Doct. 2. Secondly, As Christ is risen, so shall ive rise. He is the meri- torious cause of om- resurrection, he hath deserved that we should rise ; he is the worker of it. By that same power whereby he rose again, by the same will he raise us up at the last day. He is every way the cause ; and which is something more, we are risen with him. He was a public person. Upon the cross he stood in the place of all the world, and all their sins committed, or foreseen to be committed, lay upon him. ' He bare the iniquity of us all,' Isa. liii. 6 ; and then he freed himself, and so ns, by his resurrection. First, freeing himself of his suretyship ; and we ai-e freed in him ; and he rising, we also rise with him. This resurrection is twofold, spiritual and corpoi-al : spiritual, when we take life from Christ ; and being quickened by him, then we begin to rise with him when we believe that Christ is dead for our sins. Christ is then crucified to thee, when thou beginnest to believe in him.
Use 1. And every true Christian may draw from hence water of life to cot/ifurt him in fill distresses ; for Christ hath conquered all our spiritual enemies ; and his resurrection is an evidence of his conquest. For if he had not conquered he could not have risen ; and therefore when he rose again he bade his disciples not to fear. Mat. xxviii. 10. Fear not death, for I have overcome death ; and witnessed the same by my resurrection. Fear not sin, for I have satisfied for it. Fear not the devil: I by my resur- rection have bruised his head ; nor the world, for I have overcome it. He hath trode upon the necks of all our spiritual enemies, and conquered them all. Fear not, for if once you be risen with Christ, you are begotten to a lively hope. Where spiritual resurrection is, there is hope of life, as the apostle doth soundly reason, 1 Peter i. 3. A ground of precious com- fort to every true Christian.
Use 2. Now in that we are raised by the same power to a spiritual life, whereby Christ rose from the grave, it teacheth us how to conceive of the work of the new birth, of the imar/e of God, of the new creature. The work of grace in a Christian is not a slight work, a word and away, as many think; but it is a powerful work, as appears in that there are more hin- drances to keep a man dead in sin from rising out of it, than there was to
* In margin here, Tertullian, de resurrect., cap. i. — G. t That is, 'oijenly,' 'visibly.' — G.
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keep Christ from rising out of the grave. Yet in his resurrection did the power of God mightily appear, as Eph. i. 19, 20. As Christ was killed and had a stone rolled on his tomb, so he that is dead in sin hath the stone of custom rolled upon him, which is as great a work of God's power to remove as it was to raise Christ. Wherefore let those that find a change in their hearts break forth into hearty thanksgiving unto God for his in- estimable favour, especially for this powerful work, more powerful than the making of the whole world, because there are many oppositions.
Use 3. Consider this aright, partly for thanksi/ivim/, if you have been wrought upon, and partly /or prayer if you are not, seeking unto God in the use of the means, who only is able to work this change in you.
To cut off many things, we shall now speak of the inference : ' If you be risen,' and risen ' with Christ' by his power, 'then seek those things which are above.' The reason depends thus. They that are risen have a new life, for every resurrection notes a new life; if spiritual, then a spiritual life ; if bodily, then a glorious life, Kom. vi. 5, seq. Life is suitable to our resurrection. You are risen with Christ from the death of sin. Therefore manifest your resurrection by actions proportionable and suitable to your estate. From hence we note this doctrine,
Doct. 3. That, every life and state requiretli aimverahle actions. ' If you be risen with Christ,' and so have a spiritual life as you profess yourselves, then carry yourselves answerably, and ' seek those things that are above,' that may maintain that life of yours. This is the apostle's reasoning in this place. This is so in nature. It is so in corrupt nature. It is so in grace, and shall be so in glor3^
For the first, Those creatures that are in the water, they delight in it, because it is their proper element, and they cannot live out of it ; secondly, it is so in corrupt nature. He that is covetous, the very conceit that he hath of his riches doth as it were feed him ; and he cannot live without them. For he that lives a carnal, brutish life, he dieth if he be taken from it. He is like a fish upon dry ground. Tanquam inscis in arido. Take him out of his element and he cannot live. It is so in grace, and shall be so in glory. When the body is risen unto glory, there is a forsaking of all communion with sinful men here, and we have communion with God and Christ. Christ shall be all in all unto us, Col. iii. 11. Then that which all creatures supply to us here, Christ supplieth to us there. Then our songs are holy and our actions holy, fitting such a glorious estate. Now heaven is begun here, or else never begun. Grace is therefore called heaven, because heaven is begun here. Glory must begin in grace.