Chap.r.Secc 3· L?okin,gunt~ 'Je(fl4. BJok.IV.P.H't. v. 919 h~d:with thee before the world was. This was the order of the difpenfation of Chri£h offices; his fir!l: work w H a work ofminiftry, and fervice in the office of obedtence and fuff~ring fo: his Church· and his next work was the work of power and maJefty in the p;oti!C\:ion and exaltation of his Church. And there was a neceffity in this order. t .. In refpeel: ofGods decree who had fo fore-appoyntedit, Act. 2.23, 24. z. In refped: of Gods juftice which mul\:firft be fatisfied by obedience before any entrance' into glory, Ln~ 24. 26. 3. In refpeel: of Chri!l:• infinite perfon, which being equal with God could not poflbly be exaJt- . _ ed wtthout Come ,preceding defcent and humiliation ; that he . a(cendd (faith theApoftle) whitt is it but th4t hedefcende4firft Epb. 4·9. into the lower parts ofthe earth? 4· In refp:ct of our evidence and dfurance; thi! is the figne that Chrift h1th finifhed the work of our redemption upon the earth ; firft, he wu to aCl: as our furety, and then he was to afcend as our Head, our Advocate ; as the fir!l:-fr11its , the captaine , the Prince of life, the amhour of fa!vation, the .forerunner of his people. 4· That he might throughlv conviace the world of beleevers of their perfeCl: righteoufne!f~, the Spirit when he comes (faith Chrift) Jb.dl CJnvince the world of;;;,, and of ri<~hteuuf;ujfe, and of Joh.tG. 8,9,10 judgement, -1[ ftn, lucau[e thq be/eeve mt on m:, -1f righteou(nejfe, becaufe lgo to my Father, andye[ee meno more. If Chrift had not fulfilled all righteoufneffe there h1d been no going to heaven for him, nor remaining there; certainly God would have fent him down againe to have done the ref\:, and the Difciples fhould have feen him with fh lme fent back againe; but his afcenfion to heaven proclaimes op~nly. I. That he hath complettely finifh ·1 the work he had to do for u; h<:re, that no more was to be done in this world for us, th:l.t the fatisfad:-)ry work .to jufl:ice was in it felfe finifhed. 2. That God was well pleafed with Jefus Chnft, and with what he had done and futfmd for us. yea,God was fo infinitely taken with him, and his oblation afcc~ his fulft!ring~, as that he thinks it not fit to let him ftay above ' fourty dayes longer in this world; he cannot be without him in heave1, buthet~keshimupintoglory, and givesh.imaname above every Mme. 3. That we have our fhue in heaven with him; he went not up as a fingle •perfon 1 bat vertually, or N_n. n n n .3 myftically
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