of the PERSONOf CHRIST. I83 for in theholy- place of their refrefhment obove. Faith gave them, and it givesus an entrance into the prefence of God, and makes us meet for it Butwhat they immediately enjoyed, did not in its whole kind exceed what their faith direded unto; no more doth ours. Wherefore they were not prepared for a view ofthe prefent glory of heaven; nor did enjoy it. But the faints under the New Teftament, who are clearly inftruded by the gofpel in the myfteries of the incarnation and mediation of Chrift, are by their faith and worfhip made meet for an immediate entrance into glory. This they long for, this they expect and are fecured of, from the prayer of our Saviour ; that they may be, when they leave this world, where be is, to behold his glory. But now upon the entrance of Chrift into the heaven- 1y fanduary ,all thofe holy ones wereadmittedinto the fame glory, with what the faints under the New Teftament do enjoy. Hereon with open face they behold the ufe and end of thofe typical fervices and ordinances, where- in thefe things were Shadowed out unto them. Noheart can conceive that ineffableaddition of glory which they received hereby. The myflery of the wifdom and grace of God in their redemption and falvationby Chrift, was now fully reprefented unto them; what they had prayed for, longed for, and defired to fee in the days of their Beth on theearth, and waited for fo long in heaven, was now glorioufly made inanifeft unto them. Hereon did glorious light and bleffed fatisfadion come into and upon all thofe bleffedfouls, who died in the faith, but hadnot received the pro- wife, only beheld it afar off. And hereby did God greatly manifeft his own glory in them and unto them, which is the firft end of the continu- ationof this State ofthings in heaven. This makes me judge that the fea- fon of Chrift's entrance into heaven as the holy fanduaryof God, was the greateft inftance of created glory, that ever was or ever Shall be unto the confummation ofall things. And this as for other reafons, fo becaufe all the holy fouls who departed inthe faith from the foundation of the world, were then receivedinto the glorious light of the counfels ofGod, and know- ledge of the effects of his grace by Jefus Chrift. Want of a due appre- henlion of the truth herein, bath caufed many, efpecially thofe of the church of Rome, tofollow after vain imaginations about the state of the fouls of the faithfuldeparted under the Old Teftament. Generally they )hut them up in a fubterranean Limbus, whence they were delivered by thedefcent of Chrift. But it is contrary unto all notions and revelations of the refped of God unto his people; contrary to the life and nature of faith, that thofe who have paffed through their courfe ofobedience in this world, and finnedthe work given unto them, should not enter upon their departure into bleffed reif in the prefence of God. Take away the per- fualion hereof,. and the whole nature of faith is deltroyed. But into the fulnefs of prefent glory they could not be admitted, as bath been de- clared. Moreover God hereby manifefts his glory unto the holy angels them- felves. Thefe things wherein it(loth confift.were hid in himfelfevenfrom them from the foundation ofthe world; bidden in the holycounfels of his will, Eph. 9. Wherefore unto thefeprincipalities and powers in heavenly places, the manifold wifdom of God was made known by the Flinch, V. io. The, Church being redeemed by the blood of Chrift, and himfelf thereon ex- alted in this glory, they came to know the manifoldwifdom of God, by the effects of it, which before they earneftly defired to look into, h Pet. i. t s. Hereby is all the glory of the counfels of God in Chrift made confpicu- ous unto them; and they receive themfelves no,fmall advancement in glory thereby. For in the prefent comprehenfhon of the mindof God, and doing -of his will, Both their bleffednefs confsft. Heaven J
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