1.7 8. 2 Tim. 4.1 Secondly For expressions about the Text. In the verse before the Son of Man is said to be He that Descended and came down from Heaven and Ascended up into Heaven and is in Heaven But none hath done so and is so but Jesus Christ Yea and in the very next verse it appears that He who is here called the Son of Man is there called The only begotten Son of God For whereas it is here said That the Son of Man must be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him might not perish but have eternal life It follows in the next verse as the reason hereof For God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Now certain it is That God hath not designed two distinct objects of Faith or two distinct Saviours to be believed on and to be the givers of Eternal life but only one and that is his Son our Lord Jesus Christ there being Salvation in no other nor any other name given under Heaven whereby we must be saved Act. 4.11 12. They are then the same the Son of Man And the only begotten Son of God The only begotten Son of God therefore is the Son of Man that 's the Person here meant of and called so 2. But then the reason why he is called or rather calls himself so is worthy to be inquired into and considered For we do not find the Evangelists or Apostles any where so to call him when they speak of him but they usually call him Jesus or Jesus of Nazareth Mark 10.47 16.6 Luk. 24.19 Act. 2.22 Or the Lord Jesus Luk. 24.3 Act. 1.21 4.33 Or simply the Lord. Luk. 7.31 11.39 Or Jesus Christ Mat. 1.18 Mark 1.1 John 1.17 Or Jesus which is called the Christ Mat. 1.16 Or Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16.16 Or The Lord Jesus Christ Acts 15.11 26. But he often and usually speaking of himself calls himself the Son of Man as is easie to observe in reading the Evangelists Now the reason of this may be manifold as Reason 1. That he calls himself the Son of Man might be to shew us and set us an example of his Humility and to instruct us how to withstand and be kept free from temptations to pride and high-mindedness to which Sathan is ready to tempt us from the consideration of any priviledges or more excellent endowments bestowed upon us It is an evident thing that we are very prone to lift up our selves in the view or conceit of any thing almost either inward or outward wherein we differ from so as to appear better therein then others If it be but a better suite of Apparel or Hair or Stature or Beauty or Strength or Estate or Birth we are apt to know our selves by them and to think so much the goodlier of our selves and carry our selves above or loftily towards others that are or appear inferiour to us in such things how much more if we be more honoured or honourable be in greater office or place among men have better gifts or parts Yea the very works of righteousness wrought by us or the Revelations of Mysteries and great things to us reflected on by us are apt to puff us up as is implyed both in the pride of the Pharisees trusting in themselves that they were righteous and despising others Luk. 18.9 And that admonition given to the believing Gentiles Not to be high-minded but fear When they consider Gods goodness to them and their better state then that of the unbelieving and in part rejected Jews Rom. 11.21 22. and by what the Apostle saith of himself viz. Least through the abundance of Revelations given him he should be exalted above measure there was given him a thorn in the Flesh c. 2 Cor. 12.3 Now as God out of faithfulness to and care of the Prophet Ezekiel to prevent his being lifted up when he had seen the Visions of the glory of God the God of Israel Chap. 1. 3. 8. 10. c And the Visions of the re-edification of the Church and Temple of God and of the New Jerusalem alwaies I think in his speaking to him calls him Son of Man as is to be seen in Chap. 2.1 3 6 8 3 1 3 4 10 17 25. c. Yea it s used in that Prophecy in Gods speaking to that Prophet at least ninety times whereas its never used to any of the Prophets else except once to Daniel who also had diverse great Visions of things to come shewed to him Dan. 8.17 Even as for the like cause or reason namely to prevent his being exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations given him he gave the Apostle Paul a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him 2 Cor. 12. â— 8. That title the Son of Man having in it a signification of an earthy and low extract and used often by way of abasing and diminishing persons to whom it is applied As Job 25.6 Man that is a Worm and the Son of Man that is a Worm And in Isa 51.12 The Son of Man that shall be made as grass So also our Lord Jesus who was in the nature of Man taken up into and priviledged with the highest honour and excellency of State that ever man was far above all the Prophets Priests and Princes of the Earth being as none of them were taken into unity of Person with the Eternal Word and therein made the Son of God the only begotten Son the chosen and appointed one of God to be the Saviour of the World the Saviour of sinners from Sin and from the power of Death and Devil as none ever else was or could be Yea and being indued with such power and authority to do great Miracles and Wonders and doing them also such as never any before him did Yea both so speaking and speaking such things Joh. 7.46 15.22 and doing such works and therein being of that wonderful benefit and advantage to the World as never any beside mighty occasions for Sathan to find matter for tempting to pride and high-mindedness and to carry himself loftily above all others He to shew his humility and lowliness of mind and heart in the greatness of his honour and these manifold occasions of temptation to high-mindedness stiles himself as God stiled that Prophet to keep him low and humble as the greatness of Christs humility was also shewed in his being so the Son of Man Not that Christ had as man that corruption of Nature in him as Ezekiel Daniel and other holy men had that he should need to use such expressions to keep down that corruption from working in him as they and we need to have it kept down and mortified For he knew no sin though he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 8.3 He was the spotless Lamb in whom there was no blemish 1
of this he hath given evident and abundant demonstration both that he perfectly hates sin and that he will severely punish it where not pardoned and purged As 1. In his casting down the Angels that sinned not sparâ—ng them though high and glorious creatures but throwing them down to hell and reserving them in chains of darkness to the Judgment of the great day 2 Pet. 2 4. Jud. 6. 2. And in his casting man out of Paradise and inflicting upon us all the Sentence of Death upon the account of his owâ— offence we being all in him and in him offending Rom. 5.12 18 19. 3. And in his not sparing his only begotten Son when â—e stept in between God and us to Ransom and deliver us from perishing in the first Death Though he was his only begotten Son yet he pleased to bruise him and make his Soul an offering for sin and did not release us from the punishment of it to destruction upon his only praying and interceding for us without his suffering to the shedding of his Blood or powring out of his Soul unto death and therein being made a curse for us Isa 53.4 5 6 10. Gal. 3.13 Rom. 8.32 And surely if sin be so odious to him that he would not let it pass unpunished in his own Son when but imputed to him and undertaken for by him for us how can it be expected that any other person not saved from it by him but abiding in it and committing and practising it to the death especially also against Christs gracious calls and counsels and endeavours to reclaim us shall escape his Judgment If such things were done to the green tree what shall be done to the dry tree As himself said Luk. 23.31 4. And in the great and terrible day that he hath appointed whereof he hath given faith or Assurance to all men in his having raised up Christ from the dead Act. 17.30 31. And the dreadful punishments and destructions which he hath decreed and threatned then to execute upon the wilful and impenitent sinners There is a Judgment appointed to be after Death as well as there was one pronounced before it Heb. 9.27 Rom. 5.16 An Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.3 A day of the Destruction and Perdition of ungodly men 2 Pet. 3.7 The Judgment of the great day Jude 6. When Christ shall be revealed from Heaven with all his mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance on all that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1.6,7 8. When all the workers of iniquity shall perish being destroyed with as everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength or mighty power When all that are proud and all that work wickedness shall be like stubble and the day of the Lord that burneth like an oven shall utterly consume them and neither leave them root nor branch Mal. 4.1 5. Yea and in those many terrible judgments and destructions of ungodly sinners which God hath oftentimes and in all ages and places signally executed in this world are demonstrations of the severity of his anger against sin and of the power of his wrath prevailing against all the policy or strength of the sinner to withstand it and as certain Types Tastes or Ensamples of the Eternal vengeance in the great day to come to be executed and endured Such was the overflowing of the Old World the World of the ungodly with a Flood in the days of Noah 2 Pet. 2.5 The burning up of Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent Cities with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven for their great wickedness Setting them forth as ensamples of suffering eternal Vengeance as the Apostle saith Jude 7. â— 2 Pet. 2.6 The overthrow of Pharoah in the Red Sea the destructions of Saul Nabal c. The destruction and desolation of Jerusalem and the like Psal 9.16 17. Yea and that men are not only in danger of but in the way to perishing naturally and generally in and of themselves is evident too for if we mind the ways men generally walk in we shall find they are such as God hath threatned his Judgments to and revealed his wrath from Heaven against Rom. 1.18 Both so as to exclude from the Kingdom and the Glory to come and so as to destroy with everlasting destruction such as walk in them for are not the generality of men either proud persons and such he hath denounced destruction upon being hateful and abominable to him Mal. 4.1 Isa 2.11.12 Prov. 2.17 Or covetous and such God abhorreth Psa 10.3 Or Idolaters or Fornicators or Adulterers at least in heart Mat. 5.28 Or abominable defilers of themselves with mankind or effeminate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 6.9 10. delicate sost persons or Thieves or Lyers or Extorâ—ioners or Drunkards or Revilers or Murtherers or the like None of which may have any part in the Kingdom of God or of Christ but in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death A death infinitely more dreadful then the bodily Death however inflicted though in the most lingring painful and tormenting manner that ever was devised or heard of being the punishment prepared for the Devil and his Angels 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Eph. 5.3 4 5 6. Rev. 21.8 22.15 Mat. 25.41 46. At the best are not men too generally walking and passing their times as our Saviour saith of the old World and of the Sodomites in the days of Noah and Lot in eating and drinking marrying and being given in marriage buying selling building planting with a neglect of the safety of their Souls and yet upon those that so walk Destruction will come as the Flood and Fire did upon the men of those days there mentioned by him Luk. 17.26 27 28. c. Yea what need we further Testimony then that of the Apostle proving all men both Jews and Gentiles to be under Sin Rom. 3.9 19. Their throat is an open Sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in all their ways and the way of Peace they have not known there is no fear of God before their eyes And whatsoever things the Law saith it saith to them that are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world become guilty or obnoxious to judgment in the sight of God This to the first Point which tends to shew us Vse 1. Our miserable state in our selves that we might be low and little in our own eyes and not lift up our selves and walk either proudly and stoutly as if all were well with us and we in no danger of seeing evil or slothfully and securely in not earnestly looking out for a remedy yea against that it's useful to shew us 2. Our need great need of a Saviour and to inquire diligently after
the Lord your God but not believe on his Prophets And therefore if Christ the Son of man were not also the Son of God and God Jehovah he were not a lawfull object to be believed in or relyed and depended on for procuring or conferring safety and eternal life nay nor for the mercies of this life much less those which are of that nature that it 's not possible for any that is but a creature to procure or confer But we are bid and commanded to believe on the son of man Jesus Christ Believe in God believe also on me Joh. 14.1 And this is his commandement that ye believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God c. 1 Joh. 3.23 2 Had he not been lifted up by men upon the Cross as thereto appointed of God and so called forth to supported under his sufferings for us he had still not been an object to be believed on for life and salvation as the son of man because there could have been none in him for us but we had been left under the necessity of perishing for ever the law of God being broken by us and the sentence and curse of it therethrough falling upon us we naked and open thereunto Under the Law the figure of heavenly things there was scarce any thing purged but by blood and without shedding of blood was no remission Heb. 9.22 Shadowing and signifying the necessity of the death of a sacrifice for our redemption from under the wrath of God and for the remission of our sins But no sacrifice of the law could make an expiation because of the weakness and unprofitableness of them For it was not possible for the blood of Bulls and Goats to take away sin wherefore God rejected them when it was said Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldst not have but a body hast thou prepared for me Heb. 5.6 Which was spoken prophetically of Christ the Son of God becoming the son of man signifying the necessity and certainty of his being made a sacrifice and shedding his precious blood for us to make atonement for us And indeed if our sins could have been purged or expiated and redemption obtained without the death of Christ for us and his bearing and therein and thereby making satisfaction for our sins then would his death and sufferings be rendred vain and needlesse which is horrible for us to think that God would put his own and only begotten son to such agonies sorrows and death without need for them as the Apostle implies when he saith I do not frustrate the grace of God for if righteousness be by the law then Christ dyed in vain that is needlesly The end of his dying might have been brought about without it Gal. 2.21 Some rich man might have redeemed his brother by buying and giving to God a multitude of those legal sacrifices for him contrary to Psal 49.6 7 8. Yea and the Apostle by saying if righteousness be by the law excludes righteousness by any other means than by the death of Christ Taking it for granted that the law was the most absolute way for getting righteousness that ever was in the World besides the death and sufferings of Christ it containing precepts and appointments ordered of God and if that was insufficient surely all the riches and honours in the World could not procure it nor any doctrines or documents of the Phylosophers or wise men of the Gentiles or of any people whatsoever they being far short of God and his wisdome in appointing things pleasing in his sight so that it follows that there was a necessity of Christs death and of his being lifted up in such sense as we shewed before that he was exalted and lifted up therein because otherwise he could not have been an Object to be looked to or beleived on for salvation because no salvation or redemption from death and curse and by consequence no eternal life or lawfull power to give it could have been in him but by his death and sufferings 3. Necessary hereto also it was that he should not himself perish in his sufferings as to his humanity but be raised up again otherwise he could be no object still to be believed on for life and salvation Because had he not risen again from the dead but been lost and perished therein he could not have been as the Son of man in any capacity of helping us nor could we have been justified and acquitted from our sins by his sufferings seeing his body in which he bare our sins was the payment given to law and justice for them and had not that been raised the debt had not been acknowledged as sufficiently paid or to have been sufficient to satisfie justice Yea he being our Champion had he perished in the conflict or combate and not returned Victor we had all been routed as it fared with the Philistines when Goliah was slain by David or rather as it would have fared with Israel had Goliah killed David If Christ be not risen preaching is vain and our faith is vain we are yet in our sins 1 Cor. 15.14.17 Nor could he as the Son of man have been in a case to releive or help us any further much lesse to keep us back from perishing and give us eternal life For from a person dead while dead what help can be expected 4. Nor could he be an Object to be believed on or we have had any ground to believe on him for procuring for us further grace or dispensing it to us for preserving us from perishing in the second death or for directing leading us in the way to or bringing us to the injoyment of eternal life if he had been only raised to live as a private person or in a mean condition as before on the earth again without being exalted to Gods right hand and invested in the nature of man and as the Son of man with those Offices of the great Prophet and Apostle and High-Priest of our profession the great King of Saints and Nations and Lord of all creatures If he had not been glorified with the glory of God and filled with his fulnesse If he had been here on earth still he should not have been a Priest seeing there were Priests that offer gifts according to the Law Heb. 8. Nor would the comforter have been sent to his Apostles and servants seeing it behooved him to present himself to God as the perfect sacrifice and become the great High-Priest even in the Heavens themselves appearing in the presence of God for us and making intercession for transgressors and for all that come to God by him that he might purge the Heavens themselves from the effects and cries of our sins there and sprinkling the vertues of his precious blood there in the presence of God make an attonement and obtain and receive the holy spirit for us to shed forth upon us and to remove the guilt of our sins from before God that it might be dispensed
Palaces wherewith they have made him glad Psal 45.8 And we find his Spouse clothed and adorned by him and for him too in Ezek. 10 11 12 13. and in Rev. 19.7 8. But of these things I shall not speak more largely III. We have seen the perfections of man Let us a little as we may view also those of the Angels He is also called the Angel of the Covenant Angel is in English a Messenger and therefore so translated in our later Editions of the Bible in Mal. 3.1 The Angel of Gods presence that saved Israel Isa 63.9 And that redeemed Jacob out of all evil and had power of blessing Gen. 48.16 And surely He is the highest and best Messenger or Angel that was ever sent of God being his only Son Nor can we find any excellency in the Angels in which he doth not out-strip them They are said to excel in strength doing Gods commandments Psal 107.20 but they excel not nor equalize him in either They cannot uphold all things by the Word of their Power as He doth Heb. 1.3 Nor could they stand under the weight of our sins as He did 1 Pet. 2.24 Therefore they give him the preheminence and judge him only Worthy to receive the Power Riches Wisdom and Strength Honour Glory and Blessing Rev. 5.12 Nor do they Gods Commandments like or equally to him who obeyed to the death the Death of the Cross laying down his life at his Fathers commandement and delighting to do his will therein so as to bear and take away our sins by the sacrifice of himself Philip. 2.8 Joh. 10.18 Heb. 9.26 and 10.5 6. Psal 40.48 Joh. 14.31 They are also intelligent and understanding spirits great in knowledge and excellent in speech 1 Cor. 13.1 yet far short of him for God hath found folly in them saith Job 4.18 but Christ is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 knowing his Father whom none else so knows Matth. 11.27 and grace is poured into his lips so as God hath blessed him for ever Psal 45.2 They are also great in power especially such of them as are called Principalities and Powers Eph. 1.20 21. but not equal with Christ to whom all of them are commanded to give worship He hath obtained a far more excellent name by inheritance then they as may be seen Heb. 1.5 6. to the end They are indeed Spirits but ministring Spirits to him He is the Lord that Spirit the quickning Spirit so as none of them are 2 Cor. 3.16 17. 1 Cor. 15.45 So that in him are all the perfections and more then all the perfections of Creatures Yea CHAP. XXII Secondly That in Christ are all things Answering the Needs of Fallen man all things that pertain both to Life and Godliness AGain he is and in him are all things answering the Needs of his fallen Creatures of Mankind All things pertaining to Life and Godliness and they are given us in the knowledg of him 2 Pet. 1.3 Let us view that in either Branch First All things pertaining to Life he is and are in him for us And that both as 1. Necessary to the Being and Upholding of it not only as by his Death and Sacrifice we are and this Old World for us is upholden so as that we may subsist and Live as it were from Death or the state thereof which we were Obnoxious to under a comfortable Injoyment of a natural Life and Being and have therein opportunities of seeking the Lord Psal 73.3 Acts 17.26 27. But also in reference to a Spiritual life and happy being in and from him And so whereas First It 's necessary to our so Living that we be Begotten from the Dead to live to God he is the Begetter of men thereto the everlasting Father Isa 9.6 Who Begets in his own likenes as Adam did in his but far better Children because Adam Begat none till he was fallen into Sin and Misery whereas Christ Begets as one acquit of sin and raised from Death in and unto Righteousness and Life an holy Seed a blessed off-spring Children of Light and heirs of Life everlasting Yea he is the very Seed of Regeneration as held forth in his Testimony by the holy Spirit the Immortal Seed whereof the Sons of God are Begotten the Word preached in the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. And as he himself is the first Begotten from the Dead so by his Resurrection from the Dead he Begets from Death and quickens to a Lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 with Ephes 2.1 Col. 2.12 John 5.21 25. And this as to the Soul here as he will also by his powerful Voice quicken the Dead in Body to Life again at his Coming being the quickning Spirit John 5.28 29. 1 Cor. 15.45 And in both respects the Resurrection and the Life John 11.25 Yea and he gives Power to others and makes them Instruments to Beget Children to God and to bring them forth for him too as in 1 Cor. 4.15 The Apostle tells the Corinthians he was their Father for in the Gospel he had Begot them yet so as in Christ Jesus there is none can Beget Children to God but in him and his Virtue And as they are the Fruit of the travail of his Soul Isa 53.10 So in and from him others are instrumental Mothers to Travail in Birth with them also Gal. 4.19 2. The Children Born must be Nursed up and he is the prime in Nursing what he Begets and brings forth for he can no more forget them then no nor so much as a Mother her sucking Child Isa 49.14 15. He nourishes them principally though he makes his Servants Instruments of Nursing them up too with the sincere Milk of his Word which he also primarily is as more understandibly discovered to the weak in his heavenly Doctrin 1 Pet. 2.2 Isa 55.13 Heb. 5.13 Yea and he comforts his Children as one whom his Mother comforts Isa 66.13 And surely its by manifesting himself to them that he gives them comfort John 14.16 17 21. And in this Nursing up and causing to live as the living Child must have So 1. He is the Bread and Water of Life John 6.35 and 4.10.14 his Flesh meat indeed and his Blood drink indeed And as the living Child needs clothing So 2. He is the Clothing and Apparrel For he as our Righteousness put on by us in believing on him and his Virtues as adorning us is our Raiment and Ornament too Whence that So many of us as have been Baptised into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.27 And Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13.14 And he bids us Buy of him white Raiment that our Nakedness may be covered and that our shame may not appear Rev. 3.18 3. It must have harbour and Lodging And he is the Dwelling-place for his Children in all Generations Psal 90.1 Where is sweet Peace Rest and Safety Psal 4.8 and 91.1 He being a house of Stone a strong habitation to defend and save us from our Enemies Psal 31.4
be justified by the Law of Moses and all its sacrifices yea so as to justifie all from that first Sentence of Condemnation so as they shall none of them perish therein but be all raised up again there-from The Free gift herethrough abounding to all men to the justification of life Rom. 3.22 23 24. 5.18 1 Tim. 2.6 1 Cor. 15.21 22. This honour God put upon none else Man or Angel to call them forth to that Judgment to satifie for and redeem any man from death and destruction But he hath so magnified his Son as to look upon him as sufficient to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole World If it be a magnifying a man as Job saith to take pains with him in visiting him every morning and trying him every moment that he might purifie and purge him from sin and render him fit for fellowship with him Job 7.17 18. Surely then it was much more a magnifying the Son of Man and a greater account made of him to take him as an offering and oblation a ransome and expiation for the sins of the whole World so as upon that account to uphold and spare the whole World during the day of his grace and patience and to justifie and save for ever all that come to God and abide with him in and through him 3. In his raising him up from the Dead which was an eminent Act of the exaltation and lifting up of his Person A lifting him up from the gates of Death that he might shew forth his praises in the gates of the Daughters of Sion As is said Psal 9.13 And of this raising him up from the Dead may that be understood prophetically that is written in Psal 30.1 2. Where this Phrase is used of lifting up I will extol thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up and hast not made my foes to rejoyce over me Comparing it with ver 3. Where he saith O Lord thou hast brought up my Soul from the Grave Thou hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit Or rather as the Hebrew Word more properly signifies and as Symmachus reads it thou hast quickned me or made me alive again from my going down into the pit Or as some read it from them that go down into the pit in which he also was mightily declared to be the Son of God with power Rom. 1.3 4. 4. Most fully in his exalting him at his right hand in his Ascention and taking him up into his own Glory that 's called an exalting or lifting him up Act. 5.31 For it 's the same Word that is here Translated lifted up Him hath God exalted or lifted up with his right hand a Prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins This was most evidently and fully a glorifying of him according to what himself also said John 13.31 32. Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him If God be glorified in him God shall also glorifie him in himself and shall straight way glorifie him Of this it 's said God raised him from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1.21 A lifting him up indeed For herein he was lifted up 1. As to place both out of Grave and Hell and also out of and above the Earth into the heavenly places as in Ephes 1.20 21. He raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenlies or heavenly places for he is not entred into the holy places made with hands into which the High Priests under the Law used once a year to enter but into Heaven it self Heb. 9.24 To which agrees 1 Pet. 3.22 He is gone up into Heaven Yea far above all Heavens All these visible and perceptible heavens or what are known to us Ephes 4.10 Into Heaven it self and far above all Heavens As opposed to the Earth from which he Ascended and went and where other high Priests used to Minister Heb. 8.4 Unto which Earth he shall descend again from Heaven when he comes again to Judge the World in righteousness Act. 1.11 1 Thes 4.15 16. As he was not in the Grave when he was risen So being now in Heaven he is not upon the Earth in respect of that body and personal Being in which he Ascended and went up to Heaven He was taken up into Heaven So as he truly said I am no more in the World but I come to thee John 17.11 And I leave the World and go to the Father John 16.28 And me ye have not always Namely present with you in body in such a manner as he said The poor ye have always with you Matt. 26.11 2. In respect of state He is lifted up and exalted to dignity and honour into a more excellent and glorious condition then either he himself was in here among men or then other either Man or Angel is in A State 1. Of greater felicity then ever any other man or Angel was or is in his Body which was here subject to many infirmities and weaknesses in the similitude of sinfull flesh capable of being put to pain and smart and sensible of troubles and injuries yea actually abased dishonoured and made vile is now glorified and become glorious A body of glory as it s called in the Greek Phil. 3.20 And such is its Glory that in its appearance from Heaven to St Paul the glory shining from it was in brightness far surpassing the glory of the Sun at mid-day Act. 9.3 22.6 26.13 Compared with ver 16. And Chap. 22.14 With 1 Cor. 9.1 15.8 Yea the glory of its shining to him struck him blind so as that he could not see so as the glory of the Sun in its greatest brightness will not at least on such a sodain at any time do Act. 22.11 And as for his person he is so in the presence of God and so immediately beholds his face and is filled with his favour and glory that he is in that fullness of joy that is therein and of the pleasures that are there for evermore The hope and assurance of which exceedingly animated and incouraged him in his sufferings and unto them so as to endure the Cross and despise the Shame as appears comparing Heb. 12.2 With Psal 16.8 9 10 11. Which the Apostle Peter applies to Christ as Prophetically fore-seen and spoken of him Act. 2.25 This excellent and most happy State was the Son of Man to be lifted up into and accordingly into it he is lifted up and exalted Being glorified with Gods own self with the glory he had with him before the World was John 17.5 The Son of Man or Christ in the Nature of Man being taken or received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 So owned of God as no other either Man or Angel So favoured as to have it said to him so as to none of the Angels Thou art my Son this day have