of Christ's Refurrection is to be extended and S ER M. applied; and how far, and how far only, the II. Harvest is fanctified by the Oblation of the First-Fruits: St Paul indeed, upon another Occafion, lays it down as an Axiom generally true, that if the First-Fruits be holy, the Lump is alfo holy; and if the Root be holy, fo are the Branches, Rom. xi. 16. But then Reafon fure will immediately fubjoin, that we muft be Part of the Lump, if fo be, we would be confecrated by Virtue of the First-Fruits; We must be of the Branches, in order to receive any Holinefs from the Root. Since therefore it appears from the whole Tenor of my Difcourse, that it was a Sheaf of good Corn that was waved before God, and that this was alfo waved in behalf of the reft of the Fruits of the fame Kind; it certainly concerns us, if we would fecure any Intereft to ourselves in Chrift, as the confecrated Sheaf; that we take care to be found, when the Harvest is ripe in the Number of those that are deemed the good Seed. For though all Seeds, when laid in the Earth, fhall fpring up again; yet except we are a Part of the fanctified Grain, no Benefit will accrue to us in Right of the Acceptance or Confecration of the First-Fruits: For the very Name of Firft-Fruits implies,

4

that

II.

That

SER M. that the Things to which they refer must be Fruits too. But now Fruits is a Title which is never given to the Wicked and Perverse, who are always diftinguished by Chaff or Tares, by Briars or Thorns. But as the Nature of these is to be worthlefs in themselves, and to choke and hinder the Growth of the Corn; it is not to be expected that when they come to be cut down, they fhall be reckoned of the fame Ufe and Value with it. which beareth Thorns and Briars, Heb. vi. 8. the holy Penman obferves, is rejected, and is nigh unto curfing, for their End is to be burned: The Tares also, our Saviour tells us, are to be bundled up to be burned: Matt. xiii. 30. And even the Chaff, which muft neceffarily grow in fome Measure with the Wheat, muft be separated to the fame End by him who comes with his Fan in his Hand, thoroughly to purge and cleanse his Floor, Matt. iii. 12. So that if even the Wheat which is mixed with Chaff be faved, it must be saved with Lofs, as the Man whofe Works are burnt, or destroyed; i. e. fo as by Fire, 1 Cor. iii. 15. For the Baptift affures us, that the Lord Jefus will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire, Matt. iii. 12. at the Time that he gathers up the Wheat into his Garner.

Let

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Let not the Doctrine therefore of an uni- SER M. verfal Refurrection, be any Encouragement to II. the Ungodly and Sinner: It is true it must be owned, they as well as the Juft fhall rife: But then it is not to a Refurrection of Life, but to a Refurrection of Damnation, to a Refurrection of Shame and everlafting Contempt, John v. 29. Dan. xii. 2. And where is the Satisfaction only to rife to die again? to rife from a State of Misery and Woe, only to enter upon endless Torments infinitely greater? A Refurrection not to be taken into Account when we are speaking of the Refurrection enfured to us by Chrift; and therefore not fo much as once hinted at, or implied in the Apostle's Discourse. When he speaks of Chrift as the Firft-Fruits of them that fleep, 1 Theff. iv. 14. he has none in his Thoughts but those only that fleep in Chrift, as he expresses himself in another Place; or, as in a Verse or two after my Text, those that shall be found to be Chrift's, at his Coming. If therefore, all fhall be made alive in Chrift, all must first become truly and entirely his: i. e. they must have the Spirit of God dwelling in them: For if any Man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his, but if the Spirit of him that raised up Jefus from the Dead, dwell in you; He that

raised

SERM. raifed up Chrift from the Dead, fhall alfo II. quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you, Rom. viii. 9-11. And what can more ftrongly move and induce us to endeavour this, than the Reward which the Refurrection itself implies? It was the Hopes of this, that laid St Paul under that ftrict Engagement to an univerfal Holinefs and Integrity of Life: I have Hope (faith he) towards God. that there fhall be a Refurrection of the Dead, both of the Juft and Unjust; and herein do I exercife myself to have always a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Man. The fame Hope therefore, if entertained by us, ought to raife in us the fame Endeavours.

But my Time won't permit me to strike out into all the Motives to Godliness and Holinefs of Life, which the Doctrine of the Refurrection in general will fuggeft: It must fuffice to leave with you what I have here obferved in few Words, as pertinent to the particular Doctrine of my Difcourfe. And if we are careful to improve this as we ought to do, we need not doubt, but that when our Lives are ended, we fhall lie down in Peace and rife in Glory. Our Souls fhall immediately enter the Regions of Happiness and Bliss,

and

and there be enlarged to a spacious Liberty:S E R M. And though our Bodies muft reft for a while II. in their filent Graves; yet these are alfo fure at last to rejoice for Eternity; They are fure at last to behold their Redeemer, and to live for ever with the Bleffed Jefus.

"And do thou, O Great, and Glorious Lord, ripen the Fruit thou reservest for thyself, and hasten the Day of our joyful "Harvest. Send forth thy Holy Angels to reap thy Grain, and lay it up fafe in thy Heavenly Garner: There to fupply the "Place of those unhappy Tares, which thy

Juftice threw down into everlasting Fire; "there to affift among thofe Bleffed Choirs, "which thy Mercy has established in everlafting Blifs.

SERMON