2. On our sanctification —
[None but the Spirit of God can sanctify the soul. But the Spirit would never have been given, if Jesus had not risen e. At his ascension to heaven, he received the Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father f, and received him for the express purpose of sending him down into the hearts of his peopled That he might begin and carry on his work in their hearts, he ascended to heaven ; as it is said, " To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living11."]
3. On our exaltation to glory —
[If Christ had not risen, neither should we have risen': for he burst the bands of death for us, and thereby destroyed its power to retain us under its dominion. He, in his resur- rection, was " the first-fruits ;" and his people will be the harvest k. Whilst he was yet with his Disciples, he pointed out to them the connexion between his removal from them, and their exaltation to heaven : " In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you : and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also1." In a word, " he was the Forerunner" of his people : and all of them shall follow him in their season"1.]
Let me now proceed to shew,
II. What it is to " know Christ" as exercising this power —
It is not a speculative knowledge that is here spoken of, but a knowledge that is practical and ex- perimental, and that enters into the very essence of true and vital religion. To " know Christ" as the Apostle desired to know him, we must have such views of him in his risen state as shall operate,
1. To confirm our faith —
[Certainly the proper ground of faith is God's revealed word : but an experience of that word in our own souls gives a degree of assurance that never is, or can be, attained with- out. I believe, from the testimony of Scripture, that Jesus is an almighty and all-sufficient Saviour. But I find, from the peace which he has infused into my soul, and the power he
e John xvi. 7. f Acts ii. 38, 39. s Ps. lxviii. 18.
h Rom. xiv. 9. I 1 Cor. xv. 21. * 1 Cor. xv. 20.
1 John xiv. 2, 3. m Heb. vi. 20.