Chap. 1.SeCl:. 2,3. jl,ooamg unto ']J tfu%. Book IV. 477 --------------~-- vid afcended after hisconquefi up to Zion• . Now we read of two triUmphal Acts in Chrifi's Afcenlion, whereof the firfi was Ius leadmg of hts .captives, and the fecond was the difperfing of his gifts : the Af>oftle and the Pfalmtll: JO)'n both together, When Pfal. 6P. 1 ~. he afcended up on hig h he led captivity captive , and gavigifcs. l!ntO men. I· He led Epb. 4• 8. them captive who had captivated "': Deach was led Cl f' ttve wrthout a fimg, Hell was Jed captive as one that had lofl her vr<'lory, che bw was kd capttve, bemg ~em and fa!lened to his Crofs (as it were) Enfign.wtfe; the Serpents he_"d bemg brmfed was led before him in rriumr.h, as was Goliah's head by David returnmg from the vtctory; and thi• was the firfl Act ofhis triUmph . 2 . Hegave gifcs unro men: this was as the unning of Conduits with ~Vine, or as the carting abroad of new Coin, .or as the lhutting up of Chri!ls triumph tn Ius afcenfton up to Heaven : what thefe gtfts were we lhall fpeak in the Million of the holy Ghoft ; only thus much for the prefenr. SECT. II. bf the 'J>Iace whither he afcended. 3. '{ j\!Hither he af"nded, the Gofpel tells us into heaven; only Paul faith, that V he afcendedfar above a!lheavem. But the meaning is, he went above all Eph. 4.to. thefe vifible Heavens into thofe heavenly Manfions, where the Angels, and the Spirits of the jull havetheir aboad, Or if the highefl Heavens be included, I fee no abfurdity in it; the highell: Heaven, ,we ufually call the Kingdom of H eaven ; which is either Heaven mlterial, or Heaven fpiritua] ; and firll: for the material Heaven, in fome fence he may be faid to afcend above that, both in refpect of his Body, becaufe.the Body of Chrifl is more glorious than any material Heaven. And in refpect of his foul; becaufe the Soul of thrift is more ble!Ted than all things elfe whatfoever. And, 2. For.the · f{liritml i-leavert ( i. ) all angelica] or heavenly perfections, he is faid to afcend above them all, both in refpect of his humiliation, becaufe he bath vilified bimfelf below aU thi.ngs, and therefore he is worthily exalted above all things; and in refpect of his perfeCtion, becaufe the humane nature of Chrift is more excellent than any creature, ir· being joyned to the Godhead by an hypoflatical union. Some there are that underftand this place of .Chrijl' J afcending far above all Heavens, not fu much by a local motion, as by a fpiriru1l mutation and exaltationof his perfon; as earth heightned unto a flame changeth not its place on] y, but form and figure, fo the Perfon of our Sa• iour was raifed to a greamefs and glory vaftly differing from, and furmounring any image of things vifible or invifible in this Creation : fo it is litly expreffed, He w.u made higher Hb 6 , thanthe Heavens, he was heightened to a fplendour, enlarged to a capacity and corn- • ' 1' , ' pafsabove the brighteft, and beyond the wideit Heavens : he tranfcended all in the fpirituality of his Afcenlion: butlllraft not muchinlift oo that. SECT. Ill; Of the R._fom why he aftended, 4- '{ 1VHy t:e afcended; the Reafons are. I. On Chrift's parr, that rhrough hi~ V Palllon he mtght paf> to glory. Ought not Chrijl to have fnjfered thtfo Luke ·~· ld• thin.r;s, and {o to c;rer intohuglory ? I (hall not infi!t on that conrroverfie, whether Chrifi mented for himfelf, this is without comroverfie, that by his Paffion (I will not fay be properly .memed, but) he obtamed glory, becat~fe he humbled hirnfelf fo low, God exalted lum above the GJave in his Refurrection, above tbe E~mh in his Afcenfion, and above tbe ~eavens inplacing him at his right hand. And he afcended that all thofe P(O· pbefies whtch were foretold of Chri(\ might be accornpliOJed, Thou haft afcended on Pfal. 68 , , 8 , htg,h. A nd hu Jeer (hall jland in that day upon the Mo~tnt of Olives, which u before .Te- Zach. , 1 . 4 • rufalem ,on the Eaft. . The types of this were Enoch's tranllation, Elijah's·afcenfion, Sa'?pfo.ns tranfporcmon of the gates of Gaz.a into an high mountain, rhe high Priell:s gotng toto the Holy of Holtes, Seeing that we ha-Je agreat high Priejl, that u paJTed into Hob. . 1 ; the heavens: Jefm zheSon of God. Why all thefe prophefies, types, figures mull: needs • 4 4 be accomphOJed, and therefore on his part it was neceffary that Chrill: mufr afcend, and go IntO Heaven. · · ·· Dddz 2 . The
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