V 6 R. IO. Ephefianr, Chap. 4. Which is tobe marked againfl fome Lutherans, that turn the af- cending of Chrift into a fiate of M,ijeflie, whereby he is omni-pre- fent. a. This muff be marked that he faith, What io it hut that he defcended ffrfl into the lower parts of the earth? Where obferve, How that the Lord dothmake great abatementsgoe beforethe exalting of thofe that are his: thus of Chrift it is faid ; it was mette that he fhoulei be confecrated the Prince of Salvation through afflitltons. And Luke 24. 26. Our Sa- viour maketh this the fongof all the Prophets, that Chrift malt fuffer ad thofe things, andfoenter into his glory. Fir(t defcending, before of tending; and this wefee wasthe courfc of God with his Church in Egypt: the Jewes from the hiflory ground this proverbe, ,um du. plicantur lateres,tum wait totofis; the burdenof bricke was doubled before their deliverance appeared : abafementgeeth before honour. For betide that a thingmuff be emptycd before itcan be filled, the Lord doeth thus order the courfe of fiis children, that his power might be made manifeft. He letteth the wicked nerle themfelves, and the headofthem touch the heavens, that all the world may fee it is the highhand ofGod whereby theyare abated,he lettethhis owne come tothe Lowell ebbe, bringeth them to thedunghill, that his hand may be manifeftedin their advancement. It is not with God, as with men 'who putdowne the prifoners into the hole, whom they purpofe to bring forth to execution; for he fersthemupon the thronefometimes, whom heintends to rejeû, as is manifcft in Saul and other Kings of ludab and ¡erufalem. We mull therefore fuffer patiently our affli&ions; it was fo in Chrift our head, the fcholler is not better then his matter, the fervant isinferiour to his Lord. He made,himfelfeofnoreputátien, and tooke up. on him theformeofafervant, and teas made in the likeneffe ofmen : he humbledhimfelfe andbecame obedient untothe deathofthe Croffe: Where- fore God bath highly exalted him, be. Thus it mull be with us, we mutt fuffer with him, beforewe can raigne with him, we mull be like him in his death, this outward man of ours mull be crucified, before we canbe like him inglory. VERSE ro. He that defcended is even the fame that attended np arre above allheavens, that he might fill all things. Thisverfe fetterh downe 3. things. Ir. ThePerfon Afcending. a. The Place. 3. The fruite which followed Chrills Afcending. Now that he whodefcended tothe lower parts of the earth, doth attend to thehigheft heavens; it doth give us to confider, How the Lorddoth tarne thegreateft abatements of his children to thegreatell meafire of glory. Thus it was with Chrift,and thus it (hall be in thofe that are Chrifts, as Paul faith, a Cor. t. 5 , The40a-hens ofchrifi have abounded in us, fo his comforts have abounded. And OWofes Pfal. 99. 15. doth not with shat _479 Yft. Dort. Great abate- ments in Gods people pre- cede their ex- altation. Heh. z. 10. Luke a4. z6. Provaç. 31. pp. We mutt then learn patience in affli @ion. Phil. z,7.8.9, VERSE r0. Doti. The great af. flißions of Godschildren turn to their greater glory.
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