therefore a Divine Faith must be an Assent to a Divine Testimony that is to the Word of God contained in the Holy Scriptures But now if this Faith rest only in a bare and naked Assent to the Truth of Divine Revelation it is but Historical and Dogmatical which though it be a Divine Faith in respect of the Objects believed yet is it but Humane and Natural in respect of its Principle and Motives But when this Assent to the Truths of the Scripture is joined with proportionable Affections to those Truths and doth excite us to Actions conformable to the Discoveries of the Divine Will there this Faith is Justifying and Saving And certainly this is not so very distant from Obedience as to be thought hardly reconcileable with it As for Instance A Man may give a bare Assent to this great gospel-Gospel-Truth that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners and yet this Faith may not save him because it may be unoperative and pass no farther than the Act of the Understanding This is a dead Faith which can never bring any Man to Heaven yea such a Faith as the very Devils and Damned Jam. 2.19 Spirits in Hell have who believe and tremble Another Man believes the same Truth and assents to the same Proposition but this his Assent influenceth his Affections and governs his Actions in Conformity to the Nature and Consequences of such a Belief And because he is assured that Jesus Christ came into the World to be the Saviour of it therefore he loves him trusts in him relies upon him hopes in his Promises and obeys his Commands And this indeed What Saving Faith is is a true Saving Justifying Faith for Saving Faith is a firm Assent unto the Truths of God revealed in the holy Scriptures working in us proportionable Affections and Actions He who so believes the Glory of Heaven as to have his Endeavours thereby quickned to use his utmost Diligence for the obtaining of it He who so believes the Torments of Hell as thereby to be terrified from doing any thing that might expose him to so great and fearful a Condemnation He who so believes the Attributes of God as thereby to be excited to fear him for his Greatness to love him for his Goodness to imitate him in his Bounty Purity and Holiness He who so believes the All-sufficiency Merits and Mediatory Office of Jesus Christ as thereby to be engaged with all his Soul to love him to trust in him to rely upon him alone for Salvavation and to yield to him all sincere Obedience as the Law requires such an ones Faith is Saving and Justifying So that you see there is no such Discord between Faith and Works as some would imagine for that Faith that saves us must work by Love Gal. 5.6 and those Works which capacitate us for Salvation must be the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 as it is called Rom. 16.26 Use Now What is the End of all this but to press you to true practical Holiness and a strict Obedience to the Commandments of God If I should go from one Person to another and ask you one by one Do you hope to be saved Where is the Man that would not testifie the Confidence of his Hopes by his Disdain at the Question Yea but remember that Salvation is a litigious Claim and you have a powerful Adversary that puts in a strong Plea against you even the Justice of God and his Eternal Wrath and Vengeance whose Title to us were it but better weighed and considered would wofully stagger the Hopes of most Men and make their Faces gather Blackness and smite their Hearts with Amazement and their Knees with Trembling In a Matter of such infinite Importance it highly concerns us to examine our Right and Title and to peruse and try our Evidences lest at the Day of Trial we be cast in our Suit and pay dreadful Damages unto the Justice of God Only those who do God's Commandments have this Right to the Tree of Life Christ hath indeed purchased Salvation for all Heb. 5.19 but he is the Author of Salvation only to those who obey him as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Heb. 2.14 And Without Holiness no Man shall ever see the Lord. The Inheritance is indeed purchased but where are your Evidences of your Heirship Sirs flatter not your selves with any vain Conceits of the Mercy of the Gospel in prejudice to the Authority of the Law The Commandments are the Statute-Law of God's Kingdom the Gospel is his Court of Chancery but neither Justice nor Equity will relieve those who have not done their utmost to observe his Statute-Law and therefore those who indulge themselves in their Sloth and wilful Neglect both of what they ought and might have done do but deceive their Souls with vain Hopes they have no Right to the Eternal Inheritance but their Portion must for ever be with Dogs and Swine without the holy City into which no unclean thing shall ever enter And if any think this Legal Preaching let mine ever be so THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST A SERMON PREACHED ON EASTER-DAY FROM ACTS II. XXIV BY EZEKIEL HOPKINS Late Lord Bishop of London-Derry LONDON Printed for Nathanael Ranew at the King's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1691. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST c. ACT. 2.24 Whom God hath raised up having loosed the Pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it CHristian Religion is founded upon such mysterious and supernatural Truths Introduction and the Principles of it are so paradoxal to the received Opinions of Mankind that the greatest Persecution it ever found in the World was not so much from Fire and Sword Racks and Tortures the evident Cruelties of the first Opposers of it as from the Magisterial Dictates of partial and corrupt Reason The Philosophers whom Tertullian calls the Patrons of Hereticks have established two peremptory Maxims utterly repugnant unto what the Scripture reveals to us both concerning our Happiness Comfort The one is Ex nihilo nihil habetur Out of nothing nothing can be made directly levell'd against the Creation of the World And the other is A privatione ad habitum non datur Regressus There is no Restoration of the same Being after a total Corruption and Dissolution of it which still continues a great Prejudice against the Resurrection of our Bodies which the Oracles of Reason have so much troubled the World with that whatsoever seem'd in the least contradictory to it they judged contradictory to common Sense and exploded it as ridiculous and impossible Under these great Disadvantages the Christian Religion labour'd whilst it not only own'd the Creation of the World out of nothing formerly described by Moses but more clearly and openly attested the Resurrection of the Dead which before was not either so clearly known or so clearly proved for these Doctrines were held so absurd by the great Sophisters of the
raised again before any Corruption or Putrefaction by ordinary Course of Nature siezed upon him Thus I have proved by these two Arguments that because of the Hypostatical Union of the Divine and Humane Nature of Christ in one Person it was altogether impossible he could be holden of Death Secondly Another Argument is this It was impossible Christ should be holden of Death because of God's Veracity and the Truth of those Predictions which were before made concerning Christ in those many Types and Prophesies of the Old Testament all which God's Faithfulness stood engaged to fulfil I shall only mention that famous Prediction which St. Peter here subjoins as a Proof of the Subject I am now treating upon It was not possible Act. 2 25 27. says he that Christ should be holden of Death for God saith the Apostle as David saith concerning him Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell nor suffer thine Holy One to see Corruption And this Prophesie the Apostle quotes out of the Psalmist Psal 16.10 which that it did not belong to David nor did he speak it concerning himself when he indicted that Psalm the Apostle proves Act. 2.29 30. Ver. 29 30. of this Chapter where he proves that David was dead and buried and underwent the common Lot that all other dead Bodies did putrefying and mouldering away in the Earth and therefore he was not that Holy One that should never see Corruption because that Prophecy must belong to such an one who must so taste of Death and this is clearly implied in the former Expression Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell that is in the State of the Dead for so is Hell to be understood there as I shall shew more at large Neither could it belong to any of those who before Christ were raised miraculously from the Dead and brought back out of the State of Death yet was it not in such a manner that they were not to return again to it So that if they did not in the first yet in their second Dying they saw Corruption This then could belong to none of them and therefore must of necessity belong to Christ And since the Apostle lays so much stress on this Argument give me leave a little to consider the meaning of it and how it is applicable to him And here I shall not trouble you with the various Opinions of those that have attempted to interpret these Words Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell that by this Hell into which Christ descended is meant the place of the Damned where he preached the Gospel to them freeing those that would beleive from their Pains Others think that this Hell into which Christ descended was one great Partition of it called Lymbus Patrum the Repository of the Souls of those Fathers who died in Obedience to God and in Faith to the Messias before Christ came in the Flesh And the Reason of his Descent thither was that he might release those Souls from Chains and carry them with him to Heaven so that ever since that Mansion in Hell hath been left void without any Inhabitants But this Opinion is not capable of any sufficient Proof I shall therefore give you that Interpretation and Judgment which carries with it the strongest Current both of Scripture and Reason The Word Hades that we translate Hell is very often by the Septuagint in the Old Testament used to signifie the Grave or the State of the Dead So in Gen. 44. Ishades Gen. 44 31 we translate it the Grave but it is the same Word that is used for Hell in the Text. And thus the Word is used in other places of Scripture as also in other Authors to signifie the Place and State of the Dead and of separate Souls And for the leaving the Soul of Christ in Hades or in Hell we must know that it is a thing that is not unusual in Scripture to call a Man that is dead by the Name of Soul So the Septuagint translate that place in Leviticus Levit. 21.11 They shall not be defiled with dead Souls meaning dead Carcases neither shall they go into any dead Souls the Word is dead Bodies But not to detain you any longer on this Speculation though of great use for the right understanding of this excellent place of Scripture If we take Hell for the Grave we must take the Soul for the Body Thou wilt not leave my Body in the Grave But if by Hell be here understood the State of Death that is the State of Separation of Soul and Body the Interpretation will be more easie and natural Thou wilt not leave my Soul in a State of Separation from the Body but wilt certainly unite them together again and raise me up before I shall feel Corruption Thus I have given you the Interpretation of the Prophecy of David which upon the Account of God's Truth and Veracity was to take effect in the Resurrection of our Saviour and therefore being foretold he should not see Corruption the Faithfulness of God was obliged within that time inviolably to raise him up And that is the second Reason why it was impossible Christ should be holden of Death because it was foretold of him that his Soul should not rest in Hell that is either his Body in the Grave or his Soul in a State of Separation from his Body Thirdly God's Justice would not suffer Christ to lie in the Grave Another Argument is this It was impossible Christ could be holden by Death upon the Account of God's Justice For Justice as it doth oblige to inflict Punishment upon the Guilty so also to absolve and acquit the Innocent Now though Christ knew no Sin yet was he made Sin for us that is our Sins were imputed to and charged upon him and so through a voluntary Susception and Undertaking of them he became guilty of them Hereupon Divine Justice siezed upon him as being our Surety and demanded Satisfaction from him for our Offences Now no other Satisfaction would be acceptable unto God nor commensurate to our Sins but the bearing of an infinite Load of Wrath and Vengeance which if it had been laid upon us must have been prolonged to an Eternity of Sufferings for because we are finite Creatures we cannot bear infinite Degrees of Wrath at once and therefore we must have lain under those infinite Degrees of Wrath to an infinite Duration But now Christ being God he could bear the Load of infinite Degrees of Wrath at once upon him In that one bitter Draught the whole Cup of that Fury and Wrath of God that we should have been everlastingly a drinking off by little Drops Christ drank off at once Now it is the Nature and Constitution of all Laws that when a Person by undergoing the Penalty that those Laws require hath made satisfaction for the Offence committed the Person satisfying ought to be protected as innocent It could not therefore consist with the Justice of
Inheritance 3. They have a Right of Promise 1. Obedience to Gods Commandments gives us a Right of Evidence to Eternal Life A Right of Evidence He is judged to have the best Right to an Estate who can produce the best Evidence for it Now the best Evidence that can be shewn for Heaven is our unfeigned Obedience All other things that Men may rely upon to justifie their Title will prove but forged Deeds to which only the Spirit of Presumption or Enthusiasm hath set his Seal and not the Spirit of God and therefore we find how miserably the Confidence of those Wretches were dismounted and their Hopes frustrated who came with Lord Matth. 7.22 Lord Have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works All this may be and yet be no good Title no good Evidence for Heaven for if those who cast out Devils have not cast out their Lusts if those who prophesie in his Name by their Sins dishonour and blaspheme that Name if those who are Workers of Miracles are yet Workers of Iniquity he professeth against them that he knows them not and commands them to depart from him for ever as Workers of Iniquity Matth. 7.22 23. whereas on the contrary we find a joyful and blessed Sentence pronounced upon others according to the Evidence brought in for them by their good Works so our Lord himself tells us Come ye Blessed of my Father Matth. 25.30 inherit the Kingdom prepared for you for I was hungry and ye gave me Meat for I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink a Stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and in Prison and ye visited me This Particle For is not a Note of Causality or Merit but only of Evidence for as Evidences prove our Right to our Possessions so likewise our Obedience and good Works do effectually prove the Right which we have to Eternal Life through Christ's Purchase and God's free Donation and therefore the Evidence being clear the Sentence must in Equity proceed accordingly God as a just and righteous Judge instates them in the Possession of the Kingdom of Heaven because they visited and releived and cherished his Son in his Members Not that their Love to him or their Charity to them purchased any such Right but only proves and evinceth it It is not the Cause of their Justification but a Reason why God declares them justified as the Deeds which I produce are the Reason why an Estate is adjudged mine though the Cause of my Title to it be either my own Purchase or another's Gift As therefore those are said to have no Right nor Title to what they pretend who can shew no Evidence for it so those who obey not the holy Will and Commands of God have no Right to the Tree of Life because they have no Evidence to shew nor no Plea to urge for it but will certainly be cast in their Suit 2. A Right of Heirship Those that do God's Commandments have a Right of Heirship and Inheritance unto Eternal Life for they are born of God and therefore Heaven is their Patrimony their Paternal Estate for so are the Words of the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.29 Every one that doth Righteousness is born of God And if they are born of God then according to the Apostle's Argumentation If Children Rom. 8.17 then Heirs Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ who is the Heir of all things The Trial of thy Legitimation whether thou art a true and genuine Son of God will lie upon thy Obedience to his Commands For in this 1 Joh. 3.9 10. says the Apostle the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin and whosoever doth not Righteousness is not of God Now if by our Obedience and Dutifulness it appears that we are indeed the Children of God our Father will certainly give us a Child's Portion and that is no less than a Kingdom So saith our Saviour Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 3. A Right of Promise Those that do God's Commandments have a Right to Eternal Life by Promise and Stipulation and therefore it is called Eternal Life Tit. 1.2 which God that cannot lie hath promised Indeed the whole Tenour of the Gospel is nothing else but the Exhibition of this Promise and a Comment upon it This is the Summ of the Gospel the Terms of the Covenant Matth. 19.17 the Indenture made between God and Man If thou wilt enter into Life says our Saviour keep the Commandments And in another place our Lord tells us Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven And thus you see what Right it is that Obedience to the Commands of God gives us to Eternal Life A Right of Evidence a Right of Heirship and a Right of Promise Objection But may some say Is not this again to establish the antiquated Covenant of Works Do this and live And doth not this abolish the Law of Faith He that believeth shall be saved Is it not the Office of Faith alone to convey unto us a Right and Title unto Eternal Life Answer I answer No it doth no prejudice unto Faith for we still affirm that our original and fundamental Right to Heaven is grounded not upon our Obedience but Christ's not upon our Works but upon his his Merits and Purchase which through Faith are imparted and imputed to us Yet give me leave to say that I think the Notion of Justifying and Saving Faith is very much if not generally mistaken by us And as the Soul is the most noble and most vital Principle of Man and yet is most unknown to him what it is and how it operates so Faith which is the vital Principle of Christians and by which the Just are said to live is yet most unknown both as to its Nature and Operations unto the Generality of them Some place it in Assurance some in Affiance and Recumbence some in one Act of Faith and some in another which are either the Effects of Faith as true or the Degrees of it as strong rather than the proper and adequate Nature and Essence of it and then they mightily puzzle themselves how to accord and reconcile Faith and Obedience in carrying on the great Work of our Salvation which yet were never at a variance about it but only in their mistaken Hypothesis For what is Faith but an Assent to a Testimony The very force and import of the Word can carry no other Sense And he that saith he believes must needs mean he believes some Record or Testimony or else he speaks that which neither himself nor any other can understand Consequently