for as God and man, and glory hath redounded unto him as God and man, and living in this glory, he ruleth and governeth his church as God and man; he ascended indeed into heaven in his humanity only, but he sitteth at the right hand of God as Mediator in respect of both natures. Lutherans attribute this session at God's right hand only to the human nature of Christ; they say that this session is nothing else but the elevating of his human nature to the full and free use of some of the divine properties, as of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; the ground of this error is, that they suppose upon the union of the two natures in Christ, a real communication of the divine properties to follow, so that the human nature is made truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, not by any confusion of properties, nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect, each nature working that which belongeth to it with communion of the other, (for this we grant) but by a real donation, by which the divine properties so become the properties of the human nature, that the human nature may work with them no less than the divine nature itself, for the perfecting of itself. Against this opinion we have these reasons, 1. The union cannot cause the human nature to partake more in the properties of the divine, than it causeth the divine to partake in the properties of the human. 2. If a true and real communication did follow to the divine attributes, it must needs be of all the attributes, as of eternity, and infiniteness, seeing these are the divine essence, which can no way be divided. 3. Infinite perfections cannot perfect finite natures, no more than reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures. 4. To what end should created gifts serve, which Christ hath received above measure, if no more noble properties should enter and be conferred on Jesus Christ? Other reasons are given in, but I willingly decline all controversial points.

SECT. VI. Of the reasons why Christ doth sit on God's right hand. 4. WHY doth Christ sit at the right hand of God, his Father, in glory? answer, 1. On Christ's part that he might receive power and dominion over all the creatures," All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," Matth. 28:18. he speaks of it as done, because it was immediately to be performed; Christ at his session received a power imperial over every creature: that he hath power over the angels is plain, both by the reverence they do him, and by their obedience towards him, at the "name of Jesus every knee must bow," good angels and evil angels must yield signs of subjection to Jesus Christ; if the saints shall judge the angels, how much more shall Christ? Oh! what power hath Christ himself this way? And as for the excellencies on earth, they all receive their power from Christ, and are at his disposal; it is Jesus Christ that is "crowned with glory and honor, and all things are put under his feet," Heb. 2:7,8. And hence it is that when the apostle speaks of Christ's session at the right hand of God, he tells us that he is "far above all principalities, and powers on earth, and mights, and dominions in heaven," Eph. 12:1. “Yea, that angels and authorities, and powers are made subject unto him," 1 Pet. 3:22.

2. On our part many reasons may be given, as,

1. That he might be the head of his church. I mean not head in a large sense, for one who is in any kind before another; for so Christ is the head of angels, and God is the head of Christ; and to this we have spoken before. But in a strict sense, for to one that is in a near and communicative sort joined to another, as the head is conjoined with the body

and members; and so is Christ the head of his church. Look as the king hath a more intimate and amiable superiority over the queen, than over any of his other subjects; so it is here in Christ our king, he is more ami. ably tempered, and more nearly affected to his spouse and queen, the church of God, than to any other whomsoever. And to this purpose he sits at God's right hand, that having now fulness of grace and glory in himself, he might be ready to communicate the same to his church, who are the members of his body, that he might give them grace here, and glory hereafter, when he shall deliver up his kingdom to his Father, and be all in all.

2. That he might be the object of divine adoration: then especially it was said and accomplished, "Let all the angels of God worship him; and let all men honor the Son, as they honor the Father," Heb. 1:6. John 5:23. After Christ's session, Stephen looked up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and then he worshipped, and called upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," Acts 7:59. It is true that the ground of this divine adoration is the union of the two natures of Christ, and therefore the Magi worshipped him at his birth, and as soon as ever he came into the world, "the angels of God worshipped him," Heb. 1:6. but because by his session at God's right hand, the divine nature was manifested, and the human nature was exalted to that dignity and glory which it never had before, therefore now especially, and from this time was the honor and dignity of worship communicated to him as God and man. And hence divines, usually make this one ingredient of Christ's sitting at the right hand of God, viz. That Christ, God and man, is the object of divine adoration. "O! it is a great thing, and admirable, and full of wonder, that the man Christ should sit above, at God's tight hand, and be adored of angels and archangels." Before this was the grace of union conferred on Jesus, and so he was adored before he suffered; but after he "had humbled himself, and was made obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross, then (yea and there. fore) God highly exalted him, and gave him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in hea ven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess, that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father," Phil. 2: 8,9,10,11. he was Lord before, in that he is the Son of God; but now he is Lord again by virtue of his humiliation and session at God's right hand. Trouble not yourselves with their objections, who say, That if adoration be due to Christ as God and man, that then the human nature is to be adored; the person adored is man, but the humanity itself is not the proper object of that worship. There is a difference betwixt the concrete and the ab stract, though the man Christ be God, yet his manhood is not God, and by consequence, not to be worshipped with that worship which is properly and essentially divine. Certainly if adoration agree to the humanity of Christ, then may his humanity help and save us; but the humanity of Christ cannot help and save us, because, omnis actio est suppositi, whereas the human nature of Christ is not suppositum, a substance or personal be. ing at all.

3. That he might intercede for his saints, "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum,we have such an high-priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, and a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not

* Chrys. Hom. 5. in Heb.

men: Heb. 8:1,2. He is set on the right hand of God as an high priest, or minister to intercede for us. "For as Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands which are figures of the true, but into heaven it. self now to appear in the presence of God for us," Heb. 9:24. This appearing is an expression borrowed from the custom of human courts; for as in them, when the plaintiff or defendant is called, their attorney ap peareth in their names; so when we are summoned by the justice of God to answer the complaints, which it preferreth against us, "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," John 2:1. And he standeth up, and appeareth for us: Or, it may be, this appearing hath a respect to the manner of high-priests in the time of the law, Exod. 28: 9,10,11,12. For as they used to go into the most holy place, with the names of the children of Israel written in precious stones, for a remembrance of them, that they might remember them to God in their prayers; so Jesus Christ being gone up to heaven, he there presents to his Father the names of all his chosen, and he remembers them to his Father in his intercessions. Certainly Christ is not gone to heaven, and advanced to the right hand of God, only to live in eternal joy himself, but also to procure happiness for his saints. It is to excellent purpose, and to the great good of his church, that he sits at the right hand of his Father, for thereby he governs and protects his people, and he continually executes the office of his priesthood; presenting himself, and the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice, before the eyes of his Father in their behalf.

4. That true believers may assuredly hope by virtue of Christ's session, to sit themselves in the kingdom of glory. It is true, that Christ, and only Christ hath his seat at the right hand of God, "To which of the saints, or of the angels did he ever say, Sit thou at my right hand?" Heb. 1:5. It is a prerogative above all creatures, and yet there is something near it given to the saints, " For him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also am set down with my Father in his throne," Rev. 3:21. There is a proportion, though with an inequality; we must sit on Christ's throne, as he sits on his Father's throne, Christ only sits at the right hand of God; but, the saints are to sit at the right hand of Christ, and so the Psalmist speaks, "Upon thy right hand did stand the queen, in gold of Ophir," Psal. 45:9. It is enough to greaten the spirits of saints, how should they tread on earth, and contemn the world, when they consider, that one day they shall judge the world? "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:2. Nay, when they consider that one day they shall reign with Christ? "If ye suffer with him, ye shall reign with him," 2 Tim. 2:12. Christ sitting in heaven is a very figure of us; Christ's person is the great model and first draught of all, that shall be done to his body, the saints; therefore he is said to be the captain of our salvation that leads us on; he is said to be our forerunner into glory, he breaks the clouds first, and appears first before God, he sits down first and is glorified first, and then we follow; Christ wears the crown in hea ven as our King, and he is united and married to God, as our proxy.

And yet there is another ground of hope; not only shall we sit with Christ in glory, but even now do we sit with him in glory. Christ is not only gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, but he sits in heaven in our room, and God looks on him as the great picture of all that body, whereof he is head; and he delights himself in seeing them all glorified as in his Son. To this purpose, the saints are said to sit down with Christ at this present, "He hath made us sit together with him in heavenly places in

Christ Jesus," Eph. 2:6. Christ in our nature is now exalted: this is that admirable thing, which carried up Chrysostom into an ecstasy, that the same nature of which God said, "Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," should now sit in heaven at God's right hand: but not only the human nature, but Christ in person sits there as a common person in oar stead; he is in his throne, and we sit with him in supercelestial places. O what structures and pillars of hope are raised up here!

5. That he might defend the church against her enemies, and at last destroy all the enemies of the church. Such is the power of Christ's session, that by it he holds up his saints, in the midst of their enemies, so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them: true indeed that many times they are used as lambs amongst wolves; but so Christ orders, that the blood of martyrs should be the seed of the church; hereby his church, like a tree, settles the faster, and like a torch shines the brighter for the shaking. And as for the enemies of his church, there is a day of reckoning for them," He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision, the day is a coming, that he will speak unto them in wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure," Psa. 2:4,5. In the mean while Christ is galling and tormenting them, by the sceptre of his word; and at last he will put them all under his feet, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1.-For he must reign till he put all his enemies under his feet," 1 Cor. 15:25. That the enemies of Christ must be made his footstool, notes the extreme shame and confusion, which they shall everlastingly suffer: in victories amongst men, the party conquered goes many times off, upon some honorable terms, or at worst, if they are led captive they go like men; but to be made a stool for the conqueror to insuit over, this is extremity of shame: and as shame, so it notes the burden which the wicked must bear; the foot-stool bears the weight of the body, so must the enemies of Christ bear the weight of his heavy and everlasting wrath; such a weight shall they bear, that they would gladly exchange it for the weight of rocks and mountains; rather would they live under the weight of the heaviest creature in the world, than under the fury of him that sitteth upon the throne. And withal it notes an equal and just recompense to the wicked; the Lord useth often to fit punishments to the quality and ineasure of the sins committed: he that on earth denied a crumb of bread, was in hell denied a drop of water, and thus will Christ deal with his enemies at the last day; here they trample upon Christ in his word, in his ways, in his members, "They make the saints bow down for them to go over; yea, they have laid their bodies as the ground, and as the street to them that went over," Isa. 51:23. They "tread under foot the Son of God, the blood of the covenant," Heb. 10:29. They "tread down the sanctuary," Isa. 63:18. And "put Christ to shame," Heb. 6:6. And therefore their own measure shall be returned into their own bosom, they shall be constrained to confess with Adoni-bezek, "as I have done, so God hath requited me," Judges 1:7. Yea, this shall they suffer from the meanest of Christ's members, whom they here insult over; the saints shall be as witnesses, and as it were co-assessors with Christ, to judge the wicked, both men and angels, and tread them under their feet, "they shall take them captives, whose captives they were, and shall rule over their oppressors: all they that despised them shall bow themselves at the soles of their feet," Isa. 14:2.

6. That he might send down the Holy Ghost; to this purpose Christ told his disciples whilst he was yet on the earth, that he must ascend into

heaven, and reign there, "It is expedient for you, that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him to you," John 16:7. Christ is now in heaven, and sits at God's right hand, that he may send us his Spirit, by whose forcible working we seek after heaven, and heavenly things, where now Christ sits. this I shall insist larger, it being our next subject.

SECT. VII. Of the time when the Holy Ghost was sent.

But on

3. FOR the mission of his Spirit: no sooner was Christ set down at God's right hand, but he sends down the Holy Ghost. It was an use among the ancients in days of great joy and solemnity, to give gifts, and to send presents unto men; thus, after the wall of Jerusalem was built, it is said, That" the people did eat and drink, and send portions," Neh. 8:12. "And at the feast of Purim, they made them days of feasting, and joy, and of sending partions one to another, and gifts to the poor," Esth. 9:22. Thus Christ, in the day of his najesty and inauguration, in that great and solemn triumph, "When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and did withal give gifts unto men," Eph. 4:8.

Concerning this mission of the Spirit, or these gifts of Christ to his church, I shall discover the accomplishment, as it appears in these texts, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come; they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting; and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance," Acts 2:1,2,3,4. Out of these words, I shall observe these particulars: the time when, the persons to whom, the manner how, the measure what, and the reasons why, the Holy Ghost was sent.

1. For the time when the Holy Ghost was sent, it is said, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come," this was a feast of the Jews called pentekoste a pentechdeka, from fifty days, because it was ever kept on the fiftieth day, after the second of the passover. We find in scripture sundry memorable things reckoned by the number of fifty: As fifty days from Israel's coming out of Egypt unto the giving of the law. And the fiftieth year was that great feast of the jubilee, which was the time of forgiving of debts, and of restoring men to their first estates: and fifty days were in truth the appointed time of the Jews' harvest; their harvest being bounded as it were with two remarkable days, the one being the beginning, the other the end thereof, the beginning was deutera tou pascha; the second of the passover; the end was pentekoste, the fiftieth day after, called the Pentecost upon the deutera; they offered "a sheaf of the first fruits of their harvest," Lev. 23:10. Upon the Petecost they offered "two waveloaves," Lev. 23:17. the sheaf being offered, all the after-fruits through. out the land were sanctified: and the two loaves being offered, it was a sign of the harvest being finished and ended; and now we find, that as there were fifty days betwixt deutera and the Pentecost, so there were fifty days betwixt Christ's resurrection, and the coming down of the Holy Ghost. What was the meaning of this, but to hold harmony and to keep correspondency with those memorable things? As on the day of Pente. cost, (fifty days after the feast of the passover) the Israelites came to mount Sinai, and there received they the law; a memorable day with them, and therefore called the feast of the law; so the very same day is accomplished that prophecy, “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the