your man from the dead works miracles. The mission of Christ we prove by prophecies, and their completion; by the signs and wonders he wrought by the hand of God; by his resurrection, which includes both kinds, being in itself a great miracle, and likewise the completion of a prophecy; which circumstance, as was before observed, adds great weight to its authority. Besides, we are often urged to show, that the authors of our religion were free from interest and design; and we must desire you to do the same for the prophet, who comes from the dead. As for ourselves, we appeal to the known history of those, who were founders of our religion: there you may find them persecuted, afflicted, and tormented: their gain was misery; their recompense, hatred from the world; and their end, in the eyes of men, was destruction. These are the proofs of their worldly cunning and policy, and the results of their deep laid designs. But how will you support the suspected credit of one from the dead? He comes, and tells his story, goes off, and there is an end of him and unless you can prove there are no evil spirits, or no evil men dead, you cannot clear him from the cuspicion, nor fathom the depth of his design: he appears to you like the wind, the sound of which you hear; but whence it comes, or whither it goes, you know not. If you will listen to the evidences of the Gospel, we will show you in whom we have believed; we will show you men like ourselves, armed with the power of God, with innocence of life, with patience in all manner of affliction, and at last sealing with their blood the truth of their mission. But, if you cannot digest this evidence, in vain do you call out for help from the other world; for neither would you be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.' And this will further appear, Thirdly: By considering the temper of infidelity; for where unbelief proceeds, as generally it does, from a vitiated and corrupted mind, which hates to be reformed; which rejects the evidence, because it will not admit the doctrine, not the doctrine, because it cannot admit the evidence; in this case all proofs will be alike, and it will be lost labour to ply such a man with reason or new evidence, since it is not want of reason or evidence that makes him an unbeliever. And this case chiefly our Saviour seems to have in his view; to Abraham to send one from the dead was for the request made in behalf . A SECOND COURSE OF SERMONS FOR THE YEAR: CONTAINING TWO FOR EACH SUNDAY, AND ONE FOR EACH HOLIDAY: ABRIDGED FROM THE MOST EMINENT DIVINES OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH, AND ADAPTED TO THE SERVICE OF THE DAY. INTENDED FOR THE USE OF FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS. BY THE REV. J. R. PITMAN, A.M. ALTERNATE MORNING-PREACHER OF BELGRAVE AND BERKELEY CHAPELS: AND ALTERNATE EVENING-PREACHER OF THE IN TWO VOLUMES. VOLUME II. LONDON: PRINTED FOR JAMES DUNCAN, PATERNOSTER-ROW. MDCCCXXVIII |