An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 73
SERM. LXXIII.
Of the Expreſsion, God who raiſeth the dead, how it is to be underſtood, and what it implyes.
2 COR. 1. 9.
Which raiſeth the dead.
THis laſt clauſe is added, as a reaſon, why we are not to truſt in our ſelves, but in God; he can do that, which no King, no Emperour, no Soveraign power in the world can do, he can raiſe from the dead. By this inſtance the Apoſtle diſcovereth Gods omnipotency; for none but an infinite power can do this; even as an infinite power is required to create, to make ſomething out of nothing. Therefore the Philoſopher ſpeaking according to the ordinary way of nature, ſaith ex nihilo nihil fit. Thus it is alſo in regard of raiſing the dead, nothing but an infinite power can do this, becauſe there is another rule in Philoſophy, A privatione ad habitum non datur regreſſus. We read indeed of Eliſhah raiſing the dead Child; and ſo the Apoſtles were inabled to work this miracle, but they did theſe things not authoritativè but adprecativè, not by way of authority but prayer. Chriſt wrought theſe miracles at their prayer to him, and therefore they are ſaid to do theſe things in his name. He only then who hath an infinite power can raiſe the dead. Neither doth the Apoſtle ſay, who can, but who doth raiſe, ſignyfying not only Gods power, but his will and readineſs; and then in the preſent tenſe, denoting, God doth this daily and continually to his people. Now when the Apoſtle deſcribeth God thus as raiſing the dead, you muſt underſtand it of the dead literally. Thoſe that are actually dead, or as good as dead, as to any humane power, which was the caſe of Paul; and alſo dead, metaphorically, viz. ſuch who are in thoſe outward calamities and ſtreights, that they have no viſible way to eſcape out of them. In this extent you muſt underſtand the expreſſion; and from thence obſerve,
That God is both able and willing to help and deliver his people in hopeleſſe God both can and will help his people in their extremitics.and helpeleſſe troubles.
For by this expeſſion Paul doth denote the utmoſt extremity; if God can and will do the greateſt, how much more eaſie is it to him to do the leſs? Though nothing is hard to God, for he doth great things as eaſily as leſs things; ſo that this is brought in as unſpeakeable comfort to the godly who are apt to ſay; This trouble is ſo great; this ſtreight is ſo heavy, that I have no hope, my ſoul doth ſink under it. Oh remember, it cannot be more deſperate then to be a dead man, and yet God doth recover out of that condition: He doth not ſay, God that healeth the ſick; God that comforteth thoſe which are in darkneſs; God who raiſeth up thoſe that are caſt down. Though in other places, theſe things are attributed to God, but God who raiſeth the dead, which is far more then the former.
To proſecute this, let us conſider wherein this Doctrine is true, both literally, and metaphorically; and then how much is comprehended in the expreſſion. For the
1. This is true in the naturall dead, that God can, and doth raiſe up ſuch to life again. In the New Teſtament we read of ſeverall perſons raiſed by 1. God raiſeth up the naturally dead.Chriſt to life again, ſuch a miracle and wonder, that unleſs in the Old Teſtament the like was never heard of in the world before; for they are but Fables what ſome Heathens may record to be done amongſt them in this matter. Yea, at Chriſts Reſurrection, it is ſaid that many did riſe again, and went into the holy City. Which maketh the Apoſtle Heb. 11. 35. inſtance in this as one of the great wonders wrought for the Saints, That women received their dead raiſed to life again. And truly this conſideration of Gods power ſhould wonderfully ſupport us in all troubles, in all exigences; God can create, where there is nothing pre-exiſtent; I create peace; and he can alſo reſtore and give a reſurrection to thoſe that are dead. Let us not then have low thoughts of the power of God, as if he were limited in his workes, as man is; but the demonſtration of Gods power will be evidently and palpably manifeſted in that great and univerſall Reſurrection of all that are dead, at the day of judgement. This work of God doth tranſcend all humane reaſon and power; therefore when Paul Preached this, they accounted him nothing but a babler. It is Diſputed, whether the Reſurrection of the dead can be proved poſſible by naturall reaſon; but whether it can or no, we are ſure the Scripture doth ſo poſitively and plainly affirme it, that it muſt be bold Atheiſme to deny it. Now do but conſider how great a matter it is to exerciſe faith in this particular; how improbable, yea, and impoſſible doth it ſeem to naturall reaſon? All thoſe who have dyed ever ſince Adam, ſo many thouſand yeares ago, who have been for ſo long a time conſumed into aſhes; All ſuch bodies which have been eaten with fiſh, or beaſts; yet God will raiſe the ſame body again, the ſame bones and fleſh again. What amazement and aſtoniſhment may this raiſe in thee? yet it is clear by Scripture, God can and will do this. Oh then that the godly did more vigorouſly exerciſe their faith in this fundamentall point of Religion. What, canſt thou believe in God concerning this great and admirable truth? yet doubteſt whether he can raiſe thee out of thoſe petty and minute troubles thou art exerciſed with. When was news brought to the Pope of the murther of Henry the fourth of France, he was exceedingly affected with it in his ſpeech, in the conclave blaſpemouſly aggravating the merciemercy as he thought, and among other particulars ſaid; the fact was ſo incredible, that had he not uſed himſelf to believe the high and myſterious points of Religion, he could not have believed this fact. Thus he in a wretched manner; but thou maiſt in a true and godly ſenſe ſay, Oh Lord this temptation is ſo great, this trouble is ſo preſſing, I am ſo greatly overwhelmed, that did I not believe thoſe wonderfull Principles of Religion; were I not uſed all the day long to things above humane reaſon and expectation; I could not be able to beare up my ſelf in theſe extremities.
2. This Doctrine is metaphorically true, alſo God raiſeth from the dead, and that again in a twofold extremity, externall and internall, externall troubles, 2. God raiſeth the metaphorically dead, and ſuch who are in any trouble either externall or internall.the Scripture doth delight to repreſent the great and extreame troubles of the Church, when it hath viſible help or deliverance, under the name of death, Iſaiah 26. 19. We have the Prophet comforting the Church in her deſolate eſtate. Thy dead men ſhall live, together with my dead body ſhall they ariſe. It is true many Interpreters expound this, as if properly and immediately ſpoken of the Reſurrection: and it ſhould ſeem our Tranſlators underſtood it ſo, when they render it (together with my body,) but the context maketh it cleare: God ſpeaketh of their deliverance from captivity, wherein he calleth his people, Cadaver meum, my dead body, becauſe in outward appearance ſo; now the reaſon of this may be, becauſe Gods power would be to them, as the dew, to herbs ready to periſh, which doth revive them. Thus their deliverance out of their calamity is deſcribed, Hoſea 6. 2. After two dayes he will revive us, in the third day he will raiſe us up, and we ſhall live in his ſight. This Text is literally and immediately to be underſtood of the Jewes, yet by conſequence it may be applyed to Chriſt; ſo that it argueth the calumniating ſpirit of Hunnius who would make Calvin to jadaize becauſe he doth not expound it as a promiſe of Chriſts Reſurrection. God will do with his Church as he did with the body of Chriſt, he would not ſuffer it to ſee corruption, but within three dayes raiſe it again. Thus ſaith the Church, though we be in a dead condition, yet he will within two or three dayes, within a ſhort time revive us again. But above all, you have a moſt evident alluſion to this Ezek. 37. Where the Prophet in a viſion ſaw a Valley full of dry bones; and breath from the Lord brought ſinews and fleſh upon theſe bones, and the bones came together and lived. Now what the meaning of this parabolicall viſion is, appeareth Verſe 11. Theſe bones are the whole houſe of Iſrael: Behold they ſay our bones are dryed up, our hope is loſt, we are cut off from all parts: but ſaith God, I will open your Graves, and you ſhall come out.
By theſe expreſſions you ſee how true the Doctrine is, that in the Churches extreame calamities, God raiſeth the dead; neither was this opening of the graves, and making dry bones to live once, done by God only, for that people of that time: But ſuch hath been the condition of the Church in ſeverall Ages. It hath been the dry bones, and God hath breathed life into them. Now the Child of God ſhould daily meditate upon theſe great workes of God to his People, and then he will be aſhamed to ſee himſelfe ſo much dejected about his own particular. What, thou art but one dry bone, and cannot God reſtore thee when he doth help ſo many? Can he deliver his whole Church, and not a particular Member therein? More faith in the generall affaires of the Church would facilitate thy particular.
Come we then to internall extremities and exigences, and there in a two-fold Of Gods raiſing from internall extremities.ſenſe, likewiſe we ſhall find it is God, that raiſeth the dead.
In the firſt place, If you conſider man in his ſtate by nature, he is wholly dead in ſinne; and therefore when God by his grace doth correct him, then he raiſeth the dead. Thus every godly man, in this ſpirituall change wrought upon him, can experimentally ſay, God who raiſeth the dead. I was ſenſeleſſe in ſinne; I was ſtupid; I felt no burden; I deſired no deliverance, but God raiſed me from the dead. Even as the Father ſaid of his Prodigall Sonne converted, this our Sonne was dead, but is alive. This expreſſion in a ſpirituall ſenſe the Scripture doth much delight in, Epheſ. 2. You who were dead in ſinne, hath he quickned, and therefore the work of grace is compared to a Reſurrection: and from this ſimilitude we juſtly urge againſt the Arminians, that man hath no active power to prepare himſelfe for grace, or to turne himſelfe to God; no more then a dead Lazarus did diſpoſe himſelfe to a Reſurrection. Thou then who laboureſt under many temptations about the weakneſſe of thy graces; that bewaile thy dead heart, thy dead duties, thy dead Religion; Oh thou art withered, and haſt no life in thee: Remember it is God that raiſeth the dead. And certainly if he did infuſe the life of grace into thee at firſt, when thou waſt wholly dead, can he not much more now thou art quickned, recover thee out of thy decayings and ſwounding fits; he that hath ſpirituall life at firſt, can much more recover thee out of thy conſumptions; he that delivered from death, can much more from ſickneſs.
2. There is another internall exigency upon the ſoul, which may be called a spirituall death, and that is the ſad deſolations and terrible blackneſs, that may cover the ſoul becauſe of deſertions; God may have forſaken thee; thou maiſt not only look upon thy ſelfe as a dead man, but as a damned man. Oh this temptation when God ſets himſelfe againſt a broken ſoul, ſhootes his arrowes into his heart; Though a bruiſed reed breaketh him more, though but a ſmoaking flax, yet ready to quench it; this (I ſay) is adjudged by thoſe who labour under, it worſe then death, more bitter then death. We have a remarkable inſtance for this, in Heman, Pſalme 88. where Verſe 14, 15, 16. he maketh bitter complaint under ſoul-terrours, Why caſteſt thou off my ſoul? why hideſt thou thy face from me? While I ſuffer thy terrors I am diſtracted; and Verſe 3. he ſaith, He was free from amongst the dead, as the ſlain that lye in the grave, whom God remembreth no more. Yea his temptation doth ſo overcloud him, that he ſeemeth to queſtion the truth of our Doctrine, v. 10. Wilt thou ſhew wonders to the dead? ſhall the dead ariſe and praiſe thee? This good man muſt needs be greatly dejected when he doubteth of this: for nothing is more ordinary with God, then to ſhew wonders to the dead; and therefore had he but poſſeſſed his heart with this truth, he had been able to walk on thoſe waters, whereas now he is ready to ſink: had he concluded, ſaying, Oh my ſoul, why art thou caſt down within thee? what, though thou art dead, yet it is God that raiſeth the dead; the dead have cauſe to praiſe him; this would have revived him. Yea God for the moſt part will not come in to help till we look upon our ſelves as dead: even as Chriſt did delay till Lazarus was dead and putrifying in the grave, that ſo his glorious power might be the more diſcovered in reſtoring of him to life. Indeed the Pſalmiſt might have argued, that if God ſhould …uite forſake him, ſuffering him to be ſwallowed up in deſpaire; Do thoſe that deſpaire, do they praiſe thee? Do the damned in Hell bleſſe and glorifie thy name? If then in theſe ſad and bitter temptations upon thy ſoul, thou wouldſt have ſome worke to get into, then remember this truth, God raiſeth the dead.
Thus we have heard in what particulars this Doctrine is true; let us now What is implyed in the expreſſion God raiſeth from the dead. 1. That Gods own Children may be brought into helpleſs and hopeleſs conditions.conſider what is implyed in this expreſſion, God raiſeth the dead. And
1. It ſuppoſeth That Gods own Children may be brought into an helpleſſe and hopeleſſe estate. They may be in a Wilderneſſe, ſo that if God doth not extraordinarily provide Manna for them, they will periſh; for you muſt know that this is attributed to God, chiefly for the godly mans ſake. For though the wicked may ſometimes be delivered from imminent dangers, yet that is by the generall providence of God, who doth in Heaven and Earth what he pleaſeth; but the godly are delivered from the ſpeciall love of God, and his peculiar promiſe to them, of being their God: So that it is in this caſe, as it is in the Reſurrection, all men ſhall be raiſed from the dead, even the wicked as well as the juſt; only the wicked ſhall be raiſed by the power of God as a juſt judge; but the godly as Members of Chriſt, and from that ſpeciall Covenant of grace God, made with them; and upon this foundation Luke 20. 37. doth Chriſt prove the Reſurrection, becauſe he is the God of Abraham, the God of Iſaack, and the God of Jacob. Theſe are mentioned rather then Noah or Enoch, when yet God was alſo their God, becauſe to thoſe the promiſe of grace was either at firſt made, or afterwards repeated. As therefore becauſe God is a God in Covenant, he will raiſe up their dead bodies; ſo from this relation he will raiſe thee up from thy extreame neceſſities; yet this ſuppoſeth that God though he loveth us, ſo as to deliver from evill, yet he will not alwayes prevent the evill.
2. Here is implyed, That God hath an immediate ſoveraignty and domini… 2. That God hath power over all eſtates whatſoever.over all conditions and eſtates, be they never ſo bitter and hopeleſſe. We cannot ſay of the true God, that he is the God of the Vallies, but not of the Hils alſo. When that Lord would not believe God could on a ſuddaine provide ſuch incredible plenty, he was ſeverely puniſhed for it. The Iſraelites alſo are taken notice of for limiting God, Pſal. 78 9. Though God had given them water, yet ſay they, Can he furniſh a Table in the Wilderneſs? Oh how often are we guilty of ſuch diſtruſt? though God hath done thus and thus, yet can he do this alſo? But he raiſeth the dead, he hath a command over all things. Hence God is ſaid 1 Cor. 1. 28. To chooſe things that are not, thereby to confound things that are. So that there is no tentation, no affliction, but God can command it, and work what he pleaſeth out of it for thy good; he can raiſe up Children to Abraham out of ſtones, he can make Grapes to grow of Thornes, and Figs of Thiſtles.
3. There is implyed, That our extremities are Gods opportunities, They 3. That our extremities are Gods opportunities.are the proper time to work in and not before: Why doth he not ſay, God that healeth the ſick; that comforteth the ſorrowfull; but inſtanceth in the utmoſt of all, that raiſeth the dead, but to ſhew that it is commonly Gods way to delay his help till it be at the very outmoſt? Chriſt would not turne water into Wine, till all was ſpent. When the poor creeple that lay ſo long by the Poole ſide ſaid, I have no man to help me, then Chriſt healed him. It became a Proverbe in the Church of old. In the Mount the Lord will be ſeen. God lets Abraham alone till he was lifting up his hand to give a mortall blow, and then God appeareth, providing alſo a Ram in Iſaacs ſtead. Thus it was alſo with Abraham, God provideth him a Son out of a dead Wombe, that ſo his glory may be more exalted; commonly a godly mans Iſaacs, his joyes and comforts are brought out of the dead Wombe of the Creatures. What more is to be ſaid herein, will come in ſeaſonably in the next Verſe.
Let us from the premiſſes make this Uſe, Doth God raiſe even the dead, and may ſuch put truſt in God? Then ſhame and reprove thy ſaying; oh me ſlow to believe! oh me dull and heavy about Heavenly duties! for though my afflictions are but weak and ordinary, there is nothing above meaſure or ſtrength in them, yet I am ready to faint; how can this be forgiven to me? As the Apoſtle ſaid in another caſe, you have not yet reſiſted to blood. So it may be thy exerciſes have never been ſo grievous and extreame, ſo as thou art to be accounted as a dry bone, as a dead man, and yet I have much ado to truſt in God in theſe inferior tryals. Cry out unto the Lord to help thee in theſe weak graces, be aſhamed when any little trouble is apt to diſquiet thee, to diſcompoſe thee. Oh ſay if it were the worſt condition that could come upon me, if it were the heavieſt tryall that could fall on me, yet I was to truſt in him who raiſeth the dead.