Vert 9, i o. the faxth Chapter of the ROMAN s. 5t the power of Death 5 which is a great encouragement to us to fet upon the deftru &ion of fin. Chrift bath paid a full ranfom to purchafe grace , to make our endeavours effectual. 3. It is avifrble demonftration of the Truth of, the Refurre&íon and Life to come For Chrift, who would be an Example to us of all painful and fell -denying Obedience, would' alfo be a Pattern of the Glory, and Felicity that fhould enfue. Therefore after a life of Holinefs and Sufferings he dyed , and role again , and entred into the Glory that he fpake.of , which is a great encouragement to us to follow his fteps 5 for all this is a pledge of what (hall be done in us. It is laid , r Pet. t. a r. That God railed him from the dead, and gave him glory, that Dirt faith and hope might be in God. The Refurree`tion of Chrift, and the confequent Honour and Glory put upon hint , is the great prop and foundation of our Faith and Hope. Certainly it nitwit concerneth us to believe the truth of the Refurreftion, and the reality of the.unfeen Glory , elfe all Holinefs, Pati- ence, Self - denial and practical Godlinefs would fall. to the ground. Now when our Teacher, who hath told us of thefe things, hash given fuffjciegt- evidence of the Truth of them , in his own Perfon, by his own riling from the dead , and his own afcending into Glory, it helpeth mightily to filence the objeçtions of Unbelief,. The thing is not incredible nor impofrtble 5 Chrift in our Nature did arife from the dead, and afcend.up into Heaven ; nay it is not only pofltble, but certain 5 for Chrift is rifen and entred into Glory as oer forerunner, fhb. 6; ac. to make the way acceffrble.to us, and to feize upon it in the name and right of all true Believers , and fecure a landing place for them after the ftorm of this World is over; whenever they, dye,, their place is ready for them, there is.a Friend on [hoe ready to receive them: So elfewhere, t Cor. 15. 20. Chrifl is rifen as the frrft-rìuits; his Refurre &ion is a certain proof, that,other men [hall have a Re- furre&ion alto, as by a handful of the fir(t- fruits the whole Harveft was bleffed and con- fecrated to God , the Firft- fruits did not biefs the Tares, the Cockle or the Darnel , or the filthy Weeds that grew among the Corn; there are not carried home into Goda Barn: But penitent Believers may be confident ofa jóyful,Refurre&ion; if we be recon- ciled by his Death, we may much more expe& to be faved by his Life. 4. Chrift by his Relurredion is the Caufe of our Life; for/Chrift liveth in Heaven as a quickening Head , who will give the Spirit of Grace, to all his Members , to change their hearts,, and to bring them into the Life of. God : ph. .4. r 9...$ecaefe I live , ye. (hall live alfa. Chrift is the Fountain of all Life, the life of Believers,is derived from the Life of Chrift, without which it could not fubfift : if he had remained under a Rate of Death, he were not in a capacity to convey Life to others,, and fo had neither been a Fountain of Grace or Glory to us ; therefore his Refurre &ion is the Fountain -caufe of our livingto God; having fieft purchafed Graee for us, he is rifen to apply it, and bring us into pofïeffion of ir.:, Therefore he fended' his Spirit. into the hearts of his People, even that fame Spirit by which . he was raifedup to a new Life, Rev. t. S. I am he that liveth and mas dead , and behold I am alive for evermore , he liveth for ever to make and keep us alive. Now this is a,mighty encouragement to us, that we live by virtue of Chrifts endlefs.Life. When the Fountain faileth, the ftream may be dryed up, but that cannot be, and therefore we are encouraged to, expeft our fupplies from him. g. Chrifts - LifeafterhisRefurtebton.is a Pattern of ours ,botb as tg, the Immortality and Perfebbon of it. Firfl The Ímmortality. Chrift , when he rofe again, role to an eternal immortal Life , he (hall dye no more , he is no more obnoxious toDeath, The Phrafes that ex- prefs the immortality of ClariftiLife , are tinted to our cafe, that he may the better be propounded as a Pattern to us, both of what we ought to endeavour our (elves, and of what his Spirit doth work in us,, r. Being raifed , he dYeth no more. We thould once fo fix and fettle our hearts to live to God , that we fhould no more return to our old courfe, and our old bondage: There are fome who are always dying, and riling and dying again, that return to their old fins, and lick up their vomir, and after they are washed, wallow in the mire; thefd never dyed in good earneft , for then they would fo dye unto fin once,, as net to re -, vert to it any more 5 but to be repenting of fin,and committing of fin and then repenting and committing again , fheweth our Mortification is not fincere. A bone often broken in the fame place is very hard to be fet again 5 Relapfes make our cafe to be more dan- gerous, if it be into open,finful courfes, it fheweth our Repentance is not fincere. Men are lick of fin 5 but when that trouble is over, they prefently are as bad as they were before, Prov. 24. r I. As a dog returneth to hiovomit, fo a fool yet orsitth to his folly, their Ggggg a hearts
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