Chriils An Exprfztion Afcenfion. thathe afccnded vp to heauen to befrow gifts vpon his Church, as it is faid in the place be– fore mentioned. He afcended vpon high,&c~ Epb.,hs• Heegauegifts 'unto menJ thatis, the gift ofthe knowledgofGodsword,thegift ofpreaching and prophecie,& al other gifts needful for the good ofhis Church. ThecoGderation ofthis, that Chrifr who isthefountaineofgrace, & in whomare hid all thetreaf~res ofwifedome & knowledge,fhould be mindful ofvs,& vonch– fafe fuch fpeciall fauour to his Church, mull: caufe euery one of vs who bath receiued any giftofGod(as there is no man but be bath re– ceiued his portion)to be humbled in his owne eyes for the fame. There is no caufe why wee fhould be proudo£our gifts; feeingwee haue oothingbut that which we haue receiued.For to this end Chrifr afcended, to giue gifts vnto men, and therefore our gifts wbarfoeuer they bee,are notour owne, butwe had them from Cbrill:, &we are frewards ofthe"' a while for the good ofothers. The more the Lord giues giuetbe blefsing.Thirdly,wheras it iHhought tobea thing not pofsible, to furnifh a whole Church with preaching miniflers,it feemes to beotberwife.For whereforedidCbrill:af<end to heauen ? was it not to giue gifts vnto his Church?what,is Chrifrs band now ihortned? vndoubtedly we may refolue our felues, that Chnil bellowed gifts fufficient vpon men in the <;::hurch: bur it is for our finstbatthey are not ltnployed. The fountaines oflearning rhe Vniucrfities; though they are not dammed vp, yetthey llreamnot abroad astbey might. Many there bee in them indued with worthy gifts for the building of the Church· but the 1 couetoufneffc <>f men hinders the c~mforrable entrance which otherwife might be. LaflB ly, feeing Chrifr afceded to gine gifts needfull for h1s Church,astbe gift ofteacbing,thegift to man,the morehe requires at his hands; and as for fuch as hauing good gifts abufe the fame.. theirfin is the moregrieuous, andtheir danger the greater. Men ofgteatgiftsvnldfe theyvfethem aright with humbled harts,fhall Want Gods blefsingvpoothem. For he giueth grace tothe humble. The high hils aftermuch tillageareoften barren, whereas the low val– lies byllreamsof waters pafsing throughthe, are'\"ery fruitfull: and the giftsof God ioyned withafwcllingheart are fruitleffe;but ioyned c withloue& the graceofhumilitie tbeyedifie. Secondly, ifCbrifhfcend vp to beauen to giue giftsvnto men,here we may fee how many aman and woman in thefe our daies are ouerfeene, in thatthey plead ignorance, & fay that they ~ope God will haue them excufed for it, feeing that they are not learned; they hauedul wits, & it is not pofsiblt to teach the now, they are pail learning: &hereupon they .prefumetbeymay liue in groffe'ignoranc.e, as blinde almoil i11 religion as when they were firll borne.But mark,! pray you,who isir that is ~fcended vp into heauen;namely,Chrill le– firs our Lord,who madethee ofnothing.Now was hce able to giue thee a beeing,whea th<>u wert not, aud is he not likewife able to put D knowledge into thy fouk,iffo bethou wiltvfe the meanes which he bath appointed? and the rather, feeing he is afcended for that end:but if thou wilt not vfe the meanes to come to knowledge,tby cafe is defper~te, and thou art the caufe ofthine owne condemnation , and thou bringell confitGon vpon thineown bead. Therefore let ignorant men labour for know... ledge ot Gods word. Ignorance fball excufe nonc:it wilnot fbnd for paiment at thedayof iudgement. Chriil is afcended to this ende to teJcb the ignoranr,to gi1eknowledge &wife– clomevnto the fimple, & togiuc gitrs of pro– phecy vnto his miuifl:ers, that they may tcJch his people.Thcrfore I fay againe,let fucb as be ignorantvfe the mcanes diligently,& God wll ofprophecy,thegift oftongues,ofwifedome and knowledg: theduty ofeuery man is tfpe: cully of rhofe which liue in tbe fcha~les of learning, to labour by all meanes toincreafe cherilhtand prefcrue theirgifrs5oandasPauttx: ~.Tila.t ~ortethTinmhie,tof/irrevp thegifrofGod,that ~~"" 1s,asn:~n prefewethe fire ?Y blowing ir, foby f4lr. our dthgence wee mufr ktndle and reuillc the gifts &graces ofGod befrowed on vs.Chrifl bath done hispart,and there is nothing required but our paines and fidelity. The third benefit that comes by Cbrifls afcenfion is , that bee all·ended to prepare a place for all that fhoul~ beleeue in him : Inmy lob,,1.~ Fathers ho11[e (f<tth Chnfl) aremanydr;eUing pltfces,ifit were notfoJI wo"ldhnHe tfJ/deyoJJ,/goe to prepare aplaceforyo/1, For by the fin ofAdam ourewrance into heauen was taken away. If Adam by hi<fall did exclude bimfelffrom the Gco.;, earthly paradife, then howmuch more did he .,, exclude bimfdfe from heauen?And therefore al mankindfinning in him,was likewifedepriued ofheauen. The people ofIfrael beeing in woe & mifery, cried our that they had finned & thereforetbe LordhadcoHeredhimjilfewith~ 1 , cloud, that t?eir pra__yers could not paffi throngh. 4:~·,• AndEf4J [auh)thatourfins areawalberwixtGod and '11~. And S.Jo~'.lJthat no vncle:mc thing mufi ~:·J.~r~' emermt11the heatte'ly lerufo/cm.Now feeing we 11 , haue Omtour feluesoutof heauen byour fins, itwasrequiiite that Chri[[ Iefusour Sauiour Otould go before v• to preparea place, and to make ready away for vs. For he is Kim?' ouer all, he bath the kcies of heauen, heeoP.,nerh andno man fhutteth: and therefore it js inhis power to let vs in, though\veehaue flmt our felues out. Bur fome may fay, ifthis be the end ofhis afcenGon to prepare a place in heauen, theA belike fucb as died before the comming ofChriilwere not in heauen.AnfAsthere are two degrees ofglory, one incompleare& the othercompltate or perfCCl, (for the faithfull departed are inglory but in parr,and there re:.. maines fitlnesof glory for fuch theu at the day ofindgement, when fouloand bcdy fhall be both glorified together:) (o aufwer:tbly there are two degrees of preparation of places in hcauen.
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