1 By the resurrection 2 By the life 3 How Christ is said to be the resurrection and the life 2 In the opening of the second proposition I shall shew 1 Who it is that Christ meanes by these words he that believeth in me 2 How he that believeth in him shall live 3 In the opening the words whereby the power of Christ in raising of the dead is amplified I shall shew what is meant by these words though he were dead yet shall be live First the resurrection is somtimes taken in the Scripture figurativly What is ment by resurrection Ro. 6.4 5 Eph. 2.5 6 5.14 Colos 3. 1 Rev. 20.6 Rivet in Psal 16. p. 120 Rom. 6.4 Resurrectio prima est transitus a morte peccati ad vitam gratiae Sixtus Senens Biblioth Sanct. l. 6. Annot. 347. est spiritualis omnium salvandorum ex morte peccati reviviscentia Pareus in loc Mortuorum resurrectio dicitur Mortuorum itaque vocabulo non est nisi quod amisit animam de cujus facultate vivebat Corpus est quod amittit animam et amittendo fit mortuum ita mortui vocabulum corpori competit Porro si resurrectio mortui est mortuum autem non aliud est quam corpus corporis erit resurrectio Resurrectio est ejus quod cecidit Tortullian adversus Marcion l. 5. p. 308. 309. n. 17. edit Basil 1562. Caâ—o est quae moâ—te subruitur ut exinde a cadendo cadavere enuncielu Resurrectio caducae rei est i.e. carnis Idem carnis resur de l. p. 56 57. n. 14. for the raisin again of the soul from the death of sin to the life of grace which is called a passing from death to life Joh. 5.24 This is called the first resurrection which is nothing else but regeneration the efficient cause where of is Jesus Christ and this is only of the elect And it is also taken properly for the raising up of the body which was fallen by death And yet not of the body without the soul Anima est quae corpus 〈…〉 but as death doth dissolve that union and conjunction which is between the soul and the body so the resurrection shall restore it whence it is also called a regeneration Mat. 19.28 Piscat in loc Musc in Ps 2. p. 22.6 Bâ—cause as in the first birth a man 〈◊〉 brought forth consisting both of soul anâ— body so in the resurrection which is as another birth he shall be raised uâ— an intire man consisting both of soul anâ— body Briefly The resurrection properâ—â— taken is a supernaturall act of God whereby the same soul is reunited 〈◊〉 the same body to the end that the same person even the same intire man may be presented in the day of judgment to receive the rewards or punishment of his forepassed life Job 19.26 27â— 2 Cor. 5.10 This also is twofold according to the differing condition of the persons that are to be raised up The hour is comming in the which all that are in thâ— grave shall hear his voice and shaâ—â— come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation Joh. 5.28 29. By which iâ— appears that of the resurrection thuâ— properly taken Jesus Christ is also the author and efficient Secondly by The life we are to understand principally life spirituall and eternall together with all the degrees of it from its beginning in grace to its perfecting in glory in that it is such a life as is the fruit and consequent of faith as he immediatly expounds it when he saith He that believeth in me shall live never die This is indeed the life by way of excellency whereof Christ alone is the fountain and spring when he is called the Prince of life Act. 3.15 he that hath life in himself and from whom it is derived unto others who by faith draw it from him as water from a fountain According to that of Paul Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God All mankind by nature are in an estate of death and no one of them is put into an estate of life Calvin but he that is risen from the dead none can rise from the dead but by him who is the resurrection none can live but by him who is the life He that hath the son hath life and he that hath not the son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 In a word the life here spoken of is chiefly life spiritual and eternal begun in grace and to be perfected in glory unto which life there is no true way but by him who is the way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 And thus you have heard what we are to understand by the resurrection and what by the life In the third place I am to shew how Christ is the resurrection and the life And I find it expressed by a learned author somewhat to this effect Christ Lanc in colos 3. as God is the resurection and the life properly and efficiently As man and as he hath died for our offences and was raised again for our justification so he is the resurrection and the life materially Cartw. Harm in loc as mediator and so he is the resurrection and the life formally even in and by whom they rise and live As he is the head of the body the Church so he is the life of the members by which they are raised from the dead and are alive unto God and do live the life of God that is the life of grace here and shall at last with him also live the life of glory When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Colos 3.4 To speake a little more particularly to the words Whereas he saith I am the resurrection and the life Singula verba emphatica Sunt Every word hath its force I and not another nor by prayer to another nor by the power of another but of my self and by mine own power I am not I have been or I shall be but I am This is a manner of speakeing which is most proper unto God who is ever the same and by thus speaking he would have us to know that it is alwayes in his power to do it when he will by whom he will and as he pleaseth For as the father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the son quickneth whom he will Joh. 5.21 He speakes in the present tense time past is not and time to come is not yet Tempus praesens est tantum tempus Time hath no being but at present I am the resurrection more Hebraeorum aftes the manner of the Hebrews He useth the abstract for the concrete but in an active sense As when the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made unto us wisdom and
goeth out Now thy dominion over these is in the hands of Jesus Christ he hath them all in his power and at his dispose He hath vanquished all these enemies and triumphed over them And by death destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil And delivered them who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage Heb. 2.14 15. He hath led captivity captive And he must raign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor. 15.25 He shall have a full and absolute conquest over them They shall be so thoroughly subdued that they shall never rise again 2 As he can remove all hinderances and oppositions that nothing may resist him So he can command all helps furtherance what ever may be requisite He can command the sea to give up the dead that are in it and death and hell to deliver up the dead that are in them Rev. 20.13 even with more ease and better successe then a conquerour can command his captives that are at his mercy He can give power to all meanes that they shall be effectuall if he speake but the word it shall be done By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth and all power both in heaven and earth is in his hands as was shewed even now And if this be so that the power of raising of believers from death to life spirituall and eternall be so fully and absolutly in the hands of Jesus Christ then how much doth this commend and magnify the priviledge and happinesse of believers He that is their Lord and Master their brother and friend head and husband who is so inseparably and unchangably theirs and hath loved them better then his own life hath all things in his own power life and death both temporal and eternall are in his hands and he can dispose of them at his pleasure so that they may boast and glory in this saying with the Psalmist He that is our God is the God of salvation Ps 68.20 And I may say unto every believer as the women said unto Neomy Blessed be the Lord which hath not left thee this day whithout a kinsman who shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life and a nourisher of thine old age for thy daughter in law which loveth thee which is better to thee then seven sonnes hath born him And blessed be God for Jesus Christ whom he hath given unto thee and who hath loved thee better then his own life behold even he it is that hath the power in his own hands to be the restorer of thy life yea the raiser of thee up unto eternal life And it is better that it is in the hands of Christ then in the hands of any friend in the world were there but such a power put into the hands of a father or brother or kinsman or friend we should be apt to rejoyce in it and to esteem it a great priviledge and yet it is possible they might faile us But it is impossible that Christ should faile Yea it is better then if it were in our own hands for had we such a priviledge and were but left to the liberty of our wills as Adam was we should be as apt to commit a forfeiture as he was And therefore that the foundetion of God might stand sure and that the Lord might know who are â—is He hath reserved it in a surer hand God hath raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power 1 Cor. 6.14 and 2 Cor. 4.14 But here it may be Questioned that if there be such a full and absolute power in the hands of Christ of raising up believers when he please and that to life spiritual and eternal in respect of all the degrees of it even a full power of raising them up from the death of sin to the life of grace and of recovering them after all their relapses the raising them up to higher degrees and at last to raise them from death naturall to life eternall and from the grave to glory Quest 1 1 Why should Jesus Christ suffer so many of those whom the farther hath given him to lye so long dead in their sins before he raise them up to live the life of grace Quest 2 2 Why should it be so long ere he raise them up to perfection in grace Quest 3 3 Why should he suffer the bodies of believers which are holy the temples of the holy ghost and members of his own body to lie so long in their graves to corrupt and putrify and that there should be no difference between the condition of the believer and unbeliever neither that their dust shall be capable of being distinguished the one from the others For answer unto these though there were no other reason to be given but this in generall that it is the will and good pleasure of God to have it so yet that were sufficient to set bounds to our curiosity in inquiring after the reasons of his dispensations But yet it may be farther said though all that I shall adde will be in order to the better understanding of that Ans 1 To the first That Jesus Christ doth suffer many of those whom the father hath given him to lie long dead in their sins before he raiseth them up unto the life of grace I answer first Negatively 1 He doth not do so by all some are sanctified and raised up in the very womb 〈◊〉 1.15 Jer. 1.5 and from the womb Some in their youth and some not untill they are ready to drop into the grave 2 That he raiseth up some sooner or more early then others doth not proceed from any worthiness that is in one more then another either in respect of birth that one is born of better and more gracious parents then another or that one hath had better education then the other or that the one hath better natural or acquired parts or hath had better means or opportunities or naturally had better inclinations to be wrought upon Manasseh the son of good Hezekiah who in all likelihood as he had the priviledge to be born of a very Sincere and gracious father who doubtlesse was not wanting in the duty of a father either in precepts example or prayers besides other good meanes were not wanting neither for any thing that appears did he want parts to apprehend and approve them And yet we see it was long ere he was raised up Josiah the son of wicked Amon in a worse time and under lesse means and yet he is raised up betimes 2 Chron. 34.3 3 I answer affirmatively It is 1 To manifest the liberty and power of his own will in the dispensation of his grace It is in his power to do with his own as he please Neither have they that were called in at the first hour reason to boast of themselves or to envy at
others that come in after them that they are made equal unto them Nor they that are raised up as it were in the last hour cause to murmur that they had not a more early call Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawfull saith he for me to do what I will with mine own 2 To magnify the exceeding riches of his goodness in his for bearance long-suffering untill the sinner hath filled up the measure of his iniquity and is become in a manner ripe for judgment and when in mans apprehension nothing was to be lookt for but that the reward of his hands should be given him As who would ever have thought having seen Manasseh acting over all those horâ—id abominations 1 King 21 Idolatries witchcrafts murthers with all their severall aggravations even to an obstinate resisting 2 Cron. 33 10 and rejecting the means which were vouchsafed him for his reformation that yet the Lord should retain any thoughts of mercy and grace towards such an Apostate And that even then he should cause a spirit of light and life to enter into him and to raise him up by a sound and thorough repentance and to cause him to live the life of grace This must needs be to the praise of the glory of his grace and to provoke men Gal. 1.24 to glorify God in them and to cry out O the depth of the riches not only of the wisdom and knowledg of God as the Apostle in another case but also of the bounty and love of God our Saviour Ro. 11.33 not unto the wise and prudent not unto the righteous or just which need no repentance Psa 68.18 Tit. 3.3 4 5 But to the rebellious also to the foolish and disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another Act. 9.1 Even while they are yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Saints Surely may they say it is not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy that he saveth us Quest 2 To the second question why it is so long ere he raise up believers to perfection in grace seeing it is in his power to give them perfection as soon as a being 1 It may be answerd that it is not through any defect on Christs part but through the incapacity of the subject Christ by one offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 that is he hath done all that was required on his part for the perfecting of them by the merit and efficacy of his death he hath purchased for them and bestowed upon them reconciliation with God remission of sins the purification of their consciences and eternall redemption But such is the incapacity of the subject that is of believers in respect of that masse of corruption that is allwayes resisting of the workings of Christ by the spirit that it will not suddenly be subdued There are many graces to be exercised and improved which cannot be perfected on a sudden knowledge and faith and Love and hope and patience must have time to grow in The spirituall man as well as the naturall hath different estates to be passed thorough an estate of infancy and childhood before a full stature A child though of never so able and learned a teacher cannot presently be made a perfect Schollar it is a work of time The master may have much to communicate but he must be content to waite the time till the Scholar be able to receive it I have many things to say unto you saith Jesus Christ to his disciples but ye cannot bear them now Joh. 16.12 I could not speake unto you brethren as unto spiritual but as unto carnall 1 Cor. 3.1 2 Hebr. 5.11 12 13 14. even unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able 2 The ordinary way of Christs working is in the use of meanes Now the meanes by which he raiseth up the elect from the death of sin to the life of grace are his ordinances which he hath also appointed Rom. 10 14.1 Cor. 1.21 1 Pet. 2.3 2.2 Ephes 4.11 12 13 Col. 1.28 for their building up unto perfection which they in time attaine unto by the effectuall working of his spirit Whereas should they be as soon perfected as they are regenerated many prophesies promises and institutions of Christ in his word would remain unaccomplished and uselesse 3 Jesus Christ doth take the more time 2 Tim. 3.16 17. for the raising up of believers unto perfection That he may have the better oportunities for the glorifying of â—he wisdome and power of the truth â—nd faithfullnesse and of the patience â—nd goodnesse of God The Lord could as soon have given â—nto the children of Israel the possession of the land of Cannan as the promise of it Act. 13.18 but chose rather to delay them for a long time in Egypt And to suffer their manners forty years in the wildernesse that he might get him honour by the destruction of his enemies and preservation of his people In like manner though he could as suddenly perfect as regenerate believers yet he takes more time that he may the more advance his own name in the manifestation of his speciall providence over them and in the better preparing them for glory Quest 3 To the third question it may be an 〈…〉 1 That the Lord pleased to 〈◊〉 the members of his mystical body to he so long in their graves even untill the number of their brethren be fullfilled that the members may be perfected together Such is the answer which is given by the Lord himself to them that were slayn for the word of God and for the testimony which they held when they cryed with a loud voice saying How long Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth And it was said unto them that they should rest for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fullfilled Rev. 6.9 10 11. 2 They are suffered to rot and putrifie and to be turned into dust and to be mingled without distinction That the power of God may be the more manifested in their resurrection and because the time of setting a difference between the righteous and the wicked is not till then vid. Petr. Martyr iâ—â— 2 Reg. c. 4. f. 280. B. I have done with the observations arising from the text absolutely considered I come now unto those which have been raised from it as considered with relation to the context The first whereof being the fourth in order is taken from the words as they containe a doctrine delivered and asserted by Jesus Christ for the correcting and curing of Marthas ignorance and errour concerning his almighty power and Godhead Whence we have observed that