A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 7
SECT. VII. Of our Saviours Reſurrection.The third day he roſe again from the Dead.
OUr bleſſed Lord and Saviour (as we have ſhewed) was crucified, put to death and buried. We come now to ſhew that the third day after his burial, He roſe again from the Dead. And here ſeveral particulars will fall under our conſideration. 1. We ſhall ſhew That it was propheſied of the Meſſias that he ſhould riſe from the dead. 2. That Jeſus our Lord did ſo riſe as was foretold. 3. We ſhall produce the proofs of his Reſurrection. 4. We ſhall ſhew the principal cauſe of his Reſurrection. 5. The time 6. The ends for which he aroſe. I begin with the Firſt, namely, that Chriſts Reſurrection was propheſied of and foretold. And this may appear from Acts 2.31. Where the Apoſtle ſhews us that David ſeeing this before, ſpake of the Reſurrection of Chriſt; that his Soul was not left in Hell, neither did his fleſh ſee corruption. Chriſt himſelf did foretell it, Mat. 17.22.23. 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 John 2.19. Deſtroy this Temple (viz. of my Body) and in three days I will raiſe it up. Chriſt had ſo plainly and ſo often foretold his Reſurrection that the Chief Prieſts and Phariſees could ſay to Pilate, Sir, we remember that this Deceiver ſaid while he was yet alive, after three days I will riſe again. And the Apoſtle Paul profeſſes, Acts 26.23. that he ſaid no other things then what Moſes and the Prophets did ſay ſhould come, viz. that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer and that he ſhould riſe from the Dead. And as Chriſts Reſurrection was propheſied of, ſo it was typified and prefigured. 1. By Iſaac, Gen. 22. who was bound, and laid on the Altar, and as good as dead in his Fathers account, yet Abraham received him from the dead again in a figure, Heb. 11.19. that is, in a figure of Chriſts Reſurrection. 2. By Jonas, Matth. 12.40. as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly, ſo ſhall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the heart of the earth. 2. Jeſus Chriſt our Lord did ſo riſe as was foretold. The Lord of Life was buried on that day on which he was Crucified; and his body was in the grave ſome part of that day, and all the next day, and ſome part of the day following. And very early on the firſt day of the week he aroſe. The Apoſtles to whom he ſhewed himſelf alive after his paſſion by many infallible proofs gave witneſs of his Reſurrection, Acts 1.3. He being ſeen of them forty days, and ſpeaking of the things, pertaining to the Kingdom of God. And our Saviour himſelf after his Reſurrection, ſaid to his Apoſtles, Luke 24.39, 40. Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I my ſelf, handle me and ſee, for a Spirit hath not fleſh and bones, as ye ſee me have; and when he had thus ſpoken, he ſhewed them his hands and his feet. 3. For a further proof of his Reſurrection, let us conſider the manner of it, and his ſeveral Appearings after it. 1. Very early on the firſt day of the week with a great Earthquake our Lord aroſe, and an Angel deſcending rolled away the ſtone, and ſate thereon. The watchmen are frighted away. 2. Mary Magdalen, Joanna, Mary the mother of James with others, come to the Sepulchre with ſpices prepared to embalm him. The Angel ſpeaks to them not to be affraid, but to come and ſee where Jeſus had been laid, but was now riſen. He bids them go tell his Diſciples that in Galilee they ſhould ſee him. 3. The women go and tell the ſame to the Diſciples, but their words ſeemed to them as idle tales. 4. Peter and John run to the Sepulchre and ſee the linnen cloaths in which Jeſus was wrapped; but his body was not there. They return home wondring: but Mary Magdalen ſtill ſtayed there weeping, and looking back ſhe ſaw Jeſus; yet thought it had been the Gardner, but upon his ſpeaking to her ſhe diſcerned that it was He. This was his firſt appearing after his Reſurrection.1. Appearing. She goes to imbrace his feet, which he forbids, but ſends her to tell his Diſciples, (whom he calls his Brethren;) which ſhe accordingly does, but they believe her not. The other women run to the Sepulchre to try if they likewiſe could ſee him; and being there told by the Angel that he was riſen, Chriſt meets them in the way and ſayes All-Hail, and ſends them to his Brethren to tell them they ſhould meet him in Galilee. 2. Appearing.This is his ſecond appearing. The affrighted watchmen who had fled into the City and had acquainted the Chief Prieſts with all that had hapned, have money given them to ſay that his Diſciples ſtole him away while we ſlept. But how miſerable a fiction was this? For if they had ſtoln his body away, (which yet they did not) could they have put life into it?3. Appearing. And we ſee our Saviour is alive again. His third appearing was to the Diſciples that were going to Emaus. His fourth was to Simon Peter. 4. Appear.His fifth appearing was to his Diſciples met together, Thomas being abſent.5. Appear. Here he ſhews them his pierced hands and ſide, See theſe things morefully ſet down in the 8th. Ch. of the 6th. Book of my Harmony.and eats a piece of a broiled fiſh and an honey-comb with them; bids them tarry at Jeruſalem till the gifts of the Holy Ghoſt ſhould be poured forth upon them. He gives them a new Commiſſion, and breaths on them, ſaying, Receive ye the Holy Ghoſt; adding, whoſe ſins ye remit they are remitted, and whoſe ſins ye retain, they are retained. Thus he appeared five times on the day of his Reſurrection. His ſixth appearing was to his Diſciples on the eighth day after his Reſurrection,6. App…ar. being the firſt day of the Week, Thomas being preſent, whom he condeſcends ſo far to ſatisfie, that he cries out, my Lord and my God. 7. Appear.His ſeventh appearing was to ſeveral of his Diſciples at the Sea of Tyberias, as they were fiſhing; he helpeth them to a great draught of Fiſh (having before caught nothing) whereby they knew him. Peter caſts himſelf into the Sea to ſwim unto him. The other Diſciples come to him by boat. He eats with them bread and fiſh. He asks Peter thrice whether he loved him, and commands him to feed his Sheep. He foretelleth him of his future ſufferings, and reproves him for his Queſtion concerning John. 8. Appear.His eighth appearing was on a Mountain in Galilee to above five hundred at once. Where he gives commiſſion to his Diſciples to go, and teach all Nations, and baptize the Converted. And promiſes that not only many ſhall be converted to the Faith, but that miraculous gifts of the Holy-Ghoſt ſhall be conferred on them that believe, as caſting out Devils, ſpeaking with tongues, &c. and that he will be with them and their ſucceſſors to the end of the World. …. Appear.His ninth appearing was to James. His tenth and laſt was on the fortieth day after his Reſurrection;10. Appear. At which time having commanded them to wait at Jeruſalem for the deſcending of the Holy Ghoſt upon them, and anſwered their queſtion, whether he would reſtore the Kingdom to Iſrael at that time or no, He led them forth to Mount Olivet, and there lifting up his hands, and bleſſing them, he was carried up into Heaven, a Cloud receiving him out of their ſight. Two Angels appearing to them, aſſure them that he will ſo come to Judgment as they had ſeen him go to Heaven. And thus much for our Saviours ſeveral appearings after his Reſurrection.
Fourthly, Let us conſider how our Saviour aroſe. The principal cauſe of his Reſurrection was God himſelf. For no other power then that which is Omnipotent can raiſe the dead, as the Apoſtle intimates, Acts 2.32. This Jeſus hath God raiſed up, Eph. 1.19, 20. according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Chriſt when he raiſed him from the dead and ſet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. This great work is attributed to the Father, but not to him alone; For to whomſoever that infinite power doth belong, by which Chriſt was raiſed; That Perſon muſt be acknowledged to have raiſed him. The Son of God therefore being of the ſame eſſence and conſequently of the ſame power with the Father, and the ſame being true alſo of the Holy Ghoſt, we muſt accordingly acknowledge that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt raiſed up Chriſt from the dead. John 2.19, 21. Jeſus ſaid unto them, deſtroy this Temple and in three-days I will raiſe it up, he ſpake of the temple of his body So that not only God the Father raiſed the Son, but alſo God the Son raiſed himſelf, by the power of his Divinity, which was never ſeparated after his incarnation either from his Body or his Soul.
5. Let us conſider the time when he aroſe, viz. on the third day from his paſſion. This was foretold of the Meſſias not only that he ſhould riſe again, but that he ſhould ariſe the third day after his death, it was typified by Jonas as we ſhewed before. Our Saviour did riſe properly on the third day after his death; and he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, ſynecdochically the whole time or ſpace of three dayes being put for a part of it. Our Saviour roſe the firſt day of the Week: and his Reſurrection being ſo eminent a declaration, that he had fully accompliſhed the work of our Redemption, from thence the Sabbath was changed to that day. Acts 20.7. And upon the firſt day of the Week, when the Diſciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them. 1 Cor. 16.1. As I have Ordained in the Churches of Galatia ſo do ye. Ʋpon the firſt day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in ſtore, as God hath proſpered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. He ordains that their Collections for the poor Saints and oblations ſhould be on that day. And St. John ſayes Rev. 1.10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day. Thus the obſervation of the ſeventh day of the week, which the Jews kept, did ceaſe and was buried with our Saviour. And the obſervation of that day on which the Son of God roſe, by the practice of the bleſſed Apoſtles was tranſmitted to the Church of God, and ſo hath continued in all ages of the Church ever ſince. As God ſpake by Moſes to the Iſraelites, Exodus 31.13. Verily my Sabbaths ye ſhall keep, for it is a ſign between me and you. viz. that you profeſs your ſelves to be my people in an eſpecial manner. So they that belong to the Church of Chriſt are known by obſerving the firſt day of the week, on which he aroſe, and by this mark (among others) are diſtinguiſhed from ſuch who own not Chriſt nor his Goſpel.
6. And laſtly, Let us conſider the ends for which Chriſt aroſe? And thoſe were ſuch as theſe, 1. for our juſtification. Rom. 4.25. He was delivered for our offences and roſe again for our juſtification. 2. To aſſure us of our reſurrection. If Chriſts body had not been raiſed, how could we have expected the Reſurrection of our bodies? The Reſurrection of the members depends upon the Reſurrection of the Head. 2 Cor. 4.14. 3. That he might be declared to be the Son of God with power, Rom. 1.4. by his Reſurrection from the dead. Therefore ſays the Apoſtle, Acts 13.32.33. We declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promiſe which was made unto the Fathers, God hath fulfilled the ſame unto us their Children, in that 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. Chriſt was the Son of God before, but then he appeared ſo to be againſt all contradiction. For he aroſe by his own divine power, which no meer man ever did or ſhall do. 4. He roſe again to encourage us firmly to believe in him as a moſt perfect Redeemer. Our Surety is releaſed and ſet free, therefore Gods Juſtice is ſatisfied, and ſo we are begotten unto a lively hope of eternal life by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the Dead, 1 Pet. 1.3. 5. By his Reſurrection he hath ſhewed us how we ought to imitate him and to riſe from the death of Sin to the life of Grace. This the Apoſtle intimates to us, Rom. 6.4. Therefore we are buried with him by Baptiſm into death, that like as Chriſt was raiſed up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even ſo we alſo ſhould walk in newneſs of life. Let us conſider therefore and ſeriouſly examine our ſelves whether we be riſen with Chriſt or no? Are our affections ſet on things above? Acts 3.2. Do we delight in the Ordinances of God? (They that have a ſpiritual life will delight in that food whereby that ſpiritual life is maintained.) Do we delight in communion with God, and exerciſe our ſelves in frequent meditation and the believing views of the Glory of the other life? Thoſe who are riſen with Chriſt ſeek the things that are above.