Then they also which are fallen a sleep in Christ are perished If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable ver 18.19 Whereas on the contrary if we be established in these points That there shall be a resurrection And that Christ is the Author and efficient of it then it followes That Jesus is the Christ the son of God which should come into the world And that whosoever believeth in him shall never die As will farther appear in the handling of the second doctrinall observation to which now I come and it is this Such as do sincerly believe in Christ are the only proper and adequate Subject of the resurrection and the life Or Such as do sincerely believe in Christ are they and they only who by the power of Christ are or shall be raised from death to life spiritual and eternall I do not say that believers are the only adequate subject of the resurrection Dan. 12.2 13 as if none should rise but they The wicked shall rise also but to the resurrection of condemnation But I say that belivers are the only proper and adequate subject of the resurrection and the life or of the resurrection to life spirituall and eternall He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life The hour is comming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the son of man shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life Joh. 5.24 28 29. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh 6.40 They and only they shall rise and die no more whosoever believeth in me shall never die Joh. 11.26 Only such as have a part in the first resurrection are they over whom the second death shall have no power Rev. 20.6 Because they only have received that immortall seed and principle of spirituall and eternall life He that believeth on him that sent me hath ever lasting life and shall not come into condemntion but is passed from death to life Joh. 5.24 2 Because of their near relation to God They that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead cannot die any more for they are equall unto the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection Luk. 20.35 36. 3 Because of their near relation unto Jesus Christ they are members of his body being ingrafted into him by faith and therefore they shall rise with him Jsa 26.19 With my body shall they arise Whence they are said to be begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1.3 And if we believe saith the Apostle that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thes 4.14 They only are given of God the father unto Jesus Christ And this saith he is the will of the father which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day Joh. 6.39 Which he will do accordingly v. 40 44. 4 They only have attained to that grace which sets all other means on worke and renders them effectuall and that is faith which is that grace which is the resurrection of the soul and in a â—ort enlivens the soul gives life unto the life Though not of it self but by vertue of its object which is Jesus Christ â—aith is the vessel by which we draw water but of the wells of salvation the conduit pipe by which we conveigh home to out own souls that life which is in Christ This point is of use to informe us Use 1 1 Who they are alone to whom Jesus Christ is the resurrection and life and they are only believers 2 What it is alone that makes any one capable of an interest in the resurrection and the life by Christ and that is faith 3 What we must be if we will have Christ to be such even the resurrection and the life to us we must be believers We must be ingrafted into Christ by faith we must be members of his body if we will be partakers of of his resurrection We must be in covenant with him and to that end we must by true and unfained repentance breake off and dissanull our covenant with sin and that with Loathing and abhorrency as that which will infallibly hinder and dissolve all union and communion between Christ and our souls We must also by a ready chearfull and sincere obedience serve and glorify God in whom we professe to believe If we be believers indeed we must evidence it by our living the life of faith even by adding works to our faith Gal. 5.6 Jam. 2.17 c. it must be a faith working by love Faith without workes is dead shew me thy faith by thy works Use 2 This is a word of terror unto unbelievers In asmuch as they may know from hence that they have neither part nor lot in this matter Non dicitur de mortuis lege naturae separatione animae accorporis sed de his qui pecato mortui sunt Hieron in Isaias c. 26 1 Jesus Christ is not the resurrection and the life to them They are dead they shall notlive they are diseased they shall rise all their memory shall perish Isa 26.14 They are dead in their sins and continuing such they cannot live the life of grace shall not live the life of glory He will indeed raise them up again but it will be only as a judge calling them out of their graves as Malefactors out of their prisons to appear before him to receive their sentence only as hath been said to the resurrection of condemntion Joh. 5.29 Where by unbelievers I do not understand only Jews and Heathens Turks and such like infidels which never made a profession of the name of Christ But also such as though they professe that they know God yet in their works deny him And even of such the Apostle saith that they are abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1.16 These may be Christians in name and outward profession but unbelievers yea worse then infidels in deed To such I may spake in the words of the prophet Amos ch 5.18 Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light even very dark and no brightnesse in it And as another prophet speaketh in a like case The mighty man shall cry there bitterly That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wasting and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thick darkness Zeph. 1.14 15. But alas many
absolute power in it and over it Obser 5 Rightly to be informed in and to be affected with the doctrin of the resurrection and the life and of Christs power in it is of especiall use to comfort the sorrowfull and mourning friends of such as die in the faith 3 Whereas Jesus Christ doth take occasion to moderate and improve Martha's mourning over her brothers dead body and her desire of having it raised up again to life temporall to minde her of the true and effectuall meanes of quickning and raising up her own dead soul to life spirituall and eternall Obser 6 When any are apt to exceed in mourning over their friends dead body wishing it might be restored again to life temporall It is seasonable to mind them of the most effectuall meanes of raising up their own dead souls to life spiritual and eternal The words of the text are few but fruitfull I may compare them to those few loaves and fishes which in the hands of the disciples seemed unto them by much too little to satisfy so many thousand hungry stomacks as then stood in need of refreshment But being blessed and broken by Christ they multiply so exceedingly that they become enough for all and to spare In like maner these words of Christ lookt upon with a carnal eie or as only in the hands of a man what are they among so many that every one should have his portion But if Christ by his spirit do blesse and dispense them in the way of his ordinance they will multiply and be enough for all Yea such is the nature of this food that every one may carry away the whole and yet never a one have ever the lesse To each of the observations I shall speake particularly but very briefly The first is this Obser 1 Jesus Christ is the author of the resurrection and the life Or Jesus Christ is the author and efficient cause both of the resurrection of the body and of the life both spirituall and eternall 1 That he is so is manifest in the text and therefore needs not any farther proof neither shall I adde any more but only this that we have Jesus Christ asserting his power and efficiency in the resurrection four several times in one and the same chapter viz. Joh. 6.39 40 44 54. and in the life both spirituall and eternall no lesse John 5.21 22 24 25 26. 2 How he is so I shall shew in these particulars 1 Jesus Christ is the author and efficient cause of the resurrection and the life as he is God not excluding the father or the spirit For it is said that the father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them Joh. 5.21 1 Cor. 6.14 And also that the spirit raiseth and quickneth the dead Rom. 8.11 The father by the son and through the spirit 2 Cor. 4.14 Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa As he is the judge of the world so he is the resurrection both of the elect and reprobate Joh. 5.27 28. Even as the opening of the prison dores and the bringing forth of the prisoners is by the power and authority of the Judge So the opening of the graves and the raising of the dead is by the power and authority of Jesus Christ 3 As mediatour and so he is the author of the resurrection and the life of believers only And that 1 By his merit 1 Cor. 15 21 22. since by man came death that is by the merit of mans sin even by the sin of the first Adam By man came also the resurrection of the dead that is by the merit of the righteousnesse of Christ who is the second Adam 2 By his efficacy power and virtue whereby he quickneth whom he will He shall change our vile body Joh. 5.21 that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself Phil. 3.21 3 By inchoation Christ is risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept 1 Cor. 15.20 that is of believers Christ is to believers as the firsts fruit to all the rest of the fruits be and therefore if all the fruits sanctified through the Sanctification of the first fruits then so shall all believers be raised by the resurrection of Christ The use of this point is to confirm our faith in the doctrin of the Godhead of Christ None can raise the dead of himself and in his own name and by his own power but God only And hence by his raising up of himself he is said to have been declared to be the son of God with power Rom. 1.4 And this was one of those signes by which he evidenced himself to be the Christ to John's disciples Math. 11.5 in that by him the dead were raised up And as the resurrection of the dead is one of those principles or fundamentalls of the doctrine of Christ which are most necessary for all Christians to know and believe Hebr. 6.1 2. So to know and believe that Christ is the author or principall efficient cause of it is no lesse the duty of all that professe to believe Jesus Christ to be the son of God which is another article of our faith And therefore to the end that Jesus Christ might fully confirm Martha in the faith of his Godhead he thoroughly instructs her concerning his power and efficency in the resurrection which if she should receive she must also necessarily believe him to be God And accordingly it followes when Christ puts her to the question ver 26. Believest thou this she readily answers ver 27. Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the son of God The truth is the doctrin of the resurrection is a difficult point Durius creditur resurrectio carnis quam una divinitas saith Tertulians That is the rection of the body is harder to be believed thence it is saith he that hereticks commonly begin l. de resurrectione carnis p. 46. n. 2. with the resurrection of the body and thence having shaken the hope of the resurrection they ascend at length to the questioning of the Deity Which is the reason he gives for his dealing first with that subject That so the saithfull being Sufficiently confirmed in this they might be the better grounded in all the rest As if they should be weakned in this they would be doubtfull in all the rest Fiducia christianorum ibid. p. 45. resurrectio mortuorum saith the same Author The hope of a christian is the resurrection of the dead Tolle spem resurrectionis resoluta est observantia omnis pietatis Chrisostom in Mat. 22. Take away the hope of the resurrection and all esteem of religion is vain If there be no resurrection of the dead saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. then is Christ not risen if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain and ye are yet in your sins ver 13. c.
yea too many are apt to deceive themselves saying that they do believe and repent and obey too and that they do many things and that they are better then many other men are Thus the Pharises Luk. 18. He can say God I thank thee I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publicane And he did many good things too and yet he did but deceive himself In like manner Saul can meet Samuel with a great deal of confidence and say blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the commandment of the Lord 2 Sam. 15.13 yea Samuel hath much a do to convince him He stands to it v. 20. Yea. saith he I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me When as all the while he was in the very way of rebellion and stubbornesse ver 23. And are there not many who have far lesse to say for their works and yet can boast much more of their faith and though their words be never so evil and their communication never so corrupt and their actions never so vile yeâ— they can blesse themselves and thank God they have a very good heart and a strong faith and are as good christians and as sound believers as the best And what is this but as Mr. Shepard rightly calls it a bramble faith Sound believers p. 72. which indeed layes hold upon Christ but as the bramble doth upon our skin it only pricks and Scratcheth him causing nothing but reproach to his name and grief to his spirit Rom. 2.24 Phil. 3.18 19. And what will be the end of such deceit but as the Aposile saith destruction to them that trust to it Use 2 Lastly unto such as are true believers indeed this is a word of unspeakable and endlesse comfort Christ is the resurrection and the life to them All that ever he hath done or suffered hath been for them That he took on him the form of a servant and humbled himself to the death of the crosse was laid in the grave and for a time continued under the power of death That he rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high Whatever he was in his humiliaton whatever he hath been or is in his exaltation he hath been and he is wholy for believers For their sakes saith Jesus Christ I sanctify my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth Joh. 17.19 For their sakes I sanctify my self i.e. Offero me tibi in sanctam victimam Chrisost homil 81. Piscator in loc I offer my selfe an holy sacrifice And by once offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 For their sakes it is hat he ever liveth making intercession for them Heb. 7.25 So that whatsoever times or changes may come they are sure it shall go well with them Even when there shall be signes in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distresses of Nations with perplexity as the sea and the waves roaring Luk. 21.25 When the sun shall become as sackcloath of hair and the moon shall become as blood And the stars of heaven shall fall unto the earth even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken with a mighty wind When the heavens shall passe away like a Scroule and the element shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein will be burnt up And every mountain and Island shall be moved out of their places And mens hearts shall fail them for fear And the Kings of the earth and he great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond man and every freeman shall â—ide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains And shall say to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide 〈◊〉 from the face of him that sitteth on the â—hrone and from the wrath of the lamb â—et saith Jesus Christ unto believers when â—e shall see the son of man coming in a â—loud with power and great glory Even â—hen these things begin to come to passe â—â—en look up and lift up your heads for your â—edemption draweth nigh Luk. 21.28 â—ehold the day cometh that shall burn as â—oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch But unto you that fear my name shall the son of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4.1 2 This is the portion of believers and of them alone a stranger doth not intermeddle with their joy To them only is Jesus Christ the resurrection and the life and to them he is so be their condition what it will He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Which brings me to the third point of doctrine raised from the Amplification of Christs power from the extent of it He can and will raise them be their condition never so desperate Though he were dead yet shall he live Obser 3 The power of raising of believers unto life spirituall and eternall in all the degrees of it is so fully and absolutly in the hands of Christ that nothing can hinder him from raising of them when he will All power saith Jesus Christ is given unto me in heaven and in earth Matth. 28.18 That is An absolute and supreme authority over all things both in heaven and earth is committed to the hands of Jesus Christ as he is mediatour for the good of his Church And if all power in heaven and earth be in the hands of Christ then he may do what he will in heaven and earth nothing can let him 1 He can remove all hinderances If any thing could hinder Jesus Christ from raising of believers unto life erernall death and hell would do it but these cannot I have the Keyes of hell and of death saith Jesus Christ Rev. 1.18 By his having of the keyes understand the power and authority of his office he hath the chief authority and command over these And these are the greatest and most powerfull enemies of believers Death is the king of terrours And Hell is the second death even death Job 18.14 eternal the utmost issue and effect of sin which is the sting of death Moreover death and hell are comprehensive viles they contain under them al the miseries of this life and of that which is to come if at least it may be lawfull to call in life weakness and sickness in the body shame and reproach to the name losses in the estate crosses in relations grief and vexation in the mind and lastly the separation of the soul from the body and of both from God and to be given up to the worm that never dieth and to the fire that never
God of Israel it is not forgotten Be you therefore perswaded to be alwayes doing of more good your selves lest you should be found guilty of the same neglect you condemn in others And intreat the Lord with all earnestness that whereever he gives a large estate he would also give a large heart or else it is but in vain for us to looke for a large hand I hope that which hath been spoken may be of some use for the support of such as are mourning over their dead But yet if any shall exceed the last observation raised from the text relatively considred may be of some advantage to them Which is this When any are apt to exceed in mourning over their friends dead body wishing it might be restored again to life temporal It is seasonable to mind them of the most effectual meanes of raising up their own dead souls unto life spiritual and eternal Thus dealt Jesus Christ with Martha here she is ever minding and speaking of the death of her brother and of the raising up of his body And Christ takes her off to a more serious and profitable consideration of the spirituall and in some respect dead estate of her own soul and of the meanes of quickning and raising it up to the perfection of life spiritual and eternal And believe it this is the greatest concernment we have to look after even the resurrection of our souls and to that end we are to lay hold upon Christ by faith which is the only means of raising up and quickning dead souls He that live and believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this saith Jesus Christ to Martha Thou hearest that Christ is the resurrection of the body from death temporall and of death spiritual and eternall and that he that believeth in him shall never die but doest thou believe Believest thou this What would it have availed Martha if Christ should have raised up Lazarus his dead body frow the grave and have left her own foul to lie dead in sin And what would it availe us if Christ should now raise our dead friend to life temporall and not raise our dead souls unto life eternall Let us stirre up our selves to take hold on God let us live the life of faith and we shall be so far from being over grieved at the death of our friend that we shall joyfully entertain our own We shall be as willing to leave the world as the tired mariner is to leave the sea after he hath been spent with the tediousness of a long dangerous voyage after he hath passed many a painfull day and tedious night and bitter storme with much longing expexctation and yet sees no land If at length he once more comes within ken of that his whished shore how is he then ready to leap for joy and to cry out with him in the poet Italiam Italiam primus conclamat Achates Virg. Aneid l. 3. Oh my friends my companions be of good chear behold I see I see that so long lookt for and desired shore Behold yonder is the place of our rest the habitation of our parents and wives and children and kinred and friends It seems to me as if I saw how they rejoyce at our arrivall Oh slack not but hast that we may be in their bosomes Even so is it with the dying believer he is come within sight of heaven and is ready to cry out with Steven even then when his enraged enemies were round about him and that cut to the heart and gnashing on him with their teeth He can then cry out and say looking up stedfastly unto heaven Behold I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing on the right hand of God How willing and cheerfull is he to bid the troublesom inconstant and envious world adieu being now ready to enter into that haven of rest the armes of his saviour Let us be sound and stedfast in the faith let us be servent in charity constant lively and a bounding even to the full assurance of hope Let us live in a conscionable and cheerfull exercise of every grace and let patience have her perfect work for asmuch as we know in so doing our labour will not be in vain in the Lord. This will evidence that we have our part in the first resurrection and blessed and holy are such for over them the second death shall have no power FINIS Curteous READER These bookes following are printed for and sold by Edward Prwster at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1661. MR. Elton his Commentary on the 7.8 9. Chap. of the Romans foll Mr. Hildersham his 108. Lectures on 4th Iohn foll Mr. Hildersham his Lectures on 51. Psal foll Mr. Georg Newton his Commentary on Iohn 17. foll Dr. Iermium on all the Proverbs foll Bp. Williams his right way to the best Religion wherein at large is explayned the principle heads of the Gospel foll The Largest Church Bible foll Mr. Pryns Hidden works of darknesse brought to light foll Mr. Ball his Treatise of the nature and life of faith 4. Mr. Ball his larg and small Catt 8. Mr. Bonthams Christian conflict Mr. Baxter of Crucifying the world by the crosse of Christ 4. Dr. Burges several select sermons preched before the Parliament 4. A collection of several select sermons preched before the Parliament 4. Mr. Cawdrey of the Inconsistency of the Independent way with Scripture and its self 4. Mr. Cawdrey he Answers to G. Firmium about Baptisme The Agreement of the associated Ministers of Essex and Chester Canans Calamity or the destruction of of Ierusalem 4. Mr. Coohe learned Treatise of Babtisme 4. Mr. Collye of the Salbate and against free admission to the sacrament severall sermons of Mr. Paul Baycon Mr. Barlowes guid to Glory 4. Mr. Calvin on Ieremiah 4. Mr. Negus of faith and obediance 4. Mr. Ienkins sermons 4. Mr. Ienkins his answer to Iohn Goodwin 4. Mr. Gattaker against Lilly 4. Galleni Opuscula Varia Annotonic 4. Spelinam consilia foll Spelinam Psalterium Saxonicum 4. Mr. Geree against Anababtists 4. Mr. Josselynes state of the Saints departed Gods cordiall to comfort the Saints remaining a live 8. Mr. Randoll on 8th Romans 4. Mr. Randoll on the Church 4. Dr. Hollidayes Motives to a good life in ten sermons 4. Mr. Rutherfords divine right of Church Government 4. Dr. Potter of the Number 666. 4. There is now in the presse a book entituled Fides Catholica or a vindication of the Church of England c. by Mr. William Annand Minister of Gods word at Leighton in Bedford-shere