Chapter II
Sliewing first what evidence for our justification Christ s ascension into heaven
affords unto our faith, upon that first forementioned consideration of his
bring a Surety for us.
1. First, then, to see what triumph his ascending into heaven will add unto our faith in matter of non-condemnation.
(1.) And herein, first, there is not nothing* in it to consider what he then
did, and what was his last act when he was to take his rise, to fly up to heaven. He blessed his disciples, and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them, for all his elect, to the end of the world. The true reason and mind of which blessing them was, that he being now to go to execute the
eternal office of his priesthood in heaven, (of which God had sworn, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec ) ; as Melchisedec in the
type blessed Abraham, and in him all the faithful as in his loins, therefore the apostle said that Levi paid tithes unto Melchisedec in Abraham s loins, therefore he was blessed in his loins, so did Christ begin this new and second
part of his priesthood with blessing the apostles, and in them all the elect
to the end of the world. This was the last thing that Christ did on earth, yea this he did whilst ascending, he was taken up whilst he did it. So Luke xxiv. 50, 51. And thus solemnly he now did this, to shew that the curse was gone, and that sin was gone, and that action speaks thus much, as if Christ himself had said it ; my brethren (for so he styled his dis
ciples after his resurrection), I have been dead, and in dying made a curse
for you ; now that curse I have fully removed, and my Father hath acquitted me and you for it ; and now I can be bold to bless you, and pronounce all
your sins forgiven, and your persons justified. For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing. Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him, and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them ; which he reserved thus as his last act, to shew how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the law, and now going to heaven, was able to bless them with all the spiritual blessings that are there, and which heaven can
afford, for heavenly they are called in that respect, Eph. i. 3. And as in Abraham (blessed by Melchisedec) all the faithful were blessed, so, in
these apostles, all the elect to come are blessed. As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve at the first creation, yet he in them, blessed all that were for ever to come of them ; so Christ in blessing them, blessed us, and
all that shall believe through their word, to the end of the world. And
that they were thus then to be considered as common persons, receiving this blessing for us all, appeareth by Christ s words then uttered, I am with you to the end of the world (i. e., with you and all your successors, both ministers and other believers), Mat. xxviii. 20. And Christ herein did
as God did before him. When God had done his work of creation, ho looked upon all he had done, and saw that it was good, and he blessed it. Thus did Jesus Christ ; now that he had by that one offering perfected for ever all the elect, he comfortably vieweth and pronounceth it perfect, and them blessed ; and so goes to heaven, to keep and enjoy the Sabbath of
all there.
(2.) Now, secondly, let us see him ascending, and see what comfort that
will also afford our faith, towards the persuasion of justification. The
apostles stood gazing on him ; and so do you lift up your hearts to gaze on * That is, there is something, or
4 it is not useless. ED.
CHAP. II.] FROM CHRIST S ASCENSION. 47
him by faith, and view him in that act, as he is passing along into heaven, as leading sin, hell, death, and devil in triumph, at his chariot-wheels. And therewith let your faith triumph, in a further evidence of justification. Thus, Eph. iv. 8, out of Ps. Ixviii. 18, the apostle saith,
* When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive (to which Hebraism the Latin phrase, mncere victoriam, to win a victory, doth answer)
: then he led captive all our
spiritual enemies, that would have captived us, they being now captived. Now leading of captives is always after a perfect victory. And therefore, whereas at his death he had conquered them, at his rising scattered them, now at his ascension he leads them captive. And so that Psalm in the
type begins, ver. 1, Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered: let them flee before him; so at his resurrection they did. And then he ascends in triumph (as here) in token of victory, he is ascended up on
high, ver. 18. He ascends, as David after his victory, up to Mount Sion
(for the celebrating of which that Psalm seems to have been made by David), whereof this was the intended type.
And two actus triwnphales, triumphing acts there were, here mentioned :
[1.] Leading the captives bound to his chariot-wheels ; as the manner of the Roman triumph was, when the conqueror went up to the Capitol ; and other heathens in David s time ; as Achilles led Hector captive, who tied
his feet to his chariot-wheels, and dragged him dead round about the walls of
Troy. Now thus did Christ then deal with our sins and all other enemies.
[2.] The second act is casting abroad of gilts, He gave gifts to men.
It was the custom at their triumphs to cast new coins (missilia) abroad among the multitude ; so doth Christ throw the greatest gifts for the good of men, that ever were given. Therefore, who shall condemn ? Sins and
devils are not only dead, but triumphed over. Compare with this that other
place, Col. ii. 15, Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in himself. So I read it, and the Greek bears it, and so it is in the margin varied. It is a manifest allu sion unto the manner of triumphs after victories among the Romans, even unto two of the most notable parts thereof : the first, of spoiling the enemy upon the place, ere they stirred out of the field ; and this was done by Christ on the cross. Having spoiled them first, as ver. 14 hath it. He
speaks it of the devils, our enemies and accusers ; they had all God s threat-
enings in his law, and the ceremonial law (the bond for our debt unto the moral law) to shew for it ; in these lay the power of the devil over us, that he could boldly come to God and accuse us, and sue our bond. And there
fore, Heb. ii. 14, he is said to have the power of death. Now Christ
first took away all his power, and spoiled him of all his ensigns, weapons, and colours ; which he did on the place where the battle was fought, namely, on the cross ; and
* nailed our bond thereto, and, having paid the debt, left the bond cancelled, ere he stirred off the cross. But then, having thus
spoiled these enemies on the cross, he further makes a public triumphal show of them in his own person, which is a second act ; as the manner of the Roman emperors was, in their great triumphs, to ride through the city in the greatest state, and have all the spoils carried before them, and the
kings and nobles whom they had taken they tied to their chariots, and led them as captives. And this did Christ at his ascension (for of his triumph ing at his ascension I take this triumph in this epistle to the Colossians ta be understood, and so to be interpreted by that fore-cited 4th of the Ephesians) ; he plainly manifesting by this public open show of them at his ascension, that he had spoiled and fully subdued them on the cross. That
48 THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH [SECT. IV.
which hath diverted interpreters from thinking this of Col. ii. to have been
the triumph of his ascension hath been this, that the triumph is said to have been made sv avr&, which they interpret
* in it, as if it referred to the
cross (mentioned ver. 14), as the place of it ; whenas it may as well be
translated in himself, i. e., in his own power and strength, noting how he alone did this, which other conquerors do not : they conquer not in
themselves, and by themselves, which Christ did. And yet it was the law, that if the Roman emperors or generals themselves took anything in war,
they had a peculiar honour to dedicate it in triumph more peculiarly. Now
Christ conquered in himself, and therefore triumphed in himself, and him
self alone. And thus it became our Redeemer (like another Samson) not
only to break sin s bars, and fling off hell-gates, and come out of that prison he was in ; but, as in sign of a trophy, to take them on his back, and carry them up the hill, as Samson (the type of him) did the gates of the city to an high hill, himself triumphantly carrying them on his own shoulders.
Now did Christ then, who was your Surety, thus triumph ? Then let
your faith triumph likewise ; for this was not only done by your Surety, but
in your stead ; seeing this for us here is to be put to each thing mentioned. The apostle calls for this at our hands here. We are more than con
querors, says he, ver. 37.
(3.) Then, thirdly, see him entering into heaven : when he comes first
to court after this great undertaking, how doth God look on him ? Is God
satisfied with what he hath done ? As, you know, when a general comes home, there useth to be great observing how the king takes his service, as
performed according to commission. Christ as a Surety undertook for
sinners fully to conquer all our enemies ; and God bade him look that he did
it perfectly, or never see his face more, Heb. v. 8, 9. He was to be
* perfect through sufferings, and those sufferings to be such as
* to perfect us also, Heb. x. 14. Now, behold, your Surety is like a conqueror entered heaven :
let that convince you that he hath satisfied the debt, and performed his commission to a tittle. God would never have suffered him to come thither
else ; but as soon as ever his head had peeped into heaven, have sent him
<down again to perform the rest. But God lets him enter in, and he comes
boldly and confidently, and God lets him stay there. Therefore be con vinced that he hath given God full satisfaction. Christ himself useth this
* convince the world
argument, as the strongest that could be brought to
that this righteousness (which he had in his doctrine taught them) was the
righteousness which men were only to be saved by, the true righteousness of God indeed. Johnxvi. 9, 10, He
* shall convince the world of righteous ness ; that is, work faith in the hearts of men, to believe and lay hold on my righteousness, as the true righteousness that God hath ordained ; and
this because (says he) I go to my Father, and you shall see me no more. That is, by this argument and evidence it is and shall be evinced, that I who undertook to satisfy for sin, and to procure a perfect righteousness, have perfectly performed it ; and that it is a righteousness which God s
justice doth accept of, to save sinners by ; in that I, after my death, and
finishing this work, will ascend up to my Father, into heaven, and keep my standing there, and you shall see me no more : whereas, if I had not
fulfilled all righteousness, and perfectly satisfied God, you may be sure
there would be no going to heaven for me, nor remaining there. God would send me down again, to do the rest, and you should certainly see me with shame sent back again ; but I go to heaven, and you shall see me no more.
CHAP. III.] FEOM CHRIST S SITTING AT GOD S EIGHT HAND. 49