I. A Prediction of Chrift's glorious and
exalted state, which was to fucceed his
ftate of Humiliation and Suffering,
expreffed in the prophetic ftile thus:
He was taken from Prifon and from
Judgment, and who fall declare bis
Generation?

II. That the Honours of his exalted ftate
should be confered upon him, as the
Reward of his Obedience and Suffer-
ings, or because he willingly submitted
to Death for the Sins of others; this
is expreffed in the following Words,
for he was cut off out of the land of the
living for the tranfgreffion of my people
was be stricken.

I. We have here a brief Prediction of Chrift's glorious and exalted state, which was to fucceed his ftate of Humiliation and Suffering, expreffed in thefe Words, he was taken from Prifon and from Judgment, and who fhall declare his Generation?

In these Words the Exaltation of the Meffiah is pointed out to us in two par

ticulars.

SERM.

IX.

SERM.

IX.

1. In his miraculous Refurrection from the Dead: he was taken from Prifon and from Judgment.

2. In the numerous Converts, that fhould thereby be made to his Religion: who shall declare his Generation, or enumerate his fpiritual Offspring?

1. The Exaltation of the Meffiah is here prophetically pointed out to us in his miraculous Refurrection from the Dead: He was taken from Prison and from Judgment.

It is not my Design at present to enter into a particular difcuffion of this important Doctrine of Chrift's Refurrection. All I propofe is to fuggeft to you a few Thoughts upon this Subject under the following particulars.

1. That Jesus Christ was actually raised from the Dead by a divine power, according to this Prophecy.

2. That this was the Beginning of his Glory, from whence his ftate of Exaltation commenced.

3. That this important Fact is the very Foundation of the Chriftian Religion, on which the Evidence of it refteth, whereby many fhould be perfuaded to embrace it.

This the Prophet seems to intimate in the SERM Text; for immediately after he had foretold IX. the Meffiah's Refurrection, he takes notice of the numerous Converts, that fhould be made. to his Religion, as the effects of it.

1. Then I fay, Jefus Chrift was actually raised from the Dead by a divine power, according to this Prophecy.

For the proof of this, let us take the Gofpel History into our Hands; and carefully read over the Account, it gives us, of this memorable Fact, and the many remarkable circumstances that attend it, and then recollect with ourselves thus. That this is a true and authentic Hiftory, is as certain as that any History ever was fo: nay much more certain; for it is impoffible, that these Facts relating to Chrift's Refurrection should be falfe or forged. Because they were committed to Writing, and published to the World, in the very Age in which they happened. Saint Matthew writ his History a bout eight or ten years (or fifteen at most) after the Death of Chrift; when the Facts he relates were recent, and still fresh in the memories of many who read them; and in the Hebrew Language: fo that the Jews

SERM. the fairest opportunity to invalidate them, if IX. they had been falfe (d).

Nor is it lefs impoffible, that any Forgery fhould have crept into the Evangelical Hiftory in after Ages, not only because the Jews and the other Enemies of Christianity, who had a watchful Eye on the Chriftian Records, would foon have detected it; but because all the most antient manuscript Copies of the four Gofpels now extant, do wonderfully and precifely accord with the Account we have of thefe Facts in our prefent Bibles.

Befides, if the Gospel History be a Forgery, by whom was it forged? The perfons who are fuppofed to have writ it had neither Difpofition nor Ability to contrive, much less to propagate, fuch an Imposture. And to fuppofe, that a few obfcure Fishermen, deftitue of all the Advantages of wealth, intereft and learning, should be able to establish the Credit of their History, if falfe, in oppofition to all the Sagacity and Power the Jews made ufe of to filence and suppress it, is an Hypothefis more incredible

(d) Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. Vol I. 1. v. c. 8. Du Pin's prelim. Differt. Sect. v. Each. Ec. Hift. P. 176. Fol. Ed.

IX.

dible that any Fact that Hiftory contains. SERM• By whom then could fuch a Forgery be invented? not by wicked men because it is contrary to their Intereft; nor by good men, because that is contrary to their Character.

The truth of this important Fact of Chrift's Refurrection depends upon the Authenticity of the facred Records: which being thus established, we are now at liberty to make use of them in Proof of the point in hand; which from the circumstances there related, will appear to be as strong as ever was built on hiftorical Evidence. For from thence we learn-That there could be no Sufpicion that Christ was not really dead; because, even after he was judged to be fo by the Spectators, a Soldier thruft a Spear deep into his Side. He was then buried in a new Tomb: and to prevent the poffibility of any clandeftine removal of the Body (which his Enemies pretended to apprehend) a great ftone was rolled to the mouth of the Sepulchre, a Seal put upon it, and a party of Soldiers fet to guard it. But notwithtanding all these Precautions, the Body,

after