Jesus and the Resurrection Justified by Witnesses in Heaven and Earth, Introduction – Part 2
AN INTRODUCTION To the following Diſcourſe.
HAving made, in the former Treatiſe, as diligent a ſearch as I could into the Records of Heaven and Earth, and found there the cleareſt Evidences that Jeſus is the Son of God, (to whom therefore we owe the moſt humble and chearful Obedience;) I purpoſe now to make a farther inquiry into them, after the Royal Powers which belong to ſo great a Prince, who both in his Nature and in his Office ſo infinitely excells all other, that his loyal Subjects may well expect from him the greateſt grace and favour. He was God appearing as Man, Epiſt. ad Epheſ.(to uſe the words of Ignatius,) and Man working mightily as God; but yet ſubmitted himſelf to the meaneſt condition, and the baſeſt death, for the purging away our ſins by his bloud whereby he obtained, as the moſt ample Dominion over all creatures, ſo the largeſ… Power, both to remit ſins, and alſo to reward the ſervices of all thoſe that believe on him. To whom his affection is ſo great and extends it ſelf in ſuch boundleſs love, that his kindneſs towards them will not be perfected, I ſhall prove, till he hath beſtowed on them ETERNAL LIFE.
A Bleſſing for which all mankind moſt paſſionately wiſh: not onelyonly becauſe the weakneſs of our bodies, the inconſtancy of all their enjoyments, the troubles we mee… with in the world, and the neceſſity of dying, make it moſt deſirable; but becauſe it comes recommended to us by its own proper worth and excellence; which is ſo exceeding great, that it renders the moſt conſtant untroubled poſſeſſion of this world's goods, and a perpetuity in this life (could it be obtained) without any ſickneſs or infirmity, a vile and contemptible purchace in compariſon with it. This therefore all conſiderate minds would gladly be well aſſured of. There is nothing of ſuch importance to their ſatisfaction, as a certainty of immortal happineſs, when they leave this Body. Which will make our Obedience to God's commands as ſtedfaſt as our Belief is; and withall moſt ſweet and eaſie, whatſoever oppoſition we have to diſcourage us. For the hope of Eternal Life is able to lift us up above all the temptations wherewith the world can aſſault us: be they either the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eye, and the pride of life; or be they thoſe hatreds, reproaches, perſecutions, loſs of goods, yea and death it ſelf, which we may be in danger of for Piety's ſake.
Now looking a little farther into this Holy Writer, who hath preſerved the unqueſtionable Records concerning theſe matters; I find there is as great a certainty of this Eternal Life by Jeſus Chriſt, as there is of his being the Son of God: and that the very ſame Witneſſes who ſo fully declare the one, give no leſs ſtrong Evidence for the proof of the other. For THIS (ſays He, 1 John v. 11.) IS THE RECORD, (or WITNESSE,) THAT GOD HATH GIVEN TO ƲS ETERNAL LIFE: AND THIS LIFE IS IN HIS SON. Which words, being a continuation of the foregoing Diſcourſe, carry this ſenſe in them; There is great reaſon you ſhould receive the Witneſs of God, (viz. of the Father, Word, and Holy Ghoſt, and of the Water, Bloud, and Spirit,) not onelyonly becauſe it is greater then the Witneſs of men, which you cannot juſtly reject; (v. 9.) and becauſe, if you do reject it, you make God a Liar, which who can have the heart to do? (v. 10.) but alſo becauſe the thing which is teſtified to us by theſe Witneſſes, when they ſay that Jeſus is the Son of God, is of all other the moſt deſirable; viz. that God deſigns for us no leſs bleſſing then Eternal Life, which the Lord Jeſus hath in his hands to keep for us, and to beſtow upon us.
The enſuing Diſcourſe then will neceſſarily fall into theſe two Parts. Firſt, to ſhew what this Eternal Life is; and ſecondly, to prove the Certainty of it, from the mouth of all thoſe Witneſſes. Of the firſt of which I muſt treat with the greater brevity, becauſe it is not the Deſign of the Apoſtle in this place, to give us an account what the Eternal Life is, which God hath promiſed; but to ſhew that he hath given us an undoubted right to it, and that it is in the power of that Great Lord, whoſe Servants we are by Faith in him, to diſpoſe of it.