost, died, was buried, and lay for a while in the Grave, as other weak frail Mortals. What a disappointment this was, and how they did lament it, you may partly see by the Speech of the two Men going to Emmaus, Lu. 24.21. We trusted [Page 5]that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and besides all this, to day is the third day since these things were done: by which it doth appear, how the Friends of Christ were pierced in his pier­cing, and their hopes buried in his Sepulchre. Blessed Day was it now when the Lord arose, the Sun, though set a while, appeared again: a new Face came upon the World, the Ene­mies were brought under a Cloud, the Disci­ples and Friends of Christ revived, their hope before (as it were) dead and buried, was a­gain raised together with their Lord and Ma­ster, who rose again, according to the Scri­ptures, though for a while, even the Disciples themselves understood not those places, which spake of his Resurrection. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, That he must rise again from the dead.

As to that part of the Text which relates unto the Disciples not knowing the Scriptures, at that time which referred unto Christ's Resur­rection: We might from thence draw several Observations not unuseful for us, but that we purpose to apply our selves wholly to the point of the Resurrection, the proper subject of the Day; concerning which, we consider three things.

I. That according to the Scripture, Christ was to rise from the dead.

II. That Christ did truly and really rise from the dead, according as the Scripture had foretold: for this is that which Saint John believed, and which he doth designedly prove in this place.

III. That there was a necessity Christ should rise again from the dead; which you have in the word must: for so the Scripture did declare, that he must rise again from the dead.

I. The first thing we enter upon, is to show, That according to the Scripture, the Messiah was to rise from the dead. The Types in Scripture are ma­ny to this purpose. So long ago as Adam this was typified, of whom we read, that soon af­ter his Creation he was cast into a deep sleep, whilst the Woman was taken out of his side, and then awaked again: Thus the Second Adam Christ, of whom the first was a type, slept the sleep of Death, and sleeping, his side was woun­ded, whereout came Water and Blood (which gave being to his Spouse the Church) and then after a while he awoke, revived, and rose a­gain.

You read how Isaac was laid upon the Altar with the Wood: Now Abraham's Sacrificing his Son thus in Will, was a type of God's giving [Page 7]his Son to be a Sacrifice in very deed: but Isaac for all this, came off, and was preserved alive; a Figure, that our Isaac the Lord Jesus, though really sacrificed, yet should rise again, and Death should have no power over him.

Many were the Conflicts of Sampson with the Philistins, vanquishing them time after time; of whom we read how he carried away the Gates of Gaza, Posts and all, up to a high Hill; in all this a type of Christ, who was to have many sharp conflicts with the World and the Devil for us, and that he should at the last, car­ry away the Gates of Hell and Death, that none could hold him. Sad was the condition of Jonas when he fled to Tarshish, when followed with a Tempest, when cast into the Sea, when in the Jaws of the Whale, when in the Whales Belly, but yet he gets out in a small time, and appears again upon dry land. What was this but a type of Christ coming to Tarshish in his Nativity, followed with a perpetual and dread­ful storm in the Ocean of this World all the while he lived, swallowed up of Death, lying in the Grave, and rising again the third day? Truth it self so expounds it, we may believe him.

Besides which Scripture-types, many are the [Page 8]Scripture-Prophecies that Christ should rise from the dead. The first Scripture which gives no­tice of a Christ, doth not only mention him as suffering and dying, but as rising, and vi­ctorious. If Thou shalt bruise his heel, Gen. 3.15. noted his sufferings; yet, He shall bruise thy head, was a Prophecy of his Victory, and made good when he rose from the dead. When the Patriarch Ja­cob blessed his Sons, he thus Prophesieth con­cerning Judah, Gen. 49.9. Judah is a Lions Whelp, from the prey, my Son, thou art gone up, he stooped down, he couched as a Lion, who shall rouze him up? Judah was the Tribe of which Christ came; and here is, even by the Confession of the Jewish Do­ctors themselves, a Prophecy of the Messiah: Christ it is that is here resembled unto the Lions Whelp: in that it is said, he stooped down, he couched, therein is set forth his suffering, when he bowed the Head, and gave up the Ghost: but this Lion is rouzed, and there's the Prophe­cy of his Resurrection, and in that it is said, Who shall rouze him up? Isid. Hisp. Com. in Gen. thereby is noted (as Isi­dore expounds) that no Man should do this but himself. When Balaam Prophesied of a Star that should arise out of Jacob, he plainly fore­told, not only the setting of this Star in his Pas­sion, but the rising of it again when he came [Page 9]out of the Grave. And if the Book of Job was written by Moses (as the learned conclude) then Job's saying,Vid. Ar­mach. An­nal. p. 17. several te­stimonies. I know that my Redeemer liveth, is another Prophecy out of Moses's Writings con­cerning Christ's Resurrection.

From the Writings of Moses let us proceed to the Book of the Psalms, where, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, is undoubtedly a Pro­phecy of the Resurrection of the Messiah; for so Saint Paul interprets it, and shows, that hereby was declared and manifested, on the day of his Resurrection,Act. 13.33. That Jesus was the true and eternal Son of the most high God. And, as when it is said,Ps. 110.7. He shall drink of the brook in the way, his Sufferings are foretold: So, when it is said, He shall lift up the head, his Resurrection is signified unto us. And again,Ps. 16.10. Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption, is a clear place to this pur­pose; for David cannot herein speak of him­self, who died and saw Corruption, as others; but he doth foretel how Christ, that holy one, should not lie in the Grave till he saw corrup­tion, as others: nor his Soul continue in Hell, but his Soul should be brought back, and uni­ted unto his Body, and his Body raised out of the Grave. And in another place, where the [Page 10]Psalmist saith, I am as a man that hath no strength, thereby is noted the suffering of Christ, and his lying in the Grave; but then the following words, free among the dead, do show his rising again from the dead; for he is said to be free among the dead,S. Cyp. in Symb. A­post. because he could not be hol­den of death, as St. Cyprian expounds it.

The Prophet Isaias in many places speaks of Christ's Resurrection; for whenas he brings him in born in this manner, Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and then afterwards saith,Isa. 9.6, 7. that Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end: he doth suppose his rising from the dead, for had he continued in the Grave, there had been an end of his Go­vernment; and therefore did he describe him by the name Wonderful, not only in respect of the wonderfulness of his Nativity and Death, but because of the wonderfulness of his rising out of the Grave. And when the same Pro­phet, having spoken at large of his Sufferings, his Death, and Burial, doth tell us, that not­withstanding all this,Isa. 53.10. he should see his seed, and prolong his days; it hath a necessary reference to his Resurrection. Nay, so punctual are the Writings of the Prophets, that they foretel the very time when Christ should rise, even on the [Page 11]third day. After two days will he revive us, Hos. 6.2. in the third day will he raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. And in that the Prophet speaks in the plural number, it refers to those also who did rise with Christ, and attended upon him for the greater Solemnity of this day. By all which we see, that according to the Scriptures, Christ was to rise again. I proceed now to

II. The second point, which is to shew, That Jesus Christ the Son of the Virgin Mary, who was Crucified and Buried by the Jews, did most really and truly rise again from the dead, according as these and many other Scriptures had foretold. Let us see what Witnesses we can produce to prove this. The ve­ry same day he rose, he appeared several times to several persons. First to Mary Magdalene, then to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, as they were going together from the Sepulchre, then to the two Disciples going to Emmaus, then unto St. Peter alone by himself, then unto the Disciples as they were together, Thomas being absent. To these add his Apparitions at several other times. Eight days after his Resurrection, he appeared to his Disciples, Thomas being present: After this to seven of his Disciples as they were fishing at the Sea of Tiberias: Again unto the eleven Disciples as they were upon a Mount of Galilee. [Page 12]He appeared unto above five hundred of the Brethren at once, after that he was seen of James apart. The day of his Ascension he was seen to the Apostles on the Mount of Olivet, when he was taken up into Heaven; Lastly, He was seen of St. Paul: and these were Wit­nesses chosen before of God to bear record of his Resurrection, as St. Peter tells us. True Witnesses were they, no Deceivers, as the Keepers of the Sepulchre falsly reported, saying, His Disciples came by night, and stole him away whilst we slept. See what an unhappy Dilemma St. Austin doth run these Keepers into: either it was false that they slept, and so, Liers are not to be believed: or it was true, and then how could they tell what happened? Foolish mad­ness, if they were awake, why did they suffer it? If they were asleep, how did they know it? Enough is there in the story to evince their Falsity, and to clear the Disciples Innocency. And in that Christ was not seen to one alone, but to several together, even to a great multi­tude, it shows they could not be deceived in this matter. If any one shall say, these were his Disciples and Friends, and therefore their testimonies not full enough to settle our Faith in this point, to these we might add the testi­monies [Page 13]of Enemies. Let Pilate be the first, who was the Man that delivered him to the Jews to be Crucified;Vit. Tibe­rii. for after these things thus passed in Judea, Pilate, who was Gover­nour of Jerusalem, under the Roman Emperour, wrote Letters unto Tiberius (in whose Reign Christ was Crucified) wherein he advertised the Emperour of the Death of Christ, of the manner of it, of the Miracles he had done in his Life, as also of his Resurrection, to the end that he should advise and determine, whe­ther Christ should not be held as a God, and worshipped as a God. So that here is the testi­mony of Pilate to the Resurrection, who, no doubt, being their Chief Governour, had the best means to inform himself of the truth. To this add the testimony of the Watch. These, most likely, were choice busy Fellows pickt out on purpose for such a design, (as let the design be never so bad, some will be found to carry it on) and what say they?Mat. 28.11. Some of the watch came unto the City, and showed unto the chief Priests all the things that were done. They came, as it were, thunder struck, looking like so ma­ny Ghosts, with their hair standing an end, and tell all the story of the Angels descending and rolling away the Stone, and Christ's rising; for [Page 14]this is that which was done, and this is that they tell them: which was so plain, that nei­ther could the Chief Priests any way resist the Evidence, but only through desperate wicked­ness hire the Souldiers, with money, to blaze a notorious lie to cheat the common people with. So that here is the express testimony of the Watch, and the implicit testimony of the High-Priests themselves, to the truth of Christ's Resurrection. And was not Saul, (afterwards called Paul) for some time, a notorious Enemy of Christ? yet afterwards proved he a most couragious Witness of his Resurrection? Now, though the Friends of Christ might have been supposed not to speak the truth, yet, when his most desperate Enemies witness the same, it must be acknowledged, that Christ did accord­ing to the Scripture, rise again from the dead. If such a multitude of Earthly Witnesses, Men, Women, Rich, Poor, Friends, Foes, Jews, Gen­tiles, be not enough; yet at least the testimony of Heavenly Angels ought to be believed. Whose are those words? He is not here, but is risen: are they not the words of a Heavenly Angel? and, if it may be more convincing, St. Luke makes mention of two Angels who assert this: though these be enough, yet [Page 15]we add to these the testimony of the Spirit sent down upon the Apostles, on purpose to impower them to be Witnesses unto the Resurrection of Christ through the World.

And who can think all this should be to give testimony to a Resurrection that was not every way true and real? Some Hereticks in the Pri­mitive Times, had the impudence so to teach,Against this opini­on. Vid. Aug. lib. de Agone Chri­stiano. cap. 24. that as Christ died in appearance only, so he did rise only in appearance; it will therefore be convenient in this place to show, that Christ did truly and really rise from the dead in the very same Body, Flesh, and Bones, which was Crucified, and what ever tended to the perfe­ction of the human nature. Those unto whom he appeared,Aq. p. 3. q. 55. a. 6. knew him to be the same who had conversed with them before. The verity of Christ's Resurrection, doth Aquinas show by many Arguments, both in respect of his Body and Soul. That it was a true solid Body in which he rose, no fantastick, aerial Body, is evident, because he offer'd it to be seen and felt; now, a Spirit hath no Flesh and Bones, as they saw and felt he had. And that it was a true hu­man Body, was evident to them all by the shape of it. And that it was the very same [Page 16]humane Body in which he lived and died, he evidenced by she wing them the prints of the Nails in his Hands and Feet, and of the Spear in his side. If any wonder at this, that Christ should rise again from the dead with Scars, they are to know, that this was not for any weak­ness, or inability to cure them, but for the ad­vancement of his own Glory, who therefore carries them as perpetual badges of his own Victory and Triumph.S. Aug. E­pist. 49. quasi si quisquam vir fortis pro patria dimicans, &c. As if some valiant Man, who had received Wounds in the War for his Country, having a Skilful Chirurgeon that could cure them without Scars, should de­sire him so to cure them, that the Scars might remain as Badges of the service he had done his Country.Leo. Serm. 1. de ascen­sione Dom. ut non du­biâ fide, sed constantissi­ma scientia teneretur eam natu­ram in Dei Patris con­cessuram throno, quae jacuerat in Sepulchro. The Scars would Christ have to re­main also, that hereby the Hearts of the Disci­ples might be confirmed in the Faith of his Re­surrection; and therefore showing them to Tho­mas, he saith, Be not faithless, but believing. And this is so ordered (saith Aquinas) that the dam­ned, at the day of Judgment, may hence per­ceive how justly they have the Sentence passed upon them, when they shall see him whom they have pierced. Of the humane Soul re­united to his Body, he gave Evidence, after he arose, by the Operations of it. This reality [Page 17]of Christ's Resurrection in the very same nu­merical Body which was Crucified and Buried, with the same humane Soul united unto it, which did before animate it, is well expressed, by our Church,Eccles. Angl. Art. 4. in the Book of Articles in these words, Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his Body with Flesh and Bones, and all things appertaining unto the perfection of Man's nature. In which last words we are taught how his humane Soul was united to the same nume­rical Body which had been laid in the Grave; this in a special manner belonging to the per­fection of the humane nature.

This real Resurrection did Christ effect by his own power, as the Text shows, and the Scriptures foretold; for the Scriptures did not only foretel, that he should be raised from the dead, but that he should Rise again from the dead, which shows it to be his own Act. When the Psalmist saith, He shall lift up the head, it is to the same sense as those words of his own, Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it up again. This was the Evidence (and a sufficient one) that he was the true Messiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the World. But then it is to be un­derstood, that this was not after the Socinian Mode, who hold, that God the Father raised [Page 18]Christ to Life, and Christ being restored to Life, did lift and raise his Body out of the Grave, as the Man sick of the Palsie raised himself from the Bed, or as we shall raise our selves out of our Graves at the sound of the last Trump. And they tell us, this was all that Christ could do; but if this was all, Christ might as well have said, Destroy this Temple, and any one of you may raise it up; for when God had restored life unto it, any one of them might have lifted it up, and raised it out of the Grave, and have shewed it alive. We deny not but sometimes in Scripture the Resurrection of Christ is attri­buted to the Father, and sometimes to the Ho­ly Ghost, but it is also attributed to himself, who, as he freely laid down his Life for us, so did he, by his own Power, raise it up again; he was not only passive in it, but active: Nor let any object and say, What then needed the An­gel to be sent before to roll away the Stone, if he could raise himself out of the Grave?Chrysol. Serm. 75. Angelus revolvit lapidem, non ut egredi­enti Domino praeberet aditum, sed ut Dominum mundo jam re­surrexisse monstraret: conservis ad credendum daret fidem, non ad resurgendum Domino praesta­ret auxilium. for the Stone was not rol­led away, by the Angel, so much to give his Body passage out, as to give his Disciples passage into the Grave, to behold the reality of his Resurrection; otherwise, he who came in [Page 19]while the door was shut, could as well have came out while the Grave was shut. Elizeus raised another, not himself: the Apostles rai­sed others, yet cannot raise themselves:Vid. Bern. Serm. 1. de Festo Sanctae Paschae. but Christ raised himself by his own power, which shews the Excellency of his Resurrection above the Resurrection of others. By all which you see our second point fully cleared, that as the Scripture had foretold Christ should rise, so did Christ really rise, and in the same manner.

III. We have one point more, That there was a necessity Christ should thus rise from the dead; intimated in the word must. For so the Scri­ptures did declare, not only that there was a conveniency that he should rise, that it may be he would rise, it may be not, but that he must rise again from the dead. Besides, the fulfilling of all the Scriptures foretelling it, a double ne­cessity there was of Christ's rising from the dead, namely, in respect of himself, and in respect of us.

First, In respect of himself, it was necessary, that hereby he might evidence himself to be the true Messiah, who was to come, and no Impostor, as the Jews blasphemed. This was a special sign of him who was to be the true Messiah, and therefore when the Pharisees cal­led [Page 20]upon him for a Sign, he instanced in his Resurrection, which was enough to convince them; and from hence Saint Peter draws his Conclusion,Act. 2.36. Therefore (namely, because he hath raised him from the dead) let all the House of Israel know, that God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ. Part of the office of Mediator­ship, was Executed on Earth, but part thereof was to be Executed in Heaven; he ought to be Priest, Prophet, and King, not only a lit­tle while here on Earth, but for ever, his King­dom was to be an Everlasting Kingdom; now, in order to the execution of that part of his office of Mediatorship which was to be done in Heaven, necessary was it that he should rise from the dead.

Secondly, This was necessary in respect of us, were it but to remove from us the scandal of the Cross. Unto the Greeks nothing seem­ed more ridiculous, than that men should pro­fess to rely upon a Crucified Christ for Salva­tion: and to the Jews this was a great stumb­ling-block: how could this great offence, ari­sing from his ignominious death, be removed, had he not rose from the dead? Religion had been left in a bad case, if Christ had not risen. The Gentiles Religion, at that time, was no [Page 21]better than Irreligion: the Jewish Religion was now grown such a Yoke and Burden, that the World grew weary of it, and 'twas thought by the wisest, that it was high time there should be an end of that Yoke: so that, had not Christ risen, the Christian Religion, which was now to be the standing Religion, had been but tottering, and all the Professors of the same would have sneaked away when they saw the Founder of their Religion conquered by death, and not able to rise again. Had not Christ risen, our Faith and Preaching had been in vain. What profit had there been in his Blood if he had not risen? Surely none, but we had still been in our sins; that therefore the cost of his Blood might not be in vain unto us, ne­cessary was it that he should rise again. As also that we might have a testimony of the Father's satisfaction. Christ undertook to be Man's Surety, to discharge his Debts, and thus made himself the Debtor (as you heard very well explained last Friday) so long as the Debtor is in Prison, it is a sign the Debt is not satisfied: therefore, that we might be assured the Debt is fully satisfied, the Prisoner must be let out, Christ must rise, the Surety being set at liberty, now we are begotten unto a lively hope by [Page 22]the Resurrection of Christ from the dead. And necessary it was Christ should rise, as the first fruits of our Resurrection, in which respect one of the Fathers well calls Christ,Just. Mart. Q. & Resp. ad Graec. [...]. Lev. 23.10. &c. The Captain of our Resurrection, leading the way to us that are to follow. The Law concerning the First-fruits is set down in Leviticus, in which we may observe, that the lifting up the Sheaf before the Lord, did note Christ's rising out of the Grave: and, as those Fruits had the name of First-fruits, because they were the first that were gathered; so was Christ the first that rose from the dead, the first that rose in Incorrup­tion, the first that rose unto present participa­tion of Glory:S. Cyp. lib. de resur. Dom. Just. Mart. Q. & R. ad orthod. q. 85. Bern. Ser. 1. de festo S. Pasch. for all who, we read, were rai­sed before him, did die again to take a larger Draught of that Cup they had before but ta­sted of: so that their Resurrection was imper­fect and incompleat, but Christ was the first that ever rose by a full, compleat, and perfect Resurrection unto the present participation of Glory. But that is not all, the First-fruits had a special reference unto all the rest, so that all the Sheafs in the Field were holy by the ac­ceptation of that; and in that Christ is said to be the First-fruits of them that slept; it shews, that he rose for us, that our dust might be [Page 23]sanctified, our Mortality consecrated to Eter­nity. Christ's Resurrection hath an influence upon us in order to a twofold Resurrection; a Resurrection from the Grave of Sin unto the Life of Grace, and to the Resurrection of our Bodies; for, besides, that it is a strong argu­ment for the possibility of our rising (the same power that raised Christ, being able to raise us) it hath the influence of an efficient cause upon our Resurrection, he rising not as a pri­vate Person, but as a publick Principle; if the Head be raised, the Members shall also rise.