What is re Nay, doth it not obliterate all thoughts of it? presented thereby of the union of it unto God, and the immediate communications of God unto it? Doth it declare the manifestation of all the glorious properties of the divine nature in him? One thing indeed they ascribe unto it that is proper unto Christ, namely, that it is to be adored and worshipped, whereby they add idolatry unto their folly; persons who know not what it is to live by faith, whose minds are never raised by spiritual heavenly contemplations, who have no design in religion but to gratify their inward superstition by their outward senses, may be pleased for a time, and ruined for ever, by these delusions. Those who have real faith in Christ, and love unto him, have a more glorious object for their exercise. And we may hereby examine both our own notions of the state of glory, and our preparations for it, and whether we are in any measure made meet for the inheritance of the saints of light.' More grounds of this trial will be afterward suggested, these laid down may not be passed by. Various are the thoughts of men about the future state, the things which are not seen, which are eternal. Some rise no higher, but unto hopes of escaping hell, or everlasting miseries, when they die. Yet the heathen had their Elysian fields, and Mahomet his sensual paradise. Others have apprehensions of I know not what glistering glory, that will please and satisfy them, they know not how, when they can be here no longer. But this state is quite of another nature, and the blessedness of it is spiritual and intellectual. Take an instance in one of the things before laid down. The glory of heaven, consists in the full manifestation of divine wisdom, goodness, grace, holiness, of all the properties of the nature of God in Christ. In the clear perception and constant contemplation hereof, consists no small part of eternal blessedness. What then are our present thoughts of these things? What joy, what satisfaction have we in the sight of them, which we have by faith through divine revelation? What is our desire to come unto the perfect comprehension of them? How do we like this heaven? What do we find in ourselves that will be eternally satisfied hereby? According as our desires are after them, such and no other are our desires of the true heaven, of the residence of blessedness and glory. Neither will God bring us unto heaven whether we will or no. If through the ignorance and darkness of our minds, if through the earthliness and sensuality of our affections, if through a fulness of the world, and the occasions of it, if by the love of life, and our present enjoyments, we are strangers unto these things, we are not conversant about them, we long not after them; we are not in the way towards their enjoyment. The present satisfaction we receive in them by faith, is the best evidence we have of an indefeasible interest in them. How foolish is it to lose the first fruits of these things in our own souls, those entrances into blessedness, which the contemplation of them through faith would open unto us, and hazard our everlasting enjoyment of them, by an eager pursuit of an interest in perishing things here below. This, this is that which ruins the souls of most, and keeps the faith of many at so low an ebb, that it is hard to discover any genuine working of it. (2.) The glory of the human nature of Christ differs from that of the saints after the resurrection, in things which concern the degrees of it. For, [1.] The glory of his body is the example and pattern of what they shall be conformed unto. Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself;' Phil. iii. 21. Our bodies were made vile by the entrance of sin. Thence they became brothers to the worms, and sisters unto corruption. To death and the grave, with rottenness and corruption therein, they are designed. At the resurrection they shall be new-framed, fashioned and moulded. Not only all the detriment and disadvantage they received by the entrance of sin shall be removed, but many additions of glorious qualifications which they had not in their primitive natural constitution shall be added unto them. And this shall be done by the almighty power of Christ; that working or exercise of it, whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. But of this state whereinto we shall be changed by the power of Christ, his own body is the pattern and example. A similitude of it is all that we shall attain unto. And that which is the idea and exemplar in any state, is the rule and stand ard unto all others. Such is the glory of Christ; ours consists in conformity thereunto; which gives him the preeminence. [2.] As the state of his body is more glorious than ours shall be, so will that of his soul in itself be made appear to be more excellent than what we are capable of. For that fulness of the Spirit without measure, and of all grace which his nature was capacitated for by virtue of the hypostatical union, doth now shine forth in all excellency and glory. The grace that was in Christ in this world, is the same with that which is in him now in heaven. The nature of it was not changed, when he ceased to be viator, but is only brought into a more glorious exercise now he is comprehensor. And all his graces are now made manifest, the veil being taken from them, and light communicated to discern them. As in this world, he had unto the most neither form nor comeliness for which he should be desired, partly from the vail which was cast on his inward beauty, from his outward condition, but principally from the darkness which was on their minds, whereby they were disenabled to discern the glory of spiritual things; notwithstanding which, some then in the light of faith 'saw his glory, as the glory of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth:' so now the veil is removed, and the darkness wholly taken away from the minds of the saints; he is in the glory of his graces altogether lovely and desirable. And although the grace which is in believers, be of the same nature with that which is Christ Jesus, and shall be changed into glory, after the likeness of his, yet is it, and always shall be, incomprehensibly short of what dwells in him. And herein also doth his glory gradually excel that of all other creatures whatever. But we must here draw a vail over what yet remains. For it doth not yet appear what we ourselves shall be. Much less is it evident what are, and what will be, the glories of the head above all the members; even then when we shall 'be made like unto him.' But it must be remembered, that whereas, at the entrance of this discourse, we so proposed the consideration of the present state of the Lord Christ in heaven, as that which should have an end at the consummation of all things' what hath been spoken concerning the glory of his human nature in itself, is not of that kind, but what abideth unto eternity. All the things mentioned abide in him, and unto him, for evermore. 2. The second thing to be considered in the present state and condition of Christ, is his mediatory exaltation. And two things with respect thereunto may be inquired into. (1.) The way of his entrance into that state above. (2.) The state itself, with the glory of it. (1.) The way of entrance into the exercise of his mediatory office in heaven, is expressed, 1 Tim. iii. 16. He was received into glory,' or rather gloriously. And he' entered into glory;' Luke xxiv. 26. This assumption and entrance into glory was upon his ascension described, Acts i. 9. 11. • He was taken up into heaven,' ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ, by an act of divine power; and 'he went into heaven,' tionλev eiç dó1⁄2nv, in his own choice and will, as that which he was exalted And this ascension of Christ, in his human nature into heaven, is a fundamental article of the faith of the church. And it falls under a double consideration. [1.] As it was triumphant, as he was a king. [2.] As it was gracious, as he was a priest. His ascension as unto change of place, from earth to heaven, and as unto the outward manner of it, was one and the same, and at once accomplished. But as unto the end of it, which is the exercise of all his offices, it had various respects, various prefigurations, and is distinctly proposed unto us, with reference unto them. [1.] In his ascension, as it was triumphant, three things may be considered. 1st. The manner of it, with its representation of old. 3dly. The end of it, or what was the work which he had to do thereon. 1st. As unto the manner of it, it was openly triumphant and glorious. So is it described, Ephes. iv. 8. He' ascended up on high; he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.' And respect is had unto the prefiguration of it, at the giving of the law, Psal. lxviii. 17, 18. where the glory of it is more fully expressed, The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast as it. cended on high, thou hast led captivity captive,' &c. The most glorious appearance of God upon the earth, under the Old Testament, was that on Mount Sinai, in the giving of the law. And as his presence was there attended with all his glorious angels; so, when upon the finishing of that work, he returned or ascended into heaven, it was in the way of a triumph with all that royal attendance. And this prefigured the ascent of Christ into heaven, upon his fulfilling of the law, all that was required in it, or signified by it. He ascended triumphantly after he had given the law, as a figure of his triumphant ascent after he had fulfilled Having then spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them;' Col. ii. 15. So he led captivity captive; or all the adverse powers of the salvation of the church, in triumph at his chariot wheels. I deny not but that his leading captivity captive,' principally respects his spiritual conquest over Satan, and the destruction of his power. Yet whereas he is also said to spoil principalities and powers, making shew of them openly,' and triumphing over them, I no way doubt but Satan, the head of the apostacy, and the chief princes of darkness, were led openly in sight of all the holy angels, as conquered captives. The 'seed of the woman' having now broken the head of the serpent.' This is that which is so emphatically expressed, Psalm xlvii. throughout. The ground and cause of all the triumphant rejoicing of the church therein declared, is, that God was gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet,' ver. 5. which is nothing but the glorious ascent of Christ into heaven, said to be accompanied with shouts, and the sound of a trumpet, the expressions of triumphant rejoicing, because of the glorious acclamations that were made thereon, by all the attendants of the throne of God. 6 2dly. The place whither he thus ascended, is on high. 'He ascended up on high;' Ephes. iv. 8. That is, heaven. He went into heaven; Acts i. 11. And the heavens must receive him;' ver. 3. 21. Not these aspectable heavens which we behold. For in his ascension he passed through them,' Heb. iv. 14. and is made higher than they ;' chap.vii. 27. But into the place of the residence of God in glory and majesty; Heb. i. 3. viii, 1. xii. 2. There on the throne of |