Vet.. 34, the 8th Chapter to the. ft. OMAN S. 3,20, po(lles aflerted the truth of the Got-pet, for they were witrieffes of hiskefurredion ; and 'tis faid, t Pet. i. 21. God raild him from the dead, that our, faith and hope may be i>r God. We would not have believed this foundation laid for the great bleffìngs of the Gofpel, had we not fo clear a proof. That he is the Son of God, is proved, Rom. I. 4.Mightily declared to be the Son of Goa,by his Refurredion from the dead. So Ads 're. 33. God hash railcl up Jefus from the dead ; for it is written, thou art my Son, this dad have I begotten thee. He was the Son of God from all eternity, but then vifibly de- clared to be fo. God did as it were by that one ad, own, pronounce, and publickly declare in the audience of all the world, that Chrift was his only begotten Son , one in fubftance with him eternally. And as the truth of his perfdu, fo of his Office, that he was the true Meffrah that was to re(tore the lapfed e(tate of Mankind, Ads 5. 3r. Hirai bath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Ifrael, and remitfion offns. This was the only fign he would give the Jems, the fign of the Prophet Jonah, Match. 12. 38,99, 40. Mafler, we Would fie a fign from thee. But he anfwered, and faid unto them, An evil and adulterous generation, feeketh after a An,' and there Mall no fign be given to it, but the fign of the Prophet Jonas 5 for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly, fo/hall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart ofthe earth. So elfewhere, he fpeaketh of deftroying the temple of his body, and railing it up after three days, John a, So for his being the Judge of the world, Ads 17.31. Whereof he bath given afrance to all men, in that he raifid him from the dead ; Namely, that he is Lord and Judge : fo that by his Refurredion, all the clouds about his perfon vani(h; The world have fatisfadion enough, if they will take it. There lyetb this argument in The cafe; If Chrift had been an Impo(tor, or falle Prophet, neither could he have railed up himfelf, being a meer man, nor would God have railed him up, if he had been a meer deceiver ; nor could the Devil have railed him to life, no more than make a man out of dead matter; nor can we reply, that La. zarus was railed up from the dead, and fo others ; and yet not the Sons of God, nor Sa- viours and Judges of the world. I Anfwer. Chrift dyed, not a natural death, but in the repute of man as a Malefactor,, by the hand of the Magiltrate. Lazarus and others did not give out rhemfelves as the Saviours of the world, as thrift did; fo the truth of his claim was manife(ted, and made evident by the Refurredion. God would not leave him in the power of death, but railed him up, and affumed him into glory; Therefore it appeared, the judgment gaf- fed on him was not right, and that he was indeed what he gave out hinifelf to be. a. It is a token of the acceptation of his purchafe, or a folemn acquittance, a ful! difcharge of Chrift as our Mediator and Surety : He dyed to pay our debts ; now the payment is fully made, when the Surety is let out of prifon, Ifa. 5g. 8. He was taken from prof n, and from judgment. His Refurredion (heweth, God bath received the death of Cbrift, as a fufficitnt ranfom for our fins. The continuance of the payment, (hewed the imperfedion of it; 'tis a kind ofreleafe; Chriff did not break prifon, but was brought forth. Heb. 13. 20. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Je- fus. As the Apo(tles would not come out of prifon Till fetched out, A17s if. 38, 39. fo here. . 3. He is in a capacity to convey life to others, which if he had remained in a (late' of death, he could not do, John 14. 1g. ret a little while, and the world feeth me ná more, but ye fee men; beeaufe 1 live, ye fhall live alfo. The life of believers, is derived from the life of Chrift, without which it cannót fubfifl: If he had been holden of death, he had never been a fountain of grace or glory to us ; we have the merit of his humili- ation, and the power of his exaltation. Thé Scripture putteth a +0,4 IA,7 5 w upon the latter, Rom. 5. ló. Much more being reconciled, we 'hall be (avid by his life ; meaning thereby, his life in glory: His death was for the Expiation of fin, but the effeduat application of it dependeth on his life; fo that the faith of (inners May Comfortably left on Chrift, as one railed and glorified. 4. His Refurredion was his victory over deatti, which is the cóages of fin; if Chtifl be rifen from the dead, then is fin conquered ;' for the fling of death is fin : Therefore his Refurredion deelareth plainly, that fin is done away, and,fo'ris'a pastern' and pledge' to affure us of the forgïvenefs of fins. Thirdly; his Exaltation at the right hand of God [Who is weir at the right hand of God] This confirmeth all the other ends. 9X2' 1. the
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