[2.] To show that Christ died not only to expiate sin, but to take away the dominion and power of it in believers ; therefore it is said, ' Death hath no more dominion over him,' he took away sin, by which death reigneth ; he did enough both as to the satisfying God's justice and our deliverance.
3. Any further need of his dying again is denied : ' In that he died, he died unto sin once;' that is, he hath done his work; his death needeth not to be repeated ; he died to sin once, not in regard of him- self, for in him was no sin, but as charged with the sins of his people ; he sufficiently took away sin, both as to guilt and power.
Secondly, The perfection and blessedness of his life is intimated: ' In that he liveth, he liveth unto God.' This expression may imply either the holiness of his life in heaven, or the blessedness of it.
1. The holiness. When Christ was raised from death to life again, he liveth to God wholly, seeketh to promote his glory in the world ; he liveth with God and to God ; with God, as he is set down at the right hand of majesty, and administereth the mediatorial kingdom for his glory, as indeed God hath a great deal of honour from Christ as mediator: Phil. ii. 11, 'That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'
2. The blessedness of it. Christ always lived to God, even before his death : John viii. 29, ' And he that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone, but I do always those things that please him.' Why, then, is he said after his resurrection to live to God? Ans. — As freed from our infirmities; he liveth a glorious life : Luke XX. 28, ' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living ; for all live to him ;' though they do not live to the world, they live to God. Those that are departed out of this world have another life ; the souls of the just are already in the hands of God, and their bodies are sure to be raised up at the last day. So Christ liveth to God.
Doct. That the due consideration of Christ's being raised from the dead doth mightily promote the spiritual life in us.
This will be evident if we consider what advantage we have by Christ's resurrection.
1. It evidenceth the verity of christian religion, and that Christ was no deceiver, for his resurrection is a sufficient attestation to the dignity of his person and offices : Kom. i. 4, ' Declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by his resurrection from the dead ;' Acts xvii. 31, 'He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
222 • SERMONS UPON ROMANS VI. [SeR. VIII.
ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead/ This is a strong and undeniable argument that Christ is the Son of God, the saviour and judge of the world. Where lieth the force of the argument ? Christ died in the judgment and repute of the world as a malefactor ; but God justified him. when he would not leave him under the power of death, but raised him up, and assumed him unto glory, thereby visibly declaring unto the world that the world was mistaken in him, that he was indeed what he gave out himself to be, the Son of God, and the judge of the world, to whom is given power over all flesh, either to save or destroy them, according to his covenant. This argument supposeth —
[1.] That there is a God, sufficiently represented to us by other means.
[2.] That whatsoever exceedeth the power of nature, or course of second causes, is done by this God.
[3.] Among all the miracles, this of raising a dead man to life is the greatest ; the cure of a disease is not so much.
[4.] That if this be done to a person unjustly accused and condemned in the world, it is a justification of his cause before all the world, and a sure mark of divine testimony.
[5.] The cause between Jesus Christ and those that condemned him was, that he made himself to be the Son of God, and saviour and judge of the world ; this he evidenceth himself, and this was preached by his disciples. Surely the supreme and just governor of the world would not justify a cheat and imposture, and so far permit the devil to deceive in his name as to change the course and order of nature, and so far directly to work against it as to raise a man from the dead. Now it is a mighty advantage to the advancement of the spiritual life to be sure of the religion that requireth it at our hands, much of it being against the inclination of corrupt nature ; for then there is no tergiver- sation or excuse, as if our rule were uncertain, or that we did trouble ourselves more than needeth us of absolute necessity.