So that then Christ is the first resurrection; first, efficiently, the only cause of his own resurrection; first, meritoriously, the only cause of our resurrection; first, exemplarily, the only pattern how we should rise, and how we should walk when we are up: and therefore, blessed and happy are we, if we refer all our resurrections to this first resurrection, Christ Jesus. For as Job said of comforters, so miserable resurrections are they all without him. If, therefore, thou need and seek this first resurrection, in the first acceptation, a resurrection from persecutions and calamities, as they oppress thee here, have thy recourse to him, to Christ. Remember that at the death of Christ there were earthquakes, the whole earth trembled; there were rendings of the temple-schisms, convulsions, distractions in the church will be-but then the graves opened in the midst of those commotions: then, when thou thinkest thyself swallowed and buried in affliction, as the angel did his, Christ Jesus shall remove thy grave-stone, and give thee a resurrection; but if thou think to remove it by thine own wit, thine own power, or the favour of potent friends, digitus Dei non est hic, "the hand of God is not in all this," and the stone shall lie still upon thee till thou putrefy into desperation, and thou shalt have no part in this first resurrection. If thou need and seek this first resurrection in the second acceptation, from the fearful death of heinous sin, have thy recourse to him, to Christ Jesus, and remember the weight of the sins that lay upon him-all thy sins, and all thy father's, and all thy children's sins; all those sins that did induce the first flood, and shall induce the last fire upon this world; all those sins which, that we might take ex ample by them to escape them, are recorded, and which, lest we should take example by them to imitate them, are left unrecorded; all sins of all ages, all sexes, all places, all times, all callings; sins heavy in their substance, sins aggravated by their circumstances, all kinds of sins, and all particular sins of every kind, were upon him, upon Christ Jesus; and yet he raised his holy head, his royal head, though under thorns, yet crowned with those thorns, and triumphed in this first resurrection; and his body was not left in the grave, nor his soul in hell. Christ's first tongue was a tongue that might be heard; he spoke to the shepherds by angels: his second tongue was a star, a tongue which might be seen; he spoke to the wise men of the east by that. Hearken after him these two ways; as he speaks to thine ear (and to thy soul by it) in the preaching of his word, as he speaks to thine eye (and so to thy soul by that) in the exhibiting of his sacraments, and thou shalt have thy part in this first resurrection. But if thou think to overcome this death, this sense of sin, by diversions, by worldly delights, by mirth, and music, and society; or by good works, with a confidence of merit in them; or with a relation to God himself, but not as God hath manifested himself to thee, not in Christ Jesus; the stone shall lie still upon thee till thou putrefy into desperation, and then hast thou no part in this first resurrection. If thou desire this first resurrection in the third acceptation, as St. Paul did, to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, go Christ's way to that also. He desired that glory that thou dost; and he could have laid down his soul when he would, but he staid his hour, says the Gospel. He could have as cended immediately, immediately in time, yet he staid to descend into hell first; and he could have ascended immediately of himself, by going up, yet he staid till he was taken up. Thou hast no such power of thine own soul and life, not for the time, not for the means of coming to this first resurrection by death; stay therefore patiently, stay cheerfully God's leisure till he call, but not so overcheerfully as to be loath to go when he calls. Relief in persecution by power, reconciliation in sin by grace, dissolution and transmigration to heaven by death, are all within this first resurrection; but that which is before them all is Christ Jesus. And therefore, as all that the natural man promises himself without God is impious, so all that we promise ourselves, though by God, without Christ, is frivolous. God, who hath spoken to us by his Son, works upon us by his Son too: he was our creation, he was our redemption, he is our resurrection. And that man trades in the world without money, and goes out of the world without recommendation, that leaves out Christ Jesus. To be a good moral man, and refer all to the law of nature in our hearts, is but diluculum, "the dawning of the day;" to be a godly man, and refer to God, is but crepusculum, "a twilight;" but the meridional brightness, the glorious noon and height, is to be a Christian; to pretend to no spiritual, no temporal blessing, but for, and by, and through, and in our only Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus; for he is this first resurrection, and blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first resurrection.' |