all debts and demands whatsoever he can make in order to us according to that of the Apostle Who shall his any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemnes it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God Rom. 8 33 34. Christ being risen and come before his father spotlesse as having done all things intrusted well his father is forced to justifie him and so all the elect in him hence when any layeth charge and challenge to us whether Satan sinne or conscience this obligation is upon God by Christs resurrection to stand up acquit and justifie us who is greater then all that can condemn us yea greater then our own conscience in his justification of us as he is greater then our owne concience in his condemnation of us and this is that which over beareth and over-ruleth all which would overbeare our spirit and our peace This is the life of that Scripture also 1 Cor. 15.7 If Christ be not risen your faith is vain ye are yet in your sinnes Which Scripture sheweth where sinners should take hold to justification in Christ as risen and justified in our person faith should particularly make application of this that I am justified in him and so all my sinnes done away in his acquittance and justification Christ being risen and justified I am justified in him this is the proper motion and exercise of faith in this point I know that my Redeemer lives Jeb takes particular hold of the resurrection of Christ i hold in his own behalfe that he should live also by him And this opens that difficult place of Scripture Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved i. that Christ is risen and acquitted as personating thee The words doe not mean a historicall faith the believing of such a history but an applicatory faith as I mentioned and he that doth thus believe is indeed saved and delivered from the bond and condemnation of his sinnes This will be better strengthened and evidenced by referring it to proper examples Abraham believed in God that quickned the dead saith the Apostle which points first at Isaac and in him to Christ Now what was Abrahams faith in God concerning Isaac meerly that God would raise him and put life againe into him c No his faith was that God would quicken him from the dead and give him again into his bosome to be his heire and his Isaac his laughter joy glory and crown of his family and this sheweth how he believed in Christ whom Isaac typisied that God would quicken him from the dead for him that he would raise Christ and give him into his bosome to be his heire his Isaac his laughter and joy that God would take Christ from the grave and acquit him and Abraham in him or else Abrahams faith in that mystery of Isaac would have been imputed to him for righteousnesse He against hope believed in hope so should we against all that sence Satan can say about our sinnes still believe in God that quickneth the dead that God hath raised and acquitted Christ and therefore me being personated in him And this was Iohs faith concerning Christs resurrection he was not meerly historicall in this point but evangelicall and applicatory as plainly appeareth by his words I know that my Redeemer lives that God quickneth my Isaac from the dead whom I shall see for my self As we are delivered from the guilt of sinne by this that Christ is risen so from the power of sinne Rom. 8.11 therefore is this point I am upon Canaan milke and honey to all the people of God He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies by his Spirit which dwels in us therefore are we debtors not to the flesh to fulsill the lusts thereof but to this quickning spirit by which the deeds of the body are mortified The rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse is in the little world as the rising of the naturall Sunne in the great world that which makes all rise open and revive with it infuseth vigor warmth spirit which makes all the creation renew and give forth fresh glory and verue still And this is the meaning and opening of the Prophet Malachy who useth this very metaphor To you which feare my name shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow up as calves of the stall That Christ is risen shall be to all you that feare Gods name to your diseased infirme ungrowing spirituall condition as the rising of the Sunne upon a debile body that which shall send forth a power spirit and vigor into your soules which shall heale all your diseases and make you full of spirit and springing abundantly Nature is excited by the rising of the Sunne and strengthened to bud blossome and beare Paul was well aware of the great benefit of this point I am now upon as appeareth by his high expression of this matter And what is the excellent greatnesse of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him on his right hand Ephes 1.19 20. You which believe have advantage by the resurrection of Christ to pray for and expect such a power as is exceeding great to work in your soules for the subduing of your sinnes and quickning of you to all good as wrought in Christ when raised and then surely the power of God wrought in height in Christ if ever so farre forth as finite States are capable of the operation of such an infinite power and vertue which is a foundation of singular consolation in order to all our present weaknesse deadnesse and unheavenlinesse and all this vertue promised to be given to such as feare him Such a Sun-shine upon thee O poore Christian Christ being risen as thou art not aware of what glory and vertue healing and growth it will raise thee to Such a Sunne is risen upon thee which will make thee rise and shine every day more and more unto the perfect day which will make thee perfect to every good work to doe his will Now the God of peace which brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight I may adde yet one thing more as consolatory Christ being risen the people of God are delivered not onely from sinne but also from the rigor of duty and obedience Christ being risen that body which he had here is changed and in that sense put away and Christ married to another to a glorisied body and the laying down of this tabernacle and betaking by his resurrection
Christ should be actually given in our nature and die and not be left in grave to perish but be raised to the Throne to do all the works belonging to our eternall salvation Upon this beares the infallible determination of Christs state as the naturall sonne of God and so the messenger indeed of the covenant and no impostor Had not Christ been indeed the naturall Sonne of God his soule had been left in grave i. in Hell he had perisht everlastingly in that undertaking And * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 determined as it were by definitive sentence determined to be the Sonne of God with power according unto the Spirit of holinesse by the Resurrection from the dead Rom. 1.4 Compare this with Act. 13.33 God hath fulfilled the same to us their children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee God cals the day of Christs resurrection the day of his propagation and for this reason because this did as evidently declare and determine him to be the naturall Sonne of God as if but in that day begotten whereas his generation otherwise properly considered was from eternity and ineffable and therefore is it that the Prophet saith Who can declare his generation Christs resurrection determines him infallibly to be the naturall Sonne of God and so God coequall with his Father and a firm foundation of hope in all things wherein appointed of God to be hoped in which is the opening of that 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him doe believe in God which raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God God gave him glory by his resurrection what 's that why gave testimony by this to all that Christ was his own naturall Sonne begotten from eternity and so God coequall with him that so our faith and hope in Christ might be all one for firmnesse as in the Father himselfe being truly God Upon this to wit Christs resurrection beares his installment to Mediatorship and his standing and abiding in that Office upon this principle and therefore it is that the Apostle useth that expression yea rather that he is risen again Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 This is the foundation of his installment and endowment to be head over all and to derive life and conduct and whatsoever else is noble to all the mysticall body And he is head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first-born from the dead that among all he might have the preheminence Col. 1.18 This openeth that Scripture Act. 13.34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead now no more to returne to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Christ being raised upon this is founded his Mediatorship his preheminence in Heaven and Earth and this makes all sure to the seed of his loyns Christ is said in the second Psalm in the day of his resurrection to be begotten and in the first of the Colossians he is said upon the same ground to be borne from the dead One calls his resurrection a generation the other calls it a birth because 't was as both like Isaac's resurrection from his death his father received him from the dead and 't was to him as if he had been again begotten and again born and this last generation and birth rather then the first the foundation of the Covenant for upon this last generation and birth breakes forth the oath and the covenant and all that traine of glory and preferment to Abraham and his seed yea to use the expression of the Apostle upon this rather then upon the first birth Upon this beares and in this is involved the converting vigor of all visible Ordinances the Apostles would not otherwise have been so tender and strict in their place to beare witnesse of and give testimony to this point to wit Christs resurrection in all their ministery nor otherwise would they have found so good successe in the soules of men by beating so much upon this one thing if this one thing had not been a main thing even as all Wherefore of these men which have accompanied with us all the time that the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst us beginning from the baptisme of Iohn to this same day must one be ordained to be witnesse with us of his resurrection Act. 1.22 In which place we see what all the visible ordinances of God are principally to hold out as their and our vigour and life to wit Christ risen from the dead The like Scripture is that Act. 4.33 And with great power gave the Apostles witnesse of the Lord Iesus and observe the effect of this ministery thus pointed and great grace was upon them all Act. 2.36 37. and by both you shall see in what especially is wrapt up the converting vigor of visible ordinances Therefore let all the house of Israel knew assuredly that God hath made the same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ i. raised him up and set him at his right hand Now when they had heard this they were prickt in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we doe Now when they heard this what why that Christ whom they had crucified God had raised and advanced That the Apostles found the vigor of their ministry involved and evolved in by this point is hinted by that in the fourth of the Acts 1 2. And as they spake unto the people the Priests and the Captain of the Temple and the Sadduces came upon them being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Iesus the resurrection from the dead It seemeth this point most prickt the heart and spoiled their party Not only the Apostles found this the piercing poynt of their ministery but also all the Prophets see Act. 26.22 23. Having therefore obtained help of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come that Christ should suffer and that be should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles With this place compare Luke 24.44 Christ to take off the admiration of his Disciples at his reviving and comming againe after death amongst them and sitting and eating with them saith These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me This point is of dread to the ungodly Vse Christ being risen all shall rise for he riseth as a generall
person it is the Apostles argument therefore let none dislike the Logick As in Adam all die so in Christ all shall be made alive 1 Cor. 15.21 Christs resurrection is a seale of the resurrection of all good and bad Nay Christ being risen all shall rise and come to judgement to this height the Apostle carries this point Because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by the man whom he hath appointed whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead Act. 17.31 I collect from the Scripture that Christs resurrection sealeth two things to us that all shall rise and that all shall come to be judged by him And O wicked man how dreadfull will this judgement be to thee 'T is dreadfull for a Christian to be brought now before Christ in the Court of conscience as he sits there and makes that weake part of man to speak against one in his stead as I gather by that of Ioh And dost thou open thine eye upon such a one and bringest me into judgement Job 14.3 and calls man a shadow Man here is indeed but a shadow gone of an instant as flower and yet to bring this shadow into judgement before Christ as he sits in the Court of conscience here O how unsusserably dreadfull it is to a good man but how dreadfull then to a bad but how dreadfull will it to be a wicked man hereafter when brought before Christ personally and in all his glory as Judge of all the world with ten thousand of his Saints as Iude speakes when neither Judge nor Judged a shadow when every wicked man shall be brought in a durable condition and state of body as well as of soule to beare a blow a bruise a wound and the rankling of it in every veine from head to foot to all eternity Severall things lead me to thinke that the great day of Christs judicature will be very dreadfull to all the wicked One because man shall appeare then not as a shadow but as a substance as an everlasting substance to beare the height of Gods displeasure Secondly because his sinnes also shall not then appeare as a shadow Alas 't is but the shadow of sinne that revives and appeareth in conscience now and yet when this resurrection is of the shadow of sinne man dies is feare round about but then sinne in its substance the heart of sinne yea sinne with all its demensions longitude latitude height depth bredth every secret which now no eye sees the bookes shall be then opened and every idle word and idle thought shall be set in order and all the dead stretched out and layd naked before him with whom we have to doe yea and set in order before the soule it selfe and conscience made to say all this is true When there shall be such a resurrection of the dead of all the dead sinnes dead and gone out of memory for many scores of yeeres all together made to revive in conscience at once with all their circumstances of time place and the like in their full strength and Christ by in all his glory and all the Saints and holy Angels seeing all as plainly as the man himselfe these things make me think 't will be then a very dreadull day to all ungodly wretches The Apostle Paul was possest with this thing better by far then I am and laboured to possesse his hearers with it as now I do you Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 What is this terror why the point I am upon read the Verse foregoing For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men Christ being risen all shall rise all men and all their actions good and bad and these shall be proclaimed all over the world at once all over two worlds at once met together this to the wicked will be terrible indeed the very glimpses of this are terrible therefore sure the thing it selfe farre more When Paul reasoned with Faelix about judgement to come Faelix trembled Acts 24.25 When Herod did but thinke that Iohn the Baptist was risen again whom he had murthered how it affrighted him Herod feared Iohn when alive but much more after he arose and lived again Mark 6.15 16. one from the dead is terrible Persons in their resurrection are other persons for majesty and terrour so sinnes in their resurrection are other sinnes for bignesse dread and horror all these meeting will make horripilation in perfection every haire of thy head stare every eye-string stretch and every heart-string twist together and teare and yet no eye shall pity thee of all that innumerable company of just men made perfect that then shall appeare and sit upon thee Let no wile cause you to evade the weight of things And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said we will heate thee again of this matter Acts 17.32 Doe not in your hearts scoffe at this truth though weakly held out unto you doe not put farre from you the evill day doe not in your hearts deny the resurrection or say it is past already as Hymenens and Phyletus who overthrew the faith of some and their words did eat as a canker 2 Tim. 2.8 Thus doe some men now who tell us that the resurrection is past and they introduced into a new world and the day of judgement past making things of the greatest substantialitie Doct. allegories chimeras and fancies but now see Christians by this which hath been said that these temptations are not small and light they overthrow that which is the main foundation of mans salvation Many others there are which though Historicall believers of this truth yet believe not that such things beare upon it as I thinke that great man was one of which we read Acts 26.25 26 27. I am not mad most noble Festus but speak forth the words of truth and sobernesse for the King knoweth of these things before whom also I speake freely for I am perswaded that none of those things are hidden from him for this thing was not done in a corner c. a man is judged a mad man when he presseth upon great men especially great and weighty points This point also is much for the consolation of all the children of Christ Vse 2 Christ being risen we are delivered from the obliging power of sinne Christ was delivered for our effences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4.25 As the end of Christs death was to satisfie so the end of his resurrection is to justifie to give testimony before God Angels Men and Divels that he hath gone through all in our stead and person well and to demand an acquittance from God in our name for