1

the father explained; by which, we must not imagine Christ confined to that singular posture, but it signifies his advancement to the full exercise of his regal office: all things being subjected unto him by the father, who was infinitely able to do it, seeing he is almighty; which word in the Greek, is differ ent from that used in the beginning of the creed, and in this place denotes the irresistibleness and efficacy of God's power.This clause is first found in the creed of Tertullian's, and was inserted, either as a continued proof with the ascension, that our Lord's body was not dissolved a little after his resurrection, or rather was designed against some heretics, who imagined the body of Christ to be in a stupid and unconcerned posture in heaven, and not to be sat down at his father's right hand, exercising all power and authority for the good of his church.A brief explication of "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead." Three interpretations of the "quick and the dead" the last most natural, that by the quck are meant those who shall be alive at the coming of our Lord, and by the dead, those who shall then be actually void of life. This article was designed against the Marcionites and Gnostics of whom, the one. blasphemed the final judge, the other the judgment. Marcion, with his master Cerdon, held, that the true God, and his son Christ Jesus, were all mercy and love, and would never judge the world; which opinion opened a flood-gate to all ́impiety; in oppo

sition whereunto, the creed declares, that he shall come to judge. The word judging explained, and supposeth a liberty and free dom of action in the person judged, and a rule by which he is judged; both which were denied by the Gnostics, as by the Valentinians, Basilidians, Carpocratians, and others, who all sprung from Simon Magus, and united in these two heresies, that man was fatally necessitated to all his actions, and that he should not be judged according to his works, but according to his spiritual seed, election, and the like: which tenets were attended with most abominable consequences and therefore against them both, it was inserted in the creed, that Christ" shall come to judge the quick and the dead:" Wherein, first, the liberty of man was acknowledged, which is farther evident from that the word Autezousios, or, that man hath a power over himself, was in several of the ancient creeds part of this article; the fathers could not imagine a just judgment, without supposing a freedom of the person judged. Secondly, it is farther declared by this clause, that men shall be judged according to their works; for which reason, whilst the heresy of the Gnostics raged, it was expressed with a suitable periphrasis to prevent any equivo cating evasions. A brief repetition of the true intended sense of this article.

[ITHERTO we have beheld our media

HITH

tor and redeemer in the inglorious and mean estate of his humanity, throughout the

several steps of his humiliation, home to the last and most abasing of them, viz. the sepa ration of his two essential parts by death, and the particular confining of them to their respective mansions and habitation; his exaltation now follows; and that sun of righteousness, which did set in redness and obscurity, now arises with light and splendor; the earth could not detain his body, nor hell his soul, but each delivered up their prey; for according to the next article in the creed, "the third day he rose again from the dead;" that is, his body was delivered from the grave, and his soul from hell, and being re-united, constituted the same complete man and person that was before. The certainty of which resurrection, is absolutely necessary to the Chris tian religion, seeing without that it would be no better than a vain and frivolous imposture, or a mere cheat and delusion.

The great advantage and benefit that the gospel promises, is remission of sins; the assurance whereof, depends upon the certainty of our Saviour's resurrection; for that declares the virtue of his sufferings, and the efficacy of his undertakings for us; that God's anger is now appeased, and he become propitious to mankind. The death of Christ is the ground of our absolution and pardon, but

his resurrection accomplished the collation of them; as [Rom. iv. 25.]." he was delivered for our offences, so he was raised again for our justification;" on which account St. Paul argues, that [1 Cor. xv. 17.] "if Christ had not been risen, our faith is in vain; we are yet in our sins." The guilt thereof, or obli gation to punishment is not yet removed, seeing our surety still remains under death, the -effect and consequence of them,

Wherefore, seeing that on these and other accounts which might be mentioned, the resurrection of Christ is so necessary a part of the Christian faith, we may well conclude that it had a place in the creed from the be ginning of Christianity to the belief whereof, we may be farther induced from this consideration, that it was the peculiar end and design of the apostolical office, [Acts i. 22. xiii. 31.1" to be witnesses of Christ's resur rection:" And St. Paul looked upon it to be so necessary an article, that he doth as it were, make salvation and the whole Christian religion to depend on it alone; [Rom. x. 6, 9.] "the righteousness of faith," saith he, "saithi thus, id est, it is the purport of the Christian institution, that thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy

heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

By this article it is declared, that we believe that Jesus Christ our Saviour, did truly and really arise from the dead, and return to life again: but now, forasmuch as this article is coincident with that of the resurrection of the body, and the particular resurrection of Christ the head, cannot well be distinctly considered from the resurrection of his members, but the one implies and proves the other: I shall therefore refer the farther consideration thereof to the article of the resurrection of the body, and only take notice in this place, of the time when Christ arose, which the creed declares to be the third day.

Wherein it is observable, that it is said to be en te trite hemera, in the third day, and not after the third day : For, as Augustin remarks, our Lord " was not three whole days in the grave," but only the entire second day, and part of the fist and last; the whole time of the disunion of his soul and body by death, being not above six and thirty hours or there. abouts; upon which account, the compilers of the creed did with good reason so cautiously express the time of his resurrection to be in the third day, and not after three days.