Three Irea- vens. In which hea- ven Cheiflis. John. 1.7.14. Chrift doe, fill hiswhole Church with gifts. But not all places with his bodily pre- fence. Objec. vinr Doli. Chods Afeen- Gon locali. Epheßan.r Chap. 4. VBR. 9.1 For the words, above all thefe heaven, Heavens are fometimes put for heavenly creatures, the placefor the inhabitants, but not fo taken here. z. For the heavens themfclves, the upper partsof the world : you mutt know there are 3. heavens. r. The Ayre fo called. 2. The Starrie Firmament. 3. TheSpirituali ones,the Seatesof the bletfed. Now the meaning is, he went above all thefe vifible heavens, into thole heavenly manfions, where God fheweth his glorious prefence, where the Angels and the Spirits of the juft have their aboade. But betaufe it is faid above all heavens; here is a Queftion propounded. rtefl. Whether Chrifi be in or upon the vaulting of thole uppermofl heavens v1nfw. Heis in chem,for where we(hall be, there heis; lobo r7.24. as one may be Ma houle or on the houle toppe. Father (faith Chrift)1willthat they whom thou hall given me be with me, even where Iam; Wherehis Father is, there is he; our Father is in heaven. The fourth thing to be opened is chofe words in the ro. verfe, that hemight fill allthings : twofents mutt be chiefely marked, the one falle ; to fill all places withhis body : the other true; to fill all his Church with his gifts. For the firft,you muft know that it concludeth more then the textlayeth downe. Chrift fifleth all, therefore with his bodily prefence; It doth not follow. z. Again, Chrift did not afcend to fill all places, but to be contained in the heavens. vic1s 3.2 r. Whom the heavens mull containe till allbe reflored, 3. Heafcended to fill all, but with the holy Ghoft. 4. He fhould have faid, Chrift diffufrd himfelfe, or became omniprefent, that he might fill every place. To lay he [afcended] which is, left a lower place and went intoahigher, that he might be inevery place, is to fay heleft aplace, that he might be inevery place, it is to fpeakecontradict ion. The true fente is, that he might fill all with his gifts, he afcended, gave gifts as in the verfe following. Bu: they except that thenhe would not have faid, to fill all things, but his Church. The word [all] doth note all the membersofhis Church in hea- ven and earth, as Chap. t. so. That hemight gather together in one all things both which are in heaven,anel which are inearth, even in Chri17; and to you have itin the laft verfe of that chapter, the fulneffeofhim whichfifleth all in all things. Hence we mutt fiat marke, that the Afcenfton of Chrift is not a manifElation ofglory, but alocall moving from place to place : for this feemeth to be it that the Apofilewould prove in this place, viz. to (hew us that we muft not conceive of Chrifts Alcenlion, as of Gods afcending;but fuch is his afcendiog aswas his defcending ro thegrave; now this was a defcending without figure. Which
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