in discharging him acknowledged full satisfaction made for us. "Who then shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? Itis Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again." (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) Thirdly, It was necessary to pronounce the resurrection of Christ, as an Article of our faith, that thereby we might ground, confirm, strengthen, and declare our hope. For " the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled." (1 Pet. i. 3, 4.) By the resurrection of Christ his Father hath been said to have begotten him; and therefore by the same he hath begotten us, who are called brethren and coheirs with Christ. "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life." (Rom. v. 10.) He laid down his life, but it was for us; and being to take up his own, he took up ours. We are the

members of that body, of which Christ is the Head; if the Head be risen, the members cannot be far behind. He is the "first-born from the dead," (Col. i. 18.) and we "the sons of the resurrection." The Spirit of Christ abiding in us maketh us members of Christ, and by the same Spirit we have a full right and title to rise with our Head. "For if the Spirit of him, that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in us, he that, raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit, that dwelleth in us." (Rom. viii. 11.) Thus the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection by a double causality, as an efficient, and as an exemplary cause. As an efficient cause, in regard our Saviour by and upon his resurrection hath obtained power and right to raise all the dead; "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Cor. xv. 22.) As an exemplary cause, in regard that all the saints of God shall rise after the similitude and in conformity to the resurrection of Christ; "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." (Rom. vi. 5.) He "shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body:" (Phil. iii. 21.) that "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we may also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Cor. xv. 49.) This is the great hope of a Christian, that Christ rising from the dead hath obtained the power, and is become the pattern, of his resurrection. "The breaker is come up before them; they have broken up and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them." (Micah ii. 13.)

Fourthly, It is necessary to profess our faith in Christ risen from the dead, that his resurrection may effectually work its proper operation in our lives. For as it is efficient and ex

emplary to our bodies, so it is also to our souls. "When we were dead in sins, God quickened us together with Christ." (Eph. ii. 5.) And, "as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life." (Rom. vi. 4.) To continue among the graves of sin, while Christ is risen, is to incur that reprehension of the angel, Why seek ye the living among the dead?" (Luke xxiv. 5.) To walk in any habitual sin, is either to deny that sin is death, or Christ is risen from the dead. "Let then the dead bury their dead,” (Matt. viii. 22.) but let not any Christian bury him, who rose from death, that he might live. "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (Eph. v. 14.) There must be a spiritual resurrection of the soul, before there can be a comfortable resurrection of the body. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power." (Rev. xx. 6.)

Having thus explained the manner of Christ's resurrection, and the necessity of our faith in him risen from the dead, we may easily give such a brief account, as any Christian may understand, what it is he should intend, when he makes profession of this part of the CREED; for he is conceived to acknowledge thus much: I freely and fully assent unto this as a truth of infinite certainty and absolute necessity, that the eternal Son of God, who was crucified and died for our sins, did not long continue in the state of death, but by his infinite power did revive and raise himself, by reuniting the same soul which was separated to the same body which was buried, and so rose the same man: and this he did the third day from his death; so that dying on Friday the sixth day of the week, the day of the preparation of the sabbath, and resting in the grave the sabbath-day, on the morning of the first day of the week he returned unto life again, and thereby consecrated the weekly revolution of that first day to a religious observation until his coming again. And thus I believe THE

THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.

ARTICLE VI.

He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

THIS Article hath received no variation, but only in the addition of the name of God, and the attribute Almighty; the ancients using it briefly thus,* He ascended into heaven, sitteth

'Adscendit in coelos, sedet ad §. 30. S. August. in Enchirid. §. 14. dexteram Patris.' Ruffin. in Symb. Maximus Taurinens. Hom, de expos.

at the right hand of the Father. It containeth two distinct parts; one transient, the other permanent; one as the way, the other as the end: the first is Christ's ascension, the second is his session.

In the ascension of Christ these words of the CREED propound to us three considerations and no more: the first of the person, He; the second of the action, ascended; the third of the termination, into heaven. Now the person being perfectly the same, which we have considered in the precedent Articles, he will afford no different speculation but only in conjunction with this particular action. Wherefore I conceive these three things necessary and sufficient for the illustration of Christ's ascension: First, To shew that the promised Messias was to ascend into heaven; Secondly, To prove that our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, did really and truly ascend thither: Thirdly, To declare what that heaven is, unto which he did ascend.

That the promised Messias should ascend into heaven, hath been represented typically, and declared prophetically. The high-priest under the Law was an express type of the Messias and his priestly office; the atonement which he made, was the representation of the propitiation in Christ for the sin of the world: for the making this atonement, the high-priest was appointed once every year to enter into the Holy of Holies, and no oftener. For the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy-seat, which is upon the ark, that he die not." (Lev. xvi. 2.) None entered into that holy place but the high-priest alone; and he himself could enter thither but once in the year; and thereby shewed that the "high-priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, was to enter into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Heb. ix. 11, 12.) The Jews did all believe that the Tabernacle did signify this world,* and the Holy of Holies the

Symb. Chrysologus Serm. in Symbol. 56-62. Auctor Expos. Symb. ad Catechumenos, §. 6. Venantius Fortunatus, The Latin and Greek MSS. set forth by the Archbishop of Armagh. St. Augustin de Fide et Symb. §. 14. hath it: Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris: to which was afterwards added omnipotentis. Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis.' Euseb. Gallican. De Symbolo, Hom. i. & ii. ap. Biblioth. Patr. Lat. t. v. par. i. p. 552. seqq. • Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis. Etherius Uzam. and Auctor Sermonum de Tempore, serm. 131. al. 242. §. 2. The Greek and Latin MSS. in Bene't College Library.

* Εἴ τις τῆς σκηνῆς κατανοήσειε τὴν πῆξιν, καὶ τοῦ ἱερέως ἴδῃ τὴν στολὴν, τά Tε okɛúŋ olç πepi riv iɛpovpyíav xpwμɛa Tóv Tε voμolérηv evρýσεi Jelov åvδρα, καὶ ματαίως ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων τὰς βλασφημίας ἀκούοντας· ἕκαστα γὰρ τούτων εἰς ἀπομίμησιν καὶ διατύπωσιν τῶν ὅλων, εἴ τις ἀφθόνως ἐθέλοι καὶ μετὰ συνέσεως σκοπεῖν, εὑρήσει γεγονότα. τήν Tε yàp σкηvýjν τρiákovтa πηxшv ovσav veíμus eiç тpía, kai dvo μέọn πãoiv áveis τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ὥσπερ βέβηλόν τινα καὶ κοινον τόπον, τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ἀποσημαίνει· καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα πᾶσιν ἐστιν ἐπίβατα τὴν δὲ τρίτην μοῖραν μόνῳ περιέγραψε τῷ Θεῷ, διὰ τὸ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεπίβατον εἶναι ἀνθρώποις. Joseph.

highest heavens; wherefore as the high-priest did slay the sacrifice, and with the blood thereof did pass through the rest of the Tabernacle, and with that blood did enter into the Holy of Holies; so was the Messias here to offer up himself, and, being slain, to pass through all the courts of this world below, and with his blood to enter into the highest heavens, the most glorious seat of the majesty of God. Thus Christ's ascension was represented typically.

The same ascension was also declared prophetically, as we read in the prophet David, "Thou hast ascended up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men:" (Psal. lxviii. 18.)* which phrase on high, in the language of David, signifying heaven, could be applied properly to no other conqueror but the Messias: not to Moses, not to David, not to Joshua, nor to any but the Christ; who was to conquer sin, and death, and hell, and, triumphing over them, to ascend unto the highest heavens, and thence to send the precious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the sons of men. The prophecy of Micah did foretell as much, even in the opinion and confession of the Jews themselves, by those words,+ Antiq. Jud. l. iii. c. 8. Where it is to thou hast ascended the be observed, that the place which St. firmament:' and it addeth immediately Paul calls the first tabernacle, Josephus Do thou prophet Moses: terms βέβηλόν τινα καὶ κοινὸν τόπον, yet there is a plain contradiction in a common and profane place, as repre- that interpretation; for if it were senting this world in which we live, meant of Moses, it cannot be the firmaand our life and conversation here: as ment; if it were the firmament, it canthe apostle seems to speak, Heb.ix. 1. not be understood of Moses, for he Εἶχε μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡ πρώτη σκηνὴ δικαιώ- never ascended tiither. ματα λατρείας τό τε ἅγιον κοσμικόν. For aylov кooμixòv, sanctum seculare, or

+ This Breaker-up is by the confession of the Jews the title of the Mes

,sias בית קודשא עלמני as the Syriac

domus sancta mundana, may well be that part of the tabernacle, which represented this world, and therefore termed common and profane in respect of that more holy part, which represented heaven.

So the author of Sepher Abchath Ruchal, in his description of the coming of the Messias, maketh use of this place. And the same appeared farther by that saying of Moses Haddershan in Bereshith Rabba, VID)

מלמטה זה אברהמ נטעה מלמעלה זה משיח שנ" עלה הפרץ לפניהם וגו': This place must necessarily be *

understood of the Messias, by rea- The plantation from below is Abraham, son of that high place to which no the plantation from above is Messias, as other conqueror ascended. For that it is written, The breaker is come up bein the language of the pro- fore them, &c. So he on Gen. xl. 9. phet, is attributed to God, as Psal. Again the same Bereshith Rabba, Gen.

that is, in the language of the Chaldee paraphrase,

return shall we rejoice? when the feet of the Shechinah shall stand upon the Mount

אמיתי אנו שמחים כשיעמדו .18.return on high, xliv למרום שובה .8 .vii When רגלי השכינה על הר חזתים

the אדיר במרום יהוה .4 .xciii אמיתי כשיעלו,,of Olives; and again הגליות מגיהנם והשכינה בראשם in the upper heavens, Psal. Ixx מרומא

to the house of thy majesty; and Psal.

Lord on high is mighty, Chald.

19. Thy righteousness, O Lord, is

Ty, usque ad excelsum; the Chaldee again, DD "DU TY. In the same manner in this place, y thou hast ascended on high, the Chaldee paraphrase translateth

" 'S bp a " DUN When? when the captives shall ascend from hell, and Shechinah in the head, as it is written (Mic. ii. 13.) Their King shall puss before them, and the Lord in the head of them.

"The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it; and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the head of them." (ii. 13.) And thus Christ's ascension was declared prophetically as well as typically; which was our first consideration.

Secondly, Whatsoever was thus represented and foretold of the promised Messias, was truly and really performed by our Jesus. That only-begotten and eternal Son of God, who by his Divinity was present in the heavens while he was on earth, did, by a local translation of his human nature, really and truly ascend from this earth below on which he lived, into the heavens above, or rather above all the heavens, in the same body and the soul with which he lived and died and rose again.

The ascent of Christ into heaven was not metaphorical or figurative, as if there were no more to be understood by it, but only that he obtained a more heavenly and glorious state or condition after his resurrection. For whatsoever alteration was made in the body of Christ when he rose, whatsoever glorious qualities it was invested with thereby, that was not his ascension, as appeareth by those words which he spake to Mary, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father." (John xx. 17.) Although he had said before to Nicodemus, No man ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven;" (John iii. 13.) which words imply that he had then ascended; yet even those concern not this ascension. For that was therefore only true, because the Son of man, not yet conceived in the Virgin's womb, was not in heaven, and after his conception by virtue of the hypostatical union was in heaven; from whence, speaking after the manner of men, he might well say, that he had ascended into heaven; because whatsoever was first on earth and then in heaven, we say ascended into heaven. Wherefore, beside that grounded upon the hypostatical union, beside that glorious condition upon his resurrection, there was yet another, and that more proper ascension: for after he had both those ways ascended, it was still true that he had not yet ascended to his Father.

Now this kind of ascension, by which Christ had not yet ascended when he spake to Mary after his resurrection, was after to be performed; for at the same time he said unto Mary, "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father." (John xx. 17.) And when this ascension was performed, it appeared manifestly to be a true local translation of the Son of man, as man, from these parts of the world below into the heavens above, by which that body, which was before locally present here on earth, and was not so then present in heaven, became substantially present in heaven, and no longer locally present in earth. For when he had spoken unto the disciples, "and blessed them,"