to reward him for his deep humiliation, with a most glorious and illustrious advancement, Isa. xlix. 5, 6, 7. And how God (as it became him) made this good to Christ, the apostle very clearly expresses, Phil. ii. 9-
Yea, justice required it should be so. For how could our surety be detained in the prison of the grave, when the debt for which he was imprisoned was by him fully discharged, so that the law of God must acknowledge itself to be fully satisfied in all its claims and demands ? His resurrection from the dead was, there- fore, but his discharge or acquittance upon full payment. Which could not in justice be 'denied him.
And, indeed, God the Father lost nothing by it, for there never was a more glorious manifestation made of the name of God to the world, than was made in that work. Therefore it is said, Phil. ii. 11. speaking of one of the designs of Christ's exaltation, it was, (saith theapostle), " That every tongue should confess that " Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." O how is the love of God to poor sinners illustriously, yea, astonishingly, displayed in Christ's exaltation. When, to shew the complacency and delight, which he took in our recovery, he hath openly de- clared to the world, that his exalting Christ to all that glory, such as no mere creature ever was, or can be exalted to, was bestowed upon him as a reward for that work, that most grateful work of our redemption, Phil. ii. 9- Wherefore God also hath highly ex- alted Mm ; there is an " * emphatical pleonasm in that word," our English is too flat to deliver out the elegancy of the original, it is super-exaltation. The Svriac renders it, " he hath multiplied his " sublimity" The Arabic, " he hath heightened him with an " height."' Justin, " he hath famously exalted him." Higher he cannot raise him, a greater argument of his high satisfaction and content in the recoverv of poor sinners cannot be given. For this, therefore, God the Father shall have glory and honour as- cribed to him in heaven to all eternity.
Now this singular exaltation of Jesus Christ, as it properly re- spects his human nature, which alone is capable of advancement ; for, in respect of his divine nature, he never ceased to be the Most High. So it was done to him as a common person, and as the Head of all believers, their Representative in this as well as in his other works. God therein shewing what, in due time, he intends to do with the persons of his elect, after they, in conformity to Christ, have suffered a while. Whatever God the Father intend-
* TTSgU^Wrfg, Pl<>o7ias?nus emphaticvs, Hieron. Multiplicnvit sublimit (item ejus Arab. Sublimitate svblimavit eum, Syr. Infigniter extulit, Justin. M. Secundum ea?i- dem naturam dicilur exaltatust secwidam quam humilitatusjuit. Zanch.
8EBM; XXXVIII. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 485
eth to do in us, or for us, he hath first done it to the person of our Representative ', Jesus Christ And this, if you observe, the scrip- tures carry in very clear and plain expressions, through all the degrees and steps of Christ's exaltation, viz. his resurrection, ascen- sion, session at the right-hand of God, and returning to judge the world; of which I purpose to speak distinctly in the following sermons.
He arose from the dead as a public person, Col. iii. 1. "If ye " then be risen with Christ," saith the apostle, so that the saints have communion and fellowship with him in his resurrection.
He ascended into heaven, as a public person, for so it is said in Eph. ii. 6. " He hath raised us up," or exalted us together with Christ. He sits at God's right-hand, as a common person, for so it follows in the next clause, " and hath made us sit together in " heavenly places in Christ Jesus." We sit there in our Repre- sentative. And when he shall come again to judge the world, the saints shall come with him. So it is prophesied, Zech. xiv. 5. u The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." And as they come with Christ from heaven, so they shall sit on thrones with him, judging by way of suffrage. They shall be assessors with the Judge, 1 Cor. vi. 2. This deserves a special remark, that all this honour is given to Christ, as our Head and Representative, for thence results abundance of comfort to the people of God. Carry it therefore along with you in your thoughts, throughout the whole of Christ's advancement. Think when you shall hear that Christ is risen from the dead, and is in all that glory and authoritv in heaven, how sure the salvation of his redeemed is. " For if " when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God, by the death " of his Son ; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by " his life." Surely, it cannot be supposed, but " he is able to " save to the uttermost, all them that come to God by him ; seeing " he ever lives to make intercession," Heb. vii. 25. Think how safe the people of God in this world are, whose Head is in heaven. It was a comfortable expression of one of the fathers, encouraging himself and others with this truth in a dark day ; " Come, (said he) " why do we tremble thus, Do we not see our head above " water * ?" If he live, believers cannot die, John xiv. 19- " Because I live, ye shall live also."
And let no man's heart suggest a suspicious thought to him, that this wonderful advancement of Christ may cause him to forget his poor people, groaning here below under sin and misery. For the temper and disposition of his faithful and tender heart, is not changed with his condition. He bears the same respect to us as
* Nonm ridevxus caput nostrum super a>juas. Greg.
486 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XXXIX.
when he dwelt among us. For indeed he there lives and acts upon our account, Heb. vii. 25. 1 John ii. 1, 2.
And how seasonable and comfortable will the meditations of Christ's exaltation be to thee, O believer, when sickness hath wasted thv body, withered its beauty, and God is bringing thee to the dust of death ! Ah ! think then, that that " vile body shall " be conformed to the glorious body of Christ,1'' Phil. iii. 21. As God hath glorified, and highly exalted his Son, " whose form i; was marred more than any man's ;" so will he exalt thee also. I do not sav, to a parity, or equality, in glory with Christ, for, in heaven he will be discerned and distinguished, by his peculiar glory, from all the angels and saints ; as the sun is known by its excellent glory from the lesser stars. But we shall be conformed to this glorious Head, according to the proportion of members. O whither will love mount the believer in that day !
Having spoken thus much of Christ's exalted state, to cast some o-eneral light upon it, and engage your attentions to it, I shall now, according to the degrees of this his wonderful exaltation, briefly open it, under the fore-mentioned heads, viz. his resurrection, ascen- sion, session at the Father's right-hand, and his return to judge the world.