[4.] To pour out the Spirit ; John vii. 39, ' The Holy Ghost was not yet given, for Christ was not yet glorified.' When the husband is wanting, then he sendeth tokens ; so wlien Christ is glorified, then he giveth out the Spirit ; as Elijah, when he ascended, let fall his mantle. Proper acts have their proper fruits. Christ in earth established our right, and in heaven he puts us in actual possession ; the purchase was by Christ's exinanition, the application by his advancement. It was not meet Christ should use a royal act till his advancement, and till he went to the Father ; he ascended then, that his blood might not be spilt in vain, but that he might be in a capacity to execute his own testament ; unless Christ had ascended, we needed not this supply.
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3. The fruits and benefits of his ascension.
[1.] It is a sign God hath received satisfaction. His resurrection was a pledge of it, then our surety was let out of prison, the Lord sent an angel to remove the stone ; not to supply any power in Clu-ist, but as a judge when the law is satisfied, sendeth an officer to open the prison doors with power and authority : Heb. xiii. 20, ' The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus.' Christ was not to break prison. While the surety lieth in prison, the debtor can have no discharge. But now Christ's ascension gives a further degree of assurance. Christ is not only taken out of prison, but taken up to God Avith glory and honour. God hath taken up our surety to himself, and rewarded him. Christ hath perfectly done his work, or else he had never been taken out of the grave, much less taken up to God. God is well pleased with him ; he hath not only a discharge, but a reward. Christ is said not only to ascend, but to be received into glory, 1 Tim. iii. 16, avejBr], dvekijcfydrj , an active, and a passive word ; the one noteth the power of his godhead, the other noteth the grant of the Father. Christ took upon him the quality of our surety, and he must pay every farthing ere he can go to his Father. It is a sufficient pledge : John xvi. 10, ' Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more.' Thus there was an everlasting righteousness established ; he was never to see God's face more if he had not perfectly done his work : Gen. xliii. 5, ' Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' He is God's favourite.
[2.] It is a pledge of our ascension : John iii. 13, 'No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man that is in heaven.' Ascendit solus, sed non totus. Head and members must be together ; our head being there before, the members must follow after. Christ speaketh as if he were not content with his own heaven without us : ver. 24, ' Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may be- hold my glory which thou hast given me.' Christ took our flesh to heaven, and left liis Spirit, which is an earnest of our glory : 2 Cor. v. 5, ' He hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.' God never taketh anything from his children, but he sendeth them a better thing in the room of it. [3.] We have an intercessor at God's right hand, a favourite in the court of heaven : 1 John ii. 1, ' If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous ; ' as when offenders have a favourite in court. We need a mediator in heaven ; he is gone to disannul all Satan's accusation. The sacrificing ^part is done and ended, and his intercession now taketh place. We have these two great advantages in prayer — Christ is our advocate, and the Spirit our notary. Use 1. Information.
1. It informeth us of the privileges of God's children. When a child of God dieth, he doth but go to his Father. Chi'ist and we have the same relation : John xx. 17, ' I ascend unto my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' He is no more in the world, but still he is. He doth not say, ' I am no more,' but ' I am no more in the world ; ' they do not leave life, but the world. As Christ was the Son of God by nature, they are the sons of God by grace, and when they die, they go to their heavenly Father, to a sweet rest, to the bosom
276 SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. [SeK. XIV.
of God. The same entertainment Christ had, wo shall have, a joy- ful entertainment, a sweet welcome when we come to heaven, and the conduct of angels thither : Luke xvi. 22, ' The beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom.' God will take us as it were by the hand, with a ' Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithi'ul over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,' Mat. xxv. 21.