faft, and kept them in, and pulled them back to SER M. their Prison again. In fhort, the Refurrection II. of all the rest, was only a tranfient and temporary Miracle, worked upon them by others to prove the Divinity, Authority, and Power of thofe that raised them; but after which, they were again left to fubmit to the ordinary Forms of Mortality: Whereas the Resurrection of Jefus Chrift, was a true Refurrection from the Power of Death, wrought by Virtue, and in Demonstration of his own inherent Power and Godhead, which loofed for ever the Pains of Death, because (faith St Peter) Acts ii. 24. it was not possible he should be bolden of it. Jefus therefore, as he is the only one that can fay in the fulleft Senfe, fo was he the first that could say in any Sense, I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Rev. i. 18. Accordingly we find St Paul Acts xxvi. 22, 23. conftantly witnes fing both to fmall and great, that Chrift was the first that arofe from the Dead, who therefore is ftiled by him, the First-born from the Dead, Col. i. 18. as he is, the First-Begotten from the Dead, by St John, Rev. i. 5. And this Point being fufficiently cleared, I may now proceed to fhew,

SERM.

II.

Secondly, That when he arofe, he arose not in a private, but a publick Capacity; in the Name, and on the Behalf, of all that are his, who therefore fhall rife hereafter in their Turn, in Virtue, and Confequence of his Refurrection. And this is the main Doctrine which the Text intends: Chrift (faith the Apostle) is rifen from the Dead, and become the Firft-Fruits of them that flept.

Unless therefore they, that now fleep, rife afterwards in their Turn, and fo become, as it were, the Harveft or After-Fruits; there would be no Relation between Chrift, and thofe that fleep, to answer the Title which is here given him. But to find out the full Meaning and Force of this Term, it will be neceffary to look back upon the Rite or Ceremony of the FirstFruits in the Jewish Law, from whence the Apostle undoubtedly borrows it: And that Rite being also a beautiful Type of our Lord's Refurrection, and of the Benefits and Advantages accruing from thence, to the rest of the Dead, I fhall therefore to give a diftinct View of the whole,

First, Lay before you the Type itself, as it is prescribed in the Law: And then,

Secondly,

Secondly, Obferve how exactly it corre-SER M. fponds with the Refurrection of Jefus Christ II. from the Dead.

And first for the Type, we find it recorded in the 23d Chapter of Leviticus. There we read, that on the 16th of Nifan, or on the Morrow after the Sabbath of the Paffover; (i. e. on the Morrow after the first Day of their unleavened Bread, which, whatever Day of the Week it happened on, was always the great Day of their Pafchal Solemnity: On the Morrow after the Sabbath, or after this high and feftival Day) the Barley Harvest was ordered to begin. And at this Time it was ftrictly enjoined that a Sheaf (or rather * an Omer) of the firft Corn that was cut down from the Ground, was to be waved by the Prieft before the Lord in the Temple, that they might acknowledge their Dependance upon him for the whole; and that the whole (being confecrated by the Oblation of the Sheaf or Omer, in the Name of the rest) might be holy and clean. For till this Sanctification by the Oblation of the First-Fruits, all the Corn that grew in the Field was look

* For the Corn was to be threshed and ground. See Ainf worth.

ed

II.

SERM. ed upon as profane: The People were strictly forbid to taste of it either dreffed or undresfed: They were to eat neither Bread, nor parched Corn, nor green Ears, until the selfSame Day that they had brought an Offering to their God, Lev. xxiii. 14. But this being done, they might go on with their Harvest as foon as it was ripe, the whole being blessed, and their Right to it obtained. This was the Type as prescribed by the Law: And now,

Secondly, Let us fee how exactly it correfponds with the Refurrection of Chrift, as it is recorded in the Gospel. In order to which, let us first observe, that there is nothing in Nature better adapted to typify the Resurrection of the Dead in general, than the rifing or fpringing up of Corn from the Ground. The Grain that is hid or buried in the Earth, we don't esteem loft, but we lay it there purposely to receive it again with Addition and Increase. Confequently we have no Reason to conceive of the Dead, when they are laid in their Graves, that we shall see them no more; but should commit them there cheerfully, with the fame Expectation of their rifing again hereafter enlarged. The intermediate Diffolution which the Body undergoes,

wę

we fhould look on as a Means, not that pre- sERM. vents, but that neceffarily conduces to, it's fu- II, ture Resurrection. As we see the rotting of the Seed in the Ground, neceffarily makes way for the fpringing up of the Blade. For that which thou foweft (as St Paul observes in the Chapter before us, Ver. 36.) is not quickened except it die: And except a Corn of Wheat fall into the Ground, (faith our Saviour, John xii. 24.) and die, it abideth alone: But if it die, it bringeth forth much Fruit. Every Harvest therefore, as well as that of the Jews, is a Type or Representation of the Resurrection in gross: So long as the Seafons of the Year go round, and wherever Seed-Time and Harvest enfue, we have a continual Intimation, that what is fown in Corruption, shall be raised in Incorruption, what is fown in Dishonour, shall be raised in Glory,

But now in the additional Ceremony or Rite prescribed in the Law, we are beautifully inftructed in the Order, and Method, and Time of the Resurrection; and by whofe Merits and Power, it is effected and wrought. The commanding a Sheaf or Omer of the Corn, that was first cut down, to be folemnly offered and dedicated to God, and before the reft of the Harveft was mowed, was no obfcure

I