Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

them was "a great gulf fixed," so that no one could pass from the one to the otherd. The spirit of the rich man was in the prison-house of darkness. From this pit, this prison-house of darkness, Christ redeemed mankind by His death. He came to "bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness from the prison-house";"" to say to the prisoners, Go forth, and to them that sit in darkness, Show yourselves f:"" to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound 8." By the blood of His covenant He was to send forth "the prisoners out of the pith," to loose the captive, "that he should not die in the piti," to break the bands of them that "sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and cold iron.k” "The Lord," says Isaiah, "shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth, and they shall be gathered together in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited'." This prediction refers to "that day" "when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalemm," which " day"

[blocks in formation]

is the commencement of the spiritual kingdom of Christ; and, as this may, in one sense, be dated from the moment of His resurrection", when He said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth";" this prediction of Isaiah which foretells that the prisoners in the pit shall be visited, may refer to the descent of Christ into Hades, when "He went and preached to the spirits in prison"."

"Him hath GOD

Christ, having thus tasted death for every man, "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondager," was, on the third days after His crucifixion, raised from the dead t. exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour"," and hath set Him "at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, 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, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all"."

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Thus," the stone which the builders refused, is become the head stone of the corner;" this 66 precious," ‚""tried stone," "is made the head of the corner" to the followers of Christ, who as "lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to GoD by Jesus Christ;" "being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord-an habitation of GOD through the Spirit"." David foretold the ascension of Christ, when he said, "Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts for mena;" "the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool";" for David "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 [Hades], neither did His flesh see corruption "."

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Thus Christ triumphed over Death and Hades, and became "the first-fruits of them that slept "."

The resurrection of Christ affords a figure of our own resurrection. When we die, we put off our corruptible bodies, which return unto dust, and we enter the abode of departed spirits; and "at the last trump" "we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," we shall put on incorruption, and we shall have bodies fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body; we shall be clothed with spiritual and immortal frames, so that "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly," for "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of GOD."

Thus Christ, having quitted Hades, resumed the body which He had left on the cross, and ascended into heaven, whence He will come in like manner as He went into heaven. In the mean time, He acts the part of a Mediator with GOD for mankind. "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," "Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also

d 1 Cor. xv. 20.

e 1 Cor. xv. 42-54. 2 Cor.

v. 1, 2. Philip. iii. 21.

f Luke, xxiv. 36, 39, 40,

43. John, xx. 19, 20, 27.

8 Luke, xxiv. 51.

h Acts, i. 11.

i 1 John, ii. 1.

maketh intercession for usk." "We have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of GOD," who hath entered into the holy of holies, and by His blood which He sprinkled before the mercy-seat of God, He hath obtained redemption for us." His covenant of salvation was finally sealed by His death on the cross; when hanging on that cross, " He said, IT IS FINISHED, and He bowed the head and gave up the ghost ";" at that moment, His covenant received its full and final ratification. "There is no more offering for sin°." We have now "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh;" for, no sooner had He exclaimed, "It is finished," and had given up the ghost, than" the vail of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom "," whereby it was shown, that the impediment to our admission into heaven was removed*. By this "new and

k Rom. viii. 34. 'Hebr. iv. 14.

m Hebr. ix. 11, 24. n John, xix. 30.

• Hebr. x. 18.
P Hebr. x. 19, 20.

9 Matt. xxvii. 51.

Although the covenant of salvation was not fully ratified, the purchase of it not completed, until Christ on the cross exclaimed, IT IS FINISHED, yet the benefits of that covenant extend throughout all time and throughout all space. The benefits of it have been communicated to man from the moment of "Adam's transgression;" for, from that moment, throughout

« PoprzedniaDalej »