though we may make fome uncertain Con- SERM. jectures what is concealed under it; yet we XIII. cannot pofitively and certainly determine about it: Let us therefore be content to be ignorant in fuch Things, as are beyond the Reach of our Enquiry, and above our Capacity; and though we cannot fay with the Father, Credo, quia impoffibile; yet it is highly reasonable to give our Affent to fuch Truths as are plainly revealed to us, which do not imply a felf-evident Contradiction. Since therefore the Refurrection of our Bodies is fo frequently inulcated in the Holy Scripture, and contains in it nothing contrary to the Verdict of our Senfes, or the plain Dictates of unbiaffed Reason; let us give our full and hearty Affent to this Fundamental Article of our Creed ; and then let us proceed,

III. and Laftly, To confider, what Use and Improvement ought to be made of both these Truths contained in the Text; and what Influence the Belief of our Saviour's Refurrection, and our own, ought to have on our Lives and Converfations: Therefore, Awake and fing, ye that dwell in the Duft. From which Words we may infer,

First, WHAT Duties are to be performed,

Secondly,

SERM. Secondly, WHO the Perfons are who XIII. are more particularly obliged to perform them.

1. Or the Duties to be performed, Awake and fing. It is therefore every one's Duty to awake, to awake from Ignorance, and Error, and Unbelief; from worldly Thoughts and the Lethargy of Sin. Open Open your Hearts to your Saviour with Apprehenfions and Purfuits of Immortality; be watchful over your Souls and Bodies, to avoid all Evil, and perform all Good, seeing it is in your Power to make them either eternally happy, or eternally miserable. Nor muft you only awake, but fing also; let your Souls magnify the Lord, and your Spirits rejoice in God your Saviour. What a mighty Salvation? What a glorious Refurrection? By what wonderful Means? And how furely to be obtained, hath he wrought for you, and confirmed unto you? Let holy Thankfulness ravifh you, let Extafies of Joy and Praife tranfport your Hearts, and overflow your Tongues, and never fuffer you to ceafe from admiring, applauding, and extolling what God hath done for your Souls. Let your Acclamations be as endless and boundless towards him, as his Benefits have been towards you.

And

And yet farther, to fing, fuppofeth a SERM. chearful Mind, a Mind at Unity both in XIII. itfelf, and with others, a Concert of Hearts as well as Voices, and a melodious Harmony of Affections. Let us therefore awake from jarring Paffions, and deadly Feuds, from Envy and Malice, and all Manner of Bitterness: And tune both our Hearts and Tongues to a friendly Agreement and brotherly Love.

2. As to the Perfons who are more particularly obliged to perform those Duties, they are fuch as dwell in the Duft. Awake and fing, ye that dwell in the Duft. By which Expreffion are denoted, ft, THE Wordly-minded.

2dly, THE Humble.

3dly, THE Afflicted.

4thly, THOSE who are dead.

(1.) LET the worldly-minded Epicure awake from fenfual Pleasures and carnal Delights, from fordid Affections and vile Imaginations; let them no longer delight in polluting their Souls with fleshly Lufts; but let them heighten and ennoble their Minds in the Belief of a bleffed Eternity. Let them fublime their Thoughts and Actions from the Dregs of this World; let them take good Heed, left by any Means, either by doubting of the Truth

of

SERM. of the Refurrection, or by neglecting to lead XIII. a new Life in Conformity to it, or by receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper unworthily, they again crucify to themselves that Lord of Life, who is rifen from the Dead.

6.

(2.) THE meek and humble Person Job xlii. may be faid to dwell in the Duft, because he abbors himself and repents in Duft and Afbes; he is vile in his own Eyes, and thinks himself not worthy to lick up the Crumbs which fall from his Master's Table; but let fuch, as are truly humble, awake and fing, for God will exalt the Humble; their bleffed Saviour, that Pattern of Humility, is lifted up, and exalted on God's Right-hand, and he will certainly draw them after him; their Place will be high, and their Reward great, in the Kingdom of Heaven.

(3.) THOSE, who are in an afflicted Condition, may be faid to dwell in the Duft; because they do not only caft it upon their Heads, but bury their Souls in it. Let these Sons of Grief roufe themselves up, and take Courage; let them rejoice, because their Redeemer liveth, who will fhortly come and ease them of all their Troubles, and wipe away all Tears from their Eyes. What though they are deformed or difeafed in their Bodies, yet

fhall

For

fhall they appear ftreight and found at the SERM. Refurrection. What though they are now XIII. poor and in Want, they fhall then be filled and want no good Thing. What though they have left their Eftates, Friends, or Relations, all these Loffes will fhortly be made up to them, and they fhall meet them in another World, never to be parted again. And methinks the Belief of a Refurrection fhould be a fufficient Remedy against all immoderate Sorrow, for the Lofs of our Friends and Relations. will there not shortly come a Time, when even our scattered Ashes will fly into one another's Embraces again, and a new Life will breathe into our Duft, and make it ftand upon its Feet. Why then should we mourn like Men without Hope, why fhould we lament the Death of our Friends, as if we were feparated from them for ever? It is true they cannot return to us, but it will not be long before we shall go to them. Let us rather awake and fing, when we have good Reason to hope that our Friends and Relations die in the Lord, or when we are under any other Preffure or Calamity; confidering that our Redeemer liveth, and that with these very Eyes we shall fhortly fee him. Let us confider the wonderful Difproportion be

tween