LECTURES ON THE SHORTER GATECHISM OF THE WESTMINSTER AS

I had with thee, before the world was."

It was with a manifest, and most

TO YOUTH.

LECTURE XXVII.

The Exaltation of Christ. We are now to enter on the important subject of Christ's exaltation-It is thus stated in the catechism. "Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in his ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day."

When we speak of the exaltation of Christ, you are not to understand by it that any new glory was conferred on his divine nature-that was impossible; for as God, his glory was infinite and unchangeable. But this glory, as we have seen, was eclipsed and hidden, while he assumed our nature, and appeared in our world in the form of a servant. His exaltation, therefore, properly and strictly consists in a manifestation in the human nature, which for a time had veiled the divine, of the same glory which he had eternally possessed as the Son of God. This we are taught in his own intercessory prayer-" And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which VOL. V.-Ch. Adv.

tation should succeed immediately to his humiliation. Such is the representation of Scripture. "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Thus it was that the Sun of righteousness, on passing from under the dark cloud of his humiliation and suffering, shone and astonished with the most striking and glorious lustre. The ignominy of the cross was thus wiped away; and God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, gave to his people also, the evidence, that when their reliance and expectations are placed on him, their faith and hope shall be in God.

Let us now consider the several

particulars of our Redeemer's exaltation, as they are stated in the answer before us.

1. He "rose again from the dead on the third day."

We have already had occasion to
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observe, that it was a part only of three days, during which our Redeemer lay in the grave. The time of his continuance there indeed, was not equal even to the space of two whole days. Yet as our Lord was in the tomb a part of three days, and it was customary with the Jews and agreeable to the language of Scripture, to represent an event as extending through all the days on which any part of it took place, there was a complete fulfilment, according to the then current use of language, of the declaration, that "the Son of man should be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Our Redeemer was put to death on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath, Friday afternoon, and rose very early on the morning of the first day of the week, called from this circumstance, the Lord's day; and which, from the age of the apostles till the present time, the great mass of Christians have observed as a day of sacred rest, in place of the Jewish Sabbath-The reason and propriety of this will be explained, if we are spared to discuss the fourth commandment.

In the mean time, let us give a few moments of our most engaged attention, to that essential article of a Christian's faith and hope, the resurrection of Christ. That this was an event to take place in the person of the Messiah, was prefigured to Abraham, in his receiving his son Isaac, as it were from the dead. It was foretold to the fathers, as is expressly affirmed by the apostle Paul in his discourse to the Jews at Antioch in Pisidia, who quotes a passage from the second psalm, in proof of the fact. Acts xiii. 33. Our Lord himself, not only alluded to it on several occasions, but told his disciples of it in the most explicit terms. Mark ix. 31.-"He taught his disciples and said unto them-The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and after that he is killed, he shall rise the

third day." Again he said, “ After I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee." The Jews, therefore, attempted to discredit the resurrection of Christ; and modern infidels still attempt the same thing; knowing that if they succeed in this, they unsettle at once the whole Christian system. On the other hand, the advocates of Christianity defend this point, as the citadel of their faith. Nay, if this one point be maintained, the Christian religion is indisputably established as of divine authority. Sherlock has written an able little work, entitled "The Trial of the Witnesses," in which he has examined the evidence of our Lord's resurrection, on the strict principles and forms of taking testimony in the English courts of law; and has shown, that on those principles, and agreeably to that procedure, an upright judge and jury would be obliged to pronounce that Christ had indubitably risen from the dead. But the ablest piece on this subject, with which I am acquainted, is the production of Gilbert West. It is known to all who read their Bibles carefully, that the accounts given of the resurrection of Christ by the different evangelists, seem, at first view, to be hardly consistent with each other. Now, it is said that West had doubted or disbelieved the truth of revelation, and that he first gave his attention to this subject, with a view to prove that the historians had contradicted each other, and therefore that the fact which they all asserted, was unworthy of credit: that, however, on examining and comparing the evangelists, critically and closely, he found there was no contradiction: that, on the contrary, he perceived there was the most perfect harmony, and that the variety in their accounts was only a palpable proof that they did not write in concert, but, like honest witnesses, each told the facts which he knew, in his own way: in a word, that on a careful comparison

of the facts of the case they all went to establish the same point, by various, but yet concordant and incontestable evidence. In whatever way he was led to it, he has certainly settled this point, beyond reasonable controversy -I advise you all to read the two books I have mentioned-The trial of the Witnesses, and West on the Resurrection.

A summary of the evidence of our Lord's resurrection may be given thus-It rests on testimony; the testimony both of angels and of men. The angels testified to the women who came to the sepulchre, that he was not there, but was risen, as he had told them. The apostles all as serted the truth of his resurrection, and the most of them laid down their lives in attestation of this fact. They unanimously declared that "God raised him up, on the third day, and showed him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God; even to us, says Peter, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." This testimony, at the risk of life, was delivered before that very Sanhedrim who had put our Lord to death; and by that very disciple (as the mouth of the rest) who had before denied him.

Our Lord often appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, and gave them such proofs of his identity, as no mortal could rationally disbelieve or doubt. He not only ate and drank with them, showed them the print of the nails in his hands and feet, and of the spear in his side, and made the unbelieving Thomas examine with his hands as well as his eyes, the scars of his wounds; but what was still more unequivocal, if possible, he adverted to what he had told them before his death, and to things which only he and they could possibly know. At one time he showed himself to no less than five hundred brethren. He remained forty days on earth, that by his appearing frequently, and conversing familiarly and freely with his disciples, they might have the

fullest conviction and satisfaction as to his resurrection, and that he might also instruct them in the nature of his kingdom, and in the manner in which it was to be extended, established, and governed.

It was surely one of the most contemptible artifices ever practisedand no doubt it was practised because a better could not be devisedwhich the chief priests and elders of the Jews employed, when they bribed the Roman soldiers to say, that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while they slept. The soldiers would never have said this, had they not been secured against punishment from the governor, if he should hear it: For in saying it, every one confessed himself guilty of a capital crime; because the Roman discipline made it death, in all cases, for a sentinel to sleep on his post. Beside, the thing, in itself, was both incredible and self contradictory-Incredible, that they should sleep through the great earthquake which accompanied the rolling away of the stone by the angel; and self contradictory, because, if they were asleep, they could not possibly know that his disciples had taken him away. But something must be said: and this was the best that his enemies could find to say.

You will remember, my children, that Christ rose from the dead as a publick person, representing all his spiritual seed, and as claiming in their behalf a complete discharge from the penalty of the divine law. Having fully paid the debt for which he was committed to the prison of the tomb, justice required that he, the surety, should be discharged, and that no further demand should be made on those for whom he answered. His resurrection was the declaration of God, that justice was fully satisfied; and it is to be regarded as the divine assi ance to every believer, that, for surety's sake, all his sins shall tainly be remitted.

It is a most delightful theme meditation, to dwell on the resu

rection of Christ. It were well to think of it, especially on the morning of every Lord's day-To think of the completion of the work of redemption, when, like a mighty conqueror of sin, death, the grave, and hell, the Redeemer rose triumphant over all; giving to his believing people the most precious pledge of their acquittal from condemnation, of their protection from all those spiritual enemies over which he triumphed, and of their own glorious resurrection in the last day when their bodies shall be made like unto his own glorious body, and dwell forever in his blissful presence.

(To be continued.)

MARTIN LUTHER'S MODEST ACCOUNT OF HIMSELF.

(Continued from p. 111.) The golden rose, already mentioned, was sent to the elector, by

MILTITZ, who treated much with me respecting a reconciliation with the pope. He had brought with him seventy handbills,* in order that he might set up one in each town and village on his return to Rome, if the elector should deliver me up to him, as the pope requested. But he let out the secret in conversation with me; for he said, "O Martin, I had supposed that you were an old theologian, who managed these disputations sitting by your fire-side; but I now find that are strong, and in the vigour of life. If I had twenty-five thousand armed men, I do not believe that I should be able to take you to Rome; for through the whole of my long journey I explored the sentiments of the people, and I found that where there was one in favour of the pope, there were three against him." And what was ridiculous enough, when at the inns, he inquired of the women and maids, what they

you

• Brevia Apostolica. Milner says he brought 70 soldiers.

thought of the Roman seat. They knowing nothing of the meaning of the term, and supposing that he was speaking of common domestick seats, answered-what do we know of the kind of seats they have at Rome, whether they are of wood or of stone?

He begged of me that I would study the things which make for peace, and promised that he would use his influence with the pope, that he should do the same. I answered him, that I was most ready to do every thing which I could do with a safe conscience, and without compromitting the truth, to promote peace, of which I was most earnestly desirous and I assured him that I had not entered voluntarily into these contentions, but had been compelled by necessity to act the part which I had done; and that I did not think that I had exposed myself to any just censure.

before him John Tetzel, the first Before his departure, he called author of this tragedy, and so scourged him with reproofs and threats, that he actually broke the spirit of a man who had before been terrible to every body, and was a declaimer who could not be intimidated; but from this time, he pined away, worn out with grief and dejection. When I knew his situation, I addressed to him a kind letter of consolation, and exhorted suffer himself to be disturbed on him to keep up his spirits, and not account of what had happened to me. He died, however, wounded in conscience, and full of indignation against the pope.

If the archbishop of Mentz had listened to my remonstrance; or if the pope had not so raged against me, and condemned me without a hearing:-If he had adopted the same course which the emperor Charles pursued afterwards, though then too late:-If he had taken effectual measures to repress the audacity of Tetzel, the affair would never have eventuated in such a

state of tumult. The original fault was undoubtedly in the Archbishop, who by his wisdom and cunning deceived himself; for his design was to suppress my doctrine, and secure the money gained by the sale of indulgences. But soon all counsels and endeavours were found to be in vain. The LORD watched over these events, and had resolved to judge the people. If they had succeeded in taking my life, it would not have answered their purpose: indeed, I am persuaded that it would have been worse for them than it now is, and some of their most discerning men are convinced of the truth of what I say.

In this same year, (1519) I returned to the interpretation of the Psalms: but thinking that I should become more experienced in this business, if I should first expound the Epistles to the Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, I undertook in my lectures to go over these books of Scripture. Above all, I was seized with a wonderful ardour to understand Paul's Epistle to the Romans. But before this time, my efforts had been entirely unsuccessful; not owing to the existence of cold blood about the heart, but to one single phrase in the beginning of the epistle, the righteousness of God is revealed from heaven: for I hated this word righteousness; the only thing I had been taught of the righteousness or justice of God, was, that it was either formal or active; that is, the attribute by which God is just in himself, or by which he punishes the wicked. But although I had lived an irreprehensible life as a monk, yet my conscience was ill at ease; nor - could I place confidence in my own satisfactions; therefore, as I said, I did not love, yea I hated God, considered as clothed with vindicatory justice: and if not with secret blasphemy, yet certainly with great murmuring, I opposed myself to God-saying within myself, "as if it was not enough to doom misera

ble sinners to eternal perdition on account of original and actual sin against the law, does he now add to their misery in the gospel, by there revealing his justice also? In this manner did I rage, goaded by a guilty conscience. However, I applied myself most earnestly to find out what the apostle meant by these words. And whilst day and night I was occupied in studying this passage, with the context, God had compassion on me; for now I began to perceive, that by the word righteousness, in this place, was meant, that by which a merciful God by faith justifies the sinner; for it is immediately added, "as it is written, the just shall live by faith;" and this is the righteousness which is revealed in the gospel. Upon this, I seemed to myself to have become a new man, and to have entered, with open gates, into paradise itself. Henceforth, the whole scripture appeared to me in a new light. Immediately I ran over the whole Bible, as far as my memory enabled me, collecting all the passages which were analogous to this, or in which there was a similar form of expression; such as the work of God, for what he works in us;-the power of God, for the strength communicated to us;— the wisdom of God, for the wisdom with which we are endued; and so, of the salvation of God, the glory of God, &c. Now, by how much I hated the phrase righteousness of God before, by so much did I now love and extol it, as the sweetest of all words to me; so that that passage of Paul was to me like the gate of heaven.

Afterwards, I read Augustine's treatise concerning THE LETTER AND SPIRIT, where, beyond my hope, I found that he interpreted the righteousness of God in the same way, as being that with which God endues us when he justifies us. And although the view which he takes of the subject is imperfect, and although he does not clearly