soul, because he possessed all these from the beginning: but in regard of those interceptions of the beams of the Godhead, and divine glory: and in respect of the restraints of that sense and sweetness, and feeling operations of the beatifical vision during his humiliation; in these respects Christ was exalted in his human nature, and had all the glory from the Deity communicated to it, which possibly in any way it was capable of. There was a time, when the office which Christ undertook for us made him a man of sorrow, but when he had finished that dispensation, then he was filled with unmatchable glory, which before his session he enjoyed not; there was a time when the natural consequence and flowings of Christ's glory from that personal union was stayed and hindered, by special dispensation, for the working of our salvation; but when that miraculous stay was once removed, and the work of our redemption fully finished, then he was exalted beyond the capacity or comprehension of all the angels of heaven: "To which of the angels said he at any time, sit at my right hand?" Heb. 1: 13, in this respect it is said, that God highly exalted him; exalted he was in his resurrection, ascension, but never so high as at his session; in his resurrection he was exalted with Jonah from the lower parts to the upper parts of the earth; in his ascension he was exalted with Elijah above the clouds, above the stars, above the heavens; but in his session he is exalted to the highest place in heaven, even to the right hand of God, "far above all heavens, that he might fill all things," Eph. 4: 10.

3. Christ reigns, or actually administers his glorious kingdom, and this is the principal part of Christ's sitting at God's right hand. So the psalmist, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool: the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion; rule thou in the midst of thy enemies," Ps. 110: 1, 2. The apostle is yet more large, "God set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, 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 the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all," Eph. 1:20, 21, 22, 23. Some describe this session at God's right hand to be all one with his reigning in equal power and glory with the Father, but the Son hath always so reigned, and the Holy Ghost bath always so reigned, who yet is not said in scripture to sit at the right hand of the Father; I believe therefore, there is something in this session or reign of Christ, which doth difference it from that reigning power and glory of the Father, and of the Son as only God, and of the Holy Ghost; and if we would know what this is, I would call it an actual administration of his kingdom, or an immediate executing of his power and glory over every creature as Mediator. There is a natural, and a dispensatory kingdom of Jesus Christ; for the first, the Father reigns immediately by the Son, but by the Holy Ghost the Father doth not reign immediately, but through the Son; the same order is to be kept in their power, which is in the persons; the Father reigns not by himself, but of himself; because he is of none; the Son reigneth by himself, not of himself, because he is begotten by the Father; the Holy Ghost reigneth not by himself, but from the Father and Son, from whom he doth proceed. And as in the natural, so in the dispensatory kingdom, the Father reigns immediately by the Son as Mediator; and hence it is that the Son, as Mediator, is only said to sit at God's right hand, because the right of actual administration, or immediate execution of the sovereign power is appropriate and peculiar to the Son, as Mediator betwixt God and man, and this made Christ to say, "The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son," John 5: 22, as Mediator. You may object, Christ was a Mediator immediately

after his incarnation, but he did not actually administer his kingdom then. I answer, it is true, Christ for a time did by a voluntary dispensation empty himself, and laid aside the right of actual administration of his kingdom; but immediately after his ascension, the Father by voluntary dispensation resigned it to the Son again, "Come now, saith the Father, and take thou power over every creature, till the time that all things shall be subdued under thee." This right the one relinquished in the time of that humiliation of himself; and this right the other conferred at the time of the exaltation of his Son.

SECT. V. Of the two natures wherein Christ sits at God's right hand.

3. ACCORDING to what nature is Christ said to sit at the right hand of God? I answer, according to both natures; First, he sits at God's right hand as God; hereby his divinity was declared, and his kingdom is such, that none that is a pure creature can possibly execute, "The Lord said to my Lord, (saith David,) sit thou at my right hand," Ps. 110: 1, the Lord said to my Lord, (i. e.) God said to Christ; now Christ was not David's Lord merely as man but as God. And 2. He sits at God's right hand as man too; hereby his humanity was exalted, and a power is given to Christ as man; he hath given him power to execute judgment, in as much as he is the Son of man," John 5:27. In the administration of his kingdom the manhood of Christ doth concur, as an instrument working with his Godhead. Hence this session at God's right hand is truly and properly attributed to Christ as (theanthropos;) and not only to the one nature of Christ, whether divine or human. Or, it is attributed to Christ as Mediator; in which respect he is called an high-priest, "We have such an high-priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens," Heb. 8:1. And in which respect he is called a Prince, "Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, Acts 5:31. Now Christ is not a priest and a prince merely according to one nature, whether divine or human. I deny not but Christ had a natural kingdom with his Father as God, before the foundation of the world; but this kingdom as God-man, Christ had not before his ascension iuto heaven. So then Christ sitteth at the right hand of God by a mediatory action, which he executeth according to both natures, the word, working what pertaineth to the word, and the flesh what appertaineth to the flesh; Christ is Mediator as God and man, and glory hath redounded unto him as God and man, and living in this glory, he ruleth and governeth his church as God and man; he ascended indeed into heaven in his humanity only, but he sitteth at the right hand of God as Mediator in respect of both natures. Lutherans attribute this session at God's right hand only to the human nature of Christ; they say that this session is nothing else but the elevating of his human nature to the full and free use of some of the divine properties, as of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence; the ground of this error is, that they suppose upon the union of the two natures in Christ, a real communication of the divine properties to follow, so that the human nature is made truly omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, not by any confusion of properties, nor yet by any bare communion and concourse of it to the same effect, each nature working that which belongeth to it with communion of the other, (for this we grant) but by a real donation, by which the divine properties so become the properties of the human nature, that the human nature may work with them no less than the divine nature itself, for the perfecting of itself. Against this opinion we have these reasons, 1. The union cannot cause the human nature to partake more in the properties of the divine, than it causeth the divine to partake in the properties of the human. 2. If a true and real communication did follow to the divine attributes, it must needs

be of all the attributes, as of eternity, and infiniteness, seeing these are the divine essence, which can no way be divided. 3. Infinite perfections cannot perfect finite natures, no more than reasonable perfections can make perfect unreasonable creatures. 4. To what end should created gifts serve, which Christ hath received above measure, if no more noble properties should enter and be conferred on Jesus Christ? Other reasons are given in, but I willingly decline all controversional points.

SECT. VI. Of the reasons why Christ doth sit on God's right hand.

4. WHY doth Christ sit at the right hand of God, his Father, in glory? I answer, 1. On Christ's part that he might receive power and dominion over all the creatures, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth," Matth. 28: 18, he speaks of it as done, because it was immediately to be performed; Christ at his session received a power imperial over every creature that he hath power over the angels is plain, both by the reverence they do him, and by their obedience towards him, at the "name of Jesus every knee must bow," good angels and evil angels must yield signs of subjection to Jesus Christ; if the saints shall judge the angels, how much more shall Christ? Oh! what power bath Christ himself this way? And as for the excellencies on earth, they all receive their power from Christ, and are at his disposal; it is Jesus Christ that is "crowned with glory and honor, and all things are put under his feet," Heb. 2:7, 8. And hence it is that when the apostle speaks of Christ's session at the right hand of God, he tells us that he is "far above all principalities, and powers on earth, and mights, and dominions in heaven," Eph. 12:1. "Yea, that angels and authorities, and powers are made subject unto him," 1 Pet. 3:22.

2. On our part many reasons may be given, as,

1. That he might be the head of his church. I mean not head in a large sense, for one who is in any kind before another; for so Christ is the head of angels, and God is the head of Christ; and to this we have spoken before. But in a strict sense, for to one that is in a near and communicative sort joined to another, as the head is conjoined with the body and members; and so is Christ the head of his church. Look as the king hath a more intimate and amiable superiority over the queen, than over any of his other subjects; so is it here in Christ our king, be is more amiably tempered, and more nearly affected to his spouse and queen, the church of God, than to any other whomsoever. And to this purpose he sits at God's right hand, that having now fulness of grace and glory in himself, he might be ready to communicate the same to his church, who are the members of his body, that he might give them grace here, and glory hereafter, when he shall deliver up his kingdom to his Father, and be all in all.

2. That he might be the object of divine adoration: then especially it was said and accomplished, "Let all the angels of God worship him; and let all men honor the Son, as they honor the Father," Heb. 1:6. John 5:23. After Christ's session, Stephen looked up into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and then he worshipped, and called upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," Acts 7:59. It is true that the ground of this divine adoration is the union of the two natures of Christ, and therefore the Magi worshipped him at his birth, and as soon as ever he came into the world, "the angels of God worshipped him, Heb. 1:6, but because by his session at God's right hand, the divine nature was manifested, and the human nature was exalted to that dignity and glory which it never had before, therefore now especially, and from this time was the honor and dignity of worship communicated to him as God and man. And hence divines usually make this one ingredient of Christ's sitting at

the right hand of God, viz. That Christ, God and man, is the object of divine adoration.* "O! it is a great thing, and admirable, and full of wonder, that the man Christ should sit above, at God's right hand, and be adored of angels and archangels." Before this was the grace of union conferred on Jesus, and so he was adored before he suffered; but after he "had humbled himself, and was made obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross, then (yea and therefore) God highly exalted him, and gave him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess, that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father, Phil. 2: 8, 9, 10, 11. he was Lord before, in that he is the Son of God; but now he is Lord again by virtue of his humiliation and session at God's right hand. Trouble not yourselves with their objections, who say, That if adoration be due to Christ as God and man, that then the human nature is to be adored; the person adored is man, but the humanity itself is not the proper object of that worship. There is a difference betwixt the concrete and the abstract, though the man Christ be God, yet his manhood is not God, and by consequence, not to be worshipped with that worship which is properly and essentially divine. Certainly if adoration agree to the humanity of Christ, then may his humanity help and save us; but the humanity of Christ cannot help and save us, because, omnis actio est suppositi, whereas the human nature of Christ is not suppositum, a substance or personal being at all.

3. That he might intercede for his saints, "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum, we have such an high-priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, and a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not men: Heb. 8:1, 2. He is set on the right hand of God as an high priest,. or minister to intercede for us. "For as Christ is not entered into the holy places made with bands which are figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us," Heb. 9:24. This appearing is an expression borrowed from the custom of human courts; for as in them, when the plaintiff or defendant is called, their attorney appeareth in their names; so when we are summoned by the justice of God to answer the complaints, which it preferreth against us, 6.6 we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," John. 2:1. And he standeth up, and appeareth for us: Or, it may be, this appearing hath a respect to the manner of high-priests in the time of the law, Exod. 28:9, 10, 11, 12. For as they used to go into the most holy place, with the names of the children of Israel written in precious stones, for a remembrance of them, that they might remember them to God in their prayers; so Jesus Christ being gone up to heaven, he there presents to his Father the names of all his chosen, and he remembers them to his Father in his intercessions. Certainly Christ is not gone to heaven, and advanced to the right hand of God, only to live in eternal joy himself, but also to procure happiness for his saints. It is to excellent purpose, and to the great good of his church, that he sits at the right hand of his Father, for thereby he governs and protects his people, and he continually executes the office of his priesthood; presenting himself, and the sacrifice of himself, and the infinite merit of that sacrifice, before the eyes of his Father in their behalf.

4. That true believers may assuredly hope by virtue of Christ's session, to sit themselves in the kingdom of glory. It is true, that Christ, and only Christ hath his seat at the right hand of God, "To which of the saints, or of the angels did he ever say, Sit thou at my right hand?" Heb. 1:5. It is a

* Chrys. Hom. 5 in Heb.

prerogative above all creatures, and yet there is something near it given to the saints, "For him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also am set down with my Father in his throne," Rev. 3:21. There is a proportion, though with an inequality; we must sit on Christ's throne, as he sits on his Father's throne, Christ only sits at the right hand of God; but the saints are to sit at the right hand of Christ, and so the Psalmist speaks, "Upon thy right hand did stand the queen, in gold of Ophir," Psal. 45:9. It is enough to greaten the spirits of saints, how should they tread on earth, and contemn the world, when they consider, that one day they shall judge the world? "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:2. Nay, when they consider that one day they shall reign with Christ? "If ye suffer with him, ye shall reign with him," 2 Tim. 2:12. Christ sitting in heaven is a very figure of us; Christ's person is the great model and first draught of all, that shall be done to his body, the saints; therefore he is said to be the captain of our salvation that leads us on; he is said to be our forerunner into glory, he breaks the clouds first, and appears first before God, he sits down first and is glorified first, and then we follow; Christ wears the crown in heaven as our King, and he is united and married to God, as our proxy.

And yet there is another ground of hope; not only shall we sit with Christ in glory, but even now do we sit with him in glory. Christ is not only gone to heaven to prepare a place for us, but he sits in heaven in our room, and God looks on him as the great picture of all that body whereof he is head; and he delights himself in seeing them all glorified as in his Son. To this purpose, the saints are said to sit down with Christ at this present, "He hath made us sit together with him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Eph. 2:6. Christ in our nature is now exalted: this is that admirable thing which carried up Chrysostom into an ecstacy, that the same nature of which God said, "Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return," should now sit in heaven at God's right hand: but not only the human nature, but Christ in person sits there as a common person in our stead; he is in his throne, and we sit with him in supercelestial places. O what structures and pillars of hope are raised up here!

5. That he might defend the church against her enemies, and at last destroy all the enemies of the church. Such is the power of Christ's session, that by it he holds up his saints, in the midst of their enemies, so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them: true indeed that many times they are used as lambs amongst wolves; but so Christ orders, that the blood of martyrs should be the seed of the church, hereby his church, like a tree, settles the faster, and like a torch shines the brighter for the shaking. And as for the enemies of his church, there is a day of reckoning for them, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision, the day is a coming, that he will speak unto them in wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure," Psa. 2:4, 5. In the mean while Christ is galling and tormenting them, by the sceptre of his word; and at last he will put them all under his feet, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at any right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa. 110:1.-For he must reign till he put all his enemies under his feet," 1 Cor. 15:25. That the enemies of Christ must be made his footstool, notes the extreme shame and confusion which they shall everlastingly suffer: in victories amongst men, the party conquered goes many times off, upon some honorable terms, or at worst, if they are led captive they go like men; but to be made a stool for the conqueror to insult over, this is extremity of shame: and as shame, so it notes the burden which the wicked must bear; the footstool bears the weight of the body, so must the enemies of Christ bear the weight of his heavy and everlasting wrath; such a weight shall they bear,