The last testimony shall be from God himself. Jesus had said, that after his ascension to his Father, he would send down the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, and that the Father also would send the Spirit in his
name. Accordingly on the day of Pentecost, God poured out the Spirit upon the Disciples, and imme- diately after upon great numbers of his enemies, and thereby bore the strongest testimony both to the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
Here then are the united testimonies of Angels, of Friends, of Enemies, and of God himself: if these be not sufficient, further arguments would be multiplied to no purpose.
We come then,
III. To set before you the uses which we should make of this doctrine —
Doctrines are of no value any further than they have a practical effect: in order therefore to improve that which has been now established, permit me to point out in two or three particulars the uses which we are taught to make of it.
We should, in the first place, consider the Resur- rection of Christ as a pledge of our resurrection. In the Old Testament the resurrection of the body was but obscurely intimated; but in the New Testament it is clearly revealed. Whatever difficulties may appear to arise from the innumerable changes which our bodies shall have undergone, He who first created us out of nothing, knows how to reunite our scattered atoms ; and with him all things are possible. More- over he has assured us, that he will do so : He has told us, that this frame of ours, which is sown in the earth a weak, corrupt, dishonoured body, shall be raised in incorruption, power, and glory. Of this the Resurrection of Christ is a pledge ; for the Apostle says, " Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." The first-fruits were a sheaf taken from the field, and waved before the Lord as the appointed means of obtaining his blessings upon the whole harvest: so we, by virtue of Christ's Resurrection, and through the favour which he has procured for us, shall in due time be raised, and " our vile body shall be made like unto his glo- rious body." Let us remember therefore, that this life
1591.1 Christ's resurrection. 175
is only a state of probation for another ; and that, though our mortal part sleep for a little season in the dust, " the hour is coming," as our Lord expressly tells us, " when all that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and that they have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation."
Another use which we should make of Christ's Resurrection is, to consider it as a patient of our life. In this view the Holy Scriptures frequently represent it : St. Paul tells us that " We must be planted in the likeness of Christ's Resurrection;" that "like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life :" and again he says, " Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more ; death hath no more dominion over him; for in that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God : likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Thus plainly is his Resurrection proposed to us as a pattern for our life ; and this it should be, in the source, the manner, and the end of it. As to the source of his Resurrection, it was by the glorious power and opera- tion of the Father : It is by the same divine power that we must be quickened from our death in tres- passes and sins : that same Spirit which re-animated his body must restore our souls to life. As to the manner of his Resurrection, it was irresistible ; the stone, the seal, the guard were all in vain. So must we break through every obstacle that might detain us in the ways of sin. No desire of man's applause, no regard to worldly interests, no delight in sensual indulgence, must keep us from following the steps of our Divine Master. As to the end of his Resurrec- tion, he rose, that he might " live unto God :" and such must be our life on earth ; we must live unto God in a state of holy communion with him, making his word our rule, his glory our aim, and his service the joy and delight of our souls : nor is there any doubt,' but that a life, thus begun in this world, will