is an eclipse of the lustre of any glory to have a date and a period. The very thought that such a glory shall one day cease, will cast a damp upon the spirit of him that enjoys that glory. Christ's con- stant sitting at the right hand of his Father is a clear evidence that he has finished and completed the work of our redemption. Christ could never have gone to his Father, nor never have sat down at the right hand of his Father, if he had not first fulfilled all righteousness, and fully acquitted us of all our iniquities : John xvi. 10, ' Of right- eousness, because I go to my Father.' The strength of the argument lies in this, Christ took upon him to be our surety, and he must acquit us of all our sins, and satisfy his Father's justice, before he can go to his Father, and be accepted of his Father, and sit down on the right hand of his Father. If God had not been fully satisfied, or, if any part of righteousness had been to be fulfilled, Christ should have been still in the grave, and not gone to heaven ; his very going to his Father argues all is done, all is finished and completed. But,
[6.] Sixthly, Christ having performed all the conditions of the cove- nant on his part, he now peremptorily insists upon it, that his Father should make good to him and his the conditions of the covenant on his part. Christ having finished his work, looks for his reward : ' Father,' says he, ' I have glorified thee on earth, 1 have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was,' John xvii. 4, 5. There was a most blessed transaction between God the Father and God the Son before the world began, for the everlasting good of the elect ; and upon that transaction depends all the good, and all the happiness, and all the salvation of God's chosen ; ^ and upon this ground pleads with his Father, that all his members may behold his glory : John xvii. 24, ' Father, I will that they also which thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory ; ' ' Father, I will,' not only I pray, I beseech, but ' I will ; ' I ask this as my right, by virtue of the covenant be- twixt us ; I have done thus and thus, and I have suffered thus and thus, and therefore I cannot but peremptorily insist upon it, that those that J have undertaken for, ' be where I am, that they may behold my glory ; ' for though glory be a gift to us, yet it is a debt due to Christ. It is a part of Christ's joy that we should be where he is. Christ will not be happy alone. As a tender father, he can enjoy nothing if his children may not have part with him. The greatest part of our happi- ness that we shall have in heaven lies in this, that then we shall be with Christ, and have immediate communion with him. 0 sirs ! the great end of our being in heaven is to behold and enjoy the glory of Christ, Christ is very desirous, and much taken up with his people's fellowship and company, so that before he removes his bodily presence from them, his heart is upon meeting and fellowship again, as here we see in his prayer before his departure ; and this he makes evident from day to day, in that until that time of meeting come, two or three are not gathered in his name but he is in the midst of them, Mat. xviii. 20, to eye their behaviour, to hear their suits, to guide their way, to pro-
^ This transaction between the Father and the Son is worthy of our most deep, serious, and frequent meditation.
396 THE COVENANT OF REDEMPTION
tect their persons, to cheer their spirits, and to delight in their pre- sence. He delights to ' walk in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks,' Kev. ii. 1. The golden candlesticks are the churches, which are ' the light of the world/ Mat. v. 14, 16, and excel all other societies as much as gold doth other metals. And he desires to dwell in the low and little hill of Zion, Ps. Ixviii. 16. Zion is his resting- place, his chosen place, his dwelling-place : Ps. cxxxii. 13, ' For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation ; ' ver. 14, ' This is my rest for ever : here will I dwell, for I have desired it.' Christ chose Zion for his love, and loves it for his choice ; and accord- ingly he delights to dwell there. The Lamb stands on mount Zion, Kev. xiv. 1. Christ is ready prest for action ; and in the midst of all antichrist's persecutions he hath always a watchful eye over mount Zion, and will be a sure life-guard to mount Zion, Isa. iv. 5, 6 ; he stands readily prepared to assist mount Zion, to fight for mount Zion, to com- municate to mount Zion, and to be a refuge to mount Zion ; and no wonder, for he ' dwells in mount Zion,' Isa. viii. 18. Now if Christ take so much delight to have spiritual communion with his people in this world, no wonder that he can never rest satisfied till their gracious com- munion with him here issue in their perfect and glorious communion with him in heaven.^ And certainly the glory and happiness of heaven to the elect will consist much in being in Christ's company, in whom they delight so much on earth. To follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes, to enjoy him fully, and to be always in his presence, is the heaven of heaven, the glory of glory ; it is the sparkling diamond in the ring of glory. The day is coming wherein believers shall be completely happy in a sight of Christ's glory, when he shall be conspicuously glorified and admired in all his saints, and glorified by them ; and when all veils being laid aside, and they fitted for a more full fruition, shall visibly and immediately behold and enjoy him ; therefore is their condition in heaven described, as consisting in this, that they * may behold my glory which thou hast given me.' Thus I have glanced at Christ's solemn demand on earth for the full accomplish- ment of that blessed compact, covenant, agreement, and promises that were made to him when he undertook the office of a mediator ; and now in heaven he appears * in the presence of God for us,' Heb. ix. 25, as a lawyer appears in open court for his client, opens the case, pleads the cause, and carries the day. The verb, i/j.(f>aviad7]vai, trans- lated ' to appear,' signifieth conspicuously ' to manifest.' It is some- times taken in a good sense, viz., to appear for one as a favourite before a prince, or as an advocate or an attorney before a judge, or as the high-priests appeared once a year in the holy of holies, to make atonement for the people, Exod. xxx. 10. Christ is the great favourite in the court of glory, and is always at God's right hand, ready on all occasions to present our petitions to his Father, to pacify his anger, and to obtain all noble and needful favours for us, E,om. viii. 34. And Christ is our great advocate to plead our cause effectually for us, 1 John ii. 1. Look, as in human courts there is the