The ascension of Christ into heaven was in the capacity and re- lation of a forerunner, Heb. vi. 20. it was to prepare places for the redeemed, who were to come after him to glory in their several generations, John xiv. 2, 3.
The intercession of Christ in heaven, is for the security of our purchased inheritance to us, and to prevent any new breaches which might be made by our sins, whereby it might be forfeited, and we divested of it again, 1 John ii. 1, 2.
All these jointly make up the foundation of our faith and hope of glory : But if our souls perish, or be annihilated at death, our faith, hope, and comforts, are all delusions, vain dreams, which do but amuse our fond imaginations. For,
(1.) It was not worth so great a stOop and abasement of the bles- sed God, as he submitted to in his incarnation, when he appeared in flesh, yea, in the likeness of sinful flesh, Rom. viii. 3. and made himself of no reputation, Phil. ii. 7. An act that is, and ever will be admired by men and angels : I say, it was not worth so great a miracle as this, to procure for us the vanishing comfort of a few years, and that short-lived comfort no other than a deluding dream, or mocking phantasm : For seeing it consists in hope and expecta- tion from the world to come, as the scriptures every where speak, 1 Thess. v. 8. and 2 Cor. iii. 12. Rom. v. 3, 4, 5. if there be no such enjoyments for us there (as most certainly there are not, if our souls perish) it is but a vanity, a thing of nought, that was the errand upon which the Son of God came from the Father's bosom, to procure for us.
(2.) And for what, think you, was the blood of God upon the cross? What was so vast and inconceivable a treasure expended to purchase ? What ! the flattering and vain hopes of a few years, of
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which we may say, as it was said of the Roman consulship, uniui anni volaticum gaiidium ; the fugitive joy of a year : Yea, not only short-lived and vain hopes in themselves, but such for the sake whereof we abridge ourselves of the pleasures and desires of the flesh, 1 John iii. 3. and submit ourselves to the greatest sufferings in the world, Rom. viii. 18. For the hope of Israel am I bound with this chain, §c. Acts xxviii. 20. Was this the purchase of his blood ? Was this it for which he sweat, and groaned, and bled, and died ? Was that precious blood no more worth than such a trifle as this ?
(8.) To what purpose did Christ rise again from the dead? Was it not to be the first-fruits of them that sleep f Did he not rise as the common head of believers, to give us assurance we shall not perish, and be utterly lost in the grave? Col. i. 18. But if our souls perish at death, there can be no resurrection ; and if none, then Christ died and rose in vain, we are yet in our sins, and all those absurdities are unavoidable, with which the apostle loads this supposition, 1 Cor. xv. 13, Sec.
(4.) And to as little purpose was his triumphant ascension into heaven, if we can have no benefit by it. The professed end of his ascension was " to prepare a place for us," John xiv. 2. But to what purpose are those mansions in the heavens prepared, if the inhabitants for whom they are prepared be utterly lost ? And why is he called the forerunner, if there be none to follow him ? as surely there are not, if our souls perish with our bodies. Those heavenly mansions, that city prepared by God, must stand void for ever if this be so.
(5.) To conclude ; in vain is the intercession of Christ in heaven for us, if this be so. They that shall never come thither, have no business there to be transacted by their advocate for them. So that the whole doctrine of redemption by Christ is utterly subverted by this one supposition.
4. As it subverts the doctrine of redemption by Christ, and all the hopes and comforts we build thereon, so it utterly destroys all the works of the spirit, upon the hearts of believers, and makes them vanish into nothing.
There are divers acts and offices of the Spirit of God about, and upon our souls ; I will only single out three, viz. his sanctifying, sealing and comforting work : all things of great weight with be- lievers.
(1.) His sanctifying work, whereby he alters the frames and tempers of our souls, 2 Cor. v. 17. " Old things are passed away, " behold all things are become new."
The declared and direct end of this work of the Spirit upon our souls, is to attemper and dispose them for heaven, Col. i. 12. For seeing " nothing that is unclean can enter into the holy place,"
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Rev. xxi. 27. " and without holiness no man shall see the Lord," Heh. xii. 14. it is necessary that all those that have this hope in them, should expect to be partakers of their hopes in the way of purification, 1 John iii. 3. And this is the ground upon which the people of God do mortify their lusts, and take so much pains with their own hearts, Mat. xviii. 8. counting it better (as their Lord tells them) " to enter into life halt and maimed, than having two eyes or 4i hands to be cast into hell." But to what purpose is all this self- denial, all these heart-search ings, heart-humblings, cries, and tears, upon the account of sin, and for an heart suited to the will of God, if there be no such life to be enjoyed with God, after this animal life is finished ;
Object. If you say there is a present advantage resulting to us in this world, from our abstinence and self-denial ; we have the truer and longer enjoyment of our comforts on earth by it ; debauchery and licentiousness do not only flatten the appetite, and debase and alloy the comforts of this world, but cut short our lives by the exor- bitances and abuses of them.
Solut Though there be a truth in this worth our noting, yet (1 .) morality could have done all this without sanctification ; there was no need for the pouring out of the Spirit, for so low an use and purpose as this. (2.) And therefore as the wisdom of God would be censured and impeached, in sending his Spirit for an end which could as well be attained without it ; so the veracity of God must needs be affronted by it, who, as you heard before, hath declared our salvation to be the end of our sanctification.