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Clothes, ufual among the Jews. Such as we find particularly defcribed by St. John, in his Eleventh Chapter; Where he mentions Lazarus coming out of his Grave bound Hand and Foot, and his Face bound about with a Napkin. And, in his Twentieth Chapter, where he tells us, that Peter, after our Lord's Refurrection, went into the empty Sepulchre, and faw the linen Clothes lie in their due order, and the Napkin that was about Jefus's Head, not lying with the rest of the Clothes, but wrapped together in a place by it felf.

2. Secondly, The Next thing obfervable, is the Interment it felf, defcribed by Jofeph's laying the Body thus wound and embalmed in his own Tomb. The Jews appear, by many Paffages in the Old Testament, to have been, in all Ages, extremely folicitous concerning the Place of their Burial. Nay, even to have efteemed it a Curfe, not to fleep with their Fathers, (as we often find it phrafed) that is, not to lie among thofe of their own Race and Family. Hence fuch, as were Wealthy among them, purchafed parcels of Ground; that they might have a Property diftinct from other People, and fuffer none but thofe of their own Houfe to partake in them. The Care of Abraham in buying a Field for this purpofe, from the Children of Heth, seems to have proceeded from a defire, that the Bodies of those, who worshipped the One true God, might not be mingled with Idolaters. And poffibly the Field mentioned in this Chapter to be bought for bu

Gen. xxiii.

Ver. 7.

rying Strangers in, might be intended to hinder Foreigners, or those who were not entirely within the Covenant, from having, even in death, any Fellowship with Them, who look'd upon themselves as a holy and peculiar People of God. But the appropriating Sepulchres to particular Perfons and Families, was in ufe long before our Saviour's time. And this was done, by purchafing fome piece of Ground, near their refpective Cities, (for within the Cities none might be buried)

buried) and there making a convenient Repofitory for themselves, and thofe that belonged to them. Such was this of Jofeph, in a Garden, not far from the Place where our Lord was crucified. And, as a Mark of his great Veneration, here he depofited the Body of Jesus, where he defigned to lay his Own, and Theirs, whom Nature and Affection had made deareft, and of most honourable regard to him.

Having advanced thus far, I ought not to proceed, before putting you in mind, how unconteftable a Proof these things are, that our Lord's Body was actually dead. Pilate was fo cautious in the matter, that he would not grant Jofeph's Requeft, till the Centurion, who commanded the Guard ordered to attend the Execution, had first satisfied him, that Jefus had been fome time dead. Jofeph was his Difciple, and his Friend; and would not have treated the Body of one, whom he honoured and loved, in fuch a manner, as must needs have destroyed all remains of Life, had there been any in it. And I know not what Proof of this Matter can be poffibly defired more, than that a Man's Enemies have the killing, and his Friends have the burying, of him. The One will be fure, not to leave or deliver him up, before he be dead; And the Other will be as careful, not to bury him, till after he is fo.

3. I come now to the Third Branch of my Second Head; Which confifts in a Description of the Tomb, wherein our Lord's Body was laid. Every Circumftance whereof is of Weight. And, as the former Particulars abundantly evince the Reality of his Death; So This is a ftrong Confirmation to the Truth of his Resurrection.

1. Now the Evangelift takes Notice, First of all, That this was a new Tomb; and St. Luke expreffes the fame thing, by calling it a Tomb, wherein never man before was laid. The Dead, among the Jews, were unclean; and whofoever touched a Carkafs, did thereby contract a Legal Pollution. It was not therefore fit for

relating to it. The Perfons concerned, The Manner of treating his Body, The Place where it was laid, All contribute great Strength, to thofe Two most important Articles of the Chriftian Faith, the Death and Refurrection of Jefus. I proceed now, in the Laft Place, to lay before you fome Reflections from this Subject, and what hath been faid upon it. And they are These, that follow.

1. First, We may learn from hence, why the Chriftian Church hath been fo careful, to infert into her Creeds and folemn Confeffions of Faith, this Burial of Christ, as well as his Crucifixion, Death, and Refurrection. Because this hath fo close a Connexion, with those other Fundamental Doctrines; that we must have wanted a great and very substantial part of the Evidence, both of his being Dead, and of his Rifing again, had we not unquestionable Affurances of his being Buried.

2. Secondly, Here we have an Example of that common Humanity of burying the Dead. This is what all Countries have, according to their refpective Customs, been careful of; as a refpect due to that dwelling of Flesh, once honoured with fo noble an Inhabitant, as a Rational Soul. And Mankind feem to have been all along very tender, and much concerned for it. This appears, not only from the Practice of the thing to the generality of People; but by making it a Punishment, and Mark of Infamy and the laft Deteftation, to deny this Privilege to fuch Malefactors, as have forfeited all Right to the Refpects, which Others challenge from us. Particularly among Chriftians, the Cuftom of burning the Dead, and preferving their Afhes, hath been difufed; and the Bodies of their Deceafed are laid up entiré in the Grave, with fuch Solemnities, and in fuch Manner, as might intimate their Belief of a future Refurrection. And, tho' the vain Expence of pompous Funerals be one of thofe Extravagancies, which proceed from Pride and Luxury; yet the Pattern here before us will bear us out

in.

in all the Expreffions of a decent Refpect, for the Memory of Thofe, whom God takes away from us. We are not to be condemned for every fort of Cost upon thefe Occafions; As may be plainly gathered, from that remarkable Paffage, of our Lord's commending highly the Piety of that Woman, who spent Three hundred Pennyworth of Spikenard very precious, to anoint his Body to the Burial. He would not have promifed, that this Action fhould be fpread, far and wide as the Gofpel itself, in her Praise; He would not have suffered fuch honourable mention to be made, of Jofeph, and Nicodemus, and the Women, who brought Spices and Ointments to his Sepulchre, if thefe had been blameable Expences. And what this Pattern of Humility and Meeknefs allowed, it would be too delicate a Nicenefs in Us to condemn. If the Regard due to a Human Soul rendred fome Refpect to the Dead a Principle, which ma- . nifefted itself to the common Senfe of all Nations; fhall we think, that lefs Care is due to the Bodies of Chriftians, who once entertained a more glorious Inhabitant, and were living Temples of the Holy Ghoft? Thofe Bodies, which were confecrated to the Service of God, which bore their part in the Duties of Religion, fought the good Fight of Faith and Patience, Self-denial and Mortification, and underwent the Fatigue of many Hardships, and Afflictions, for the fake of Piety and Virtue? Thofe Bodies, which we own to be ftill under the Care of a Divine Providence? Surely, what God difdains not to take into his Protection, we ought not to look upon, as Out-caft and common Dung, or defpife as unworthy our Regard. Thofe Bodies, which, we believe, fhall one Day be fashioned like unto Chrift's glorious Body, awakened again from their Sleep of Death, have all their scattered Particles of Duft fummoned together into due Order, and made Partakers of the fame Glory with their immortal Souls, as once they were of the fame Sufferings and Good Works: Thofe Bodies,

Phil. iii. 21.

1 Cor. xv. 26,54.
2 Tim. i. 10.

Heb. ii. 14, 15.
Rev. i. 18.

A

Eafter-Day.

The GOSPEL.

Lmighty God, who through thy only begotten Son Jefus Chrift, haft overcome Death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting Life; We humbly befeech thee, that, as by thy fpecial Grace preventing us, xx. 6, 14. xxi. 4. thou doft put into our Minds good Defires, fo by thy continual help we may bring the fame to good effect, through Jefus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth, with Thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, World without end. Amen.

John v. 24.

xi. 26.

Heb. x. 19.

Rom. viii. II.

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Refurrection; confider where he is, and let your Defires and Cares be there also; even up in Heaven, and the Glories of that Bleffed Place.

3,4. The Spiritual Life ye now lead, ye live by him; the immortal one ye hope to lead, ye owe to him your Title and Hopes of:

3. For ye are dead, and your life is bid with Chrift in God.

4. When Chrift, who is our life, fhall appear, then fhall ye also appear with him in glory.

And tho' the Excellence of this do not yet appear, becaufe He, who now lives it in our human Nature, is abfent and unfeen: Yet, when he comes again, the Glories of it fhall be manifefted in the Perfon, not of him only, but of every good Christian.

5, 6, 7. In the mean while be careful to fubdue those Lufts, which have no farther Ends than Earthly Pleasures, (and which, (with refpect to Sin in general, fometimes called the Body of Sin) may be stiled

5. Mortify therefore your Members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupifcence, and covetousness, which ́is idolatry.

6. For which things fake the wrath of God cometh en the children of disobedience.

7. In the which ye alfo walked fome time, while yo lived in them.

Members of that Body.) For these are great Provocations to God, and were renounced by you, at your Converfion to Christianity.

COMMENT.

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