[2.] For the other matter of our peace, a fit happiness to satisfy our desires. Man, having an immortal spirit, gropeth about for an immortal and eternal good, Acts xvii. 27, or such an estate in the other world as may comfort him against the labours and sorrows and the frailty and shortness of the present life. All nations have a conceit of the immortality of the soul; if at any time they doubt of it, they cannot wholly blot the sense of it out of their hearts. Surely all desire it, and it would give much ease to their mind if it might be indubi- tably made out to them that there is such an immortal estate. They that fully knew it not were pleased with the shadow of it, and sought it in fame ; they would not have their memory die with them. As those that want children take pleasure in little dogs and cats, so did they embrace a poor shadow for the substance. To be sure, most men die anxious, and when they leap into eternity, they know not where their feet shall light ; but now it is said, 2 Tim. i. 10, that ' Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.' He hath made a clear revelation of that which was not so certainly known before. The heathens guessed at it ; some- times they seemed to see it, and sometimes doubted of it; as men travelling sometimes see a spire of a steeple before them at a distance, and anon they lose the sight of it again, and so cannot tell certainly whether they see it, yea or no. The law, like a dumb man, made many signs, and set forth eternity by long life, and heaven by Canaan ; but now the gospel clearly speaketh it out, and scattereth all the mists and clouds about eternity.
2. The way how we surely may be made partakers of pardon and life ; and there it telleth us — (1.) What Christ hath done ; (2.) What we must do. Christ hath sufficiently laid the foundation, and all that we must do is but to apply what he hath purchased and provided for us.
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[1.] What Christ hath done. ' The word that is nigh thee ' refer- reth to things ah-eady done for us — Christ's death and resurrection.
(1.) His incarnation and death ; for Christ needeth not to be brought down from heaven any more. He once descended from heaven, and was made flesh, and dwelt among us, for a double end — partly to reveal these things to us^ and the way how to obtain them, with suflficient evidence and certainty. One great errand that he had in the world was to reveal the will of God to lost mankind for their recovery, and to bring them to the fuller knowledge of God, and the pardon of sins, and the truth of the unseen world, and the way there- unto : Luke i. 77, ' To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, by the remission of their sins.' And not only so, but partly also to be a mediator and reconciler between God and man, and lay down his life as a sacrifice for sin and a ransom for souls : Eph. v. 2, ' Who hath given himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God ; ' Mat. XX. 28, ' He gave his life a ransom for many.' We have both, Heb. iii. 1, 'Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Jesus Christ.' Well, then, herein lay the advantage of the gospel above the law ; that required all to be done by us, but the gospel referreth us to things already done for us by another, who was sent from God to reveal his Father's will to us, and to redeem us to God. He suffered the penalty due for our breach of the law ; there is nothing required of us but our thankful acceptance and hearty consent to follow Christ's conduct and direction. Well, then, he needeth not to be brought down from heaven any more, or descend to help and redeem the world.
(2.) His resurrection and ascension ; for that is the second ques- tion : ' Who shall descend into the deep, to bring up Christ again from the dead ? ' No ; that needeth not. He is risen already, and gone again to heaven, to assure us of the truth of his doctrine, and the value of his sacrifice, and the reality of the other world ; for he him- self is entered into the glory he spake of, and so giveth us a visible demonstration of the truth and reality of it ; and also he is set down at the right hand of God, that he might apply salvation to us by his powerful and all-conquering Spirit. But it is the resurrection we must chiefly insist upon ; for God by raising him from the dead hath declared him to be a sufficiently authorised messenger, and set him forth to be the person to be believed in, heard, and obeyed in his name. When Christ was crucified and buried, though a gravestone was sealed, and a guard of soldiers set to watch it, yet angels appeared and rolled away the stone, and spake to those that inquired after him. Yea, Christ himself often appeared to his disciples, conversed with them forty days, instructed them in things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and then went to heaven, and poured out the Spirit ; and for an hansel to the new gospel, by Peter's exhortation three thousand were converted at once, and afterwards evidenced the truth of their doctrine by miracles. There is no need that Christ should rise again in the eye and view of all those that would believe in him. Here is ground enough in that which was once already done.