Jesus and the resurrection justified by witnesses in heaven and in earth in two parts : the first shewing that Jesus is the Son of God, the second that in him we have eternall life / by Symon Patrick ...

I.

And as for the Purity and Holiness of his Doctrine, there is much in it to per∣swade us, that he hath Life in himself, and will bestow it upon his Followers. Certain it is that, (1.) it naturally lifts

up the Mind towards heaven, and dispo∣ses those that entertain it to look for Eter∣nall Life; for which it is but a preparati∣on. For it teaches us to abstract our hearts from this Flesh wherewith we are cloa∣thed, and from this World wherein we live, as not worthy of all those thoughts and that care which we are apt to bestow upon them. The very intent and purpose of it, we cannot but see, is to wean our minds from earthly injoyments, and to take off our affections from the pleasures of sense; to make riches and the praise of men seem little things, and to give us con∣tentment with our portion of present goods, though never so small; in short, ••o render us something like to God him∣self, whilst we are at this distance from him. What can any man make of this, but that it is a preparation for another life; an Institution which designs to form men, and make them fit for an higher World? Do but take a review of that Compendium which I have drawn of this Doctrine, in my former Book, and you will be satisfied, that it is nothing else but a contrivance to make us heavenly; and intends to guide us to such a Life as is a prevention of Heaven, a beginning of the celestial state, whereby we shall live,

in part, as men of another World, and not of this.

Which future World, (2.) it is manifest, his heavenly Doctrine supposes; or else it would be so far from that Wisedom which was eminent in him, that it would be the greatest absurdity that can be ima∣gined. For it teaches us, if his service require it, to deny our selves even in the most innocent and lawfull injoyments of this life; to forsake father and mother and houses and lands for his Name's sake; yea, to lay down our very lives, rather then forsake his Doctrine, and violate his commands. These are express Lessons which his Sermons teach his Disciples: but are things so sublime, so much above the reach of flesh and bloud, that it would be the vainest thing in the world to pro∣pose them to mens observance, without the hope of something in another life to reward such hard services. He would have had no followers on these terms; had he not made it as plain and evident as the rest of his Doctrine, that He would be the Authour of Eternall Salvation to them that would obey him. Men were not so fond of troubles and torments and death, as to expose themselves to the danger of

them, if they had not seen the greatest reason to believe, that their Master would recompense their present Sufferings with a future happiness so incomparably greater, that it would be the highest folly to avoid them. None can suppose the Authour of such a Religion to be so weak as not to understand, that men would never em∣brace this profession; unless at the same time that he called them to this high pitch of piety, he called them also, as the Apo∣stle speaks, to his kingdom and glory. And therefore, without all doubt, our Lord took care to preach this as the principall thing, and to give good assurance of a blessed state to come; because without this it had been the most ungrounded and foolish undertaking that ever man went about, to perswade the world to be so mortified, to quit all present possessions, and to part with their lives for his sake. He must have been the most unreasonable of all other men in preaching such Doc∣trine, and supposed the World void of all reason, if he expected to have it be∣lieved; had he not been certain himself, and been able by evident proofs to per∣swade others, that all those who hearke∣ned to him should be no losers, but ex∣ceeding great gainers, by quitting all

things upon his account. If he had not held this truth in his hands, as clear as the Sun, that they who would follow him should be immortally happy; he might have stretcht them out long enough before he had drawn so much as one follower af∣ter him. The Trees would as soon have followed him as Men: who would never have stirr'd a foot in such a narrow path, unless he had shewn them plainly that it led to Everlasting Life.

Let us consider and illustrate this a little. Would not he expose himself to laughter and scorn, that should earnestly perswade his neighbours to go and labour hard in his fields all day, by which they should get just nothing for their pains at night? Would it not seem a piece of strange mockery and contempt of us, and as strange a folly in him that should invite us to enter into his service, which he con∣fessed would make us sweat, and ingage us in many toilsome imployments; and when we inquired what wages he gave, should be able to assure us never a far∣thing that lay in his power or will to be∣stow upon us? Would they not be e∣qually ridiculous, he that should make, and they that should embrace such a pro∣posall?

Might not such a trifler expect rather to be kickt, then to be followed by the multitude? Should we not hear them expressing their indignation in such speeches as these? What? Do you take us for arrant fools? Do you think we are mere Mushromes? that our brains are made of a sponge, or our heads stuft with wet straw? What do you make of us? or what have we done, that argues us to be such blocks and trunks as you suppose us? And yet such was the constant preaching of our ever-Blessed Saviour, that if he had not made his promises as plain and certain as his commands, he would have been lia∣ble to such language. For he calls men, as you reade in that Parable xx. Matth. to a laborious life of piety. From the beginning of his preaching to the end of it, he had no other design. Early in the morning, (vers. 1.) when he first appea∣red in the world, he went out: and what was it to doe, but to hire labourers into his vineyard? At the third hour he went out again, and said to those whom he found idle, Go ye also into the vineyard: (vers. 4.) At the sixth and the ninth hour of his life he still followed the same bu∣siness. At the eleventh also (vers. 6.) he finds other loiterers, and says to them also,

Why stand you here all the day idle? Would they have moved from their place, think you, if he had not agreed with them to pay them for their pains? Would they have returned no other an∣swer but that, No man hath hired us; and not have also added, What will you give us? what shall we gain by our la∣bour? had he not satisfied them about that matter? If there had been no wages to be expected, they had better have stood idle still, or have staid for some o∣ther Master. Had it not been evident, that the Lord of the vineyard was a weal∣thy person, able to give every man his peny, i. e. a reward for his service; he might have called long enough, and seen his ground all overrun with briars and thorns, before he had procured any la∣bourers to go into it. Certainly, if we will but allow our Saviour to have been a person of ordinary reason and common capacity, we cannot imagine he would have endured so long toil and travell, and walkt all the countrey of Judaea o∣ver, to win proselytes to him; if he had not made it as visible, that he would bring men to the blessed sight of God in eternall rest and peace, as it was, that he called them to a God-like life of piety,

righteousness and true holiness during their stay in this present world. We must depress him into the rank of the most wit∣less men; or else believe that He who re∣quired so much work from his servants, demonstrated he was a good Master, rich, and furnished with the most ample re∣wards.

And therefore (3.) we may well be∣lieve that He came with such Testimonies from above, from the Father and from the Holy Ghost, and intended Himself to appear from heaven as the Authour of Eternall Life; without which he could not have gone about to establish such a Doctrine; or if he had, would not have succeeded. One of these Witnesses excee∣dingly justify the other; and are not to be divided. We have reason to think, a person of his Understanding, who spake as never man spake, (his very enemies being judges,) would not have attempted the settlement of such a strict rule of life as his Doctrine contains, without such coun∣tenance from Heaven as I have mentioned, to perswade the world that he would lead them thither. Though I must add, (4.) that the strict purity and holiness of his Doctrine singly considered is of great

weight and moment to perswade us that ETERNALL LIFE is in him: be∣cause this is a part, nay, a principall part, of his Doctrine. Which He, who in all other things that he said was unrepro∣vable, would not have affirmed so expres∣ly and constantly, if he had not been ful∣ly assured it was true.

Do but observe how this Doctrine is constantly intermixed with all his Ser∣mons. It is the very strain of his Prea∣ching, that if any man would follow him, and doe as he did, he should find rest for his Soul; and that God the Father of all would honour those who did him service. xii Joh. 26. This he proclaims in the plainest terms, and the clearest manner. viii. Joh. 12. I am the Light of the World: (Illuminator & Deductor humani generis, as Tertullian excellently expresses it * 1.1, the Inlightner and the Conducter or guide of mankind:) He that follows me shall have the light of life; the wisedom, that is, which shall lead him to immortall blifs. And to make this more manifest, let it be noted, (1.) how he proclaims this to e∣very man, iii. Joh. 15, 16. that the Son of man must die, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternall

life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his onely-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And (2.) he asserts it with the greatest earnestness, with the strongest and most vehement asseverations. vi. Joh. 47. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. He tells them also (3.) with the same as∣surance, that God had sealed him for this purpose; or set a plain mark upon him, whereby all might see that he was to be the Authour of everlasting life. vi. Joh. 27. And observe (4.) that, having told them it was visible, if they pleased to o∣pen their eyes, that God the Father had designed him to give them immortall satis∣faction, he repeats this Doctrine a great many times in that Chapter; vers. 33, 35, 39, 40, 47, 48, 51, 54, 57. Insomuch that St. Peter concludes at the latter end of that Sermon, there was no Master compa∣rable to him, who had the words of eter∣nall life: ver. 68. And it is farther obser∣vable, that he affirms (5.) he came to bring his followers to the greatest happi∣ness. x. Joh. 10. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. And (6.) that he tells them again, he came to publish this glad tidings

by the appointment of the Father. xii. Joh. 50. I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. And (7.) that he affirms, he hath power to make good what he promises. x. Joh. 28. And I give unto them eternall life; and they shall not perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. xvii. 1, 2. Glorify thy Son, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternall life to as many as thou hast given him. And, lastly, he tells them that he was such a person as might well be credited in all this; since he came down from heaven, and was at that moment in heaven. iii. Joh. 13. Which he repeats again viii. 23. I am from above, I am not of this world: and ver. 38. I speak that which I have seen with my Fa∣ther: and ver. 42. I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of my self, but he sent me. For which reason he doth not discourse of immortall life as a Philo∣sopher, going about to prove it by rea∣sons and arguments; but onely asserts it as one that had Divine Authority, (for which he was to be believed,) and could himself make men eternally happy. This was the onely thing that could be dispu∣ted and needed proof, that he came from

heaven to illuminate the world by his in∣structions. And this he did not desire they should take upon his bare word, but a∣bundantly demonstrated it: and told them, ver. 28. that after his death they should still see it made more evident that he did nothing of himself, but as the Father had taught him, he spake these things. For then, as you shall see in due place, God the Father declared all these words to be true by raising him from the dead.

These things he said so often, so open∣ly, so confidently, and with such appeals to God, (who bare him witness, as you have heard, and never in the least con∣tradicted what he said,) that we have great reason to believe he did not forge all this: but delivered the mind and will of God as sincerely when he said he would give men Eternall Life, as he did when he charged them to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Certain it is, that He himself believed what he preached, and had no doubt, but a perfect assurance of it; as will appear if we pass to the Second thing which we are briefly to consider,

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apolog. cap. xxi.