In this glorious condition that Christ is received into, he fulfils all his offices in a most comfortable manner. He is a glorious prophet, to send his Spirit now to teach and open the heart. He is a glorious priest, to appear before God in the holy of holies, in heaven for us, for ever ; and he is a king there for ever. From thence he rules his church and subdues his enemies. So that though he accomplished and fulfilled those blessed offices that were appointed him in the state of humiliation on earth, as it became that state to sufi'er for us, yet it was necessary that he should enter into glory, to manifest that he was a king, priest, and prophet ; for he was not manifested who he was, indeed, to our comfort, till he was ' received up in glory.' We had not the Spirit, the Holy Ghost, sent from above till he ascended; as it is in John vii. 39, * The Holy Ghost was not given, because Christ was not ascended,' to apply and to help us make use of Christ and all his benefits and riches. So that in regard of the mani- festation of Christ's offices, and of application of all the good we have by it, it is by Christ * received up in glory.' To come to some application.
1. First of all, we must lay this for a ground and foundation of what
528 THK FOUNTAIN OPKNED.
follows, llidt Christ aacoidcd an a puhltc pernnn. Ho must not be considered as a piirtioular person, alone by bimsoli", but as the ' second Adam.' As ho took the nature of man in bis incarnation, so bo ascended into heaven in it, as a public person. As the first Adam was, in whom we all sinned, and all came to misery and baseness, and died, so Christ must be considered as the * second Adam,' as in other things, so in his ascension to glory.
2. In the second place, we must know that there is a u-ondroiis near- ness between Christ and lis now ; for before we can think of any comfort by the * glory of Christ,' we must be one with him by faith, for he is the saviour of his body. Therefore we must be in him, we must be his members, we must be his spouse ; and being so once, we are one with Christ. There is no relation in the world that is able to express the near- ness between Christ and us sufficiently ; and therefore, when we speak of Christ ascending into glory, we must needs think of ourselves, and of our glory and advancement. He was taken up to glory in onr nature, not only for himself but for all his. As the husband of the church, he is gone before, to take up heaven for his wife. As a husband takes up land in another country for his spouse, though she be not there, Christ hath taken up heaven for us : ' I go before to prepare a place for you,' John xiv. 3. So likewise he is in heaven as a glorious head, ministering virtue, and comfort, and strength to all his. All our power and strength, it comes from Christ now, as our head in heaven.
3. Again, There is a causality, the force of a cause in this ; because Christ, therefore we. Here is not only a priority of order, but a cause likewise ; and there is great I'eason. Was there the force of a cause in Adam, that was but mere man, to convey sin and misery, and the displeasure of God to all that are born and descend of him ? and is there not the force of a cause in the ' second Adam,' to convey grace and glory to his, he being God and man ? Therefore, whatsoever is good, it is first in Christ and then in us. Christ first rose, therefore we shall rise ; he ascended into glory, therefore we shall be afterward in glory.
4. And then we must consider Christ not only as an efficient cause, but as a pattern and example how we shall be ' glorified.' He is not only the efficient of all glory -within and without, but he is the exemplary cause ; for all is first in him and then in us. He was first abased, and so must we ; and then he was glorified, and so shall we. We must be conformable to his abasement, and then to his glory. ' He is the first-fruits of them that sleep,' 1 Cor. xv. 20 ; he being the first-fruits, we succeed. These things being premised as grounds, I come to make some use of this com- fortable point.
Use 1. Christ is received up in glory ; therefore, first of all, for our information, ire 7nust not seek hi)n in a wafer-cake, ice must not look for him in the sacrament bodily : how can he be there when he is 'received up in glory' ? Therefore when we come to the sacrament, let us consider we have now to deal with Christ who is in heaven. Cannot Christ shew his virtue to comfort and strengthen us, but we must have his body in the communion to touch our bodies ? The foot hath influence from the head, yet the head is distant from it in place. The utmost branches have life and sap from the root, yet they are remote in respect of place. A king spreads his influence over his whole kingdom, though it be never so large, yet he is but in one place, in respect of his person. Doth the sun in the heavens come down to the earth to make the spring, and to make all fruitful ? Cannot he send beams and influence from thence to cherish the