268 . The Refurredion ofour Saviour conJider'd, Vol 'IT_ II. Seek the Things which are above, where Chrifi ftteth at the Right Handof God. III. The tranfcendent and incomparableExcellency of the Things above, in Comparifon of earthly Things. This is intimated in the Oppofition, Setyour Affenions on the Things which are above ; and not on Things on the Earth. I fhall briefly the the Force of each of thefe I. Ifye then be rifen with Chrift, f ek the Things which are above. That is, if ye believe his Refurre&ion, If ye will be conformed to him in it, if ye be made Partakers of thePower and Virtue of it. t. If ye believe the Refurrè&ion of Chrift. The Refurreftion of our Lord Jefus Chrift, was the great Seal of his Miniftry, and Confimationof his Do&rine ; and one great Branch of his DoEtrine, was Heavenly- mindednefs, that wefhould lay up for ourfelves Treafures inHeaven, becaufe where our Treafure is, therewill ourHeartsbe alt, that we shouldfrfbfekthe Kingdoms of God, and the Righteoi:fnefs thereof 2. Ifwe will bear a Conformity and Refemblance to him in his Refurreftion. He is our great Pattern and Example, which the Gofpel propounds to us ; and that we may have the nearer Conformity to him, the Apoftle doth not only pro- pore the Virtues of his Life to our Imitation, but wherewe cannot litterally imi- tate him, the Apoftle urgeth Spiritual Conformity; that thofe Things which he did and fuffered in his Body, we fhould do and fuffer fpiritually ; as Chrift died for Sin, fo we fhould die to Sin; as he litterally rofi again fromtheDead, fo in Conformity to him, we fhould be fpiritually raifid to Newnefs ofLife. As he afeended into Heaven, fo we fhould mend thither an in our Hearts and Afftione. Col. 2. 12. Buried with him in Baptifm, wherein alfoye are rifles with him, thro' the Faith of the Operationof God, whohath raifedhimfrom theDead. Rom. 6. ¢, 5. There- fore we are buried with him by Baptifm into Death, that like as Chr was raifèd upfrom the Dead by the Glory ofthe Father, even fo we elfo fhould walk in Newnef of Life. For if we have been planted together in the Likenefs ofhis Death, we (hall be alfa in the Likenefs of his Refurreelion. To be raifed from the Dead, is in order to anew Life. So the Apoftle tells us, Ver. 9,ro;1s. Knowingthat Chrift being raifedfrom the Dead, dieth no more, Death bath nor re Dominion over him. For in that he died, he diedunto Sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth untoGod. Likewif reckonye alto your felves to be dead indeed untoSin : but alive unto God thro' yefus Chrifi our Lord. As the Refurre&ion of Chrift was in order to a better and happier Life, to his Afcenfion into Heaven, and his living with God : So in Conformity toChrift, our Spiritual Refurre&ion fhould be in order to aHeavenly and Divine Life. And what is the Meaning of all this ? But that Men are apt to imitate thofe whom they love, and do affeû to referable them as much as they can. And thereforeto endear our Duty to us the Mortification of our Lofts, and a Holy Life, the Apoftle tells us, that hereby we bear a Conformity to Chrift, the great Objeû of our Love and Imitation. 3. If ye be made Partakers of the Power and Virtue of his RefurreElion. The Refurre&ion of Chrift is not only a Pattern, but bath a Power andEfficacy in it, to raife us to a Spiritual and Heavenly Life. When Chrift rofe, he did not rife alone, but many of the Bodies of the Saints who were dead, rofe with him, to fignifie to us the Power of his Refurre&ion. It communicated' a Virtue to thofe who had an Intereft in the Merits of his Death and Sufferings, whereby theyare enabled to live a new and heavenly Life. john tr. 25. I am the Refurrec7ion and the Life ; he that believeth in me, tho' he were dead, yet Jhall he live. Eph. 1. 19. And what is the exceeding Greatnefs of his Power to us-ward, who believe, according to the Working of his mighty Power, which hewrought in Chrift, whenhe raifedhimfrom the Dead. Phil. 3. to, r r. That Imay know him, and the Power of his Refurrenion, and the Fellowfhip of his Sufferings, being made conformable unto his Death ; if by anyMeans Imay attain the Refurreelionfrom the Dead. CO]. 2. 13. Andyou being dead inyour Sins, and the Vncircumcifoñ of your Flefh, bath he quickedd together with him. Now this Power is derived to us by believing on hirn,,who raifed up fefus from the Dead, that he is alfa able to raife us, who are dead in Trefags and Sins, to aDivine and Heavenly Life. The lid Argument is contained in thereWords, Seekthe Things which are above, where Chrift fìttethat the Right HandOf God. Which Words do declare fo us the Exal- 4 tatiott
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