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his undertaking, and thence rendered the repetition of his fufferings altogether unnecessary, Heb.

X. 14.

SECT. II.

As to the efficient cause of our Lord's refurrection, it was doubtlefs the power of God and though his own power, as the fecond Perfon of the ever-bleffed Trinity, and thence, co-equal with the Father and the holy Ghoft, may, nay must, be confidered as exerted and difplayed in this important event; yet, for the jufteft reafons, the deed is ascribed in fcripture to Jehovah, in the perfon of the Father. It was at the Father's inftance, as the guardian of law and juftice, that our Lord was first incarcerate in the pit of fuffering, and then in the prifon of death; and therefore, that the honour of the fufferer, the credit of the furety, and the absolution of finners, might be as legal, as evident; it was proper, highly proper, he should be releafed at the fame inftance, and by the fame authority. Nor could any thing fhort of the power of God, have effected this refurection from the dead. For if created power cannot produce life at firft, nor prevent death at laft; no more can it poffibly overcome death, and restore to life again. Accordingly, infpired writers afcribe the refurection of Chrift intirely to the power of the Father. Whom God

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(fays the apoftle) hath raised up, having loofed "the pains of death," Acts ii. 24. or the cords and bands of death, as fome read that phrafe, i. e. thofe obligations by which Chrift was under the neceffity of fuffering and dying; as if the apostle had faid "Whom God hath raised up, having given back "the Mediator's bond of cautionry, amply difchar

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ged, into his own hand." Again, "This Jefus "(fays the fame apoftle) hath God raised up, where

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"of we all are witnesses," Acts ii. 32. And Paul not only speaks of the power, and the greatness of the power, but of the "exceeding greatness of the

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power of God, which he wrought in Chrift when "he raised him from the dead," Eph. i. 19, 20.

With refpect to the manner of the refurrection of Chrift; though God might and could have done it without means or inftruments, the probability is, that he employed the miniftry of angels, as heralds detached from the throne, to loofe this wonderful prifoner, with honour and folemnity. This feems to be pretty clearly pointed out, by the evangelift, when he tells us, that " an angel of the Lord de"fcended from heaven and came and rolled back the "stone, and fat upon it," Matth. xxviii. 2. He opened the prison of the grave; and, to show that it was no more to be shut upon the man Christ, he fat down on the ftone, which was the door of the fepulchre, thereby making proclamation that he having in the Father's name opened, no man, no devil, could or durft attempt to fhut. From Mary's account of what the faw in the fepulchre, the truth of this feems further evident. She "faw "(fays the evangelift) two angels in white (by their

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livery, you will at once perceive whofe fervants "they were) fitting, the one at the head, and the "other at the feet, where the body of Jefus had

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lain," John xx. 12. And from what Peter faw on the fame occafion, one would think thofe divine meffengers, thofe exact minifters, had even adjuíted our Lord's grave cloaths; not leaving the place, till they had difpofed of them in a proper, regular and decent manner. "He faw (fays the evange"lift) the linen cloaths ly, and the napkin that "was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by it"felf," John xx. 6, 7.

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SECT.

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As to the time when the Father brought up the Man Chrift out of the horrible pit and miry clay, it was certainly on the first day of the week, and on the morning of that day, being the third from his crucifixion. For Matthew tells us, our Lord's refurrection was expede in the end of the fabbath, Matth. xxviii. 1. and Mark, when the fabbath was paft, Mark. xvi. 1. namely, the Jewish fabbath, or the feventh day of our week. Luke again, and John fay, it was on the first day of the week, Luke xxiv. 1. John xx. 1. Nor do the evangelifts lefs agree in this circumftance, that it was in the morning of that day. For Matthew fays, it began to dawn toward the first day of the week. Mark and Luke fay, it was very early in the morning of the first day of the week; and John fays, it was when it was yet dark. It was thus early in that morning, that Mary Magdalene and others, upon coming to the fepulchre, miffed the body of Jefus; and confequently his refurrection was ftill fooner, and more early, than their difappointment.

With refpect to the pace between our Lord's burial and returrection, the evangelifts likeways agree. They tell us when he was laid in the tomb, and when he was releafed from the bands of death; leaving every reader to count the interval for himfelf, He was buried on the evening before the Jewish fabbath, and raised on the morning after it. "It was the preparation, (fays Mark, fpeaking of

the time of our Lord's interment) that is, the day "before the fabbath," Mark. xv. 42. In other words, he was buried on our Friday's evening, and railed on our Sabbath morning.

I am not unaware of an objection that naturally enough

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enough arifeth here; How does it follow from this account, that, according to our Lord's own prediction, Matth. xii. 40. he was " three days and three nights in the heart of the earth :" fince, acording to the evangelifts, it would seem he was only in the grave, one whole day, namely, the day of the Jewish fabbath; and two whole nights, namely, the night before, and the night after their fabbath? To obviate this difficulty, it need only be obferved, That the natural day, confifting of twenty four hours, was, by the Jews, called a night and a day, or a day and a night; and that, in general computations, it is common to afcribe to a whole day what takes up only a part of it, as might be proved from manifold inftances. Now, as onr Lord was in the grave a part of three natural days, namely, a part of Friday, the whole of Saturday, and a part of Sabbath; according to the ordinary way of computation, he may juftly be faid to have actually lien in the grave three days: but this, in agreeableness to the Jewish idea of the natural day, behoved to be expreffed by their own phrafe, namely, three days and three nights.

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The Father thus brought up the Man Chrift out of the horrible pit and miry clay, because he had promised to do it; and because, to fay it with reverence, in juftice and equity, he was obliged to do it. With respect to the Father's promife of raising up Christ from the dead, manifold quotations, from Mofes, the prophets and the Pfalms, might be adduced; but as the apoftle, in his fermon at Antioch, was exprefs and explicit on this head, his words ftall fuffice. "We declare unto you (faid he) glad tidings, how that the promise,

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"which was made unto the fathers, God hath ful"filled the fame unto us, their children, in that "he hath raised up Jefus again," Acts. xiii. 32, 33. God the Father, mindful of his covenant, and jealous of his honour, behoved, in this refpect, to do even as he had faid.

But he raised or brought up the Man Christ likeways, because, in justice and equity, he was obliged to do it. If a creditor, upon full payment being exhibit, muft, in juftice, and of neceffity, accordding to law, fubfcribe and deliver a writ of liberation and difcharge; fhall God, the righteous Judge, be fuppofed capable of lefs equity, refpecting the finlefs cautioner and furety of finners? There is fomething to this effect, peculiarly striking, in a paffage quoted before: "Whom God hath raised "up, (fays the apoftle, fpeaking of Jefufs Chrift)

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having loofed the pains of death." Mark what follows," Becaufe it was not poffible, that he "fhould be holden of it," Acts ii. 24. It would have been fuch an act of tyranny and injuftice, that it is impoffible, without the groffeft blafphemy, to imagine Jehovah the Father capable of it.

SE C T. V.

The falvation of the foul must be very different from men's common eftimate of it. It is precious in itself, and appears exceedingly fo in the price of it, as paid down by Jefus Chrift. Had not God the Father feen a precioufnefs in the finner's redemption, it is not to be imagined, he would, by the fubftitution of his Son in the finner's room, have made fuch early and coftly provifion for it: and if our Lord Jefus had not judged the redemption of the foul precious, it is impoffible to think, he would have laid himfelf under fuch weighty obli

gations,

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