Jesus and the Resurrection Justified by Witnesses in Heaven and Earth, Part 2 · Chapter 7

Jesus and the Resurrection Justified by Witnesses in Heaven and Earth · Part 2 · Chapter 7

p. 209CHAP. VII. Concerning the Teſtimony of the WORD, the Second Witneſs in Heaven.

IF we had no farther Witneſs of this Truth but that which hath been already produced, we might well rejoyce in the comfort which God the Father hath given us; and rely upon Jeſus as the Authour of Eternall Life to all thoſe that obey him. The teſtimony of worthy men, as the Apoſtle here obſerves, is readily received by us: and therefore we ought to be afraid of being ſo rudely prophane as to reject the teſtimony of God; which is of far greater weight then theirs, and hath been ſolemnly given, you ſee, more then once for the confirmation of our Faith. But God the Father, willing more abundantly to ſhew (if I may borrow thoſe words in vi. Heb. 17.) unto the heirs of this promiſe the immutability of his counſel, hath graciouſly vouchſafed us farther aſſurance; and by his WORD hath p. 210told us as much, as He himſelf declared by thoſe voices from heaven.

What we are to underſtand by the WORD in this place, I have: ſhewn in the Former Treatiſe, viz. the Lord Jeſus himſelf, God, Man, or God the WORD made fleſh; Orat. contra Gentes, p. 49.who, as St. Athanaſius ſpeaks, is foreign, The Interpreter and Embaſſadour of his own Father. For as by the word a man ſpeaks we underſtand his Mind, which is the fountain from whence it comes: ſo (but by a more lively repreſentation, and after an incomparably more excellent manner,) we beholding the power of the WORD, come to the knowledge of his Father; as our Saviour himſelf ſaith, xiv. Joh. 9. He that hath ſeen me, hath ſeen the Father alſo. From him this Eternall WORD came down and was incarnate, not onelyonly to reveal his will, but to die for our Sins, and to ſeal what he had preached with his Bloud. After which God raiſed him from the dead, and ſet him at his own right hand in the Heavens; from whence he teſtified as loudly that he hath in him ETERNALL LIFE for us, as he did that he is the SON OF GOD. This Witneſs therefore let us now examine, and look over p. 211again the old Evidences which we formerly ſearched; wherein I doubt not, we ſhall find this Truth moſt clearly contained. And the Teſtimony of the WORD, you know, as well as that of the FATHER, was threefold; once to St. Stephen, a ſecond time to St. Paul, and a third to this beloved Diſciple St. John.

I.

For the Firſt of theſe, it ſtands upon record in ſo many words, that St. Stephen being full of the Holy Ghoſt, and looking up ſtedfaſtly to heaven, ſaw the heavens opened, and beheld the glory of God, and Jeſus ſtanding at his right hand. vii. Act. 55, 56. Thus he declares, not to ſome ſimple people, who perhaps might believe him for his confidence, but to the great Councill of Jeruſalem, who he knew were very much diſaffected, nay perfectly oppoſite, to this truth. To them he proteſts in open Court, when he was upon his triall, and bids them mark it, (foreign, Behold, take notice of what I now tell you,) I ſee the heavens opened, and the Son of man ſtanding on the right hand of God. And he ſaid it, though he knew he ſtood in certain perill of his life for p. 212this declaration. It was for no other reaſon that Jeſus himſelf was put to death, but becauſe he ſaid He was the Son of God; and that they ſhould ſee the Son of man ſitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. And therefore for him to confirm ſo peremptorily this odious Truth, after they had killed Him, and thereby make them guilty of innocent bloud, yea of the bloud of their great King, was a Crime he might well expect they would puniſh with as great ſeverity as was in their power to expreſs: which we may be confident he would never have provoked, had he not been ſo ſure of the Glory of our Saviour, that he could not hold his peace. For who is there ſo frantick, as to expoſe himſelf to death for ſuch an unprofitable lie? It is not in the nature of man to ſuffer ſo ſhamefully as he did in his own perſon, merely to bring a little falſe honour to another. To fanſy a perſon of his Wiſedom guilty of ſuch madneſs, is a kind of diſtraction in him that ſuppoſes it: who, were he ſober, would be taught otherwiſe by the abhorrence he feels in himſelf to throw away his life for a trifle.

p. 213Since there is not the leaſt reaſon then to queſtion, but that this Holy man beheld the glory of God, and Jeſus ſtanding at his right hand, (i. e. the gates of Heaven being ſet open, that he might have the favour to look into the celeſtiall palace, the Majeſty of God was there repreſented to him ſitting on a Throne, as it uſed to be in the propheticall Viſions; and he beheld the Lord Jeſus the very next perſon to the Divine Majeſty:) we may clearly ſee in this Viſion both the things that St. John here aſſerts, viz. that Eternall Life is in Jeſus the Son of God, to give to thoſe that effectually believe on his Name.

I. As for the firſt, the power wherewith he is inveſted to give Eternall LIFE, it is viſible from his ſtanding at God's right hand: which denotes his Omnipotent Virtue to effect what he pleaſes. For by the right hand of God Jeſus himſelf was exalted to the right hand of power, as you reade ii. Act. 33. v. 31. and therefore being placed there, it ſignifies that he can doe for us what God hath done for him; that is, exalt us to the like glory in the heavens where he is. And as this is a clear proof of one of the p. 214things here recorded, that LIFE is in him; ſo the other,

II. That God hath given the faithfull a right to this Eternall LIFE with him, and that he will beſtow it on us, is no leſs evident from the very End of this Viſion. For we can ſee no other reaſon of this glorious appearance of our Saviour to him, but to incourage him in his preaching, and incite him to witneſs a good confeſſion, as he himſelf had done before this great Councill and before Pontius Pilate; in hope that if it coſt him his life, as it had done our Saviour, he ſhould live and reign with him in that glorious place where he now beheld him. This was the purpoſe of the heavenly WORD's coming now to him, that he might not doubt of his promiſes, nor ſhrink in the leaſt from what he had preached, though he ſhould die for it; which would doe him no greater harm then to diſpatch him preſently to the celeſtiall habitations. In the very beginning of his hiſtory we reade, that he had no ſooner heard the Indictment read which they had drawn up againſt him, but, before he ſpake a word for himſelf, the whole Council behold his face as it had been the face of an p. 215Angel. vi. Act. 15. There appeared, that is, ſuch a bright and ſweet Majeſty in his countenance, as made him look like one of the celeſtial inhabitants, who had already prevented the glorious ſtate to which he was going. And his Anſwer to their charge being ended, their barbarous rage was not more apparent, then it was that the heavens opened to receive his Spirit, and let it into the dwelling of God, as ſoon as he ſhould put off his mortality.

There he beheld Jeſus ſtanding (whereas he is commonly repreſented as ſitting) at God's right hand; that he might know, He was ready to meet his Spirit, and entertain it into his heavenly manſions; as well as that He was coming to deſtroy his perſecutors, and put an end to their power and nation. And he ſaw alſo the Glory of God, as the Crown he ſhould win by his Martyrdom: which had as ſenſible an effect upon his heart for the confirming of his faith and conſtancy, as if he had heard the Almighty call to him and ſay, foreign, Be not faint-hearted, O Stephen, nor ſuffer any degenerous thoughts to enter into thy breaſt. Though there is no man to ſtand by thee, p. 216no Friend on earth to aſſiſt thee in this diſtreſſed ſeaſon; yet I with my beloved Son behold what is a doing. A happy Reſt and repoſe is ready for thee. The gates of Paradiſe ſtand wide open to thee. Have patience a while, and, leaving this temporary life, make haſt to that which is eternall. Still thou ſeeſt God is in humane Nature; a thing beyond all worldly thoughts. Thou haſt been taught by the Apoſtles, that the Father hath a genuine beloved Son: behold, I ſhew him to thee, as much as thou canſt bear. And he ſtands at my right hand; that by the very ſite of the place thou mayſt know the dignity he hath. It was a ſcandall heretofore to many, that God ſhould be on the Earth cloathed with fleſh. But behold him now with me on high in a celeſtiall, ſuperceleſtiall condition, ſtill having the form of man; to confirm thee in the belief of the gracious diſpenſation which is now compleated. Be not diſturbed, be not dejected, though for his ſake thou beeſt ſtoned. Beholding the Diſpenſer of Rewards, do not fear the combate. Forſake thy body, and deſpiſing it as an earthly Priſon, as a ruinous houſe, as a potter's veſſel eaſily broken, come, run hither, being ſet at liberty, to the portion and inheritance here reſerved for thee. For the crown of brave atchievements p. 217is ready and expects thee. Step over from the earth to heaven, and take it. Leave thy body to the bloudy murtherers, as a morſel to dogs. Leave the mad inraged multitude, and come to the quire of Angels.

In theſe words Aſterius expreſſes the ſenſe of this heavenly Viſion, Encomium in Protomart.wherein God ſhewed himſelf to this valiant man, that he might not be ſtruck with any fear by the greatneſs of the danger. For this cauſe he did not ſend an Angel to aſſiſt him, as to the Apoſtles in priſon, nor any miniſtring power and fellow-ſervant, as he ſpeaks; foreign, but he preſented himſelf; that being the firſt-fruits of the Martyrs, he might leave a noble example to all that followed. And indeed what could more incourage them, then to hear ſo holy a man departing the world with theſe words in his mouth, I ſee the heavens opened, and the Son of man ſtanding at the right hand of God? This was a notable Teſtimony which the heavenly WORD gave, that he was poſſeſſed of ETERNALL LIFE; whereby he animated this bleſſed Martyr, from what he ſaw Him enjoy, to doe as He had done. Which could have no force in it to perſuade him, unleſs his meaning had p. 218been, that he ſhould no ſooner leave the World, but aſcend up thither where he was. And ſo St. Stephen underſtood it; for as they were ſtoning him (the greateſt puniſhment the Jews could inflict) he called upon our Saviour, ſaying, Lord Jeſus, receive my Spirit. vii. Act. 59. He doubted not of audience, when he beheld him who is ſat down at the right hand of the majeſty on high, i. Heb. 3. in another poſture; Proclus Orat. xvii.not ſitting, but ſtanding there. What was the buſineſs (to uſe the words of another ancient Biſhop) that made him riſe thus out of his Father's throne? He ſaw this noble Combatant in his Agony, and roſe up to crown his victory. And it was as if he had ſaid, Fear not, Stephen; there is none ſhall beguile thee of thy reward. I am riſen out of my throne, to reach thee my right hand. Beholding me who was crucified, grapple with the danger that preſents it ſelf to thee. I am he whom thou ſaweſt hanging on a tree: by virtue of that crucifixion I will reward thee. I preſide in theſe Combats, and deal the Crowns to Conquerours. Fear not therefore thoſe that go about to ſtone thee; they do but rear thee a ladder, againſt their wills, to heaven. Do not fear them; the ſtones will be but as ſo many ſteps to that bleſſed place where thou ſeeſt p. 219me. It is not for thee to fear the ſtones, who art built on me the chief Corner-ſtone; and therefore canſt not fare worſe then I do, who am in glory for ever and ever.

With ſuch thoughts as theſe this good Man laid down his life: which is as great an argument as any of this nature can be, that Jeſus both can and will give Eternall Life to his followers. For elſe a perſon ſo full of Wiſedom that they were not able to diſpute with him, (vi. Act. 10.) would not have ventured his life, and endured the worſt of deaths, having nothing to comfort him in his agony but onelyonly the hope he had from Jeſus, that he would receive his Spirit. This was it that gave him ſuch boldneſs and full aſſurance of faith. With theſe words in his mouth he would have died, but that he pitied thoſe who did not ſee as much as he did. Which made him expire in prayer for his perſecutours; wiſhing them no worſe, then that they might not be hindred by this ſin from believing in Jeſus, and going thither where he hoped preſently to be received.

So the ſame Aſterius rightly underſtands thoſe words, LORD, lay not this p. 220ſin to their charge. He doth not wiſh them abſolute impunity, which had been openly to oppoſe foreign the Divine Ordinance and conſtitution, and to correct the judgment and decree of the moſt Juſt, who hath appointed a deſerved puniſhment to murtherers: but he begs of God that, notwithſtanding this crime, he would give them true compunction, and bring them to repentance. It being as if he had ſaid, Do not let them die in their uncircumciſion. Draw them by repentance to the acknowledgment of thee. Kindle the flame of the Spirit in their hearts. By the means of my bloud let them be converted; that being waſhed in the laver of thy grace and in thy bloud, they may be delivered from their iniquities. A moſt pious concluſion of this bloudy Tragedy; one of the principal Actours in which was preſently after ſo miraculouſly touched from heaven, that it was viſible our Lord had heard the devout prayer of his Martyr in this particular: and therefore had not denied his other requeſt, but received his Spirit alſo unto himſelf.

II.

For if any thing could be clearer then this to demonſtrate the truth I am endeavouring p. 221to prove, the great love of our moſt Bleſſed Lord would not deny it. Who appear'd again, as I ſhew'd in the former Treatiſe, to a very learned perſon, of great note and great ſanctity among the Jews, and as great an enemy to him; being conſenting (as he himſelf confeſſes, xxii. Act. 20.) unto his death, when the bloud of his Martyr Stephen was ſhed. St. Paul I mean, who travelling towards Damaſcus in a burning rage and fury, and with a ſharp commiſſion, againſt Chriſtians, (and therefore in no fit diſpoſition to receive a truth, or to fall into a fancy directly oppoſite to his preſent temper and intereſt,) was ſuddenly ſurprized with a great light from heaven; and beheld that Jeſus, whom he no more thought to be ſo glorious, then he did the Thieves that were crucified with him, preſenting himſelf, and diſtinctly ſpeaking to him, in ſuch a ſplendid manner, that he fell down to the ground, and could not ſee for the glory of that light: verſ. 7, 11. Whoſoever will carefully obſerve what he was, and how far, as I ſaid, from any ſuch thoughts, and how deſperately he had been lately ingaged againſt St. Stephen, and now was proſecuting other of Chriſt's Diſciples, will eaſily conclude that he had p. 222now a reall ſight of the Majeſty of the Lord Jeſus at whoſe feet he fell; whom otherwiſe no man ſhould have deſpiſed and blaſphemed more then He. Now if the Viſion be conſidered, you will find that it contains in it this Truth, that Jeſus is poſſeſſed of Eternall Life to give unto us; as well as that he is the Son of God. For,

I. He beheld him appearing in ſuch a brightneſs as that before mentioned, far exceeding the ſplendour of the Sun at noon-day, according as he himſelf tells the ſtory, xxvi. Act. 13. Which plainly declared him to be the King of Glory, cloathed with the Majeſty of God, and poſſeſſed of an heavenly Kingdom; and therefore able to give ETERNALL LIFE to his ſervants: which is one of the things that St. John here ſaith God hath teſtified to us. How ſhould he come by ſuch a robe of light, and how ſhould he appear thus, firſt to St. Stephen, and now to St. Paul, and how ſhould he preſent himſelf thus near to him, and perfectly aſtoniſh his bold ſpirit, if he had not power to doe what he pleaſed? And therefore St. Paul is told by our Lord, at this very time when he ſaw him in ſuch Majeſty, that he ſhould be a witneſs of what he had ſeen. Which p. 223had been to no purpoſe, unleſs this Apparition had ſomething remarkable in it, to prove that he was what he pretended to be in his life-time, the Son of God moſt High, whom, according to his word which he paſſed by a voice from heaven, he had glorified, and given him power over all fleſh.

II. And accordingly you find that the thing St. Paul witneſſed was, that Jeſus was over all, God bleſſed for ever, (ix. Rom. 5.) and had ſent him to preach the Reſurrection, and everlaſting life. xiii. Act. 46. xvii. 18. Theſe doctrines our Lord himſelf had taught him, when, appearing and ſpeaking to him in ſuch a glorious light, he ſaid, I am Jeſus. As much as to ſay, I am he whom you buffeted; Afterius foreign, &c.whom you ſcourged; whom you dragged about, firſt to Caiaphas, then to Pilate; whom you called continually the Carpenter's ſon; whom you number among the dead, laughing aloud at thoſe that preach the Reſurrection. It is I that ſpeak: and therefore believe that which my ſervant Stephen ſaw; though when he told you ſo you would not believe it.

Thus he learnt, ſaith Aſterius, by experience, that Chriſt was alive; and was p. 224neither corrupted by death, nor ſtoln away ſecretly by his Diſciples, but riſen from the dead, foreign, and reigned over the whole world. This he preached with as great a zeal, as before he perſecuted. He was ſuch an Auxiliary, as before he had been an enemy; foreign, both, ſtrong and reſolute.

III. For you may obſerve, that he did not merely rationally conclude from the glory wherein Jeſus was, that all he had ſaid was true, and that he was able to give Everlaſting Life: but he heard him alſo ſay expreſly at this time, when he appeared to him, that he would beſtow this celeſtial Inheritance upon us, even us Gentiles, who were ſhangers to the promiſes foreiners and aliens from the Commonwealth of Iſrael, having no ſuch hope There was nothing againſt which the Phariſaicall ſpirit was more imbittered then this, that other Nations ſhould ſhare with them and be equall to them in the bleſſings of the Meſſiah. The Religion wherein St. Paul had been bred was concerned in no principle more then this, that the reſt of the world were all unclean and never to be united to them; unleſs they would be circumciſed, and obſerve p. 225the Law of Moſes. And therefore had he not been preſſed with undeniable evidence, he would never have conſented to this truth, which was ſo much againſt the grain of that ſpirit which poſſeſſed him; and which he but once mentioning to his Country-men, they were ready to tear him in pieces. xxii. Act. 21, 22. And yet he reports this for a certain Truth from the mouth of Jeſus himſelf, who bad him (as he relates this glorious Viſion to Agrippa, a Prince well skilled in the Law,) go unto the Gentiles, to open their eyes, (as He had done his,) to turn them from darkneſs unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they might receive forgiveneſs of ſins, and INHERITANCE among them that are ſanctified by faith in him. xxvi. Act. 17, 18. And accordingly he went and preached every-where, in obedience to this heavenly Viſion, the comfortable doctrine of the Reſurrection and Eternall Life, to us Gentiles as well as others: witneſſing both to ſmall and great that, as the Prophets had foretold, Chriſt ought to ſuffer, and ſhould be the firſt that ſhould riſe from the dead, and ſhew LIGHT unto the people (of Iſrael, that is,) and to the Gentiles: verſ. 22, 23. By Light in the holy language is meant the p. 226gladſome diſcovery of God's good will and pleaſure. For as by Darkneſs it expreſſes ignorance, ſorrow and heavineſs; ſo by its oppoſite, knowledge, joy and chearfulneſs. And the Light which we have by Chriſt's ſufferings and riſing from the dead, can be nothing elſe but the bleſſed hope of immortality. This St. John tells us is the light of mankind: (i. 4. In him was LIFE, and the life was the LIGHT of men; that is, their ſingular comfort and ſatisfaction, which makes their life not to be irkſome to them:) and with this Light St. Paul endeavoured to fill the world, that they might all know how much they were indebted to Jeſus, who brought Life and immortality to light by his Goſpell.

And can it enter into any man's thoughts, that he would have ſet himſelf to preach this doctrine of happineſs to us, (which his own people ſo abhorred we ſhould partake of,) if God the WORD had not made him infallibly aſſured of it? Nay, how could he have preached it ſo long, unleſs, as he there ſpeaks, he had obtained help of God; who countenanced his preaching, and approved this teſtimony of his concerning his Son Jeſus, by the p. 227mighty power of the Holy Ghoſt? He himſelf alſo teſtified the ſtrong belief he had of the Reſurrection, and of the Glory that ſhall be revealed, by his labouring ſo abundantly as he did in the work of the Lord; to whom he was deſirous to expreſs an extraordinary affection, becauſe his grace and love had ſo abounded towards him. He thought he could never in the leaſt requite his kindneſs; and therefore would not gain one farthing, not ſo much as a bit of bread, by this preaching: But, though he might have lived by the Goſpel, choſe rather to work with his own hands, to ſupport himſelf and thoſe that were with him; that he might win the more Souls to his Maſter, by making Religion without charge to them. A great argument of his zeal to ſerve his Lord, and promote his honour, and of his firm belief of immortall life, where he deſired onelyonly to have his ſervices rewarded. Which is excellently expreſſed by the forenamed Aſterius, when he ſays, that he refuſed ſo ſmall a recompence of his infinite labours, as a daily proviſion for his body, which was ſo often beaten and bruiſed, foreign, that receiving nothing upon Earth, he might lay up all in Heaven.

p. 228VI. And therefore you may obſerve, that his ſervice was ſo acceptable to our Saviour, that he gratified him here in this world above our mortall condition: and to give him an earneſt or pledge of the good things to come, and the honour ſhould be done him there, he did him the favour to tranſport him into the Third heaven, and another time into Paradiſe; where he ſaw Viſions and heard words too glorious for him to utter, or us to underſtand in this preſent ſtate. 2 Cor. xii. 3, 4. This was a farther confirmation which the Eternall WORD gave of his power to give Eternall Life, and of his intentions to take us up unto himſelf. For he was carried thus above the clouds by the power and favour of Jeſus; who hereby bare witneſs to himſelf how glorious he is, and how able to advance his faithfull Diſciples to the ſame height of heavenly felicity. For he ſays it was a man in Chriſt, one who by the happineſs of belonging to him had this noble priviledge beſtowed on him: And he gives this as an inſtance of the Viſions and Revelations foreign of the LORD, (ver. 1.) which is the title of Jeſus moſt frequently in the New Teſtament, who is LORD p. 229of all. x. Act. 36. He ſnatcht him up into the Heavens. He tranſported him, no body knows how, to the celeſtiall habitations. And either by a foreign, (as St. Greg. Naz **Orat. ii. foreign, p. 550.. diſtinguiſhes them,) a rapture of mind in the body, or the aſcenſion of his mind quite out of the body, or the aſſumption of both for a time into thoſe regions above, he let him ſee ſtrange ſights, and hear ſuch words as are not to be ſpoken with our tongues. Which was a very full demonſtration of the Majeſty of our Bleſſed Saviour, and of his ability to tranſlate us to thoſe heavenly places, and of his purpoſes likewiſe to make us at laſt ſo happy.

Behold here the glory of the Chriſtian Religion, whoſe Authour is ſo highly exalted, that he exalts this Miniſter of his far above the greateſt perſons in former times. The tranſlation of Elias (as the often named Aſterius ſpeaks **Ib. foreign, &c.) out of this world wherein we are, is every-where celebrated as a wonder. But foreign how far he went, no Revelation hath explained. Perhaps he was not carried very high above the Earth by that power which lifted him up, to the place which was deſtined for his habitation. But the tranſlation p. 230of St. Paul was far more illuſtrious and famous; the very place being noted to which he was carried: and that no inferiour one, but almoſt half way to the higheſt heavens of all. Let the Hebrews hereafter ceaſe to pride themſelves in the honour that was done to Moſes; who alone went up to the top of mount Sinai, and was in the midſt of the clouds and darkneſs which appeared there. My Paul, in ſtead of a mountain, aſcended into heaven; and in ſtead of a cloud, was carried beyond the air that is above the clouds. And very fitly; for it became a Man of Chriſt to outſtrip Moſes as much, as the Old Law was excelled by the Goſpell that St. Paul preached: which he calls the Myſtery hid from ages and generations, but now made manifeſt to the Saints, (or Chriſtians) to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this myſtery among the Gentiles; which is Chriſt in us, the hope of glory. i. Col. 26, 27.

III.

And here now let us leave the hiſtory of this great Man, and paſs to the Third Teſtimony which the WORD gave of this truth, to St. John. Who as he is the onelyonly p. 231perſon that (after the other Evangeliſts had ſet down the genealogy of our Lord according to the fleſh) expounds foreign, as Proclus **foreign.ſpeaks, the Eternall ſubſiſtence without any beginning of God the WORD, and his generation of the Father before all worlds: ſo he hath gathered here together, more clearly then any of the reſt, all the Evidences and grounds of the Chriſtian Faith; and alſo received the moſt full and pregnant demonſtrations of what he hath particularly recorded, concerning Eternall life in the Son of God. For when our Bleſſed Lord, (the WORD made fleſh,) whom he beheld aſcending into heaven, appeared to him from thence in a moſt glorious manner, you may obſerve,

I. That he ſufficiently declares his power to doe what he pleaſes, by taking to himſelf that very Name and Title whereby God the Father Almighty ſometimes revealed himſelf to the Prophets. You reade in the xli. Iſa. 4. xliv. 6. the Lord, the King of Iſrael, and his Redeemer, ſaith, I am the firſt and the laſt: which is the very ſame with thoſe words i. Rev. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the p. 232ending, ſaith the Lord, &c. thoſe two being the names of the firſt and the laſt letters in the Greek Alphabet, as A and Z are the firſt and laſt in our Chriſt-croſs-row. Now if you look farther into this book of the Revelation, you will find that in this very ſtyle our Bleſſed Lord ſpeaks of himſelf. In the very beginning of the Viſions there recorded, St. John heard one call to him with a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ſaying, I am Alpha and Omega, the firſt and the laſt: (i. Rev. 11.) and turning about to ſee who it was that ſpake to him, our Saviour appeared in the form and ſhape of a King and Prieſt ſhining in glory, as you reade verſ. 12, 13, &c. And thus he concludes his Revelation as he had begun: xxii. 13, 16. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, &c. I Jeſus have ſent my Angel to teſtify unto you theſe things in the Churches. Which is a demonſtrative argument that Eternall Life is in him, and that he wants no power to effect any thing he hath promiſed; being equall to the Father Almighty, whoſe Name elſe he would not have aſſumed.

II. And if we examine the ſenſe and meaning of this Name, we ſhall ſtill be farther p. 233convinced, that he will undoubtedly imploy his power to beſtow upon us that Eternall Life which is in him. For when the Almighty calls himſelf the Firſt and the Laſt, he either declares that he is the ETERNALL, who gave being to all things, and remains after they are all dead and gone: or elſe, (as Oecolampadius and Calvin underſtand thoſe words in Iſaiah,) that he is the IMMUTABLE, from firſt to laſt conſtant to himſelf and his promiſes. Which is the gloſs of R. Solomon upon the words; who refers them to the help and aſſiſtence which God would give to the laſt as well as the firſt of Abraham's children. What he had been to Iſrael, the ſame he would ſtill be. He had at the firſt taken them to be his people; and therefore in the latter days he would ſtill own them, and ſhew his ſpeciall affection to them.

I ſee no reaſon why theſe two expoſitions ſhould be thought ſo inconſiſtent, as to exclude one the other; when they may both be very well joyned together. And then our Lord intends by the aſſumption of this Title, that St. John and all the Chriſtian Churches ſhould look upon him as the Eternall God, able to p. 234perpetuate his love and mercy towards them world without end; and as alway the ſame unchangeable Wiſedom and Goodneſs, whoſe mind and will is no more alterable then his power, but remains as firmly fixed as God the Father Almighty doth. So that look what God the Father now is or hath been, or what himſelf hath ever been to the body of his Church; the ſame He will ſtill continue immutably to our endleſs happineſs. If God the Father was, and is, and will be the Alpha or beginning; the ſame is He likewiſe. All things come from him to his Church, of which he is the Founder; by him it ſubſiſts and continues; and he hath ſuch a creative power in him, that he can give all bleſſings, even Life everlaſting, to it. For though we die, yet he is the Omega, who remains ſtill in being after all the world is buried in its ruines; and therefore can quicken our duſt and aſhes, and gather them up to himſelf, and make them glorious. God the Father raiſed him from the dead, and gave him glory: and therefore, ſeeing He hath the ſame power, (as appears by theſe titles,) He can doe as much for us, and give us a glorious reſurrection. In this God the Father faithfully fulfilled the promiſes he p. 235had made him, of glorifying him with himſelf: and therefore we may be confident he will be as true to us, and make good all the promiſes he hath left us for our incouragement in his obedience; becauſe he is perfectly ſuch as his Father is.

And, to come a little nearer to that interpretation which Rabbi Solomon gives of the words of the Prophet, (where this expreſſion is firſt uſed,) our Lord would have us think that, as God the Father Almighty, having begun to ſhew mercy and favour to Iſrael, would not fail to go on and continue the ſame kindneſs to the end: ſo He, being likewiſe the ALPHA, having begun, that is, to raiſe himſelf a Church, and to doe great things for it, even to die and purchaſe it with his bloud, would undoubtedly be the OMEGA, finiſh, that is, his own work, and bring that of which he had laid the foundation to an happy concluſion; never ceaſing his kindneſs, till he had perfected his Saints in that Life he had begun to beſtow upon them. Or, as he began in this world to raiſe men from the dead, to beſtow upon them other great benefits, to make them very precious promiſes of p. 236greater favours, and to ſeal them with his bloud: ſo he would have them reſt aſſured, he would continue to the end to doe them good, and at the laſt raiſe all his faithfull ſervants from the dead, and take them up to live with himſelf; and in the mean time perform every other promiſe he had made, for their preſent ſatisfaction and ſupport in this troubleſome world. As he died for them, ſo he would have them make account he lived for them; becauſe he is always the ſame, at laſt the very ſame that he was at firſt: And therefore ſince he lives, they might expect to live alſo.

III. But he did not leave them merely to draw theſe inferences themſelves from that great Name whereby he now made himſelf known to St. John; but immediately, after he had told who he was, he more clearly and particularly declares this very thing, that he hath Life in himſelf. For you reade that St. John, beholding him in ſuch glory, with a countenance as bright as the Sun when it ſhineth in its ſtrength, (which was a ſight too ſtrong for our weak eyes to look upon, i. Rev. 16.) fell at his feet, as one dead. He was as much aſtoniſhed at his p. 237preſence, though he knew Jeſus loved him, as St. Paul was, while he was a perſecutour of him. Which ſhews that our Lord appeared now in a moſt amazing glory; too ſplendid for the capacity of his beſt Friends to endure long, without the danger of ceaſing to be men. For ſo far were thoſe words which our Lord ſpake from giving him life, that, like to thoſe who heretofore beheld the glory of God, he was more aſtoniſhed at what he ſaw, then comforted with what he heard; and thought, it is probable, he ſhould die preſently and give up the ghoſt. But in this trembling fit Jeſus was pleaſed graciouſly to approach, and laying his right hand on him, bad him not fear, nor let that Majeſty of God which he beheld in him caſt him into ſuch a great conſternation. It is true indeed, (ſays he, verſ. 17.) I am the firſt and the laſt, as I ſaid before; that is, am inveſted with all the power of God, bearing his Name and Authority: but there is ſo much comfort in this, that it ought rather to have tranſported thee with joy, then ſtruck thee with terrour. For (as it there follows, verſ. 18.) I, who call my ſelf Alpha and Omega, the firſt and laſt, am he that p. 238liveth, and was dead; I, the very ſame perſon who loved thee and the reſt of mankind ſo well as to die for you, and never made uſe of my power to your hurt, am riſen from the dead; and after all my ſufferings (ſuch as you muſt endure for my ſake) am alive, as thou ſeeſt, and in a far better condition then I was before, when thou waſt not thus afraid of me. Though in my firſt attempt to raiſe a Church I ſuffered death, and laid the foundation of it in my bloud: yet it is apparent I have overcome death, and now live in greater ſplendour then ever.

If our Lord had ſtopt here, and ſaid no more, this had been ſufficient to convince him of his power to preſent to himſelf a glorious Church; and from the loweſt and moſt afflicted condition, to raiſe it to the greateſt honour here, and to eternall glory in the other world. But he proceeds for the ſtronger confirmation of his faith, and ſays, Behold, more then this, I am alive for evermore. I have Eternall Life, and can never loſe this power: and therefore thou mayſt believe me when I ſay that I am the Omega, whom thou knoweſt to be the Alpha; for I can p. 239perfect what I have undertaken, and bring to an happy iſſue all the good I have begun to work for you. The lateſt poſterity ſhall find that I am alive, and able to promote them to everlaſting bliſs. Fear not, theſe words are all true, and therefore I conclude them with an AMEN; (wherewith I was wont, thou mayſt remember, to confirm my ſayings;) that thou mayſt reſt aſſured I now ſay nothing but the certain indubitable truth, when I tell thee, I am he that was dead, and now am alive, and that I live for evermore. foreign; (as Andreas Caeſarienſis conceives his meaning,) How canſt thou imagine then that thou art in danger to ſuffer any harm by my appearing to thee, ſince the power which thou ſeeſt me have is to give life, not death, unto my ſervants? I never uſed, thou mayſt remember, to kill men, but to ſave them; and therefore thus thou mayſt be confident I will ſtill imploy my omnipotent power; for I am Alpha and Omega, the ſame at laſt that I was at firſt: I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.

p. 240And indeed, as he ſtill goes on, I have the keys of hell and of death; or (as we render the word foreign, here tranſlated hell, in 1 Cor. xv. 55.) the keys of the grave and of death. I can open the graves, as I did at my death, and can looſe the bands of death, as I did at my reſurrection. I can bring you out of that dark eſtate where no body ſees you, and reſtore you to life again; nay, raiſe you to that Light wherein thou beholdeſt me ſhine.

And here again it is obſervable, that our Saviour takes to himſelf that very power which is aſcribed to Almighty God by Hannah; who ſays in her Song, 1 Sam. ii. 6. The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. Whereby he would ſuggeſt to St. John, that all things are committed to his truſt, and are in his power: (for that is frequently denoted in the holy language by Keys, the badge of a Steward's authority and power in a family:) and therefore it is not too hard for him to overcome the great Conquerour of all men, to open the priſon-doors that have been ſo long ſhut and faſt locked, to looſe the chains of p. 241death, and overthrow him quite who hath the power of it, that is, the Devill. But this he would have us ſtedfaſtly believe, and therefore immediately bids him (not lie as a man dead, but get up and) write the things that thou haſt ſeen: ver. 19. That is, Let my Church know that I am alive, and that I bear the ſame affection to them that I ever had. Send them this comfort from me, that I not onelyonly live, but always live, and have all power committed to me, even over the grave and death: ſo that if any man loſe his life for me, I can give it him again, with ſuch an increaſe of dignity and glory as thou ſeeſt me enjoy.

And we muſt needs confeſs that there is an exceeding great comfort in this aſſurance, which he gave thus in his own perſon and with his own mouth to this holy Apoſtle; who knows, as he ſpeaks in another caſe, xix. Joh. 35. that he ſaith true. For hereby we reſt ſatisfied of one part of the Record which is to be proved, that Life is in Jeſus; and ſee moreover much reaſon to believe the other part, that he intends to beſtow it on us.

p. 242VI. But for a fuller evidence of that, you may conſider, in the laſt place, that this WORD of God gave frequent teſtimonies of it to St. John in the following Letters to the Seven Churches of Aſia. Where they are ſo obvious, that I may leave it to the moſt careleſs hand to gather them. To one he ſaith, I will give to him that overcometh to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midſt of the paradiſe of God. ii. Rev. 7. To another, I will give him a crown of life: and, He ſhall not be hurt of the ſecond death: ver. 10, 11. To a third, I will give him the white Stone, &c. a certain knowledge and aſſurance, i.e. (as I hope to ſhew in another place,) of the promiſed reward: ver. 17. To another, He ſhall be cloathed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confeſs his name before my Father, and before his angels: iii. 5. And, to name no more, he promiſes to grant to him that overcometh, to ſit down with him in his throne: ver. 21. Which, though it may have ſome reſpect to the high place and dignity he ſhould injoy in the Church in this world, yet, had not its full completion but in the other life; where he will crown the fidelity p. 243of all victorious Souls with the greateſt glory and honour.

How can we doubt of it, when we hear ſuch expreſs promiſes of immortall bliſs ſo oft repeated, from the mouth of the WORD of God himſelf, after he went to heaven? Great is our aſſurance, great is the confidence we may take from ſuch a Record as this; if we be in the number of thoſe that overcome: remain conſtant, that is, and fixed in our Chriſtian reſolution, notwithſtanding any aſſaults that are made upon us, either by the good or bad things of this world, to tempt us to revolt from our duty. For St. John ſaw and heard theſe things from the Lord Jeſus himſelf, upon his own Day, (the day of his reſurrection from the dead;) and in a glory ſo bright, that it was an emblem of the happineſs he will beſtow upon us; and with ſuch earneſt aſſeverations of their truth and certainty, as are ſufficient to awake the dulleſt and moſt lethargick Souls to attend to what he ſays. For thus he begins his Letter to the Church of Laodicea, who were grown ſtrangely chill and indevout, Theſe things ſaith the Amen, the faithfull and true Witneſs, the beginning of the Creation of God. iii. 14.

p. 244By the name of AMEN, which he gives himſelf, he would have them underſtand, that by him all the promiſes made to the Church ſhall undoubtedly be fulfilled; according to that of St. Paul, 2 Cor. i. 20. In him all the promiſes of God are Yea, and in him Amen. He may be believed, for he is a Witneſs who affirms and teſtifies nothing but the very truth, which can never fail: becauſe, he is the Efficient cauſe of all things, by whom they were at firſt created, and by whom mankind is now repaired; and therefore is the Head of all creatures, eſpecially of all Chriſtians, who ſhall riſe again from the dead to immortall life. So I expound the laſt words, [the beginning of the Creation of God,] as Andreas Caeſarienſis doth; who takes in both ſenſes of the word foreign, (as I have of the word Creation,) which ſignifies not onelyonly Principium, the beginning or originall, but Principatum, the principality or dominion which the Son of God hath over all creatures, of which he is the Authour. What may we not expect from ſo great a Prince, who hath ſuch an abſolute command over all things? And why ſhould we doubt of his Sovereignty, p. 245who appeared in ſuch an amazing ſplendour to St. John, and proclaimed in theſe and other ſuch like Titles the ſupereminent glory of his Majeſty? Or why ſhoul… we queſtion his truth, who had approved himſelf ſo many ways the true and faithfull Witneſs; eſpecially by ſending the Holy Ghoſt (as you ſhall hear preſently) to bear witneſs to him, according to his promiſe? We ought to rely upon his word; and to fear nothing, but leſt we ſhould reject or diſtruſt the teſtimony of a Perſon ſo great and ſo juſt; whoſe power appeared, from his very firſt entrance into the world, to be ſo far tranſcending all creatures, that the Apoſtles might ſee before his aſcenſion to the glory wherein St. John beheld him, that as he had the Words of eternall Life, ſo he had that Life in himſelf, which in due time he would beſtow upon them.

For though He had all the paſſions of a man, Greg. Nazianz. orat. xxxv. p. 575.yet he had all the perfections likewiſe of God: that none might be ſo profanely contumelious, as to contemn his Deity, becauſe he took upon him the groſsneſs of our Humanity. He was born of a woman; but ſhe a Virgin: that was humane, this Divine. He was wrapt in ſwaddling-cloaths p. 246when he was an infant; but ſhaked off the cloaths that wrapt him in the ſepulchre when he was dead. He was laid in a manger; but then glorified by Angels, pointed to by a Star, and worſhipped by the Wiſe men. He was driven into Egypt; but there drove away the errours of the Egyptians. The Jews ſaw no beauty in him; but he ſhone upon the mountain brighter then the Sun, prefiguring the glory to which he ſhould aſcend. He was baptized and tempted, as Man; but he took away the Sins of the World, and got the victory, as God. He was hungry; but fed many thouſands, and is himſelf the heavenly Bread which giveth life. He was thirſty; but gave the waters of life, and made rivers of living waters flow from thoſe that believed on him. He was called a Samaritan, and they ſaid he had a Devill; but he put Devills to flight, and tumbled whole legions of them into the deep, and made the Prince of Devills fall like lightning from heaven. He was ſold for thirty pieces of ſilver; but purchaſed the whole World with the great price of his own bloud. He was led as a ſheep to the ſlaughter; but was the Shepherd of Iſrael, and now is of all the World. He was dumb as a lamb before the ſhearers; but is the WORD preached by the voice of one crying in the p. 247wilderneſs. He was wounded and bruiſed; but healed every ſickneſs and all manner of diſeaſe. He was lifted up on the tree, and there fixed; but reſtored us to the tree of life, and ſaved the thief who was crucified with him. He laid down his life; but had power to take it again, and the veil rent, the rocks were cleft, and the dead were raiſed. He died; but he gives life, and by death extinguiſhed death. He was buried; but roſe again out of the grave. He went down into hell; but he brought up Souls with him, and aſcended into heaven, and will come again, to judge the quick and the dead, and to examine all ſuch diſcourſes as detract from his glory.

O my Soul, for ever praiſe him, and let thy heart rejoyce in his holy Name. Love him as thy Life; confide in his word; depend on his power; and expect from him the bleſſing of Eternall Life. For he is the AMEN, the faithfull and true witneſs, who cannot lie; the beginning of the Creation of God, whom all Creatures without a voice confeſs to be their Lord. The Heavens cry, Proclus Orat. xiii. foreign.that it was God who bowed them, and came down to be a man for our ſakes. The Sun cries, It was my Lord who was crucified in the fleſh; at p. 248the light of whoſe Divinity I was afraid, and withdrew my beams. The Earth cries, It was He that formed me, who ſuffered; which made me quake and tremble at the horrid fact. The Sea cries, He was not my fellow-ſervant who walkt, with one of his Diſciples, upon my back. The Temple cries, He that was worſhipped here is now blaſphemed; and therefore I rend my garments. Nay, Hell cries, He was not a mere man who deſcended hither; for whom I received as a Captive, I found to be the Omnipotent God. And if we ask the heavenly powers, and deſire the Angels and Archangels and the whole hoſt of heaven to tell us, Who was he that appeared on earth, and was crucified in the fleſh? they will all anſwer aloud, in the words of the Prophet David; The Lord, the God of hoſts, he is the King of Glory. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.