Ten Sermons, Sermon 10
SERMON X.
THE POWER OF CHRIST's RESURRECTION.
PHILIP. iii. 10.
That I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection.
THE apoſtle, in the verſes before the text, had been cautioning the Philippians to beware of the conciſion, Jadaizing teachers, who endeavoured to ſubvert them from the ſimplicity of the goſpel, by telling them, they ſtill ought to be ſubject to circumciſion and all the other ordinances of Moſes. And that they might not think he ſpoke out of prejudice, and condemned their tenets becauſe he himſelf was a ſtranger to the Jewiſh diſpenſation, he acquaints them, that if any other man thought he had whereof he might truſt in the fleſh, or ſeek to be juſtified by the outward privileges of the Jews, he had more: for he was circumciſed the eighth day; of the ſtock of Iſrael (not a proſelyte, but a native Iſraelite;) of the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe which adhered to Judah when the others revolted;) an Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Jew both of the father and mother's ſide) and as touching the law, a phariſee, the ſtricteſt ſect among all Iſrael. To ſhew that he was no Gallio in religion, through his great though miſguided zeal, he had perſecuted the church of Chriſt; and as touching the righteouſneſs of the law (as far as the Phariſees expoſition of it went) he was blameleſs, and had kept it from his youth. But, when it pleaſed God who ſeparated him from his mother's womb, to reveal his Son in him, What things were gain to me, (he ſays) thoſe privileges I boaſted myſelf in, and ſought to be juſtified by, I counted loſs for Chriſt. And that they might not think he repented that he had done ſo, he tells them, he was now more confirmed than ever in his judgment. For, ſays he, "yea doubtleſs," (the expreſſion in the original riſes with a holy triumph)" and I do count all things but loſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord." And that they might not object that he ſaid, and did not, he acquaints them, he had given proofs of the ſincerity of theſe profeſſions, becauſe for the ſake of them, he had ſuffered the loſs of all his worldly things, and ſtill was willing to do more; for, "I count them but dung (no more than offals thrown out to dogs) ſo that I may win, (or have a ſaving intereſt in) Chriſt, and be found in him, (as the manſlayer in the city of refuge) not having my own righteouſneſs which is of the law," not depending on having Abraham for my father, or on any works of righteouſneſs which I have done, either to atone or ſerve as a balance for my evil deeds, but that which is through the faith of Chriſt, the righteouſneſs which is of God by faith, a righteouſneſs of God's appointing, and which will be imputed to me, if I believe in Chriſt, "that I may know him, and the power of his reſurrection;" that I may have an experimental knowledge of the efficacy of his reſurrect on by feeling the influences of his bleſſed Spirit on my ſoul. In which words two things are implied.
Firſt, That Jeſus Chriſt did riſe from the dead.
Secondly; That it highly concerns us to know the power of his riſing again.
Accordingly in the following diſcourſe I ſhall endeavour to ſhew
Firſt, That Chriſt is riſen indeed from the dead; and that it was neceſſary for him ſo to do; and,
Secondly, That it highly concerns us to know and experience the power of his reſurrection.
Firſt, Chriſt is indeed riſen.
That Jeſus ſhould riſe from the dead was abſolutely neceſſary.
Firſt, on his own account. He had often appealed to this as the laſt and moſt convincing proof, he would give them that he was the true Meſſiah, "There ſhall no other ſign be given you, than the ſign of the prophet Jonas. And again, Deſtroy this temple of my body, and in three days I will build it up." Which words his enemies remembered, and urged it as an argument, to induce Pilate to grant them a watch, to prevent his being ſtolen out of the grave. "We know that deceiver ſaid, whilſt he was yet alive, after three days I will riſe again." So that had he not riſen again, they might have juſtly ſaid, we know that this man was an impoſtor.
Secondly, It was neceſſary on our account. "He roſe again, ſays the apoſtle, for our juſtification;" or that the debt we owed to God for our ſins, might be fully ſatisfied and diſcharged.
It had pleaſed the Father (for ever adored be his infinite love and free grace) to wound his only Son for our tranſgreſſions, and to arreſt and confine him in the priſon of the grave, as our ſurety for the guilt we had contracted by ſetting at nought his commandments. Now had Chriſt continued always in the grave, we could have had no more aſſurance that our ſins were ſatisfied for, than any common debtor can have of his creditor's being ſatisfied whilſt his ſurety is kept confined. But he being releaſed from the power of death, we are thereby aſſured, that with his ſacrifice God was well pleaſed, and that our atonement was finiſhed on the croſs, and that he had made a full, perfect, and ſufficient ſacrifice, oblation, and ſatisfaction for the ſins of the world.
Thirdly. It was neceſſary that our Lord Jeſus ſhould riſe again from the dead, to aſſure us of the certainty of the reſurrection of our own bodies.
The doctrine of the reſurrection of the body was entirely exploded and ſet at nought among the Gentiles, as appears from the Athenians mocking at, and calling St. Paul a babbler and a ſetter forth of ſtrange doctrines when he preached to them Jeſus, and the reſurrection. And though it was believed by moſt of the Jews, as is evident from many paſſages of ſcripture, yet not by all; the whole ſect of the Sadduces denied it. But the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt put it out of diſpute. For as he acted as our repreſentative, if he our Head is riſen, then muſt we alſo, who are his members riſe with him. And as in the firſt Adam we all died, even ſo in him our ſecond Adam we muſt all, in this ſenſe, be made alive.
As it was neceſſary, upon theſe accounts, that our bleſſed Lord ſhould riſe from the dead; ſo it is plain beyond contradiction, that he did. Never was any matter of fact better atteſted; never were more precautions made uſe of to prevent a cheat. He was buried in a ſepulchre, hewn out of a rock, ſo that it could not be ſaid that any digged under, and conveyed him away. It was a ſepulchre alſo wherein man never was laid; ſo that if any body did riſe from thence, it muſt be the body of Jeſus of Nazareth. Beſides, the ſepulchre was ſealed; a great ſtone rolled over the mouth of it; and a band of ſoldiers (conſiſting not of friends, but of his profeſſed enemies) was ſet to guard it. And as for his diſciples coming by night and ſtealing him away, it was altogether improbable: for it was not long ſince, that they had all forſaken him, and they were the moſt backward in believing his reſurrection. And ſuppoſing it was true that they came whilſt the ſoldiers ſlept; yet the ſoldiers muſt be caſt into a deep ſleep indeed, that the rolling away ſo great a ſtone did not awake ſome of them.
And our bleſſed Lord's afterwards appearing at ſundry times, and in divers manners, to his diſciples, as when they were aſſembled together, when they were walking to Emma…s, when they were fiſhing; nay, and condeſcending to ſhew them his hands and feet, and his appearing to above five hundred brethren at once, put the truth of his reſurrection out of all diſpute.
Indeed there is one objection that may be made againſt what has been ſaid, that the books wherein theſe facts are recorded were written by his diſſciples.
And who more proper perſons than thoſe who were eye-witneſſes of what they related, and eat and drank with him after his reſurrection? "But they were illiterate and ignorant men." Yet as good witneſſes of a plain matter of fact, as the m…ſt learned maſters in Iſrael. Nay, this rendered them more proper witneſſes. For being plain men, they were therefore … to be ſuſpected of t…l…ing or making a lie, particularly, ſince they laid down their lives for a teſtimony of the truth of it. We read indeed of Jacob's telling a lie, though he was a plain man, in order to get his father's bleſſing. But it was never heard ſince the world began, that any man, much leſs a whole ſet of men, died martyrs for the ſake of an untruth, when they themſelves were to reap no advantage from it.
No, this ſingle circumſtance proves them to be Iſraelites indeed, in whom was no guile. And the wonderful ſucceſs God gave to their miniſtry afterwards, when three thouſand were converted by one ſermon; and twelve poor fiſhermen, in a very ſhort time enabled to be more than conquerors over all the oppoſition men or devils could make, was as plain a demonſtration, that Chriſt was riſen, according to their goſpel, as that a divine power, at the ſound of a few ram horns, cauſed the wall of Jerich… to fall down.
But what need we any farther witneſſes? Believe you the reſurrection of our bleſſed Lord? I know that you believe it, as your gathering together on this firſt day of the week in the courts o… the Lord's houſe abundantly teſtifies.
What concerns us moſt to be aſſured of, and which is the
Second thing I was to ſpeak to, is, Whether we have experimentally known the power of his reſurrection; that is, Whether or not we have received the Holy Ghoſt, and by his powerful operations on our hearts, have been raiſed from the death of ſin, to a life of righteouſneſs, and true holineſs.
It was this, the great apoſtle was chiefly deſirous to know: the reſurrection of Chriſt's body he was ſatisfied would avail him nothing, unleſs he experienced the power of it in rai…ing … dead ſoul.
For another, and that a chief end of our bleſſed Lord's riſing from the dead, was to enter heaven as our repreſentative, and to ſend down the Holy Ghoſt to apply that redemption he had finiſhed on the croſs, to our hearts, by working an entire change in them.
Without this, Chriſt would have died in vain. For it would have done us no ſervice to have had his outward righteouſneſs imputed to us, unleſs we had an inward inherent righteouſneſs wrought in us. Becauſe, being altogether conceived and born in ſin, and conſequently unfit to hold communion with an infinitely pure and holy God, we cannot poſſibly be made meet to ſee and enjoy him, till a thorough renovation has paſſed upon our hearts.
Without this we leave out the Holy Ghoſt in the great work of our redemption. But as we were made by the joint concurrence and conſultation of the bleſſed Trinity; and as we were baptized in their name, ſo muſt all of them concur in our ſalvation: as the Father made, and the Son redeemed, ſo muſt the Holy Ghoſt ſanctify and ſeal us, or otherwiſe we have believed in vain.
This then is what the apoſtle means by the power of Chriſt's reſurrection, and this is what we are as much concerned experimentally to know, as that he roſe at all.
Without this, though we may be moraliſts, though we may be civilized, good-natured people, yet we are no Chriſtians. For he is not a true Chriſtian, who is only one outwardly; nor have we therefore a right, becauſe we daily profeſs, to believe that Chriſt roſe again the third day from the dead. But he is a true Chriſtian who is one inwardly, and then only can we be ſtyled true believers, when we not only profeſs to believe, but have felt the power of our bleſſed Lord's riſing from the dead, by being quickened and raiſed by his Spirit, when dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, to a thorough newneſs both of heart and life.
The devils themſelves cannot but believe the doctrine of the reſurrection, and tremble; but yet they continue devils, becauſe the benefits of this reſurrection have not been applied to them, nor have they received a renovating power from it, to change and put off their diabolical nature. And ſo, unleſs we not only profeſs to know, but alſo feel that Chriſt is riſen indeed, by being born again from above, we ſhall be as far from the kingdom of God as they: our faith will be as ineffectual as the faith of devils.
Nothing has done more harm to the Chriſtian world, nothing has rendered the croſs of Chriſt of leſs effect, than a vain ſuppoſition, that religion is ſomething without us. Whereas we ſhould conſider, that every thing that Chriſt did outwardly▪ muſt be done over again in our ſouls; or otherwiſe, the believing there was ſuch a divine Perſon once on earth who triumphed over hell and the grave, will profit us no more than believing there was once ſuch a perſon as Alexander who conquered the world.
As Chriſt was born of the Virgin's womb, ſo muſt he be ſpiritually formed in our hearts. As he died for ſin, ſo muſt we die to ſin. And as he roſe again from the dead, ſo muſt we alſo riſe to a divine life.
None but thoſe who have followed him in this regeneration, or new-birth, ſhall ſit on thrones as approvers of his ſentence, when he ſhall come in terrible majeſty to judge the twelve tribes of Iſrael.
It is true, as for the outward work of our redemption, it was a tranſient act, and was certainly finiſhed on the croſs; but the application of that redemption to our hearts, is a work that will continue always, even unto the end of the world.
So long as there is an elect man breathing on the earth, who is naturally engendered of the offſpring of the firſt Adam, ſo long muſt the quickening Spirit, which was purchaſed by the reſurrection of the ſecond Adam, that Lord from heaven, be breathing upon his ſoul.
For though we may exiſt by Chriſt, yet we cannot be ſaid to exiſt in him, till we are united to him by one ſpirit, and enter into a new ſtate of things, as certainly as he entered into a new ſtate of things, after that he roſe from the dead.
We may throng and crowd round about Chriſt, and call him Lord, Lord, when we come to worſhip before his footſtool; but we have not effectually touched him, till by a lively faith in his reſurrection, we perceive a divine virtue coming out of him, to renew and purify our ſouls.
How greatly then do they err who reſt in a bare hiſtorical faith of our Saviour's reſurrection, and look only for external proofs to evidence it? Whereas were we the moſt learned diſputers of this world, and could ſpeak of the certainty of this fact with the tongue of men and angels, yet without this inward teſtimony of it in our hearts, tho' we might convince others, yet we ſhould never be ſaved by it ourſelves.
For we are but dead men, we are like ſo many carcaſes wrapt up in grave clothes, till that ſame Jeſus who called Lazarus from his tomb, and at whoſe own reſurrection many that ſlept aroſe, doth raiſe us alſo by his quickening Spirit from our natural death, in which we have ſo long lain, to a holy and heavenly life.
We might think ourſelves happy, if we had ſeen the holy Jeſus after he was riſen from the dead, and our hands had handled that Lord of life. But more happy are they who have not ſeen him, and yet having felt the power of his reſurrection, therefore believe in him. For many ſaw our divine Maſter, who were not ſaved by him; but whoſoever has thus felt the power of his reſurrection, has the earneſt of his inheritance in his heart, he has paſſed from death to life, and ſhall never fall into final condemnation.
I am very ſenſible that this is fooliſhneſs to the natural man, as were many ſuch like truths to our Lord's own diſciples, when only weak in faith, before he roſe again. But when theſe natural men, like them, have fully felt the power of his reſurrection, they will then own that this doctrine is from God, and ſay with the Samaritans, "Now we believe not becauſe of thy ſaying," for we ourſelves have experienced it in our hearts.
And O that all unbelievers, all letter-learned maſters of Iſrael, who now look upon the doctrine of the power of Chriſt's reſurrection, or our newbirth, as an idle tale, and condemn the preachers of it as enthuſiaſts and madmen, did but thus feel the power of it in their ſouls, they would no longer aſk, how this thing could be? But they would be convinced of it as much as Thomas was, when he ſaw the Lord's Chriſt; and like him, when Jeſus …id him reach out his hands and thruſt them into his ſide, in a holy confuſion they would cry out, "My Lord, and my God!"
But how ſhall an unbeliever, how ſhall the formal Chriſtian come thus to "know Chriſt, and the power of his reſurrection?" God, who cannot lie, has told us, "I am the reſurrection and the life, whoſoever liveth and believeth in me, though he were dead, yet ſhall he live." Again ſays the apoſtle, "By faith we are ſaved, and that not of ourſelves, it is the gift of God."
This, this is the way, walk in it. Believe and you ſhall live in Chriſt, and Chriſt in you; you ſhall be one with Chriſt, and Chriſt one with you. But without this, your outward goodneſs and profeſſions will avail you nothing.
But then, by this faith we are not to underſtand a dead ſpeculative faith, a faith in the head; but a living principle wrought in the heart by the powerful operations of the Holy Ghoſt, a faith that will enable us to overcome the world, and forſake all in affection for Jeſus Chriſt. For thus ſpeaks our bleſſed Maſter, "Unleſs a man forſake all that he hath, he cannot be my diſciple."
And ſo the apoſtle, in the words immediately following the text, ſays, "being made conformable to his death;" thereby implying, that we cannot know the power of Chriſt's reſurrection unleſs we are made conformable to him in his death.
This we have ſhadowed out by the cuſtom of baptizing by immerſion in the primitive church, and (which is alſo recommended by our own) their putting the infants under the water, ſignified their obligation to die unto ſin; as their taking them out of the water, ſignified their riſing again to newneſs of life. To which the apoſtle plainly alludes, when he ſays, "we are buried with him in baptiſm."
If we can reconcile light and darkneſs, heaven and hell, then we may hope to know the power of Chriſt's reſurrection without dying to ourſelves and the world. But till we can do this, we might as well expect that Chriſt will have concord with Belial.
For there is ſuch a contrariety between the ſpirit of this world, and the ſpirit of Jeſus Chriſt, that he who will be at friendſhip with the one, muſt be at enmity with the other: "We cannot ſerve God and mammon."
This may, indeed, ſeem a hard ſaying; and many, with the young man in the goſpel, may be tempted to go away ſorrowful: but wherefore ſhould this offend them? For what is all that is in the world, the luſt of the eye, the luſt of the fleſh, and the pride of life, but vanity and vexation of ſpirit?
God is love; and therefore, could our own wills, or the world, have made us happy, he never would have ſent his own dear Son Jeſus Chriſt to die and riſe again, to deliver us from the power of them. But becauſe they only torment and cannot ſatisfy, therefore God bids us to renounce them.
Had any one perſuaded profane Eſau not to loſe ſo glorious a privilege, merely for the ſake of gratifying a preſent corrupt inclination, when he law him about to ſell his birth-right for a little red pottage, would not one think that man to have been Eſau's friend! And juſt thus ſtands the caſe between God and us. By the death and reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, we are new-born to an heavenly inheritance among all them which are ſanctified; but our own corrupt wills would tempt us to ſell this glorious birth-right for the vanities of the world, which, like Eſau's red pottage, may pleaſe us for a while, but will ſoon be taken away from us. God knows this, and therefore rather bids us renounce them for a ſeaſon, than for the ſhort enjoyment of them loſe the privilege of that glorious birth-right, to which, by knowing the power of the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, we are entitled.
O the depth of the riches and excellency of Chriſtianity! Well might the great St. Paul count all things but dung and droſs for the excellency of the knowledge of it. Well might he deſire ſo ardently to know Jeſus, and the power of his reſurrection. For even on this ſide eternity it raiſes us above the world, and makes us to ſit in heavenly places in Chriſt Jeſus.
Well might that glorious company of worthies, recorded in the holy ſcriptures, ſupported with a deep ſenſe of their heavenly calling, deſpiſe the pleaſures and profits of this life, and wander about in ſheep-ſkins, and goat-ſkins, in dens and caves of the earth, being deſtitute, afflicted, tormented.
And O that we were all like-minded! that we felt the power of Chriſt's reſurrection as they did! How ſhould we then count all things as dung and droſs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus our Lord! How ſhould we then recover our primitive dignity, trample the earth under our feet, and with our ſouls be continually gaſping after God.
And what hinders but we may be thus minded? Is Jeſus Chriſt, our great High Prieſt, altered from what he was? No, he is the ſame yeſterday, to day and for ever. And though he is exalted to the righthand of God, yet he is not aſhamed to call us brethren. The power of his reſurrection is as great now as formerly, and the Holy Spirit, which was aſſured to us by his reſurrection, as ready and able to quicken us who are dead in treſpaſſes and ſins, as any …aint that ever lived. Let us but cry, and that inſtantly, to him that is mighty and able to ſave; let us, in ſincerity and truth, without ſecretly keeping back the leaſt part, renounce ourſelves and the world; then we ſhall be Chriſtians indeed. And though the world may caſt us out and ſeparate from our company, yet Jeſus Chriſt will walk with, and abide in us. And at the general reſurrection of the laſt day, when the voice of the archangel and trump of God ſhall bid the ſea and the graves to give up their dead, and all nations ſhall appear before him, then will he confeſs us before his Father and the holy angels, and we ſhall receive that invitation which he ſhall then pronounce …o all who love and fear him, "Come, ye bleſſed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world."
"Grant this, O Father, for thy dear Son's ſake, Jeſus Chriſt our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghoſt, &c."
FINIS