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should undergo no loss or disadvantage by the relinquishment of him: inasmuch as in that profession which they were called unto by the gospel, they had in like manner an high Priest, and that a great high Priest, that is, one incomparably exalted and preferred above Aaron and his successors, which he afterwards invincibly demonstrates. And hereby he presseth them to constancy in profession, the duty at present proposed to them. For if God had appointed destruction to him, who forsook the worship and service of the law, under the guidance of Aaron and his sons, what must and will their lot and portion be, who shall forsake and desert the worship of the New Testament, when we have an high Priest far more excellent and glorious than they.

Secondly, He is absolutely great, and this the apostle proves by a double instance, wherein he gives a further description of him, 1. By his exaltation. 2. By his name and person.

First, He is a great high Priest because he is "passed through the heavens." The triumphant passage of the Lord Christ into glory, is that which is expressed in these words. But for the right understanding hereof some things must be premised. As 1. That the person of the Lord Christ in all that he did, was still cloathed with all his offices. Yet 2. In sundry things he exerciseth the power and faculty of one office and not of another immediately. Some things he did as a king, and some things as a priest; but he is still both King and Priest who doth them all. 3. In some things he puts forth the power of both these offices at the same time, and in the same manner, though with different respects. Thus in this "passing through the heavens"-as King, it was his triumph over all his enemies, and his glorious ascension to his throne, or "sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" as Priest, it was his entrance" through the vail," into the holy place not made with hands, to appear in the presence of God for us. This is that which is here principally intended, but I shall explain the whole. Because even his acting as king, though it belongs not to him as a priest, yet it doth to his glory as he is a great high priest. And there are three things which herein set out his greatness and glory.

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First, His passage itself, concerning which sundry things are observable; as, 1. His entrance into it, or the time and place when and where he began his triumphant entry into heaven. These are recorded, Acts i. 9-12. Forty days after his resurrection, assembling his disciples, he spake unto them of the kingdom of God; and when he had spoken those things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And whilst they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up, two men stood by them in white apparel; which

also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey." The time is expressed, ver. 3. It was forty days after he was alive, after his passion. As he went forty days into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, before he entered on his ministry, so he continued forty days in the world, triumphing over him, after he had finished his ministry. But the chief reason hereof was, that whereas his apostles, who were to be the eyewitnesses of his resurrection, could not bear his continual presence with them; he might have opportunity to shew himself unto them by many infallible signs and tokens, Acts i. 3. The place was Mount Olivet, a Sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem, ver. 12. This place was near unto Bethany; for Luke affirms, that he led his disciples as far as Bethany, ch. xxiv. 50. which was a village near that mount, about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem, John xi. 18. The Jews constantly affirm, that a Sabbath day's journey was the space of two thousand cubits, which amount not to above seven furlongs of our measure; so that John had respect unto some other measure among the Jews, or Bethany was directly on the east of the mount, which took up the other space. This Mount Olivet, therefore, near Bethany, was about a mile from Jerusalem. It was on the east side of the city, whither our Lord Jesus did often retreat for prayer and rest. It was a hill so high, that from the top of it, a man might look into all the streets of Jerusalem, and into the temple. This was the last of his bodily presence on the earth, and the last that shall be until the time of the restitution of all things. Fabulous superstition hath feigned, that on a stone he left here the impression of his feet. This was the mountain unto which the glory of the Lord went up, when it left the temple and city of Jerusalem, Ezek. xi. 23. And so did he now, who was the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. With him the glory of God utterly departed from the temple and city, or the worship and people. Here he was taken up; and his disciples were ass, earnestly, carefully, with love, diligence and delight, looking on whilst these things were doing. Those who had not long before seen him hanging on the cross between two thieves, bleeding and dying, now saw him gloriously and triumphantly taken up into heaven. From their eyes a cloud received him. Elijah was taken up before alive into heaven, 2 Kings ii. 11. but it was with fire and in a whirlwind, with dread and terror, insomuch as the young prophets much questioned what was become of him. But here, when his disciples were fully instructed, and

were now no longer to live by sense, but by faith, whilst they earnestly and steadily looked on him as he ascended, a cloud draws the curtain, placidly interposing between him and their sight, who were not able as yet to look on what was done within that veil.

Secondly, This was the time and day of heaven's triumph. Ever since the apostasy of angels and men by sin, there had been an enmity and war between heaven and earth, pleaded by the interest of heaven in the earth here below. God had sent forth his champion, the Captain of salvation, typified of old by Joshua and David, and all those worthies, which were employed to vanquish the enemies of the church in their especial stations. He had now finished his work, having fully conquered the first apostate, the great enemy of God, and spoiled him of his power. And he was now entering into that glory, which he had left for a season, to engage in the difficult and perilous service of subduing all the adversaries of God. And now was all heaven prepared for his triumphant reception. As when a great conqueror of old returned from a far country, where he had subdued the enemies of his people, and brought home the leaders of them captives, all his citizens went forth with applauses and shouts of joy to meet him; to which custom our apostle alludeth in this matter, Col. ii. 15. So was it with the glorious inhabitants of heaven upon the return of this victorious Captain of salvation. So the prophet describeth the fall of the oppressing tyrant of Assyria, Isa. xiv. 9." Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth: it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations." He was theirs, they had looked for him, and was to have a princi. pal share in their condition. How much more was heaven stirred up, when the everlasting gates were opened, and this King of glory entered in. The psalmist expresseth it, Psal. xlvii. 5, 6. "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises, sing praises to our King, sing praises." It is the glorious ascension of the Lord Christ into his kingdom and throne, which is described in that psalm; and this all are exhorted to rejoice in

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Thirdly, His attendants in this his passage through the heavens, are also described unto us, Psal. Ixviii. 17, 18. The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place: thou hast ascended on high." And this place our apostle applies to the ascension of Christ, Eph. iv. 8. As when he descended of old upon the earth, in the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, he was attended with the heavenly host, who ministerially wrought all those glorious and dreadful effects which were wrought on

the Mount, Exod. xix.; so now in his ascension he was attended with the angels of God, who were as the chariots in his triumph, that carried and bore up the human nature, and waited on him, ready to do his will, and to manifest his glory. They had received command from God to worship him, ch. i. 6. and now they appeared eminently in the discharge of their duty. They compassed him about with joyful acclamations, doing their obeisance unto him as to their Head and King. With them then, and by their ministry, he passed through the heavens, a sight too glorious for mortal eyes to behold.

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Fourthly, The disposal of his enemies is also declared, Psal. Ixviii. 18." He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive;" that is, the authors of all bondage, of all captivity in sin and misery. See the phrase explained, Judges v. 12. And this our apostle expresseth, Col. ii. 15. " He spoiled principalities and powers," all the fallen apostate angels, making a shew of them openly in his triumph." He took them along with him in chains, tied as it were to his chariot wheels, making a shew of them to the citizens of heaven. So dealt the old Roman conquerors with their enemies: they led them in chains bound to their triumphant chariots, making them a spectacle to the people, and then returned them to prison, until the time appointed for their execution. So dealt he with these implacable enemies of the glory of God, and the salvation of the souls of the elect. He shewed them openly as judged, conquered, and fully subdued, remanding them to their prisons, until the time of their final doom should come. Thus did he pass through the heavens ; and all the glory of God was laid open for his reception, all his saints and angels coming forth to meet him to congratulate that success, the fruits whereof they had before enjoyed.

Secondly, His actual reception into the especial presence of God, as the end of his passage, adds to the manifestation of his greatness and glory. This our apostle declares, 1 Tim. iii. 16. avenpin ev doğn, he was received up into glory." This himself calls his entering into his glory, Luke xxiv. 26. Sce Heb. xii. 22-24. He was received gloriously into the highest heavens, the habitation of the blessed. Then and there had he his entertainment and refreshment after all the travail of his soul. Then was the time of the espousals of his church, the day of the gladness of his heart. There is joy in heaven upon the returning and repentance of one sinner. And what was there, when he that caused them to return, and saved all that do so, was received into his glory! No heart can conceive, much less can any tongue express, the glorious reception of the human nature of Christ in heaven.

Thirdly, His exaltation which ensued upon his reception. And this respects first God himself, and then the creation.

In respect of God the Father, two things are spoken of him. 1. That he sat down in his throne. He overcame and sat down with his Father in his throne, Rev. iii. 21. The throne is the place and ensign of rule and judgment; and the Father did not forego his throne, but he sits down with him in it, in as much as the actual administration of all rule and judgment is committed unto him, John v. 22. 2. As he sat down in the throne, so it was on the right hand of God, or at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This God promised him of old; and now gave him the actual possession of it. Of these things, see our exposition on ch. i. ver. 2-4.

In respect of others. So he had power over the whole creation given into his hand. All power in heaven and earth; concerning which, see also the digression about his kingdom and power, on ch. i. 3.

These things, as they were openly glorious, belonged unto his passing through the heavens, as the King of his church, and the Captain of our salvation. But there was in the thing itself, a respect unto his priestly office, and the exercise thereof. So in his dying, the principal thing intended, was the offering up of himself through the eternal Spirit, an offering for sin, and a sacrifice of atonement as a priest, but yet withal he died as a prophet also, to bear witness unto the truth; for which cause he came into the world, John xviii. 37. So although he thus passed through the heavens triumphantly as a king, he at the same time, and by the same action, passed through as our high Priest, as they were the veil through which he entered into the holy place, which shall, God willing, be explained on ch. ix. 23, 24. And these things belong to the greatness of our high Priest, upon the account of his exaltation, or his passing through the heavens; and,

The second consideration of our high Priest evincing his greatness, is taken from his name and person, or who he is. He is "Jesus the Son of God." Sundry things must be observed, to manifest the necessity and usefulness hereof; namely, that our high Priest is, and was to be, Jesus the Son of God. First, absolutely the Son of God, and then Jesus the Son of God. But the things of the priesthood of the Son of God, being handled at large in our Exercitations, I shall only here give a brief summary of them.

First, Before the entrance of sin, there was no need of the office of priesthood between God and man.-Every one in his own name, was to go to God with his worship, which would have been accepted according unto the law of the creation. If man therefore had continued in that state wherein he was made, there would have been no such office in the church of God. For it is the office of a priest to represent them acceptably unto

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