Chapter I
Christ s resurrection supporteth faith tico icays: 1. By being an evidence of our justification ; 2. By having an influence into our justification. The
necessity of Christ s resurrection, for the procuring our justification.
THE next thing to be looked at in Christ, as he is the object of justifying
faith, and from whence our faith may seek and fetch support and comfort
in the matter of justification, is Christ s resurrection: upon which we see
here, the apostle putteth a rather, Yea rather, that is risen again. There must therefore be some special thing in the resurrection of Christ, which it
contributes to our faith and justification, for which it should have a rather
put upon it, and that comparatively to his death. Now to shew wherein
this should lie, consider how the resurrection of Christ serveth to a double
use and end, in the matter of justification.
First, as an evidence to our faith, that God is fully satisfied by Christ s death ; his resurrection may give us full assurance of it.
Secondly, it had, and hath an influence into our justification itself ; yea, and as great an influence as his death had. In both these respects it
deserves a rather to be put upon it, and Paul had them both in his eye, when he wrote these words. So as first, if you ask an account of his faith, and a reason of his so triumphant assurance, he allegeth his resurrection
to confirm it, Christ is risen. Or,
Secondly. If you would have a reason of the thing, how it comes to pass that we who are believers cannot be condemned ;
* Christ is risen, saith
he. He allegeth it as a cause, that hath such an influence into justifica tion itself, as it makes all sure about it.
1. By way of evidence. Although Christ s obedience in his life and his death past do alone afford the whole matter of our justification, and make
np the sum of that price paid for us (as hath been shewn), so as faith may see a fulness of worth and merit therein, to discharge the debt; yet faith hath a comfortable sign and evidence to confirm itself in the belief of this, from Christ s resurrection after his death. It may fully satisfy our faith, that God himself is satisfied, and that he reckons the debt as paid. So that our faith may boldly come to God, and call for the bond in, as having Christ s resurrection to shew for it, that the debt is discharged. And hence the apostle cries victory over sin, hell, and death, upon occasion of, and as
26 THE SUPPORT OF FAITH [SECT. III.
the coronis and conclusion of that, his large discourse ahout Christ s resur
rection, 1 Cor. xv. 55-57, death, where is thy sting? that is, sin, and the power of it ; for so it follows, the sting of death is sin ; and
grave, where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God who hath given us victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, namely, as risen again ; for of his resur
rection, and of that chiefly, had he spoken throughout that chapter.
2. But surely this is not all, that it should only argue our justification by way of evidence. This alone would not have deserved such a rather
to be put upon it, if Christ s resurrection had not had some farther real
causal influence into justification itself, and been more than simply an evi dence of it to our apprehensions. Therefore, secondly, in justification, although the materiale, or matter of it, be wholly the obedience and death
of Christ ; yet the act of pronouncing us righteous by that his obedience
(which is the foi-male of justification), doth depend upon Christ s resurrec
tion. Ordinarily there hath been no more expressed concerning this
dependence, than that the resurrection of Christ justifies by working actual
faith, to lay hold upon what Christ hath done in his life and death, which
is called the applying of it, of which more anon. But that speech of Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 17, seems to import more, If Christ be not risen again, ye are
yet in your sins, and your faith is in vain ; that is, although you could
suppose faith to be wrought in you upon the merit of Christ s dying, yet it would be in vain if Christ were not risen again ; for your titb to justifica tion itself would be void ; you were yet in your sins. Which is said, because his resurrection was it, whereby sins (though satisfied for in his
death) were taken off, and they acquitted from them ; which I take to be the meaning also of that, Bom. iv. 25,
* He was delivered for our sins, and
rose again for our justification. When the apostle says, for our sins he was delivered, he means his laying down that which was the price for
them, a satisfaction for them, which his death was. And in that sense,
1 he died for our sins ; that is, his death stands instead of our death, and
so satisfies for sin. But yet still that upon which the act of God s justify ing us, and his discharge given us from our sins, and whereby he reckoneth us justified, that depends upon his resurrection.
* He rose again for our
justification. Note that justification there imports the act of imputation, and reckoning us just, which he had spoken of in the verses immediately
foregoing, ver. 22, 23, 24.
In a word, to the full discharge of a debt, and freeing the debtor, two
: 1. The payment of the debt ; 2. The tearing or can
things are requisite
celling of the bond, or receiving an acquittance for the freeing of the debtor. Now the payment was wrought by Christ s death, and the acquittance to
free from the death was at and by his resurrection.