Therefore, leaving his resurrection, let us speak of his ascension, and sitting on the right hand of God.
1. His ascension. Three things happened to Christ at his ascension. [1,] The exaltation of his body and human nature ; it was locally
taken from the earth, and carried into heaven: Acts i. 9, ' While they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight,' into the same heaven into which we shall be translated. They err who say that Christ's ascension standeth in this, that Christ is invisibly present everywhere, which destroyeth the properties of a body. There was not only a change of state, but a change of place ; it was a created nature, still finite.
[2.] The glorification of his person, which is the thing spoken of in this text ; then all the thick mists and clouds which eclipsed his deity were removed. Not that there was any deposition or laying aside of his human nature ; that is an essential part of his person, and shall continue so to all eternity ; but only of all human infirmities. He laid aside his mortality at his resurrection, and necessity of meat and drink, but was not restored to his glory till his ascension ; his body was so bright, that it shall pass though the air like lightning, clearer than the sun. Upon the earth he was ignorant of something of the day of judgment; now he hath all wisdom, not only in habit, but in act. Before he grew in wisdom, which he manifested by degrees ; now the glory of his deity shineth forth powerfully.
[3.] A new qualification of his office. Christ hath exercised the mediatory office from the beginning of the world till now, before his coming in the flesh, when on earth, and after his ascension.
2. The next thing we are to speak of in the glorification of Christ is his sitting at God's right hand : Ps. ex. 1, ' The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy foot- stool.' It is Christ's welcome as soon as he came to heaven. The angels guarded and attended him, and they brought him near the ancient of days : Dan. vii. 13, ' I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to
192 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeR. VI.
the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.' They, that is, the angels did it, they are his ministers : Heb.i. 6, 7, ' When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the workl, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.' He coraeth royally attended. Then the Father welcometh him with, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for tliy possession,' Ps. ii. 8. As mediator, Christ was to have a grant of the kingdom by pleading his right, and then God seateth him on the throne, ' Sit thou on my right hand,' Ps. ex. 1. God doth, as it were, take his Son by the hand, and seat him on the throne.
This sitting on God's right hand implieth —
[1.] The giving of all power, or a restoration of him to the full use of the godhead. He had an eternal right, as the second person, but he was to receive a new grant : Mat. xxviii. 18, ' All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.' Christ, as God, hath all power, equal power with the Father by eternal generation ; but as God incarnate, it is given to him. So Phil. ii. 9, 10, 'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ;' to make all enemies stoop to him, that he might receive adoration from angels, men, and devils.
[2.] A grant of authority to rule according to pleasure. He is made prince of angels : Col. ii. 10, * He is the head of all principality and power ;' he is to be their sovereign Lord, and ' head of the church,' Eph. i. 22. Christ is to us the head of all vital influences, and judge of the world : Acts xvii. 39, 'He hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.' This is the sum of Christ's glorification.
The uses of the whole.
Use 1. In that Christ prayeth for glory, it presseth us —
1. To take heed of dishonouring Christ, now he prayeth to be glorified. It was a great sin that the Jews crucified the Lord of glory ; but they have some excuse, in that they knew not what they did : 1 Cor. ii. 8, ' Whom none of the princes of this world knew ; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' His glory was not easily seen in his exinanition and abasement. But now we know more, and we cross his prayers, if we ' crucify him again afresh, and put him to open shame,' Heb. vi. 6. We cannot indeed crucify Christ really, but we may draw the guilt of his enemies that crucified him upon us. By your scandalous lives, you do in effect, as to your intentions, deprive him of his glory, and approve the act of the Jews against him ; you live as if no such thing had been done to Christ as his translation into heaven.