And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to Dead and Buried. SERMON XXVII. I COR. XV. 3. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I alfo received, how that Chrift died for our fins, according to the Scriptures. ST. Paul, meaning in this chapter to maintain a very fun- SERM. damental point of our religion (the refurrection of the XXVII, dead) against fome infidels or heretics, who among the Corinthians, his fcholars in the faith, did oppose it; doth, in order to the proof of his affertion, and refutation of that pernicious error, premife thofe doctrines, which he having received both from relation of the other Apostles, and by immediate revelation from God himself, had delivered unto them, v páros, in the first place, or among the prime things; that is, as moft eminent and important points of Chriftian doctrine; the truth whereof confequently (ftanding upon the fame foundations with Chriftianity itself, upon Divine revelation and apoftolical teftimony) could nowife be disputed of, or doubted, by any good Chriftian. Of which doctrines (the collection of which he ftyleth the Gospel; that Gofpel, by embracing and retaining which they were, he faith, to be faved) the first is that in our text, concerning the death of our Lord, undergone by him for our falvation: which point, as of all others in our religion it is of peculiar confequence, fo it much concerneth us both firmly to believe it and well SERM. to understand it; for it is by faith in his blood that we are XXVII. juftified, and by knowing Chrift crucified we shall be chiefly Rom. iii. edified; the word imparting this knowledge being the power of God to falvation. It therefore I mean now, by Rom. i. 16. God's affiftance, to explain and apply; the which I fhall Philip. iii. do generally and abfolutely; without any particular ac 25. 1 Cor. ii. 2. 10. 48. commodation of my discourse to the words of this text; 1. As for the nature of it we muft affirm, and believe affuredly, that it was a true and proper death; in kind not different from that death, to the which all we mortal creatures are by the law and condition of our nature fubPf. lxxxix. ject, and which we must all sometime undergo; for, What man is he that liveth and shall not fee death; that shall deliver his foul from the hand of the grave? that death, which is fignified by ceffation from vital operations; (of all motions natural or voluntary, of all sense and knowledge, appetite and paffion;) that death, which is caused by violent difunion, or dislocation, by diftempering, or however indifpofing the parts, humours, fpirits of the body, fo that the foul can no longer in them and by them continue to exercise those functions, for which its conjunction thereto was intended, and cannot therefore fitly refide therein; that death, which is supposed to confist in the diffolution of that vital band, whatever it be, whereby the foul is linked and united to the body; or in that which is thereupon confequent, the separation, department, and ab a · Επεί κι πρῶτα λίπῃ λεύκ ̓ ὀςέα θυμός Ψυχὴ δ, οΰτ' ὄνειρος, ἀποπταμένη πεπότηται. Hom. Odyff. A. 7. fence of the foul from the body; each of that couple, SERM. upon their divorce, returning home to their original prin- XXVII. ciples, as it were; the body to the earth from whence it Gen. iii. 19. was taken, and the Spirit unto God who gave it. Such Ecclef. xii. causes antecedent are specified in the ftory; fuch figns Pf. civ. 29. following are plainly implied, such a state is expreffed in the very terms, whereby our death is commonly fignified: the fame extremity of anguifh, the fame dilaceration of parts, the fame effufion of blood, which would deftroy our vital temper, quench our natural heat, ftop our animal motions, exhaust our fpirits, and force out our breath, did work upon him; neceffarily producing the like effects on him, as who had affumed the common imperfections and infirmities of our nature; in regard to which violences inflicted upon him he is faid, &Toxтeivera, to be killed or Ats iii. 15. Πain; διαχειρίζεσθαι, to be difpatched; ἀναιρείσθαι, to be made away ; ¿ñoλéodai, to perish, or be destroyed; 020geveσdu, Ifa. liii. 8. to be cut off, as it is in Daniel; σpárleσdai, to be flaugh- 4. xi. 50. tered; Juodai, to be facrificed; which words do all of Rev. v. 9. them fully import a real and proper death to have enfued upon those violent ufages toward him. viii. 33. Dan. ix. 26. John xviii. 33. And by the ordinary figns of death, apparent to sense, the foldiers judged him dead; and therefore, ws sidov aŭtòv hon Tedvηnóra, Seeing him already dead, they forbare to break John xix. his legs: by the fame all the world was fatisfied thereof; both his fpiteful enemies, that flood with delight, waiting for this utmoft fuccefs of their malicious endeavours to destroy him; and his loving friends, who with compas- Mark xiv. fionate refpect attended upon him through the course of Luke xxii. his fuffering; and those who were ready to perform their 27; laft offices of kindness, in procuring a decent interment of 25. his body. .41. John xix. His tranfition alfo, and abiding in this ftate, are expreffed by terms declaring the propriety of his death, and its agreement with our death. St. Mark telleth us, that EvEvGs, animam efflavit, he expired, breathed out his Mark xv. foul, or his last breath; St. Matthew, àçxs Tò vua, ani-Matt. xxvii. mam egit, he let go his fpirit, or gave up the ghost; 50. St. John, wapédwxe тò ☎veõμa, he delivered up his fpirit into John xix. 30. . SERM. God's hand; the which St. Luke expreffeth done with a XXVII. formal refignation; Father, faid he, into thy hands I comLuke xxiii. mend (or I depofe) my Spirit; he doth also himself fre46. quently exprefs his dying by laying down his life, and beftowing it as a ranfom, which fheweth him really to John xv.13. have parted with it. Παρατίθε μαι. X. 15, 18. xiii. 37. 1 John iii. 6. 2 Pet. i. 15. His death alfo (as ours is wont to be denoted by like phrases) is termed odos, exceffus e vivis, a going out of life, or from the fociety of men; (for Mofes and Elias are Luke ix.31. faid to tell, tǹv škodov aůtě, his decease, which he should ac*Αφιξις. complish at Jerufalem ;) and μstábasis, a paffing over, or Acts xx. 29. translation from this into another world; (When, faith John xiii.1. St. John, Jefus knew that his time was come, Iva μeтaby, that he should depart from this world.) His death alfo was John ii. 19. enigmatically described by the deftruction or demolishment of his bodily temple, answerable to thofe circumlocu2 Cor. v. 1. tions concerning our ordinary death; the dissolution of our earthly houfe of tabernacle, or tranfitory abode, in St. Paul; 2 Pet. i. 14. the άzódecis tẽ oxnvúμatos, laying down, or putting off our tabernacle, in St. Peter. Matt. xxvi. 61. 6. It were also not hard to fhew, how all other phrases and circumlocutions, by which human death is expreffed, either in holy Scripture or in ufual language, or among philosophers and more accurate speakers, are either expressly applied, or by confequence are plainly applicable to the death of our Saviour; fuch, for inftance, as these 1 Tim. iv. in Scripture; váλvos, being refolved into our principles, Phil. i. 23. or the returning of them thither whence they came; nóLuke ii. 29. λvo, a being freed, licensed, or difmiffed hence; exonμía 2 Cor. v. 8. ix Tỡ σúμatos, a going, or abode abroad; a peregrination, or abfentment from the body; an exduris, putting off, or Acts xiii. being divefted of the body; an apavoμòs, disappearance, 36. or ceffation in appearance to be; a going hence, and not xlix. 33,&c. being feen; a falling on sleep, refting from our labours, 13. lii. 5. fleeping with our fathers, being added, and gathered to our xxviii. 1. fathers; being taken, or cut off out of the land of the livlxxxviii. 4. ing; going down into the pit; lying down, resting, sleeping Jer. xi. 19. in the duft; making our bed in darkness: these and the like Gen.xxv. 8. Pfal. xxxix. cxliii. 7. Ifa. xxxviii. 18. xxvi.19. Ezek. xxvi. 20. Dan. xii. 12. Job vii, 21. xvii. 16. xx. 11. xxi. 26. xvii. 13, |