Christ Set Forth, Book IV: The Evidence of Christ's Ascension for Our Justification

Shewing first what evidence for our justification, Christ’s Ascensiorf into Heaven affords unto our Faith, upon that first foremeationcd consideration of his being a Surety for us.

FIRST then to see what triumph his ascending into Heaven will add unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation.

And herein, first there is somewhat in it to ccnsider, what he then did, and what was his last act when he was to take his rise, to fly up to Heaven. He blessed his Disciples,- and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them, for all his elect,- to the end of the world. The true reason and mind of which blessing them was, that he was now td go to execute the eternal office of his priesthood in Heaven, (of which God had sworn, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec). As Melchisedec in the type, blessed Abraham, and in him all the faith fid as in his loin», (therefore the Apostle said that Lev* paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abrahams loins; there fore he was blessed in his loins) so did Christ begirt this new and second part of his priesthood, with blessing the Apostles, and in them, all the elect, to the end of the world. This was the last thing that Christ did on earth, yea this he did, whilst ascending; he icas taken up, whilst he did it, Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And thus’ solemnly he now did this, to shew that the curse was gone, and that sin was gone; and that action speaks thus much, as if Christ himself had said, O wtj brethren, (for so he styled his Disciples after his Resurrection) I have been dead, and in dying made a curse for you; now that curse I have fully removed, and my Father* hath acquitted me, and you, for it; and now 1 can be bold to ble&s you, and pronounce all your sins forgiven, and your persons justified. For that is the intention and foundation of blessing, (Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him) and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them; which he reserved thus as his last act, to shew, how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the law, and now going to Heaven, was able to bless them with all the spiritual blessing that are there, and which Heaven can afford; lor Heavenly they are called in that respect, Eph. i. 4. And as in Abraham (blessed by Melchisedec) all the faithful were blessed; so, in these Apostles, all the ,elect to come are blessed. As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve, at the first creation; so he in them, blessed all that were for ever to come of them: thus Christ in blessing them, blessed us, and all that shall believe, through their word, to the end of the world. And that they were thus then to be considered, as common persons, receiving this -blessing far us all: appeareth by Christ’s words then uttered, I am with you to the end of the world, (i. e. with you, and all your successors, both piinisters, and other believers) Matt, xxviii. ult. And Christ herein did, as God did before him: when God had done his work of creation, He looked upon all he had done, and saw that it was good, and he blessed it. Thus did Jesus Christ; now that he had by that one offering perfected for ever all the elect, he comfortably vieweth, and pronouncetli it perfect, and them blessed; and so goes lo Heaven, to keep and enjoy the Sabbath of all (here.

GLORIES OF CHRfST

Now secondly, let us see him ascendingy and see what comfort that will also afford our faith, towards the persuasion of Justification. The Apostles stood gazing on him; and so do we lift up our hearts to gaze on him by faith; and view him in that act as ha is passing along into heaven, as leading sin, hell, death and devil in triumph, at his chariot-wheels. And therewith let your faith triumph in a further evidence of Justification. Thus Eph. vi. 8, out of Ixviiith Psalm, verse 18, the Apostle saith, When he ascended iip on high, he led captivity captive: (to which Hebraism the Latin phrase, vincere victoriam, to win a victory, doth answer) then he led captive all our spiritual enemies that would have captived us, they being now captived. Now leading of captives is always after a perfect victory. And therefore, whereas at his death he had conquered them, at his rising, scattered them, now at his Ascension he leads them captive: And so that Psalm, in the type, begins, (verse I) Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them flee before him: so at his Resurrection they did; and then he ascends in triumph (as here) in token of victory (he is ascended upon high, verse 18); he ascends as David after his victory, up to Mount Sion (for the celebrating of which that Psalm seems to have been made by David) which was the intended type of Christ’s triumph at his Ascension. And two [Actus tnumphales’] triumphing acts there were here mentioned: — first Leading of the captives bound to his chariot-wheels, as the manner of the Roman triumphs was, when the conqueror went up to the capitol, and other Heathens in David’s time; as Achilles led Hector captive, who tied his feet to his chariot wheels, and dragged him dead round about the walls of Troy: now thus did Christ then deal with our sins and all our enemies. — The second act is cati’ng abroad of gift* - he gave gijts to men. It was the custom at their triumphs to cast new coins (miss’lia) abroad among the multitude; so cloth Christ throw the greatest gifts for the good of men that ever were given. Therefore, who shall condemn? Sins and devils are not only dead, but triumphed over. Compare with this, that other place, Coloss. ii. 15. Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himself: So I read it, and the Greek bears it, and so it is in the manrin varied: it is a manifest allusion unto the manner of triumphs after victories among the Romans; even unto two of the most notable parts thereof; the first of spoiling the enemy, upon the place, ere they stirred out of the field; and this was done by Christ on the cross, Having spoiled them Jirst, as verse 14th hath it. He speaks it of the devils our enemies and accusers; they had all God’s threatenings in his law, and the ceremonial law, (the bond for our debt unto the moral law) to shew for it; in these lay the ymver of the devil over us, that he could boldly come to God and accuse us, and sue our bond. And therefore Heb. ii. 14, he is said to have the power of death. Now Christ first took away all his power, and spoiled him of all his ensigns, weapons, and colours; which he did on the place where the battle was fought, namely, on the cross, and nailed our bond thereto, and having paid the debt, left the bond cancelled, ere he stirred off the cross. But then having thus spoiled these enemies on the cros*; he further makes a public triumphal shew of them in his own person, which is a second act; as the manner of the Roman emperors was, in their great triumphs, to ride through the city in the greatest state, and have all the spoils carried before them, and the kings and nobles whom they had taken, they tied to their chariots, and led them as captives; and this did Christ at his

ascension, (for of his triumphing at his ascension, I take this triumph in this epistle to the Colossians to be understood, and so to be interpreted by that forecited 4th of the Ephesians). He plainly manifesting by this public open shew of them at his Ascension, that he had spoiled, and fully subdued them on the cross. That which hath diverted interpreters from,thinking this of the 2nd of Colossians, to have been the triumph of his Ascension, hath been this, that the triumph is said to have been made en auto, which they interpret in it, as if it referred to the cross, (mentioned verse 14) as the place of it; when as it may as well be translated in himself, i. e. in his own power and strength; noting how he alone did this, which other conquerors do not; they conquer not in themselves, and by themselves, which Christ did. And yet it was the law, that if the Roman emperors or generals themselves took any thing in war, they had a peculiar honour to dedicate it in triumph more peculiarly. Now Christ conquered in himself, and therefore triumphed in himself, and himself alone. And thus it became our Redeemer (like another Sampson) not only to break sin’s bars, and fling off hell gates, and come out of that prison hq was in; but as in sign of a trophy, to take them on, fcis back, and carry them up the hill, (as Sampson

IN HIS ASCENSION”. Ill

the type of him, did the gates of the city to an high hill) himself triumphantly carrying them on his own Aoulders.

Now did Christ then, who was your Surety, thus triumph? then let your faith triumph likewise; for this was not only done by your Surety, but in your stead; seeing this (for us) here, is to be put to each thing mentioned. The Apostle calls for this at our hands here, We arc more than conquerors, says he, verse 37.

Then, thirdly, see him entering into Heaven; when he comes first to court after this great undertaking; how doth God look on him? is God satisfied with what he hath done? As, you know, when a general comes home, there useth to be great observing how the king takes his service, as performed according to commission; Christ as a Surety undertook for sinners, fully to conquer all our enemies; and God bade him look that he did it perfectly, or never see his face more: lleb. v. He was to be perfect through sufferings, and those sufferings are to be such as to perfect us also. Heb. x. Now behold your Surety is like a conqueror entered Heaven; let -that convince you that he hath satisfied the debt, and performed his, commission to a tittle: God would never have suffered him to come thither else; but as soon as ever his head had peeped into Heaven, have sent him down again to perform the rest; but God lets him enter in, and he comes boldly, and confidently; and God lets him stay there. Therefore be convinced, that he hath given God full satisfaction. Christ himself useth this argument, as the strongest that could be brought to convince the world, that his righteousness, which he had in his doctrine taught them, was the righteousness which men were only to be saved by, the true righteousness of God indeed. John xvi. 9, 10. He shall convince the world of righteousness; that is, work faith in the hearts of men, to believe and lay hold on my righteousness, as the true righteousness that God hath ordained; and this, says he, because I go to my Father, and you shall sec me no more. That is, by this argument and evidence it is, and shall be evinced, that I who undertook to satisfy for sin, and to procure a perfect righteousness, have perfectly performed it; and that it is a righteousness which God’s justice doth accept of, to save sinners by; in that I after my death, and finishing this work, will ascend up to my Father, into Heaven, and keep my standing there, and you shall see me no more: Whereas, if I had not fulfilled all righteousness, and perfectly satisfied God, you may be sure there would be no going into Heaven for me, nor remaining there: God would send me down again, to do the rest, and you should certainly see me with shame sent back again; but I go to Heaven, and you shall see me no more,,