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CHAPTER VI.

Of the Exaltation of Christ.

SECTION 1.

THE abasement of that state to which the Lord of Life had submitted, for our sakes, to be reduced, and in which he had humbled himself even to the death upon the Cross, was succeeded by a State of Exaltation not less triumphant, than the former had been painful and degrading. This transition from being "despised and rejected of men," to being glorified with the glory which he had with the Eternal Father before the world began, consisted not in divesting himself of the human nature in which he had suffered and died, but in the re-union of his human Soul and Body, and his Resurrection from the Dead,— in his Ascension from Earth to Heaven,—and in his Session at the right-hand of God.

§ 2. By the Resurrection of Christ, is meant his restoration to life by the actual re-union of the same body which had been deposited in Joseph's tomb, with the spiritual Soul which had previously animated it, and which had subsisted for a certain period in a separate state. The truth, the nature, the time, the

circumstances, and the effects of the Resurrection, are matters of which we receive full information and assurance from the Gospel records. This great event had been foretold by the holy Prophets, and prefigured by sundry types; and, even in the most minute particulars, corresponded with all that had been declared concerning it by the inspiration of the Spirit.

From the Evangelical History it appears, that the jealous precautions which had been taken by the Jews, were amply sufficient to prevent the possibility of the dead body of Jesus being removed out of the sepulchre, either by his friends or by his enemies. That Christ rose again and shewed himself alive in the same body, was confirmed by the testimony of the angels;-of the women who bewailed his death and came early to his tomb;-of Peter and John, who saw the sepulchre empty and the grave clothes lying by themselves;-and of Thomas whose infidelity and subsequent conviction afforded the most unquestionable corroborative evidence of the fact;-by the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, to his assembled disciples, and to others, at different times, and in various manners ;—and, lastly, by the consent of the primitive and universal Church, expressed in the alteration of the Sabbath to the first day of the week, in honour of the Resurrection of our blessed Lord on that day. The Apostles could not be deceived with regard to the actual bodily existence of their Master, who, after his rising from the tomb, gave them many indisputable proofs, that it was really and substanstially He himself who conversed with them, by eating and drinking in their presence, and permitting them to touch his person. Neither is it reasonable to suppose, that they had either the Will or the Power to

deceive others: every motive, which can be suggested, opposes such a supposition; and had their statement been false, there were too many people interested in detecting and exposing the falsehood, to allow the fact of the Resurrection to be preached as the very foundation of the truth of Christianity.

Jesus was raised up, by God the Father, and, as partaking of the Divine Omnipotence, is said also himself to have taken again the life which he had laid down, by his own inherent power. That the body of Jesus was absolutely the same, unaltered in any essential properties, which was nailed upon the Cross; and that it was not glorified till his Ascension into Heaven, may be inferred from our Lord's own expressions respecting its identity, and from the readiness with which he offered demonstration of this fact to his disciples. He was raised on the third day; the Redeemer having yielded up his Spirit in the evening of the Friday, the sixth day of the week, the day of Preparation for the Jewish Sabbath, on which was the feast of the Passover, and having broken the bands of death early in the morning of Sunday, the first day of the ensuing week. This period-a portion of three days-was sufficiently long to obviate all doubt with respect to his dissolution; and yet not long enough to warrant the belief that the commencement of corruption had taken place. This period, fixed by the predeterminate counsel of God, had also been alluded to in ancient prophecy, and announced by our Lord himself.

By the Resurrection of our blessed Saviour we obtain a full assurance, that he was indeed the Son of God, the Lord of Life, a partaker of the Divine Attributes;—that he " died for our sins and rose again

circumstances, and the effects of the Resurrection, are matters of which we receive full information and assurance from the Gospel records. This great event had been foretold by the holy Prophets, and prefigured by sundry types; and, even in the most minute particulars, corresponded with all that had been declared concerning it by the inspiration of the Spirit.

From the Evangelical History it appears, that the jealous precautions which had been taken by the Jews, were amply sufficient to prevent the possibility of the dead body of Jesus being removed out of the sepulchre, either by his friends or by his enemies. That Christ rose again and shewed himself alive in the same body, was confirmed by the testimony of the angels;-of the women who bewailed his death and came early to his tomb;-of Peter and John, who saw the sepulchre empty and the grave clothes lying by themselves;-and of Thomas whose infidelity and subsequent conviction afforded the most unquestionable corroborative evidence of the fact;-by the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene, to his assembled disciples, and to others, at different times, and in various manners ;—and, lastly, by the consent of the primitive and universal Church, expressed in the alteration of the Sabbath to the first day of the week, in honour of the Resurrection of our blessed Lord on that day. The Apostles could not be deceived with regard to the actual bodily existence of their Master, who, after his rising from the tomb, gave them many indisputable proofs, that it was really and substanstially He himself who conversed with them, by eating and drinking in their presence, and permitting them to touch his person. Neither is it reasonable to suppose, that they had either the Will or the Power to

deceive others: every motive, which can be suggested, opposes such a supposition; and had their statement been false, there were too many people interested in detecting and exposing the falsehood, to allow the fact of the Resurrection to be preached as the very foundation of the truth of Christianity.

Jesus was raised up by God the Father, and, as partaking of the Divine Omnipotence, is said also himself to have taken again the life which he had laid down, by his own inherent power. That the body of Jesus was absolutely the same, unaltered in any essential properties, which was nailed upon the Cross; and that it was not glorified till his Ascension into Heaven, may be inferred from our Lord's own expressions respecting its identity, and from the readiness with which he offered demonstration of this fact to his disciples. He was raised on the third day; the Redeemer having yielded up his Spirit in the evening of the Friday, the sixth day of the week, the day of Preparation for the Jewish Sabbath, on which was the feast of the Passover, and having broken the bands of death early in the morning of Sunday, the first day of the ensuing week. This period-a portion of three days-was sufficiently long to obviate all doubt with respect to his dissolution; and yet not long enough to warrant the belief that the commencement of corruption had taken place. This period, fixed by the predeterminate counsel of God, had also been alluded to in ancient prophecy, and announced by our Lord himself.

By the Resurrection of our blessed Saviour we obtain a full assurance, that he was indeed the Son of God, the Lord of Life, a partaker of the Divine Attributes;-that he "died for our sins and rose again

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