;
but if Christ had not risen, then they were mistaken in supposing
that heaven had been opened for them: they were yet held in the
necessity of descending to the under world, the penalty of their
sins. The careful reader will observe that, in many places in the
Scriptures where a burden and stress of importance seem laid upon
the death of Christ, there immediately follows a reference to his
resurrection, showing that the dying is only referred to as the
preparatory step to the rising, the resurrection being the
essential thing. "The Apostle Paul scarcely speaks of the death of
the Savior except in connection with his resurrection," Bleek
says, in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. "It is
Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again and is now at
the right hand of God."

"If we believe that Jesus died and rose again." "To this end
Christ both died, and rose and lived again." "He died for them and
rose again." We confidently avow, therefore, that the Christian
Scriptures concentrate the most essential significance and value
of the mission of Jesus in his resurrection, describing it as the
Divine seal of his claims, the visible proof and pledge of our
redemption, by God's freely forgiving grace, from the fatal
bondage of death's sepulchral domain to the blessed splendors of
heaven's immortal life.

There remain a class of passages to be particularly noticed, in
which an extraordinary emphasis seems to be laid on Christ's
sufferings, Christ's blood, Christ's death, three phrases that
mean virtually the same thing and are used interchangeably. The
peculiar prominence given to the idea of the sacrifice of Christ
in the instances now referred to is such as might lead one to
suppose that some mysterious efficacy was meant to be attributed
to it. But we think an accurate examination of the subject will
show that these texts are really in full harmony with the view we
have been maintaining. Admitting that the resurrection of Christ
was the sole circumstance of ultimate meaning and importance,
still, his violent and painful death would naturally be spoken of
as often and strongly as it is, for two reasons. First, the chief
ground of wonder and claim for gratitude to him was that he should
have left his pre existent state of undisturbed bliss and glory,
and submitted to such humiliation and anguish for others, for
sinners. Secondly, it was the prerequisite to his resurrection,
the same, in effect, with it, si