-t7ti ~ook lV, iJ...oottmg unto 'jlefu.S'. Chap 1. Seer. 3· 2 . T!.e Reafon5 on our part ar~. --- 1. That in our !lead he might triumph over fin, deatl1, and hell. In his Refurrecti. o-n he conquered, but in his Afcenfion he triumphed; now it was that he led fin , death, and devil m triumph at his chanot wheels. .And this is the meani.ng of tbe Pfalruifl:, Eph. 4· 8. and of the ApolHe, When he afccnd"d "?on hzgh, he led captivity captive: He vacquil] 1• ed and triumphed over an 0~1r enemies; he overcame the world, he bound the devil, he fpoiled hell, he weakened hn, he defhoyed death, and now he makes a pub! irk trium– phallllew of them in his own perfon; he led the captives bound to his chariot-wheels 35 the manner of the Rowan triumphs was, when the Conqueror went up to the ea: Co'. ,. '5· pirol.·_ It _is to the fame purpofe that the Apoflle fpeaks elfewhere, Having JPoiled Pri11Cipa//tles ar.·d rowers, he made a PletV of them opcnly, triumphing over them in himfrlf. it is a manifea_allufion tO the manner of triumphs after victories among!t the Romans; firfl, rhey fpotled the enemy upon the place, ere they ltirred off the field; and this was done by Chn!l on ~he Crofs; and then they made a p~blick rriumphallllfw, they nd throu~h the fl:rem 111 the greatefl:llate, and had all thflr fpoilscarried before them, and the Kmgs and Nobles whom they bad taken, they tyed tO their chariots, and led them as captives; an~ this did Chrill at his Afcenlion : Then he openly tYiumphrdC. odrw tn hmfelf, ( ': ) 111 h1s own power and [\rength; other Conquerors do not thus; they conquer not m themfelves, and by tbemfehes, but Jefus Chri!t conquered in himfr!f, and therefore he tnumphed in himfe!f And yet though he triumphed in himfelf, and . by himfrif, it was not for him(elf only, but for us; which made the Apofl:le to triumph '~~'~ ' 5· 5 5 • in his triumph, 0 death ll'herc ts thy jhng, 0 gravc 'll'hm u thy viftO"ry? the jfing of 50 ', ,. death u fin, and the j/rength offin is the Law; bnt thank,J be to 6od which giveth m viEfory through oztr Lord 'jcflu Chrijf. lf I may fpeak out, what I think was this vi– ctory of Chrilt ; I believe it was that honou; given to him.after his Refurrection by the convedi~n of enemie.o, by the amazements of the world , by the admiration of Angels, and efpe,ially by his fitting down at the right hand of Majefty on high ; for therein is containtd both his exaltation, and his triumph over all his enemies to the utmoll. 2. That he might lead us the way, andopentous the doors of glory. It is a'lne– [\ion whether ever thofe doors of Heaven were opened to any before Chrift's Afcen!ion? .Joh. 14. 2, 3· Chrifl: tells us, Inmy Fathers houfe arc many manfwns, if it were not fo, I would have t<ldyou, but I gotoprepare aplaccfor you, and if /go and prepare a place fO"r you, I wilt come again, and rcceive yo" 11nto my fetf, that where I am, ye miiY bt alfo. Some infer hence, as if there lhould be many outer courts, and many different places or llates in glory; and yet that there is one place whither the Saints ll10uld arri•e at Iall:, which was not then ready for them, and was not to be entred into, Until the entrance of our Heb. 'r. 4c. Lord had made the preparation. Again, the .Apoftle tells us, that the Fathers received not the promifes, God h.wing provided fome better thing for m, that they without '" jhould not be madeperfe{f. Whence fome infer that their conditions after death was a !late of imperfection ; and that they were placed in an outer court on this fJ<!e Heaven, called Paradife, or Abraham's bofome; and thither alfo Chrill went when he dyed, and was attended with the blelfed Thief. For my part I fhaU not joyn with fuch who think all fouls of Saints IJJal! go to Paradife, where they mull remain till the day of judgment, and then, and not till rhen mull enter into that heaven, called the thirdhe~ven, or the King– dom of heaven. Ind~ed fome of the Ancients make heaven, ~nd :he l_mmedtate recepta– cles of fouls to be difhnct places, both blelfed, but hugely d11fermg tn degrees: And a modern Writer is very confident, That no foul could enter into glory befor• o1<r Lord tn· Dr.Tayl.grca{ tred; by whomwe h•pe to have accefs; and to that purpofe he cit~s thofe texts, John 14. Exempl~r.. 2 . 3 . Hcb. 11.4-0. But I fee no ground, why thefoulsof Samts lhouldbe exdude_d Mllitas_ "", heaven either before, orafterChrift. Asfor that test of John 14.2. Chrillfai(/1, ht . ~~{r:;;~:·'l~.:/ my Fat hen ho1{e nre many m_anfiom, not many outer courts , n?r many different Rates; · q;:£ p/u>·iillis and as for the Fathers mentt@ned, Heb. 1 1. 40. S~<rely they wzth•ut m Jha/1 net be madc f fficiaut, ac.fi,. pcrfc£1-, and we without rhem lltall not be made perfect in fome fence, until the day of dtCmdt 11011 .fibm J'udgruent. But our perfection is not in refpect of a more glorious place, but in refpect mu ft om" "' l c · bfi [I] 11 b d '· 11 · b d · ~tidm difcipulis of that perfection whereof al the_ 1a1t u ta e ma e parta.ers as we 111 o· y a~ m /own illic effi. foul, at t-he refurredwn of the JUll:. Thus far I gram, that no foul ever emred tnto Calvin.in loc. lwaven but by thevertue and power of Chrifl:'s Afcenfion, and that no foul and body Heb.6, 20 ' joymly ever afcended (exc~pt Chrill's types) before Chrifl himfelf opened thofe doors, and leaj the way ; and in tlus refpeCl: he is called, The foremnner of hw people. 3 . That
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