352 Christ's exaltation
Fuch dcailnoss and sncli sins as a Turk would scarce commit. Wo are no more aftbcted with it than a Jew or a Turk that hath not the means. Will Christ endure this, that we should come to be careless whether we have the gospel, the blessed truth of God, or no, and grow sinful, and have less conscience than a Turk or a Jew ? Will Christ continue his blessed pre- rogatives and privileges to such ? Therefore, if we do but look to the ordinary dispositions of most men, a man would think it impossible but that judgment should come. Will there be a reformation of these men without a spirit of fire, without some purging flame ?
Then again, Christ is humbling his church for the advancement of it, and Buflcrs the enemies to triumph for their further abasement. He is com- passing a blessed work. There is a great wheel a-going, but we do not see the issue of things. All this great wheel the Lord rules, and governs, and moves. You shall see at length what it will drive to. We see in a clock there are many wheels, one contrary to another, but all helps the clock to strike, all join in that ; so there is a stroke, there is somewhat that will come out of all these troubles that seem contrary one to another, some up and some down ; but all these wheels will help to bring out some stroke, some glorious thing, that posterity perhaps may see that is now a- working. Therefore let none take scandal.* Christ ' rules now in the midst of his enemies,' Ps. ex. 2. We must not catch at pieces of Christ's workmanship; as in a poem, we judge not by a piece, but look to the catastrophe, we look to the upshot and closure of all. Though all was in a combustion, there we see all things brought to an excellent and wise issue. Therefore, I beseech you, suspend your judgments a while, and then you shall see wuth a spirit of faith all the enemies overthrown, even as if we did see it with our eyes of sense ; and in the mean time, persuade ourselves that Christ is about a blessed work, as he is king of our church.
One question the papists move upon such texts as this, that I will assoylef briefly, because it may trouble some, though it be of no great moment. It is said here that Christ died, and rose again, and revived, that he might be Lord of the dead and of the living. Hence, not only papists, but some others move this question, which I will give a little light unto.
Whether Christ by his dying and abasement did merit anything for himself, because it is said here he did this that he might be Lord of the dead, &c.
He abased himself to the death of the cross. ' Therefore God gave him a name above all names,' Phil. ii. 9.
The papists they fall upon Calvin that saith he did not, and that makes me the rather to touch it. Calvin, as he was a very holy man, so out of his holiness he avoided curious questions as much as he might, therefore gives an excellent answer. Saith he, whether he did or no, ' It is curious | to search, it is rash to define ' (/). For satisfaction, take these grounds, and all is well.
1. First of all, that Christ is perfectly glorious now in heaven, both body and soul. There is no question of that ; and that he came to this glory, both of body and soul, and the manifestation of it, after his abase- ment by his humiliation ; first, he must die and sufler, and then enter into glory.
2. Again, remember this for a ground that Christ as man merited not
* That is, = make it a stumbling-block. — G. J That is, = uselessly curious.
t That is, = clear up. — G.
PURCHASED BY HIS HUMILIATION. 853
the grace of union or unction, for liow could he merit before he was ? Could Christ merit to be united to the second person, that was the greatest grace that ever was ? No ; nor the grace of unction, habitual grace in Christ, whereby the human nature was filled with all grace. It was upon unction. Presently they follow one another. There was no meriting of that thing, because from the beginning of his incarnation it was by uuion of his nature. These things being thought upon, for other things they are not material ; onlj^ it is best and safest to think that he did not for himself merit anything. For if so be all glory was due to him by virtue of union, which he had by grace and by virtue of unction, if he had died presently ; he might have gone to heaven presently indeed, without dying, if there had not been a dispensation laid upon him to die for us ; and therefore by virtue of union and unction that was free, heaven was due to him presently, and all that glory that he had afterward.
Why was there a stop of that glory ? that his body being united to the divine nature, was not presently glorified, as now it is in heaven, so that he lived in abasement, and died a most cursed death ?