Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 1 · Section 1
SECT. 1. Of the Time of Christ's Reſurrection.
THe Sun that went down in a ruddy cloud, is riſen again with glorious beams of light. In this piece, as in the former, we ſhall firſt lay down the Object, and then give directions how to look upon it.
The Object is Jeſus, carrying on the work of man's ſalvation in his Reſurrection, and during the time of his abode on earth after his Reſurrection. Now in all the tranſactions of this time, I ſhall only take notice of theſe two things. 1. Of this Reſurrection. 2. Of his Apparitions; for firſt, he roſe; and ſecondly, he ſhews himſelf that he was riſen: in the firſt is the Poſition, in the ſecond is the Proof.
1. For the Poſition; the Scripture tells us that he roſe again the third day. In this point I ſhall obſerve theſe particulars. 1. When he aroſe. 2. Why he aroſe. 3. How he aroſe.
1. When he aroſe; it was the third day after his crucifying.Mat. 12.40. As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the whales belly, ſo ſhall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This was the time he had appointed: and this was the time appropriated to Chriſt, and marked out for him in the Kalender of the Prophets; of all thoſe whom God raiſed from death to life; there is not one that was raiſed on the third day, but Jeſus Chriſt; ſome roſe afore, and ſome roſe after; the Son of the Shunamite, the ſon of the widow of Sarephtah, the daughter of Jairus, he of Naim, and ſome others roſe afore; Lazarus, and the Saints that roſe again from the duſt when Chriſt roſe, ſtaid longer in the grave, but Chriſt takes the day, which diſcovers him to be the Meſſiah: Luke 24.46.Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Chriſt to ſuffer, and to riſe from the dead the third day. Had he roſe ſooner a doubt might have been of his dying; and had he lain longer, a doubt might have been of his riſing; he would riſe no ſooner, becauſe in ſome diſeaſes, as in the Apoplexy, or ſuch like examples are given of ſuch, as ſeeming to be dead, have indeed revived; and he would lie no longer in his grave, becauſe in all dead carcaſſes (and eſpecially in a wounded body) putrefaction and corruption begins the third day: this may be gathered by the Story of Lazarus in the Goſpel, where Jeſus commanding the ſtone to be rolled from his grave,John 11.39. Pſal. 16.10. Martha his Siſter anſwered, Lord, by this time he ſtinketh, for he hath been dead four dayes. Now the body of Chriſt (as it was propheſied) muſt not corrupt; for thou wilt not leave my ſoul in hell, neither wilt thou ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption. Mark this Text: All men ſhall riſe again, but their bodies muſt firſt ſee corruption; only the Meſſiah was to riſe again before he ſaw corruption; and therefore he would not delay his reſurrection after the third day.Hoſea 6.2. Some think this, and that of Hoſea, after two days he will revive us, and in the third day he will raiſe us up, to be the main Texts to which Chriſt refers, when he ſaid,Luke 24.46. Thus it is written. And to which the Apoſtle refers, when he ſaid, that Chriſt roſe again the third day according to the Scriptures.1 Cor. 15.4.
I dare not be too curious, in giving reaſons for this ſet time; and the rather, becauſe Chriſt is a free worker of his own affairs; he doth what he pleaſeth, and when he pleaſeth; times and actions are in his own power, and he needs not to give us any account of them; and yet ſo far as Scripture diſcovers; we may go along; and amongſt many others, I ſhall lay down theſe following Reaſons.—
1. Becauſe the Types had ſo prefigured; we ſee it in Iſaac, Jonah, and Hezekiah, a Patriarch, a Prophet, and a King. 1. For Iſaac; from the time that God commanded Iſaac to be offered for a burnt offering, Iſaac was a dead man; but the third day he was releaſed from death; this the Text tells us expreſly, that it was the third day when Abraham came to Mount Moriah, Gen. 22.4. Heb. 11.19.and had his Son, as it were, reſtored to him again, Gen. 22.4. And Paul diſcovers that this was in a figure, Heb. 11.19. 2. For Jonah; from the time that Jonah was caſt into the ſea, and ſwallowed up of the Fiſh, Jonah was, in account as a dead man; but the third day the Lord ſpake unto the Fiſh, and it vomited up Jonah upon the dry land, Jonah 2.10.Jonah 2.10. And that this was a figure of Chriſt, Chriſt himſelf diſcovers; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whales belly, ſo ſhall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Mat. 12.40.3. For Hezekiah; from the time that Iſaiah ſaid unto him, ſet thine houſe in order, for thou ſhalt die, and not live; 2 King. 20.1.Hezekiah was, in account, as a dead man; his bed was to him as a grave; but on the third day he was miraculouſly raiſed up again; and as the Prophet ſaid, on the third day thou ſhalt go up to the houſe of the Lord. Ver. 5.Surely this was a figure of Chriſt. And th…ſe Types prefiguring Chriſt, are as one Reaſon.
2. Becauſe the Prophets and himſelf had ſo foretold: for the Prophets we have cited, Pſal. 16.10. Hoſea 6.2. And for himſelf, he told them very expreſly, that he muſt ſuffer many things of the Elders, Mat. 16.21.and chief Prieſts, and Scribes, and be raiſed again the third day; Mat 17.22 23. Mat 20.18.19.yea, ſaid he, the Son of man ſhall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they ſhall kill him, and the third day he ſhall be raiſed again; and after this, he tells them again, that the Son of man ſhould be betrayed,—and crucified, and the third day he ſhould riſe again: ſo often had he propheſied thus, that the chief Prieſts and Phariſees came to Pilate after his death,Mat. 27.62, 63.64. ſaying, Sir, we remember that this deceiver ſaid, while he was yet alive, after three dayes I will riſe again; command therefore that the Sepulchre be made ſure until the third day. And no queſtion his Diſciples remembred theſe ſayings; for ſo the two Diſciples travelling towards Emmaus, after they had ſaid many things concerning him, and that they truſted it had been he, which ſhould have redeemed Iſrael, they added this as a moſt ſpecial obſervation above all the reſt,Luke 24.21. that to day is the third day ſince theſe things were done. Why, all theſe ſignifie that his riſing on the third day was the accompliſhment of Propheſies, and a certain evidence that he was the Meſſiah indeed.
3. Becauſe that time was moſt ſuable for comforting his friends, for confounding his enemies, for clearing the truth both of his Humanity and Divinity; he would ſtay no longer, leſt his Diſciples might have been ſwallowed up with grief; and he would come no ſooner, leſt his enemies ſhould have urged that he had not died; the watchmen kept the Sepulchre till this very time; but then the Angels appearing, and the earth trembling, they became as dead men; and aſſoon as they could, they run away, and with their tidings confounded all Chriſt's enemies. And withall, as Chriſt conſiſted both of a divine and humane nature, ſo in reſpect of his humanity, he muſt die; and to ſhew his death, it was requiſite that he ſhould riſe no ſooner than the third day; and in reſpect of his divinity, it was impoſſible that he ſhould be held of death any longer than three days; for as he muſt not ſee corruption, ſo God raiſed him up, having looſed the pains of death, Acts 2.24.becauſe it was not poſſible that he ſhould be holden of it.