prepare a place for you,' and it is my Father's house, saith he, where I can provide for you and make you welcome. You heard before, what welcome God gave Christ when he first arrived there, and what he said to him, and Christ said (as it were) again to God: I come not alone, I have much company, many of my brethren and followers to come after (for it was the declared and avowed end of his coming to prepare a place for them), I prayed when I was on earth, that where I am they might be also,' John xvii. 24; and now I am come hither, my train must come in too, I am not complete without them; if you receive me you must receive them also, and I am come to take up lodgings for them. Thus the Captain of our salvation, being made perfect through sufferings,' and then crowned with glory and honour,' in bringing of many sons to glory,' as Heb. ii. 10, of which company he was Captain, is brought in saying to God, ver. 13, Behold I and the children which God hath given me,' he speaks it when brought to glory. I am their Captain, and they must follow me; where I am they must be. Lo! I am here, and am not to come alone, but to bring to glory all the children which thou hast given me. They shall be all welcome (says God), there is room enough for them, many mansions;' so that we need not fear, nor say in our hearts doubting and despairing, Who shall ascend up to heaven for us,' to bring us thither? (as Rom. x. 6). Christ hath done it; that is the first thing, but that is not all.

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(2.) He entered into heaven in our very names, and so is to be considered in that act as a common person (as well as in his death and resurrection), and so representing us, and also taking possession in our right, and we in him, as a guardian takes possession for heirs under age. Heb. vi. 20, The forerunner is for us entered' into heaven; the forerunner for us,' that is, our forerunner. A forerunner is a forerunner of followers, and of such as stay not long behind, and usually goes before as a harbinger, to provide and take up lodgings for them that are to come, and writes the names of those who are to come over the doors of such and such rooms, that they may not be taken up by any other. And so, Heb. xii. 23, the names of 'the first-born' are said to be written in heaven,' or enrolled there; and, 1 Pet. i. 4, their places or mansions in heaven are said to be 'reserved for them; they stand empty as it were, yet taken up, so as none shall take them from them; their names and titles to them being entered and superscribed. And so he truly entered, pro nobis, for us, that is, in our stead and in our names, as a common person; and therefore the high priest (in the type) entered into the holy of holies, with all the names of the tribes on his breast; even so doth Christ with ours, even as a common person in our names, thereby shewing that we are likewise to come after him; and this is more than simply to prepare a place, it is to take possession of a place, and give us a right thereto.

So that your faith, through this consideration, may see yourselves as good as in heaven already; for Christ is entered as a common person for you. Justification hath two parts: first, acquittance from sin and freedom from condemnation, as here, 'Who shall condemn ?' and secondly, 'justification of life,' as it is called, Rom. v. 18, that is, which gives title to eternal life. Now dying and rising as a common person for us, procures the first, sets us perfectly enough in that state of freedom from condemnation. But then, this Christ, his entering into heaven as a common person, sets us far above that state of non-condemnation. It placeth us in heaven with him. You would think yourselves secure enough if you were ascended into heaven. As Heman said of his condition, that he was free among the dead,' Ps.

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lxxxviii. 5, that is, he reckoned himself (in his despair) free of the company in hell, as well as if he had been there; thinking his name enrolled among them and his place taken up. So you may reckon yourselves' (as the word is, Rom. vi.) free of the company of heaven, and your places taken up there; so that when you come to die, you shall go to heaven as to your own place, by as true a title, though not of your own, as Judas went to hell, which is called his own place,' as (Acts i.) the apostle speaks. What a start is this! How far have you left below you pardon of sins and noncondemnation! You are got above. How securely may you say, ' Who shall condemn ?' Christ hath ascended and entered into heaven. This is the first branch of the second head: the influence that Christ's ascension hath into our justification and salvation.

CHAPTER V.

Demonstrateth in like manner what influence Christ's sitting at God's right hand hath into our justification, upon that second consideration of his being a common person. And the security faith may have from thence.

The consideration of his sitting at God's right hand may, in respect of the influence that it must needs have into our salvation, yet add more security unto our faith, if we either consider the power and authority of the place itself, and what it is to sit at God's right hand; or secondly, the relation, the person he bears and sustains in his sitting there, even of a common person in our right. And both these being put together will add strength mutually each to other, and unto our faith; both to consider how great a prerogative it is to sit at God's right hand, and what such a one as sits there hath power to do; and then that Christ (who is invested with this power, and advanced to it), he possesseth it all as our head, and in our right, as a common person representing us. And

(1.) Consider the prerogatives of the place itself; they are two: [1.] Sovereignty of power, and might, and majesty.

[2.] Sovereignty of authority and judgment; either of which may secure us from non-condemnation.

[1.] Sovereignty of power and might; this the phrase sitting at God's right hand' implies, Mat. xxvi. 64, where Christ himself expounded the purport of it: Hereafter you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power.' And so, Ephes. i. 20, 22, this is made the privilege of God's setting him at his right hand,' ver. 20, that he hath put all things under his feet,' ver 22-a phrase importing the highest sovereignty and power, not used of any creatures, angels, or men; none of them have other things under their feet i.e., in so low a subjection as to be their vassals; especially, not all things; and therefore by that very phrase, the putting all things under his feet,' the apostle argues in Heb. ii., that that man of whom David in the 8th Psalm (there cited by him) had spoken, was no other but Christ; not Adam, nor the angels, for to neither of these hath God subjected all things, ver. 5, but to Christ only, ver. 8, who sits in the highest throne of majesty. And to make his seat the easier, hath a world of enemies made his footstool, even all his enemies (so Ps. cx.); which is the highest triumph in the world. Now to what end hath God committed this power to him, but that himself may be his own executor, and administrator, and perform all the legacies which he made to those whom he died

for? As the expression is, Heb. ix. 15th, 16th, and 17th verses, that none of his heirs might be wronged. Fairer dealing than this could there ever be, nor greater security given to us. This to have been God's very end of investing Christ with this sovereign power, is declared by Christ himself, John xvii. 2, Thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.' And accordingly at his ascension, to comfort his disciples, in the fruit of their ministry, Mat. xxviii. 18, he says, 'All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.' What holy confidence may this breed in us! He is at God's right hand, and we are in his hands, John x. 28, and all his enemies are under his feet, who then can pull us out? Rev. i. 18, says Christ, I have the keys of hell and death.' The key is still in the Scripture phrase the ensign of power and authority. Now Christ hath both the keys of death, the postern gate out of this world, and of hell, even of the broad gates of that eternal prison; so as none of his can be fetched out of this world by death, but Christ he must first open the door; much less can any go to hell without his warrant. Yea, Mat. xvi. 19, he hath the keys of the kingdom of heaven' also, to open to whom he will. By his resurrection, we may see and rest assured that he hath the keys of death and hell (for he unlocked the doors, and came out from thence), and by his ascension and sitting at God's right hand, that he hath the keys of heaven, whose door he hath unlocked, and now set open. What need we then fear hell, when Christ our Redeemer hath the keys of it?

[2.] Secondly, to sit at God's right hand, imports all judgment to be committed to him; for sitting was a posture of judges; a phrase used to note out their authority. So Prov. xx. 8, A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment, scattereth the wicked with his eye;' and so doth Christ his and our enemies. See what Christ says, John v. 21, 22, 'The Son of man raiseth up whom he will; for the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son.' Now if he who loved us so, and died for us, be the Judge himself, then, 'Who shall condemn?' Christ sits on God's right hand. This is the very inference that after followeth, ver. 24, of that 5th chapter of John, He that believes shall not come into condemnation.' Christ utters it upon his having said he had all judgment committed to him, in the foregoing, ver. 22, on purpose that he might from that consideration ascertain believers of their non-condemnation. For what need we fear any under-officers, when we have the Judge thus for us?

(2.) But then, in the last place, add that second particular mentioned to all these, that Christ sits there as an head, as a common person for us. First as an head; so Eph. i., when the apostle had so hyperbolically set forth his power, of being advanced unto God's right hand, ver. 21, 'far above all principalities and powers, and above every name that is named, not only in this world, but that which is to come;' and how God hath put all things under his feet;' he adds, and hath given him to be head over all things to the church.' Observe now, he is said to sit there over all things, not in his own pure personal right simply, as it is his inheritance, as he is the Son of God (as Heb. i. 3, 4, 5, it is affirmed of him), but he sits thus over all as a head to the church. That same over all things comes in there, between his being a head, and to the church, on purpose to shew that he is set over all, in relation to his church. So that we see that our relation is involved, and our right included, in this exaltation of his, and so put into his commission; for this prerogative is there said to be given him. He sits not simply as a Son, but as an head; and he sits not as an head with

SECTION IV.

FAITH SUPPORTED BY CHRIST'S ASCENSION, AND SITTING AT GOD'S

A connection of this third head with the two former; shewing how it affords a farther degree of triumph.-Two things involved in it: 1. Christ's ascension; 2. Christ's power and authority in heaven.

I COME next to this third great pillar and support of faith, Christ's being at God's right hand; and to shew how the view and consideration hereof may strengthen faith seeking justification and pardon of sin; Who is he that condemneth? Christ is even at God's right hand.'

In the opening of which, I shall keep to the begun method, both by shewing how justification itself depends upon this, and the evidence thereof to us; both which the apostle had here in his eye, and from both which our faith may derive comfort and assurance. And I mean to keep punctually to the matter of justification only, as in the former.

These two latter that remain here in the text-Christ sitting at God's right hand, and his interceding for us—are brought in here by the apostle, as those which have a redundant force and prevalency in them, for the noncondemnation of the elect; that although the two former abundantly served to secure it, yet these two added to the former, do make the triumph of faith more complete and full, and us more than conquerors,' as it after follows. Nor doth this place alone make mention of Christ's sitting at God's right hand,' which I now am first to handle, in this its relation, and influence into our justification, and the assurance of faith about it; but you have it to the same end, use, and purpose, alleged by that other great apostle, 1 Peter iii. 18-22. And if the scopes of these two apostles in both places be compared, they are the same. Here the resurrection of Christ, and his sitting at God's right hand, are brought in as the ground of this bold challenge and triumph of faith; and there, in Peter, is mentioned the answer or plea of a good conscience in a believer justified, which it puts into the court, and opposeth against all condemning guilts, (so it is called, verse 12), the apostle alleging the resurrection of Jesus Christ as one ground of it, the answer of a good conscience, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.' And then further to back and strengthen this plea or answer of a good conscience, the apostle puts his ascension and sitting at God's right

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hand into the bill, as further grounds confirming it; so it follows, who is gone to heaven, and is at the right hand of God, angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject to him.' All which the apostle here expresseth in one word (as enough to carry it) that Christ is even at God's right hand.' The soul hath sufficient answer against condemnation in Christ's death and resurrection, full enough though it should stop there; yea therein can faith triumph, though it went no further; for it can shew a full satisfaction given in his death, and that accepted by God for us, and Christ acquitted, and we in him. Therefore, faith (you see) comes to a rather there. But then, let it go on, to consider Jesus sitting at God's right hand, and making intercession for us; and then faith will triumph and insult over all accusers, be more than a conqueror; then it comes not to a rather only, as here, but to a much more shall we be saved by his life,' thus Rom. v. 10. And the meaning thereof is, that if his death had power to pay all our debts, and justify us at first, then much more hath his life this power. So that his death is but the ground and foundation of our faith herein, and the lowest step of this ladder, but these other are the top and full triumph of faith therein. And our spirits should rise, as the apostle here riseth. Faith upon these wings may not only fly above the gunshot of all accusations and condemners, but even clean out of their sight, and so far above all such thoughts and fears, as it may reach to a security that sins are forgotten and shall be remembered no more. What joy was there in the disciples, when they saw Christ risen! John xx. Therefore in the primitive times it was used as a voice of joy; and to this day the Grecian Christians so entertain each other, at that time of the year, with these words, The Lord is risen,' your Surety is out of prison, fear not. But (as Christ said in another case, so say I) what will you say, if you see your Surety ascended up to heaven, and that, as far above angels and principalities' (as the apostle speaks, Eph. i.) as the heavens are above the earth? Will you not in your faiths and hopes proportionably ascend, and climb up also, and have thoughts of pardon, as far exceeding your ordinary thoughts as the heavens are above the earth? Therefore, first view him as ascending into heaven, ere ever he comes to be at God's right hand, and see what matter of triumph that will afford you; for that you must first suppose, ere you can see him at God's right hand, and so is necessarily included, though not expressed here. But that place fore-quoted out of Peter (1 Peter iii.) gives us both these two particulars included in it: 1. His ascension (who is gone into heaven); and 2. his power and authority there (is at God's right hand, and hath all power and authority subject to him), and prompts both these, as fit matter to be put into a good conscience, its answer and apology why it should not be condemned; and therefore both may here as well come in into faith's triumph, and that as being intended also by the apostle, and included in this one expression. He speaks with the least, to shew what cause faith had to triumph, for the least expression of it; his purpose being but to give a hint of faith, or that which comprehensively contains many things in it, which he would have us distinctly to consider for our comfort.