Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A45347
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Christ's ascension into heaven asserted and practically improved in several sermons / by Joseph Hallet ... whereunto is added by way of preface some account of the pious author.
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Hallet, Joseph, 1628?-1689.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing H450; ESTC R30724
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41,914
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130
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Graces of God's Spirit were not given down in that full and abundant measure till after Christ's Ascension The Apostles had after Christ's Ascension as in the 2 Acts a greater measure of the Holy Ghost poured down into them they had been given to the People of old The Disciples living in the Enjoyment of Christ's corporal Presence were so hung upon that that they were less capable of his spiritual Presence and therefore Christ must be gone that way might be made for this Spiritual appearance an infinite comfort in this Age of great work and difficulties that God's People may now go with boldness to beg greater measures of Grace yea and expect them too for this was the end of Christ's Ascension That if Troubles grow and Work increase a Soul may now expect higher and more enlarged Graces Christ did ascend not only to give you Gifts to bring you to Heaven but to give you Ministers enriched with eminent Abilities to fit you for Heaven Eph. 4.10 which by the way may shew Men how ill they requite the LORD when they band themselves against him Your Graces and your Ministers were alike the Fruit of CHRIST's Ascension that oppose them is to resist the GRACE of GOD. 4. Christ ascended on high to make Intercession for his People My Brethren Christ got into Heaven not only to open a way for his People to pray but that he might himself pray for his People Heb. 9.24 He is entred into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us It was requisite that Christ should ascend into Heaven that as he executed the Office of a Priest by offering himself upon the Cross for us he might also do it by appearing before God in Heaven to make Intercession for us There is he now holding up his Blood his Wounds to the Father that poor Worms may be pardoned poor Souls saved poor Bodies raised and then both glorified 'T was such a Priest we wanted saith Paul Heb. 7.26 Such an High Priest became us who is holy made higher then the Heaven which by the way doth shew us the advantage which God's People have by Christ's absence more then they should by his Presence Christ could never have fulfilled the Office of his Priesthood by making Intercession for his People if he had not gone bodily into Heaven and therefore 't is said If he were on Earth he should not be a Priest Look on this now as an unspeakable comfort that our Saviour is now in Heaven bodily appearing before God making Suit and Intercession for his People that their Sins may be pardoned that their Prayers may be heard that their Souls may be saved that their Enemies may be disappointed this was typified under the Law in the 28 Exod. 9 10 11 12 29. Aaron the Jewish High Priest was to bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the Breast-Plate of Judgment upon his Heart when he went into the holy Place for a Memorial before the Lord continually and this Type was fulfilled in the Ascension of Christ as in Heb. 9.24 Christ is entred into Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us Thither he is gone with the Names of all his People not on his Breast but in his Heart to make Intercession for them to his Father The Comforts whereof may be gathered from the two principal Parts thereof 1. The Presentation and Tender of his own Blood to his Father which he shed for our Sins a Blood of so much worth and value as God himself cannot ask more for 't is the Blood of him that is his fellow that is as much as to say the value of it is infinite not infinite only by way of price but efficacy A Blood that dyes white that make Sins of a Crimson and a Scarlet-dye like Snow and Wool 2. A making request for us Thus did the High Priest who was a Type of Christ enter into the holy of holiest which was a Figure of Heaven not only with Blood but with Incense which did signifie his Prayers to his People that by both he might perform the Office of an Intercessor Levit. 16.12 What the High Priest did typically within the Vail Christ doth now really within Heaven And therefore he is said to enter in by his blood into the holy place Heb. 9.12 and not only so but with his incense too Revel 8.2 3. whereof it is said that much was given him that he should offer it with the Prayer of the Saints Now indeed his very Blood hath an interceding Voice and therefore it is called the Blood that speaketh Heb. 12.24 My Brethren all that is in Christ hath a Voice to beg his Peoples Pardon A happy People to have such an Advocate his Person prays his Office prays his Humiliation his Exaltation all have a Voice to beg mercy for a poor Sinner like Paul for Onesimus a Mediator for him and a Sponsor for him Philem. 9.10 A Mediator I beseech thee for Onesimus saith he and a Sponsor if he hath wronged thee or oweth thee any thing put it on mine account I will repay it Thus is Christ both a Mediator and Surety Hence he is called a Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 8.6 And a surety of a better Testament Heb. 7.22 So that he doth not only pray for us but promise for us he doth not only beg for us but engage for us His Person that cries for Mercy The Nature that hath sinned suffered His Merits that cries for mercy The Debt which was due is satisfied His Will that cries for mercy Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am John 17.24 Thus is Christ a compleat Intercessor All in him intercedes and he intercedes for all in us For Sin to be pardoned for Sin to be purged for the Soul to be saved for the Person to be glorified hence come all our Mercies priviledges all our Hopes for 1. Hereby we come to be brought into a more familiar acquaintance with and enjoyment of God himself I pray for these saith Christ That as thou father art in me and I in thee they also may be one in us John 17.21 That God and his People are as one was the Purchase of his Blood but that they are fastened in the most uniting Bond of Love and Affection is the Fruit of Christ's Prayer 2. Hereby we come too to be furnished with all spiritual Graces for our spiritual Employments I will pray the father saith Christ and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth John 14.16 17. Every glance of God on thy Heart every motion of his Spirit in thy Soul every impression of Grace on thy Spirit is the Fruit of the Intercession of Christ 3. Hereby come all our Services to be sanctified The High Priest was to bear the Iniquity of the holy things of the Children of Israel Exod. 38.28 So doth Christ He
is that Angel who hath a golden Censer to offer up the Prayers of the Saints Revel 8.3 And therefore God's People through Christ are said to be made Priests to offer up their Sacrifice with acceptance upon his Altar 1 Pet. 2.5 An unspeakable Incouragement to poor timorous Souls Who be their Prayers as as weak as imperfect nay as sinful as they may be they have an Advocate with the Father And art thou ashamed of thy Prayers art thou afraid of thy Prayers Thou hast one that will new draw thy Petitions who will not present thy Prayers as come from thee but as perfected and sanctified by himself 4. Lastly Hereby we come to be assured of God's Favour to continue with us that our Infirmities or Miscarriages shall not be available to take off God's care of us or care to us whatever we have done our Mediator is still in presence to keep off Judgment from us Rom. 8.34 This is the Apostles Argument Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again Who is even at the Right hand of God who also makes intercession for us who shall separate us from the Love of God As if he had said In that Christ is ascended on high he is become an Intercession and in that he is an Intercessor We can never be separated from God's Affection The Stability of our Condition is the Fruit of Christ's Intercession and his Intercession the Fruit of his Ascension He is ascended therefore he intercedes he intercedes Therefore who shall separate us from the Love of God THat was the Fourth Christ ascended to make Intercession 5. Christ must ascend to Heaven to prepare a place for his People That was one end and a great one too of Christ's ascending up to Heaven And this is the Cordial he gives his Disciples now ready to sink at the sad News of his departure John 14.1 2. Let not your hearts be troubled I go to prepare a place for you I go not from you to leave you but to provide for you And therefore the Author to the Hebrews calls him our forerunner Heb. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Quarter-Master if we may speak it with reverence One gone before in his Triumphal Chariot to take up Quarters for his People in Heaven Now we must know that Christ may be said in Heaven to prepare a Place for his People three Ways 1. By way of Representation as seating himself in God's Presence in the stead and as the Representative of his People for as I told you in the description Christ is not gone to Heaven as a private and single Person but as a publick and common Person The great Representative of God's Elect Adam represented all Men in Eden and so by his Sin all sinned they sinned in their Representative in their common root and so Wrath came upon all Why so Christ in what he did in the business of Salvation he did as representing all the Elect. When he died they died when he arose they arose when he ascended they did ascend he did all in their stead as their Representative and Root all imputed to them which he did or suffered all made theirs which he purchased Thus when Aaron was to go into the holiest of Holies the Type of that holy place where Christ now sits at the Right hand of the Majesty on high He is said to bear the Names of the Children of Israel in the Breast-plate of Judgment upon his Heart for a Memorial before the Lord that is for a Remembrance that they be helped and blest and saved Exod. 28.29 The People must not go in none but Aaron must come in and represent them to the Lord So Christ is ascended to that holy place and there he hath carried the Names of the People on his Breast as it were stands presenting them unto God in that holy place as a People to be especially regarded and therefore he is said Heb. 9.24 To be entred into Heaven and to appear in the Presence of God for us there he stands in our steads to transact our business to get the Sentence of the Law reversed and the Blessing of the Covenant to descend And hence is that passage of the Apostles Eph. 2.6 And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly Places in Jesus Christ We are not in heavenly Places we are in earthly places Yea but we now sit in Heaven in our representative Our Burgess is as it were there a common and a publick Person there sits in our steads He sits there to bring us thither and Heb. 6.20 Thither the forerunner is for us entred He went not thither himself but to take possession in our stead As a Traveller that is sent out by his Fellows as a Harbinger to take up Lodging in an Inn for them Enters the Rooms not so much for himself as for his Company and so in a Sense when he is entred they are entred Christ is gone the Harbinger of his Elect in their stead and behalf to Heaven he is entred the Throne for them and his entrance is their assurance to be there 2. He prepares a place for his People in Heaven by Intercession too and therefore is said 9 Heb. 24. Christ is not entred into the Holy place made with hands but into Heaven To appear in the presence of God for us continually praying to the Father that we be preserved here and be brought safe thither Interceeding that he would so uphold them by his Power that they may not fall and be lost and so guide them by his Spirit that they may be brought to that place where he is And that his Disciples might see that these things would be his work in Heaven in the behalf of his People He in their Sight and Audience with much Reverence and Affection puts it on practice a little before his departure as John 17. He lift up his eyes unto Heaven it is said and said Father keep through thine name these whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are one Vers 11. and 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory So then this is the Work of Christ's Intercession To beg God's Protection on his People on Earth and Glory with him in Heaven that no created Power impede their Comfort nor any Sin their Salvation 3. Christ prepares his People for Heaven by way of Operation he makes a Heaven within his People before they shall get to Heaven he shall never enter Heaven that brings not something of Heaven with him he fetcheth up their Hearts their Affections to Heaven before he sends for their Persons thither My Brethren Never shall a Soul get to Heaven that is not in Heaven before he goes out of the World In Heaven by holy Meditations by holy Actions by good Thoughts by a good Life Christ never brings any Soul