But now, upon the entrance ofChi-ist into the heavenly sanctuary, all those holy ones were admitted into the same glory with what the saints under the New Testament do enjoy. Hereon with open face
264 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
they behold the use and end of those typical services and ordinances wherein these things were shadowed out unto them. No heart can conceive that ineffable addition of glory which they received hereby. The mystery of the wisdom and grace of God in their redemption and salvation by Christ was now fully represented unto them ; what they had prayed for, longed for, and desired to see in the days of their flesh on the earth, and waited for so long in heaven, was now glori- ously made manifest unto them. Hereon did glorious light and blessed satisfaction come into and upon all those blessed souls, who died in the faith, but had not received the promise, — only beheld it afar off. And hereby did God greatly manifest his o^vn glory in them and unto them ; which is the first end of the continuation of this state of things in heaven. This makes me judge that the season of Christ's entrance into heaven, as the holy sanctuary of God, was the greatest instance of created glory that ever was or ever shall be, unto the con- summation of all things. And this, as for other reasons, so because all the holy souls who had departed in the faith from the foundation of the world, were then received into the glorious light of the counsels of God, and knowledge of the effects of his grace by Jesus Christ.
Want of a due apprehension of the truth herein hath caused many, especially those of the Church of Rome, to follow after vain imagi- nations about the state of the souls of the faithful, departed under the Old Testament. Generally, they shut them up in a subterranean limbus, whence they were delivered by the descent of Christ. But it is contrary unto all notions and revelations of the respect of God unto his people — contrary to the life and nature of faith — that those who have passed through their course of obedience in this world, and finished the work given unto them, should not enter, upon their depar- ture, into blessed rest in the presence of God. Take away the persuasion hereof, and the whole nature of faith is destroyed. But into the fulness of present glory they could not be admitted ; as hath been declared.
Moreover, God hereby manifests his glory unto the holy angels themselves. Those things wherein it doth consist were hid in himself even from them, from the foundation of the world, — hidden in the holy counsels of his will, Eph. iii. 9. Wherefore unto these " princi- palities and powers in heavenly places the manifold wisdom of God was made known by the church," verse 10. The church being re- deemed by the blood of Christ, and himself thereon exalted in this glory, they came to know the " manifold wisdom of God " by the effects of it ; which before they earnestly desired to look into, 1 Peter i. 12. Hereby is all the glory of the counsels of God in Christ made conspicuous unto them ; and they receive themselves no small advance- ment in glory thereby. For in the present comprehension of the mind of God, and doing of his will, doth their blessedness consist.
HIS MEDIATORIAL OFFICE IN HEAVEN. 265
Heaven itself was not what it is, before the entrance of Christ into the sanctuary for the administration of his office. Neither the saints departed nor the angels themselves were participant of that glory which now they are. Neither yet doth this argue any defect in hea- ven, or the state thereof in its primitive constitution ; for the per- fection of any state hath respect unto that order of things which it is originally suited unto. Take all things in the order of the first crea- tion, and with respect thereunto heaven was perfect in glory from the beginning. Howbeit there was still a relation and regard in it unto the church of mankind on the earth, which was to be translated thither. But by the entrance of sin all this order was disturbed, and all this relation was broken. And there followed thereon an imper- fection in the state of heaven itself ; for it had no longer a relation imto, or communion with, them on earth, nor was a receptacle meet for men who were sinners to be received into. Wherefore, by the " blood of the cross," God " reconciled all things unto himself, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven," Col. i. 20, — or gathered all things into one in him, " both which are in heaven, and which are on earth," Eph. i. 10. Even the things in heaven so far stood in need of a reconciliation, as that they might be gathered together in one with the things on earth ; the glory whereof is manifested in this heavenly ministration. And the apostle affirms that the " heavenly things themselves" were purified by the sacrifice of Christ, Heb. ix. 23. Not that they were actually defiled in themselves, but without this purification they were not meet for the fellowship of this mystery in the joint worship of the whole society in heaven and earth, by Jesus Christ. Hence, therefore, there is a continual manifestation of the glory of God unto the angels themselves. They behold his manifold wisdom and grace in the blessed effects of it, which were treasured up in the holy counsels of his will from eternity. Hereby is their own light and blessedness advanced, and they are filled with admirations of God, ascribing praise, honour, and glory unto him for evermore ; for the beholding of the mystery of the wisdom of God in Christ, which is here so despised in the dispensation of the Gospel, is the principal part of the blessedness of the angels in heaven, which fills them with eternal delight, and is the ground of their ascribing praise and glory unto him for evermore.