rias declares to us the fulfilment of the prophecy, in his song of joy on the coming of our Saviour, (Luke i. 76,) saying of John, "thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way," "where," says Bishop Pearson, "Christ is certainly the Lord, and the Lord undeniably Jehovah." So also the declaration of Joel, (ii. 32:) "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD (JEHOVAH) shall be delivered," is applied by St. Paul in Rom. x. 13 to the Lord Jesus, as is evident from the ninth verse of the same chapter. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus -thou shalt be saved."-"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The LORD JESUS is therefore he, of whom the prophet spoke as JEHOVAH. These passages are quoted from among many to illustrate the argument, upon which some further remarks may be found in Bishop Pearson on the Creed. This author also points out another sense in which the title of "our Lord" is applied to Christ, of which it is important to speak. The Saviour in his Divine nature is Lord from eternity. He is also Lord over all things in virtue of his office as Mediator between God and man. "As we have observed two natures united in his person, so must we also consider two kinds of dominion belonging respectively to those natures; one inherent in his divinity, the other bestowed upon his humanity; one as he is Lord the maker of all things, the other as he is made Lord of all things." "The Word was God," (John i. 1.) and as such possessed of the first kind of dominion; he was "made both Lord and Christ," (Acts ii. 36,) when he took upon him the nature of man, and became our Mediator with God, and as such is Lord in the second sense. "These two meanings must be united in order to understand rightly the force of our expression when we declare our belief in Christ as our Lord." "And though he be thus Lord of all things," Bishop Pearson adds, "by the first creation and preservation of them, yet he is more peculiarly the Lord of us who by faith are consecrated to his service: for through the work of our redemption he becomes our Lord both by the right of conquest and of purchase, and making us the sons of God and providing heavenly mansions for us, he acquires a further right of promotion, which, considering the covenant we all make to serve him, is at last completed in the right of a voluntary obligation. And thus I believe in Christ our Lord." ON THE CREED. $ 4. ON THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. WHAT does the Creed further teach us to believe concerning Jesus Christ? That "the third day he rose from the dead." This event was foretold by our Saviour, who made frequent allusions to it. Matt. xii. 40; xvi. 21; xvii. 23; xx. 19. Mark viii. 31; ix. 31; x. 34; xiv. 58. Luke ix. 22; xiii. 32; xviii. 33; xxiv 7. John ii. 19. 21; x. 15. 18. These declarations must have been made very explicitly and very publicly, as an attempt on the part of his followers to accomplish the prophecy, was expected by the chief his disciples with their backwardness in believing a fact so plainly declared to them. O fools, and slow of heart to believe. Luke xxiv. 25. They knew not the Scriptures, that he must rise again from the dead. John xx. 9. The resurrection was typified in Isaac's being brought to be sacrificed. Heb. xi. 19. Jonah's being three days and three nights in the whale's belly. Matt. xii. 40. Our Saviour died on Good Friday, the day of preparation, about three o'clock in the afternoon; he was buried that evening, and was in the grave on Saturday, (the Jewish Sabbath,) Matt. xxviii. 1. Mark xvi. 1, 2. Luke xxiii. 56. On Saturday night the chief priests obtained of Pilate a guard to watch the body till the third day should be past. Matt. xxvii. 63–66. On the first day of the week (our Sunday) early in the morning, he rose again. The Jewish Sabbath commemorated the redemption of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The Christian Sabbath commemorates the redemption of the soul from the worse bondage of Satan. It is called the Lord's Day. Rev. i. 10. What do you mean by Christ's rising from the dead? His soul and his body, which had been separated by death, were reunited, and he rose with the same body with which he died. What are the proofs of his resurrection? Men and angels testified it. The soldiers appointed to watch the sepulchre. Matt. xxviii. 11. Matt. xxviii. 6. 9, 10. 17. Mark xvi. 6. 10. 13. Luke xxiv. 4—6. 15-35. John xx. 12. 14. 19. 26. Acts i. 3-9; iv. 33; xiii. 33. Rom. i. 4. 1 Cor. xv. 5-8. 2 Tim. ii. 8. He conversed with his disciples, and ate and drank with them, &c. He continued on earth forty days after his resurrection. Acts i. 3. The facts of which the evidence of the resurrection consists, are attested by a succession of witnesses, and may be comprised under, Appearances of the Angels. To the Roman soldiers. Matt. xxviii. 3. To the other Mary and Salome. Mark xvi. 5. To Joanna and those with her. Luke xxiv. 4. 11. rias declares to us the fulfilment of the prophecy, in his song of joy on the coming of our Saviour, (Luke i. 76,) saying of John, "thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way,' ""where," says Bishop Pearson, "Christ is certainly the Lord, and the Lord undeniably Jehovah." So also the declaration of Joel, (ii. 32:) “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD (JEHOVAH) shall be delivered," is applied by St. Paul in Rom. x. 13 to the Lord Jesus, as is evident from the ninth verse of the same chapter. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus -thou shalt be saved."-"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The LORD JESUS is therefore he, of whom the prophet spoke as JEHOVAH. These passages are quoted from among many to illustrate the argument, upon which some further remarks may be found in Bishop Pearson on the Creed. This author also points out another sense in which the title of " our Lord" is applied to Christ, of which it is important to speak. The Saviour in his Divine nature is Lord from eternity. He is also Lord over all things in virtue of his office as Mediator between God and man. "As we have observed two natures united in his person, so must we also consider two kinds of dominion belonging respectively to those natures; one inherent in his divinity, the other bestowed upon his humanity; one as he is Lord the maker of all things, the other as he is made Lord of all things." "The Word was God," (John i. 1,) and as such possessed of the first kind of dominion; he was "made both Lord and Christ," (Acts ii. 36,) when he took upon him the nature of man, and became our Media. tor with God, and as such is Lord in the second sense. "These two meanings must be united in order to understand rightly the force of our expression when we declare our belief in Christ as our Lord." "And though he be thus Lord of all things," Bishop Pearson adds, "by the first creation and preservation of them, yet he is more peculiarly the Lord of us who by faith are consecrated to his service: for through the work of our redemption he becomes our Lord both by the right of conquest and of purchase, and making us the sons of God and providing heavenly mansions for us, he acquires a further right of promotion, which, considering the covenant we all make to serve him, is at last completed in the right of a voluntary obligation. And thus I believe in Christ our Lord." ON THE CREED. 4. ON THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. WHAT does the Creed further teach us to believe concerning Jesus Christ? That "the third day he rose from the dead." This event was foretold by our Saviour, who made frequent allusions to it. Matt. xii. 40; xvi. 21; xvii. 23; xx. 19. Mark viii. 31; ix. 31; x. 34; xiv. 58. Luke ix. 22; xiii. 32; xviii. 33; xxiv 7. John ii. 19. 21; x. 15. 18. These declarations must have been made very explicitly and very publicly, as an attempt on the follow ers to ace the prophecy, was his disciples with their backwardness in believing a fact so plainly declared to them. O fools, and slow of heart to believe. Luke xxiv. 25. They knew not the Scriptures, that he must rise again from the dead. John xx. 9. The resurrection was typified in Isaac's being brought to be sacrificed. Heb. xi. 19. Jonah's being three days and three nights in the whale's belly. Matt. xii. 40. Our Saviour died on Good Friday, the day of preparation, about three o'clock in the afternoon; he was buried that evening, and was in the grave on Saturday, (the Jewish Sabbath,) Matt. xxviii. 1. Mark xvi. `1, 2. Luke xxiii. 56. On Saturday night the chief priests obtained of Pilate a guard to watch the body till the third day should be past. Matt. xxvii. 63-66. On the first day of the week (our Sunday) early in the morning, he rose again. The Jewish Sabbath commemorated the redemption of Israel from Egyptian bondage. The Christian Sabbath commemorates the redemption of the soul from the worse bondage of Satan. It is called the Lord's Day. Rev. i. 10. What do you mean by Christ's rising from the dead? His soul and his body, which had been separated by death, were reunited, and he rose with the same body with which he died. What are the proofs of his resurrection? Men and angels testified it. The soldiers appointed to watch the sepulchre. Matt. xxviii. 11. Matt. xxviii. 6. 9, 10. 17. Mark xvi. 6. 10. 13. Luke xxiv. 4-6. 15-35. John xx. 12. 14. 19. 26. Acts i. 3-9; iv. 33; xiii. 33. Rom. i. 4. 1 Cor. xv. 5-8. 2 Tim. ii. 8. He conversed with his disciples, and ate and drank with them, &c. He continued on earth forty days after his resurrection. Acts i. 3. The facts of which the evidence of the resurrection consists, are attested by a succession of witnesses, and may be comprised under, Angels. Tatt. xxviii. 3. me. Mark xvi. 5. er. Luke xxiv. 4. 11. Appearances of Christ to the women. To the other Mary and Salome. Matt. xxviii. 9. Appearances of Christ to the disciples and apostles. He must have appeared often during the forty days he was upon earth; of the visits which he made eleven, viz. those to the women, and the following, are mentioned. To the eleven in Galilee. Matt. xxviii. 16. To the two disciples in journeying to Emmaus. Mark xvi. 12 Luke xxiv. 13, &c. To the eleven when they sat at meat. Mark xvi. 14. To Simon. Luke xxiv. 34. To Thomas. John xx. 27. To the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. John xxi. 1, &c. To five hundred at once. 1 Cor. xv. 6. Last of all, he was seen of me (Paul) also. 1 Cor. xv. 8. What are the uses of the resurrection? 1. To prove our Saviour's divinity. Declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead. Rom. i. 4. Sometimes he is said to be raised by his own power. John ii. 19-22; x. 15—18. God. Acts ii. 32. Gal. i. 1. Sometimes by the power of Eph. i. 19. Phil. ii. 9. 2. To assure us of the sufficiency of his sacrifice. Raised again for our justification. Rom. iv. 25. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, &c. Acts ii. 31-33. 3. As a pledge of our own resurrection. He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies. Rom. viii. 11. Christ is become the first-fruits of them that slept. 1 Cor. XV. 20. Them also which sleep in Jesus God will bring with him. 1 Thess. iv. 14. If we have been planted in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection. Rom. vi. 5. 4. To lead us to die to sin. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 11. That he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 2 Cor. v. 15. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Col. iii. 1. |