gavest me to do thereby a release from the prison of the grave, was the suffering Saviour's due-" For how could we "believe him to be the author of life, if he had remained under "the power of death?"--for if Christ had been confined to the grave, our hopes must have been buried with him there; but, says the apostle, I Cor. xv. 20. But now Christ is risen. -Hence observe, that the way of life and peace is opened by his death, but sealed and confirmed to us by his resurrection; -it is a standing proof that can never be erased, a monument of his love that can never be thrown down,-a foundation for our faith that can never be shaken, a passage way to grace and glory that can never be shut. But Secondly. Christ, as to his resurrection, is the way to Heaven and happiness; as the Father thereby testifies his approbation and delight in him as the head of the church, and the Saviour of his people; therefore he is by the apostle, Heb. xiii. 20. declared to bring again the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. It was through the dignity, triumph, value and worth of his blood that he was brought again from the dead; having thereby obtained eternal redemption,-therefore it plainly proves that his death was an offering, and a sacrifice to GOD of a sweet smelling savour: Eph. v. 2.-Hence I would observe, that the way to glory is not only paved with exceeding great and precious promises, but with the precious blood of the everlasting covenant, clothed with divine authority from heaven; this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: here it is, that the sluices of mercy are opened, -the floodgates of free grace are lifted up, and the channels of living streams are laid open!-the guilty sinner encouraged thereby to draw near ;-hearing that the Lord Jesus Christ binds up the broken hearted,-proclaims deliverance to the captives, the opening of the prison door to them that are bound:-Hence it is, that the drooping hope is encouraged, the languishing soul strengthened, and the fainting mind supported, till the refreshing time comes from the presence of the Lord. But Thirdly, the resurrection of Christ is the way to glory, as it proclaims the triumphs of his death, the trophies of his sufferings over all the powers of darkness!-I make no doubt but that Satan, as the chief Prince of Hell, united all his power and force against the Lord Christ, when he was eclipsed in the shades of his Father's wrath; when Satan enters the heart of Judas, and makes his fiery onset upon him, -therefore says Christ, this is the hour, and power of darkness. If the host of hell,-and the innumerable number of our sins, that host of hosts fell upon him, as so many drawn swords of divine vengeance, no wonder if it makes his soul exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;· no wonder that when all these two-edged swords were sheathed in his heart, that you hear him with dying groans say, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, but to the wonderful surprize and amazement of men and angels,,-behold the slain, the suffering Saviour rises a triumphant conqueror over all the powers of darkness! Therefore, says the apostle, Col. ii. 15. Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them.-It was by his resurrection that he made an end of sin, triumphed over its power, deprived death of its sting, and fulfilled with the triumphs of Deity, what he had said by the mouth of the prophet Hosea, xiii. 14. O death, I will be thy plague, O grave, I will be thy destruction; herein his love was stronger than death, for Christ by his resurrection, proclaims such trophies and triumphs over death, that thereby the King of terrors becomes the messenger of peace, the gate of heaven, the solitary way to glory! Insomuch, that the believing soul lifts up by faith, the banner of the Saviour's triumphs, when it walks through the valley of the shadow of death!-thereby it fears no evil,-1 Cor. xv. 55. O death where is thy sting?—here I would just observe, my dear Friendly, that if the Lord Jesus Christ had power and authority to triumph over the host of hell,-the armies and numberless host of our sins, when surrounded and enclosed in the wrath of GOD, as he had power to lay down his life, and power to take it again, John viii. 18. then what power must he have (in his exalted state) to save that soul that puts its trust in him! thus the resurrection of Christ is the way to the Father, as thereby every enemy is removed out of the way-sin, death, and hell, is triumphed over, by him that was dead, but now alive, and behold he liveth for evermore, and has the keys of death and hell. But I would observe in the Fourth place, that the grandeur and magnificence of Christ's resurrection, proclaim it to be the way to glory, therefore, says the Holy Ghost, Psalm xlvii. 5. GOD is gone up with a shout, and the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet; with the shout, with the praises, with the acclamation of angels, and archangels; they attended the triumphs of the Saviour's death, sung the trophies of his rising : you power; as the King's herald at arms, as messengers of joy, they usher it forth with acclamations at the gates of Heaven; they demanded in his name admittance for the conqueror there, as have it in Psalm xxiv. 7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates: and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.-Therefore, it follows, upon his resurrection, in Ps. xlvii. 6. Sing praises to GOD. Sing praises: sing praises to our King, sing praises-The grand august assembly of Heaven was summoned to attend by the imperial authority of the King of Kings; every golden harp was now employed, the Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens rung with Immanuel's praises! As every angel and archangel, thrones, and dominions, principalities and powers in glory, united to celebrate (to us in songs unknown) this matchless joy;-the command extended through all the Heavenly host, Heb. i. 6. Let all the angels of GOD worship him-Never was such joy known in Heaven before, for Christ's resurrection commenced a song for ever new, therefore thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, crying with a loud voice, Worthy, worthy, is the Lamb that was slain !— and indeed, the happy tribes of Israel, the thousands of Judah, the first fruits to GOD and the Lamb, the grand retinue of the Old Testament Saints-the train of millions, a number that no man can number, that were redeemed by the Lamb, out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation, when they beheld the Lamb in the midst of the throne, as one that had been slain, they cast their crowns before the throne, and sung a new song to him that had loved them, and had washed them from their sins in his own blood, and had made them Kings and Priests to GoD.-Thus Christ's resurrection is the sure way to glory, to every one that follows the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, as he rose a conqueror, and was received with inconceiveable joy into the mediatorial throne, prepared for him as the King of glory; so shall the humble believer ascend to glory as a conqueror, and shall have dominion in the resurrection morn; see Psalm xlix. 14.~l might justly add, that Christ's resurrection is the path to Heaven and happiness, as it is the pattern, earnest, and sure pledge of ours;-if he that speaks as one having authority, is to be regarded, Hosea xiii. 14, says Christ, I will ransom them from the power of the grave;-which makes the believer sing, as he passes to his Father's house, O grave, where is thy victory: I'll I. I'll sing his dear, his sacred Name, II. I'll sing the glories of his grace, Seraphic thoughts create my song, IV. To sit beneath the throne, and view To raise my praises there. My dear Friendly, I ask pardon for being so prolix upon this head, but I hope you will pass by my tediousness with a smile of love; when you see that Christ's resurrection is a branch of the tree of life, that bears such precious fruit for the joy of the saints; thereby, says the apostle, they are begotten to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ: to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for them. But I hasten to observe, in the Fifth place, that Christ's ascension is the gospel path to Heaven and happiness-If we consider to whom he is ascended, which he in love, after his resurrection, stays to let us know; saying unto Mary, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, and your Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and where could we have wished our dear Saviour to have gone but unto our Father and his Father, to our GOD, and his GOD?-O how comprehensive and full of joy are those gracious words, that proceed out of his lips! as he died in love for us, so he arose in love towards us; one would be ready to think, that Christ had had enough to do with sinners before ;-leaving for them, the glory he had with D the Father before the world began; to be made a man of sorrows; to be led from prison to judgment; to be hated of all men; to be forsaken of GoD and man, of heaven and earth, till at last he says, " Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none, Ps. Ixix. 20. and so you find he gave up the ghost.-But O, matchless, O, triumphant grace! he rises with a heart as full of love, as though sinners had never offended him; he does not say, I will go and leave them, but, say to my brethren, I ascend unto my Father, and unto your Father. From hence we may with safety expect paternal care, fatherly affections, childlike liberty, divine aids, sweet succours, and rich supplies, and, at last, a glorious inheritance. What blessings are here contained for faith to grasp!-What a sure foundation for hope to build upon, that Christ is ascended to our Father and his Father, to our GOD and his GOD, as the Head of the Church, and representative of his people. 1 I would observe, my dear Friendly, in the Sixth place, that the end of Christ's ascension proves it to be the way to glory. I go, says Christ, to the Father; and for what end he tells you in John xiv. 2. 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. You will then observe, that the residence of the saints in Heaven is the fruit of Christ's ascension; he went home to prepare mansions of glory for us: our residence in heaven will be a mansion prepared by the King of Glory!-O who can tell, or what heart can conceive, what preparation grace will make for the saints in glory?-if Christ's love to his people is unspeakable on earth, what will his love in heaven be if the preparation of his love to the church militant springs from everlasting, is bottom'd upon his oath, flows from the perfections of his nature, shines in his promises, is sealed upon the hearts of the saints, displayed in his word, as the preparation of grace here;-what will the preparation of glory be hereafter!-when we consider that he whose name, whose nature is love, whose arm hath brought salvation, as the preparation of it, therefore, he says, I go to prepare a place for you. It is as much his work in Heaven to prepare by promise, by council, by power, and by love, an enjoyment for the saints, as it was his work on earth to save them by his blood, from the wrath that is to come-The enjoyment in heaven is reserved as an inheritance for the saints, and the saints are preserved to enjoy this inheritance. It is the settlements of |