I God is here taken Perſonally for the Father, the other two 1 Cor. Perſons being before mentioned, v. -2. 5. m Of all Believers. 12. ©: 1 Not only in the excellencies of his Nature, but eſpecially in his Sovereign Nominion over the Church. 9 By his ſpecial Providence through ail the Members of the Church. þ By Inhabitation, and the conjunction of Believers with him. Though the former two may be applied to God's univerſal Dominion and Providence over all the Creatures, yet the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the conjun&ion of Believers in one Father, they are both to be reſtrained according to this laſt Clauſe, of 7 But unto every one oh vs is given grace q accord- ng to the meaſure of the gift of Chrilt 7.
q Either by Grace he means Gifts which are not common to ail Believers, but proper to ſome, according to their rarious funQions and places in the Church, Rom. 12. 6. 1 Cor. 12. 11. Or rather more generally it comprehends alſo thoſe Graces which are com- mon to all Believers as ſuch, Faith, Hope, Love, Zeal, Gr. which though they are of the ſame kind in all, and have the ſame object, yet they are received in different degrees and meaſures. 7 In that meaſure in which it pleaſerth Chrift to give them, who gives to ſome one gift, to ſome another 3 to ſome one degree of Grace, to ſome another ; all have not the ſame, but need the help of thoie that have what they want.
8 Wherefore he / ſaith, When he aſcended up on high #, he led + captivity captive x, and gave gifts unto ed? 4þ p amultitude
J The Pſalmiſt. t Chriſt, God manifeſted in the Fleſhz and of capri';e'ss
then what was ſpoken by the Pfalmift Prophetically in the {econd REY Perſon, is ſpoken by the Apoſtle Hiftorically in the third. » Chrift aſcended yp on high after his Death, both as to place, in his humane nature, into Heaven; and chietly as to his ftate in his being glorified. x Either led thoſe captive who had taken us captive, or rather led them captive, whom he had taken captive captivity being here put for captives, as elſewhere poverty for poor, 2 Kings 24. 14. This Chrift did, when having conquered Sin, Death, Satan, he triumphed glorioutly over them in his aſcenſion, Col. 2. 15. It 1s ſpoken with allution to conquering Princes or Ge- nerals, who in their Triumphs had their Captives attending upon their Chariots. »y He alludes in this likewiſe to the cuſtom of Conquerors caſting Mony among the People that were the SpeAa- tors of their Triumphs, or gave Largefſes to their Soldiers, Chriſt upon his Aſcenſion ſent the Holy Ghoſt on the Diſciples, Atffs 2. and continues ever fince, to furniſh his Church with Gifts and Graces, See on Pſal. 68. 13,
9 (Now that he aſcended, what is it but that he alſo deſcended z firſt into the lower parts of the earth? 4 |
z The Apoftle interprets the Pſalmiſt, and concludes, That David when he foretold Chrift's Glorification, or Aſcending up te Heaven, did likewiſe foreſee his Humiliation and Deſcent to the Earth, q- 4. when David ſpeaks of God in the Fleſh aſcending up on high, he doth thereby imply, that he ſhould firſt deſcend to the Earth. 4 Either ſimply the Earth as the loweſt part of the viſible World, and fo oppoſed to Heaven from whence he canie down, Fokn 3.13. and 6. 33, 38, 41, 42, 50, 51+ or the Grave and ftate of the Dead; or both rather, implying the whole of his Humiliation in oppoſition to his Aſcending, taken for the wholF of his Exal- tation. |
10 He that deſcended is the ſame that aſcended up b far above all heavens c, * that he might Þ fill all 4 a... things ad.) 7 33s
b He ſaith not, he that aſcended is the ſame that de! cended, leſt + Or, fuls it ſhould be thoughr that Chrift brought his Body with him from 77, Heaven, but on the contrary, h! tha d-ſcenied is the ſrime 19.8 aſcended, to ſhew that the Son of God did not by his d-ſcent be- come other than what he was, nor the aſſumption of the humane Nature add any thing, to his Perſon, as a Man 1s not made ano-
+ Or, 4
ther Perſon by the Cloaths he puts on. Chrift deſcended without
: change of place, as bzing Goal; but aicended by changing place
as Man, yet by communication of properti-s, whole Chriſt is ſaid to have aſcended. c All vitible Heavens, into the third Heaven or Paradiſe, A 3. 21. Heb. $9. 24. d All the Members
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