2. Upon supposition of the obedience of Christ in this life, and the atonement made by his blood for sin, with his exaltation thereon, there is nothing in any essential property of the nature of God, — no- thing in the eternal, unchangeable law of obedience, — to hinder but that God might work all these things in us unto his own honour and glory, in the eternal salvation of the church and the destruction of all its enemies, without a continuance of the administration of the offices of Christ in heaven, and all that sacred solemnity of worship wherewith it is accompanied.
These things being certain and evident, we may inquire thereon,
262 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
whence it is that God hath ordered the continuation of all these things in heaven above, seeing these ends might have been accom- pHshed without them, by immediate acts of divine power.
The great "works of the Lord are sought out of them that have pleasure in them," Ps. cxi. 2. This, therefore, being a great work of God, which he hath wrought and revealed unto us, especially in the effects and fruits of it, and that for the manifestation of his wisdom and grace, it is our duty to inquire into it with all humble diligence ; " for those things which are revealed belong unto us and our chil- dren," that we may do the will of God for our good. Wherefore, —
(1.) God would have it so, /or the manifestation of his own glory. This is the first great end of all the works of God. That it is so is a fundamental principle of our religion. And how his works do glorify him is our duty to inquire. The essential glory of God is always the same, — eternal and immutable. It is the being of God, with that re- spect which all creatures have unto it. For glory adds a supposition of relation unto being. But the manifestations of his glory are vari- ous, according to the pleasure of his will. Wherefore, that which he chooseth to manifest his glory in and by at one time, he may cease from using it luito that end at another ; for its being a means of the manifestation of his glory may depend on such circumstances, such a state of things, which being removed, it ceaseth to be. So of old he manifested and represented his glory in the tabernacle and temple, and the holy pledges of his presence in them, and was glorified in all the worship of the Law. But now he ceaseth so to do, nor is any more honoured by the services and ceremonies of religion therein pre- scribed. If the whole structure of the temple and all its beautiful services were now in being on the earth, no glory would redound unto God thereby, — he would receive none from it. To expect the glory of God in them would be a high dishonour unto him. And God may at any time begin to manifest his glory by such ways and means as he did not formerly make use of imto that purpose. So is it with all Gospel ordinances: which state will be continued unto the consummation of all things here below, and no longer; for then shall they all cease, — God will be no more glorified in them or by them. So hath God chosen to glorify himself in heaven by this administration of all things in and by Jesus Christ ; whereunto also there is an end deteniiined.
And in the continuance of this holy worship in the sanctuary above, God doth manifest his glory on many accounts, and resteth therein. First, he doth it in and unto the saints who departed this life wider the Old Testament. They came short in glory of what they now enter into who die in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. For — not to dispute about nor determine positively, what was their state and condition before the ascension of Christ into heaven, or what was the
HIS MEDIATORIAL OFFICE IN HEAVEN. 263
nature of the blessed receptacle of their souls — it is manifest that they did not, they could not, behold the glory of God, and the accom- j)lishment of the mystery of his wisdom and will, in Jesus Christ; nor was it perfectly made known unto them. Whatever were their rest, refreshment, and blessedness, — whatever were their enjoyments of the presence of God ; yet was there no throne of grace erected in heaven, — no High Priest appearing before it, — no Lamb as it had been slain, — no joint ascription of glory unto him that sits on the throne, and the Lamb, for ever ; God " having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." See Eph. iii. 9, 10.
This was that, and this was that alone, so far as in the Scripture it is revealed, wherein they came short of that glory which is now en- joyed in heaven. And herein consists the advantage of the saints above them, who noiu die in faith. Their state in heaven was suited unto their faith and worship on the earth. They had no clear, dis- tinct knowledge of the incarnation and mediatory office of Christ by their revelations and services ; only they believed that the promise of deliverance, of grace and mercy, should be in and by him accom- plished. Their reception into heaven — that which they were made meet and prepared for by their faith and worship — was suited there- unto. They had a blessed rest and happiness, above what we can comprehend ; for who knows what it is to be in the glorious presence of God, though at the greatest distance ? They were not immediately surprised with an appearance of that glory which they had no distinct apprehensions of in this world. Neither they nor the angels knew clearly either the sufferings of Christ or the glory that should ensue. But they saw and knew that there was yet something farther to be done in heaven and earth, as yet hid in God and the counsels of his will, for the exaltation of his glory in the complete salvation of the church. This they continued waiting for in the holy place of then* re- ft'eshment above. Faith gave them, and it gives us, an entrance into the presence of God, and makes us meet for it. But what they immedi- ately enjoyed did not in its whole kind exceed what their faith directed unto. No more doth ours. Wherefore they were not prepared for a view of the present glory of heaven ; nor did enjoy it. But the saints under the New Testament, who are clearly instructed by the Gospel in the mysteries of the incarnation and mediation of Christ, are, by their faith and worship, made meet for an immediate entrance into this glory. This they long for, this they expect and are secured of, from the prayer of our Saviour ; — that they be, when they leave this world, where he is, to behold his glory.