and justifying of the merits of Christ. The benefits purchased by his death are evidenced to us in his resurrection ; God must not only be satisfied, but it must be discovered to the world that God was fully satisfied, or else we should remain under doubts and perplexities still. Now the resurrection of Christ is the full discovery of that satisfaction that is made by his death. This is that that the fallen creature hath to show for it, that God was satisfied, even Christ's resurrection. You know, among men, when they pay debts, they look that the book be cancelled, and that they have an acquittance to show, if they should be challenged that the debt is not i)aid. Now, what have you to answer the challenge ? AVhat have you to show Satan when he im- pleadeth you before God ? Why, by Christ's resurrection you may even challenge the challenger : Rom. viii. 34, ' Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again.' Why should God let him out of prison, if he had not paid the utmost farthing ? He was taken from prison and from judgment. If Christ had been still in the prison of the grave, you must have looked for another surety that must make up his defects and satisfy where he could not : ' If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins ;' ye have nothing to show for your discharge. How could ye have answered Satan then, if your surety had miscarried ? Thus by way of evidence.
Thirdly, Something by way of pledge to us. By Christ's resurrection God giveth us a pawn and earnest, as it were, that we may expect the raising of our own bodies. You may plead it to God, and you may argue it for yourselves to God : Christ is raised, therefore raise me. And to yourselves. Therefore shall I be raised, because Christ was raised. Christ was acquitted from sins and received into glory : there- fore. Lord, for his sake acquit me from my sins. Or shall I say, this is a pledge to us, that our persons shall be raised, justified, sanctified, glorified, because our head is raised ? The apostle thinketh it is a good argument to prove the resurrection of our bodies by the resur- rection of Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. xv. ; and 1 Thes. iv. 14, ' For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.' The meaning is, that Christ's resurrection doth not only manifest a possibility, but a necessity of our rising with him. God hath in him given you an earnest of the resurrection, so as through Christ you may humbly challenge it at his hands — Lord, I believe thou wilt raise me to life everlasting. The wicked rise by the general power of God, but Christians rise with reference to Christ's resurrection ; that was a pledge to them of theirs : and, therefore, it is observable, that presently upon the resur- rection of Christ's body, there followed the resurrection of the bodies of some of the saints, that it might not only be a pledge, but that we might look upon it as a pledge to us : Mat. xxvii. 52, 53, ' And the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which 6lei)t arose, and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and api)eared to many.' There the virtue wrought immediately, that others of God's j)eople might look for it, and the rest of Christ's mystical body expect their turn ; not only the head, but some of the members rose too. Therefore, here is our comfort, because it is the great pledge and earnest t!iat God hath given to the saints, namely.
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that, as it was done to Christ, so they may expect it shall be done to them.
Fourthly, Something you may expect by way of influence. Every well of salvation hath its proper stream, and everything in a believer's heart hangs and depends upon some proportionable thing in Christ Jesus ; our death to sin upon his death, our life upon his life, our holiness upon his holiness : John xvii. 19, 'For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they may be sanctified through the truth.' For whatever Christ had in himself as Mediator, he had it and did it for us. So that from these special things there is special causal influence on the hearts of believers. As from the resurrection of Christ our resurrec- tion ; from his death, the death of sin to the life of grace, or to the life of glory. There is causal influence from Christ's resurrection upon our hearts, which is the donation of the Spirit of God upon this act of Christ's resurrection, to raise us to grace and glory. And therefore we are said, 1 Peter i. 3, to be ' begotten to a lively hope by the resur- rection of Jesus Christ.' Kegeneration cometh from the virtue and influence of it, that passeth into our hearts for the conquering of sin, and begetting the new nature and the raising us to glory. But there is another benefit you are to expect by way of influence from the resurrection of Christ, even the gift of the Spirit, to conform you to your head. Christ by his resurrection being made a fountain of super- natural life, will send out vital influence. Wait for it, then ; he will renew and heal you, and he will carry on the work to the perfection of glory. Head and members must be conformable, as far as the model of the creatures will permit. Therefore, as sure as Christ is risen, you shall be raised with him to holiness here, and to heaven hereafter. That you may wait for this influence —