[1,] His victory over sin. That he hath perfectly satisfied for sin, and appeased the wrath of God, who is willing to be reconciled with all those that come to the faith and obedience of the gospel, which could not be if Christ had remained under the power of death ; for the apostle saith, 1 Cor. xv. 17, ' If Christ had not risen, ye are yet in your sins ' — that is, God is not pacified, there is no sufficient means of atonement or foundation laid for our reconciliation with him. But his resurrection declareth that he is fully satisfied with the ransom paid for sinners by Jesus Christ, for it was in effect the releasing of our surety out of prison ; so it is said, Eom. iv. 15, ' He was delivered for our offences, and raised up for our justification.' He died to ex- piate and do away sin, and his resurrection showeth it was a sufficient ransom, and therefore he can apply the virtue of it to us.
[2.] His victory over death. For he got out of it, w^hich not only shows there is a possibility for a man by the power of God to be raised from death to life, but a facility ; as a second Adam he brought re- surrection into the world — there were two Adams, the one man brought death, and another brought resurrection into the world. The sentence of death is gone out against all the children of Adam as such, and the regenerate believers that are recovered by Christ shall be raised to im- mortal life : he hath gotten out of the power of death, so shall we.
[3.] Certain and necessary. For several reasons.
First, Our relation to Christ, he is the head of the body. Now the head will not live gloriously in heaven and leave his members behind him under the power of death. Believers are called the fulness of him that filleth all things, Eph. i. 23. Head and members make up one perfect man, or mystical body, which is called the fulness of Christ, Eph. iv. 13. Otherwise it would be a maimed Christ, or a head without a body, and therefore we should not doubt but he will raise us up with him.
Secondly, The charge and office of Christ, which he will attend upon and see that it be carefully performed : John vi. 39, ' This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given
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me I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day ;' as none so nothing ; in the prophet's expression concerning the good shepherd, not so much as a leg or a piece of an ear, that he should be careful to preserve every one who belongs to his charge, and what- *ever befalls them here, he is to see them iorthcoming at the last day, and to give a particular account of them to God. Now certainly Christ will be very careful to fulfil his charge and make good his office.
Thirdly, There is the mercy of God through the merits of Christ towards his faithful ones who have hazarded their bodies and their bodily interests for his sake : 1 Thes. iv. 14, ' If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even those also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.' Upon the belief of Christ's death and resurrection depends also the raising of their bodies that die for the testimony of Christ, or by occasion of faith in Christ, and that so certainly and speedily, that they that die not at all shall at the day of judgment have no advantage of those that have lain in the grave so many years, the raising of the one being in the same twinkling of an eye with the change of the other, for the apostle saith, they that are alive shall not prevent them that are asleep. So 2 Cor. iv. 14, ' Knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also with Jesus, and present us with you.' He gives it as the reason why he had the same spirit of faith with David, who in his sore afflictions professed his confidence in God, because he believed he spake. So they do profess the faith of Christ, though imminent death and danger is always re- presented to them as before their eyes. Because they steadfastly believed that God would raise them to a glorious estate through Christ, there- fore did they openly proclaim what they did believe concerning liim. To the same purpose to confirm Timothy against all danger of death: 1 Tim. vi. 13, ' I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things ' — that is, as thou believest that God is able and will raise thee from the dead, that thou hold out constantly unto the death, and do not shrink for persecution.
2. It proveth that to the faithful it shall be a blessed and a glorious resurrection.
[1.] Because Christ's resurrection is not only a cause but a pattern of ours ; there is not only a communion between the head and members in the mystical body, but a conformity. The members were appointed to be conformed to their head, as in obedience and sufferings, so in happiness and glory ; here in the one, hereafter in the other : Kom. viii. 29, ' He hath predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son.' As Christ was raised from the dead, so we shall be raised from the dead. God ' raised him from the dead, and gave him glory and honour, that your faith and hope might be in God,' 1 Pet. i. 21. So God will raise us from the dead and put glory and honour upon us. There is indeed a glory put upon Christ far surpassing the glory of all created things ; but our glory is like his for quality and kind, though not for quantity, degree, and measure, as to those prerogatives and privileges which his body in his exaltation is endowed withal. Such a glory it is that Christ shall be admired in his saints ; the world shall stand gazing at what he means to do.