Of Fundamentals, Treatise · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. JESƲS CHRIST raiſed &c.
Chriſt's reſurrection the Foundation.§. 1. ELſewhere this Foundation is determined to one other ſingle article, that of the reſurrection of Chriſt, Rom. 10.9. which ſuppoſing and comprehending the crucifixion under it, and being viſibly and undeniably wrought by the immediate and omnipotent power of God, and not imputable to any other poſſible means, was a moſt illuſtrious teſtimonie, and conviction of the innocencie of Chriſt, thus ſignally vindicated, and rewarded by God, and conſequently a confirmation of the truth of all that he had taught, and thus ſigned with the effuſion of his blood.
an Argument of the greateſt conviction.§. 2. Of this one article it is our Saviours affirmation that it was ſo full matter of conviction to all gainſayers, that they wch ſhould not be wrought upon by that, were to expect no farther ſigns or miracles, & the deſign of the holy Ghoſts coming upon the Apoſtles being to fit them for the great work (for which Chriſt had given them Commiſſion) the teſtifying and proclaiming his Reſurrection, from thence ariſes the aggravation and irremiſſibleneſs of the ſin againſt the holy Ghoſt, who had ſo abundantly convinced the world of Chriſt's righteouſneſs by his ariſing and going to his Father. And accordingly in the preaching of S. Peter, Act. 2. this was the doctrine that with ſuch an Emphaſis he inculcated upon them v. 22. Men of Iſrael, hear theſe words — Jeſus of Nazareth — ye have nailed with wicked hands and killed, Whom God hath raiſed up &c. and v. 24. this Jeſus hath God raiſed up, foreign of which we all are witneſſes, or, whoſe witneſſes we all are, ver. 32. and ſo made him Lord and Chriſt, v. 36. And when they heard this they were pricked at the heart, and ſaid, Men and brethren, What ſhall we doe? And upon this one foundation he immediately ſuperſtructs the exhortation to repentance, and coming in by baptiſme unto Chriſt, and three thouſand were that day wrought on by that method, v. 41.
§. 3. Beſide this,A pawn of our Reſurrection Corporal, the Reſurrection of Chriſt was a peculiar pawn and pledge of God's raiſing up our bodies out of the grave, and (before that time comes) of his quickning our ſouls out of the moſt noiſome vaults, the habits and cuſtoms of ſin, wherein they lay putrified, and Spiritual.this being an act of the ſame omnipotent Spirit, by which he raiſed up Jeſus from the dead, and without which it were as hopeleſſe an attempt for ſinners to go about to riſe to new life, as it were for dead men to raiſe themſelves out of their graves. And conſequently the belief of this, was, in the former of theſe reſpects, of ſpecial importance to confirm our hopes of another life, on which ſo many branches of Chriſtian piety ſo immediately depend (that eſpecially of laying down our lives for Chriſt's ſake) that if our hope in Chriſt were only that of this life, we could never eſpouſe ſo cold a ſervice, And in the latter reſpect it was moſt proper to quicken our hopes, that upon our awaking at Chriſt's call, and ariſing (like Lazarus) out of our graves of ſin, that Chriſt, which gives us life ▪ would command us to be looſed from our grave-clothes, reſcue us by the power of his Spirit from the bands and power of ſin, and enable us to live Chriſtianly; Which we could not hope to doe without this power of his Spirit, to prevent and aſſiſt us, nor reaſonably attempt to doe without this hope.
§. 4.An example of new life to us. Farther yet the Reſurrection of Chriſt hath the power of a pattern to us, and is ſo made uſe of, and typified in baptiſme, as an engagement and obligation to us to tranſcribe that divine copie into our hearts, and to riſe to newneſs of life. And accordingly that ſeems to be the importance of the phraſe, Rom. 10.9. believing in the heart that God raiſed Chriſt from the dead, there being no more neceſſary to the ſuperſtructing all piety on that one foundation, but to ſink down the belief of that one Article from the brain to the heart, to reduce it effectually to practiſe.