Now as this place holds forth Christ as a Common person in his Death representing us;1 so other places hold forth the like of his Resurrection. 2In the 1 Cor. 15. 20. the Apostle argues, that Elect Believers must and shall rise, because Now Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep. See the force of this Argument founded upon this notion and consideration, that Christ was a Common person representing all the rest; and this strongly presented in that expression of his being the first-fruits, in allusion to the Rite in the Levitical Law. All the sheaves in a field being unholy of themselves, there was some one sheaf in the name and room of all the rest, (which was called the first-fruit) which was lift up, and waved before the Lord; and so all the sheaves abroad in the field, by that act done to this one sheaf, were consecrated unto ⟨p. 65⟩God, (Levi. 23. 10. &c.) by virtue of that law. The meaning of which Rite, the Apostle expounding; allegeth Rom. 11. 16. [If the first-fruits be holy, all the lump is holy also,] Thus when we were all dead, Christ as the First-fruits riseth, and this in our name and stead, and so we all rise with him and in him. And although the Saints departed are not, it their own persons, as yet risen, (as we all who are now alive, are not in our own persons yet dead) yet in the mean time, because thus they are risen in Christ, as their First-fruits; hence, in the very words following, he faith, they are but asleep, [He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep,] because they remain alive in Christ their Head, and shall rise one day: because [in him] they virtually are already risen; and this in Gods account in as true and just a sense, as we (though personally alive) are yet all reckoned dead in Adam, because in as a Common person had the sentence of death pronounced on him, by virtue of which we must dye; and this by the force of the same Law, even of that which we have inculcated of being a Common person, representing us. And indeed, so it follows, (which argues this to be the Apostles meaning) ver. 21. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. His argument lies thus: Adam was the first-fruits of them that dyed; Christ, of them that rise. Hence therefore we are elsewhere said (though in respect to another life) to be rise with Christ, Ephes. 2. 5, 6.
Now as this place holds forth Christ as a Common person in his Death representing us;1 so other places hold forth the like of his Resurrection. 2In the 1 Cor. 15. 20. the Apostle argues, that Elect Beleevers must and shall rise, because Now Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first-fruits of them that sleep. See the force of this Argument founded upon this notion and consideration, that Christ was a Common person representing all the rest; and this strongly presented in that expression of his being the first-fruits, in allusion to the Rite in the Leviticall Law. All the sheaves in a field being unholy of themselves, there was some one sheafe in the name and room of all the rest, (which was called the first-fruit) which was lift up, and waved before the Lord; and so all the sheaves abroad in the field, by that act done to this one sheafe, were consecrated unto ⟨p. 65⟩God, (Levi. 23. 10. &c.) by vertue of that law. The meaning of which Rite, the Apostle expounding; alledgeth Rom. 11. 16. [If the first-fruits be holy, all the lump is holy also,] Thus when we were all dead, Christ as the First-fruits riseth, and this in our name and stead, and so we all rise with him and in him. And although the Saints departed are not, it their owne persons, as yet risen, (as wee all who are now alive, are not in our own persons yet dead) yet in the meane time, because thus they are risen in Christ, as their First-fruits; hence, in the very words following, hee faith, they are but asleep, [He is become the first-fruits of them that sleep,] because they remaine alive in Christ their Head, and shall rise one day: because [in him] they virtually are already risen; and this in Gods account in as true and just a sense, as we (though personally alive) are yet all reckoned dead in Adam, because in as a Common person had the sentence of death pronounced on him, by vertue of which we must dye; and this by the force of the same Law, even of that which wee have inclucated of being a Common person, representing us. And indeed, so it followes, (which argues this to be the Apostles meaning) ver. 21. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. His argument lies thus: Adam was the first-fruits of them that dyed; Christ, of them that rise. Hence therefore we are elsewhere said (though in respect to another life) to be rise with Christ, Ephes. 2. 5, 6
- 1§. 2.
- 2More particularly, how Christ was a Common person in his Resurrection, and therein representing us.
