Ver. E I, the i ,7th Chapter of St. J O H N. in Body; yet they believe in him, and love him, and fend their Hearts after him. So; t Pet. I. 8. Whom having not Peen, ye love : in whom, tho now ÿe fee him not, ,yet believ ink, ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable, and fall of Glory. Faith is Eagle-eyed, and can look above the Clouds : The abfence of Chrift did not prejudice their Comfort and Hope : Faith contenteth it Pelf with an intelleáual Sight and Certainty. This is a trial of Chriflians, when they can believe in Chrift, and rejoice in Chrift, as if they did fee him with their bodily Eyes, and hear him with their bodily Ears. ¡hi figent defi- derium, quo nequeunt inferre confpetlum, faith Lea; They fatten their Hearts upon himl tho they cannot fatten their Eyes : Faith is fight enough. Thus would Chrift try the World; but yet, as I raid, in a way fuitable to his glorious Elate. If he ( hould (till have continued his Body among us, in that flare of weaknefs, wherein he converfed in the World, his holy Body would hill be fubjed to abufe, and the injuries and (corn of wicked Men, which would not agree with his Glorification ; and therefore, after his p efurreetion, he only (hewed his Body' to fome few chofen Witneffes, and fo departed into Heaven, that it might be no more feen, till he cometh to the lati Judgment with Glory and Power. So Chrift himfelf faith, Mat. 23.39. Te (hall not fee me henceforth, till ye Pall fay, Bleffid is be that cometh in the Name of the Lord; that is, till ye be comelled to fay fo, tho now ye are angry at the Children, that welcomed me in this manner. Mat. 26. 64. Hereafter ßI1 ye fee the Son of Mm fitting on the right hand of Power, and coming in the Clouds of Heaven. Never till then, after I am taken down from the Crof, and buried. 2. That way might be made for his Spiritual Pretence. Some Pretence of Chrift there mull be for our Comfort and Safety. I will net leave you comfartlef;, beyá:vxs, but will come unto pu; John a4. i8. That Chrift is hill fpiriitually prefent with the Church, is clear, by thole Promifes to the Apoftles, and to Believers. To the Apoffies and their Succeffors : Matth. 28. 2o. I am with you always to the end of the World. Into whatfoever place and time of the World our Lot is call, we may have an affurànce of Chrifìs Pretence, that is, of his Ailuilance and Bleffing, as much as if he were à1lually and corporally prefent with us. To Mini - tiers. Now if they improve their intereft, they might have Chrift in their Company, as the Apottles had, they are taken into the fame Patent and Charter. So alto to all Believers : Mar. 18. 20. Where -ever two or three are met together in my Name, I am pre- fiat in the midi{ of them. Whenever we are met together in any religious Work and Bufinefs, Chrift's gracious pretence is with us; in this fence he will never depart from Believers. Now this gracious Pretence was not vouchfafed, till his corporal Pretence was removed. Partly, becaufe Chrift will do nothing unneceffarily. When he was per- tonally prefent, to folve their Doubts, to inftruá them in all Cafes, the Spirit was not poured oat in fuch abundance ; as it is ufual (till with God to make up to us in fpiritu- al Supplies, what we want in outward Helps. Partly, becaufe his Difciples had car - -nal Thoughts of his bodily Pretence, and relied in it, which was to be confuted by his abfence. Partly; to make way for his unlimited univerfal Influence; his bodily Prefence could only be in Come Places ; but now he is afcended,he fi/leth all things, Eph. 4. io. As the Sun, if it fhould come down and (line on one particular Field, it could not diff"ufe its Beams far and near ; but now it is fixed in the Firmament, nothing is hidden from its Light : So Chrift exalted, fcattereth his Beams and Influences every where, into all parts and corners of theWorld. Partly, becaufe it was meet that Chrift (hould enter into his Glory and Kingdom, before he declared his Efficacy to Men by the more plentiful pouring out the Spirit ; as Princes ufe at their Coronation to give Gifts, and fend abroad Ambaffadors. So when Chrift was in hisltoyal Palace, he gave Gifts unto Men, and he gave fame, Apoftles ; and fame, Prophets ; and , fame, Evangelßs ; and fame, Paflors and Teachers, EpheC 4. 8, t s. Vfe t. For confutation of the Lutherans, who en eftablifh their Doárine of Cox fubftantia ton, make Chrifl's Afcenfion to be, not a local ftemove, but only a change of the manner of his Pretence; they fay he is (till corporally prefent, but not vifibly ;. as if the Humane Nature of Chrift were made invifibly Omniprefent, and not locally re- moved and carried into Heaven. This is a Doárine contrary to Scriptures; for it iv exprefly laid, Alls s. t I. that he was taken up into Heaven : And by virtue of this taking up, he is no more in the World, no more in the Earth, nor in any place there- of: For it is laid, Alis 3. 21. That the Heavens muff contain him, till the time of the re- fitution of all things; there is his perfonal Pretence fixed. And therefore if any fay, L9
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