252 No. XVII. THE TWO RESURRECTIONS. THE doctrine of two resurrections-a first and a secondhas been treated of occasionally, in connection with the coming of the Lord, in more than one of the papers on that subject. But its importance, and the way in which unscriptural views on it mislead the mind as to the gospel itself, seem to me to call for a distinct paper on the point. The doctrine of a first resurrection does connect itself with the truth of our complete salvation in Christ, the part we have with Himself in glory and blessing, and with His coming again; and this will appear in the following lines; but my object now is to give the scriptural view of this particular subject. Are there two resurrections, and what is their true character? There are two resurrections, entirely distinct in character and in epoch. The whole character of the resurrection of the saints is totally distinct from that of the resurrection of the wicked. We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of God's Son that He may be the firstborn among many brethren. This is the full result of God's purpose as to us. This is evidently in our resurrection state. Hence we are raised in glory. Upon the face of it this shows that our resurrection is in its nature, wholly distinct from that of the wicked, who are yet to be judged. It is, as to our present state, the full result of redemption, in which the wicked have no part whatever, but quite the contrary. It is not what leads to the decision of the state we are to be in by a judgment to be pronounced, but our being, by the power of God, in the state which the unspeakable grace of redemption has made ours. This single point at once shows the great importance of this question. The resurrection of the saint is not a preliminary to a judgment which is to decide the state he is to be in, but the putting him into the state in which he is like Christ and in which he is to be for ever, in the Father's house with Him; power introducing him into that condition which redemption has obtained for him. Let my reader weigh for a moment the vast importance of this truth, incontrovertible if we acknowledge the authority of Scripture. We are raised in glory. Let him see what a seal it sets on the efficacy of redemption and on the nature of our association with Christ in life. We have life in Christ, life from Him risen. So complete is our redemption and the efficacy of Christ's work, that the power which calls us out of the grave is used only to put us into actual glorious conformity to Christ glorified, who is our life. It is evident that this can have no application to, but is in the completest contrast with, the resurrection of the wicked. A common resurrection, of which the result is afterwards to be proved by judgment, is entirely contrary to Scripture, a tradition, deep rooted in the Church's habits of thinking perhaps, but, which has no foundation in Scripture. And this will soon be found to affect the whole character of the gospel and the present condition of the soul under its influence. The resurrection of the saint is not a resurrection to an uncertain or even an unascertained result in judgment, but is itself the result of redemption, a resurrection in glory. If we look at another aspect of the resurrection of the saints, we shall find this amply confirmed. We read in Rom. viii.: "If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up the Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you." The resurrection of the saint is the effect and consequence of the Holy Spirit's dwelling in him. As Jesus was raised from the dead by Him whose Spirit dwells in us, and in the of that Spirit (as we read in Peter), we also shall be raised by (or, as some read, on account of) that Spirit which dwells in us. It is equally clear that this can have no reference to the wicked. The nature of our resurrection is different. It is the result of that Spirit's being in us, which is the witness already that there is no power us. condemnation for us, that we are in Christ and Christ in That which has saved us, that which has made us walk in holiness, in newness of life as sons of God, has its result in what demonstrates fully whose and what we are. Just as Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by resurrection of the dead, so we, through Him in blessing walking in that Spirit here, are by His power manifested in resurrection in full result as sons of God. The children of God, being the children of the resurrection. I will now show from Scripture that while the resurrection of the wicked is distinctly taught, the resurrection of the just is always distinguished and never confounded with it. It would be confounding a state which is the result of redemption and the act of grace in power which brings that result about, with a state in which the result of man's sin is to be carried out by judgment; because in each case divine power works to call the dead out of their graves. It is this confusion which has the effect of throwing such obscurity on the gospel itself by which we have a part, and through faith by the Holy Ghost know we have a part, in the effect of that redemption. There shall be a resurrection both of the just and of the unjust. That is clearly laid down. They that have done evil will come forth out of their graves to the resurrection of judgment. This itself marks a peculiar character of resurrection for the wicked, but I do not pursue their case any further; my special object is the resurrection of the saints. Suffice it to say the wicked will be raised and raised for judgment. I will now first of all take 1 Corinthians xv. as the a In John v. in the English version it is "damnation." This surely it will be, but the word is judgment. Much as we have to be thankful for, in general, in the English version, it is well it should be remembered that their avowed practice was, when the same word occurred often in a sentence, to translate it by different ones. Thus in John v. 22, 24, 27, 29, we have judgment, condemnation, judgment, damnation. In all it is the same word, kpious judgment; a special way of showing Christ's authority. Every one will feel the importance of this on only reading the passage. fullest scriptural expression of the subject, and then 1 Thess. iv. as giving some very precise details. The tenor of 1 Cor. xv. applies only to believers, and more than that distinctly states that they only will rise when Christ comes. The resurrection described is the resurrection of the saints. "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory." This clearly applies only to believers. The resurrection he is speaking of applies to believers only. So it is said: "Death is swallowed up in victory." It is that act of power which causes us to bear the image of the heavenly (vers. 42, 43, 49, 54). Nothing can be clearer than that it is a description of the resurrection of the saints. But more than this, the order of the resurrection is formally spoken of, and the wicked left out, and more than that (verses 20 and onward), "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." Christ is not the firstfruits of the wicked adjudged to condemnation. But further, "Every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, then they that are Christ's at His coming." That is, when the order of resurrection is specifically declared,. those only who are Christ's are declared to rise at His coming, those of whom He is the firstfruits. The end comes afterwards, "when he shall have delivered up the kingdom." That is, we have a distinct revelation of the order of the resurrection in which we are taught, that those that are Christ's will rise when He comes, those of whom He is the firstfruits, who are to bear His image. This is fully confirmed in the book of Revelation (chap. xx.), where we learn that at the end when the wicked dead, who had not part in the first resurrection, are to stand before the throne and the books are opened, and they are judged out of the things written in them, Christ does not come at all. One sits on the great white throne, and heaven and earth fly away from before His face. He does not, that is, come at all. Turn now to 1 Thess. iv., where, again, we have direct instruction on the point. "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain to the coming of the Lord shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord." The changed saints are associated with the raised to go and meet the Lord and be ever with Him, as in 1 Cor. xv. 51, 52; but it is only the dead in Christ, or living saints changed. Grace and faith had made the separation and make it, not judgment. Jesus comes to fetch them to be with Him for ever; and when He does that He changes the body of their humiliation and fashions it like the body of His glory (Phil. iii.) It is quite certain all this applies to the saints only, the wicked have no part in this resurrection. Such then is the formal doctrine of the word, namely, that grace makes the separation here between the wicked and believers, and that Christ at His coming raises the just to have a part with Him. Remark how (in 1 Cor. xv.) the saints are associated with Christ. If we are not raised Christ is not, says the apostle, and insists on it. We are so connected that you cannot separate the two cases. If He is not raised, we are in our sins; clearly showing that if He is, we are not. In the Adam all die. In the Christ all are made alive. Those connected with each of the two heads and the heads themselves have respectively the same portion. Christ is the firstfruits of those that are fallen asleep. As is the heavenly, such are the heavenly, and we shall bear the image of the heavenly. All this teaches not a mixing up saints and unjust for judgment to distinguish, but the blessed truth of the association of the saints with Christ, and apart from the wicked. Do the other passages which speak of this subject confirm this, or do they show that some fallacies have entered into our minds, and that these passages do not teach this, however plain they may seem. All other passages fully confirm the doctrine, that there is a distinct resurrection of the just. Thou shalt be recompensed, says the Lord, at the resurrection of the just. There is such a thing as a distinctive resurrection of the just (Luke xiv. 14). Again (Luke xx. 35), "but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, |