his undertaking, and thence rendered the repetition of his fufferings altogether unnecessary, Heb. Χ. 14.

SECT. II.

As to the efficient cause of our Lord's refurrection, it was doubtless the power of God: and though his own power, as the fsecond Person of the ever-bleffed Trinity, and thence, co-equal with the Father and the holy Ghost, may, nay must, be confidered as exerted and displayed in this important event; yet, for the justest reasons, the deed is ascribed in fcripture to Jehovah, in the perfon of the Father. It was at the Father's instance, as the guardian of law and justice, that our Lord was first incarcerate in the pit of fuffering, and then in the prifon of death; and therefore, that the honour of the fufferer, the credit of the furety, and the abfolution of finners, might be as legal, as evident; it was proper, highly proper, he should be releafed at the fame instance, and by the fame authority. Nor could any thing short of the power of God, have effected this refurection from the dead. For if created power cannot produce life at firft, nor prevent death at last; no more can it possibly overcome death, and restore to life again. Accordingly, infpired writers ascribe the refurection of Chrift intirely to the power of the Father. Whom God " (says the apostle) hath raised up, having loofed "the pains of death," Acts ii. 24. or the cords and bands of death, as some read that phrase, i. e. those obligations by which Christ was under the neceffity of fuffering and dying; as if the apostle had faid "Whom God hath raised up, having given back "the Mediator's bond of cautionry, amply difcharged, into his own hand." Again, "This Jesus " (fays the fame apostle) hath God raised up, where

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" of we all are witnesses," Acts ii. 32. And Paul not only speaks of the power, and the greatness of the power, but of the "exceeding greatness of the

power of God, which he wrought in Christ when " he raised him from the dead," Eph. i. 19, 20. With respect to the manner of the refurrection of Chrift; though God might and could have done it without means or inftruments, the probability is, that he employed the ministry of angels, as heralds detached from the throne, to loose this wonderful prisoner, with honour and folemnity. This seems to be pretty clearly pointed out, by the evangelift, when he tells us, that " an angel of the Lord de"scended from heaven and came and rolled back the "stone, and fat upon it," Matth. xxviii. 2. He opened the prison of the grave; and, to show that it was no more to be shut upon the man Chrift, he fat down on the stone, which was the door of the fepulchre, thereby making proclamation that he having in the Father's name opened, no man, no devil, could or durst attempt to shut. From Mary's account of what she saw in the sepulchre, the truth of this feems further evident. She "faw

(says the evangelist) two angels in white (by their "livery, you will at once perceive whose servants they were) fitting, the one at the head, and the "other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had

lain," John xx. 12. And from what Peter faw on the fame occafion, one would think those divine messengers, those exact ministers, had even adjuíted our Lord's grave cloaths; not leaving the place, till they had disposed of them in a proper, regular and decent manner. "He saw (fays the evange

lift) the linen cloaths ly, and the napkin that " was about his head, not lying with the linen " clothes, but wrapped together in a place by it" self," John xx. 6, 7.

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SECT. SECT. III.

As to the time when the Father brought up the Man Christ out of the horrible pit and miry clay, it was certainly on the first day of the week, and on the morning of that day, being the third from his crucifixion. For Matthew tells us, our Lord's refurrection was expede in the end of the fabbath, Matth. xxviii. 1. and Mark, when the fabbath was past, Mark. xvi. 1. namely, the Jewish fabbath, or the seventh day of our week. Luke again, and John fay, it was on the first day of the week, Luke xxiv. 1. John xx. 1. Nor do the evangelifts less agree in this circumstance, that it was in the morning of . that day. For Matthew says, it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. Mark and Luke fay, it was very early in the morning of the first day of the week; and John fays, it was when it was yet dark. It was thus early in that morning, that Mary Magdalene and others, upon coming to the sepulchre, missed the body of Jefus; and confequently his refurrection was still fooner, and more early, than their difappointment.

With respect to the space between our Lord's burial and returrection, the evangelifts likeways agree. They tell us when he was laid in the tomb, and when he was released from the bands of death; leaving every reader to count the interval for himfelf. He was buried on the evening before the Jewish fabbath, and raised on the morning after it.

It was the preparation, (fays Mark, fpeaking of the time of our Lord's interment) that is, the day before the fabbath," Mark. xv. 42. In other words, he was buried on our Friday's evening, and raised on our Sabbath morning.

I am not unaware of an objection that naturally enough

enough arifeth here; How does it follow from this account, that, according to our Lord's own prediction, Matth. xii. 40. he was " three days and three

nights in the heart of the earth :" since, acording to the evangelists, it would feem he was only in the grave, one whole day, namely, the day of the Jewish sabbath; and two whole nights, namely, the night before, and the night after their fabbath ? To obviate this difficulty, it need only be observed, That the natural day, confifting of twenty four hours, was, by the Jews, called a night and a day, or a day and a night; and that, in general computations, it is common to ascribe to a whole day what takes up only a part of it, as might be proved from manifold instances. Now, as onr Lord was in the grave a part of three natural days, namely,. a part of Friday, the whole of Saturday, and a part of-Sabbath; according to the ordinary way of computation, he may justly be faid to have actually lien in the grave three days: but this, in agreeableness to the Jewish idea of the natural day, behoved to be expreffed by their own phrafe, namely, three days and three nights.

The Father thus brought up the Man Christ out of the horrible pit and miry clay, because he had promised to do it; and because, to say it with reverence, in justice and equity, he was obliged to do it. With respect to the Father's promise of raising up Chrift from the dead, manifold quotations, from Mofes, the prophets and the Pfalms, might be adduced; but as the apostle, in his fermon at Antioch, was express and explicit on this head, his words stall fuffice. "We declare unto

you (faid he) glad tidings, how that the promise, which

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"which was made unto the fathers, God hath ful"filled the fame unto us, their children, in that " he hath raised up Jefus again," Acts. xiii. 32, 33. God the Father, mindful of his covenant, and jealous of his honour, behoved, in this respect, to do even as he had said.

But he raised or brought up the Man Christ likeways, because, in justice and equity, he was obliged to do it. If a creditor, upon full payment being exhibit, must, in justice, and of necessity, accordding to law, subscribe and deliver a writ of liberation and discharge; shall God, the righteous Judge, be supposed capable of less equity, respecting the finless cautioner and surety of finners? There is fomething to this effect, peculiarly striking, in a paffage quoted before: "Whom God hath raised

up, (fays the apostle, speaking of Jesuss Chrift) having loofed the pains of death." Mark what follows, "Because it was not possible, that he

should be holden of it," Acts ii. 24. It would have been fuch an act of tyranny and injustice, that it is impoffible, without the grossest blafphemy, to imagine Jehovah the Father capable of it.

SECT. V.

The salvation of the foul must be very different from men's common estimate of it. It is precious in itself, and appears exceedingly so in the price of it, as paid down by Jesus Christ. Had not God the Father seen a-preciousness in the sinner's redemption, it is not to be imagined, he would, by the substitution of his Son in the finner's room, have made fuch early and costly provision for it : and if our Lord Jesus had not judged the redemption of the foul precious, it is impossible to think, he would have laid himself under such weighty obligations,