Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 1 · Section 4
SECT. IV. Of the Arguments of Christ's Reſurrection.
CHriſt after his paſſion ſhewed himſelf alive by many infallible proofs. Acts 1.3.And ſo he had need to perſwade men into the faith of ſo ſtrange a truth; if we conſult with antiquity, or novelty, with primitive times, or later times, never was matter carried on with more ſcruple, and ſlowneſs of belief, with more doubts and difficulties than was this truth of Chriſt's reſurrection. Mary Magdalen ſaw it firſt, and reported it. But they believed her not, Mark 16.10. the two Diſciples that went to Emmaus, they ſaw it alſo, and reported it, but they believed them not, Luke 24.37. divers women together ſaw him, and came and told the Diſciples, but their words ſeemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not, Luke 24.11. They all ſaw him, and even ſeeing him, Yet they believed not for joy, but wondred, Luke 24.41. When the wonder was over, and the reſt told it but to one that happened to be abſent, you know how peremptory he was, Not he, except he ſaw in his hands the print of the nails, and put his fingers into the print of the nails, and thruſt his hands into his ſide, he would not believe, John 20.25.—In after-times the whole world ſtopt their ears at this report of the reſurrection of Chriſt, it was with the Grecians at Athens a very ſcorn; When they heard of the Reſurrection of the dead, ſome mocked, Acts 17.32. It was with Feſtus, the great Roman, foreign, a ſickneſs of the brain, a plain phrenzy; Feſtus ſaid with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beſides thy ſelf, much learning doth make thee mad, Acts 28.24.—But come we to our own times, the reſurrection of Chriſt is to this day as much oppoſed by Jews, and Atheiſts, as any one Article of our Creed. And ſurely we had need to look to it, for if Chriſt be not riſen (as the Apoſtle argues) then is our preaching vain, and your faith is alſo vain, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Chriſt be not riſen, ye are yet in your ſins; and they which are fallen aſleep in Chriſt, are periſhed, 1 Cor. 15.17, 18. Of all the precious truths in the Book of God, we had need to preſerve this truth, and to be well skilled in the defending of this truth of the reſurrection of Chriſt. Some talk of a tolleration of all Religions, and ſome deſire that the Jews may have free commerce amongſt us; it will then be time, as I think, to be well armed at this point. Let the ordinary Profeſſors of our times, who are of weak judgments, and fiery Spirits, look to this point, leaſt as now, when they cannot anſwer a Separatiſt, they turn Separatiſts, and when they cannot anſwer an Antinomian, they turn Antinomians, and when they cannot anſwer a Seeker, Quaker, Blaſphemer, they turn to them, ſo when they cannot anſwer the ſubtle Arguments of a Jew, they ſhould as eaſily turn Jews, and deny Chriſt, and the reſurrection of Chriſt.
I mean not to enter into controverſies; only I ſhall declare from what heads, Arguments of this nature may be drawn. As—
1. More generally from Gentiles grants; Jews conceſſions, typical inſtructions, prophetical predictions.
2. More ſpecially from theſe clear demonſtrations, that circumſtantially and ſubſtantially do prove this Chriſt to have riſen again.
1. the Arguments in general are—
1. From Gentiles grants: Pilate that condemned Chriſt, teſtified in a letter to Tiberius Ceſar, that Chriſt was riſen again;Tertul. l. cont. Gent. Egeſippus de vito & reſur. Chriſti. and therefore Tiberius deſired the Senate to admit Chriſt into the number of their gods, which when they refuſed, Tiberius was incenſed, and gave free leave to all Chriſtians to profeſs Chriſtianity. And to the Gentiles, Sybylla left written theſe very words, He ſhall end the neceſſity of death by three dayes ſleep, and then returning from death to life again, he ſhall be the firſt that ſhall ſhew the beginning of reſurrection to his choſen, for that by conquering death, he ſhall bring us life.
2. For the Jews conceſſions; Joſephus, Joſeph. Antiq. lib. 8. c. 9.the moſt learned amongſt the latter Jews acknowledgeth, that after Pilate had crucified him, he appeared unto his followers the third day, accordingly as the Prophets had foretold. The Scribes and Phariſees being aſtoniſhed with the ſudden news of his riſing again, confirmed by the Souldiers whom they ſet to watch, found no other way to reſiſt the ſame, but only by ſaying (as all the Jews do unto this day) that his Diſciples came by night, and ſtole away his body, whiles the Souldiers ſlept: O ſtrange! if they were aſleep, how know they that his Diſciples ſtole away his body? and if they were not aſl…ep, how could a few weak fiſhers take away his body from a band of armed Souldiers?
3. From typical inſtructions; ſuch was Adam's ſleep, Iſaac's laying upon the Altar, Joſeph's impriſonment, Sampſon's breaking of the gates of Gaza, David's eſcaping out of Saul's hands, Jeremy's deliverance out of the pit, the raiſing of the Shunamites child, of the widow of Sarephtahs ſon, of the Temple of Solomon, of Jonah from the deep; a thouſand of theſe types might be produced, which relate to this antitype, Chriſt's reſurrection.
4. From prophetical predictions, Thou wilt not leave my ſoul in hell, neither wilt thou ſuffer thine holy one to ſee corruption, Pſal. 16.10.Pſal. 16.10. After two dayes he will revive us, in the third day he will raiſe us up, Hoſea 6.2.Hoſ. 6.2. he will raiſe us up (i.e.) his Son united to us, or our fleſh aſſumed by his Son, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Pſal. 2.7.Pſal. 2.7. Acts 13.33. I laid me down and ſlept, I waked, for the Lord ſuſtained me, Pſal. 3 5.Pſal. 3.5. Above all, how plain was the propheſie of Chriſt himſelf, that he muſt go to Jeruſalem, and ſuffer many things of the Elders, and chief Prieſts, and Scribes, and be killed, and be ra…ſed again the third day, Matth. 16.21?Mat 16.21.
2. The ſpecial Arguments are exceeding many, as 1. The Angels Aſſertion, He is not here for he is riſ…n, as he ſaid, come ſee the place where the Lord lay, Matth. 28.6.Mat. 28 6. 2. The great Earthquake, And behold there was a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord …cended from heaven, and came and rolled back the ſtone from the door, Matth. 28.2.Mat. 28.2.
3. The Apparitions of raiſed bodies, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints which ſ…pt aroſe, and came out of the graves after his reſurrection, and went into the holy City, and appeared unto many, Matth. 27.52, 53.…. 27.52, 53
4. The ſudden courage of the Apoſtles; whereas a little before they durſt not peep out of doors, they preſently after compaſſed the whole world, and confidently taught, that there was no other name given under heaven, whereby men may be ſaved, but the Name of …eſus, Act. 4.12.Acts 4.12. 5. The Martyrs ſufferings even for this truth. 6. The Adverſaries conf…ſſions even to this truth. 7. The Jews puniſhments even to this day, for not believing this ſaving truth. There is one Rabbi Samuel, who ſix hundred years ſince writ a Tract in form of an Epiſtle to Rabbi Iſaac, Maſter of the Synagogue of the Jews; wherein he doth excellently diſcuſs the cauſe of their long captivity, and extream miſery: And after that he had proved it was inflicted for ſome grievous ſin; he ſheweth that ſin to be the ſame which Amos ſpeaks of, For three tranſgreſſions of Iſrael, and for four, I will not turn away the puniſhment thereof, becauſe they ſold the righteous for ſilver, Amos 2.6.Amos 2.6. the ſelling of Joſeph he makes the firſt ſin; the worſhipping of the Calf in Horeb the ſecond ſin; the abuſing and killing of God's Prophets the third ſin; and the ſelling of Jeſus Chriſt the fourth ſin. For the firſt, They ſerved four hundred years in Egypt; for the ſecond, They wandred forty years in the wilderneſs; for the third, They were captives ſeventy years in Babylon; and for the fourth, They are held in pitiful captivity even till this day. 8. The laſt Argument on which only I ſhall inſiſt, it is the ſeveral Apparitions that Chriſt made to others after his Reſurrection, ſome reckon them ten times, others eleven times, and others twelve times, according to the number of his twelve Apoſtles.
Luke 24.34.1. He appeared unto Mary Magdalen apart. As a woman was the firſt inſtrument of death, ſo was a woman the firſt Meſſenger of Life; ſhe brought the firſt tidings of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, which is the ſureſt Argument of man's Salvation.
2. He appeared to all the Maries together, as they returned homewards from the Sepulchre, never any truly ſought for Chriſt, but with theſe women they were ſure to find Chriſt.
3 He appeared to Simon Peter alone; he was the firſt among men to whom he appeared, he firſt went into the Sepulchre, and he firſt ſaw him that was raiſed thence: he was called firſt, and he confeſſed Chriſt to be the Son of God, and therefore Chriſt appears firſt to him;Mark 16.7. the Angel bade the women to tell his Diſciples and Peter (that is to ſay, and Peter eſpecially) that he was riſen, and gone before them into Galilee. 1 Cor. 15.5.Of this ſpeaks Paul, He was firſt ſeen of Cephas, and then of the Twelve.
4. He appeared to the two Diſciples journeying towards Emmaus; the name of the one was Cleophas, and probable it is, the other was Luke, Theoph. ſuper Luk.who out of his modeſty concealed his own name, ſaith Theophilact.
5. He appeared unto the ten Apoſtles, when the doors were ſhut. Some controverſie there is in this, becauſe the Evangeliſt ſaith expreſly,Luke. 24.33. ver. 36. John 20.24. that the eleven Diſciples were gathered together—and as they ſpake, Jeſus himſelf ſtood in the midst of them. Now Judas was hanged, and Matthias was not elected, and Thomas Didimus was not with them when Jeſus came: how then could he appear to eleven Apoſtles, conſidering at at this time there were but eleven in all?—Some ſay it is a certain number put for an uncertain. Others ſay, that the eleven might be together when the two Diſciples came, and when Jeſus came, Thomas might be abſent, and gone from amongſt them. And if the Text be viewed well, there is no contradiction in this ſaying, But I muſt not dwell on controverſial points.
6. He appeared to all the Diſciples, and Thomas was with them; John 20.26.and then he ſhewed them his wounds, to ſtrengthen the weak faith of his wavering ſervants. Thomas would not have believed unleſs he had ſeen, and therefore Chriſt ſhews him the wounds of his body, that he might cure the wounds of Thomas's unbelieving ſoul.
7. He appeared to Peter, and John, and James, and Nathaniel, and Didimus, John 21.2.and two other Diſciples, when they were a fiſhing at the ſea of Tiberias; there he proved the verity of his Deity by that miracle of the fiſhes, and the verity of his humanity by eating meat with them.ver. 14. And this was the third time that he ſhewed himſelf publickly and ſolemnly unto all, or to the moſt part of his Diſciples.
8. He appeared unto more than five hundred brethren at once; of this we read not in the Evangeliſts, but the Apoſtle Paul records it,1 Cor. 15.6. after that he was ſeen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this preſent, but ſome are fallen aſleep.
9. He appeared unto James the Brother of the Lord: (i.e.) the Cozen-german of Chriſt according to the Fleſh; he was called James the juſt in regard of his upright and innocent life. Jerome in his Book De viris illuſtribus tells us, that afore Chriſt's death this James made a vow, that he would eat no bread till Chriſt were riſen again from the dead; and now Chriſt appearing to him, he commanded Bread and Meat to be ſet on the table; ſaying to James, O my brother, now riſe and eat, for now I am riſen again from the dead. Of this Apparition Paul makes mention:1 Cor. 15.7. After that he was ſeen of James.
10. He appeared to the eleven Diſciples, on Mount Tabor in Galilee. And this Matthew intimates, when Jeſus bade the woman tell his Brethren that he was riſen, and that they ſhould go into Galilee, and there they ſhould ſee him; Mat. 28.10, 16, 17.and accordingly in that Mountain where Jeſus had appointed them, they ſaw him, and worſhipped him.
11. He appeared to all his Apoſtles and Diſciples upon Mount Olivet by Jeruſalem, when in the preſence of them all he aſcended up into Heaven. This mountain is expreſſed by Luke, when after Chriſts aſcenſion it is ſaid,Acts. 1.12. that the Diſciples returned back to Jeruſalem from the mount called Olivet.
12. He appeared unto Paul travelling unto Damaſcus. This indeed was after his forty dayes abode upon the earth. And yet this Paul mentions amongſt the reſt of his apparitions, and laſt of all he was ſeen of me alſo, 1 Cor. 15.8.as of one born out of due time.
My meaning is not to ſpeak of all theſe Apparitions in order; for of ſome of them we are neither aſſured of the order, nor of the time. But of the moſt conſiderable, and moſt edifying we ſhall treat.