was consequently a special mark of favour; God not being lavish of such miracles, or wont to stretch forth his arm in behalf of any person, to whom he doth not bear extraordinary regard: the which consequence also, by reflecting on the circumstances, and nature of this event, will further appear.

He was persecuted and put to death as a notorious malefactor, and an enemy to God, to true religion, to the common peace, to goodness; and his being delivered up to suffer was an enforcement of that pretence; for his adversaries thence did argue, that God had disavowed, and deserted him; they insulted over him as one in a forlorn condition, esteeming him (as the prophets foretold) stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted: but God thus, by his own hand, undoing what they had done against him, did plainly confute their reasonings, did evidence their accusations to be false, and their surmises vain, did in opposition to their suggestions approve him a friend and favourite of God, a patron of truth, a maintainer of piety and peace; one meriting, because obtaining, the singular countenance and succour of God.

And if yielding our Lord over to death (which being a total incapacity of enjoying any good, doth signify an extremely bad state) might imply God's displeasure or disregard toward him; (as indeed it did in a sort, he standing in our room to undergo the inflictions of divine wrath and justice;) then answerably restoring him to life, (which, as the foundation of enjoying any good, doth represent the best condition,) must demonstrate a singular ten

Isaiah, liii. 4; Psalm 1xxi. 11; xxii. 8.

derness of affection, with a full approbation and acceptance of his performances: this indeed far more pregnantly doth argue favour, than that could imply displeasure; for that may happen to the best men upon other grounds, this can bear no other than a favourable interpretation.

Further, to give life doth ground that relation which is deepest in nature, and importeth most affection; whence in the holy style, to raise up to life, is termed to beget; and the regeneration' is put' for the resurrection;'' so that it being a paternal act, signifieth a paternal regard; and thence perhaps St. Paul telleth us, that our Lord' was declared, or defined to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead.'3

6. Secondly, By our Lord's resurrection we may be assured concerning the efficacy of his undertakings for us: for considering it, we may not doubt of God's being reconciled to us, of obtaining the pardon of our sins, and acceptance of our persons, of receiving all helps conducible to our sanctification, of attaining final happiness; in case we are not on our parts deficient; all those benefits by our Lord's resurrection, as a certain seal, being ratified to us, and in a manner conferred on us.

As God, in the death of our Lord, did manifest his wrath towards us, and execute his justice upon us; so in raising him thence correspondently God did express himself appeased, and his law to be satisfied; as we in his suffering were punished, 'the iniquity of us all being laid upon him," so in his resurrection we were acquitted and restored to

1 Acts, xiii. 33.
3 Rom. i. 4.

2 Matt. xix. 28.

4 1sa. liii. 6.

grace; as Christ did merit the remission of our sins, and the acceptance of our persons by his passion; so God did consign them to us in his resurrection; it being that formal act of grace whereby, having sustained the brunt of God's displeasure, he was solemnly reinstated in favour, and we representatively or virtually in him; so that (supposing our due qualifications, and the performances requisite on our parts) we thence become completely justified, having not only a just title to what justification doth impart, but a real instatement therein; confirmed by the resurrection of our Saviour: whence he was delivered,' saith St. Paul, for our offences, and raised again for our justification:' 'and who then,' saith the same apostle, 'shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again." Our justification and absolution are, you see, rather ascribed to the resurrection of -Christ, than to his death; for that indeed his death was a ground of bestowing them; but his resurrection did accomplish the collation of them; for since, doth the apostle argue, God hath acknowledged satisfaction done to his justice, by discharging our surety from restraint, and from all further prosecution; since in a manner so notorious, God hath declared his favour toward our proxy; what pretence can be alleged against us, what suspicion of displeasure can remain? Had Christ only died, we should not have been condemned, our punishment being already undergone; yet had we not been fully discharged, without that express warrant and acquit

Rom. iv. 25; viii. 33, 34; 2 Cor. v. 15.

9

tance which his rising doth imply; so again may St. Paul be understood to intimate, when he saith, 'If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins.' Death (or that obligation to die, to which we did all for our transgressions stand devoted) was condemned, and judicially abolished by his death; but it was executed and expunged in his resurrection; in which trampling thereon' he crushed it to nothing:3 wherefore therein mankind revived, and received 'the gift of immortality;' that being a clear pledge, and full of security, that 'as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." "He," saith St. Chrysostom, "by his resurrection dissolved the tyranny of death, and with himself raised up the whole world." ♪ By the pledge of his resurrection," saith St. Ambrose," he loosed the bands of hell ;" "thereby," saith St. Leo, "death received its destruction, and life its beginning;" therein not only the natural body of Christ was raised, but the mystical body also, each member of his church was restored to life, being thoroughly rescued from the bondage of corruption, and translated into a state of immortality; so that 'God,' saith St. Paul, hath quickened us together with Christ, and raised us together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.'7

1 Cor. xv. 17.

66

Heb. ii. 14; 2 Tim. i. 10; Rom. viii. 3; v. 18; vi. 23; 1 Cor. xv. 14.

Morte calcatâ surrexit. Hier. Ep. 129.

1 Cor. xv. 21.

Chrys. Rom. i. 4.

Chrys. tom. v. Or. 84. Resurrectionis pignore vincula solvit Dominus suæ inferni, &c. Ambr. ad Grat. Per resurrectionem Christi et mors interitum, et vita accepit initium. Leo M. Ep. 81.

Ephes. ii. 5, 6. Rom. viii. 21.

Hence in our baptism, (wherein justification, and a title to eternal life are exhibited to us,) as the death and burial of Christ are symbolically undergone by us; so therein also we do interpretatively rise with him: being,' saith St. Paul, 'buried with Christ in baptism, in it we are also raised together with him;' and baptism, St. Peter telleth us, being an antitype of the passage through the flood, 'doth save us by the resurrection of Christ' presented therein.

2

1

It also ministereth hopes of spiritual aid, sufficient for the sanctification of our hearts and lives; for that he, who raised our Lord from a natural death, thence doth appear both able and willing to raise us from a spiritual death, or from that mortal slumber in trespasses and sins, in which naturally we do lie buried, to walk in that newness of life' to which the Gospel calleth us; and in regard to which, 'God,' saith St. Peter, having raised his Son Jesus, sent him to bless us, in turning every one of us from his iniquities.'3

The same, consequently, is a sure earnest of our salvation; for, 'If,' saith St. Paul, when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.'*

7. Thirdly, By our Lord's resurrection, the verity of his doctrines, and the validity of his promises concerning the future state of men, are demonstrated, in a way most cogent, and most pertinent. Any miracle, notoriously true, doth indeed suffice to confirm any point of good doctrine; but

Colos. ii. 13, 14.

21 Pet. iii. 21.

Eph. ii. 10; Apoc. xx. 6; Acts, iii. 26. 4 Rom. v. 10; Pet iii. 21.

5 John, xx. 31.