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Father's great concernment in the world? Great was this entertainment surely, beyond all my expression. But now more particularly,

1. No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father, but he was justified in all that which he did and suffered for us; as you have it in the 1 Tim. iii. 16, "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

2. No sooner did he come unto the Father, but he was mightily declared to be the Son of God, as you have it in Rom. i. "Thou art my Son, this day (that is, upon the resurrection) this day have I begotten thee." The apostle explains it concerning the resurrection in Acts xiii.

3. No sooner did he come unto the Father, but he was anointed with a new and fresh anointing, with the oil of gladness above all his fellows. For as David, the type, had a double anointing, one by the hand of Samuel, after which he was thrust out into the wilderness, and another at the day of his coronation; so Christ typified had a double anointing, one upon his incarnation, in which respects he saith, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he hath anointed me to preach," and another upon his coronation, when he was crowned with glory and honour. And therefore in Heb. i., "He is anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows," comes in upon his exaltation. And,

4. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father, but his Father said unto him, "Sit thou down at my righthand," the most honourable place in heaven: Sit thou at my right-hand, my Son. Why now is it not a matter of great rejoicing to us, that Christ going to heaven with our names upon his shoulder and heart, should have such an entertainment as this, such a welcome as this unto God the Father? But, what advancement had he upon his going to the

Father?

Why, great was his advancement as Mediator.

For, 1. No sooner did he come unto the Father, but he was invested with all that glory that he had with God the Father from all eternity, which he had laid by and vailed, when he took our nature upon him; and therefore in John xvii, saith he, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thyself, with the glory which I had with thee before the

world was." No sooner did he come into heaven unto his Father, but he was invested with that glory again, that he had vailed to take our nature upon him.

2. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father into heaven, but God commanded all the angels to worship. him: "Worship him all ye angels."

3. No sooner did he come into the presence of his Father, to heaven, but he was made executor and administrator to his own will, to see that performed. We die and leave legacies, but cannot administer ourselves, nor be the executors of our own wills; but Christ lives for ever. "I was dead, but am alive." And when he came into heaven, God the Father made him executor to his own will; and therefore saith he, "Ask the Father in my name, and whatever ye ask, that will I give you." "Him hath God the Father exalted to give remission and repentance." Executor of his own will and testament.

4. No sooner did he come into heaven, into the presence of his Father, but he was made the great governor of all the world, and Head of the church. In Acts v., "Him hath God exalted with his right-hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour;" lord over all the world, and Saviour of the church. Agreeable to that in Eph. i. 20, "which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right-hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body;" Prince and Saviour, Lord over all the world, and Saviour and Head unto the church.

5. And to say no more in it: No sooner did he come into the presence of God his Father, (that is, greater than he, as Mediator,) but God the Father did take him into fellowship in the matter of civine worship. Whether aye or no, Christ qua Mediator, or quia Mediator, be to be adored with divine worship, I will not now debate; but whatsoever worship was due to God the Father, was given to Christ. "Confounded be all they that worship graven images; worship him all ye gods." All divine worship due to God the Father, is given to him. Here is an advancement. Now is it not a matter

of great rejoicing, that Christ our Head should be thus advanced? Saith the emperor's wife, If thou be Caius, I am Caia; and, if Christ be king, the church is queen, Ps. xlv. Is it not, I say, a matter of great Head should be thus advanced? by his going to God the Father. cernment. But

rejoicing, that Christ our Now thus he is advanced Thus for the Son's con

What matter is there of rejoicing by Christ's going to the Father, in reference to the Father's concernment?

Much; saith Christ in John xiv. 13, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." That will I do; I am now going from you, and if ye ask the Father in my name, that will I do. Why? not that the Son may be glorified only, but that the Father may be glorified.

Look when the great promise of the Father is fulfilled, then is the Father glorified. What is the great promise of the Father? Acts i. The coming of the Holy Ghost. By Christ's going to the Father comes the Holy Ghost: therein was the Father glorified then.

And look, when "Every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of the Father," then is the Father glorified. Now by Christ's going to the Father, being exalted, every tongue doth confess, that Jesus is the Lord, to the glory of the Father, as in Phil. ii.

And to say no more in it but this: look, when the great design of God upon the world is accomplished, and Christ the Son glorified, then is the Father glorified. Now by

Christ's going to the Father, the great design of God is accomplished, and the Son glorified. Thus we have cause of rejoicing in reference to the concernment of God the Father: look where you will. Will you look into your own concernment; will you look into the concernment of Christ; will you look upon the concernment of God the Father? there is matter of our rejoicing in Christ's going to the Father. And so I have done with the first thing. But then,

Secondly, How may it appear that it is our work and duty, to rejoice in the personal exaltment of Christ, though in some respect it should be to our own debasement, or present loss?

Why you see what our Saviour saith here," If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I go unto the Father who is

greater than I." You lose by my going you think; and indeed in some respects you do. But however, it is your duty to rejoice, because it is for my personal exaltment: and you know what Paul saith in another case. Some preach Christ out of envy, and out of contention, and to add affliction to my bonds; but however, saith he, Christ is preached, "Christ is exalted, and therein I will rejoice :" I will rejoice though I be debased, so Christ may be exalted, I rejoice.

If that we are to praise God for the exaltment of Christ, then we are to rejoice therein; for praise and rejoicing go together in scripture. Now though I cannot praise God and be thankful that God loves me, I may praise God for this, that the Father loves Christ, and be thankful for his love and his goodness to Christ. Christ praised God for our glory and happiness, though to his own debasement, why should not we praise God for his exaltment, though it be to our debasement.

If I am to mourn for sin, because it is a dishonour to God, though the sin be to my own profit, then I am to praise God and Christ for his glory, though it may be in some respects to my prejudice.

But besides this, the more communicative any good is, the more we may and should rejoice therein. There is abundance of light in the sun, but if the sun be not up and ascended, it cannot give light unto all the world: so now, though there be light in Christ, able to enlighten all the world, yet if this sun be not up, he cannot give light to all the world: but being now ascended, he is able to give forth his beams of light unto all the world.

But you will say; how may it appear, that Christ will be as gracious and communicative in his love unto us now in heaven, as he would have been had he been here on earth?

You know what he said when he was here on earth, " And let him that is athirst come," John vii. 37. " In the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying; If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Now he is in heaven, look into the book of the Revelation, which he speaks from heaven, he speaks more than that, " And let him that is athirst come," there is that, " And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely," here is more now he is in heaven.

And I pray, when did our Lord and Saviour Christ, wash his disciples' feet; give the glorious testimony of his condescending love unto his disciples, than when he was going to the Father? "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God: he arose from supper, and laid aside his garments, and tok a towel and girded himself." Knowing that all power was given into his hand, he gives that reason: he did thus condescend in this way of love, knowing that all power was given into his hand.

Now that he is in heaven, all power is given into his hand, and therefore now certainly he will be as gracious, and communicative in his love and goodness, as if he had been here on earth; and rather over and above. Surely therefore it is our work and our duty to rejoice in this exaltment of Christ, though in some respects it may be to our debasement, or present loss. But then

Thirdly, How shall we do this?

Why, true love to the person of Christ will enable us to do this: it will enable us to rejoice in the personal exaltment of Christ, though it may be to our own present loss and abasement. It is a sweet thing to the lover, to suffer for the person loved: that is, where love is fixed upon the person, and not upon the benefits, if love be fixed upon the benefit, it is not so, but if upon the person it is so so if our love be fixed upon the person of Christ, this love will enable us to rejoice in the exaltment of Christ, though it be in our own debasement: Christ rejoiced in our exaltment, though it was to his own debasement. Why? Because he loved our persons," who loved us, and gave himself for us," so that true love unto the person of Christ, will make us rejoice in his exaltment, though it may be to our own present debasement.

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You will say then, How few are there that do love Christ indeed Christ is hardly loved for Christ: Christ himself is hardly loved for himself: to love the person of Christ, how few are there that do that. And so I come unto the fourth thing.

Fourthly, It is possible that Christ's own disciples may be wanting in their love to Christ's person. It is somewhat strange this: If a prince or nobleman should take a poor woman, a beggar off the dunghill, and marry her, it would be

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