But you will saj, Will Christ raise us out of trouble likewise ? Yes, by the same power and virtue. For the virtue of Christ's resurrection reacheth farther than to raise us from death, for it extendeth itself to all abasements in the world. God raiseth us out of all abasements by the power that he raised up Christ, and by the power that Christ raised up himself. And therefore we should comfort ourselves in the distress of the church and personal distresses. And first for the church. God raised up Christ the head of the church after three days, and when they had rolled a stone upon the grave, and set a watch too, and when Christ had been a surety to bear the sins of all the elect of the world from the beginning to the end ; Christ having a stone upon his grave, so much mould, and such a stone, and his
* Qu. ' As Pharaoh conveyed all favour to the patriarchs in Egypt through Joseph ' '? — Ed.
4G4 COMMENTARY ON
grave wtitclied and sealed ; and then having as a public person the sins of all the world, yet Christ rose up again for all this.
Beloved, Satan and his instruments labour to bury the church if they can, and to roll a stone on the church, that it should never rih^e up again. It was their plot of late,* and it is their purpose now, but that their power is a little broken. Tliey would bury Christ and his church altogether, roll a stone on him, watch him that he should never rise again. This they do ; and now in the thii'd day he shall rise again. There may be a limited time of Jacob's sorx'ow, but there will be a day of deliverance. He that raised up the head of the church, after the time he had appointed he should lie there under the bondage and captivity of death, he will raise up the body of Christ. Our times are not in our hands, nor in the devil's time, nor in man's time, but in God's time. Men may oppose his time, and be against his time. ' They shall cast you into prison for ten days.' It is certain and sure, which may be a comfort to the church. The church beyond seas was lately under hatches, and the enemy had got her into the gi'ave, and thought to have rolled the stone upon the church ; but God, that raised up Jesus, hath raised up the church in some comfortable measure, which may- put us in hope, that now there is time to set prayer on work.f It puts encouragement into our hands. That that God hath done, encouragcth us to pray to God for the finishing of his own good work. We have not only faith and promises, but performances to encourage us. We see the stone is rolled off as it were. This is our comfort, and this is the church's comfort to the end of the world. She may be for a while under the grave, but God will send his angels, his messengers, one or another, to take away the stone, and raise up the church, as in the parable of the dry bones, Ezek. xxxvii. 1, seq. The church was ' as dry bones,' but * the Spirit entered into them, and made them live.' So at length a spirit shall enter into the church, and it shall live. Babylon must fall ; the church must rise. Christ Avill enlarge his church to the end [of] the world. Heaven hath said it, and hell cannot disannul what God hath concluded. He that raised up Jesus will raise up the church out of all its troubles. And for ourselves, in all deaths and all our desperate troubles, sink not under them. Make use of the articles of faith. They are of wonderful enlarged sweetness. The sweet article of the resurrection and life everlasting have influence into all our lives. Make use of that ; God, that doth the greater, will not he do the less, if for our good ? Will God raise my body out of the grave, and not out of this sickness ? God that can raise me out of dust, cannot he raise me out of this trouble, and present me to my friends again ? If for my good, he can do it.
And rise from inferior things to strengthen our faith, and the greatest things we have in faith for the time to come. Will God give me life ever- lasting, and not daily bread ? Will God give heaven, and not provision to bring me thither ? Will God raise me out of the dust, when it is scattered I know not where, and get all my dust together, and quicken that dust, and not quicken me out of this, if it be for my good and the good of others ? If he have any service to do for me, he will do it. And therefore, I be- seech you, beloved, let us labour to strengthen our faith in the way to heaven, by that which is to come. What made the apostles pass through thick and thin, break through all troubles between them and heaven, but [that] they thought God would deliver them ? If he did not deliver them,