to fave Szfmers, &c. one prejudice that hindered theGofpel fo much from taking plac~ in the Hearts of the Hrllthcm in the Primith•e Times as the Death and Crofs of Chnft, for they believed he was lift up upon thcCrofs, but would not believe he was raifed from the Grave: Their natural Rcafon herein taught them this Inference, that to CXl>ett: Life from Chrift was to hope fo r it from him that could not prefcrve his own, or rcftore it ag.1in' after the lofs of it . l t is t rue, it fe_ems to natu:al ~eafon ~o be Folly. thus to hope for Life from a dead Perfon: Were tt not t hat hts Ltfe apphed what Ius Death purchafed, and our Sa ~vation which was begun on the Crofs is perfected on the T hrone ; and therefore we have it in .AUs ?· 24. God raifcd hir!J .from the Gr11vc, becaufe it was impofjible that he j11ould be hleld of it? wl~y . fo; Was It not poffib!e that Chrift Ih.ould be held of the Grave? I an(wer, upon thefe two accounts, one unpofJibil ity w:ts in regar~ of his Perfon, another in r egard of his Office; for a' he was Man, fo he abhorred Death, and a feparation from his Body ; :md as he was God, fo he was able to reunite them, to overcome Death, and ~urft afunder the Barrs of the Grave; fo that as Man having a defire to live, and as God having power to live, it was impoffiblc for l1im to be detained Prifoner in the Grave; but this is not all, thGre is another impoffibility, in regard of his Office, he was appointed to redeem loft Man, to refcue him from Eternal Death, and thCrcfore it was impoffible for him to be kept under the power of any Temporal Death, becaufc this could not be done while he lay under a reftraint of the Grave, his Death would have been but a dead thing to us withnut !Us Re{urreEfion. It was his Life that put vertuc into his Death for the Obedience of Chrift; it hath a Twofold Venue. I. As ir iJ a Satisjitftion to Offended 1uftice. 2. A s it i& a ·Purch.ife of Forfeited Mercy. J-..:ow hoth thefc become Benefits to us by Chrift's Life and Interceffion. 1. His S.uisfaEtion to Ojfend~d Juftice, whereby we are reconciled to God, and God to us ; than fat isfactioll which was prrrchafed and procured by his Death bcCOI,IlCS beuc~cial to us by hi.s Life; fo we httve i t, Rom. 5· rb. For if when we were enemies we were recouciled to God by the Death of hiJ Son, much morrbeinu- recOnciled we fha/1 be faved by his Life. But the ACtual i\,pplication of this is by his f ife, therefore it follows iu the fame place, much more we jhall be faved by his Life. ·· We were fully reconciled by his Death in refped ofMerit, but we a_te much more reConci led by his Life in rcfpect o f the effeCl:u:ll Application of that Merit to us. l , 2. Chrift pnrchafed thofe Blenings and Mercies lVhich we had forfeited, and they are made effeCtua l and beneficial to us by his Life . There are three great and princip:ll Mercies which Chrift pm·chafed ~or us, Juftijication and Pardrm, San£tification or HJ!iiU:fs, and the future Inheritance of Life and Glory'. Now thefe three become effethnl to liS by Chrift,s Lift. " t • '}uftificari!lfl and the Pardon ofour Sins that becoriles cffea:ual and beneficial to us by the LifC ofChrift, Rom. 4· 25. He wa.t delivered [o1·our Offences, and was rai{rd again ff)r our 'J11.ftijhation. If he had not rifen from the dead, he himfelf could not be jufti~ fied, mnch lefs conld we be juftified by him. And. therefore, £1ith the Apoftle, I Tim. 3· T6. And witiJ,Out controvttjie gr.eat is the myftery of godli~efs, God manifeft i6 the FlcJh)- juflified in the Spirir, fcen of .Ang_els, &c. Tfut ts, he was manifcftcd in the !"le~t in !liS lncam.atJdn.· ~-le was fecn Of Angel; in hiS 'Glorious .;Jfcention ; bu,t he was Jn l tfied m the Sptnt m hts Refurreeficn; had· he never been ra tted from the dead by his Spirit, that is, by the ~ lmighty Power of the Divine Nature, he had not been declared juft , nor could he ever have jufti fi ed us. 2. Sa~JtfiJication i!."''d Holinefs is t.he powerful effea: of the "Life of Chrift, though it was the purchafe of his Death, therefore fa ith the Apoftte, Phil. 3· TO. That y_e may !mow l'i'!t, and the power of his Refurreftion; that is, t hat power that through his Refitrrec'"h:m he doth apply to us, and ra ifeth us ·up .:tlfo to newnefs of Life, and this he calls our being pldllted toget!Jcr into the likenefs ofh'is Reforr"eCfion, Rom. 6. 5· For if we bave bern planted together in the likenefs of his death, wC ]hall be alfo lit the likenefs of his Refurrttfion. 3· O'!r future Inheritance of L~fe and Gkry is likewife afcribcd to the Life of Chrifr, ~hough lt was purchafed by hts Death, John T 4· Becaufe I live ye j1Jalllive al(o; that. 1s, b~aufe I live Eternally in H eaven, ye fualllive Eternally m Heaven 3Ifo. So then m the G_eneraJ, you fee that there is no benefit red.oun~ing to Belfevers by ~he Dwh ofChnft, bu~ the fame. cloth redound to them hkewtfe by the Dfe of Chnft, whKh Life IS ever 1mployed In the Work of lntercefJich., He ever liv'cth to m11ke lnter- ~effion
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