Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 1 · Section 3
SECT. III. Of the manner of Chriſt's Reſurrection.
3. HOw he roſe; for the manner of his reſurrection we may conſider in it theſe particulars.—
1. That Chriſt roſe again as a common Perſon, he ſtood in our ſtead, and therefore when he roſe from death, we and all the Church of Chriſt roſe together with him, and in him. We have formerly obſerved that Chriſt took upon him the Perſon of no man, he took only the nature of man into the union of the ſecond Perſon, that ſo he might dye and riſe again, not as a Particular but a common Perſon; that he might be as a repreſentative in our room and ſtead; that he might be as a Spiritual head, and as the ſecond Adam, who could infuſe life into all his members. In this reſpect the Apoſtle makes compariſon betwixt Adam, and Chriſt; now Adam, we know, was reckoned before his fall as, a common publick Perſon, not ſtanding ſingly or alone for himſelf, but as repreſenting all mankinde to come of him; ſo Jeſus Chriſt is reckoned to us, both before his death, and in his death and after his death, as a common publick Perſon; not living, dying, or riſing again, ſingly, or alone for himſelf, but as repreſenting all the believers in the world; and hence it is that Adam is called the firſt man, 1 Cor. 15.47.and Jeſus Chriſt is called the ſecond man; as if there never had been, nor ever ſhould be any more men in the world, ſave only theſe two; and why? but becauſe theſe two between them had all the reſt of the Sons of men hanging at their girdles: Adam had all the Sons of men born into this world called earthly men, included in him; and Chriſt had all his elect, whoſe names are written in heaven, and therefore called Heavenly men, included in him; ſo that now whatſoever Chriſt did, it is reckoned by God as if done by us and for us. When Chriſt aroſe, he aroſe as our head, and as a common Perſon, and in God's account we aroſe with him, and in him. As among all the ſheaves in the Field, there was ſome one ſheaf, that in the name and room of all the reſt was lift up, and waved before the Lord; ſo when all were dead, Chriſt as the first-fruits roſe again from the dead, and by this act of his reſurrection all the Elect from the beginning of the World to the end, are riſen with him and in him. He is the firſt fruits of them that ſleep, 1 Cor. 15.20.though the Saints are a ſleep, yet are they vertually riſen already with Chriſt, becauſe he is their firſt-fruits. Let this ever be remembred, that Chriſt roſe again as the firſt-fruits, as the ſecond man, as an head, as a common Perſon.
2. That Chriſt roſe again by his own Power, this he meant when he ſaid,John 2.19. deſtroy this Temple, and in three days I will raiſe it up. He ſaith not, deſtroy, you, and ſome other ſhall raiſe it up; no, no; but I, even I my ſelf will do it; yea, and I will do it, by my own Power and vertue; here is a plain argument of the Divine nature of Chriſt, for none ever did, ever could do that but God himſelf; ſome were raiſed before Chriſt was incarnate, but not any by himſelf, or by his own proper Power; only a Power was imparted to ſome Prophet by God for that time and turn, and ſo they were raiſed: but Chriſt roſe again not by a Power imparted to ſome, but by his own Power. The Widows ſon of Sarephtah was raiſed by Elias; and the Shunamites ſon was raiſed by Eliſha; both theſe were raiſed by others, and thoſe others that raiſed them, did it not by their own power, but by a power given them from above; and therefore though in their life-time they raiſed others, yet being dead they could not raiſe themſelves; but Jeſus Chriſt did not only in his life-time raiſe others, but alſo being dead, and laid in his grave, and preſſed with ſtones, and watched by Souldiers, and ſought to be deteined by all the Power of darkneſs, yet he as a conqueror, by his own Power raiſed himſelf; he cauſed all things by the ſtrength of his own arme to give way unto himſelf, I have Power to lay down my life, and I have Power to take it up again; an equal Power to take it up, as to lay it down.John. 10.18.
But againſt this it may be objected, The God of our Fathers raiſed up Jeſus, Acts. 5.30. Acts. 3.24.—whom God hath raiſed up; having looſed the pains of death. In many places the reſurrection of Chriſt is aſcribed to his Father, how then is he ſaid to raiſe up himſelf by his own Power?
I anſwer, it is true, that the Father raiſed him, and yet this contradicts not but that he raiſed up himſelf; Whatſoever the Father doth, I do, ſaith Chriſt. Chriſt's reſurrection is the indiviſible work of the bleſſed Trinity; it is a work common to all the three perſons; there is but one power of the Father, and of the Son; ſo that of both it is truly verified, the Father raiſed him, and the Son raiſed himſelf.
Mat. 28.2.3. That Chriſt roſe again with an Earthquake; and behold there was a great Earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord deſcended from heaven. The earth ſhook at his death, and now it trembles at his Reſurrection; plainly ſpeaking that it could neither endure his ſuffering, nor hinder his riſing. As a Lion with a Roar is ſaid to make the Bed wherein he lies to tremble; ſo this Lion of the tribe of Judah was able with his voice, or ſight, to make his (Bed, the earth, wherein he lay) to tremble: no ſooner he ſhakes himſelf, but he ſhakes the earth; at his firſt motion the earth moves; and now was fulfilled that propheſie,Pſal. 114.7. Tremble thou earth at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the God of Jacob. It is not for us, curiouſly to enquire into the cauſe of this earthquake; certainly the cauſe was above Natures reach; it was not any hollow wind got into the bowels of the earth; but either it was Chriſt's riſing, or the Angels deſcending; the earth either danced for joy that Chriſt was riſen, or it trembled for fear that men would no believe his reſurrection. The Evangeliſt ſeems to lay it on the Angel; for the Angel of the Lord deſcended from heaven: ſure the power of Angels is very great; they can move all corporeal things almoſt in an inſtant, they can ſtir up tempeſts, they can ſhake the earth, move the waters, only all their power is ſubjected to God's will. Bleſs the Lord all ye Angels that excel in ſtrength, Pſal. 103.20.that do his Will: it was the Will of God that now an Angel ſhould take hold on the pillars of the earth, and make it ſhake; no wonder if for fear of him the keepers ſhake, Mat. 28.4.and become as dead men; and if one Angel be able to ſhake the earth, and to ſhake the Keepers, thoſe armed Souldiers that were ſet to watch the Tomb; what then will Chriſt himſelf do, when he ſhall come to judgment the ſecond time, with many thouſand thouſands of Angels? Oh now terrible and fearful will his coming be? As at Chriſts Reſurrection, ſo at the laſt Reſurrection, there will be earthquakes in divers places: Mat. 24.7.Chriſt hath ſhewed, and he will ſhew himſelf to be the abſolute Lord of heaven and earth; ſee how the earth, trembling under his feet, doth (as it were) pay him homage; and behold there was a great Earthquake.
Mat. 28.2.4. That Chriſt roſe again Angels miniſtring to him. An Angel came and rolled back the stone from the door, and ſate upon it. Chriſts Power was not included in the grave, or on the earth, but extended to Heaven, and to the Hoſts therein; however the chief Prieſts and Phariſees conſpired together to cloſe him in the earth; they ſealed the ſtone, and ſet a watch, they made all as ſure as poſſibly they could; yet, the Angels of heaven are ready to wait on him as their Sovereign Lord. An Angel deſcended to role away the Stone; not that Chriſt was unable to do it himſef: he ſhook the earth, and could he not lift up a ſtone? O yes! but thus he would manifeſt his Power, by declaring his Power over the mighty Angels; he needed but to ſay unto his Angel▪ do this, and he doth it. I find ſome difference amongſt Authors, why an Angel ſhould role away the Stone: ſome think it was only for the womens ſake, that they might go into the Sepulchre, and take a view of the empty Tomb, and ſo be ſatisfied that Chriſt was not here, but riſen;Mat. 28.6. as they ſaid, Come, ſee the place where the Lord lay: Others think it was to do their office of duty and ſervice to Chriſt Jeſus, to make way for his body to paſs out of the grave without any penetration of other Bodies: for my part, I adhere to theſe; though we need not to exclude the former; for the ſtone might be removed, both that Chriſt might come forth, and that the women might be convinc'd that he was riſen again. But as for the opinion of them, who think the ſtone was not removed till after the reſurrection; & that the body of Chriſt went through the grave-ſtone when he roſe again, it is without all warrant; the very order of nature will not permi… that one body ſhould paſs through another, without corruption or alteration of either: We ſay two bodies cannot be together, and at once, in one proper place; no more than one body can be together, and at once, in an hundred, or a thouſand places; now that Angelical argument is full for this; he is not here, for he is riſen; he is not in the grave,Mat. 28.6. for he is riſen out of the grave; he could not be in the grave, and out of the grave at one and the ſame time. But I mean not to dwell on controverſial Points.
Mat. 27.52, 53.5. That Chriſt roſe again accompanied with others; and the graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints w…ich ſlept aroſe, and came out of the graves after his reſurrection, and went into the holy City, and appeared unto many. It may be the graves were opened when Chriſt was laid down in his grave; yet the ſpirits came not into the dead bodies till Chriſt's Reſurrection; the Text i… plain, that they came not out of their graves till Chriſt was raiſed; Chriſt is the beginning (ſaith the Apoſtle) the firſt-born from the dead:Col. 1.18. how the firſt-born? I anſwer, both in time and efficacy. 1. In time; he roſe to eternal life the firſt of all men. This was the ſum of Paul's preaching, that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer, and that he ſhould be the firſt that ſhould riſe from the dead. It is true indeed,Acts 26.2, 3. that Lazarus and fundry others roſe before Chriſt, but they roſe to live a mortal life, and to die again. Chriſt was the firſt of all that roſe to eternal life; never any in the world roſe, before Chriſt, in this manner. 2. In reſpect of efficacy, Chriſt roſe firſt, that by his power all the reſt might riſe; there is in Chriſt's reſurrection a reviving and a quickning vertue; and herein is a main difference betwixt the Reſurrection of Chriſt, and the Reſurrection of any other man; the Reſurrection of Abraham availes nothing to the reſurrection of Iſa…c, or of Jacob; but the reſurrection of Chriſt availes to the reſurrection of all that have believed, or that ſhall believe in him: is not Chriſt called a quickning Spirit? how then ſhould he but quicken all his members?1 Cor. 15.45. when a man is caſt into the Sea, and all his body is under water, there is nothing to be looked for but preſent death; but if he carry his head above the water, there is good hope then of a recovery: now Chriſt is the head unto his Church, and therefore he being raiſed, all his members muſt follow in their time; no ſooner did Chriſt ariſe, but many of the bodies of the Saints aroſe; not all that were dead, but only ſome; to ſhew the reſurrection of all to come, the time for the whole Churches riſing being not yet, till the great reſurrection day. It is a queſtion what became of thoſe bodies which now aroſe: Some think they died again; but it is more probable, that ſeeing they roſe to manifeſt the quickning vertue of Chriſt's reſurrection, that they were alſo glorified with Chriſt; and as they roſe with Chriſt ariſing, ſo they aſcended up into heaven with Chriſt aſcending.
6. That Chriſt roſe again with a true, perfect, incorruptible, powerful, ſpiritual, agile, and glorious body.
1. He had a true body, conſiſting of fleſh and blood, and bone; ſo he told his Diſciples, when they ſuppoſed him a Spirit; Handle me, Luke 24.39.and ſee (ſaid he) for a Spirit hath not fleſh and bones, as ye ſee me have. I know, this body, after his reſurrection, was comparatively a ſpiritual body; yet for all that, he never laid aſide the eſſential properties of a true body, as length, and breadth, and viſibility, and locality, and the like; he ſtill keepeth theſe, becauſe they ſerve to the being of a true body.
2. He had a perfect body; however he was cut, and bored, and mangled before his death, yet after his reſurrection, all was perfect. Euſebius tells of one of the Children of the Machabees, that were put to death for the profeſſion of the Truth; and when they cut off his members, ſaies he, I have received theſe from heaven, and now I do give them unto the God of heaven, and I hope I ſhall have them again. Not a member of Chriſt was wanting, not a bone out of joint, but all was perfect.
3. He had an incorruptible, immortal body. To this end (ſaith the Apoſtle) Chriſt both died, and roſe and revived; and why revived? but to ſhew that he roſe, never to die again. The Apoſtle is yet more expreſs; Chriſt being raiſed from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. Conſonant hereunto is that of Chriſt, I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen. Rom. 14.9. Rom. 6.9. Rev. 1.18.And herein the body of Lazarus and the reſt, whom Chriſt raiſed, differed from his; for after they were raiſed, they died again; but Chriſt died no more.
4. He had a powerful body. Luther could ſay of the glorified Saints, that they had a power ſo great as to toſs the greateſt mountains in the world like a Ball: And Anſelm hath an expreſſion, not much unlike, that they have ſuch a power, Anſelm. lib. de ſimil. cap. 52.as they are able to ſhake the whole earth at their pleaſure. How much more could Chriſt cauſe that great Earth-quake at the riſing of his Body? O it was powerful!
5. He had a ſpiritual body; it needed not to meat, drink or refreſhings, as it did before; it is true, that the Diſciples gave him a piece of a broiled fiſh, Luk. 24.42, 43and of an honeycomb, and he took it, and did eat before them; but this he did only to confirm their faith, that he appeared ſolidly, and not imaginarily; he Ate out of power, and not out of neceſſity, even as the Sun ſucks up th… water out of power, but the earth out of want: he Ate not, as ſtanding in need of food, but to ſhew the truth of his being riſen again; as the Saints in heaven neither eat, nor drink, nor ſleep, nor have Magiſtrates, nor Miniſters, but the Spirit of God is all in all to them; ſo it was with Chriſt after his Reſurrection: he was full of the Spirit; he was enlivened immediately by the Spirit of God; which flowed into him, and that ſupplied the abſence of all other things.
6. He had an agile body; it was in his pleaſure to move as well upwards as downwards, as it may appear by the aſcenſion of his Body into heaven; which was not cauſed by conſtrain…, or by any violent motion, but a property agreeing to all bodies glorified.Aug. li…. 22. de C…v. Dei, cap. ult. Auguſtine hath an expreſſion concerning the glorified Saints, that they ſhall move to any place they w…ll, and aſſoon as they will; they ſhall move up and down like a thought, how much more m…y it be ſaid of the Body of Chriſt?
7. He had a glorious body; this appeared in his Transfiguration, when his face did ſhine as the Sun, Mat. 17.2.and his rayment was white as light; but eſpecially after his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion,Rev. 1.14, 15. Phil. 3.21. when his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as ſnow, and his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine braſs, as if they burned in a furnace; the glorified bodies of Saints which are faſhioned like unto his glorious body, are ſaid to ſhine like ſtars, Dan. 12.3 or like the Sun it ſelf, Matth. 13.43. O then how glorious is the Sun of righteouſneſs, from whence all thoſe Suns and Stars do borrow their Light? It is true, that from his Reſurrection, until his Aſcenſion, his body appeared not thus glorious unto them that ſaw it: But wh…ther his Glory was delaied, and he was not poſſeſſed of it du…ing his forty daies abode upon the earth; or whether he ſo far condeſcended for his Diſciples ſake, as to keep in his Glory, that it might not dazle them, and therefore appeared ſometimes in the form of a Gardiner, John 20.15.John 20.15. and ſometimes in the form of a ſtranger, Luke 24 18.Luke 24.18. and ſometimes in another form, Mark 16.12.Mark 16.12. and ſometimes in his own form, in the ſame form wherein he lived before he was crucified, John 20.20, 27.Joh. 20.20, 27 is hard to determine. I am apt to think, that in ſome ſort he might draw in the beams of his Glory, and yet that he was not entred into that ſulneſs of glory, as after his Aſcenſion; and ſo ſome expound thoſe words of Chriſt to Mary, Touch me not, for I am not yet aſcended to my Father; q. d. fix not thy thoughts ſo much upon my preſent condition, for I am not yet attained to the higheſt pitch of my exaltation, nor ſhall I until I aſcend unto my Father.
Ʋſe. Rom. 1.4.From this Reſurrection of Chriſt, how are we informed, that Chriſt is the Son of God? Thus Paul ſpeaks, he was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holineſs by the reſurrection from the dead. And how are we informed that Chriſt is Lord over all things that are?Rom. 14.9 For to this end Chriſt both died, and roſe, and revived, 1 Cor. 15.20.that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. And how are we informed that Chriſt roſe again for us, as one that ſtood inſtead and room of all the Elect? but now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, and become the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep. And how are we informed that by his reſurrection we are juſtified?Rom. 4.25. 1 Pet. 1.5. who was delivered for our offences, and was raiſed again for our juſtification: and that by his reſurrection we are regenerate; for he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the dead. And that by his reſurrection we are ſanctified? for as he was raiſed up from the dead by the glory of his Father, Rom. 6.4.even ſo we alſo ſhould walk in newneſs of life; and that by his reſurrection at the laſt day we ſhall be raiſed?Rom. 8.11. for if the Spirit of him that raiſed up Jeſus from the dead ſhall alſo quicken our mortal bodies; and that by his reſurrection finally we ſhall be ſaved? for after we are raiſed, we ſhall never die any more, but be equal unto the Angels, and be the children of God, Luke 20.36.as being the children of the reſurrection of Chriſt.
Thus far the poſition, Chriſt roſe again the third day. Now for the proof.