of it from the women, and the two disciples that travelled with Jefus to Emmaus ; and therefore Chrift at his first appearance to them upbraided them with their unbelief, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen" : and they had all the opportunities and advantages of fatisfying themselves in this matter they could wish for; he fhewed himself alive to them by infallible proofs°; he was feen of them for the space of forty days, during which time they frequently eat, and drank, and converfed with him; and they were men of probity and honesty, and had no finifter ends, nor worldly views to answer by making fuch a report; but were fure to meet with reproach and disgrace, with rage and perfecution, and with death itself in every shape wherever they came with it: nay, the refurrection of Chrift is further confirmed by the teftimonies of angels, who declared at the grave, that he was not there, but was rifen; and not they, and men only, were witneffes of this, but the holy Ghost also, by figns and wonders of his attending the declaration of it. Moreover, not only Christ was to rife from the dead, but he was to rife firft, as he did; for though there were others that rose before him, as to time, as the son of the widow of Sarepta, who was raised by Elijah, and the Shunamite's fon by Elifba, and the daughter of Jairus, and the fon of the widow of Naim, and Lazarus, by our Lord; yet these were raised, not by their own power, but by the power of another; whereas Chrift was raised by his own power, and fo declared to be the Son of God: they rose to die again, but he rofe to an immortal life, never to die more; he was the first to whom God, in this fenfe, fhewed the path of life; for though he was dead he is alive, and lives for evermore, and has the keys of hell and death': likewise, he was the first in dignity that rofe from the dead; he who is the first-born among many brethren, is the first-begotten from the dead; he rose not as a private perfon, but as the head of the body, the church, as the reprefentative of all his people, and they were raised up together with him': alfo he is the first in caufality; he is the first cause of the refurrection; as by man came death, by man came alfo the refurrection of the dead. It is by virtue of his power, and in confequence of union with him, the faints will rife; he is the firft-fruits of them that flept ", the earnest and pledge of their refurrection; as fure as his dead body is raised, so sure shall theirs; his glorious body raised, is the exemplar and pattern, according to which the bodies of the faints will be fashioned in the resurrection-morn; and it will be owing to his voice, and to the exertion of his almighty power, that the graves will be opened, and the dead will come forth and appear before him ".

Now this is a very principal doctrine of the gospel, and of great moment and importance; on this the proof of Jefus's being the true Meffiah, greatly depends;

this is the fign he chofe to give to the adulterous and unbelieving generation of the Jews, when they required one of him, faying, there fhall no fign be given it, but the fign of the prophet Jonas; his lying three days and three nights in the whale's belly, a type of Chrift's refurrection from the dead on the third day. This doctrine is of fo much confequence, that were it not true, the whole of christianity, the doctrine and preaching of it, the faith and hope of christians would be affected with it, yea, be all vain and worthlefs. The resurrection of Chrift has a very great concern in the juftification of men; for he was raised again for our justification"; and it has an influence on their regeneration, to which it is fometimes afcribed; and both may be defigned by the power of his refurrection, as well as the refurrection of his people at the last day, which depends upon it. And the whole of this doctrine is no other than what Mofes and the prophets faid fhould be; it is perfectly agreeable to the writings of the Old Teftament; it was hinted at in the types, of Ifaac being received from the dead as in a figure by his father, after he had given him up for dead for three days; and of Jonas being delivered from the belly of the whale, after he had lain in it three days and three nights; it was foretold by David, Ifaiah, and Hofea particularly; who declare he should not fee corruption in the grave, that his dead body should arife, and he, and his people with him, fhould be quickened after two days".

3dly and lastly, Another thing the apostle had afferted, which Mofes and the prophets had done before him, was, that Chrift would be a light to Jews and Gentiles; or would fhew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles; first to the people of the Jews, and then to the nations of the world.

1. To the Jews. Chrift was first fent to them, even to the loft sheep of the boufe of Ifrael, and to them only; he was the minifter of the circumcifion, or of the circumcifed Jews, to fulfil to them what God had promised and foretold; and though they received him not, but rejected him, he fent his apoftles to them first, and charged them not to go into the way of the Gentiles, or into any of the cities of the Samaritans; and when their commiffion was enlarged after his refurrection, they were ordered to begin their ministry at Jerufalem. Now these people, notwithstanding they had the law and ftatutes of God, his word and ordinances, and the divine oracles committed to them, yet were in great darkness, and had no true understanding of them; in thofe times there was a veil over their minds in reading the books of the Old Testament concerning Christ, and the things of the gofpel; they were blinded, and fo were their leaders the scribes and Pharifees. Chrift came a light unto them, and the

light of grace and truth came by him; and fome through his ministry, and that of his apoftles, were fpiritually and favingly enlightened.

2. To the Gentiles. These were in great darkness before the coming of Chrift; they were without a divine revelation, without any knowledge of God and Chrift; they were fuffered to walk in their own ways of darkness, superftition, and idolatry; their times before this were times of ignorance and blindnefs: but when Chrift came, he fent his apoftles to them with the gospel to enlighten them; and they carried it throughout the world; and by means of it, many were called and turned from grofs darkness to marvelous light. And now all this was agreeable to the writings of the Old Teftament, which reprefent Chrift as the fun of righteousness; as that great light which should arife and fhine on the Galilean Jews, that fat in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and fhould also be a light of the Gentiles; and fo good old Simeon understood the prophefies concerning him, that he should be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of the people of Ifrael.

The use of all this is, a wonderful confirmation of divine revelation, of the truth of christianity, and of Jesus being the true Meffiah; for fince the various things foretold in the Old Testament by Mofes and the prophets, at fundry times and in divers manners, appear to be fulfiled in the New, this proves the revelation to be of God; that christianity stands upon a fure foundation, and that Jefus of Nazareth is the Chrift promifed and prophefied of from the beginning of the world. And this may ferve to recommend the writings of the Old Teftament to the reading and perufal of men; fince they testify of Chrift fo clearly, concerning his perfon, office, and grace, and are fo profitable for doctrine, and inftrullion in righteousness: we have here alfo the plan of the gospel-ministry; that it is a fuffering, rifen, and exalted Saviour, held forth as a light to Jews and Gentiles. This was the plan of the miniftry of the apostle Paul; and no man need be afhamed to copy after fuch an example, who was the greatest preacher that ever was upon the earth, excepting our Lord Jefus Chrift.

And now, my friends, I call you to bear witness that these truths, and what have been briefly fuggefted in this discourse, have been what I have chiefly infifted upon in the course of this Lecture; namely, the doctrines of a Trinity of perfons in the Godhead; of the perfon and office of Chrift; of the perfon and operations of the Bleffed Spirit; of fpecial and diftinguishing grace, as it appears in election, redemption, juftification, adoption, regeneration, fanctification, and the final perfeverance of the faints; with other doctrines which are in confequence of them, and in connection with them. And now I am about to take my

my

leave of you, and this Lecture, and do: not through any diflike of the work I have been fo long engaged in; not through any difguft at any thing I have met with; not through any discouragement for want of attendance or fubfcription; I have nothing to complain of; the Lecture was never in better circumstance than it now is. But I find my natural ftrength will not admit me to preach fo frequently, and with so much conftancy, as I have done for many years past; being now on the decline of life, in the fortieth year of my miniftry; fo that it is time for me to have done with extra-fervice, I mean, fervice out of the church of which I am paftor. But a more principal reason is, that I may have a little more time and leifure to attend to, and finish an arduous work upon my hands,

An Expofition of the Whole OLD TESTAMENT;

Part of which work, I fhall immediately propofe for publication; and if I meet with encouragement, the publishing of this will be an additional weight upon me; and I have no other way of easing myself, but by dropping the Lecture; and these, and these only, are my reafons for fo doing. And now as I would be, and am, thankful to the God of my life, who has given me so much health and ftrength, to carry on this Lecture for fuch a course of years, with very little interruption for want of health; fo I would, and do return thanks to you, my friends, who have so long encouraged and supported me with your prefence and purfe; and I heartily wish and pray, that you may be preserved from the prevailing errors of the times, and may be kept stedfast in the faith of the gospel, and abide by the truths and ordinances of it; and that the means of grace you attend upon, in season, and out of feafon, here, or elsewhere, may be bleffed unto you for your comfort and edification; and that you may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Jefus Christ, and be made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light.

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VOL. I.

T

OCCASIONAL

And of Levi be faid, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy One, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst ftrive at the waters of Meribah.

T

HESE words are part of the bleffing wherewith Mofes bleffed the tribe of Levi, when he bleffed that and the other tribes a little before his death. He was a man eminently raised up by God for much good to the people of Ifrael; he was a glorious inftrument, in God's hand, to deliver them out of Egyptian bondage; and was a guide, a governor, a legiflator, nay, a father to them in the wilderness; but having unadvisedly spoke with his lips concerning them, it went ill with him for their fakes; fo that he was not allowed to enter into the land of Canaan; but, as in the latter part of the preceding chapter, he is bid to go up to mount Nebo, and take a prospect of the promised land, and die.

Mofes, thus having notice of the time of his departure being at hand, and having a real affection and concern for this people, by a prophetic spirit, bleffes the feveral tribes, ver. 1. This is the blessing wherewith Mofes, the man of God, bleffed the children of Ifrael before his death. And prefaces this benediction with obferving the wonderful love of God to that people, in giving them a law by his hands, which was delivered in fo auguft and magnificent a manner, ver. 2—5. And be faid, The Lord came from Sinai, and rofe up from Seir unto them; he fbined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right

band