things is either his giving gifts to his Church He is speaking of this in the 8th verse When he ascended be gave gifts to men it is spoke so generally here and universally all things because the Gentiles as well as Jews were now of the Church and all filled with gifts from Christ in Heaven Otherwise I answer thus fulfilled all things for so the word will bear he fulfilled all things that were written of him and that were required of him to do 3. Object Christ said to his Disciples Matth. 28.20 I am with you alway 〈◊〉 the end of the World How then can he be in Heaven Answ This he speaks in reference to the presence of the Spirit in the hearts of his People working in their Souls and giving gifts to his Minister by this Spirit and succeeding them in their Labours with his blessing but it cannot be spoke of his humanity for of that he had said Me you have not alwayes And in another place Do this till I come which implyes his bodily absence 4. Object It 's said 1 Cor. 15. Flesh and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore Christ is not there as to his Manbood Answ Flesh and Flood unchanged and so mortal corruptible cannot but changed and so immortal incorruptible may and can and so was Christs Flesh upon his Resurrection and so he entred into Glory The Qualities are changed but the very same Substance remains 5. Object It is said by Christ when here on Earth John 3.13 The Son of Man which is in Heaven By this it appears that Christ was in Heaven when on Earth and so every where when on Earth and so now Answ This is spoken by a communication of Properties that which is only proper to one Nature is spoken of the other Nature He was not in Heaven as to his Body it is only true as to his Deity but he attributes Omnipresence to his whole Person by this figurative way of speech as that Acts 20. The Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood How can Blood be attributed to God but by this way of speaking So likewise 1 Cor. 2.8 Crucified the Lord of Glory is spoken in the same way Reasons of this viz. Christ being now a Man in Heaven Reason 1. If Christ be not now a Man in Heaven then there is no Intercession for us and so there is no Mediator Christ is Mediator and Intercessor according to his Humane Nature as well as his Divine Nature take away the Humane Nature and he ceases to be an Intercessor Under the Law they had an High-Priest that was a Man like themselves who when he had offered the Sacrifice for the Sins of the People went into the Holy Place with the Blood to appear there in their behalf this was a Figure of Christ's Priesthood therefore the Apostle speaks thus in Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entered into the Holy Places made with hands which are the Figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Now as I said this Intercession is quite nulled if no Humanity remain'd so that all the Saints remain still full of Wants Weallnesses Fallings Infirmities and there is none to Advocate for them but they must Plead for themselves and how can we of our selves draw near to such an Infinitely Glorious Majesty and have not a Mid 〈…〉 all our Prayers would be lost and we should be utterly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up Let it then be 〈◊〉 how sad a thing it would be to the Highest Ground of a Christians Triumph which is this viz. That Christ rather fits on the right hand of God That there is none now to bear our Names before the Father as the High-Priest under the Law bare all the Names of the Tribes upon his Breast The Faith of this hath been and is daily sweet unto the Saints and therefore the Church is brought in Praying Set me as a Seal upon thy Heart as a Seal upon thine Arm Cant. 8.6 Reason 2. If Christ be not a Man now in Heaven then is there no entring into Glory and Heaven for any as there was upon the Fall of Man a Church placed with a Flaming Sword at the Gate of Paradise so that there was no entring any more for Man Why so by reason of the Sin of Man there was no entring into Glory because of God's Flaming Justice had not the Man Christ entred in and made way for us all that ever entred into Glory entred by Virtue of Christ's entring as Man John 14.2 I go to prepare a Place for you his going thither did prepare the Place for us Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus Ver. 20. By a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail of his Flesh The People under the Law were not to enter into the Holiest only the High-Priests alone by the Blood Christ our High-Priest hath now entred into Heaven by his Blood and hath thereby made us a Royal Priesthood so that now we may enter into Glory therefore are we said Ephes 2. to be set down with him in Heavenly Places He being our Head and having entered we being united are entered also In him we have a pledge and first Fruits of Glory but if he be not entered as Man we have no hopes of Glory Reason 3. If Christ be not a Man in Heaven then is not the Spirit not any Gifts thereof upon any What ever is of the Spirit upon any it is by virtue of Christ as Man entering into Glory That pouring out of the Spirit that we read of in the second of the Acts was by virtue of Christs Ascending into Heaven in his Manhood Verse 33. Therefore being at the Right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear As Christ is Man and so Mediator all things come first into his haâ—â—◠〈…〉 from him to us therefore he hath received and shed forth this The Prophets and Saints had the Spirit before his Ascension but they had it by Virtue of this his Ascension therefore when it is said The Spirit was not yet given because he was not yet glorified John 7.39 It speaks of a more plentiful beffosion of the Spirit this plentiful effusion was reserved till this time of his Ascension to seal up the fruits of his Death and Resurrection All the Gifts for the Instruction and Edification of the Church comes this way viz. by virtue of Christ's Ascension as Man into Heaven Ephes 4.8 Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity Captive and gave Gifts unto men Which is taken from Psal 68.18 There it is he received Gifts He received them not for himself but on purpose to give them to his Church as Kings on their Coronation dayes bestow gifts upon their Subjects
this Soul and Body is in Union with the Godhead in Heaven and so he is Mediator in both Natures take this by the way That the Quakers may not deceive you by their Juggles Christ was a Person before he took Man's Nature They may grant to you that Christ is a Person and yet deny his Manhood and grant a Manhood and yet deny the Fesh in which he was to be in Heaven 1. That his Soul is in Heaven see Luke 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit What is become of that Soul that Christ had when he came to Die Surely it did not vanish and perish but he commends it into his Fathers hands as into a safe depository to be laid up kept and preserved Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Was not that Heaven Now he spake this as to his Soul it 's plain for as to his Deity he was always there as to his Body that remained in the Sepulchre two dayes 2. His Body that 's in Heaven that Flesh and those Bones that were handled by his Disciples at the Resurrection And he himself saith A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have Behold my Hands Luke 24.39 and my Feet handle me and see And they handled him 1 John 1.1 Whom our hands have handled of the Word of Life Now this Flesh and Bones those Hands and Feet that were handled are now in Heaven And Luke 24.50 51. He led them forth as far as Bethany and he lift up his hands and blessed them And it come to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven This Body was the proper Object of their sight The Soul they could not see this was parted from them this was carried up into Heaven Act. 1.9 While they beheld he was taken up If he had secretly ascended more doubts might have risen what was become of him but he did openly-and visibly Ascend having many Witnesses of the truth and reality of it that it might be out of doubt Now if it be asked whither he did ascend the Angels give an accoutn Vers 11. This same Jesus which is taken up into heaven and observe how they speak This same Jesus as you have seen him go They saw him with their Carnal Eyes they were Eye-witnesses of this thing Other Scriptures opened to prove this Acts 7.56 Behold I see the Heavens opened Stephen's sight was strengthened in a wonderful miraculous way so that he pierced to the very heavenly Glory with his Eye This was more than what was natural no doubt for the other that stood by saw nothing but he saw as much of the Heavenly Glory as he could bear I see the Son of Man denoting Humane Nature when here on Earth that he had it then at that time after his Ascension 1 Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the Flesh And the last Phrase of the Verse received up into Glory that flesh wherein God manifested himself was received up into Glory Acts 3.21 Whom the Heaven must receive until the restitution of all things Peter had been preaching the Resurrection of Christ now here he tells them what is become of him since why He is in Heaven thither should their minds be lifted up by Faith and this Heaven having received him should contain him until a certain time then he will appear Therefore Beza saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Antecedent we may understand the Consequent it is so to receive him as to contain him Therefore all those places where you read of Jesus Christ by Name appearing are not to be understood as if Christ in Body came down from Heaven but either they saw him the Heavens being as it is said of Stephen opened or it was in Extasie Matth. 26.11 For you have the poor alwayes with you but me you have not with you alwayes Therefore he speaks frequently to his Disciples of his Departure that he would go away from them Yet a little while and I am with you John 14.2 3. I go and if I go to prepare a place And now Whither went he He tells us John 17.11 And now I am no more in the World but these are in the World I come to thee Holy Father Now this must needs be as to his Manhood for the Father and He were one as to his Godhead in Essence and so he was with the Father from Eternity John 1.1 In the beginning the Word was with God Prov. 8.22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his wayer before his works of old Vers 30. Then I was by him i.e. before there was any thing created or framed You see by thâ—se Scriptures he removed from the Earth and went to Heaven and there he is Yet farther What else must we understand by that of the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 5. Absent from the Body present with the Lord. While we are at home we are absent or Pilgrims from the Lord. Now Christ as God is immense as to his presence he is every where and as to his Saints he is with them alwayes and in them by his Spirit then must it needs be spoke as to Christ's Bodily presence So in another place the Apostle saith I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ He must needs speak this as to his Soul for Pauls Boyd was to sleep in the Grave till the Resurrection But was not Christ present with Paul Yea certainly as to his Spirit so he saith 2 Tim. 4.17 The Lord stood by me What then was this being with Chirst but to be as to his Soul upon departure from the Body in some certain place where the Soul and Body of Christ were they could not be every where for then this desire of his was a vain desire and he withall wishes his Soul to be every where and so to be Infinite and to be God which is absurd In Ephes 1.20 he is mentioning Christ and saith Whom he raised from the dead and set him at his own right-hand Now what ever was raised was set at the right-hand The flesh of Christ was raised He here tells us what it is for Christ to sit at Gods right-hand viz. to have power over all things to have all things put in subjection to him which is taken from Psal 8.4 where observe what is said What is Man that thou art mindfull of him or the Son of Man that thou visitest him This state of Exaltation in Heaven is applyed to him as Man he is a Man in Heaven 1 Tim. 2.5 Out Mediator betwixt God and man the Man Christ Jesus That Man that gave himself a Ransom for that followeth immediately that Man is the Mediator betwixt God and man therefore none of any sort but may have hopes of being saved by him upon Faith on him Heb. 4.14 15. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens We have not an
so here this was reserved till now for the honour of Christ Therefore Verse 10. it 's said He ascended that be might fill all things i.e. all the Church with the power and virtue of the Spirit Therefore he said upon his departure It is expedient that I go away if I go not away the Comforter will not come with you but if I depart I will send him unto you John 16.7 You see to deny Christ to be a Man in Heaven is to rob the Church of the great Gift of the Spirit of God it self and all the Gifts thereof Reason 4. To deny Christ to be now a Man in Heaven it is to deny Christ to be King and Lords it is to deny Christ's Rule Power Authority and Dominion Psal 110. Sit thou at my Right-hand this must be spoke as to Christ's Man-hood as to his God-head he had alway Majesty and Power it follows till I make thine Enemies thy foot-stool This sitting at Gods Right-hand is called reigning 2 Cor. 15. He must reign till all his Enemies become his Foot-stool It 's spoke of in Ephes 1.20 And set him at his own right-hand that must be as to his Man-hood far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come Vers 21. And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Phil. 2. Hath highly exalted him This must be as Man And given him a Name above every name that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow So in this place of Peter He is gone into the Heavent and is at the Right Hand of God Angels Authorities and Powers being made subject to him It is very comfortable for the Saints to consider that Christ is exalted on purpose to sit as King to Rule over all the Enemies of the Church Death and Devils for their good gathering his Saints by degrees to himself and that at length all the Governments of this World will be subservient to him Acts 2.36 God hath made that same Jesus both Lord and Christ You may see by the scope he was thus upon his Ascension in vers 34. Christ was Lord before but now was there a clearer manifestation of it his Manhood being exalted now from hence is our defence and safety in our Warfare Reason 5. It is to deny Christ Jesus his second coming and being Judge of the World Acts 17.31 Because he bath appointed a day in which he will judge the World in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained wherefore he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the Dead He hath ordained the Man Christ to be Judge and that Man that was raised from the dead Acts 1.11 It 's there said This same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Now he went away Visibly so he shall come Therefore Rev. 1. Every eye shall see him i. e. every eye of Man He cannot be seen with a Carnal Eye as to his Deity and the wicked cannot see him with a spiritual Eye How then shall every Eye see him but in the sence we speak Heb. 9. Vlt. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many And unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without fin to salvation Observe he that was offered will appear Now he was offered as to his Man-hood Matth. 24. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven Isa 40.5 All flesh shall see his Glory Now this is sweet to the Saints to consider that we shall be judged by Christ our Saviour Reason 6. If Christ hath not now a Humane Nature then hath he no Sympathy with his Members in their Afflictions But Christ hath a fellow-feeling with his People in all their straits Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He had all our Infirmities when here upon Earth Hunger Thirst Weariness Sorrow Fear and Dread of Death but without Sin and he had them for this end that he might know how to pitty us in our State he being now gone into Heaven and having the same Soul and Body in which he suffered these things he remembers how it was with him here upon Earth therefore he gives the Reason of this Pitty and Compassion because he was in all points 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in or through all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Bez◠renders similiter For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like as we are To the same purpose doth the same Apostle speak Chap. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest If he hath not now a Humane Nature in Heaven he doth not retain these two Essential Qualities of an High Priest viz. Mercifulness and faithfulness Now those that deny this would rob us of this sweet Consideration in our Afflictions in our Poverty Sorrows Imprisonments Hurries and Temptations by Satan Why Christ was poor in this World hurried up and down by the Devil suffered the Contradictions of sinners abused by wicked Men afraid of Death in an Agony forsaken of God and is now gone into Heaven in that same Humane Nature in which he felt these things and remembers how it was with him and hath a fellow-feeling with us and pittieth us Hence came that Voice of his from Heaven when Saul was making Havock of the Church Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me Lose not this Comfort Reason 7. The Consideration of the Man-hood of Christ now in Heaven doth give a boldness and access in Prayer God hath rendred himself much more familiar to us this way We are very apt to be swallowed up with the abstracted thoughts of the Deity we being poor ones full of infirmities know not how to bear the Majesty and Glory of the Son of God But now we draw near with boldness and Pray with more sweetness where we know that He to when we pray is Man as well as God It was a great help and comfort to the Jews that they had a Priest that was a Brother one of themselves that was to Pray for them and Offer for them that was familiar with them and they could have access unto him Now the Apostle having to do with them in this Epistle to the Hebrews lest they should be confounded with the thoughts of the Majesty of the Deity of the Son of God having asserted that he was very God and all the Angels worshiped him tells them withall That he took Flesh and Blood and was a Brother one of us in the latter end of the second Chapter And thereupon in the last Verse of Chap. 4. he encourageth