An Expofttion of the Epiftle - - ----- ,...._,._., Sermon The Second thing in the Text is, Who it is that fet him at this Right hand. XXXf. I have done with the Firlt; opened the phrafe of Sitting at God's Rtght ha~~tl. ~I come now to the Second, his Exalter and Advancer. lt is God, namely th~ Father that fet him at his own Right hand, and that by his t:xcuding greatntfs of power. You know our Saviour Chrifi acknowledgeth, that all his power is from the Father; An power (faith he) u givm unto me, that is his expreffioo M.m. z8. f!.s he is the Natural Son of God limply confidered, fo he doth not fit at God's Right hand, ilnd fo indeed power is not given to him, for (o he bath it by Na· ture. But take him as he is Mediator,and that as he is God and Man too, for he is Mediator in both Natures, and fo all the power that he hath is given unto him, and fo he is only faid to begin to fit at God's Right hand after h's Refurredioo; whereas, as he is the Natural Son of God, he had power equally with the Fa· ther from before the World was. Therefore you know God boafieth of it; I haveJet my Ki11g upo11 mint hof)• HiP. Other Kings are by humane Infiitution and Creation; but this fame Jefus Chrifi, He is my King, faith he. Now, my Brethren, though the Father did but give it him, let me fay this fJr Chrifi on the other tide, He hath a right to it: So indeed it is carried be· rween the Father and the Son; it is the Father's gift, and fo the Father is ho· noured; but yet it is the Son's due. All power is given unto him; yet he faith plainly, in Luk, 22.. 29. that he hath power to g1ve a Kingdom, he ufeth the fame expreliion of himfelf that he cloth of his Father; I appoint unto you a Kingdom(faith he)as m)' Fr1ther hath appointedUlltO me.And IZf the Fathrr quick· ttrt!i whom he w ttl, jo the Son qtlichttth whom he will too, Joh.5 21. Only there is a reconciliation of Free-will; God's Will and Chrill's never differ, for Jefus Chrill exercifeth the higheft liberty of Will, and not only fo, but he exer· cifeth a Sovereignty of Will, and it is his right and due fo to do; yet hedoth no· thing but what the Father willeth. It is his Father that fer him at his own right hand. I defire you to obferve the difference of thefe two phrafes the Scripture holdeth forth : The exaltation of Chrifi is not only faid to be at God's right hand, but it is faid to be with God'sright hm1d. As in AflH. B· he faith, He wa~ 6y the right ha11d of God· and Afls 5. 3'· Htm hlllh Godexalted wtth hts rtght handto h a Prilte~ a11d ~ Ruler,~c. So that being at his Right hand implieth, that he hath all power committed to him; and being exalted with the Right hand, or /;y the Right hand of God, implieth, it was an anfwerable Almighty power that raifed him up to this. My Brethren, Our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift .d'd not only live by the power of God while he was here; Man liveth not 6y Bread 011/y, /;ut 6y every wordthat procudrth out of the mor1th of God. I do fo, faith he, that is his meaning. But you fhall read, that fince he is gone to Heaven, he liveth by the power of God. lt is in 2 Cor. I 3+ He was crucified through infirmity, 6ut he ltveth by the power of God. And becaufe that God the Father is he that ex· alted him, therefore Paul calleth him, Tht R:therof Glory, in the beginning of this Prayer in this Chapter. I might enlarge this. You fee how the Perfons honour one another; The Fa· ther's honour, that he doth give him this Power; the Son's honour, that he is worthy: and it was fit and comly,and neceffary for his Father for to do it.Confider of it thus,That the Son of God fhould be chofen (take it fo)to be the Mediator of the World; that the Son, that that perfon fhould be fingled out, it was but an aCl: of Choice; though it was comly, it fhould be the Son rather than the Holy Ghofi. That the Mao, Chrill Jefus, that he was chofen to it, that was meerly of God, as much as the choice of us was to eternal life; yet now, when this Man Chrift Jefus was united to the Son of God, he had right ro all thi<, it was his due. Heb,, .verfz,and verf6. com~ar~d toget!1er; as h; is called in the fecond verfe, the Appoi11ttd Httrof alilhtngs, fohe ts called 10 the fixtQ verfe, the Natural Hrir of all things. · Now
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=