either furprise or delight the ranfomed ones more, than the view of Jefus Chrift as he is. For, after all they hear, read, think and believe, concerning his perfonal excellence and glory; upon feeing him, they will, as the queen of Sheba refpecting Solomon be obliged to say, "the one half was never "told," 1 Kings x. 7. the one half did we fay ?' nay, in refpect of what they will then fee him to be, all their former difcoveries will appear to have been but darknefs, grofs darkness and ignorance. The view of this heavenly Man will not only juftify all they ever did and suffered for him, but probably fill them with wonder and furprise, becaufe they will not then be capable of shame and remorse, that they loved, adored and ferved him fo little; that they were fo averfe to füffering in his caufe, and fo unforward in fuch work and warfare as were connected, infeparably connected, with his honour and glory. The heavenly vifion of Jefus Chrift will fill the redeemed with delightful, rapturous amaze, that ever fuch an immaculate, matchlefs and glorious Mafter as he, took, and put up with, fuch low, ignoble, pitiful and worthlefs fervants as they. But, if the view of this change in our Lord's circumstances will be fuch an agreeable and delightful furprise to the excellent ones of the earth; what, fay my brethren, what will be the thoughts, and what the feelings, of unbelievers, upon this discovery! Those who now treat his authority in the gospel with the highest contempt; look on his fervants and followers, as filly, credulous fouls; confider his yoke, as an unfupportable burden; count his day, inftitutions and ordinances, a wearinefs scarce to be born; ftill more, who, avowedly act in oppofition to him, his interests and people; O, what tongue can exprefs, or thought conceive, the horror with which the first

view of the exalted Man will ftrike fuch infatuated creatures!

Our Lord's exaltation is an undoubted evidence, that all the family of faith fhall likeways, in due time, have their feet fet upon a rock, and, as far as they are capable of it, be made partakers with him of his glory. Your future circumstances, believers, of which your Lord's exaltation is the earnest, will be fo different from your prefent, that you will not on. ly, in a manner, be mifkenned by others, but, one would think it almoft poffible, you will then miftken yourselves. When fet on the rock of glory and triumph, no remainders of your present imperfection, guilt and grief, pain and difcouragement, temptation, fear and distress, fhall have place; and, when fet there, your conformity to the glorious Man, in his exaltation, will be fo great, as it is impoffible for us now to fay. Were you to have a prefent view of the appearance you will then make, it would certainly be more than the earthen vessel could well hold. If John, acquainted with the vifion of the Man Chrift, was in danger of falling down to worship at the feet of his fellow fervant; what ftrange impreffions might fuch a difcovery be fuppofed to have upon you? Though "it doth not yet appear what ye shall be," let it fuffice, that "when Chrift, who is your life, "fhall appear, ye fhall be like him, for ye fhall "fee him as he is," 1 John iii. 2.

Moreover, the exaltation of Chrift is a fure proof, as to his enemies, that they fhall, in no ways, efcape. The God-Man, whom ye now defpife, is fet above you, is conftituted and appointed your Judge; and will, fooner or later, have an awful reckoning with you. Every degree of oppofition to him, and rebellion against him, will caft up, in that final, decifive procefs; when, to your utter confufion

confufion and defpair, you fhall be obliged to stand and receive your condemnation from that very mouth, from which you will not now embrace the offers of life and indemnity. What will the Atheist, who treats all religion with ridicule and fcorn, think, when the reality of the whole shall appear, to the conviction of affembled worlds? What will the Deist say, when the truth of revelation fhall, as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond, be written on his confcience, at the bar of Chrift? What will the Arian, Socinian, and other enemies of our Lord, in his Divine Nature, do; when panneled before him, as God-Man? with what face will the Arminian, and other fuch enemies of an imputed righteoufnefs, appear, without the wedding garment? How will the swearer fhrink, on the citation to answer for all the impious words fpoken against this Judge? How will the drunkard fagger, under the influence of the wrath of God? How will the fabbath-breaker tremble, in the view of no fabbatifm, no reft day nor night, for ever? Where will prayerlefs perfons, then, hide their guilty heads? In what confternation must the despisers of thofe ordinances, wherefore Chrift is the fum and substance, stand, to answer for their conduct? Will whore mongers, adulterers, and other unclean perfons, then, venture to make a mock at fuch fins as, once, cost their Judge his precious blood? In fine, what will all unbelievers, all hypocrites, all unholy, all immoral and profane, wretches, do, at the coming of this Jefus, in his glory, whose calls, by the gospel, they now, fo fhamefully flight? O firs, put not the evil day far off; because judgment is not speedily executed, for the Lord's fake, do not dream of exemption from it. Believe the truth of the doctrine refpecting Chrift's exaltation; realize his fitting in judgment; think on the impor

tant

tant confequences of that trial to you. Be concerned to have provifion for the time to come. Delay not, in a matter of fuch everlasting moment. The door of mercy is open; this Jefus ftretcheth out his arms of grace in the gospel, to receive you : fly, fly, to him, as the ordinance of God for falvation. Acquaint yourselves with him, and be at peace; "that fo good may come unto you." But, “be"cause there is wrath, beware left he take you away, with a stroke, when a great ransom shall 66 not deliver you."

CHA P. IV.

Of the Father's establishing the Mediator's goings. WITHOUT impropriety, this might be viewed as a phrafe intirely fynonymous with the former: for, as a rock is a folid bottom; when one's feet are fet upon it, his goings, at the fame time, are established; or, as fome read it, made firm. However, we shall, in the following fections, confider this part of our Lord's exaltation in a different point of light, as expreffive of the sphere in which he now moves, the capacity in which he now acts.

SEC T. I.

In our Lord's goings, he acts a part in heaven, where his refidence, as the glorified Man, now is; and acts a part refpecting the church militant below, and respecting the church triumphant above. As to the church, or churches, on earth, the part he acts in heaven, is as their Advocate and Interceffor with the Father. "If any man fin (fays the apoftle)

"we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Christ "the righteous," I john ii. 1. "who likeways "(in the language of infpiration) ever liveth, to "make interceffion for us," Heb. vii 25. When on earth, he purchafed all his people's bleffings; and in heaven, he prays for the difpenfation of them: when on earth, he wrought out a complete robe of rightoufnefs for finners; in heaven, he prefents that righteoufnefs to the Father: when on earth, he taught his people to pray; in heaven, he procures the acceptance of their performances, as well as perfons. And, in the capacity of their Interceffor, our Lord manages the whole caufe and intereft of all his people, in fuch a manner as is fuited to their refpective needs.

With regard to the church in heaven, our Lord acts a part, as he, in conjunction with the Father and the holy Ghoft, is the light, life, love, and liberty of the ranfomed ones; through whom their happiness is more immediately communicated. Whence "the glory of God is faid to lighten "that city, and the Lamb to be the light thereof," Rev. xxi. 23. and again, "The Lamb, which is "in the midst of the throne, is faid to feed them, "and lead them into living fountains of waters," Rev. vii. 17. So that heaven itfelf could be no heaven to them, were not the Mediator's goings known there. Befides, in his mediatory capacity, as exercised within the vail, our Lord is the bond of union between these refpective bodies of militant and triumphant faints: through his goings there, the church below, and above, though different, in refpect of place, are one and the fame, in refpect of their relation to the Father, and among themfelves. God, being Christ's Father, is their common Father; and they, being equally the children of God, are brethren one to another. The elder Brother