BOOK 7. THE RESURRECTION.
CHAPTER 2.
7.2.7. Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection. This is the great gospel-duty, we should "rejoice in the Lord, and again rejoice," Phil. iv. 4. "yea, rejoice evermore," 1 Thes. v. 16. A Christian estate should be a joyful and comfortable estate, none have such cause of joy as the children of Zion, "Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout O Jerusalem, be glad and rejoice with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem," Zeph. iii. 14. And why so? A thousand reasons might be rendered; but here is one, a prime one, "Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept," 1 Cor. xv. 20. A commemoration of Christ's resurrection hath ever been a means of rejoicing in God.
Some may object, What is Christ's resurrection to me? Indeed if thou hast no part in Christ, the resurrection of Christ is nothing at all to thee; but if Christ be thine, then art thou risen with him, and in him; then all he did was in thy name, and for thy sake.
Others may object, supposing Christ's resurrection mine. What am I better? How, do not all the privileges of Christ flow from the power and virtue of his resurrection, as well as his death? Tell me what is thy state; what possibly can be the condition of thy soul wherein thou mayest not draw sweet from Christ's resurrection? As, --
1. Is thy conscience in trouble for sin? the apostle tells thee, "The answer of a good conscience towards God, is by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Pet. iii. 21.
2. Art thou afraid of condemnation? The apostle tells thee, "He was delivered for our offences, and he was raised again for our justification," Rom. iv. 25.
3. Dost thou question thy regeneration? The apostle tells thee, "He hath begotten us again by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Pet. i. 3.
4. Art thou distressed, persecuted and troubled on every side; the apostle tells thee wherein now consists thy confidence, comfort and courage: to wit, in the life of Christ, in the resurrection of Christ, "We always bear about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our body. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh," 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11. And thus Beza interprets those following words, "Knowing, that he which raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus," verse 14. (i.e.) unto a civil resurrection from our troubles; Paul was imprisoned, and in part martyred; but by the virtue of Christ's resurrection he foresaw his enlargement. And this interpretation Beza grounds on the words following, and foregoing, wherein Paul compares his persecutions to a death, and his preservation from them to a life, as he had done before also, Chap. i. ver. 9, 10.
5. Art thou afraid of falling off, or falling away? Why, remember, that the immutable force and perpetuity of the new covenant is secured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, "I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David," Isa. lv. 3, this the apostle applies to the resurrection of Christ, as the bottoming of that sure covenant, "And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David," Acts xiii. 3 4.
6. Art thou afraid of death, hell, and the power of the grave? Why, now remember that Christ is risen from the dead, and by his resurrection death is swallowed up in victory; so that now thou mayst sing, "O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory? Now thanks be to God which hath given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. xv. 55, 57. It is the voice of Christ, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead," Isa, xxvi. 19. David was so lifted up with this resurrection, that he cries out, "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth, my flesh also shall rest in hope: for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy One to see corruption," Psal. xvi. 9, 10. But especially Job was so exceedingly transported with this, that he breaks out into these extasies. "O that my words were now written. O that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen, and laid in the rock forever! for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me," Job xix, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27. No man, ever since Christ, did speak more clearly of Christ's resurrection and his own, than Job did here before Christ. Observe in it, O my soul! Job's wish, and the matter wished; his wish was, That certain words which had been cordial to him, might remain to memory; and this wish hath three wishes in one:
(a). Job's wish, or how he would have the wish recorded. Here is:
- That they might be written.
- That they might be registrated in a book, enrolled upon record as public instruments, judicial proceedings, or whatsoever is most authentical.
- That they might be engraven in stone, and in the hardest stone, the rock! records might last long, yet time might injure them, and these words he would have last forever; O that they were graven in the rock forever! Moses and Job are said to have lived at one time; now Moses writ the law in stone, and considering that these words were gospel, there was no reason the law should be in tables of stone, and the gospel in sheets of paper; no, no, it were fit that this should be as firm and durable as that: "Oh that my words were written, O that they were printed in a book," etc.
(b). The matter wished, or the words he would have written are these, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall live again." Here is:
- First his Redeemer, and his rising.
- His own rising, and his seeing God. O! this was the matter of his joy, his Redeemer must rise again, and he must rise too, and see his Redeemer, it was a point that exceedingly ravished and revived Job, and therefore he iterates the same thing over and over, "I shall see God, and I shall see him for myself, and I shall see him with my eyes, and not for others." As Christ said to Abraham, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad, John viii. 56. So it appears of his servant Job, he saw Christ's day, both his first day, and his latter day, and he rejoiced and was glad.
Away, away all scrupulous, doubtful, dumpish thoughts! (Greg, hom in pas. ca. John xx. 20.) Consider what joys were of old at the foresight of Christ's resurrection, but especially what joy was all the world over, when he rose again from the dead; then came the angels from heaven, and appeared in white; then the sun danced for joy, (so it is storied) or shone sooner, and brighter than ever it did before. "Then (I am sure) the disciples were exceeding glad when they saw the Lord, yea, so glad, that they believed not for joy," (Apostoli die Dominico exhilerati non solum ipsum festivissimum esse voluerunt verum etiam per omnes hebdomadas frequentandum esse duxerunt, Juno Cent. 1. Epistad Decent, xi. 4.) Luke xxiv. 41. It is worthy our observing, to see how all the primitive saints were affected with this news, and because of it, with the very day on which Christ rose; some call it "the first day of joy and gladness, and because of the joy occasioned on this day, the apostles (say they) devoted the first day of the week to the honour and service of Jesus Christ." Augustine applies the words of the Psalm unto this day, "This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us be glad and rejoice in it," Psal. cxviii. 24. Ignatius who lived in the apostle's age, and was John's disciple, calls it "The queen, the princess, the lady paramount among the other weekly days." Chrysostom calls it a "royal day," and Gregory Nazianzen, Orat. 42. saith, "it is higher than the highest, and with admiration wonderful above other days." Certainly, the Lord's day was in high esteem with the ancient church, and the principal motive was because of Christ's resurrection from the dead. O that on these days we could rejoice in the Lord, and again rejoice; it is observed, "That many Christians look upon broken heartedness, and much grieving and weeping for sin, as if it were the great thing that God delighted in, and requireth of them; and therefore they bend all their endeavours that way, they are still striving with their hearts to break them more, and they think no sermon, no prayer, no meditation, speeds so well with them, as that which can help them to grieve or weep; but, O Christians! understand and consider, saith my author, that all your sorrows are but preparatives for your joys, and that it is an higher and sweeter work that God calls you to, and would have you spend your time and strength in." "Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart," Psal. xxxvii. 4. Never take your hearts to be right, till they be delighting themselves in their God; when you kneel down in prayer, labour to conceive of God, and bespeak him, that he may be your delight; do so in hearing, and reading, and meditating, and in your feasting on the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ at his supper. Especially improve the happy opportunity of the Lord's day, wherein you may wholly devote yourselves unto this work. (Baxter's method for a settled peace.) O spend more of this day in spiritual rejoicing, especially in commemoration of Christ's resurrection, yea, and of the whole work of redemption; or else you will not answer the institution of the Lord.