the whole world lieth in wickedness, or in the power of the wicked one but his power is limited by the will of God, the Judge of all. The means whereby Satan's power was destroyed, was by the death of Christ. He removed the obligation of the sinner, which was sin, the foundation of death. Christ removed it, virtually in his death, actually in the application of it unto the sinner by the Spirit of God. Sin He has removed by the sacrifice of Himself, and taken away the dominion of Satan over death (John i. 29; xii. 31). Now Satan can no longer make use of death as penal, threatened in the curse of the law, to terrify the consciences of believers; for being justified by faith in the death of Christ, they have peace with God. Thus the fear and bondage of death is removed. The death of Christ, through the wise and righteous disposal of God, is victorious, all-conquering, and prevalent.

The aim of the world was to bring Christ to death, and they thought they had done it; and the aim of Satan was the same. His disciples thought so too-"We trusted," said they," that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel" (Luke xxiv. 21). But He is dead, and their hopes, as it were, were buried with Him in the grave. What can we expect from one that is taken, slain, and crucified? Can He save others, who it seems could not save Himself? Is it not a folly to look for life by the death of another? This was the reproach which the Pagans cast upon the Christians' believing in one who was crucified. What could they expect from Him? And the apostle tells us, that Christ's death on the cross was a stumbling-block to the Jew, and foolishness to the Greek (1 Cor. xviii. 20). And so it would remain, had not the will, counsel, wisdom, and grace of God been in it." Others mocking, said, these men are full of new wine. For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done." But things were so ordered, that by the death of Christ sin and Satan should be destroyed. Like Sampson, He should in his death pull down the palace of Satan; and that in dying, He should conquer and subdue all things unto Himself. All the angels of heaven stood looking on, to see what would be the end of this great trial. Men and devils were ignorant of the great work which God had in hand; and while they thought they were destroying Him, God was in and by Him destroying them, and their power. While his heel was bruised, He brake their head; and this is to teach us to leave all God's work unto Himself. He can bring light out of darkness, and meat out of the eater. He can disappoint his adversaries of their

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greatest hopes, and fairest possibilities, and raise the hopes of his own children from the grave. He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform anything. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong; but He saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty: so the poor hath hope. To set up on high those that be low, that those which mourn may be exalted to safety." "He shall deliver thee in six troubles, yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee." He can make suffering to be saving, death victorious, and heal us by the stripes of his Son. Thus we have seen the triumph of Christ in opening the graves; He destroyed the destroyer, and him that had the power of death. He took the keys of death in his own possession. He opens, and none can shut; He shuts, and none can open. The opening of the graves may also be an emblem of a soul quickened by the Spirit of God; brought out as it were from the grave of nature, wherein men lie buried in sin and corruption, bound with the napkins of enmity and ignorance. Christ calls such sepulchres, full of dead men's bones, and all uncleanness within, that is, of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matt. xxiii. 27, 28); strengthless and helpless, like Lazarus in the grave. Hence divine regeneration is called by Christ a resurrection-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." As Lazarus was raised from the grave by the voice of Christ, so we spiritually. The apostle says, "You hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin." In a moral sense as to spiritual things; in all the powers and faculties of their souls. But in regeneration a principle of spiritual life is infused. Christ is the resurrection and life unto them, or raises them from a death of sin to a life of grace, in consequence of which a man breathes in prayer to God, pants after Him; after more knowledge of Him in Christ; after communion with Him; discoveries of his love, and pardoning grace and mercy. We will add but one thing more in connexion with the triumph of Christ on the cross as God-man, the testimony of the Centurion "And when the Centurion which stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God;" which he concluded from the effects of divine power, that He was a divine person.

Here we have an heathen testimony of the divinity of Christ, that He was the Son of God, and that by eternal generation, co

equal with his Father in all attributes and perfections; as the Creator, Sustainer, and Provider of all creatures in heaven and earth, and the great Redeemer of sinners. From the testimony of the Centurion, we may also learn that Christ is not at a loss to find witnesses to his truth, and to proclaim his glory in the darkest ages of infidelity and blasphemy.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, AND THE GENERAL RESURRECTION.

As the triumph of Christ was manifested on the cross, in triumphing over all his foes, leading captivity captive, spoiling principalities and powers, making a show of them openly, triumphing over them in Himself. So also He has triumphed gloriously in his resurrection. The resurrection of Christ was the first step to his exaltation, by it He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead-" Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Christ rose not as a private man, but as the representative of all his redeemed. As his suffering was in our room and stead, so likewise his resurrection-" And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Christ in his resurrection became the first-fruits of them that slept; so that when He rose from the dead, we rose with Him. He rose by virtue of his own power, yet not abstractedly from the Father and the Spirit. This He declared in the words, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." This demonstrates his divinity. It is not in the creature's power to raise himself from the dead, nor to bring his soul into the body. But this did Christ. If Christ could give life to Himself when dead, much more now being glorified,

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can raise his dead members; both their souls from sin, and their bodies from the grave. Here is encouragement for poor sinners to go to Him for life and immortality. He rose in the same body that He suffered in, hence He said to his disciples, "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." In the same body He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of his Father; and in the same body He will come to judge the quick and the dead-" This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" (Acts i. 11). At the resurrection of Christ, the earth quaked as at his death-" And behold there was a great earthquake" (Matt. xxviii. 2); to show that his power was the same, Jesus, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," as the absolute Lord and King of heaven and earth. At his death the earth, as it were, rent her garments, a sign of mourning. At his resurrection she trembled for joy, as the redemption of Israel from Egypt, the inanimate creatures were all in commotion. "The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs." In like manner they exulted when Christ redeemed his church from bondage and thraldom; and we may apply the words of the holy penman, "What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest; thou, Jordan, that thou wast driven back? ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye little hills like lambs? Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob." In the resurrection of Christ many of the saints rose with Him, and came out of the graves, went into the holy city, and appeared unto many (Mat. xxvii. 52, 53). The virtue of his resurrection was evident thereby-" For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. But every man in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." Christ is the first-born from the dead, who rose to die no more-"I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore." Those that rose with Him were saints, and their resurrection was by virtue of union with Him. The time of his resurrection was the third day, when He brought life and immortality to light, at the day dawn toward the first day of the week, when the glorious Sun of Righteousness rose to give light to them that sit in darkness, and to dispel the darkness of the old dispensation, and thus He sanctified the first day, as a day of rest.

That he rose again is evident, from many infallible proofs. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils, and conversed with her. "Touch me not, for I am am not

yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren." His second appearance was to Mary Magdalene and others. Then said Jesus unto them, be not afraid. The third, when the two disciples were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and was known by them in breaking of bread. After that by Peter alone; and by the rest of the apostles. That he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. Afterwards He appeared to all the disciples together. "After that He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present," 1 Cor. xv. 5, 6. He stood in the midst of them, and blessed them with peace," Peace be unto you." He showed unto them his hands and his side, and they rejoiced to see the Lord, John xx. 19, 20. He appeared again when Thomas was with them. "Then said He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, Thomas answered, My Lord, and my God." He also appeared to some of his disciples, "When they were fishing Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Him." They recognized Him by the miracle of the draught of fishes, John xxi. 1-7. He appeared to his disciples upon a mountain by his own appointment. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them; and his last appearance was on the Mount of Olives, from whence He ascended into heaven, Acts i. 11, 12. The Roman soldiers also bore witness to the same, and angels witnessed his Resurrection.

What a cloud of witnesses to strengthen our faith, in the Resurrection of Christ: heaven, earth, and man, all proclaim the same truth. What a sea of comfort is the resurrection of Christ. He rose to justify us. He died for our offences, rose for our justification, to justfy the ungodly before God-so that law and justice cannot condemn, justified never to be brought into condemnation. It is perfect and complete. It is God that justifies them. "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? it is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again; God beholds no iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel. He views them in Christ as all fair, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." By virtue of his resurrection we are born again," Hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." And by virtue of his resurrection we shall rise again. The Resurrection of the saints is a comfortable doctrine. It supports under all trials and troubles,