"...and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive." -Acts 25:19 [KJV]
And
well might Paul affirm it; for Jesus, after His resurrection, had
spoken to Paul from heaven! Well might John, the beloved apostle, give
the church his repeated evidence to it; for Jesus not only made His
appearance to John, in common with the other apostles, but in the island
of Patmos appeared to him alone, and proclaimed Himself under those
glorious distinctions of character: "Fear not; I am He that liveth, and
was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore!" -Revelation 1:17, 18. And
well might Peter testify to the same, as he did in the family of
Cornelius, when he had such indisputable proofs for himself and the rest
of his brethren, the apostles, who were "the chosen witnesses of His
resurrection: we did eat and drink with Him (saith Peter) after He arose
from. the dead;" -Acts 10:41.
But,
my soul! mark, in the contempt with which this blessed truth is spoken
of, by the Roman governor, how little esteemed, and less regarded by the
world, is that doctrine, which is thy life. And are there not thousands
in the present hour, like Festus, who, even if they do profess a belief
of Jesus' resurrection, are like him, unconscious of its vital effects
on their hearts; and as to any of the saving influences resulting from
it in the descent of the Spirit upon them, have "never so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost!"
My
soul! how wilt thou prove the resurrection of Jesus in thine own
experience, that, like Paul, thou mayest with equal confidence speak of
this One Jesus, this only One, this blessed One, who was truly and
indeed dead, but whom thou affirmest to be alive? Pause over the
question, and then look into the real testimonies of it in thine heart.
Remember what thy Jesus said as a promise which should take place soon
after His resurrection and return to His Father, when redemption-work
was finished: "I will send the Holy Ghost the Comforter. He shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I
have said unto you;" -John 14:26.
Hence
therefore, if the Holy Ghost is come, then is Jesus risen and ascended;
and then hath the Father also most fully confirmed His perfect
approbation of the righteousness and death of Jesus, as the Surety of His people, in raising Him from the dead, setting Him on His own right
hand, and sending down the Holy Ghost, agreeably to Christ's promise.
And dost thou know all these things, in thine own experience? Is Jesus
thy resurrection and life? Hath He recovered thee by the quickening,
influences of His Holy Spirit, from death to life, and from the power of
sin and Satan to the living God? Is He now the daily life-giving,
life-imparting, life-strengthening source of all thy faith, and life,
and hope, and joy?
Is
it Jesus that becomes to thee as the dew unto Israel, reviving, like
the dew of herbs, thy dry and unpromising wintry state, where there is
no vegetation, and causing thee to put forth the tender bud afresh,
when, without His influence, every thing in thee was parched and
withered? Oh! then do thou proclaim it far and near, and let every one
witness for thee, in every circle in which thou art called to move, that
that one glorious Jesus, which was once dead, thou affirmest to be
alive, and liveth for evermore. Precious Lord Jesus! how blessed are
those sweet words of Thine to my soul: "And because I live, ye shall
live also!"
-preacher Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.)
Comments