A 1          A 2                    A 3–4                 A 5, 6, 7                 A 8–12

 

[M225]

Article  V

He descended into Hell: the third day he rose again from the dead.

      The former part of this Article, of the descent into hell, hath not been so anciently in the Creed,* or so universally, as the rest.  The first place we find it used in was the Church of Aquileia; and the time we are sure it was used in the Creed of that Church was less than four hundred years after Christ.  After that it came into the Roman Creed,* and others,* and hath been acknowledged as a part of the Apostles’ Creed ever since.

      Indeed the descent into hell hath always been accepted*, but with a various exposition: and the Church of England at the Reformation, as it received the three Creeds, in two of which this Article is contained, so did it also make this one of the Articles of Religion, to which all who are admitted to any benefice, or received into holy orders, are obliged to subscribe.  And at the first reception it was propounded with a certain explication, and thus delivered in the fourth year of King Edward the Sixth, with reference to an express place of Scripture interpreted of this descent: That the body of Christ lay in the grave until his resurrection: but his spirit, which he gave up, was with the spirits which were detained in prison, or in hell, and preached to them, as the place in St. Peter testifieth.* [1 Pet. 3:19]  So likewise after the same manner in the Creed set forth in meter after the manner of a Psalm, and still remaining at the end of the Psalms, the same exposition is delivered in this staff:

            And so he died in the flesh,

But quickened in the spirit:

His body then was buried,

As is our use and right.

            His spirit did after this descend                 [M226]

Into the lower parts,

Of them that long in darkness were

The true light of their hearts.

      But in the Synod ten years after, in the days of Queen Elizabeth, the Articles, which continue still in force, deliver the same descent, but without any the least explication, or reference to any particular place of Scripture, in these words: As Christ died for us and was buried, so also it is to be believed that he went down into hell. [Article III, 1562]  Wherefore being our Church hath not now imposed that interpretation of St. Peter’s words, which before it intimated; being it hath not delivered that as the only place of Scripture to found the descent into hell upon; being it hath alleged no other place to ground it, and delivered no other explication to expound it: we may with the greater liberty pass on to find out the true meaning of this Article, and to give our particular judgment in it, so far as a matter of so much obscurity and variety will permit.

      First then, it is to be observed, that as this Article was first in the Aquileian Creed, so it was delivered there not in the express and formal term of hell, but in such a word as may be capable of a greater latitude, descendit in inferna: which words as they were continued in other Creeds,* so did they find a double interpretation among the Greeks; some translating inferna, hell; others, the lower parts: the first with relation to St. Peter’s words of Christ, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Acts 2:27]; the second referring to that of St. Paul, He descended into the lower parts of the earth. [Ephes. 4:9]

      Secondly, I observe that in the Aquileian Creed, where this Article was first expressed, there was no mention of Christ’s burial; but the words of their confession ran thus, crucified under Pontius Pilate, he descended in inferna.*  From whence there is no question but the observation of Ruffinus, who first [M227] expounded it, was most true, that though the Roman and Oriental Creeds had not their words, yet they had the sense of them in the word buried.  It appeareth therefore that the first intention of putting these words in the Creed was only to express the burial of our Saviour, or the descent of his body into the grave.  But although they were first put in the Aquileian Creed, to signify the burial of Christ; and those which had only the burial in their Creed, did confess as much as those which without the burial did express the descent: yet since the Roman Creed hath added the descent unto the burial, and expressed that descent by words signifying more properly hell, it cannot be imagined that the Creed, as it now stands, should signify only the burial of Christ by his descent into hell.  But rather, being the ancient Church did certainly believe that Christ did some other way descend beside his burial; being Ruffinus himself, though he interpreted those words of the burial only, yet in the relation of what was done at our Saviour’s death, makes mention of his descent into hell, beside, and distinct from, his sepulture;* being those who in after-ages added it to the burial, did actually believe that the soul of Christ descended: it followeth that, for the exposition of the Creed, it is most necessary to declare in what that descent consisteth.

      Thirdly, I observe again, that whatsoever is delivered in the Creed, we therefore believe because it is contained in the Scriptures, and consequently must so believe it as it is contained there; whence all this exposition of the whole is nothing else but an illustration and proof of every particular part of the Creed by such Scriptures as deliver the same, according to the true interpretation of them and the general consent of the Church of God.  Now these words, as they lie in the Creed, He descended into hell, are nowhere formally and expressly delivered in the Scriptures; nor can we find any one place in which the Holy Ghost hath said in express and plain terms, that Christ as he died and was buried, so he descended into hell.  Wherefore being these words of the Creed are not formally expressed in the Scripture, our inquiry must be in what Scriptures they are contained virtually; that is, where the Holy Ghost doth deliver the same doctrine, in what words soever, which is contained, and to be understood in this expression, He descended into hell.

      Now several places of Scripture have been produced by the ancients as delivering this truth, of which some without question prove it not: but three there are which have been always thought of greatest validity to confirm this Article.  First, that of St. Paul to the Ephesians seems to come very near the words themselves, and to express the same almost in terms;* Now [M228] that he ascended, what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth? [Eph. 4:9]  This many of the ancient Fathers understood of the descent into hell,* as placed in the lowest parts of the earth: and this exposition must be confessed so probable, that there can be no argument to disprove it.  Those lower parts of the earth may signify hell; and Christ’s descending thither may be, that his soul went to that place when his body was carried to the grave.  But that it was actually so, or that the Apostle intended so much in those words, the place itself will not manifest.  For we cannot be assured that the descent of Christ which St. Paul speaketh of, was performed after his death; or if it were, we cannot be assured that the lower parts of the earth did signify hell, or the place where the souls of men were tormented after the separation from their bodies.  For as it is written, No man ascendeth up to heaven, but he that descended from heaven [John 3:13]; so this may signify so much, and no more, In that he ascended, what is it but that he descended first?  And for the lower parts of the earth, they may possibly signify no more than the place beneath: as when our Saviour said, Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world [John 8:23]: or as God spake by the Prophet, I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath. [Acts 2:19]  Nay, they may well refer to his incarnation, according to that of David, My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth [Ps. 139:15]; or to his burial, according to that of the same Prophet, Those that seek my soul to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth [Ps. 63:9]: and these two references have a great similitude, according to that of Job, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither. [Job 1:21]

      The next place of Scripture brought to confirm the descent is not so near in words, but thought to signify the end of that descent, and that part of his humanity by which he descended.  For Christ, saith St. Peter, was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit; by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison [1 Pet. 3:18, 19]: where the spirit seems to be the soul of Christ; and the spirits in prison, the souls of them that were in hell, or in some place at least, separated from the joys of heaven: whither because we never read our Saviour went at any other time, we may conceive he went in spirit then when his soul departed from his body on the cross.  This did our Church first deliver as the proof and illustration of the descent, and the ancient Fathers* did apply the same in the like manner to the proof of this Article.  But yet those words of St. Peter have no such power of probation; except we were certain that the spirit there spoken of were the soul of Christ, and that the time intended for that preaching were after his death, and before his resurrection.  Whereas if it were so interpreted, the difficulties are so many, that they staggered St. Augustin,* and caused him at last to think that these words of St. Peter belonged not unto the doctrine of Christ’s descending into hell.  But indeed the spirit by which he is said to preach was not the soul of Christ, but that spirit by which he was quickened; as appeareth [M229] by the coherence of the words, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.  Now that spirit by which Christ was quickened, is that by which he was raised from the dead,* that is, the power of his Divinity; as St. Paul expresseth it, Though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God [2 Cor. 13:4]: in respect of which he preached to those which were disobedient in the days of Noah, as we have already shewn.

      The third, but principal, text is that of David, applied by St. Peter.  For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face; for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved.  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad: moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. [Acts 2:25, 26, 27, 30, 31]  Thus the Apostle repeated the words of the Psalmist, and then applied them: He being a Prophet, and seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  Now from this place the Article is clearly and infallibly deduced thus: If the soul of Christ were not left in hell at his resurrection, then his soul was in hell before his resurrection: but it was not there before his death; therefore upon or after his death, and before his resurrection, the soul of Christ descended into hell; and consequently the Creed doth truly deliver that Christ, being crucified, was dead, buried, and descended into hell.  For as his flesh did not see corruption by virtue of that promise and prophetical expression, and yet it was in the grave, the place of corruption, where it rested in hope until his resurrection: so his soul, which was not left in hell, by virtue of the like promise or prediction, was in that hell, where it was not left, until the time that it was to be united to the body for the performing of the resurrection.  We must therefore confess from hence that the soul of Christ was in hell; and no Christian can deny it, saith St. Augustin, it is so clearly delivered in this prophecy of the Psalmist and application of the Apostle.*

      The only question then remains, not of the truth of the proposition, but the sense and meaning of it.  It is most certain that Christ descended into hell; and as infallibly true as any other Article of the Creed: but what that hell was, and how he descended thither, being once questioned, is not easily determined.  Different opinions there have been of old, and of late more different still, which I shall here examine after that manner which our subject will admit.  Our present design is an exposition of the Creed as it now stands, and our endeavour is to expound it according to the Scriptures in which it is contained: I must therefore look for such an explication as may consist with the other parts of the Creed, and may withal be conformable unto that Scripture upon which the truth of the Article doth rely: and consequently, whatsoever interpretation is either not true in itself, or not consistent with the body of the Creed, or not [M230] conformable to the doctrine of the Apostle in this particular, the expositor of that Creed by the doctrine of the Apostle must reject.

      First then, we shall consider the opinion of Durandus, who, as often, so in this, is singular.  He supposeth this descent to belong unto the soul,* and the name of hell to signify the place where the souls of dead men were in custody; but he maketh a metaphor in the word descended, as not signifying any local motion, nor inferring any real presence of the soul of Christ in the place where the souls of dead men were; but only including a virtual motion, and inferring an efficacious presence, by which descent the effects of the death of Christ were wrought upon the souls in hell: and because the merit of Christ’s death did principally depend upon the act of his soul, therefore the effect of his death is attributed to his soul as the principal agent; and consequently Christ is truly said at the instant of his death to descend into hell, because his death was immediately efficacious upon the souls detained there.  This is the opinion of Durandus, so far as it is distinct from others.

      But although a virtual influence of the death of Christ may be well admitted in reference to the souls of the dead, yet this opinion cannot be accepted as the exposition of this Article; being neither the Creed can be thought to speak a language of so great scholastic subtlety, nor the place of David, expounded by St. Peter, can possibly admit any such explication.  For what can be the sense of those words, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, if his being in hell was only virtually acting there?  If the efficacy of his death were his descent, then is he descended still, because the effect of his death still remaineth.  The opinion therefore of Durandus, making the descent into hell to be nothing but the efficacy of the death of Christ upon the souls detained there, is to be rejected, as not expositive of the Creed’s confession, nor consistent with the Scripture’s expression.

      The next opinion, later than that of Durandus, is, that the descent into hell is the suffering of the torments of hell;* that the soul of Christ did really and truly suffer all those pains which are due unto the damned; that whatsoever is threatened by the Law unto them which depart this life in their sins, and under the wrath of God, was fully undertaken and borne by Christ; that he died a true supernatural death, the second death, the death of Gehenna; and this dying the death of Gehenna was the descending into hell; that those which are now saved by virtue of his death, should otherwise have endured the same torments in hell which now the damned do and shall endure; but that he, being their surety, did himself suffer the same for them, even all the torments which we should have felt, and the damned shall.

      This interpretation is either taken in the strict sense of the words, or in a latitude of expression ; but in neither to be admitted as the exposition of this Article.  Not if it be taken in a strict, rigorous, proper, and formal sense; for in that acceptation it is not true.  It must not, it cannot, be admitted that Christ did suffer all those torments which the damned suffer; and therefore it is not, it cannot, be true, that by suffering them he descended into hell.  There is a worm that never dieth, which could not lodge within his breast; that is, a remorse of conscience, seated in the soul, for what that soul hath done: but such a remorse of conscience could not be in Christ, who though he took upon himself the sins of those which otherwise had been [M231] damned, yet that act of his was a most virtuous, charitable, and most glorious act, highly conformable to the will of God, and consequently could not be the object of remorse.  The grief and horror in the soul of Christ, which we have expressed in the explication of his sufferings antecedent to his crucifixion, had reference to the sins and punishment of men, to the justice and wrath of God; but clearly of a nature different from the sting of conscience in the souls condemned to eternal flames.  Again, an essential part of the torments of hell is a present and constant sense of the everlasting displeasure of God, and an impossibility of obtaining favour, and avoiding pain; an absolute and complete despair of any better condition, or the least relaxation: but Christ, we know, had never any such resentment, who looked upon the reward which was set before him, even upon the cross, and offered up himself a sweet-smelling sacrifice; which could never be efficacious, except offered in faith.  If we should imagine any damned soul to have received an express promise of God, that after ten thousand years he would release him from those torments, and make him everlastingly happy; and to have a true faith in that promise, and a firm hope of receiving eternal life; we could not say that man was in the same condition with the rest of the damned, or that he felt all that hell which they were sensible of, or all that pain which was due unto his sins: because hope and confidence, and relying upon God, would not only mitigate all other pains, but wholly take away the bitter anguish of despair.  Christ then, who knew the beginning, continuance, and conclusion of his sufferings, who understood the determinate minute of his own death and resurrection, who had made a covenant with his Father for all the degrees of his passion, and was fully assured that he could suffer no more than he had freely and deliberately undertaken, and should continue no longer in his passion than he had himself determined, he who by those torments was assured to overcome all the powers of hell, cannot possibly be said to have been in the same condition with the damned, and strictly and properly to have endured the pains of hell.

      Again, if we take the torments of hell in a metaphorical sense, for those terrors and horrors of soul which our Saviour felt, which may therefore be called infernal torments, because they are of greater extremity than any other tortures of this life, and because they were accompanied with a sense of the wrath of God against the unrighteousness of men; yet this cannot be an interpretation of the descent into hell, as it is an Article of the Creed, and as that Article is grounded upon the Scriptures.  For all those pains which our Saviour felt (whether, as they pretend, properly infernal, or metaphorically such), were antecedent to his death; part of them in the garden, part on the cross; but all before he commended his spirit into the hands of his Father, and gave up the ghost.  Whereas it is sufficiently evident that the descent into hell, as it now stands in the Creed, signifieth something commenced after his death, contradistinguished to his burial; and, as it is considered in the Apostle’s explication, is clearly to be understood of that which immediately preceded his resurrection; and that also grounded upon a confidence totally repugnant to infernal pains.  For it is thus particularly expressed: I foresaw the Lord always before my face; for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. [Ps. 16:8, 9, 10]  Where the faith, hope, confidence, and assurance of Christ is shewn; and his flesh, though laid in the grave, the place of corruption, is said to rest in hope, for this very reason, because God would not leave his soul in hell.  I conclude therefore, that the descent into hell is not the enduring the torments of hell: because, if strictly taken, [M232] it is not true; if metaphorically taken, though it be true, yet it is not pertinent.

      The third opinion, which is also very late, at least in the manner of explication, is, that in those words, Thou shall not leave my soul in hell, the soul of Christ is taken for his body, and hell for the grave, and consequently in the Creed he descended into hell is no more than this, that Christ in his body was laid into the grave.  This explication ordinarily is rejected, by denying that the soul is ever taken for the body, or hell for the grave: but in vain; for it must be acknowledged that sometimes the Scriptures are rightly so, and cannot otherwise be, understood.  First, the same word in the Hebrew,* which the Psalmist used, and in the Greek, which the Apostle used, and we translate the soul, is elsewhere used for the body of a dead man, and translated so.  And when we read in Moses of a prohibition given to the High Priest or to the Nazarite, of going to or coming near a dead body, and of the pollution by the dead; the dead body in the Hebrew and the Greek is nothing else but that which elsewhere signifieth the soul.  And Mr. Ainsworth, who translated the Pentateuch nearer the letter than the sense, hath so delivered it in compliance with the original phrase; and may be well interpreted thus by our translation, Ye shall not make in your flesh any cutting for a soul, that is for the dead.  For a soul he shall not defile himself among his people, that is, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people: He that toucheth any thing that is unclean by a soul, that is, by the dead: Every one defiled by a soul, that is, by the dead: He shall not come at a dead soul, that is, He shall come at no dead body. [Lev. 19:28, 21:1, 21:4; Num 5:2, 6:6]  Thus Ainsworth’s translation sheweth, that in all these places the original word is that which usually signifieth the soul; and our translation teacheth us, that though in other places it signifieth the soul, yet in these it must be taken for the body, and that body bereft of the soul.

      Secondly, the word* which the Psalmist used in Hebrew, and the Apostle in Greek, and is translated hell doth certainly [M233] in some other places signify no more than the grave, and is translated so: as where Mr. Ainsworth following the word, For I will go down unto my son mourning to hell [Gen. 37:35]; our translation aiming at the sense, rendereth it, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. [Gen. 42:38]  So again he, Ye shall bring down my grey hairs with sorrow unto hell, that is, to the grave.  And in this sense we say, The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. [1 Sam. 2:6]

      Now being the soul is sometimes taken for the body deserted by the soul, and hell is also sometimes taken for the grave, the receptacle of the body dead, therefore it is conceived that the Prophet did intend these significations in those words, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell; and consequently the Article grounded on that Scripture must import no more than this; Christ in respect of his body bereft of his soul, which was recommended into, and deposited in the hands of his Father, descended into the grave.

      This exposition hath that great advantage, that he which first mentioned this descent in the Creed, did interpret it of the burial; and where this Article was expressed, there that of the burial was omitted.  But notwithstanding those advantages, there is no certainty of this interpretation: first, because he which did so interpret it, at the same time, and in the tenure of that exposition, did acknowledge a descent of the soul of Christ into hell;* and those other Creeds which did likewise omit the burial, and express the descent*, did shew that by that descent they understood not that of the body, but of the soul.  Secondly, because they which put these words into the Roman Creed, in which the burial was expressed before, must certainly understand a descent distinct from that; and therefore though it might perhaps be thought a probable interpretation of the words of David, especially taken as belonging to David, yet it cannot pretend to an exposition of the Creed, as now it stands.

      The next opinion is that the soul may well be understood either for the nobler part of man distinguished from the body; or else for the person of man consisting of both soul and body, as it often is; or for the living soul, as it is distinguished from the immortal spirit: but then the term hell shall signify no place, neither of the man, nor of the body, nor of the soul; but only the state or condition of men in death, during the separation of the soul from the body.  So that the prophecy shall run thus, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, that is, Thou shalt not suffer me to remain in the common state of the dead, to be long deprived of my natural life, to continue without exercise, or power of exercising my vital faculty: and then the Creed will have this sense, that Christ was crucified, dead, and buried, and descended into hell; that is, he went unto the dead, and remained for a time in the state of death, as other dead men do.

      But this interpretation supposeth that which can never appear, that hades signifieth not death itself, nor the place where souls departed are, but the state and condition of the dead, or their permansion in death; which is a notion wholly new, and [M234] consequently cannot interpret that which representeth something known and believed of old, according to the notions and conceptions of those times.  And that this notion is wholly new will appear, because not any of the ancient fathers is produced to avow it, nor any of the Heathen authors which are produced do affirm it: nay, it is evident that the Greeks did always by hades understand a place into which the souls of men were carried and conveyed, distinct and separate from that place in which we live; and that their different opinions shew, placing it, some in the earth, some under it, some in one unknown place of it, some in another.  But especially hades, in the judgment of the ancient Greeks, cannot consist with this notion of the state of death, and the permansion in that condition, because there were many which they believed to be dead, and to continue in the state of death, which yet they believed not to be in hades; as those who died before their time, and those whose bodies were unburied.*  Thus likewise the ancient fathers differed much concerning the place of the infernus; but never any doubted but that it signified [M235] some place or other:* and if they had conceived any such notion as the state of death, and the permansion of the dead in that state, they needed not to have fallen into those doubts or questions; the Patriarchs and the Prophets being as certainly in the state of death, and remaining so, as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram are, or any person which is certainly condemned to everlasting flames.  Though therefore it be certainly true that Christ did truly and properly die, as other men are wont to do, and that after expiration he was in the state or condition of the dead, in deadlihood, as some have learned to speak; yet the Creed had spoken as much as this before, when it delivered that he was dead.  And although it is true that he might have died, and in the next minute of time revived, and consequently his death doth not (precisely taken) signify any permansion or duration in the state of death, and therefore it might be added, he descended into hell, to signify farther a permansion or duration in that condition; yet if hell do signify nothing else but the state of the dead, as this opinion doth suppose, then to descend into hell is no more than to be dead; and so notwithstanding any duration implied in that expression, Christ might have ascended the next minute after he descended thither, as well as he might be imagined to revive the next minute after he died.  Being then to descend into hell, according to this interpretation, is no more than to be dead; being no man ever doubted but that person was dead who died; being it was before delivered in the Creed that Christ died, or, as we render it, was dead; we cannot imagine but they which did add this part of the Article to the Creed, did intend something more than this, and therefore we cannot admit this notion as a full or proper exposition.

      There is yet left another interpretation grounded upon the general opinion of the Church of Christ in all ages, and upon a probable exposition of the prophecy of the Psalmist, taking the soul in the most proper sense, for the spirit or rational part of Christ; that part of a man which, according to our Saviour’s doctrine, the Jews could not kill; and looking upon hell as a place distinct from this part of the world where we live, and distinguished from those heavens whither Christ ascended, into which place the souls of men were conveyed after or upon their death; and therefore thus expounding the words of the Psalmist in the person of Christ; Thou shalt not suffer that soul of mine which shall be forced from my body by the violence of pain upon the cross, but resigned into thy hands, when it shall go into that place below where the souls of men departed are detained; I say, thou shalt not suffer that soul to continue there as theirs have done; but shalt bring it shortly from thence, and reunite it to my body.

      For the better understanding of this exposition, there are several things to be observed, both in respect of the matter of it, and in reference to the authority of the fathers.  First therefore, this must be laid down as a certain and necessary truth, That the soul of man, when he dieth, dieth not, but returneth unto him that gave it, to be disposed of at his will and pleasure: according to the ground of our Saviour’s counsel, Fear not them which kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. [Matt. 10:28]  That better part of us therefore in and after death doth exist and live, either by virtue of its spiritual and immortal nature, as we believe; or at least by the will of God, and his power upholding and preserving [M236] it from dissolution, as many of the fathers thought.  This soul thus existing after death, and separated from the body, though of a nature spiritual, is really and truly in some place; if not by way of circumscription, as proper bodies are, yet by way of determination and indistancy; so that it is true to say, this soul is really and truly present here, and not elsewhere.

      Again, the soul of man, which, while he lived, gave life to the body, and was the fountain of all vital actions, in that separate existence after death, must not be conceived to sleep, or be bereft and striped of all vital operations, but still to exercise the powers of understanding, and of willing, and to be subject to the affections of joy and sorrow.  Upon which is grounded the different estate and condition of the souls of men during that time of separation; some of them by the mercy of God being placed in peace and rest, in joy and happiness; others by the justice of the same God left to sorrow, pains, and misery.

      As there was this different state and condition before our Saviour’s death, according to the different kinds of men in this life, the wicked and the just, the elect and reprobate; so there were two societies of souls after death; one of them which were happy in the presence of God, the other of those which were left in their sins and tormented for them.  Thus we conceive the righteous Abel the first man placed in this happiness, and the souls of them that departed in the same faith to be gathered to him.  Whosoever it was of the sons of Adam which first died in his sins, was put into a place of torment; and the souls of all those which departed after with the wrath of God upon them, were gathered into his sad society.

      Now as the souls at the hour of death are really separated from the bodies; so the place where they are in rest or misery after death is certainly distinct from the place in which they lived.  They continue not where they were at that instant when the body was left without life; they do not go together with the body to the grave; but as the sepulchre is appointed for our flesh, so there is another receptacle, or habitation and mansion for our spirits.  From whence it followeth, that in death the soul doth certainly pass by a real motion from that place in which it did inform the body, and is translated to that place, and unto that society, which God of his mercy or justice hath allotted to it.  And not at present to inquire into the difference and distance of those several habitations (but for method’s sake to involve them all as yet under the notion of the infernal parts, or the mansions below), it will appear to have been the general judgment of the Church, that the soul of Christ contradistinguished from his body, that better and more noble part of his humanity, his rational and intellectual soul, after a true and proper separation from his flesh, was really and truly carried into those parts below, where the souls of men before departed were detained; and that by such a real translation of his soul, he was truly said to have descended into hell.

      Many have been the interpretations of the opinion of the fathers made of late; and their differences are made to appear so great, as if they agreed in nothing which concerns this point: whereas there is nothing which they agree in more than this which I have already affirmed, a real descent of the soul of Christ unto the habitation of the souls departed.  The persons to whom, and end for which, he descended, they differ in; but as to a local descent into the infernal parts, they all agree.  Who were then in those parts, they could not certainly define; but whosoever were there, that Christ by the presence of his soul was with them, they all determined.

      That this was the general opinion of the Church, will appear, not only by the testimonies of those ancient writers* which [M237] lived successively, and wrote in several ages, and delivered this exposition in such express terms as are not capable of any other interpretation: but also because it was generally used as an argument against the Apollinarian heresy: than which nothing can shew more the general opinion of the Catholics and the heretics, and that not only of the present, but of the precedent ages.  For it had been little less than ridiculous to have produced that for an argument to prove a point in controversy, which had not been clearer than that which was controverted, and had not been some way acknowledged as a truth by both.  Now the error of Apollinarius was, that Christ had no proper intellectual or rational soul, but that the word was to him in the place of a soul: and the argument produced by the fathers for the conviction of this error was, that Christ descended into hell;* which the Apollinarians could not deny: and that this descent was not made by his divinity, or by his body, but by the motion, and presence of his soul, and consequently that he had a soul distinct both from his flesh and from the Word.  Whereas if it could have then been answered by the heretics, as now it is by many, that his descent into hell had no relation to his soul, but to his body only, which descended into the grave; or that it was not a real, but only virtual, descent, by which his death extended to the destruction of the powers of hell; or that his soul was not his intellectual spirit, or immortal soul, but his living soul, which descended into hell, that is, continued in the state of death: I say, if any of these senses could have been affixed to this Article, the Apollinarians’ answer might have been sound, and the Catholics’ argument of no validity.  But being those heretics did all acknowledge this Article; being the Catholic fathers did urge the same to prove the real distinction of the soul of Christ both from his divinity and from his body, because his body was really in the grave when his soul was really present with the souls below; it followeth that it was the general doctrine of the Church, that Christ did descend into hell by a local motion of his soul, separated from his body, to the places below where the souls of men departed were.

      Nor can it be reasonably objected, that the argument of the [M238] fathers was of equal force against these heretics, if it be understood of the animal soul, as it would be if it were understood of the rational; as if those heretics had equally deprived Christ of the rational and animal soul.  For it is most certain that they did not equally deprive Christ of both; but most of the Apollinarians denied an human soul to Christ only in respect of the intellectual part,* granting that the animal soul of Christ was of the same nature with the animal soul of other men.  If therefore the fathers had proved only that the animal soul of Christ had descended into hell, they had brought no argument at all to prove that Christ had an human intellectual soul.  It is therefore certain that the Catholic fathers in their opposition to the Apollinarian heretics did declare, that the intellectual and immortal soul of Christ descended into hell.

      The only question which admitted any variety of discrepance among the ancients was, Who were the persons to whose souls the soul of Christ descended? and that which dependeth on that question, What was the end and use of his descent?  In this indeed they differed much, according to their several apprehensions of the condition of the dead, and the nature of the place into which the souls before our Saviour’s death were gathered; some looking on that name which we translate now hell, hades, or infernus, as the common receptacle of the souls of all men,* [M239] both the just and unjust, thought the soul of Christ descended unto those which departed in the true faith and fear of God, the souls of the Patriarchs and the Prophets, and the people of God.

      But others there were who thought hades or infernus was never taken in the Scriptures for any place of happiness;* and therefore they did not conceive the souls of the Patriarchs or the Prophets did pass into any such infernal place; and consequently, that the descent into hell was not his going to the Prophets or the Patriarchs, which were not there.  For as, if it had been only said that Christ had gone unto the bosom of Abraham, or to Paradise, no man would ever have believed that he had descended into hell; so being it is only written, Thou shalt [M240] not leave my soul in hell, it seems incongruous to think that he went then unto the Patriarchs who were not there.

      Now this being the diversity of opinions anciently in respect of the persons unto whose souls the soul of Christ descended at his death, the difference of the end or efficacy of that descent is next to be observed.  Of those which did believe the name of hades to belong unto that general place which comprehended all the souls of men (as well those which died in the favour of God, as those which departed in their sins), some of them thought that Christ descended to that place of hades,* where the souls of all the faithful, from the death of the righteous Abel to the death of Christ, were detained; and there dissolving all the power by which they were detained below, translated them into a far more glorious place, and estated them in a condition far more happy in the heavens above.

      Others of them understood no such translation of place, or alteration of condition there, conceiving that the souls of all men are detained below still,* and shall not enter into heaven until the general resurrection.  They made no such distinction at the death of Christ, as if those which believed in a Saviour to come [M241] should be kept out from heaven till he came; and those which now believe in the same Saviour already come should be admitted thither immediately upon their expiration.

      But such as thought the place in which the souls of the Patriarchs did reside could not in propriety of speech be called hell, nor was ever so named in the Scriptures, conceived, that as our Saviour went to those who were included in the proper hell, or place of torment, so the end of his descent was to deliver souls from those miseries which they felt, and to translate them to a place of happiness and a glorious condition.  They which did think that hell was wholly emptied, that every soul was presently released from all the pains which before it suffered, were branded with the names of heretics:* but to believe that many were delivered, was both by them and many others counted orthodox.

      The means by which they did conceive that Christ did free the souls of men from hell, was the application of his death unto them, which was propounded to those souls by preaching of the Gospel there83: that as he revealed here on earth the will of

God unto the sons of men, and propounded himself as the object of their faith, to the end that whosoever believed in him should never die; so after his death he shewed himself unto the souls departed, that whosoever of them would yet accept of and acknowledge him should pass from death to life.

[M242]            Thus did they think the soul of Christ descended into hell to preach the Gospel to the spirits there, that they might receive him who before believed in him, or that they might believe in him who before rejected him.  But this cannot be received as the end, or way to affect the end, of Christ’s descent: nor can I look upon it as any illustration of this Article, for many reasons.  For first, I have already. shewed that the place of St. Peter, so often mentioned for it, is not capable of that sense, nor hath it any relation to our Saviour after death.  Secondly, the ancients seem upon no other reason to have interpreted this place of St. Peter in that manner, but because other apocryphal writings led them to that interpretation, upon the authority whereof this opinion only can rely.  A place of the Prophet Jeremy was first produced,* that The Lord God of Israel remembered his dead, which slept in the land of the grave, and descended unto them, to preach unto them his salvation.  But being there is no such verse extant in that Prophet or any other, it was also delivered that it was once in the translation of the Septuagint, but erased out from thence by the Jews: which as it can scarce be conceived true, so, if it were, it would be yet of doubtful authority, as being never yet found in the Hebrew Text.  And Hermes in his book, called the Pastor, was thought to give sufficient strength to this opinion;* whereas the book itself is of no good authority, and in this particular is most extravagant: for he taught, that not only the soul of Christ, but also the souls of the Apostles, preached to the spirits below; that as they followed his steps here, so did they also after their death, and therefore descended to preach in hell.

      Nor is this only to be suspected in reference to those [M243] pretended authorities which first induced men to believe it, and to make forced interpretations of Scripture to maintain it; but also to be rejected in itself, as false, and inconsistent with the nature, scope, and end of the Gospel (which is to be preached with such commands and ordinances as can concern those only which are in this life), and as incongruous to the state and condition of those souls to whom Christ is supposed to preach.  For if we look upon the Patriarchs, Prophets, and all saints before departed, it is certain they were never disobedient in the days of Noah; nor could they need the publication of the Gospel after the death of Christ, who by virtue of that death were accepted in him while they lived, and by that acceptation had received a reward long before.  If we look upon them which died in disobedience, and were in torments for their sins, they cannot appear to be proper objects for the Gospel preached.  The rich man, whom we find in their condition, desired one might be sent from the dead to preach unto his brethren then alive, lest they also should come unto that place: but we find no hopes he had that any should come from them which were alive to preach to him.  For if the living, who heard not Moses and the Prophets, would not be persuaded though one rose from the dead [Luke 16:31]; surely those which had been disobedient unto the Prophets, should never be persuaded after they were dead.

      Whether therefore we consider the authorities first introducing this opinion, which were apocryphal; or the testimonies of Scripture, forced and improbable; or the nature of this preaching, inconsistent with the Gospel; or the persons to whom Christ should be thought to preach (which, if dead in the faith and fear of God, wanted no such instruction; if departed in infidelity and disobedience, were unworthy and incapable of such a dispensation); this preaching of Christ to the spirits in prison cannot be admitted either as the end, or as the means proper to effect the end, of his descent into hell.

      Nor is this preaching only to be rejected as a means to produce the effect of Christ’s descent; but the effect itself pretended to be wrought thereby, whether in reference to the just or unjust, is by no means to be admitted.  For though some of the ancients thought, as is shewn before, that Christ did therefore descend into hell, that he might deliver the souls of some which were tormented in those flames, and translate them to a place of happiness; yet this opinion deserveth no acceptance, neither in respect of the ground or foundation on which it is built, nor in respect of the action or effect itself.  The authority upon which the strength of this doctrine doth rely, is that place of the Acts, whom God hath raised up, loosing the pains of hell, [Acts 2:24] for so they read it; from whence the argument is thus deduced: God did loose the pains of hell when Christ was raised: but those pains did not take hold of Christ himself, who was not to suffer any thing after death; and consequently he could not be loosed from or taken out of those pains in which he never was: in the same manner the Patriarchs and the Prophets, and the saints of old, if they should be granted to have been in a place sometimes called hell, yet were they there in happiness, and therefore the delivering them from thence could not be the loosing of the pains of hell: it followeth then, that those alone which died in their sins were involved in those pains, and when those pains were loosed, then were they released; and being they were loosed when Christ was raised, the consequence will be, that he, descending into hell, delivered some of the damned souls from their torments there.

      But first, though the Latin translation render it so,* [M244] the pains of hell; though some copies and other translations, and divers of the Fathers, read it in the same manner; yet the original and authentic Greek acknowledgeth no such word as hell, but propounds it plainly thus, whom God hath raised up, loosing the pains of death.  Howsoever if the words were so expressed in the original text, yet it would not follow that God delivered Christ out of those pains in which he was detained any time, much less that the soul of Christ delivered the souls of any other; but only that he was preserved from enduring them.*

      Again, as the authority is most uncertain, so is the doctrine most incongruous.  The souls of men were never cast into infernal torments, to be delivered from them.  The days which follow after death were never made for opportunities to a better life.  The angels had one instant either to stand or fall eternally; and what that instant was to them, that this life is unto us.  We may as well believe the devils were saved, as those souls which were once tormented with them.  For it is an everlasting fire, an everlasting punishment, a worm that dieth not. [Matt. 25:41, 46; Mark 9:44]  Nor does this only belong to us who live after the death of Christ, as if the damnation of all sinners now were ineluctable and eternal, but before that death it were not so; as if faith and repentance were now indispensably necessary to salvation, but then were not.  For thus the condition of mankind before the fullness of time, in which our Saviour came into the world, should have been far more happy and advantageous than it hath been since.*  But neither they nor we shall ever escape eternal flames, except we obtain the favour of God before we be swallowed by the jaws of death.  We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body [2 Cor. 5:10]; but if they be in the state of salvation now by virtue of Christ’s descent into hell, which were numbered amongst the damned before his death, at the day of the general judgment they must be returned into hell again; or if they be received then into eternal happiness, it will follow either that they were not justly condemned to those flames at first, according to the general dispensations of God, or else they did not receive the things done in their body at the last; which all shall as certainly receive, as all appear.  This life is given unto men to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, but after death cometh judgment, reflecting on the life that is past, not expecting amendment or conversion then.  He that liveth and believeth in Christ shall never die; he that believeth, though he die, yet shall he live; but he that dieth in unbelief shall neither believe nor live.  And this is as true of those which went before, as of those which came after our Saviour, because he was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.  I therefore conclude, that the end for which the soul of Christ descended into hell, was not to deliver any damned souls, or to translate them from the torments of hell unto the joys of heaven.

      The next consideration is, whether by virtue of his descent [M245] the souls of those which before believed in him, the Patriarchs, Prophets, and all the people of God, were delivered from that place and state in which they were before; and whether Christ descended into hell to that end, that he might translate them into a place and state far more glorious and happy.  This hath been in the later ages of the Church the vulgar opinion of most men, and that as if it followed necessarily from the denial of the former; he delivered not the souls of the damned, therefore he delivered the souls of them which believed, and of them alone:* till at last the schools have followed it so fully, that they deliver it as a point of faith and infallible certainty,* that the soul of Christ by descending into hell did deliver from thence all the souls of the saints which were in the bosom of Abraham, and did confer upon them actual and essential beatitude, which before they enjoyed not.  And this they lay upon two grounds: first, that the souls of saints departed saw not God; and secondly, that Christ by his death opened the gate of the kingdom of heaven.

      But even this opinion, as general as it hath been, hath neither that consent of antiquity, nor such certainty as it pretendeth, but is rather built upon the improbabilities of a worse.  The most ancient of all the Fathers,* whose writings are extant, were so far from believing that the end of Christ’s descent into hell was to translate the saints of old into heaven, that they thought them not to be in heaven yet, nor ever to be removed from that place in which they were before Christ’s death, until the general resurrection.  Others, as we have also shewn, thought the bosom of Abraham was not in any place which could be termed hell; and consequently could not think that Christ should therefore descend into hell to deliver them which were not there.  And others yet which thought that Christ delivered the Patriarchs from their infernal mansions, did not think so exclusively, or in opposition to the disobedient and damned spirits, but conceived many of them to be saved as well as the Patriarchs were, and [M246] doubted whether all were not so saved or no.*  Indeed I think there were very few (if any) for above five hundred years after Christ, which did so believe Christ delivered the saints out of hell, as to leave all the damned there; and therefore this opinion cannot be grounded upon the prime antiquity, when so many of the ancients believed not that they were removed at all, and so few acknowledged that they were removed alone.

      And if the authority of this opinion in respect of its antiquity be not great, the certainty of the truth of it will be less.  For first, if it be not certain that the souls of the Patriarchs were in some place called hell after their own death, and until the death of Christ; if the bosom of Abraham were not some infernal mansion, then can it not be certain that Christ descended into hell to deliver them.  But there is no certainty that the souls of the just, the Patriarchs, and the rest of the people of God, were kept in any place below, which was, or may be called hell: the bosom of Abraham might well be in the heavens above, far from any region where the Devil and his angels were; the Scriptures nowhere tell us that the spirits of just men went unto or did remain in hell; the place in which the rich man was in torments after death is called hell, but that into which the angels carried the poor man’s soul is not termed so.  There was a vast distance between them two; nor is it likely that the angels, which see the face of God, should be sent down from heaven to convey the souls of the just into that place, where the face of God cannot be seen.  When God translated Enoch, and Elias was carried up in a chariot to heaven, they seem not to be conveyed to a place where there was no vision of God; and yet it is most probable, that Moses was with Elias as well before as upon the mount: nor is there any reason to conceive that Abraham should be in any worse place or condition than Enoch was, having as great a testimony that he pleased God, [Heb. 11:5] as Enoch had.

      Secondly, it cannot be certain that the soul of Christ delivered the souls of the saints of old from hell, and imparted to them the beatifical vision, except it were certain that those souls are in another place and a better condition now than they were before.  But there is no certainty that the Patriarchs and the Prophets are now in another place and a better condition than they were before our blessed Saviour died; there is no intimation of any such alteration of their state delivered in the Scriptures; there is no such place with any probability pretended to prove any actual accession of happiness and glory already past.  Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven [Matt. 8:11]: there then did the Gentiles which came in to Christ find the Patriarchs, even in the kingdom of heaven; and we cannot perceive that they found them any where else than Lazarus did.  For the description is the same, There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. [Luke 13:28]  For as the rich man in hell lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth, Abraham afar off, [Luke 16:23] before the death of Christ; so those that were in weeping and gnashing of teeth, saw Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Prophets, when the Gentiles were brought in.

      Thirdly, though it were certain that the souls of the saints had been in a place called hell, as they were not; though it were also certain that they were now in a better condition than they were before Christ’s death, as it is not; yet it would not follow that Christ descended into hell to make this alteration; for it might not be performed before his resurrection, it might not be effected till his ascension, it might be attributed to the merit of his passion, it might have no dependence on his descension.  [M247] I conclude therefore that there is no certainty of truth in that proposition which the schoolmen take for a matter of faith, That Christ delivered the souls of the saints from that place of hell which they call Limbus of the Fathers, into heaven; and for that purpose after his death descended into hell.

      Wherefore being it is most infallibly certain that the death of Christ was as powerful and effectual for the redemption of the saints before him, as for those which follow him; being they did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink [1 Cor. 10:3, 4]; being Abraham is the father of us all, and we now after Christ’s ascension are called but to walk in the steps of the faith [Rom. 4:12, 16] of that father; being the bosom of Abraham is clearly propounded in the Scriptures as the place into which the blessed angels before the death of Christ conveyed the souls of those which departed in the favour of God, and is also promised to them which should believe in Christ after his death;* being we can find no difference or translation of the bosom of Abraham, and yet it is a comfort still to us that we shall go to him;* and, while we hope so, never fear that we shall go to hell; I cannot admit this as the end of Christ’s descent into hell, to convey the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and those which were with them, from thence; nor can I think there was any reference to such an action in those words, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell.

      Another opinion hath obtained, especially in our Church, that the end for which our Saviour descended into hell, was to triumph over Satan and all the powers below within their own dominions.  And this hath been received as grounded on the Scriptures and consent of Fathers.  The Scriptures produced for the confirmation of it are these two; Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a skew of them openly, triumphing over them [Col. 2:15]: and, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? [Eph. 4:8, 9]  By the conjunction of these two they conceive the triumph of Christ’s descent clearly described in this manner.  Ye were buried with Christ in baptism, with whom ye were also raised: and when ye were dead in sins, he quickened you together with him, forgiving your sins, and cancelling the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, and spoiling powers and principalities, he made an open skew of them, triumphing over them in himself. [Col. 2:12–15]  That is, say they, ye died and were buried with Christ, who fastened the handwriting of ordinances to the cross, that he might abolish it from having any right to tie or yoke his members.  Ye likewise were quickened, and raised together with Christ, who rising spoiled powers and principalities, and triumphed over them in his own person.  So that these words, spoiling principalities and powers [M248], are not referred to the cross, but to Christ’s resurrection.  This triumph over Satan and all his kingdom, the same Apostle to the Ephesians setteth down as a consequent to Christ’s death, and pertinent to his resurrection, Ascending on high he led captivity captive [Eph. 4:8, 9]: and this, He ascended, what meaneth it, but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  So that ascending from the lower parts of the earth he led captivity captive, which is all one with he triumphed over powers and principalities.  With this coherence and conjunction of the Apostle’s words, together with the interpretation of the ancient Fathers, they conceive it sufficiently demonstrated, that Christ after his death, and before his resurrection, in the lowermost parts of the earth, even in hell, did lead captivity captive, and triumphed over Satan.

      But notwithstanding, I cannot yet perceive either how this triumph in hell should be delivered as a certain truth in itself, or how it can have any consistency with the denial of those other ends, which they who of late have embraced this opinion do ordinarily reject.  First, I cannot see how the Scriptures mentioned are sufficient to found any such conclusion of themselves.  Secondly, I cannot understand how they can embrace this as the interpretation of the Fathers, who believe not that any of the souls of the damned were taken out of the torments of hell, or that the souls of the saints of old were removed from thence by Christ’s descent; which were the reasons why the Fathers spake of such a triumphing in hell, and leading captivity captive there.

      That the triumphing in the Epistle to the Colossians is not referred to the cross but to the resurrection, cannot be proved; the coherence cannot enforce so much: no logic can infer such a division, that the blotting out of the handwriting belongeth precisely to our burial with him; and the triumphing over principalities and powers particularly to our being quickened together with him; or that the blotting out was performed at one time, and the triumphing at another.  Our present translation attributeth it expressly to the cross, rendering the last words, triumphing over them in it, that is, in the cross mentioned in the former verse ; and though anciently it have been read, triumphing over them in himself,* yet still there are these two great advantages on our side: first, that if we read in it, it proves the triumph spoken of in this place performed upon the cross; and if we read in himself, it proveth not that the triumph was performed in any other place, because he was himself upon the cross: secondly, the ancient Fathers of the Greek Church read it as we do, in it,* and interpret the triumph of his death; and those others of the Latin Church, which did read it otherwise, did also acknowledge with the Greeks the cross not only to be the place in which the victory over Satan was obtained, but also to be the trophy of that victory, and the triumphal chariot.*

[M249]            This place then of St. Paul to the Colossians cannot prove that Christ descended into hell, to triumph over the Devil there ; and if it be not proper for that purpose of itself, it will not be more effectual by the addition of that other to the Ephesians.  For, first, we have already shewn, that the descending into the lower parts of the earth doth not necessarily signify his descent into hell, and consequently cannot prove that either those things which are spoken in the same place, or in any other, are to be attributed to that descent.  Again, if it were granted, that those words did signify hell, and this Article of our Creed were contained in them, yet would it not follow from that Scripture, that Christ triumphed over Satan while his soul was in hell ; for the consequence would be only this, that the same Christ who led captivity captive, descended first into hell.  In that he ascended, (and ascending led captivity captive) what is it but that he descended first?  The descent then, if it were to hell, did precede the triumphant ascent of the same person; and that is all which the Apostle’s words will evince.  Nay farther yet, the ascent mentioned by St. Paul cannot be that which immediately followed the descent into hell, for it evidently signifieth the ascension which followed forty days after his resurrection.  It is not an ascent from the parts below to the surface of the earth, but to the heavens above, an ascending up on high, even far above all heavens.  Now the leading captivity captive belongeth clearly to this ascent, and not to any descent which did precede it.  It is not said, that he descended first to lead captivity captive; and yet it must be so, if Christ descended into hell to triumph there : it is not said, when he had led captivity captive, he ascended up on high; for then it might be supposed that the captives had been led before: but it is expressly said, ascending up on high he led captivity captive;* and consequently that triumphant act was the immediate effect of his ascension.  So that by these two Scriptures no more can be proved than this, that Christ triumphed over principalities and powers at his death upon the cross, and led captivity captive at his ascension into heaven.  Which is so far from proving that Christ descended into hell to triumph there, that it is more proper to persuade the contrary.  For why should he go to hell to triumph over them, over whom he had triumphed on the cross?  Why should he go to [lead] captive that captivity then, which he was to captivate when he ascended into heaven?

      As for the testimonies of the Fathers, they will appear of small validity to confirm this triumphant descent as it is distinguished from the two former effects, the removal of the saints to heaven, and the delivering the damned from the torments of hell.  In vain shall we pretend that Christ descended into hell to lead captivity captive, if we withal maintain, that when he descended [M250] thither he brought none away which were captive there.  This was the very notion which those Fathers had,* that the souls of men were conquered by Satan, and after death actually brought into captivity; and that the soul of Christ descending to the place where they were, did actually release them from that bondage, and bring them out of the possession of the Devil by force.  Thus did he conquer Satan, spoil hell, and lead captive captivity, according to their apprehension.  But if he had taken no souls from thence, he had not spoiled hell, he had not led captivity captive, he had not so triumphed in the Fathers’ sense.  Wherefore, being the Scriptures teach us not that Christ triumphed in hell; being the triumph which the Fathers mention, was either in relation to the damned souls which Christ took out of those tormenting flames, as some imagined, or in reference to the spirits of the just, which he took out of those infernal habitations, as others did conceive ; being we have already thought fit not to admit either of these two as the effect of Christ’s descent, it followeth that we cannot acknowledge this as the proper end of the Article.

      Nor can we see how the Prophet David could intend so much, as if, when he spake those words in the person of our Saviour, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, he should have intended this, Thou shalt not leave my soul separated from my body, and conveyed into the regions of the damned spirits, amongst all the principalities and powers of hell; I say, thou shalt not leave me there, battering all the infernal strength, redeeming the prisoners, leading captivity captive, and victoriously triumphing over death, and hell, and Satan.  In sum, those words of the Prophet cannot admit any interpretation involving a glorious, triumphant, and victorious condition, which is not a subject capable of dereliction.  For as the hope which he had of his body, that it should not see corruption, supposed that it was to be put in the grave, which could not of itself free the body from corruption; so the hope that his soul should not be left in hell, supposeth it not to be in such a state as was of itself contradictory to dereliction.

      And this leads me to that end which I conceive most conformable to the words of the Prophet, and least liable to question or objection.  We have already shewn the substance of the Article to consist in this, that the soul of Christ, really separated from his body by death, did truly pass unto the places below, where the souls of men departed were.  And I conceive the end for which he did so was, that he might undergo the condition of a dead man as well as of a living.  He appeared here in the similitude of sinful flesh, and went into the other world in the similitude of a sinner.  His body was laid in a grave, as ordinarily the bodies of dead men are; his soul was conveyed into such [M251] receptacles as the souls of other persons use to be.  All, which was necessary for our redemption by way of satisfaction and merit, was already performed on the cross; and all, which was necessary for the actual collation and exhibition of what was merited there, was to be effected upon and after his resurrection: in the interim therefore there is nothing left, at least known to us, but to satisfy the law of death.  This he undertook to do, and did: and though the ancient Fathers by the several additions of other ends have something obscured this, yet it may be sufficiently observed in their writings,* and is certainly most conformable to that prophetical expression, upon which we have hitherto grounded our explication, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

      Secondly, by the descent of Christ into hell, all those which believe in him are secured from descending thither: he went unto those regions of darkness, that our souls might never come into those torments which are there.  By his descent he freed us from our fears, as by his ascension he secured us of our hopes.  He passed to those habitations where Satan had taken up possession and exerciseth his dominion; that having no power over him, we might be assured that he should never exercise any over our souls departed, as belonging unto him.  Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil [Heb. 2:54]; and by his actual descent into the dominions of him so destroyed, secured all which have an interest in him of the same freedom which he had.  Which truth is also still preserved (though among many other strange conceptions) in the writings of the Fathers.*  Having thus examined the several interpretations of this part of the Article, we may now give a brief and safe account thereof, and teach every one how they may express their faith without any danger of mistake, saying, I give a full and undoubting assent unto this as to a certain truth, that when all the sufferings of Christ were finished on the cross, and his soul was separated from his body, though his body were dead, yet his soul died not; and though it died not, yet it underwent the condition of the souls of such as die; and being he died in the similitude of a sinner, his soul went to the place where the souls [M252] of men are kept who died for their sins, and so did wholly undergo the law of death: but because there was no sin in him, and he had fully satisfied for the sins of others which he took upon him; therefore as God suffered not his Holy One to see corruption, so he left not his soul in hell, and thereby gave sufficient security to all those who belong to Christ, of never coming under the power of Satan, or suffering in the flames prepared for the Devil and his angels.  And thus, and for these purposes may every Christian say, I believe that Christ descended into hell.

 

He rose again.

      Whatsoever variations have appeared in any of the other Articles, this part of Christ’s resurrection hath been constantly delivered without the least alteration, either by way of addition or diminution.*  The whole matter of it is so necessary and essential to the Christian faith, that nothing of it could be omitted; and in these few expressions the whole doctrine is so clearly delivered, that nothing needed to be added.  At the first view we are presented with three particulars: First, the action itself, or the resurrection of Christ, he rose again.  Secondly, the verity, reality, and propriety of that resurrection, he rose from the dead.  Thirdly, the circumstance of time, or distance of his resurrection from his death, he rose from the dead the third day.

      For the illustration of the first particular, and the justification of our belief in Christ’s resurrection, it will be necessary, first, to shew the promised Messias was to rise from the dead; and secondly, that Jesus, whom we believe to be the true and only Messias, did so rise as it was promised and foretold.  As the Messias was to be the Son of David, so was he particularly typified by him and promised unto him.  Great were the oppositions which David suffered both by his own people and by the nations round about him; which he expressed of himself, and foretold of the Messias in those words, The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed, that is, his Christ. [Ps. 2:2]  From whence it came to pass, that against the holy child Jesus, whom God had anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatsoever the hand and the counsel of God determined before to be done, [Acts 4:27, 28] which was to crucify and slay the Lord of life.  But notwithstanding all this opposition and persecution, it was spoken of David, and foretold of the Son of David, Yet have I set mine anointed upon my holy hill of Sion.  I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. [Ps. 2:6, 7]  As therefore the persecution in respect of David amounted only to a depression of him, and therefore his exaltation was a settling in the kingdom; so being the conspiration against the Messias amounted to a real crucifixion and death, therefore the exaltation must include a resurrection.  And being he which riseth from the dead, begins as it were to live another life, and the grave to him is in the manner of a womb to bring him forth, therefore when God said of his Anointed, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, he did foretell and promise that he would raise the Messias from death to life.

      But because this prediction was something obscured in the [M253] figurative expression, therefore the Spirit of God hath cleared it farther by the same Prophet, speaking by the mouth of David, but such words as are agreeable not to the person, but the Son, of David, My flesh, shall rest in hope; for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. [Ps. 16:9, 10]  As for the Patriarch David, he is both dead and buried, [Acts 2:29–31] and his flesh consumed in his sepulchre; but being a Prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  They were both to be separated by his death, and each to be disposed in that place which was respectively appointed for them; but neither long to continue there, the body not to be detained in the grave, the soul not to be left in hell, but both to meet, and being reunited to rise again.

      Again, lest any might imagine that the Messias dying once might rise from death, and living after death, yet die again, there was a further prophecy to assure us of the excellency of that resurrection and the perpetuity of that life to which the Messias was to be raised.  For God giving this promise to his people, I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [Isa. 55:3] (of which the Messias was to be the Mediator, and to ratify it by his death,) and adding this expression, even the sure mercies of David, could signify no less than that the Christ, who was given first unto us in a frail and mortal condition, in which he was to die, should afterwards be given in an immutable state, and consequently that he being dead should rise unto eternal life.  And thus by virtue of these three predictions we are assured that the Messias was to rise again, as also by those types which did represent and presignify the same.  Joseph, who was ordained to save his brethren from death who would have slain him, did represent the Son of God, who was slain by us, and yet dying saved us; and his being in the dungeon typified Christ’s death; his being taken out from thence represented his resurrection;* as his evection to the power of Egypt next to Pharaoh, signified the session of Christ at the right hand of his Father.  Isaac was sacrificed, and yet lived, to shew that Christ should truly die, and truly live again.  And Abraham offered him up, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. [Heb. 11:19]  In Abraham’s intention Isaac died, in his expectation he was to rise from the dead, in his acceptation being spared he was received from the dead, and all this acted to presignify, that the only Son of God was really and truly to be sacrificed and die, and after death was really and truly to be raised to life.*  What was the intention of our father Abraham not performed, that was the resolution of our heavenly Father and fulfilled.  And thus the resurrection of the Messias was represented by types, and foretold by prophecies; and therefore the Christ was to rise from the dead.

      That Jesus, whom we believe to be the true and only Messias, did rise from the dead according to the Scriptures, is a certain and infallible truth, delivered unto us, and confirmed by testimonies human, angelical, and divine.  Those pious women which thought with sweet spices to anoint him dead, found him alive, held him by the feet, and worshipped him, [Matt. 28:8, 9] and as the first preachers of his resurrection, with fear and great joy ran to bring his Disciples word.  The blessed Apostles follow them, to whom also [M254] he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs: who with great power gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus [Acts 1:3, 4:33]; the principal part of whose office consisted in this testimony, as appeareth upon the election of Matthias into the place of Judas, grounded upon this necessity: Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us Of his resurrection. [Acts 1:21, 22]  The rest of the Disciples testified the same, to whom he also appeared, even to five hundred brethren at once. [1 Cor. 15:6]  These were the witnesses of his own family, of such as worshipped him, such as believed in him.  And because the testimony of an adversary is in such cases thought of greatest validity, we have not only his Disciples, but even his enemies to confirm it.  Those soldiers that watched at the sepulchre, and pretended to keep his body from the hands of his Apostles; they which felt the earth trembling under them, and saw the countenance of an angel like lightning, and his raiment white as snow [Matt. 28:3, 4]; they who upon that sight did shake and became as dead men, while he whom they kept became alive; even some of these came into the city and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done. [Matt. 28:11]  Thus was the resurrection of Christ confirmed by the highest human testimonies, both of his friends and enemies, of his followers and revilers.

      But so great, so necessary, so important a mystery had need of a more firm and higher testimony than that of man and therefore an angel from heaven, who was ministerial in it, gave a present and infallible witness to it.  He descended down, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. [Matt. 28:2]  Nay, two angels in white, sitting the one at the head, the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain, [John 20:12] said unto the women, Why seek ye the living among the dead?  He is not here, but is risen. [Luke 24:5, 6]  These were the witnesses sent from heaven, this the angelical testimony of the resurrection.

      And if we receive the witness of men, or angels, the witness of God is greater, [1 John 5:9] who did sufficiently attest this resurrection; not only because there was no other power but that of God which could effect it, but as our Saviour himself said, The Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me [John 15:26, 27]; adding these words to his Apostles, and ye shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.  The Spirit of God sent down upon the Apostles did thereby testify that Christ was risen, because he sent that Spirit from the Father; and the Apostles witnessed together with that Spirit, because they were enlightened, comforted, confirmed, and strengthened in their testimony by the same Spirit.  Thus God raised up Jesus, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to those who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. [Acts 10:40, 41]  And thus, as it was foretold of the Messias, did our Jesus rise; which was the first part of our inquiry.

      For the second, concerning the reality and propriety of Christ’s resurrection, expressed in that term, from the dead, it will be necessary first to consider what are the essential characters and proprieties of a true resurrection; and secondly, to shew how those proprieties do belong and are agreeable to the raising of Christ.  The proper notion of the resurrection consists in this, that it is a substantial change by which that which was before, and was corrupted, is reproduced the same thing again.  It is said to be a change, that it may be distinguished from a second or new creation.  For if God should annihilate a man or angel, and make the same man or angel out of nothing, though it were a restitution of the same thing, yet were it not properly a resurrection, because it is not a change or proper mutation, but a [M255] pure and total production.  This change is called a substantial change, to distinguish it from all accidental alterations: he which awaketh from his sleep ariseth from his bed, and there is a greater change from sickness to health; but neither of these is a resurrection. It is called a change of that which was, and hath been corrupted, because things immaterial and incorruptible cannot be said to rise again; resurrection implying a reproduction; and that which after it was, never was not, cannot be reproduced.  Again, of those things which are material and corruptible, of some the forms continue and subsist after the corruption of the whole, of others not.  The forms of inanimate bodies, and all irrational souls, when they are corrupted, cease to be; and therefore if they should be reproduced out of the same matter, yet were not this a proper resurrection, because thereby there would not be the same individual which was before, but only a restitution of the species by another individual.  But when a rational soul is separated from its body, which is the corruption of a man, that soul so separated doth exist, and consequently is capable of conjunction and reunion with the body; and if these two be again united by an essential and vital union, from which life doth necessarily flow, then doth the same man live which lived before ; and consequently this reunion is a perfect and proper resurrection from death to life, because the same individual person, consisting of the same soul and body, which was dead, is now alive again.

      Having thus delivered the true nature of a proper resurrection, we shall easily demonstrate that Christ did truly and properly rise from the dead.  For, first, by a true though miraculous generation he was made flesh; and lived in his human nature a true and proper life, producing vital actions as we do.  Secondly, he suffered a true and proper dissolution at his death; his soul being really separated, and his body left without the least vitality, as our dead bodies are.  Thirdly, the same soul was reunited to the same body, and so he lived again the same man.  For the truth of which, two things were necessary to be shewn upon his appearing after death; the one concerning the verity, the other concerning the identity, of his body.  All the Apostles doubted of the first; for when Christ stood in the midst of them, they were affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. [Luke 24:37, 39]  But he sufficiently assured them of the verity of his corporeity, saying, Handle me and see : for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.*  He convinced them all of the identity of his body, saying, Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; especially unbelieving Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. [John 20:27]  The body then in which he rose, must be the same in which he lived before, because it was the same with which he died.

      And that we might be assured of the soul as well as of the body, first, he gave an argument of the vegetative and nutritive faculty, saying unto them, Have ye here any meat? and they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb; and he took it and did eat before them. [Luke 24:41–43]  Secondly, of the sensitive part, conversing with them, showing himself, seeing and hearing them.  Thirdly, he gave evidence of his rational and intellectual soul, by speaking to them and discoursing out of the Scriptures, concerning those things which he spake unto them while he was yet with them. [Luke 24:44]  Thus did he shew, that the body which they saw [M256] was truly and vitally informed with an human soul.  And that they might be yet further assured that it was the same soul by which that body lived before,* he gave a full testimony of his Divinity by the miracle which he wrought in the multitude of fishes caught, by breathing on the Apostles the Holy Ghost, and by ascending into heaven in the sight of his Disciples.  For being no man ascended into heaven but he which came down from heaven, the Son of man which was in heaven, [John 3:13] being the Divinity was never so united to any human soul but only in that person, it appeared to be the same soul with which he lived and wrought all the miracles before.  To conclude, being Christ appeared after his death with the same body in which he died, and with the same soul united to it, it followeth that he rose from the dead by a true and proper resurrection.

      Moreover, that the verity and propriety of Christ’s resurrection may further appear, it will be necessary to consider the cause thereof, by what power and by whom it was effected.  And if we look upon the meritorious cause, we shall find it to be Christ himself.  For he by his voluntary sufferings in his life, and exact obedience at his death, did truly deserve to be raised unto life again.*  Because he drank of the brook in the way, because he humbled himself unto death, even to the death of the cross, [Ps. 110:7, Phil. 2:8] therefore was it necessary that he should be exalted, and the first degree of his exaltation was his resurrection.  Now being Christ humbled himself to the sufferings both of soul and body; being whatsoever suffered, the same by the virtue and merit of his passion was to be exalted; being all other degrees of exaltation supposed that of the resurrection; it followeth from the meritorious cause that Christ did truly rise from the dead with the same soul and the same body, with which he lived united, and died separated.

      The efficient cause of the resurrection of Christ is to be considered either as principal or instrumental.  The principal cause was God himself; for no other power but that which is omnipotent can raise the dead.  It is an act beyond the activity of any creature, and unproportionate to the power of any finite agent.  This Jesus hath God raised up, saith the Apostle, whereof we all are witnesses. [Acts 2:32]  And generally in the Scriptures as our, so Christ’s resurrection is attributed unto God; and as we cannot hope after death to rise to life again without the activity of an infinite and irresistible power, no more did Christ himself, who was no otherwise raised than by an eminent act of God’s omnipotency; which is excellently set forth by the Apostle, in so high an exaggeration of expressions, as I think is scarce to be paralleled in any author; that we may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of the might of his power which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him up from the dead.* [Eph. 1:19, 20]  Being then omnipotency is a Divine attribute, and infinite power belongs to God alone; being no less power than infinite could raise our Saviour from the dead; it followeth, that whatsoever instrumental action might concur, God must be acknowledged the principal agent.

      And therefore in the Scriptures the raising of Christ is [M257] attributed to God the Father (according to those words of the Apostle, Paul, an Apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead [Gal. 1:1]), but is not attributed to the Father alone.  For to whomsoever that infinite power doth belong, by which Christ was raised, that person must be acknowledged to have raised him.  And because we have already proved that the eternal Son of God is of the same essence, and consequently of the same power with the Father, and shall hereafter shew the same true also of the Holy Ghost, therefore we must likewise acknowledge that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost raised Christ from the dead.*  Nor is this only true by virtue of this ratiocination, but it is also delivered expressly of the Son, and that by himself. It is a weak fallacy used by the Socinians, who maintain, that God the Father only raised Christ, and then say they teach as much as the Apostles did, who attribute it always either generally unto God, or particularly to the Father.  For if the Apostles taught it only so, yet if he which taught the Apostles taught us something more, we must make that also part of our belief.  They believe the Father raised Christ, because St. Paul hath taught them so, and we believe the same; they will not believe that Christ did raise himself, but we must also believe that, because he hath said so.  These were his words unto the Jews, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up [John 2:19, 21]; and this is the explication of the Apostle, But he spake of the temple of his body, which he might very properly call a temple, because the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily. [Col. 2:9]  And when he was risen from the dead, his Disciples remembered that he had said this unto them, and they believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus had said. [John 2:22]  Now if upon the resurrection of Christ the Apostles believed those words of Christ, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up, then did they believe that Christ raised himself; for in those words there is a person mentioned which raised Christ, and no other person mentioned but himself.

      A strange opposition they make to the evidence of this argument, saying, that God the Father raised Christ to life, and Christ being raised to life did lift and raise his body out of the grave, as the man sick of the palsy raised himself from the bed, or as we shall raise ourselves out of the graves when the trump should sound:* and this was all which Christ did or could do.  But if this were true, and nothing else were to be understood in those words of our Saviour, he might as well have said, Destroy this temple, and in three days any one of you may raise it up.  For when life was restored unto it by God, any one of them might have lifted it up, and raised it out of the grave, and have shewn it alive.

      This answer therefore is a mere shift: for to raise a body which is dead, is, in the language of the Scriptures, to give life unto it, or to quicken a mortal body.  For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.* [John 5:21]  He then which quickeneth the dead bodies of others when he raiseth them, he also quickened his own body when he [M258] raised that.  The temple is supposed here to be dissolved, and being so to be raised again; therefore the suscitation must answer to the dissolution.  But the temple of Christ’s body was dissolved when his soul was separated, nor was it any other way dissolved than by that separation.  God suffered not his Holy One to see corruption, and therefore the parts of his body, in respect of each to other, suffered no dissolution.  Thus as the Apostle desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ, [Phil. 1:23] so the temple of Christ’s body was dissolved here, by the separation of his soul: for the temple standing was the body living; and therefore the raising of the dissolved temple was the quickening of the body.  If the body of Christ had been laid down in the sepulchre alive, the temple had not been dissolved; therefore to lift it up out of the sepulchre when it was before quickened, was not to raise a dissolved temple, which our Saviour promised he would do, and the Apostles believed he did.

      Again, it is most certainly false that our Saviour had power only to lift up his body when it was revived, but had no power of himself to reunite his soul unto his body, and thereby to revive it.  For Christ speaketh expressly of himself, I lay down my life (or soul) that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. [John 10:17, 18]  The laying down of Christ’s life was to die, and the taking of it again was to revive; and by this taking of his life again he shewed himself to be the resurrection and the life. [John 11:25]  For he which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. [Rom. 1:3, 4]  But if Christ had done no more in the resurrection, than lifted up his body when it was revived, he had done that which any other person might have done, and so had not declared himself to be the Son of God with power.  It remaineth therefore that Christ, by that power which he had within himself, did take his life again which he had laid down, did reunite his soul unto his body, from which he separated it when he gave up the ghost, and so did quicken and revive himself: and so it is a certain truth, not only that God the Father raised the Son, but also that God the Son raised himself.*

      From this consideration of the efficient cause of Christ’s resurrection, we are yet farther assured, that Christ did truly and properly rise from the dead in the same soul and the same [M259] body.  For if we look upon the Father, it is beyond all controversy that he raised his own Son: and as while he was here alive, God spake from heaven, saying, This is my well-beloved Son [Matt. 3:17]; so after his death it was the same person, of whom he spake by the Prophet, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. [Ps. 2:7]  If we look upon Christ himself, and consider him with power to raise himself, there can be no greater assurance that he did totally and truly rise in soul and body by that Divinity which was never separated either from the body or from the soul.  And thus we have sufficiently proved our second particular, the verity, reality, and propriety of Christ’s resurrection, contained in those words, he rose from the dead.

      The third particular concerns the time of Christ’s resurrection, which is expressed by the third day: and those words afford a double consideration; one in respect of the distance of time, as it was after three days; the other in respect of the day, which was the third day from his passion, and the precise day upon which he rose.  For the first of these, we shall shew that the Messias, who was foretold both to die and to rise again, was not to rise before, and was to rise upon, the third day after his death; and that in correspondence to these predictions, our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, did not rise from the dead until, and did rise from the dead upon, the third day.

      The typical predictions of this truth were two, answering to our two considerations; one in reference to the distance, the other in respect of the day itself.  The first is that of the Prophet Jonas, who was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, [Jonah 1:17, 2:10] and then by the special command of God he was rendered safe upon the dry land, and sent a preacher of repentance to the great city of Nineveh.  This was an express type of the Messias then to come, who was to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations; that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so should the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [Matt. 12:40]: and as he was restored alive unto the dry land again, so should the Messias, after three days, be taken out of the jaws of death, and restored unto the land of the living.

      The type in respect of the day was the waved sheaf in the feast of the firstfruits, concerning which this was the law of God by Moses: When ye come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord. [Lev. 23:12–12]  For under the Levitical Law, all the fruits of the earth in the land of Canaan were profane; none might eat of them till they were consecrated; and that they were in the feast of the firstfruits.  One sheaf was taken out of the field and brought to the priest, who lifted it up as it were in the name of all the rest, waving it before the Lord, and it was accepted for them ; so that all the sheaves in the field were holy by the acceptation of that: for if the firstfruits be holy, the lump is also holy. [Rom. 11:16]  And this was always done the day after the sabbath, that is, the paschal solemnity, after which the fullness of the harvest followed: by which thus much was foretold and represented, that as the sheaf was lifted up and waved, and the lamb was offered on that day by the priest to God, so the promised Messias, that immaculate Lamb which was to die, that Priest which dying was to offer up himself to God, was upon this day to be lifted up and raised from the dead, or rather to shake and lift up and present himself to God, [M260] and so to be accepted for us all, that so our dust might be sanctified, our corruption hallowed, our mortality consecrated to eternity.  Thus was the resurrection of the Messias after death typically represented both in the distance and the day.

      And now, in reference to both resemblances, we shall clearly shew that our Jesus, whom we believe, and have already proved to be the true Messias, was so long and no longer dead, as to rise the third day; and did so order the time of his death, that the third day on which he rose might be that very day on which the sheaf was waved, the day after that sabbath mentioned in the Law.

      As for the distance between the resurrection and the death of Christ, it is to be considered, first, generally in itself, as it is some space of time: secondly, as it is that certain and determinate space of three days.  Christ did not, would not, suddenly arise, lest any should doubt that he ever died.  It was as necessary for us that he should die, as that he should live; and we, which are to believe them both, were to be assured as well of the one as of the other.  That therefore we may be ascertained of his death, he did some time continue it.  He might have descended from the cross before he died; but he would not, because he had undertaken to die for us.*  He might have revived himself upon the cross after he had given up the ghost, and before Joseph came to take him down; but he would not, lest as Pilate questioned whether he were already dead, so we might doubt whether he ever died.*  The reward of his resurrection was immediately due upon his passion, but he deferred the receiving of it, lest either of them being questioned, they both might lose their efficacy and intended operation.  It was therefore necessary that some space should intercede between them.

      Again, Because Christ’s exaltation was due unto his humiliation, and the first step of that was his resurrection; because the Apostles after his death were to preach repentance and remission of sins through his blood, who were no way qualified to preach any such doctrine till he rose again; because the Spirit could not be sent till he ascended, and he could not ascend into heaven till he rose from the grave; therefore the space between his resurrection and passion could not be long; nor can there be any reason assigned why it should any longer be deferred, when the verity of his death was once sufficiently proved.  Lest therefore his Disciples should be long held in suspense, or any person after many days should doubt whether he rose with the same body with which he died, or no ; that he might shew himself alive while the soldiers were watching at his grave, and while his crucifixion was yet in the mouths of the people, he would not stay many days before he rose.*  Some distance then of time there was, but not great, between his crucifixion and his resurrection.

      The particular length of this space is determined in the third day: but that expression being capable of some diversity of [M261] interpretation, it is not so easily concluded how long our Saviour was dead or buried before he revived or rose again.  It is written expressly in St. Matthew, that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so should the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [Matt. 12:40]  From whence it seemeth to follow, that Christ’s body was for the space of three whole days and three whole nights in the grave, and after that space of time rose from thence.  And hence some have conceived, that being our Saviour rose on the morning of the first day of the week, therefore it must necessarily follow that he died and was buried on the fifth day of the week before, that is on Thursday; otherwise it cannot be true that he was in the grave three nights.

      But this place, as express as it seems to be, must be considered with the rest in which the same truth is delivered: as when our Saviour said, After three days I will rise again [Matt. 27:63]; and again, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up, or, within three days I will build another made without hands. [Mark 8:31, John 2:19, Mark 14:58]  But that which is most used both in our Saviour’s prediction before his death, and in the Apostle’s language after the resurrection, is that he rose from the dead the third day.* [Matt 16:21]  Now according to the language of the Scriptures, if Christ were slain and rose the third day, the day in which he died is one, and the day on which he rose is another, and consequently there could be but one day and two nights between the day of his death and of his resurrection. [Matt. 17:23, 20:19; Mark 9:31, 10:34; Luke 9:22, 18:33, 24:7, 46; Acts 10:40, 1 Cor. 15:4]  As in the case of circumcision, the male child eight days old was to be circumcised, in which the day on which the child was born was one, and the day on which he was circumcised was another, and so there were but six complete days between the day of his birth and the day of his circumcision.  The day of Pentecost was the fiftieth day from the day of the wave offering; but in the number of the fifty days was both the day of the wave offering and of Pentecost included; as now among the Christians still it is.  Whitsunday is now the day of Pentecost, and Easter-day the day of the resurrection, answering to that of the wave offering; but both these must be reckoned to make the number of fifty days.  Christ then, who rose upon the first day of the week, (as is confessed by all,) died upon the sixth day of the week before: or if he had died upon the fifth, he had risen not upon the third, but the fourth day, as Lazarus did.*  Being then it is most certain that our Saviour rose on the third day;* being according to the constant language of the Greeks and Hebrews, he cannot be said to rise to life on the third day, who died upon any other day between which and the day of his resurrection there intervened any more than one day: therefore those other forms of speech which are far less frequent, must be so interpreted as to be reduced to this expression of the third day so often reiterated.

[M262]            When therefore we read that after three days he would raise the temple of his body, we must not imagine that he would continue the space of three whole days dead, and then revive himself; but upon the third day he would rise again: as Joseph and his mother after three days found him in the temple, [Luke 2:46] that is, the third day after he tarried behind in Jerusalem.  And when we read, that he was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, we must not look upon those nights as distinct from the days,* but as Moses spake, the evening and the morning, that is, the night and the day, were the first day; and as the saint spake unto Daniel, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings, [Dan. 8:14] intending thereby so many days: nor must we imagine that those three days were completed after our Saviour’s death, and before he rose: but that upon the first of those three days he died, and upon the last of those three days he rose.  As we find that eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child [Luke 2:21]; and yet Christ was born upon the first, and circumcised upon the last of those eight days* nor were there any more than six whole days between the day of his birth and the day of his circumcision; the one upon the five and twentieth of December, the other upon the first of January.  And as the Jews were wont to speak, the priests in their courses by the appointment of David were to minister before the Lord eight days, whereas every week a new course succeeded, and there were but seven days’ service for each course (the sabbath on which they began, and the sabbath on which they went off, being both reckoned in the eight days); so the day on which the Son of God was crucified, dead, and buried, and the day on which he revived and rose again, were included in the number of three days.  And thus did our Saviour rise from the dead upon the third day properly, and was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth synecdochically.*

[M263]            This is sufficient for the clearing the precise distance of Christ’s resurrection from his crucifixion, expressed in the determinate number of three days: the next consideration is, what day of the week that third day was, on which Christ did actually rise, and what belongeth to that day in relation to his resurrection.  Two characters there are which will evidently prove the particularity of this third day; the first is the description of that day in respect of which this is called the third, after the manner already delivered and confirmed; the second is the Evangelist’s expression of the time on which Christ rose.

      The character of the day in which our Saviour died is undeniable, for it is often expressly called the preparation;* as we read, they therefore laid Jesus in the garden, because of the Jews’ preparation day, for the sepulchre was nigh at hand [John 19:42]; and the next day that followed the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees [Matt. 27:62] asked a guard.  Now this day of preparation was the day immediately before the sabbath or some other great feast of the Jews, called by them the eve of the sabbath or the feast; and therefore called the preparation, because on that day they did prepare whatsoever was necessary for the celebration of the following festival, according to that command in the case of manna, It shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as muck as they gather daily. [Exod. 16:5]  This preparation being used both before the sabbath and other festivals, at this time it had both relations: [M264] for first, it was the preparation to a sabbath, as appeareth by those words of St. Mark, Now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath [Mark 15:42]; and those of St. Luke, That day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on. [Luke 15:42]  Secondly, It was also the eve of a festival, even of the great day of the paschal solemnity, as appeareth by St. John, who saith, when Pilate sat down to the judgment seat, it was the preparation of the passover. [John 19:14]  And that the great paschal festivity did then fall upon the sabbath, so that the same day was then the preparation or eve of both, appeareth yet farther by the same Evangelist, saying, The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, for that sabbath day was an high day [John 19:31]; that is, not only an ordinary or weekly sabbath, but also a great festival, even a paschal sabbath.  Now being the sabbath of the Jews was constant, and fixed to the seventh day of the week, it followeth that the preparation or eve thereof must necessarily be the sixth day of the week; which from the day, and the infinite benefit accruing to us by the passion upon that day, we call Good Friday.  And from that day being the sixth of one, the third must consequently be the eighth, or the first of the next week.*

      The next character of this third day is the expression of the time of the resurrection in the Evangelists.  When the sabbath was past, [Mark 16:1, 2] saith St. Mark, which was the day after the preparation on which he was buried, very early in the morning, the first day of the week: In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, [Matt. 28:1] saith St. Matthew: Upon the first day of the week early in the morning, [Luke24:1] saith St. Luke: The first day of the week early when it was yet dark, [John 20:1] saith St. John.  By all which indications it appeareth that the body of Christ being laid in the sepulchre on the day of the preparation, which was the eve of the sabbath, and continuing there the whole sabbath following, which was the conclusion of that week, and farther resting there still and remaining dead the night which followed that sabbath, but belonged to the first day of the next week, about the end of that night early in the morning was revived by the accession and union of his soul, and rose again out of the sepulchre.

      Whereby it came to pass, that the obligation of the day, which was then the sabbath, died and was buried with him, but in a manner by a diurnal transmutation revived again at his resurrection.  Well might that day which carried with it a remembrance of that great deliverance from the Egyptian servitude, resign all the sanctity or solemnity due unto it, when that morning once appeared upon which a far greater redemption was confirmed.  One day of seven was set apart by God in imitation of his rest upon the creation of the world, and that seventh day which was sanctified to the Jews was reckoned in relation to their deliverance from Egypt.  At the second delivery of the Law we find this particular cause assigned, Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm, therefore the Lord thy God commanded [M265] thee to keep the sabbath day. [Deut. 5:15]  Now this could not be any special reason why the Jews should observe a seventh day; first, because in reference to their redemption, the number of seven had no more relation than any other number: secondly, because the reason of a seventh day was before rendered in the body of the commandment itself.  There was therefore a double reason rendered by God why the Jews should keep that sabbath which they did; one special, as to a seventh day, to shew they worshipped that God who was the Creator of the world; the other individual, as to that seventh day, to signify their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage, from which that seventh day was dated.

      Being then upon the resurrection of our Saviour a greater deliverance and far more plenteous redemption was wrought than that of Egypt, and therefore a greater observance was due unto it than to that, the individual determination of the day did pass upon a stronger reason to another day, always to be repeated by a seventhly return upon the reference to the creation.  As there was a change in the year at the coming out of Egypt, by the command of God; This month, the month of Abib, shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you [Exod. 12:2]; so at this time of a more eminent deliverance a change was wrought in the hebdomadal or weekly account, and the first day is made the seventh, or the seventh after that first is sanctified.  The first day, because on that Christ rose from the dead; and the seventh day from that first for ever, because he who rose upon that day was the same God who created the world, and rested on the seventh day: for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth — all things were created by him and for him. [Col. 1:16]

      This day did the Apostles from the beginning most religiously observe, by their meeting together for holy purposes, and to perform religious duties.  The first observation was performed providentially, rather by the design of God than any such inclination or intention of their own: for the same day, [John 20:19] saith the Evangelist, that is, the day on which Christ rose from the dead, at evening, being the first day of the week, the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.  The second observation was performed voluntarily, for after eight days again his Disciples were within, and Thomas with them [John 20:26]: the first day of the week, when Christ rose by the providence of God, the Disciples were together, but Thomas was absent; upon the first day of the next week they were all met together again in expectation of our Saviour, and Thomas with them.  Again, when the day of Pentecost was fully come, [Acts 2:1] which was also the first day of the week, they were all with one accord in one place; and having received the promise of the Holy Ghost, they spake with tongues, preached the gospel, and the same day were added unto them about three thousand souls. [Acts 2:41]  The same practice of convening we find continued in the following years: for upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them [Acts 20:7]: and the same Apostle gave express command concerning the collection for the saints both to the churches of Galatia and of Corinth; Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. [1 Cor. 16:2]

      From this resurrection of our Saviour, and the constant practice of the Apostles, this first day of the week came to have the name of the Lord’s day, and is so called by St. John, who says of himself in the Revelation, I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. [Rev. 1:10]  And thus the observation of that day, which the Jews did sanctify, ceased, and was buried with our Saviour; and in the stead of it the religious observation of that day on which the Son of God rose from the dead,* by the constant practice of the [M266] blessed Apostles, was transmitted to the Church of God, and so continued in all ages.

      This day thus consecrated by the resurrection of Christ was left as the perpetual badge and cognizance of his Church.  As God spake by Moses to the Israelites, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that cloth sanctify you [Exod. 31:13]; thereby leaving a mark of distinction upon the Jews, who were by this means known to worship that God whose name was Jehovah, who made the world, and delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh: so we must conceive that he hath given us this day as a sign between him and us for ever, whereby we may be known to worship the same God Jehovah, who did not only create heaven and earth in the beginning, but also raised his eternal Son from the dead for our redemption.  As therefore the Jews do still retain the celebration of the seventh day of the week, because they will not believe any greater deliverance wrought than that of Egypt; as the Mahometans religiously observe the sixth day of the week in memory of Mahomet’s flight from Mecca, whom they esteem a greater Prophet than our Saviour; as these are known and distinguished in the world by these several celebrations of distinct days in the worship of God; so all which profess the Christian religion are known publicly to belong unto the Church of Christ by observing the first day of the week, upon which Christ did rise from the dead, and by this mark of distinction are openly separated from all other professions.*

      That Christ did thus rise from the dead; is a most necessary article of the Christian faith, which all are obliged to believe and profess, to the meditation whereof the Apostle hath given a particular injunction, Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of [M267] David was raised from the dead. [2 Tim. 2:8]  First, because without it our faith is vain, and by virtue of it, strong.  By this we are assured that he which died was the Lord of life; and though he were crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. [2 Cor. 13:4]  By this resurrection from the dead, he was declared to be the Son of God [Rom. 1:4]; and upon the morning of the third day did those words of the Father manifest a most important truth, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. [Acts 13:33]  In his death he assured us of his humanity, by his resurrection he demonstrated his Divinity.

      Secondly, By his resurrection we are assured of the justification of our persons; and if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, [Rom. 4:24, 25] it will be imputed to us for righteousness: for he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.  By his death we know that he suffered for sin, by his resurrection we are assured that the sins for which he suffered were not his own:* had no man been a sinner, he had not died; had he been a sinner, he had not risen again: but dying for those sins which we committed, he rose from the dead to shew that he had made full satisfaction for them, that we believing in him might obtain remission of our sins, and justification of our persons: God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, [Rom. 8:3] and raising up our surety from the prison of the grave, did actually absolve, and apparently acquit him from the whole obligation to which he had bound himself, and in discharging him acknowledged full satisfaction made for us.  Who then 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. [Rom. 8:33, 34]

      Thirdly, it was necessary to pronounce the resurrection of Christ as an Article of our faith, that thereby we might ground, confirm, strengthen, and declare our hope.  For the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled. [1 Pet. 1:3, 4]  By the resurrection of Christ his Father hath been said to have begotten him; and therefore by the same he hath begotten us, who are called brethren and coheirs with Christ.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. [Rom. 5:10]  He laid down his life, but it was for us; and being to take up his own, he took up ours.  We are the members of that body of which Christ is the Head; if the Head be risen, the members cannot be far behind.  He is the firstborn from the dead, and we the sons of the resurrection. [Col. 1:18, Luke 20:36]  The Spirit of Christ abiding in us maketh us the members of Christ, and by the same Spirit we have a full right and title to rise with our Head.  For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in us. [Rom. 8:11]  Thus the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection by a double causality, as an efficient, and as an exemplary cause.  As an efficient cause, in regard our Saviour by and upon his resurrection hath obtained power and right to raise all the dead; For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. [1 Cor. 15:22]  As an exemplary cause, in regard that all the saints of God shall rise after the similitude and in conformity to the resurrection of Christ; For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.  He shall change our vile bodies, that they may be like unto his glorious [M268] body: that as we have borne the image of the earthy, we may also bear the image of the heavenly. [Rom. 6:5, Phil. 3:21, 1 Cor. 15:49]  This is the great hope of a Christian, that Christ rising from the dead hath obtained the power, and is become the pattern of his resurrection.  The breaker is come up before them; they have broken up and have passed through the gate ; their King shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them. [Mic. 2:13]

      Fourthly, it is necessary to profess our faith in Christ risen from the dead, that his resurrection may effectually work its proper operation on our lives.  For as it is efficient and exemplary to our bodies, so it is also to our souls.  When we are dead in sins, God quickeneth us together with Christ. [Eph. 2:5]  And, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even, so we should walk in newness of life. [Rom. 6:4]  To continue among the graves of sin while Christ is risen, is to incur that reprehension of the angel, Why seek ye the living among the dead? [Luke 24:5]  To walk in any habitual sin, is either to deny that sin is death, or Christ is risen from the dead.  Let then the dead bury the dead, [Matt. 8:22] but let not any Christian bury him who rose from death that he might live.  Awake, thou that steepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. [Eph. 5:14]  There must be a spiritual resurrection of the soul before there can be a comfortable resurrection of the body.  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power. [Rev. 20:6]

      Having thus explained the manner of Christ’s resurrection, and the necessity of our faith in him risen from the dead, we may easily give such a brief account, as any Christian may understand what it is he should intend, when he makes profession of this part of his Creed; for he is conceived to acknowledge thus much; I freely and fully assent unto this as a truth of infinite certainty and absolute necessity, that the eternal Son of God, who was crucified and died for our sins, did not long continue in the state of death, but by his infinite power did revive and raise himself, by reuniting the same soul which was separated to the same body which was buried, and so rose the same man: and this he did the third day from his death ; so that dying on Friday the sixth day of the week, the day of the preparation of the sabbath, and resting in the grave the sabbath day, on the morning of the first day of the week he returned unto life again, and thereby consecrated the weekly revolution of that first day to a religious observation until his coming again.  And thus I believe the third day he rose again from the dead.

 

[M269]

Article  VI

He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

      This Article hath received no variation, but only in the addition of the name of God, and the attribute Almighty; the ancients using it briefly thus, He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of the Father.*  It containeth two distinct parts; one transient, the other permanent; one as the way, the other as the end: the first is Christ’s ascension, the second is his session.

      In the ascension of Christ these words of the Creed propound to us three considerations and no more: the first of the person, He; the second of the action, ascended; the third of the termination, into heaven.  Now the person being perfectly the same which we have considered in the precedent Articles, he will afford no different speculation but only in conjunction with this particular action.  Wherefore I conceive these three things necessary and sufficient for the illustration of Christ’s ascension: first, to shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into heaven; secondly, to prove that our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, did really and truly ascend thither; thirdly, to declare what that heaven is, into which he did ascend.

      That the promised Messias should ascend into heaven, hath been represented typically, and declared prophetically.  The high priest under the Law was an express type of the Messias and his priestly office; the atonement which he made was the representation of the propitiation in Christ for the sins of the world: for the making this atonement, the high priest was appointed once every year to enter into the holy of holies, and no oftener.  For the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark, that he die not. [Lev. 16:2]  None entered into that holy place but the high priest alone; and he himself could enter thither but once in the year; and thereby shewed that the High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, was to enter into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. [Heb. 9:11, 12]  The Jews did all believe that the tabernacle did signify this world,* and the holy of holies the highest heavens; wherefore as the high priest did slay the sacrifice, and with the blood thereof did pass through the rest of the tabernacle, and with that blood enter into the holy of holies; so was the Messias here to offer up himself, and being ,slain to pass through all the courts of this world below, and with his blood to enter into the highest heavens, the most glorious seat of the majesty of God.  Thus Christ’s ascension was represented typically.

      The same ascension was also declared prophetically, as we [M270] read in the Prophet David.  Thou hast ascended up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men [Ps. 68:18]: which phrase on high,* in the language of David signifying heaven, could be applied properly to no other conqueror but the Messias; not to Moses, not to David, not to Joshua, not to any but the Christ; who was to conquer sin, and death, and hell, and triumphing over them, to ascend unto the highest heaven, and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the sons of men.  The prophecy of Micah did foretell as much, even in the opinion and confession of the Jews themselves,* by those words, The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it; and their King shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them. [Mic. 2:13]  And thus Christ’s ascension was declared prophetically as well as typically; which was our first consideration.

      Secondly, whatsoever was thus represented and foretold of the promised Messias, was truly and really performed by our Jesus.  That only-begotten and eternal Son of God, who by his Divinity was present in the heavens while he was on earth, did, by a local translation of his human nature, really and truly ascend from this earth below on which he lived, into the heavens above, or rather above all the heavens, in the same body and the soul with which he lived and died and rose again.

      The ascent of Christ into heaven was not metaphorical or figurative, as if there were no more to be understood by it, but only that he obtained a more heavenly and glorious state or condition after his resurrection.  For whatsoever alteration was made in the body of Christ when he rose, whatsoever glorious qualities it was invested with thereby, that was not his ascension, as appeareth by those words which he spake to Mary, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. [John 20:17]  Although he had said before to Nicodemus, No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven [John 3:13]; which words imply that he had then ascended: yet even those concern not this ascension.  For that was therefore only true, because the Son of man, not yet conceived in the Virgin’s womb, was not in heaven, and after his conception by virtue of the hypostatical union was in heaven; from whence, speaking after the manner of men, he might well say, that he had ascended into heaven; because whatsoever was first on earth and then in heaven, we say, ascended into heaven. [M271]  Wherefore, beside that grounded upon the hypostatical union, beside that glorious condition upon his resurrection, there was yet another, and that more proper ascension: for after he had both those ways ascended, it was still true that he had not yet ascended to his Father.

      Now this kind of ascension, by which Christ had not yet ascended when he spake to Mary after his resurrection, was not long after to be performed; for at the same time he said unto Mary, Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father. [John 20:17]  And when this ascension was performed, it appeared manifestly to be a true local translation of the Son of man, as man, from these parts of the world below into the heavens above, by which that body which was before locally present here on earth, and was not so then present in heaven, became substantially present in heaven, and no longer locally present in earth.  For when he had spoken unto the Disciples, and blessed them, [Luke 24:50, 51] laying his hands upon them, and so was corporally present with them, even while he blessed them he parted from them, and while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, [Acts 1:9, 10] and so he was carried up into heaven, while they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up.  This was a visible departure, as it is described, a real removing of that body of Christ which was before present with the Apostles; and that body living after the resurrection, by virtue of that soul which was united to it: and therefore the Son of God according to his humanity was really and truly translated from these parts below unto the heavens above, which is a proper local ascension.

      Thus was Christ’s ascension visibly performed in the presence and sight of the Apostles, for the confirmation of the reality and the certainty thereof.  They did not see him when he rose, but they saw him when he ascended;* because an eyewitness was not necessary unto the act of his resurrection, but it was necessary unto the act of his ascension.  It was sufficient that Christ shewed himself to the Apostles alive after his passion [Acts 1:3]; for being they knew him before to be dead, and now saw him alive, they were thereby assured that he rose again: for whatsoever was a proof of his life after death, was a demonstration of his resurrection.  But being the Apostles were not to see our Saviour in heaven, being the session was not to be visible to them on earth, therefore it was necessary they should be eyewitnesses of the act, who were not with the same eyes to behold the effect.

      Beside the eyewitness of the Apostles, there was added the testimony of the angels; those blessed spirits which ministered before, and saw the face of God in heaven, and came down from thence, did know that Christ ascended up from hence unto that place from whence they came: and because the eyes of the Apostles could not follow him so far,* the inhabitants of that place did come to testify of his reception; for behold two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  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 1:10, 11]  We must therefore acknowledge and confess against all the wild heresies of old,* that the eternal Son of God, who died and rose again, did with the same body and soul, with which he died and rose, ascend up to heaven; which was the second particular considerable in this Article.

      Thirdly, being the name of heaven, admitteth divers acceptions [M272] in the sacred Scriptures, it will be necessary to inquire what is the true notion of it in this Article, and what was the proper termination of Christ’s ascension.  In some sense it might be truly said Christ was in heaven before the cloud took him out of the Apostles’ sight; for the clouds themselves are called the clouds of heaven: but that heaven is the first; and our Saviour certainly ascended at least as far as St. Paul was caught up, that is, into the third heaven; for we have a great High Priest that is passed through the heavens.* [Heb. 4:14]  And needs must he pass through the heavens, because he was made higher than the heavens [Heb. 7:26]; for he that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens. [Eph. 4:10]  When therefore Christ is said to have ascended into heaven, we must take that word as signifying as much as the heaven of heavens; and so Christ is ascended through and above the heavens, and yet is still in heaven: for he is entered into that within the veil, [Heb. 6:19] there is his passage through the heavens: into the holy place, even into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God, [Heb. 9:12, 24] this is the heaven of heavens. For thus said the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; and as Christ descended unto the footstool of his Father in his humiliation, so he ascended unto the throne of his Father in his exaltation.  This was the place of which our Saviour spake to his Disciples, What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [John 6:62]  Had he been there before in body, it had been no such wonder that he should have ascended thither again: but that his body should ascend unto that place where the majesty of God was most resplendent; that the flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone should be seated far above all angels and archangels, all principalities and powers, even at the right hand of God; this was that which Christ propounded as worthy of their greatest admiration.  Whatsoever heaven then is higher than all the rest which are called heavens; whatsoever sanctuary is holier than all which are called holies; whatsoever place is of greatest dignity in all those courts above, into that place did he ascend, where in the splendour of his Deity he was before he took upon him our humanity.

      As therefore when we say Christ ascended, we understand a literal and local assent, not of his Divinity (which possesseth all places, and therefore being everywhere is not subject to the imperfection of removing any whither), but of his humanity, which was so in one place that it was not in another: so when we say the place into which he ascended was heaven, and from the expositions of the Apostles must understand thereby the heaven of heavens, or the highest heaven, it followeth that we believe the body with the soul of Christ to have passed far above all those celestial bodies which we see, and to look upon that opinion as a low conceit which left his body in the sun.*

[M273]            It was necessary to profess this Article of Christ’s ascension: first, for the confirmation and augmentation of our faith.  Our faith is thereby confirmed, in that we believe in him who is received unto the Father, and therefore certainly came from the Father: his Father sent him, and we have received the message from him, and are assured that it is the same message which he was sent to deliver, because he is so highly rewarded by him that sent him for delivering it.  Our faith is thereby exalted and augmented, as being the evidence of things not seen. [Heb. 11:1]  The further the object is removed from us, the more of faith hath that act which embraceth it:* Christ said unto Thomas, Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed [John 20:29]: and that blessedness by his ascension he hath left to the whole Church.  Thus Christ ascended is the ground and glory of our faith; and by virtue of his being in heaven, our belief is both encouraged and commended; for his ascent is the cause, and his absence the crown of our faith: because he ascended, we the more believe; and because we believe in him who hath ascended, our faith is the more accepted.

      Secondly, it is necessary to believe the ascension of Christ for the corroboration of our hope.  We could never expect our dust and ashes should ascend the heavens; but being our nature hath gone before in him, we can now hope to follow after him.  He is our Head, and where that is, the members may expect admission: for in so great and intimate an union there is no fear of separation or exclusion: there are many mansions in his Father’s house. [John 14:2]  And when he spake of ascending thither, he said expressly to his Disciples, I go to prepare a place for you, and will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.  The firstfruits of our nature are ascended,* and the rest is sanctified.  This is the new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. [Heb. 10:20]  And hence we have our hope as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast, which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for us entered. [Heb. 6:19, 20]  For if Christ in his ascension be the forerunner, then are there some to follow after;* and not only so, but they which follow are to go in the same way, and to attain unto the same place: and if this forerunner be entered for us, then we are they which are to follow and to overtake him there; as being of the same nature, members of the same body, branches of the same vine, and therefore he went thither before us as the firstfruits before those that follow, and we hope to follow him as coming late to the same perfection.

[M274]            As therefore God hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together by virtue of his resurrection; so hath he also made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [Eph. 2:5, 6] by virtue of his ascension.  We are already seated there in him,* and hereafter shall be seated by him; in him already as in our Head, which is the ground of our hope; by him hereafter, as by the cause conferring, when hope shall be swallowed up into fruition.

      Thirdly, the profession of faith in Christ ascended, is necessary for the exaltation of our affections.  For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also. [Matt. 6:21]  If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me, [John 12:32] saith our Saviour; and if those words were true of his crucifixion, how powerful ought they to be in reference to his ascension?  When the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven, Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee [2 Kings 2:1, 2]: when Christ is ascended up on high, we must follow him with the wings of our meditations, and with the chariots of our affections.  If we be risen with Christ, [Col. 3:1–3] we must seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  If we be dead, and our life hid in Christ with God, we must set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  Christ is ascended into heaven to teach us, that we are strangers and pilgrims here, as all our fathers were, and that another country belongs unto us: from whence we as strangers and pilgrims should learn to abstain from fleshly lusts [1 Pet. 2:11]; and not mind earthly things [Phil. 3:19, 20]; as knowing that we are citizens of heaven, from whence we look for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus, yea fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. [Eph. 2:19]  We should trample upon our sins, and subdue the lusts of the flesh, that our conversation may be correspondent to our Saviour’s condition; that where the eyes of the Apostles were forced to leave him, thither our thoughts may follow him.

      Fourthly, the ascension of Christ is a necessary Article of the Creed in respect of those great effects which immediately were to follow it, and did absolutely depend upon it.  The blessed Apostles had never preached the Gospel, had they not been endued with power from above; but none of that power had they received, if the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner had not descended: and the Holy Ghost had not come down, except our Saviour had ascended first.  For he himself, when he was to depart from his Disciples, grounded the necessity of his departure upon the certainty of this truth, saying, If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you. [John 16:7]  Now if all the infallibility of those truths, which we as Christians believe, depend upon the certain information which the Apostles had, and those Apostles appear to be no way infallible till the cloven tongues had sat upon them, it was first absolutely necessary that the Holy Ghost should so descend.  Again, being it was impossible that the Spirit of God in that manner should come down, until the Son of God had ascended into heaven; being it was not fit that the second Advocate should officiate on earth, till the first Advocate [M275] had entered upon his office in heaven; therefore in respect of this great work the Son of God must necessarily ascend, and in reference to that necessity we may well be obliged to confess that ascension.

      Upon these considerations we may easily conclude what every Christian is obliged to confess in those words of our Creed, he ascended into heaven: for thereby he is understood to express thus much; I am fully persuaded, that the only-begotten and eternal Son of God, after he rose from the dead, did with the same soul and body with which he rose, by a true and local translation convey himself from the earth on which he lived, through all the regions of the air, through all the celestial orbs, until he came unto the heaven of heavens, the most glorious presence of the majesty of God. And thus I believe in Jesus Christ who ascended into heaven.

 

And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

      This second part of the Article containeth two particulars; the session of the Son, and the description of the Father: the first sheweth that Christ upon his ascension is set down at the right hand of God; the second assureth us that the God, at whose right hand Christ is set down, is the Father Almighty.

      For the explication of Christ’s session, three things will be necessary; first, to prove that the promised Messias was to sit at the right hand of God; secondly, to shew that our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, is set down at the right hand of God; thirdly, to find what is the importance of that phrase, and in what propriety of expression it belongs to Christ.

      That the promised Messias was to sit at the right hand of God was both pre-typified and foretold.  Joseph, who was betrayed and sold by his brethren, was an express type of Christ; and though in many things he represented the Messias, yet in none more than in this, that being taken out of the prison he was exalted to the supreme power of Egypt.  For thus Pharaoh spake to Joseph, Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.  And Pharaoh took of the ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck: and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had, and they cried before him, Bow the knee; and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. [Gen. 12:40, 42, 43]  Thus Joseph had the execution of all the regal power committed unto him, all edicts and commands were given out by him, the managing of all affairs was through his hands, only the authority by which he moved remained in Pharaoh still.  This was a clear representation of the Son of man, who, by his sitting on the right hand of God, obtained power to rule and govern all things both in heaven and earth, (especially as the ruler of his house, that is, the Church,) with express command that all things both in heaven and earth, and under the earth, should bow down before him: but all this in the name of the Father; to whom the throne is still reserved, in whom the original authority still remains.  And thus the session of the Messias was pre-typified.

      The same was also expressly foretold, not only in the sense, but in the phrase.  The Lord said unto my Lord, saith the Prophet David, Sit thou at ray right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. [Ps. 110:1]  The Jews have endeavoured to avoid this prophecy, but with no success: some make the person to whom [M276] God speaks to be Ezechias,* some Abraham,* some Zorobabel, others David;* others the people of Israel:* and because the prophecy cannot belong to him who made the Psalm, therefore they which attribute the prediction to Abraham tell us the Psalm was penned by his steward Eliezer46: they which expound it of David say that one of his musicians was author of it.

      But first, it is most certain that David was the penman of this Psalm; the title speaks as much, which is, A Psalm of David:* from whence it followeth that the prediction did not belong to him, because it was spoken to his Lord.  Nor could it indeed belong to any of the rest which the Jews imagine, because neither Abraham nor Ezechias nor Zorobabel* could be the Lord of David, much less the people of Israel, (to whom some of the Jews referred it,) who were not the lords but the subjects of that David.  Beside, he which is said to sit at the right hand of God, is also said to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck [Ps. 110:4]: but neither Abraham nor Ezechias, nor any which the Jews have mentioned, was ever any priest of God.*  Again, our Saviour urged this Scripture against the Pharisees, [Matt. 22:42–46] saying, What think ye of Christ? whose Son is he?  They say unto him, The Son of David.  He saith unto them, How then doth David in Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?  If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son? and no man was able to answer him a word.  From whence it is evident that the Jews of old, even the Pharisees, the most accurate and skilful amongst them, did interpret this Psalm of the Messias; for if they had conceived the prophecy belonged either to Abraham or David, or any of the rest since mentioned by the Jews, they might very well, and questionless would have answered our Saviour, that this belonged not to the Son of David.  It was therefore the general opinion of the Church of the Jews before our Saviour, and of divers Rabbins* since his death, that this prediction did concern the kingdom of Christ.  And thus the session of the Messias at the right hand of God was not only represented typically, but foretold prophetically: which is our first consideration.

      Secondly, we affirm that our Jesus, whom we worship as the true Messias, according unto that particular prediction, when he ascended up on high, did sit down at the right hand of God. [M277]  His ascension was the way to his session, and his session the end of his ascension; as the Evangelist expresseth it, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God [Mark 16:19]; or as the Apostle, God raised Christ from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. [Eph. 1:20]  There could be no such session without an ascension: and David is not ascended into the heavens; but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, [Acts 2:34–36] let all the blind and willful Jews be convinced of this truth, that God hath not set at his own right hand, neither Abraham or David, neither Ezechias or Zorobabel, but hath made that same Jesus whom they have crucified both Lord and Christ.

      This was an honour never given, never promised to any man but the Messias: the glorious spirits stand about the throne of God, but never any of them set down at the right hand of God.  For to which of his angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? [Heb. 1:13]  But Christ was so assured of this honour, that before the council of the chief priests and the elders of the people, when he foresaw his death in the time to come God shall place Messias the king at his right hand, as it is contrived, and his cross prepared, even then he expressed the confidence of his expectation, saying, Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. [Luke 22:69]  And thus our Jesus, whom we worship as the true promised Messias, is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God. [1 Pet. 3:22]  Which was our second consideration.

      Our next inquiry is, what may be the utmost importance of that phrase, and how it is applicable unto Christ.  The phrase consists of two parts, and both to be taken metaphorically: first, therefore, we must consider what is the right hand of God, in the language of the Scriptures; secondly, what it is to sit down at that right hand.  God being a spirit can have no material or corporeal parts; and consequently as he hath no body, so in a proper sense can he have no hands at all:* but because God is pleased to descend to our capacity, and not only to speak by the mouths of men, but also after the manner of men, he expresseth that which is in him by some analogy with that which belongs to us.  The hands of man are those organical parts which are most active, and executive of our power;* by those the strength of our body is expressed, and most of our natural and artificial actions are performed by them.  From whence the power of God, and the exertion or execution of that power, is signified by the hand of God.  Moreover being by a general custom of the world the right hand is more used than the left, and by that general use acquireth a greater firmitude and strength, therefore the right hand of God signifieth the exceeding great and infinite power of God.

      Again, because the most honourable place amongst men is the right hand, (as when Bathsheba went unto king Solomon, he sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother, and she sate on his right hand, [1 Kings 2:19]) therefore the right hand of God signifies the glorious majesty of God.

      Thirdly, Because the gifts of men are given and received by the hands of men, and every perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, [Jam. 1:17] therefore the right hand of God is the place of celestial happiness and perfect felicity; according to that of the Psalmist, [M278] In thy presence is fullness of joy, at thy right hand pleasures for evermore. [Ps. 16:11]

      Now as to the first acception of the right hand of God, Christ is said to sit down at the right hand of the Father in regard of that absolute power and dominion which he hath obtained in heaven; from whence it is expressly said, Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power. [Matt. 26:64, Mark 14:62, Luke 22:69]

      As to the second acception, Christ is said to sit on the right hand of God in regard of that honour,* glory, and majesty, which he hath obtained there; wherefore it is said, When he had by himself purged our sins, he sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high [Heb. 1:3]: and again, We have an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. [Heb. 8:1]

      In reference to the third acception, Christ is said to sit on the right hand of God, because now after all the labours and sorrows of this world, after his stripes and buffetings, after a painful and shameful death, he resteth above in unspeakable joy and everlasting felicity.*

      As for the other part of the phrase, that is, his session, we must not look upon it as determining any posture of his body in the heavens, correspondent to the inclination and curvation of our limbs : for we read in the Scriptures a more general term, which signifies only his being in heaven, without any expression of the particular manner of his presence.  So St. Paul, Who is even at the right hand of God [Rom. 8:34]; and St. Peter, Who is gone into heaven, and is at the right hand of God. [1 Pet. 3:22]  Beside, we find him expressed in another position than that of session: for Stephen looking stedfastly into heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. [Acts 7:55, 56]  He appeared standing unto Stephen, whom we express sitting in our Creed; but this is rather a difference of the occasion, than a diversity of position.  He appeared standing* to Stephen, as ready to assist him, as ready to plead for him, as ready to receive him: and he is oftener expressed sitting, not for any positional variation, but for the variety of his effects and operation.

[M279]            This phrase then to sit, prescinding from the corporal posture of session, may signify no more than habitation, possession, permansion, and continuance; as the same word in the Hebrew and Greek languages often signifies.*  And thus our Saviour is set down at the right hand of God in heaven; because he which dwelt with us before on earth, is now ascended up into heaven, and hath taken his mansion or habitation there; and so hath he seated himself, and dwelleth* in the highest heavens.

      Again, the notion of sitting implieth rest, quietness, and indisturbance; according to that promise in the Prophet, They shall sit every man under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid. [Mic. 4:4]  So Christ is ascended into heaven, where resting from all pains and sorrows, he is seated free from all disturbance and opposition; God having placed him at his right hand, until he hath made his enemies his footstool.

      Thirdly, This sitting implieth yet more than quietness or continuance, even dominion, sovereignty, and majesty;* as when Solomon sate in the throne of his father, he reigned over Israel after the death of his father.  And thus Christ is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [Heb. 12:2]  And St. Paul did well interpret those words of the Prophet, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, [Ps. 110:1] saying, He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. [1 Cor. 15:25]

      Fourthly, This sitting doth yet more properly and particularly imply the right of judicature, and so especially expresseth a king that sitteth in the throne of judgment [Prov. 20:8]; as it is written, In mercy shall the throne be established, and he shall sit upon it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment, and basting righteousness. [Isa. 16:5]  And so Christ sitting at the right hand of God is manifested and declared to be the great Judge of the quick and the dead.*  Thus to sit doth not signify any peculiar inclination or flection, any determinate location or position of the body, but to be in heaven with permanence of habitation, happiness of condition, regal and judiciary power; as in other authors such significations are usual.*

[M280]            The importance of the language being thus far improved, at last we find the substance of the doctrine, which is, that sitting at the right hand of God was our Mediator’s solemn entry upon his regal office, as to the execution of that full dominion which was due unto him.  For worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. [Rev. 5:12]  Wherefore Christ after his death and resurrection saith, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. [Matt. 28:18]  For because he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, therefore God 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. [Phil. 2:8–10]  And this obedience and submission was and is due unto him, because God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet ; and gave him to be the head over all things to the Church. [Eph. 1:20–22]

      There was an express promise made by God to David, Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever. [2 Sam. 7:16]  This promise strictly and literally taken was but conditional: and the condition of the promise is elsewhere expressed, Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.  If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.  [Ps. 132:11, 12]  Notwithstanding this promise the kingdom of David was intercepted, nor was his family continued in the throne: part of the kingdom was first rent from his posterity, next the regality itself; and when it was restored, translated to another family; and yet we cannot say the promise was not made good, but only ceased in the obligation of a promise, because the condition was not performed.  The posterity of David did not keep the covenant and testimony of their God, and therefore the throne of David was not by an uninterrupted lineal succession established to perpetuity.

      But yet in a larger and better sense, after these intercisions, the throne of David was continued.  When they had sinned, and lost their right unto the crown, the kingdom was to be given unto him who never sinned, and consequently could never lose it; and he being of the seed of David, in him the throne of David was without interception or succession continued.  Of him did the angel Gabriel speak at his conception, The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. [Luke 1:32, 33]  Thus the throne of Christ is called the throne of David, because it was promised unto David, and because the kingdom of David was a type, resemblance, and representation of it; insomuch that Christ himself in respect of this kingdom is often called David, as particularly in that promise, I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their Shepherd.  And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a Prince among them. [Jer. 30:9, Ex. 37:24, 25; Hos. 3:5, Ex 34:23, 24]

      Now as David was not only first designed, but also anointed king over Israel, and yet had no possession of the crown [1 Sam. 16:13]; seven years he continued anointed by Samuel, and had no share in the dominion; seven years after he continued anointed in Hebron only king over the tribe of Judah [2 Sam. 2:4]; at last he was received by all the tribes, and so obtained full and absolute regal power over all Israel, and seated himself in the royal city of Jerusalem: so Christ was born King of the Jews, and the conjunction of his human nature with his Divine in the union of his person was a [M281] sufficient unction to his regal office, yet as the Son of man he exercised no such dominion, professing that his kingdom was not of this world; but after he rose from the dead, then as it were in Hebron with his own tribe he tells the Apostles, All power is given unto him; and by virtue thereof gives them injunctions; and at his ascension he enters into the Jerusalem above, and there sits down at the right hand of the throne of God, and so makes a solemn entry upon the full and entire dominion over all things; then could St. Peter say, Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. [Acts 2:36]

      The immediate effect of this regal power, the proper execution of this office, is the subduing of all his enemies; for he is set down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. [Heb. 10:12, 13]  This was the ancient custom of the oriental conquerors, to tread upon the necks of their subdued enemies; as when Joshua had the five kings as his prisoners, he said unto the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of them. [Josh. 10:24]  Thus to signify the absolute and total conquest of Christ, and the dreadful majesty of his throne, all his enemies are supposed to lie down before him, and he to set his feet upon them.

      The enemies of Christ are of two kinds, either temporal or spiritual; the temporal enemies I call such as visibly and actually oppose him, and his Apostles, and all those which profess to believe in his name.  Such especially and principally were the Jews, who rejected, persecuted, and crucified him; who after his resurrection scourged, stoned, and despitefully used his Disciples; who tried all ways and means imaginable to hinder the propagation, and dishonour the profession of Christianity.  A part of his regal office was to subdue these enemies, and he sat down on the right hand of God, that they might be made his footstool: which they suddenly were according to his prediction.  There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. [Matt. 16:28]  For within few years the temple, the city, and the whole polity of the Jews were destroyed for ever in a revenging manner by the hands of the Romans, which they made use of to crucify the Lord of life.  The Romans themselves were the next enemies, who first complied with the Jews in Christ’s crucifixion, and after in defense of their heathen deities endeavoured the extirpation of Christianity by successive persecutions.  These were next to be made the footstool of the King of kings; and so they were when Rome, the regnant city, the head of that vast empire, was taken and sacked; when the Christians were preserved, and the heathens perished; when the worship of all their idols ceased, and the whole Roman empire marched under the banner of Christianity.  In the same manner all those persons and nations whatsoever, which openly oppose and persecute the name of Christ, are enemies unto this King, to be in due time subdued under him, and when he calleth, to be slain.

      The spiritual enemies of this King are of another nature; such as by an invisible way make opposition to Christ’s dominion, as sin, Satan, death.  Every one of these hath a kingdom of its own, set up and opposed to the kingdom of Christ.  The Apostle hath taught us, that sin hath reigned unto death [Rom. 5:21]; and hath commanded us not to let it reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof. [Rom. 6:12]  There is therefore a dominion and kingdom of sin set up against the throne of the immaculate Lamb.  Satan would have been like the Most High, and being cast down from heaven, hath erected his throne below; he is the prince of this world: the spirit, which now worketh in the children of disobedience, is the prince of the power of the air [John 16:11]; and thus the rulers of the darkness of this world oppose themselves to the true light of the world. [Eph. 2:2, 6:12]  Death also hath its dominion, and, as the [M282] Apostle speaks, reigned from Adam to Moses; even by one offence death reigned by one, and so set up a ruling and a regal power against the Prince of life. [Rom. 5:14, 17; Acts 3:15]

      For the destruction of these powers was Christ exalted to the right hand of God, and by his regal office doth he subdue and destroy them all.  And yet this destruction is not so universal, but that sin, Satan, and death, shall still continue.  It is true, he shall put down all rule and authority and power [1 Cor. 15:24]; but this amounts not so much to a total destruction, as to an absolute subjection: for as he is able, so will he subdue all things unto himself. [Phil. 3:21]  The principal end of the regal office of the Mediator is the effectual redemption and actual salvation of all those whom God hath given him; and whosoever or whatsoever opposeth the salvation of these, is by that opposition constituted and become an enemy of Christ.  And because this enmity is grounded upon that opposition, therefore so far as any thing opposeth the salvation of the sons of God, so far it is an enemy, and no farther: and consequently Christ, by sitting at the right hand of God, hath obtained full and absolute power utterly to destroy those three spiritual enemies, so far as they make this opposition; and farther than they do oppose they are not destroyed by him, but subdued to him: whatsoever hindereth and obstructeth the bringing of his own into his kingdom, for the demonstration of God’s mercy, is abolished: but whatsoever may be yet subservient to the demonstration of his justice, is continued.

      Christ then as King destroyeth the power of sin in all those which belong unto his kingdom, annihilating the guilt thereof by the virtue of his death, destroying the dominion thereof by his actual grace, and taking away the spot thereof by grace habitual.  But in the reprobate and damned souls, the spot of sin remaineth in its perfect die, the dominion of sin continueth in its absolute power, the guilt of sin abideth in a perpetual obligation to eternal pains: but all this in subjection to his throne, the glory of which consisteth as well in punishing rebellion as rewarding loyalty.

      Again, Christ sitting on the right hand of God destroyeth all the strength of Satan and the powers of hell: by virtue of his death perpetually represented to his Father, he destroyeth him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil. [Heb. 2:14]  But the actual destruction of these powers of darkness hath reference only to the elect of God.  In them he preventeth the wiles, those he taketh out of the snare; in them he destroyeth the works, those he preserveth from the condemnation of the Devil. [Eph. 6:11, 2 Tim. 2:26, 1 John 3:8, 1 Tim. 3:6]  He freeth them here from the prevailing power of Satan by his grace; he freeth them hereafter from all possibility of any infernal opposition by his glory.  But still the reprobate and damned souls are continued slaves unto the powers of hell; and he which sitteth upon the throne delivereth them to the Devil and his angels, to be tormented with and by them for ever; and this power of Satan still is left as subservient to the demonstration of the Divine justice.

      Thirdly, Christ sitting on the throne of God at last destroyeth death itself: for the last enemy which shall be destroyed is death. [1 Cor. 15:26]  But this destruction reacheth no farther than removing of all power to hinder the bringing of all such persons as are redeemed actually by Christ into the full possession of his heavenly kingdom.  He will ransom them from the power of the grave, he will redeem them from death. [Hos. 13:14]  O death, he will be thy plague; O grave, he will be thy destruction.  The trump shall sound, the graves shall open, the dead shall live, the bodies shall be framed again out of the dust, and the souls which left them shall be reunited to them, and all the sons of men shall return to life, [M283] and death shall be swallowed up in victory. [1 Cor. 15:54]  The sons of God shall then be made completely happy both in soul and body, never again to be separated, but to inherit eternal life.  Thus he who sitteth at the right hand of God hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light. [2 Tim. 1:10]  But to the reprobate and damned persons, death is not destroyed but improved.  They rise again indeed to life, and so the first death is evacuated; but that life to which they rise is a second, and a far worse death.  And thus Christ is set down at the right hand of God, that he might subdue all things to himself.

      The regal power of Christ, as a branch of the Mediatorship, is to continue till all those enemies be subdued.  For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. [1 Cor. 15:25]  But now we see not yet all things put under him. [Heb. 2:8]  Therefore he must still continue there: and this necessity is grounded upon the promise of the Father, and the expectation of the Son.  Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool, [Ps. 110:1] saith the Father; upon which words we may ground as well the continuation as the session.  Upon this promise of the Father, the Son sate down at the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. [Heb. 10:12, 13]  Being then the promise of God cannot be evacuated, being the expectation of Christ cannot be frustrated, it followeth, that our Mediator shall exercise the regal power at the right hand of God till all opposition shall be subdued.

      When all the enemies of Christ shall be subdued, when all the chosen of God shall be actually brought into his kingdom, when those which refused him to rule over them shall be slain, that is, when the whole office of the Mediator shall be completed and fulfilled, then every branch of the execution shall cease.  As therefore there shall no longer continue any act of the prophetical part to instruct us, nor any act of the priestly part to intercede for us, so there shall be no further act of this regal power of the Mediator necessary to defend and preserve us.  The beatifical vision shall succeed our information and instruction, a present fruition will prevent oblation and intercession, and perfect security will need no actual defense and protection.  As therefore the general notion of a Mediator ceaseth when all are made one, because a Mediator is not a Mediator of one [Gal. 3:20]; so every part or branch of that Mediatorship, as such, must also cease, because that unity is in all parts complete.  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. [1 Cor. 15:24, 28]  For when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that hath put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

      Now though the Mediatorship of Christ be then resigned, because the end thereof will then be performed; though the regal office as part of that Mediatorship be also resigned with the whole; yet we must not think that Christ shall cease to be a King, or lose any of the power and honour which before he had.*  The dominion which he hath was given him as a reward for what he suffered: and certainly the reward shall not cease when the work is done.  He hath promised to make us kings and priests, which honour we expect in heaven, believing we shall reign with him for ever, and therefore for ever must believe King.  The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever, [2 Tim. 2:12] not only to the modificated eternity of his Mediatorship, so long as there shall be need of regal power to subdue the enemies of God’s elect; but also to the complete eternity of the duration of his humanity, which for the future is coeternal to his divinity.

[M284]            Lest we should imagine that Christ should ever cease to be King, or so interpret this Article, as if he were after the day of judgment to be removed from the right hand of God, the ancient Fathers added those words to the Nicene Creed, whose kingdom shall have no end,* against the heresy which then arose, denying the eternity of the kingdom of Christ.

      The profession of faith in Christ, as sitting on the right hand of God, is necessary; first, to mind us of our duty, which must needs consist in subjection and obedience.  The majesty of a king claimeth the loyalty of a subject; and if we acknowledge his authority, we must submit unto his power.  Nor can there be a greater incitation to obedience, than the consideration of the nature of his government.  Subject we must be, whether we will or no; but if willingly, then is our service perfect freedom; if unwillingly, then is our averseness everlasting misery.  Enemies we all have been; under his feet we all shall be, either adopted or subdued.*  A double kingdom there is of Christ;* one of power, in which all are under him; another of propriety, in those which belong unto him none of us can be excepted from the first; and happy are we, if by our obedience we shew ourselves to have an interest in the second; for then that kingdom is not only Christ’s but ours.

      Secondly, It is necessary to believe in Christ sitting on the right hand of God, that we might be assured of an auspicious protection under his gracious dominion.  For God by his exaltation hath given our Saviour to be the head over all things to the Church [Eph. 1:22]; and therefore from him we may expect direction and preservation.  There can be no illegality where Christ is the Lawgiver; there can be no danger from hostility where the Son [M285] of God is the Defender.  The very name of Head hath the signification not only of dominion but of unions; and therefore while we look upon him at the right hand of God, we see ourselves in heaven.  This is the special promise which he hath made us since he sate down there, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. [Rev. 3:21]  How should we rejoice, yea rather how should we fear and tremble at so great an honour!*

      Thirdly, The belief of Christ’s glorious session is most necessary in respect of the immediate consequence, which is his most gracious intercession.  Our Saviour is ascended as the true Melchizedech, not only as the King of Salem, [Heb. 7:1] the Prince of Peace, but also as the Priest of the most high God [Heb. 10:11, 12]; and whereas every priest, according to the Law of Moses, stood daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which could never take away sins, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sate down on the right hand of God.  And now Christ being set down in that power and majesty, though the sacrifice be but once offered, yet the virtue of it is perpetually advanced by his session, which was founded on his passion: for he is entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. [Heb. 9:24]  Thus, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [1 John 2:1]  And he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. [Heb. 7:25]  What then remaineth to all true believers, but that triumphant exclamation of the Apostle, 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, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. [Rom. 8:33, 34]  For he which was accepted in his oblation, and therefore sate down on God’s right hand, to improve this acceptation continues his intercession; and having obtained all power by virtue of his humiliation, representeth them both in a most sweet commixtion; by an humble omnipotency, or omnipotent humility, appearing in the presence, and presenting his postulations* at the throne of God.

      Having thus explicated the session of our Saviour, we are next to consider the description of him at whose right hand he is set down; which seems to be delivered in the same terms with which the Creed did first begin, I believe in God the Father Almighty; and indeed, as to the expression of his essence, it is the same name of God; as to the setting forth his relation, it is the same name of Father; but as to the adjoining attribute, though it be the same word, it is not the same notion of almighty.  What therefore we have spoken of the nature of [M286] God, and the person of the Father, is not here to be repeated, but supposed; for Christ is set down at the right hand of that God and of that Father, which we understand when we say, I believe in God the Father.  But because there is a difference in the language of the Greeks between that word which is rendered almighty* in the first Article, and that which is so rendered in the sixth; because that peculiarly signifieth authority of dominion, this more properly power in operation; therefore we have reserved this notion of omnipotency now to be explained.

      In which, two things are observable; the propriety, and the universality; the propriety in the potency, the universality in the omnipotency; first, that he is a God of power; secondly, that he is a God of infinite power.  The potency consisteth in a proper, innate, and natural force or activity, by which we are assured that God is able to act, work, and produce true and real effects, which do require a true and real power to their production: and in respect of this he is often described unto us under the notion of a mighty God.  The omnipotency or infinity of this power consisteth in an ability to act, perform, and produce, whatsoever can be acted or produced, without any possibility of impediment or resistance : and in this respect he is represented to us as an almighty God.  And therefore such an omnipotency we ascribe unto him: which is sufficiently delivered in the Scriptures, first by the testimony of an angel, For with God nothing shall be impossible [Luke 1:37]; secondly, by the testimony of Christ himself, who said, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. [Mark 10:27]  Now he, to whom all things are possible, and to whom nothing is impossible, is truly and properly omnipotent.  Thus whatsoever doth not in itself imply a repugnancy of being or subsisting, hath in reference to the power of God a possibility of production; and whatsoever in respect of the power of God hath an impossibility of production, must involve in itself a repugnancy or contradiction.

      This truth, though confessed by the Heathens, hath yet been denied by some of them; but with such poor and insufficient arguments,* that we shall need no more than an explication of the doctrine to refute their objections.

      First, then, se must say God is omnipotent, because all power whatsoever is in any creature is derived from him; and well may he be termed Almighty, who is the fountain of all might.  There is no activity in any agent, no influence of any cause, but what dependeth and proceedeth from the principal [M287] Agent, or the first of causes.  There is nothing in the whole circumference of the universe, but hath some kind of activity, and consequently some power to act;* (for nothing can be done without a power to do it): and as all their entities flow from the first of beings, so all their several and various powers flow from the first of powers: and as all their beings cannot be conceived to depend of any but an infinite Essence, so all those powers cannot proceed from any but an infinite Power.

      Secondly, God may be called omnipotent, because there can be no resistance made to his power,* no opposition to his will, no rescue from his hands.  The Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? [Isa. 14:27]  He doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? [Dan. 4:35]  According to the degrees of power in the agent and the resistant, is an action performed or hindered: if there be more degrees of power in the resistant than the agent, the action is prevented; if fewer, it may be retarded or debilitated, but not wholly hindered or suppressed.  But if there be no degree of power in the resistant in reference to the agent, then is the action totally vigorous; and if in all the powers, beside that of God, there be not the least degree of any resistance, we must acknowledge that power of his, being above all opposition, to be infinite.  As Jehosaphat said, In thine hand, O God, is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? [2 Chron. 20:6]  From hence there is no difficulty with God to perform any thing; no greater endeavour or activity to produce the greatest than the least of creatures; but an equal facility in reference unto all things; which cannot be imagined but by an infinite excess of power above and beyond all resistance.*

      Thirdly, God is yet more properly called omnipotent, because his own active power extendeth itself to all things;* neither is there any thing imaginably possible which he cannot do.  Thus when God several ways had declared his power unto Job, Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing. [Job 42:1, 2]  Now that must needs be infinite activity which answereth to all kinds of possibility.  Thus the power of God is infinite extensively, in respect of its object, which is all things; for whatsoever effects there be of his power, yet still there can be more produced; intensively, in respect of the action, or perfection of the effect produced; for whatsoever addition of perfection is possible, is within the sphere of God’s omnipotency.  The object then of the power of God is whatsoever is simply and absolutely possible, whatsoever is in itself such as that it may be; and so possible every thing is, which doth not imply a contradiction.  Again, whatsoever implieth a contradiction is impossible, and therefore is not within the object of the power of God, because impossibility is the contradiction of all power.  For that is said to imply a contradiction, which if it were, it would necessarily follow that the same thing would be and not be.  But it is impossible for the same thing both to be and not to be at the same time, and in the same respect: and therefore whatsoever implieth a contradiction is impossible.  From whence it followeth, that it may be truly said, God cannot effect that which involveth a contradiction, but with no derogation from his power : and it may be as truly said, God can effect whatsoever involveth not a contradiction, which is the expression of an infinite power.

      Now an action may imply a contradiction two ways, either [M288] in respect of the object, or in respect of the agent.  In respect of the object it may imply a contradiction immediately or consequentially.  That doth imply a contradiction immediately, which plainly and in terms doth signify a repugnancy, and so destroys itself, as for the same thing to be and not to be, to have been and not to have been.  And therefore it must be acknowledged that it is not in the power of God to make that not to have been, which hath already been:* but that is no derogation to God’s power, because not within the object of any power.  And he may certainly have all power, who hath not that which belongeth to no power.  Again, that doth imply a contradiction consequentially, which in appearance seemeth not to be impossible, but by necessary consequence, if admitted, leadeth infallibly to a contradiction.  As that one body should be at the same time in two distinct places, speaks no repugnancy in terms; but yet by consequence it leads to that which is repugnant in itself; which is, that the same body is but one body, and not but one.  Being then a covert and consequential contradiction is as much and as truly a contradiction as that which is open and immediate, it followeth that it is as impossible to be effected, and therefore comes not under the power of God.

      That doth imply a contradiction in respect of the agent, which is repugnant to his essential perfection; for being every action floweth from the essence of the agent, whatsoever is totally repugnant to that essence must involve a contradiction as to the agent.  Thus we may say, God cannot sleep, God cannot want, God cannot die;* he cannot sleep, whose being is spiritual; he cannot want, whose nature is all-sufficient; he cannot die, who is essentially and necessarily existent.  Nor can that be a diminution of his omnipotency, the contrary whereof would be a proof of his impotency, a demonstration of his infirmity.  Thus it is impossible for God to lie,* [Heb. 6:18] to whom we say nothing is impossible; and he, who can do all things, cannot deny himself.* [2 Tim. 2:13] [M289]  Because a lie is repugnant to the perfection of veracity, which is essential unto God, as necessarily following from his infinite knowledge and infinite sanctity.  We who are ignorant may be deceived, we who are sinful may deceive; but it is repugnant to that nature to be deceived which is no way subject unto ignorance; it is contradictory to that essence to deceive, which is no way capable of sin.  For as it is a plain contradiction to know all things, and to be ignorant of any thing; so is it to know all things, and to be deceived: as it is an evident contradiction to be infinitely holy, and to be sinful, so is it to be infinitely holy, and deceive.  But it is impossible for any one to lie, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.  Therefore it is a manifest contradiction to say that God can lie, and consequently it is no derogation from his omnipotency, that he cannot.  Whatsoever then God cannot do, whatsoever is impossible to him, doth not any way prove that he is not Almighty, but only shew that the rest of his attributes and perfections are as essential to him as his power; and as his power suffereth no resistance, so the rest of his perfections admit no repugnance.  Well therefore may we conclude him absolutely omnipotent, who by being able to effect all things consistent with his perfections, sheweth infinite ability; and by not being able to do any thing repugnant to the same perfections, demonstrateth himself subject to no infirmity or imbecility.*  And in this manner we maintain God’s omnipotency, with the best and eldest, against the worst and latest of the heathen authors.*

      Thus God is omnipotent, and God only.  For if the power of all things beside God be the power of God, as derived from him, and subordinate unto him, and his own power from whence that is derived can be subordinate to none, then none can be omnipotent but God.

      Again, we say, that God the Father is Almighty; but then we cannot say, that the Father only is Almighty: for the reason why we say the Father is Almighty, is because he is God; and therefore we cannot say that he only* is Almighty, because it is not true that he only is God.  Whosoever then is God, hath [M290] the same reason and foundation of omnipotency which the Father hath, and consequently is to be acknowledged properly and truly omnipotent as the Father is.  But we have already shewed that, the Son of God is truly God; and shall hereafter shew that the Holy Ghost is also God, and that by the same nature by which the Father is God.  The Father therefore is Almighty, because the Father is God; the Son Almighty, because the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost Almighty, because the Holy Ghost is God.  The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are God by the same Divinity: therefore, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are omnipotent by the same Omnipotency.  The Father then is not called Almighty by way of exclusion, but is here mentioned with that attribute peculiarly, because the power of God answereth particularly to the right hand of God, as being the right hand of power.*  The Father therefore is here described by the notion of Almighty, to shew that Christ having ascended into heaven, and being set down at the right hand of God, is invested with a greater power than he exercised before: and that power which was then actually conferred upon him, acknowledgeth no bounds or limits; but all power in the ultimate extent of its infinity is given unto him, who is set down on the right hand of him who is God the Father; and, being so, is therefore truly and properly Almighty.

      It is necessary to profess belief in God Almighty; first, because the acknowledgment of his omnipotency begetteth that fear and reverence, submission and obedience, which is due unto his infinite majesty.  Our God is a great God, a mighty, and a terrible [Deut. 10:17]; therefore terrible, because mighty.  I will forewarn you, saith our Saviour, whom ye shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. [Luke 12:5]  Three times we are commanded to fear, and one only reason rendered, but sufficient for a thousand fears, the power of him who is able eternally to punish us.  God gave a general command to Abraham, and with it a powerful persuasion to obedience, when he said unto him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou perfect. [Gen. 17:1]  It was a rational advice which the Apostle giveth us; Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. [1 Pet. 5:6]  And it is a proper incentive to the observation of the law of God, to consider that he is the one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. [Jam. 4:12]

      Secondly, The belief of God’s omnipotency is absolutely necessary, as the foundation of our faith.  All the miracles, which have been seen, were therefore wrought, that we might believe; and never miracle had been seen, if God were not omnipotent.  The objects of our faith are beyond all natural and finite power; and did they not require an infinite activity, an assent unto them would not deserve the name of faith.  If God were not Almighty, we should believe nothing; but being he is so, why should we disbelieve any thing?* what can God propound unto us, which we cannot assent unto, if we can believe that he is omnipotent?

      Thirdly, It is not only necessary in matters of bare faith, and [M291] notions of belief, but in respect of the active and operative reliance upon the promises of God.  This was the particular confidence of Abraham the father of the faithful, who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. [Rom. 4:20, 21]  The promises of God are therefore firm and sure,* because he is both willing and able to perform them.  We doubt or distrust the promises of men, either because we may fear they intend not to do what they have promised, or cannot do what they intend: in the first, we may suspect them, because they are subject to iniquity; in the second, because they are liable to infirmity.  But being God is of infinite sanctity, he cannot intend by breaking his promises to deceive us: therefore if he be also of infinite power, he must be able to perform what he intended, and consequently we can have no reason to distrust his promises.  From whence every good Christian may say with the Apostle, I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. [2 Tim. 1:12]  I am assured that if I be a sheep, and hear my Saviour’s voice, the powers of darkness and the gates of hell can never prevail against me; for it was the voice of the Son of God, My Father which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. [John 10:29]

      Lastly, The belief of God’s omnipotency is necessary to give life to our devotions. We ask those things from heaven which none but God can give, and many of them such, as, if God himself were not Almighty, he could not effect.  And therefore,

in that form of prayer which Christ hath taught us, we conclude all our petitions unto the Father with that acknowledgment, For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. [Matt. 6:13]  Nor can there be a greater encouragement in the midst of all our temptations than that we are invited to call upon him in the day of trouble, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. [Eph. 3:20]

      After this explication of our Saviour’s session, we may conclude what every Christian ought, and may be supposed, to intend, when he maketh profession to believe that Christ is set on the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.  For thereby he is conceived to declare thus much: I assent unto this as a most infallible and necessary truth, that Jesus Christ ascending into the highest heavens, after all the troubles and sufferings endured here for our redemption, did rest in everlasting happiness; he which upon earth had not a place to lay his head, did take up a perpetual habitation there, and sit down upon the throne of God, as a Judge, and as a King, according to his office of Mediator, unto the end of the world; according to that which he merited by his Mediatorship, to all eternity: which hand of God, the Father Almighty, signifieth an omnipotent power, able to do all things without any limitation, so they involve not a contradiction, either in themselves or in relation to his perfections.  And. thus I believe in Jesus Christ who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

 

[M292]

Article  VII

From thence* shall He come to judge the quick and the dead.

      This Article containeth in it four particular considerations, and no more: First, That Christ, who is gone from us, shall come again.  Secondly, That the place from whence he shall then come, is the highest heaven, to which he first ascended, for from thence he shall come.  Thirdly, That the end for which he shall come, and the action which he shall perform when he cometh, is to judge; for from thence he shall come to judge.  Fourthly, That the object of that action, or the persons whom he shall judge, are all men, whether dead before, or then alive; for from thence shall he come to judge the quick and the dead.

      For the illustration of the first particular, two things will be necessary, and no more: first, to shew that the promised Messias was to come again after he once was come; secondly, to declare how our Jesus (whom we have already proved once to have come as the true Messias) did promise and assure us of a second coming.

      That the Messias was to come again was not only certainly but copiously foretold; the Scriptures did often assure us of a second advent.  As often as we read of his griefs and humility, so often we were admonished of his coming to suffer; as often as we hear of his power and glory, so often we are assured of his coming to judge.  We must not fancy, with the Jews, a double Messias, one the son of Joseph, the other of David; one of the tribe of Ephraim, the other of Judah: but we must take that for a certain truth, which they have made an occasion of their error; that the Messias is twice to come, once in all humility, to suffer and die, as they conceive of their son of Joseph; and again in all glory, to govern and judge, as they expect the Son of David. Particularly, Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this advent, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his angels. [Jude 14]  And more particularly Daniel saw the representation of his judiciary power and glory; I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. [Dan. 7:13, 14]  This Son of man the Jews themselves confess to be the promised Messias,* and they take the [M293] words to signify his coming, and so far give testimony to the truth; but then they evacuate the prediction by a false interpretation, saying, that if the Jews went on in their sins, then the Messias should come in humility,* according to the description in Zachary, lowly and riding upon an ass [Zech. 9:9]; but if they pleased God, then he should come in glory, according to the description in the Prophet Daniel, with the clouds of heaven: whereas these two descriptions are two several predictions, and therefore must be both fulfilled.  From whence it followeth, that, being Christ is already come lowly and sitting upon an ass, therefore hereafter he shall come gloriously with the clouds of heaven.  For if both those descriptions cannot belong to one and the same advent, as the Jews acknowledge, and both of them must be true, because equally prophetical; then must there be a double advent of the same Messias, and so his second coming was foretold.

      That our Jesus, whom we have already proved to have come once into the world as the true Messias, shall come the second time, we are most assured.  We have the testimony of the angels, 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 1:11]  We have the promise of Christ himself to his Apostles; If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself: Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away and come again unto you. [John 14:3, 28]  He it is which from the beginning was to come; that express prophecy so represented him, The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come [Gen. 49:10]; the name of Shiloh was obscure, but the notion of the Comer, added to it, was most vulgar.  According to this notion, once Christ came; and being gone, he keeps that notion still; he is to come again: For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come.* [Heb. 10:37]  Our Jesus then shall come; and not only so, but shall so come, as the Messias was foretold, after the same manner, in the same glory of the Father, as the Son of Man coming in his kingdom. [Matt. 16]  This was expressed in the prophetical vision by coming with clouds, and in the same manner shall our Jesus come; For behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. [Rev. 1:7]  Those clouds were anciently expounded by the Jews of the glorious attendance of the angels,* waiting upon the Son of man: and in the same manner, with the same attendance, do we expect the coming of our Jesus, even as he himself hath taught us to expect him, saying, For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels. [Matt. 16:27]  And thus our Jesus as the true Messias shall come again, which was our first consideration.

      The place from whence he shall come is next to be considered, and is sufficiently expressed in the Creed by reflection upon the [M294] place whither he went when he departed from us; for he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, and from thence shall he come: that is, from, and out of the highest heaven (where he now sitteth at the right hand of God) shall Christ hereafter come to judge both the quick and the dead.  For him must the heaven receive till the time of the restitution of all things [Acts 3:21]; and when that time is fulfilled, from that heaven shall he come.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. [1 Thess. 4:16]  Our conversation ought to be in heaven, [Phil. 3:20] because from thence we look for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus.  Our High Priest is gone up into the holy of holies not made with hands, there to make an atonement for us; therefore, as the people of Israel stood without the tabernacle, expecting the return of Aaron; so must we look unto the heavens, and expect Christ from thence, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. [2 Thess. 1:7]  We do believe that Christ is set down on the right hand of God; but we must also look upon him as coming thence, as well as sitting there; and to that purpose Christ himself hath joined them together, saying, Hereafter shall ye see the Son, of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. [Matt. 24]  Thus shall the Saviour of the world come from the right hand of power, in fullness of majesty, from the highest heavens, as a demonstration of his sanctity; that by an undoubted authority, and unquestionable integrity, he might appear most fit to judge both the quick and the dead: which is the end of his second coming, and leads me to the third consideration, the act of his judging; From whence shall he come to judge.

      For the explication of this action, as it stands in this Article, three considerations will be necessary: first, how we may be assured that there is a judgment to come, that any one shall come to judge.  Secondly, in case we be assured that there shall be a judgment, how it appeareth that he which is ascended into heaven, that is, that Christ, shall be the judge.  Thirdly, in case we can be assured that we shall be judged, and that Christ shall judge us, it will be worthy our inquiry in what this judgment shall consist, how this action shall be performed: and more than this cannot be necessary to make us understand that he shall come to judge.

      That there is a judgment to come after this life, will appear demonstrable, whether we consider ourselves who are to undergo it, or God who is to execute it.  If we do but reflect upon the frame and temper of our own spirits, we cannot but collect and conclude from thence, that we are to give an account of our actions, and that a judgment hereafter is to pass upon us.  There is in the soul of every man a conscience, and wheresoever it is, it giveth testimony to this truth.  The antecedent or directive conscience tells us what we are to do, and the subsequent or reflexive conscience warns us what we are to receive.  Looking back upon the actions we have done, it either approves or condemns them: and if it did no more, it would only prove that there is a judgment in this life, and every man his own judge.  But being it doth not only allow and approve our good actions, but also doth create a complacency, apology, and confidence in us; being it doth not only disprove and condemn our evil actions, but doth also constantly accuse us, and breed a fearful expectation and terror in us; and all this prescinding from all relation to any thing either to be enjoyed or suffered in this life: it followeth that this conscience is not so much a judge as a witness, bound over to give testimony, for or against us, at some judgment after this life to pass upon us.  For all men are a law unto themselves, and have the work of the law is, written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men. [Rom. 2:14–16]

      Again, if we consider the God who made us, and hath full [M295] dominion over us, whether we look upon him in himself, or in his word, we cannot but expect a judgment from him.  First, if we contemplate God in himself, we must acknowledge him to be the Judge of all mankind, so that a man shall say, Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. [Ps. 58:11]  Now the same God who is our Judge is, by an attribute necessary and inseparable, just; and this justice is so essential to his Godhead, that we may as well deny him to be God, as to be just.  It was a rational expostulation which Abraham made, Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? [Gen. 18:25]  We may therefore infallibly conclude that God is a most just Judge; and if he be so, we may as infallibly conclude that after this life he will judge the world in righteousness.  For as the affairs of this present world are ordered, though they lie under the disposition of Providence, they shew no sign of an universal justice.  The wicked and disobedient persons are often so happy, as if they were rewarded for their impieties; the innocent and religious often so miserable, as if they were punished for their innocency.  Nothing more certain than that in this life rewards are not correspondent to the virtues, punishments not proportionable to the sins of men.  Which consideration will enforce one of these conclusions; either that there is no judge of the actions of mankind; or if there be a judge, he is not just, he renders no proportionable rewards or punishments; or lastly, if there be a judge, and that judge be just, then is there a judgment in another world, and the effects thereof concern another life.  Being then we must acknowledge that there is a Judge, which judgeth the earth; being we cannot deny but God is that Judge, and all must confess that God is most just; being the rewards and punishments of this life are no way answerable to so exact a justice as that which is divine must be; it followeth that there is a judgment yet to come, in which God will shew a perfect demonstration of his justice, and to which every man shall in his own bosom carry an undeniable witness of all his actions.

      From hence the heathen, having always had a serious apprehension both of the power of the conscience of man, and of the exactness of the justice of God, have from thence concluded that there is a judgment to come.  Insomuch that when St. Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled. [Acts 24:25]  The discourse of righteousness and temperance touched him who was highly and notoriously guilty of the breach of both, and a preconception which he had of judgment after death, now heightened by the Apostle’s particular description, created an horror in his soul and trembling in his limbs.  The same Apostle discoursing to the Athenians, the great lights of the Gentile world, and teaching them this Article of our Creed, that God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead [Acts 27:31, 32]; found some which mocked when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, but against the day of judgment none replied.  That was a principle of their own* that was confessed by all who either believed themselves, or a God; a conscience, or a Deity.

      But yet, beside the consideration of the eternal power of [M296] conscience in ourselves, beside the intuition of that essential attribute, the justice of God, (which are sufficient arguments to move all men) we have yet a more near and enforcing persuasion grounded upon the express determination of the will of God.  For the determinate counsel of the will of the Almighty actually to judge the world in righteousness, is clearly revealed in his word; It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. [Heb. 9:27]  There is a death appointed to follow this life, and a judgment to follow that death; the one as certain as the other.  For in all ages God hath revealed his resolution to judge the world.

      Upon the first remarkable action after the fall, there is a sufficient intimation given to angry Cain; If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door [Gen. 4:7]; which by the most ancient interpretation signifieth a reservation of his sin unto the judgment of the world to come.*  Before the flood Enoch prophesied of a judgment to come, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodlily committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. [Jude 14, 15]  His words might have an aim at the waters which were to overflow the world; but the ultimate intention looked through that fire which shall consume the world preserved from water.

      The testimonies which follow in the Law and the Prophets, the predictions of Christ and the Apostles, are so many and so known, that both the number and the plainness will excuse the prosecution.  The throne hath been already seen, the Judge hath appeared sitting on it, the books have been already opened, the dead small and great have been seen standing before him; there is nothing more certain in the word of God, no doctrine more clear and fundamental, than that of eternal judgment. [Heb. 6:2]  I shall therefore briefly conclude the first consideration from the internal testimony of the conscience of man, from the essential attribute, the justice of God, from the clear and full revelation of the will and determination of God, that after death, with a reflection on this, and in relation to another life, there is a judgment to come, there shall some person come to judge.

      Our second consideration followeth, (seeing we are so well assured that there shall be a judgment); who that person is which shall come to judge, who shall sit upon that throne, before whose tribunal we shall all appear, from whose mouth we may expect our sentence.  Now the judiciary power is the power of God, and none hath any right to judge the subjects and servants of God, but that God whose servants they are.  The Law by which we are to be judged was given by him, the actions which are to be discussed were due to him, the persons which are to be tried are subject to his dominion; God therefore is the Judge of all. [Heb. 12:23]  He shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil [Eccl. 12:14]; and so the last day, that day of wrath, is the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. [Rom. 2:5]  Now if God, as God, be the Judge of all, then [M297] whosoever is God is Judge of all men; and therefore being we have proved the Father and the Son, and shall hereafter also prove the Holy Ghost, to be God, it followeth that the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost shall judge the world;* because the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in respect of the same Divinity, have the same autocratorical power, dominion, and authority.

      But notwithstanding in that particular day of the general judgment to come, the execution of this judiciary power shall be particularly committed to the Son, and so the Father and the Holy Ghost shall actually judge the world no otherwise but by him.  For God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained. [Acts 17:31]  It is God who judgeth, it is Christ by whom he judgeth.  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. [John 5:22]  There is therefore an original, supreme, autocratorical, judiciary power; there is a judiciary power delegated, derived, given by commission.  Christ as God hath the first together with the Father and the Holy Ghost; Christ as man hath the second from the Father expressly, from the Holy Ghost concomitantly.  For the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man [John 5:27]; not simply, because he is a man, therefore he shall be judge, (for then by the same reason every man should judge, and consequently none, because no man could be judged if every man should only judge) but because of the three Persons which are God, he only is also the Son of man;* and therefore for his affinity with their nature, for his sense of their infirmities, for his appearance to their eyes, most fit to represent the greatest mildness and sweetness of equity, in the severity of that just and irrespective judgment.

      Nor was this a reason only in respect of us who are to be judged, but in regard of him also who is to judge; for we must not look only upon his being the Son of man, but also upon what he did and suffered as the Son of man.  He humbled himself so far as to take upon him our nature; in that nature so taken, he humbled himself to all the infirmities which that was capable of, to all the miseries which this life could bring; to all the pains and sorrows which the sins of all the world could cause : and therefore in regard of his humiliation did God exalt him, and part of the exaltation due unto him was this power of judging.  The Father therefore, who is only God, and never took upon him either the nature of men or angels, judgeth no man [John 5:22, 25, 27] (and the same reason reacheth also to the Holy Ghost); [M298] but hath committed all judgment to the Son; and the reason why he hath committed it to him is, because he is not only the Son of God, and so truly God, but also the Son of man, and so truly man; because he is that Son of man who suffered so much for the sons of men.

      From whence at last it clearly appeareth not only that it is a certain truth that Christ shall judge the world, but also the reasons are declared and manifested unto us why he hath that power committed unto him, why he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  For certainly it is a great demonstration of the justice of God, so highly to reward that Son of man, as to make him Judge of all the world, who came into the world and was judged here; to give him absolute power of absolution and condemnation, who was by us condemned to die, and died that he might absolve us; to cause all the sons of men to bow before his throne, who did not disdain for their sakes to stand before the tribunal and receive that sentence, Let him be crucified;* [Matt. 27:22] which event as infallible, and reason as irrefragable, Christ himself did spew at the same time when he stood before the judgment seat, saying, Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. [Matt. 26:64]

      Again, if we look upon ourselves which are to be judged, whom can we desire to appear before, rather than him who is of the same nature with us?  If the children of Israel could not bear the presence of God as a Lawgiver, but desired to receive the Law by the hand of Moses; how should we appear before the presence of that God judging us for the breach of that Law, were it not for a better Mediator, of the same nature that Moses was and we are, who is our Judge?  In this appeareth the wisdom and goodness of God, that making a general judgment, he will make a visible Judge, which all may see who shall be judged.  Without holiness no man shall ever see God [Heb. 12:14]; and therefore if God, as only God, should pronounce sentence upon all men, the ungodly should never see their Judge.*  But that both the righteous and unrighteous might see and know who it is that judgeth them, Christ who is both God and man is appointed Judge; so as he is man all shall see him, and as he is God they only shall see him who by that vision shall enjoy him.

      Christ Jesus then, the Son of God, and the Son of man, he which was born of the Virgin Mary, he which suffered under Pontius Pilate, he which was crucified, dead and buried, and descended into hell, he which rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is set down on the right hand of God; he, the same person, in the same nature, shall come to judge the quick [M299] and the dead.  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. [Matt. 16:27]  He then which is to come is the Son of man; and when he cometh, it is to judge.  The same Jesus which was taken up from the Apostles into heaven, shall so come in like manner as they saw him go into heaven. [Acts 1:11]  That Son of man then, which is to judge, is our Jesus, even the same Jesus, and shall come in the same manner, by a true and local translation of the same nature out of heaven.  For God will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given an assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. [Acts 17:31]  He then which ascended into heaven was the same which was raised from the dead; and by that resurrection God assured us that the same man should judge us.  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. [Rom. 14:9]  It appeareth therefore by God’s determination, by Christ’s resurrection and ascension, that the man Christ Jesus is appointed Judge.

      This office and dignity of the Son of man was often declared by several figurative and parabolical descriptions.  John the Baptist representeth him that cometh after him, by this delineation of an husbandman; Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.* [Matt. 3:12]  The Son of man describes himself as an householder, saying to the reapers in the time of harvest, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn [Matt. 13:30, 39]: and this harvest is the end of the world.*  He representeth himself under the notion of a fisherman, casting a net into the sea, and gathering of every kind; which, when it was full, he drew to the shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. [Matt. 13:47, 48]  He is the Bridegroom who took the wise virgins with him to the marriage, and shut the door [Matt. 25:10] upon the foolish.  He is the Man who, travelling into a far country, delivered the talents to his servants, and after a long time cometh again, and reckoneth with them, exalting the good and faithful, and casting the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. [Matt. 25:19, 21, 30]  Lastly, he is the Shepherd, and is so expressly described in relation to this judgment. For when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. [Matt. 25:31–33]  Being then the Son of man is thus constantly represented as making the great decretory separation, and the last judicatory distinction between man and man; as an husbandman separating the wheat, sometime from the chaff, sometime from the tares; as a fisherman gathering the good fish, casting the bad away; as a bridegroom receiving the wise, excluding the foolish virgins; as a master distinguishing the servants of his family, rewarding the faithful, punishing the unprofitable; as a shepherd, dividing his sheep from the goats, placing one on the right hand, the other on the left; it plentifully proveth that the Son of man is appointed the judge of all the sons of men.  And thus it appeareth that Christ is he who shall be the Judge; which is the second consideration subservient to the present explication.

      Thirdly, It being thus resolved that the Son of man shall be the Judge, our next consideration is, what may the nature of this judgment be; in what that judicial action doth consist; what he shall then do, when he shall come to judge.  The reality of this act doth certainly consist in the final determination, and actual disposing of all persons in soul and body to their eternal condition: and in what manner this shall particularly be [M300] performed is not so certain unto us;* but that which is sufficient for us, it is represented under a formal judiciary process.  In which first there is described a throne, a tribunal, a judgment seat: for in the regeneration the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory [Matt. 19:28]: and that this throne is a seat not only of majesty but also of judicature, appeareth by the following words spoken to the Apostles, Ye also shall sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  As in that vision in the Revelation, I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sate on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. [Rev. 20:4, 11]  This throne of Christ is expressly called his judgment seat, when the Apostle tells us, We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, [Rom. 14:10] and, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. [2 Cor. 5:10]  In respect then of the Son of man, he shall appear in the proper form and condition of a Judge, sitting upon a throne of judicature.  Secondly, There is to be a personal appearance of all men before that seat of judicature upon which Christ shall sit, for we must all appear, and we shall all stand before that judgment seat.  I saw the dead, saith the Apostle, stand before the throne of God. [Rev. 20:12]  Thus all nations shall be gathered before him. [Matt. 25:32]  He shall send his angels with a great sound of al trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [Matt. 24:31]  For the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is our gathering together unto him. [2 Thess. 2:1]  Thirdly, When those which are to be judged are brought before the judgment seat of Christ, all their actions shall appear: he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts [1 Cor. 4:5]: he will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. [Eccles. 12:14]  To this end, in the vision of Daniel, when the judgment was set, the books were opened [Dan. 7:10]; and in that of St. John, the books were opened; and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books according to their works. [Rev. 20:12]  Fourthly, After the manifestation of all their actions, there followeth a definitive sentence passed upon all their persons, according to those actions, which is the fundamental and essential consideration of this judgment;* the sentence of absolution, in these words expressed, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world [Matt. 25:34]; the sentence of condemnation in this manner, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. [Matt. 25:41]  Lastly, After the promulgation of the sentence, followeth the execution: as it is written, And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. [Matt. 25:46]  Thus appeareth Christ’s majesty by sitting on the throne; his authority, by convening all before him; his knowledge and wisdom, by opening all secrets, revealing all actions, discerning all inclinations; his justice, in condemning sinners; his mercy, in absolving believers; his power, in the execution of his sentence.  And thus the Son of man shall come to judge, which is the last particular subservient to the third consideration of this Article.

      The fourth and last consideration is, what is the object of this action; who are the persons which shall appear before that Judge, and receive their sentence from him; what is the latitude of that expression, the quick and the dead.  The phrase itself is delivered several times in the Scriptures, and that upon the same occasion; for Christ was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead, [Acts 10:42] and so his commission extendeth to both: he is ready to judge the quick and the dead [1 Pet. 4:5]; his resolution reacheth to each; and as he is ordained and ready, so shall he judge the quick and the dead [2 Tim.4:1]; the execution excludeth neither.  But although it be the Scripture language, and therefore certainly true; yet there is some ambiguity in the phrase, and therefore the intended sense not evident.

[M301]            The Holy Ghost speaketh of death in several notions, which makes the quick and the dead capable of several interpretations.  Because after death the soul doth live, and the body only remaineth dead; therefore some have understood the souls of men by the quick, and their bodies by the dead:* and then the meaning will be this, that Christ shall come to judge immediately upon the resurrection, when the souls which were preserved alive shall be joined to the bodies which were once dead; and so men shall be judged entirely both in body and soul, for all those actions which the soul committed in the body.  Now though this be a truth, that men shall be judged when their souls and bodies are united; though they shall be judged according to those works which their souls have acted in their bodies; yet this is not to be acknowledged as the interpretation of this Article, for two reasons: first, because it is not certain that all men shall die, at least a proper death, so that their bodies shall be left any time without their souls: secondly, because this is not a distinction of the parts of man, but of the persons of men.

      Again, Because the Scripture often mentioneth a death in trespasses and sins, and a living unto righteousness, others have conceived by the quick to be understood the just, and by the dead the unjust:* so that Christ shall judge the quick, that is the just, by a sentence of absolution; and the dead, that is the unjust, by a sentence of condemnation.  But though the dead be sometimes taken for sinners, and the living for the righteous, though it be true that Christ shall judge them both; yet it is not probable that in this particular they should be taken in a figurative or metaphorical sense, because there is no adjunct giving any such intimation, and because the literal sense affordeth a fair explication: further yet, because the Scripture in the same particular naming the quick and the dead sufficiently teacheth us that it is to be understood of a corporeal death: Whether we live or die, saith the Apostle, we are the Lord’s.  For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. [Rom. 14:8, 9]

      Thirdly, Therefore by the dead are understood all those who ever died before the time of Christ’s coming to judgment, and by the quick such as shall be then alive:* so that the quick and [M302] the dead, literally taken, are considered in relation to the time of Christ’s coming; at which time there shall be a generation living upon the face of the earth, and before which time all the generations passed since the creation of the world shall be numbered among the dead.  And this undoubtedly is the proper and literal sense of the Article, that Christ shall come to judge, not only those which shall be alive upon the earth at his appearing, but also all such as have lived and died before.  None shall be then judged while they are dead: whosoever stand before the judgment seat shall appear alive; but those which never died shall be judged as they were alive; those which were dead before, that they may be judged, shall rise to life. He shall judge therefore the quick, that is those which shall be then alive when he cometh; and he shall judge the dead, that is those which at the same time shall be raised from the dead.*

      The only doubt remaining in this interpretation is, whether those which shall be found alive when our Saviour cometh, shall still so continue till they come to judgment; or upon his first appearance they shall die, and after death revive, and so, together with all those which rise out of their graves, appear before the judgment seat?  The consideration of our mortality, and the cause thereof, (that it is appointed for all men once to die, in that death hath passed upon all) [Heb. 9:27, Rom. 5:12] might persuade us that the last generation of mankind should taste of death as well as all the rest that went before it; and therefore it hath been thought, especially of late, that those whom Christ at his coming finds alive, shall immediately dies ; and after a sudden and universal expiration, shall be restored to life again, and joined with the rest whom the graves shall render, that all may be partakers of the resurrection.

      But the Apostle’s description of the last day mentioneth no such kind of death, yea rather excludeth. it.  For we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we be ever with the Lord. [1 Thess. 4:15–17]  In which words, they which remain unto the coming of the Lord are not said to die or to rise from the dead, but are distinguished from those which are asleep and rise first; yea, being alive, are caught up together with them, having not tasted death.*

      The same is farther confirmed by the same Apostle, saying, Behold, I shew you a mystery ; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. [1 Cor. 15:51]  Which being added to the former, putteth this doctrine out of question: for the living which remain at the coming of Christ are opposed to them which are asleep, and the opposition consists in this, that they shall not sleep; which sleep is not opposed to a long death, but to death itself, as it followeth, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, [1 Cor. 15:52] and we (which shall not [M303] sleep) shall be changed; so that their mutation shall be unto them as a resurrection.*  And the collation of these two Scriptures maketh up this conclusion so manifestly, that I conceive no man had ever doubted or questioned the truth of it, had they not first differed in the reading of the text.*

      Wherefore being the place to the Thessalonians sufficiently proves it of itself, being that to the Corinthians, as we read it, invincibly confirmeth the same truth, I conclude that the living, when Christ shall come, are properly distinguished from all those [M304] which die before his coming; because death itself hath passed upon the one, and only a change different from death shall pass upon the other; and so conceive that Christ is called the Lord and Judge of the quick and dead, in reference at least to this expression of the Creed.  For although it be true of the living of any age to say that Christ is Lord and Judge of them and of the dead, yet in the next age they are not the living but the dead which Christ shall come to judge, and consequently no one generation but the last can be the quick which he shall judge.  As therefore to the interpretation of this Article, I take that distinction to be necessary, that in the end of the world all the generations dead shall be revived, and the present generation living so continued, and Christ shall gather them all to his tribunal seat, and so shall truly come to judge both the quick and the dead.*

      To believe an universal judgment to come is necessary: first, to prevent the dangerous doubts arising against the ruling of the world by the providence of God; that old rock of offence upon which so many souls have suffered shipwreck.  That which made the Prophet David confess, his feet were almost gone, his steps had well nigh slipped, [Ps. 73:2] hath hurried multitudes of men to eternal perdition.  The conspicuous prosperity of the wicked, and apparent miseries of the righteous; the frequent persecutions of virtue, and eminent rewards of vice; the sweet and quiet departures often attending upon the most dissolute, and horrid tortures putting a period to the most religious lives, have raised a strong temptation of doubt and mistrust, whether there be a God that judgeth the earth.  Nor is there any thing in this life considered alone, which can give the least rational satisfaction to this temptation.  Except there be a life to come after such a death as we daily see, except in that life there be rewards and punishments otherwise dispensed than here they are, how can we ground any acknowledgment of an overruling justice?  That therefore we may be assured that God who sitteth in heaven ruleth over all the earth, that a divine and most holy providence disposeth and dispenseth all things here below; it is absolutely necessary to believe and profess, that a just and exact retribution is deferred, that a due and proportionable dispensation of rewards and punishments is reserved to another world; and consequently that there is an universal judgment to come.

      Secondly, It is necessary to believe a judgment to come, thereby effectually to provoke ourselves to the breaking off our sins by repentance, to the regulating our future actions by the word of God, and to the keeping a conscience void of offence toward God and toward man.  Such is the sweetness of our sins, such the connaturalness of our corruptions, so great our confidence of impunity here, that except we looked for an account hereafter, it were unreasonable to expect that any man should forsake his delights, renounce his complacencies, and by a severe repentance create a bitterness to his own soul.  But being once persuaded of a judgment, and withal possessed with [M305] a sense of our sins, who will not tremble with Felix? who will not flee from the wrath to come? [Matt. 3:7] what must the hardness be of that impenitent heart which treasureth up unto itself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God? [Rom. 2:5]  We are naturally inclined to follow the bent of our own wills, and the inclination of our own hearts: all external rules and prescriptions are burthensome to us; and did we not look to give an account, we had no reason to satisfy any other desires than our own: especially the dictates of the word of God are so pressing and exact, that were there nothing but a commanding power, there could be no expectation of obedience.  It is necessary then that we should believe that an account must be given of all our actions; and not only so, but that this account will be exacted according to the rule of God’s revealed will, that God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel. [Rom. 2:16]  There is in every man not only a power to reflect, but a necessary reflection upon his actions; not only a voluntary remembrance, but also an irresistible judgment of his own conversation.  Now if there were no other judge beside our own souls, we should be regardless of our own sentence, and wholly unconcerned in our own condemnations.  But if we were persuaded that these reflections of conscience are to be so many witnesses before the tribunal of heaven, and that we are to carry in our own hearts a testimony either to absolve or condemn us, we must infallibly watch over that unquiet inmate, and endeavour above all things for a good conscience.  For seeing that all things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hosting unto the coming of the day of God? [2 Pet. 3:11, 12]  Reason itself will tell us thus much; but if that do not, or if we will not hearken to our own voice, the grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us, that denying ungodliness and Worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. [Tit. 2:11–13]

      Thirdly, It is necessary to profess faith in Christ as Judge of the quick and the dead, for the strengthening our hope, for the augmenting our comfort, for the establishing our assurance of eternal life.  If we look upon the judgment to come only as revealing our secrets, as discerning our actions, as sentencing our persons according to the works done in the flesh, there is not one of us can expect life from that tribunal, or happiness at the last day.  We must confess that we have all sinned, and that there is not any sin which we have committed but deserves the sentence of death; we must acknowledge that the best of our actions bear no proportion to eternity, and can challenge no degree of that weight of glory; and therefore in a judgment, as such, there can be nothing but a fearful expectation of eternal misery, and an absolute despair of everlasting happiness.  It is necessary therefore that we should believe that Christ shall sit upon the throne, that our Redeemer shall be our Judge, that we shall receive our sentence not according to the rigour of the Law, but the mildness and mercies of the Gospel; and then we may look upon not only the precepts but also the promises of God; whatsoever sentence in the sacred Scripture speaketh any thing of hope; whatsoever text administereth any comfort, whatsoever argument drawn from thence can breed in us any assurance, we may confidently make use of them all in reference to the judgment to come: because by that Gospel which contains them all we shall be judged.  If we consider whose Gospel it is, and who shall judge us by it, we are the members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; for which cause he is not ashamed to call us brethren. [Eph. 5:30, Heb. 2:11]  As one of our brethren [Lev. 25:48] he hath redeemed us, he hath laid down his life as a ransom for us.  He is our High Priest who made an atonement for our [M306] sins, a merciful and faithful High Priest in all things, being made like unto his brethren. [Heb. 2:17]  He which is Judge is also our Advocate; and who shall condemn us, if he shall pass the sentence upon us, who maketh intercession for us? well therefore may we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him [Eph. 3:12] unto the throne of that Judge, who is our Brother, who is our Redeemer, who is our High Priest, who is our Advocate, who will not by his word at the last day condemn us, because he hath already in the same word absolved us, saying, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. [John 5:24]

      Having thus explained the nature of the judgment to come, and the necessity of believing the same, we have given sufficient light to every Christian to understand what he ought to intend, and what it is he professeth, when he saith, I believe in him who shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  For thereby he is conceived to declare thus much: I am fully persuaded of this, as of an infallible and necessary truth, That the eternal Son of God, in that human nature in which he died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, shall certainly come from the same heaven into which he ascended, and at his coming shall gather together all those which shall be then alive, and all which ever lived and shall be before that day dead: when causing them all to stand before his judgment seat, he shall judge them all according to their works done in the flesh; and passing the sentence of condemnation upon all the reprobates, shall deliver them to be tormented with the devil and his angels; and pronouncing the sentence of absolution upon all the elect, shall translate them into his glorious kingdom, of which there shall be no end.  And thus I believe in Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead.