THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF CHRIST.

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion.Acts i. 2, 3.

HAVING attended Christ in our meditations on the cross and the grave; we have seen death and the powers of darkness, in all appearance triumphing over him. Had the gospel history of Christ broke off here, it would have been a sad story to us indeed; for had he perished in the grave, all our hopes of salvation must have sunk and perished with him. But I am now to bring you good tidings of great joy, (viz.) that Christ has risen: that in three days time he broke the bands of death asunder, and rose again for our justification; and that after he stayed some time with his disciples here on earth, he ascended triumphantly into heaven.

You will observe three remarkable points of the history of Christ, all couched in the words of my text.

I. The resurrection of Christ from the dead. He showed himself alive after his passion.

1. The proofs and evidences of the fact they are said in our text to be not only many, but of infallible certainty, by many infallible proofs, such as render the matter not only exceedingly probable, but absolutely certain.

That Jesus truly died is out of all question. Pilate, the Roman governor, took care to be fully satisfied that he was quite dead: nor did the most inveterate enemies of his religion ever contest it. And that he really rose again from the dead, and was alive after his passion, was attested by sufficient, credible witnesses. There were several circumstances which concurred to render their testimony in this matter unquestionably true.

1. The number of witnesses was very sufficient; there were not only two, or three, but scores and hundreds, who all declared, and stood to it. He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. 1 Cor. xv. 5, 6.

2. These witnesses had all proper advantages and opportunity of knowing the certainty of the matter; for most,

if not all of them, were well known to have been familiarly conversant with him before his death. They declared that they saw him alive several times, in several places, in the day-time, as well as in the night; that they sometimes touched and handled his body.

3. They were very unwilling to be deceived. They were so far from being easy and credulous in the matter, that they were hardly brought to believe it themselves. (Luke xxiv. 11.) Nay, the first time they saw him alive after his passion, they were terrified, ver. 37.

4. They published it immediately, as soon as the thing was done, which was the properest time to have the matter examined into; and when, if it had not been true, no doubt but it might easily have been disproved.

5. The effect which this testimony had,

1. Upon themselves: They gave the best proofs that men could give, that they firmly believed what they declared and testified, that Jesus was risen from the dead. For they went about, and preached it at the hazard of their lives, and of all that was dear to them in the world.

2. On others: For though these witnesses of the resurrection of Christ were but a parcel of poor illiterate fishermen, men of no interest and figure in the world; and the story which they told, (viz.) that God had raised Jesus from the dead, must needs be very ungrateful to the Jews; and as for the Gentiles, it was not to be expected but that they would receive it with contempt; the doctrine which they preached, and which they grounded on the resurrection of Jesus, was very unpopular; and, wherever the apostles went and preached, they were violently opposed and per secuted; the magistrates and the rulers every where did all they could to silence them; yet, under all these discouragements and disadvantages, their testimony was presently received by thousands.

6. Even the objections which were made to this testimony of the apostles, concerning the resurrection of Christ, were such as rather serve to confirm the truth of it. The Jews, who lived at the very dime, and on the spot, no doubt but they might easily have disproved it, if it had not been true. But they did not once pretend that Jesus was never quite dead; nor did they offer to produce his dead body, after the apostles had given it out that he was risen: all

that they could, or did pretend, was, that his disciples had stole him away by night, while the watch slept. The most senseless thing, surely, that could be said; for how could the watch tell what was done when they were asleep?

As to what the modern deists object, that the witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus were probably a parcel of enthusiastic persons, who were imposed upon by their own distempered fancies. Enthusiasm was never known in this world to produce any such effect as this, on so many persons at the same time, and at many times, and about a plain matter of fact: nay, and supposing it possible they should be deceived themselves, how vastly improbable is it, that they should be able to spread their fancy. It is with very good reason, that the sacred historian says, Christ showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs.

2. The number and circumstances.

1. The time of his resurrection is particularly recorded, that it was on the third day from his death. He died not to rise immediately after he was buried, lest any should doubt whether he had been quite dead: besides, he loved. his disciples too well to leave them long in so sad a suspense about him. The precise time of his resurrection was the third day after his death. Him God raised on the third day. (Acts x. 40.) Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly. (Matt. xii. 40.) For the Jews always reckoned the beginning of the day from the evening before it, the evening and the morning were the first day. Christ was literally, according to the Jewish computation of time, three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, or the grave.

2. Another memorable circumstance which the sacred history records, concerning the resurrection of Christ, is the ministry of angels in the affair. The angel of the Lord descended from heaven. (Matt. xxviii. 2.) Two angels stayed some time in the sepulchre, after Christ was risen, to show the place where he lay. They told the good news to the women, 66 'He is not here, he is risen."

3. It is recorded, that Christ was accompanied in his resurrection by several of the saints. (Matt. xxvii. 52, 53.) Who those saints were, and what became of them afterwards, we do not read it is enough for us to know, that

they were designed for trophies of Christ's victory over death and the grave.

Observe.-Did God raise up Christ from the dead? then it is very certain, that he came from God, and that he had taught the mind of God in truth; for, he put the proof of his mission on this single point, his resurrection from the dead. (Matt. xii. 39, 40.) Let the resurrection of Christ be improved to encourage our trust in him, and our hope of salvation by him. God raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God. (1 Pet. i. 21.) And how glorious are the blessings which from hence we may hope for? viz. pardon, a glorious resurrection, and eternal happiness. He rose for our justification. Now is Christ risen. (1 Thess. iv. 14.) Who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope. 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. II. The time of Christ's stay in this world after his resurrection, and of what he did during that time. gave commandments unto the apostles, whom he had chosen, and was seen of them forty days, speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

"He

It was, no doubt, to answer some very laudable purpose, that our Saviour's ascension to heaven was delayed; and there was such an interval betwixt the first and the second step of his exaltation. Just before he expired on the cross, he said, It is finished. The work is done, justice is now satisfied. Why did he not immediately enter on his kingdom? I suppose there were these two reasons, at least,

For we

1. To confirm the truth of his resurrection. read, that when he first appeared to his disciples alive after his passion, they were so transported with wonder and joy, that they hardly believed the thing was real; while they believed not for joy and wondered. (Luke xxiv. 41.) To remove all doubt and suspicion about the matter, he was pleased to stay with them many days. He appeared to them over and over. Thus he confirmed his resurrection to his disciples, by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days.

2. We must believe, that Christ's love to, and care of his disciples detained him with them so long. Though heaven was ready for him, and he had obtained for himself a right of entering there; yet as he knew that his disciples wanted his presence with them some time longer

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here on earth, he was pleased to stay, and defer his own heavenly glory for some days. They wanted to be better instructed concerning the kingdom of God. This is the very account which our text gives, He spoke to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He staid to settle all things for the good of his church. After he had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven. Mark xvi. 19.

III. His ascension into heaven, after the expiration of those forty days, which is here expressed by his being taken up.

1. The manner and circumstances of Christ's ascension. 1. Where he ascended unto, He was taken up into heaven. The apostles saw him taken up; they saw him mount up on high in the air, till a cloud received him out of their sight, and two angels came and told them that he was gone into heaven. (Acts i. 9. 11.) He ascended up far above all heavens; (Eph. iv. 10,) meaning, I suppose, those heavens which are at present visible to the inhabitants of this earth.

2. The place from whence our Saviour ascended into heaven, was the famous mount Olivet. For we read, that as soon as he was ascended, The disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet. (Acts i. 12.) This was the very place where a little before he had been in an agony; where he was apprehended, and from whence he was led away to Jerusalem to be crucified: from thence also he now ascended into heaven. So shall the believer's sick and dying bed, where for the present it may be, he feels much pain, be the place from whence his soul shall shortly ascend to heavenly joy and glory.

3. The manner of Christ's ascension was very honourable. He returned to heaven as a triumphant conqueror, after having obtained signal victories: angels attend to grace the triumph and praise the conqueror. He ascended up on high, he was gloriously attended with the chariots of God, even thousands of angels. Ps. lxviii. 17, 18; Eph. iv. 8.

4. We may take notice of the witnesses of Christ's ascension, who, besides the angels, were his own disciples. While they bebeld, he was taken up. There was no need of their seeing him rise from the dead, for it was proof enough of his resurrection, that they saw him alive again