CHAP. LVI.

What the evangelists, and the other holy writers, have written concerning the ascension of Jesus Christ.

AFTER Jesus Christ was raised by the power of God from the dead, it will be our next inquiry, what account the sacred writers give of Christ after his resurrection.

St. Matthew saith, He appeared to the two Maries, and the eleven apostles, Mat. xxviii. 9, 10, 17.

St. Mark adds, That he appeared to the two going into the country; and after that to the eleven, Mark xvi. 12, 14.

St. Luke gives a large account of Christ's converse with two persons going to Emmaus: of his being seen by Simon (Peter): of his eating with the eleven (apostles), Luke xxiv. 13.

St. John has more particulars, and very remarkable, John xx. 14, 16, 17, to the end: xxi. throughout; but my inquiry is, what the evangelists say of Christ's

ascension.

St. Matthew doth not mention Christ's ascension. St. Mark saith expressly, He was taken up into heaven,' dvp0n, Mark xvi. 19.

St. Luke saith, He was carried up into heaven,' ἀνεφέρετο, Luke xxiv. 51.

St. John tells us, John xx. 17, that Christ speaking to Mary Magdalen, forbids her to touch him, saying, I have not ascended, 'Ávabbyua, to my Father

but I am (forthwith) ascending dvalaive to my Father, and to your Father: and to my God, and to your God.'

N. B. By the two first words, which are both passive, and by the third, which is neuter, it is evident, Christ was passive, and did not ascend, by his own inpate, divine power: but the evangelists using passive verbs, and Christ himself a neuter, it was by no means intended by them, that we should understand that Christ ascended into heaven, by his own, inter

nal, personal, divine power. And St. Luke confirms this thrice in the Acts, first in Luke's own words, chap. i. ver. 2, 'He (Christ) was taken, or received up,' 'Aveλno. Again, ver. 9, As his apostles beheld, he was taken up έson, and a cloud received him out of their sight. Again, ver. 11, Two men in white garments' (supposed to be two angels) said, This Jesus who is taken up (or lifted up drapes, from you into heaven.' Again, St. Peter, in his first discourse to the eleven, ver. 22, expressly mentions Christ being taken up from them,' avɛλýpoŋ.

Eph. iv. 8, 10, St. Paul uses the word dvoCalvw (a neuter), speaking of Christ's ascension, as the same word is used in St. Matthew above, when Christ himself speaks of his ascension.

Christ ascended from Mount Olivet, forty days after his resurrection, in the sight of many persons, Acts i. 6, 8, 10. To prepare mansions for his disciples,' John xiv. 3. To send the comforter,' xvi. 7. To save-those that come to God by him: and to make intercession for them,' Heb. vii. 24. And when he ascended, St. Paul, Eph. iv. 8, speaking of Christ's ascension, as his triumph; perhaps over his enemies and death; saith, that Christ led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men'-that is, led captive the be lieving world, and gave the gifts of the Holy Ghost unto his apostles, which the Father had promised, and they were to wait for it at Jerusalem, Acts i. 3, 4, Luke xxiv. 49.

TOO. This word is once used by St. Luke, Acts ii. 32, 33, to express St. Peter's sense of Christ's exaltation or ascension; and in the passive sense, thus: This Jesus hath God raised up (dvéstycev), of which thing we apostles are all witnesses: he therefore being exalted (vels) by God's right-hand,' that is, by God's power, and having from the Father received the promise of the Holy Ghost.'

1. When we find verbs passive, or passive words, are chosen by the holy writers to express their sense or meaning, we ought to understand them passively, or

we wrong those writers, and impose upon ourselves. Now by the words used by the holy writers, whenever they speak upon this subject, Christ is represented only passive, and God the Father, as the active, and sole efficient cause of his (Christ's) ascension.

2. It hence evidently appears, that there was in Christ no personal and inseparable union of the divine and human nature: though the Vulgus Theologorum* hold and maintain, that Christ arose, &c. and ascended by virtue of his own divine nature.

3. It is observable, that though most Popish and Protestant divines affirm, that Christ was exalted, as Earpwдos, or God-man: and explain their notion by saying, the divine nature was made manifest, which before was somewhat concealed in his humiliation, and death: yet the Lutherans reject the doctrine; and affirm, that Christ's divine nature was incapable of being exalted: than which truth nothing could be more certain, had the divine nature been essentially united to him.

CHAP. LVII.

What is written by the evangelists, and the other holy writers of the New Testament, concerning Christ's sitting at God's right-hand.

As the sacred writers have ascribed the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, not to his own power, but to the power of his and our God alone: so the same writers assure us, that Christ sat down at the right-hand of God,' to be rewarded with that dignity which was given to him by God, and which he received from God.

St. Mark expressly saith, Mark xvi. 19, That our Lord was' received, or taken up into heaven, and sat at the right-hand of God.'

Eph. i. 17, 19, 20, 21, St. Paul having mentioned

Catech, Rom. Art, vi, and most Protestant writers.

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The God of our Lord Jesus Christ,' the glorious Father;' he afterwards, in a studied series of the strongest terms, magnifies the power and energy of God, in these two instances, viz. In raising Christ from the dead; and in setting him,' or causing him to sit, at his right-hand:' here, beyond all contradiction, God the Father was the efficient, and Christ by him was set at his right-hand. Mark x. 37-40, Christ expressly declares to the mother of the sons of Zebedee, that he had it not in his power to set her sons on his right and left hand, but this was a privilege only conferred by his Father.' If this place is referred by Christ to a pre-eminence, desired in his supposed earthly kingdom, or his future heavenly state, sequence will be the same; viz. that in either state Christ had not power to confer the privilege of sitting on his right-hand. But that was the prerogative of God the Father only.

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As Christ in his behalf referred the Pharisees to the words of David, Psalm cx. cited Matth. xxii. 44, Mark xii. 36, Luke xx. 42, Sit thou on (or, at) my righthand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.' thereby very plainly intimates, that himself was that very Lord, to whom the Lord (God) said, Sit thou on my right-hand.' And St. Peter expressly applies that passage to Jesus Christ in his discourse, Acts ii. 34, 35, 36. Now as the very form of the words shews the pre-eminence and authority of God, who saith'sit thou-until I make,' &c. Heb. i. 13; so St. Peter's whole view, through all his discourse, was to convince the Jews, in many particulars, and in this also, that Jesus was not only the Christ, but also the person, whom God raised from the dead, exalted to his right-hand, and gave him the promise of the holy spirit,' and made him both Lord and Christ.' Now, as plain as words can make it, this whole passage demonstrates a full distinction of persons or beings; namely, 1. God, who raised up,' who exalted,' who promised the holy spirit:' who 'set Christ at his righthand,' and made him Lord and Christ.' 2. And Je

sus Christ, who was by God raised up; exalted; received the promise of the holy spirit from God;' was 'set at God's right-hand; and was, by God, made both Lord and Christ.'

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Three evangelists, Mat. xxvi. 64, Mark xiv. 62, Luke xxii. 69, inform us, that Christ before his death foretold, that the Son of man should sit on the righthand of the power of God.' St. Paul mentions it as a fact well known, Coloss. iii. 1, and in remarkable words, in the epistle to the Hebrews, viz. 'Jesus,' who had spoken from God to us in these last days, sat down on the right-hand of the majesty on. high,' Heb. i. 3. And on the right-hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens,' viii. 1, x. 12. Thus, 'Jesus Christ;' and thus, the majesty on high' are distinguished. And after a gradation in the several parts of Christ's character mentioned, Heb. i. 3, Christ's sitting on God's right-hand' is placed as the highest of all his characters.

By this phrase of Christ's sitting at God's righthand, which all acknowledge to be figurative, may be understood, most unquestionably, and in conformity with several passages of the New Testament, Christ's being set, by his God and Father (to whom he ascended), in a state of happiness, favour, and glory, near the beatific presence of God, as a reward for his faithful conduct, and sufferings for, and in the cause of truth and true religion, which is, indeed, a cause the most valuable in itself, and the most regarded, and most rewarded by Almighty God. Accordingly his meritorious conduct and reward is taken notice of in the following passages:

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Phil. ii. 6-11, St. Paul expresseth Christ's humble, obedient, and resigning spirit and conduct, and thereupon the apostle adds, Wherefore,' or on which account, God hath exceedingly exalted him, repówce, nai Exapiraro, (Christ,) and freely given him a name,' or title, superior to all others.'

Again, St. Paul tells us, Heb. xii. 2, that Jesus,

-because of the joy that was set before him, en