WITT' tIrS PRESENT STATE AND CONDITION IN GLORY. 127 present unto us, supplies the room of sight. This in is nothing of flesh, blood, or bones, by which he so is the ground whereon our hope doth anchor; namely, the things within the vail," Heb. vi. 19. which di- rects us unto the temple administration of the Media- tory office,of Christ. And it is for the strengthening of our faith and hope in God through him, that we do, and that we ought to inquire into these things. The consideration ofthe present state of Christ in hea- ven, may be reduced unto three heads. L The glorificationof his human nature; what it bath in common with. and wherein it differs in kind from the glory of all saints whatever. -. 2. His mediatory exaltation; or the especial glory of his person as Mediator. . S. The exerciseand discharge ofhisoffice in this state of things; which is what at present I shall principally in- quire into. I shallnot speak at all ofthe nature of glo- rified bodies, nor of any thing that is common .unto the human nature of Christ, and the same nature in glori- fied saints; but only what is peculiar unto himself. And hereunto I shall premise one general observation. Obs. All perfections whereof human stature is capable, abiding what it was in both the essentialparts of it, soul and body, do belong unto the Lord Christ in his glori- fied state. To ascribe unto it what is inconsistent with Its essence, is not an assignation of glory unto its state and condition, but a destruction of its being. To affix unto the human nature divine properties, as ubiquity or immensity, is to deprive it of its own. The essence of his body is more changed, than that of his soul. It is a fundamental article of faith, that he is in the same body in heaven, wherein he conversed here on earth; as well as the faculties of bis rational soul are continued the same in him. This is that holy thing which was framed immediately by the Holy Ghost in the womb of the virgin. This is that holy One, which when he was in the grave saw no corruption. This is that body which was offered for us, wherein he bare our sins on the tree. To fancy any such change in or of this body by its glorification, as that it should not con- tinue essentially and substantially the same that it was, is to overthrow the faith of the church, in a principal article of it. We believe that the very same body wherein he sufferesjfor us, without any alteration as unto its substance, essence, or integral parts, and not another body of an etherial, heavenly structure, where- frequently testified the faithfulness of God in his incar- nation, is still that temple wherein God dwells, and wherein he administers in the holy place not made with hands. The body which was pierced is that which all see, and no other. On this foundation, I willingly allow all perfections in the glorified human nature of Christ, which are con- sistent with its real form and essence; I shall therefore only in some instances inquire into the present glory of the human nature of Christ, wherein it differs either in kind or degree from the glory of all other. saints what- ever. For even among them, I freely allow different degrees in glory, which the eternal order of things, that is, the will of God in'the disposal of all the things unto . his own glory, doth require. First,, There is that wherein the present glory of the human stature of Christ, différeth in kind.and stature, from that which any other of the saints are partakers . of, or shall be so after the resurrection. And this is, I. The eternal subsistance of that nature of his, in the person of the Son of God. As this belongs unto its dig- nity and honour, so it doth also unto its inherent glory.. This is and shall be eternally peculiar unto him, in dis- tinction, from, and exaltation above the whole creation of God, angels and men. Those by whom this is denied, instead of the glorious name whereby God Both call him, Wondeful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, &c. do call him Ichabod, where is the glory, or there is none that is peculiar unto him. But this mystery hereof according unto our measure, and in answer unto our design, we have already declared. And this glory he had indeed in this world, from the first instant of his incarnation or conception in the womb. But as unto the demonstration of it, he emptied himself, and made himself of no reputation under the form of a servant. But now the glory of it is illustriously displayed in the sight of all hisholy ones. Someinquire, whether the saints in heaven do perfectly comprehend the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God. I do not well under- stand what is meant by perfectly comprehend. But this is certain, that what we have now by faith, we so shall have there by sigh/. For as we live nowbyfaith, soshall we there by sight. No finite creature can have an ab- solutecomprehension of that which is infinite. We shall never search out the Almighty to perfection in Any of
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