faft, and kept them in, and pulled them back to SER M. their Prison again. In fhort, the Refurrection II. of all the reft, was only a tranfient and temporary Miracle, worked upon them by others to prove the Divinity, Authority, and Power of those 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 Demonftration 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 poffible he should be holden of it. Jefus therefore, as he is the only one that can fay in the fullest Senfe, fo was he the firft that could fay in any Senfe, I am He that liv eth 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 shew,

SEK M.

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 Apoftle) is rifen from the Dead, and become the Firf-Fruits of them that flept. Unless therefore they, that now fleep, rife afterwards in their Turn, and fo become, as it were, the Harvest or After-Fruits; there would be no Relation between Christ, and those that fleep, to answer the Title which is here given him. But to find out the full Meaning and Force f 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 alfo 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,

Firft, 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.

A

And firft 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 Priest 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 reft) 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 inf warth.

ed

SERM. ed upon as profane: The People were strictly II. 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 bleffed, and their Right to it obtained. This was the Type as prescribed by the Law: And nów,

Secondly, Let us see how exactly it correfponds with the Refurrection of Chrift, as it is recorded in the Gospel. In order to which, let us firft obferve, 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 purpofely 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 fhall fee 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,

we

we should look on as a Means, not that pre- SERM. vents, but that neceffarily conduces to, it's fu- II. ture Refurrection. As we fee 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 Harveft therefore, as well as that of the Jews, is a Type or Reprefentation of the Resurrection in grofs; So long as the Seasons of the Year go round, and wherever Seed-Time and Harveft enfue, we have a continual Intimation, that what is fown in Corruption, fhall be raised in Incorruption, what is fown in Diskonour, 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 Refurrection; and by whofe Merits and Power, it is effected and wrought. The commanding a Sheaf or Omer of the Corn, that was firft cut down, to be folemnly offered and dedicated to God, and before the reft of the Harveft was mowed, was no obfcure

I