Evidence 4. If you strive now' by any means to attain the re- surrection of the dead, no doubt but you shall then attain what you now strive for. This was Paul's great ambition, " that by any means " he might attain the resurrection of the dead," Phil. iii. 11. He means not simply a resurrection from the dead, for that all men shall attain, whether they strive for it or no. But by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct, he intends that complete holiness and perfection, which shall attend the state of the resurrection, so it is expounded, ver. 12. So then, if God have raised in your hearts a vehement desire, and assiduous endeavour after a perfect free- dom from sin, and full conformity to God, in the beauties of ho- liness ; that very love of holiness, your present pantings, and tendencies after perfection, speak you to be the persons designed for it.
Evidence 5. If you are such as do good in your generation. If you be fruitful and useful men and women in the world, you shall have part in this blessed resurrection, John v. 28, 29. " All that are " in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth ; they that " have done good unto the resurrection of life." Now it is not
To cw/xa TTjC TW7rsnoj(i:w; r,/Awv.
SFIIM. XL. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 501
every act materially good, that entitles a man to this privilege ; but the same requisites that the * schoolmen assign to make a good prayer, are also necessary to every good work. The person, mat- ter, manner, and end, must be good. Nor is it any single good act, but a series and course of holy actions, that is here meant. What a spur should this be to us all, as (indeed the apostle makes it, closing up the doctrine of the resurrection, with this solemn ex- hortation, 1 Cor. xv. 58. with which I also close mine) " Thcre- " fore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always " abounding in the work of the Lord,, for as much as ye know that " your labour is not in vain in the Lord.,,
Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.
The Ascension of Christ illustrated, and variously im- proved, being the second Step of his Exaltation.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not : for I am not yet ascended to my Father : but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.
J.N all the former sermons, we have been following Christ through his humiliation, from the time that he left the blessed bosom of the Father : and now having finished the whole course of his obedi- ence on earth, and risen again from the dead ; we must, in this discourse, follow him back again into heaven, and lodge him in that bosom of ineffable delight and love, which for our sakes, he so freely left. For it was not his end in rising from the dead, to live such a low animal life as this is, but to live a most glorious life, as an enthroned King in heaven : upon which state he was now ready to enter, as he tells Mary in the text, and bids her tell it to the disciples, " Go, tell my brethren, that I ascend to my Fa- " ther," &c.
In the former verses you find Mary waiting at Christ's sepulchre, in a very pensive frame : exceedingly troubled, because she knew not what was become of Christ, ver. 15. In the next verse, Christ calls her by her name, Mary ; she knowing the voice, turned her-
* Si bonus bonafacit bene ad bonum ; i. e. If one is good, he does what is good m a good manner, and for a good end.
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self, and answered, Rabboni. And as a soul transported with joy *, rushes into his arms, as desirous to clasp and embrace him. But Jesus said, " Touch me not," &c.
In which words we have Christ's inhibition, " Touch me not :" Stranoe that Christ, who rendered himself so kind and tender to all, that not only admitted, but commanded Thomas to put his finger into his wounds, should forbid Mary to touch him ; but this was not for want of love to Mary ; for he gives another reason for it presently, " I am not yet ascended ;" i. e. say some, the time for embracing will be when we are in heaven. Then and there shall be the place and time, wre shall embrace one another for evermore. So Augustin. Or, thou dotest too much upon my present state, as if I had now attained the very ax^jj, culminating point of my exaltation. When as yet I am not ascended; so Cameron and Calvin expound it. Or lastly, Christ would signify hereby that it was not his will and pleasure in so great a juncture of things as this, to spend time now in expressing (this way) her affections to him; but rather to shew it by hastening about his service. Which is
The second thing observable, viz. his injunction upon Mary, to carry the tidings of his resurrection to the disciples. In which in- junction we have,
First, The persons to whom this message was sent, my brethren, so he calls the disciples. A SAveet compellation, and full of love. Much like that of Joseph to his brethren, Gen. xlv. 4. save only that there is much more tenderness in this than that ; for he twits them in the same breath with what they had done against him : " I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold ;" but in this it is, " Go, tell my brethren," without the least mention of their cowardice or unkindness. And,
Secondly, The message itself, " Tell my brethren, I ascend to " my Father, and your Father ; to my God, and your God ;* amZaivu, I ascend. It is put in the present tense, as if he had been ascending ; though he did not ascend in some weeks after this ; but he so expresses it, to shew what was the next part of his work, which he was to act in heaven for them ; and how much his heart was set upon it, and longed to be about it, " I ascend to my Father, " and your Father ; to my God, and your God." Not our Fa- ther, or God in common ; but mine and yours in a different man- ner. Yours by right of donation, mine in a different manner. Yours by right of dominion, mine (in reference to my human na- ture) not only by right of creation, though so too ; but also by
* Mary would embrace Christ, out of her great love to him, and joy that sh* bad seen him again in the flesh. Bucer. on the place.
SERM. XL. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 503
special covenant and confederation. * By predestination of my manhood, to the grace of personal union, by designation of me, to the glorious office of Mediator. My Father, as I am God, by eternal generation. As man, by collation of the grace of union. And your Father by spiritual adoption and regeneration. Thus he is my God, and your God ; my Father, and your Father. This is the substance of that comfortable message, sent by Mary to the pensive disciples. Hence the observation is,
Doct. That our Lord Jesus Christy did not only rise from the dead, but also ascended into heaven ; there to dispatch all that re- mained to be done for the completing the salvation of his people.