Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Book · Demonstration 1
The first Demonstration.
ANd First, I begin with his Resurrection: THAT God that delivered him up unto death, and that made him a Curse for Sin; THAT God raised him up from the dead. But God raised him from the Dead, Act. 3. 15. Chap. 13. 30. Now considering, that at his Death he was charged with our Sins, and accursed to death for our Sins: That Justice that delivered him up for them, must have amends made to him, before he acquit him from them; for there can be no change in Justice. Had he found him in … Sins in the Grave, as he found him in them upon the Tree, (for he had them in his Body on the Tree, 1 Pet. 2. 24.) he had left him there as he left him upon the Tree: yea, he had as surely rotted in the Grave, as ever he died on the Tree. But when he visited Christ in the Grave, he found him a Holy, Harmless, Undefiled, and Spotless Christ, and therefore he raised him up from the Dead. He raised him up from the dead, having loosed the Pains of Death; because it was not possible that he should be helden of it, Act. 2. 24.
Quest. But why not possible now to be helden of death?
Ans. Because, the Cause was removed, Sin was the Cause, he died for our Sins, he gave himself for our Sins, 1 Cor. 15. 1, 2, 3. Gal. 1. 4. These Sins brought him to death: But when God that had made him a Curse for us, looked upon him into the Grave, he found him there without sin, and therefore loosed the Pains of Death; for Justice saith, This is not possible, because not lawful, that he who lieth sinless before God, should be swallowed up of death; therefore he raised him up.
Quest. But what did he do with our Sins? for he had them upon his Back.
Ans. 'Tis said he TOOK them away: Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World; 'Tis said he PUT them away. Now once in the End of the World hath he appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself, Joh. 1. 29. Heb. 9. 26. That is, by the Merit of his undertaking he brought into the World, and set before the Face of God such a Righteousness, that out-weigheth, and goeth far beyond that Sin; and so did hide sin from the Sight of God: Hence, he that is justified, is said, to have his Sins HID, and covered. Blessed is the Man whose Transgressions are forgiven, and whose Sin is covered, Rom. 4. 7. covered with the Righteousness of Christ. I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy Nakedness, thy Sins, Ezek. 16. 8. Christ Jesus therefore, having by the Infiniteness of his Merit, taken away, put away, or hidden our Sins from the Face of God; therefore he raised him up from the Dead.
You find in that 16th of Leviticus mention made of two Goats, one was to be slain for a Sin-Offering, the other to be left alive: The Goat that was slain, was a Type of Christ in his Death, the Goat that was not slain, was a Type of Christ in his Merit. Now this living Goat, HE carried away the Sins of the People into the Land of forgetfulness. And Aaron shall lay both his Hands upon the head of the Live-Goat, and confess over him all the Iniquities of the Children of Israel, and all their Transgressions, in all their Sins, putting them upon the Head of the Goat, and shall send him away by the Hands of a fit Man into the Wilderness, and the Goat shall bear upon him all their Iniquities unto a Land not inhabited, Levit. 16. Thus did Jesus Christ bear away by the Merit of his Death, the Sins and Iniquities of them that Believe; wherefore, when God came to him in the Grave, he found him, Holy and Undefiled, and raised him up from the Dead.
And observe it, As his Death was for our Sin, so his Rising again was for our Discharge: for both in his Death and Resurrection he immediately respected our Benefits; he died for us, he rose from the Dead for us. He was delivered for our Offences, and was raised again for our Justification, Rom 4. 25. By his Death he carried away our Sins, by his Rising, he brought to us Justifying Righteousness.
There are five Circumstances also attending his Resurrection, that shew us how well-pleased God was with his Death.
1. It must be solemnized with the Company, Attendance and Testimony of Angels, Mat. 28. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Luk. 24. 3, 4, 5, 6. John 20. 11, 12.
2dly. At, or just upon his Resurrection, the Graves, where many of the Saints, for whom he died, lay asleep, did open, and they followed their Lord in full Triumph over Death. The Graves were opened, and many Bodies of Saints which slept arose, and came out of their Graves after his Resurrection, and went into the Holy City, and appeared unto many, Mat. 27. 52.
These Saints coming out of their Graves after him; what a Testimony is it, that he, for them, had taken away Sin, and destroyed him that had the Power of Death: yea, what a Testimony was it that he had made amends to God the Father, who granted him at his Resurrection, to have presently out of the Grave, Of the Price of his Blood, even the Body of many of the Saints which slept. He was declared to be the Son of God with Power by the Spirit of Holiness, and the Resurrection from the Dead, Rom. 1. 4. It saith not, by his Resurrection, though that be true; But by the Resurrection, meaning the Resurrection of the Bodies of the Saints which slept, because they rose by vertue of his Blood; and by that he was with power declared to be the Son of God. They I say, were part of his Purchase, some of them for whom Christ died: Now for God to raise them, and that upon, and by vertue of his Resurrection; what is it, but an open Declaration from Heaven, that Christ by his Death hath made amends for us, and obtained Eternal Redemption for us?
3thly. When he was risen from the Dead, God, to confirm his Disciples in the Faith of the Redemption that Christ had obtained by his Blood, brings him to the Church, presents him to them alive, shews him openly, sometimes to two or three, sometimes to eleven or twelve, and once to above five hundred Brethren at once, Acts 1. 3. Chap. 10. 40. Luk. 24. 13, 14, 15, 16. 31. John 20. 19. Chap. 21. 1, 2, 3, &c. 1 Cor. 15. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
4thly. At his Resurrection, God gives him the Keys of Hell and of Death, Revel. 1. 16, 17. Hell and Death are the Effects and Fruits of Sin. The Wicked shall be turned into Hell, and the Wages of Sin is Death. But what then are Sinners the better for the Death and Blood of Christ? O! They that dare venture upon him are much the better, for they shall not perish unless the Saviour will damn them; for he hath the Keys of Hell and of Death. Fear not, saith he, I am the First and the Last, I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the Keys of Hell and Death. These were given him at his Resurrection; as if God had said, My Son thou hast spilt thy Blood for Sinners, I am pleased with it, I am delighted in thy Merits, & in the Redemption which thou hast wrought; in token hereof, I give thee the Keys of Hell and of Death: I give thee all Power in Heaven and Earth, save who thou wilt, deliver who thou wilt, bring to Heaven who thou wilt.
5thly. At Christ's Resurrection, God bids him ask the Heathen of him, with a Promise to give him the uttermost parts of the Earth for his Possession. This Sentence is in the second Psalm, and is expounded by Paul's Interpretation of the Words before, to be spoken to Christ at his Resurrection Thou art my Son, this Day have I begotten thee. I have begotten thee, that is, saith Paul, from the Dead.
He hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the Second Psalm. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Act. 13. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. Now mark at his Raising him from the Dead, he bids him ask, ASK of me, and that the Heathen: As if God had said, My Son, thy Blood hath pacified, and appeased my Justice; I can … in justice, for thy sake, forgive poor Mortals their Sin; ASK them of me, ASK them, though they be Heathens, and I will give them to thee, to the utmost Ends of the Earth. This is then the First Demonstration to prove that Jesus Christ by what he hath done, hath paid full price to God for the Souls of Sinners, and obtained Eternal Redemption for them; namely, his being Raised again from the Dead.