was on the earth, that he hath the same rational soul and the same body, is a fundamental article of the Christian faith.

2. This nature of the man Christ Jesus, is filled with all the divine graces and perfections whereof a limited, created nature is capable. It is not deified, it is not made a God; it doth not in heaven coalesce into one nature with the divine by a composition of them; it hath not any essential property of the Deity communicated unto it, so as subjectively to reside in it; it is not made omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent; but it is exalted in a fulness of all divine perfection ineffably above the glory of angels and men. It is incomprehensibly nearer God than they all; hath communications from God, in glorious light, love, and power, ineffably above them all. But it is still a creature.

For the substance of this glory of the human nature of Christ, believers shall be made partakers of it; for when we see him as he is, we shall be like him: but as unto the degrees and measures of it, his glory is abave all that we can be made partakers of. There is one glory of the sun, another of the moon and stars; and one star differeth from another in glory,' as the apostle speaks, 1 Cor. xv. 45. And if there be a difference in glory among the stars themselves as to some degrees of the same glory; how much more is there between the glory of the sun and that of any star whatever? Such is the difference that is, and will be unto eternity, between the human nature of Christ, and what glorified believers do attain unto. But yet this is not that properly wherein the glory of Christ in his exaltation, after his humiliation and death, doth consist. The things that belong unto it may be reduced unto the ensuing heads.

1. It consisteth in the exaltation of the human nature, as subsisting in the divine person above the whole creation of God in power, dignity, authority, and rule, with all things that the wisdom of God hath appointed to render the glory of it illustrious. I have so largely insisted on the explication and confirmation of this part of the present glory of Christ, in the exposition of Heb. i. 2, 3. that I have nothing more to add thereunto.

2. It doth so in the evidence given of the infinite love of God the Father unto him, and his delight in him, with the

eternal approbation of his discharge of the office committed unto him. Hence he is said to sit at the right hand of God,' or at the right hand of the majesty on high.' That the glory and dignity of Christ in his exaltation is singular, the highest that can be given to a creature incomprehensible; that he is with respect unto the discharge of his office, under the eternal approbation of God; that, as so gloriously exalted, he is proclaimed unto the whole creation, are all contained in this expression.

3. Hereunto is added the full manifestation of his own divine wisdom, love, and grace, in the work of mediation and redemption of the church. This glory is absolutely singular and peculiar unto him. Neither angels or men have the least interest in it. Here we see it darkly as in a glass : above, it shines forth in its brightness to the eternal joy of them who behold him.

This is that glory which our Lord Jesus Christ in an especial manner prayed that his disciples might behold. This is that whereof we ought to endeavour a prospect by faith. By faith, I say, and not by imagination. Vain and foolish men having general notions of this glory of Christ, knowing nothing of the real nature of it, have endeavoured to represent it in pictures and images with all that lustre and beauty which the art of painting, with the ornaments of gold and jewels, can give unto them. This is that representation of the present glory of Christ, which being made and proposed unto the imagination and carnal affections of superstitious persons, carrieth such a shew of devotion and veneration in the Papal church. But they err, not knowing the Scripture, nor the eternal glory of the Son of God.

This is the sole foundation of all our meditations herein. The glory that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the real actual possession of in heaven, can be no otherwise seen or apprebended in this world, but in the light of faith, fixing itself on divine revelation. To behold this glory of Christ is not an act of fancy or imagination. It doth not consist in framing unto ourselves the shape of a glorious person in heaven. But the steady exercise of faith on the revelation and description made of this glory of Christ in the Scripture, is the ground, rule, and measure, of all divine meditations thereon.

Hereon our duty it is, to call ourselves to an account, as unto our endeavour after a gracious view of this glory of Christ. When did we steadfastly behold it? When had we such a view of it as wherein our souls have been satisfied and refreshed? It is declared and represented unto us as one of the chief props of our faith, as a help of our joy, as an object of our hope, as a ground of our consolation, as our greatest encouragement unto obedience and suffering. Are our minds every day conversant with thoughts hereof? Or do we think ourselves not much concerned herein? Do we look upon it, as that which is without us and above us, as that which we shall have time enough to consider when we come to heaven? So is it with many. They care neither where Christ is, nor what he is, so that one way or other they may be saved by him. They hope, as they pretend, that they shall see him and his glory in heaven, and that they suppose to be time enough; but in vain do they pretend a desire thereof; in vain are their expectations of any such thing. They who endeavour not to behold the glory of Christ in this world, as hath been often said, shall never behold him in glory hereafter unto their satisfaction; nor do they desire so to do, only they suppose it a part of that relief which they would have when they are gone out of this world. For what should beget such a desire in them? Nothing can do it, but some view of it here by faith, which they despise, or totally neglect. Every pretence of a desire of heaven, and of the presence of Christ therein, that doth not arise from, that is not resolved into, that prospect which we have of the glory of Christ in this world by faith, is mere fancy and imagination.

Our constant exercise in meditation on this glory of Christ will fill us with joy on his account, which is an effectual motive unto the duty itself. We are for the most part selfish, and look no farther than our own concernments. So we may be pardoned and saved by him, we care not much how it is with himself, but only presume it is well enough. We find not any concernment of our own therein. But this frame is directly opposite unto the genius of divine faith and love. For their principal actings consist in preferring Christ above ourselves; and our concerns in him, above all our own. Let this then stir us up unto the contemplation

of this glory. Who is it that is thus exalted over all? Who is thus encompassed with glory, majesty, and power? Who is it that sits down at the right hand of the majesty on high, all his enemies being made his footstool? Is it not he, who in this world was poor, despised, persecuted, and slain, all for our sakes? Is it not the same Jesus who loved us, and gave himself for us, and washed us in his own blood? So the apostle told the Jews, that the same 'Jesus whom they slew and hanged on a tree, God had exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and the forgiveness of sins;' Acts v. 30, 31. If we have any valuation of his love, if we have any concernment in what he hath done and suffered for the church, we cannot but rejoice in his present state and glory.

Let the world rage whilst it pleaseth; let it set itself with all its power and craft against every thing of Christ that is in it, which, whatever is by some otherwise pretended, proceeds from a hatred unto his person; let men make themselves drunk with the blood of his saints, we have this to oppose unto all their attempts, unto our supportment, namely, what he says of himself; Fear not; I am the first and the last he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, and have the keys of hell and death;' Rev. i. 17, 18.

Blessed Jesus! We can add nothing to thee, nothing to thy glory; but it is a joy of heart unto us that thou art what thou art; that thou art so gloriously exalted at the right hand of God; and do long more fully and clearly to behold that glory according to thy prayer and promise.

CHAP. VIII.

Representations of the glory of Christ under the Old Testament.

It is said of our Lord Jesus Christ, that beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he declared unto his disciples in all the Scripture the things concerning himself;' Luke xxiv. 27. It is therefore manifest that Moses and the prophets, and all

the Scriptures, do give testimony unto him, and his glory. This is the line of life and light, which runs through the whole Old Testament; without the conduct whereof we can understand nothing aright therein: and the neglect hereof, is that which makes many as blind in reading the books of it, as are the Jews, the veil being upon their minds. It is faith alone, discovering the glory of Christ, that can remove that veil of darkness which covers the minds of men in reading the Old Testament, as the apostle declares, 2 Cor.. iii. 14—16. I shall therefore consider briefly some of those ways and means whereby the glory of Christ was represented unto believers under the Old Testament.

1. It was so in the institution of the beautiful worship of the law, with all the means of it. Herein have they the advantage above all the splendid ceremonies that men can invent, in the outward worship of God; they were designed and framed in divine wisdom to represent the glory of Christ in his person and his office. This nothing of human invention can do, or once pretend unto. Men cannot create mysteries, nor can give unto any thing natural in itself, a mystical signification. But so it was in the old divine institutions. What were the tabernacle and temple? What was the holy place with the utensils of it? What was the oracle, the ark, the cherubims, the mercy-seat placed therein? What was the high-priest in all his vestments and administrations? What were the sacrifices, and annual sprinkling of blood in the most holy place? What was the most whole system of their religious worship? Were they any thing but representations of Christ in the glory of his person and his office? They were a shadow, and the body represented by that shadow, was Christ. If any would see how the Lord Christ was in particular foresignified and represented in them, he may peruse our exposition on the ninth chapter of the Epistle unto the Hebrews, where it is handled so at large, as that I shall not here again insist upon it. The sum is, 'Moses was faithful in all the house of God, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward;' Heb. iii. 5. All that Moses did in the erection of the tabernacle, and the institution of all its services, was but to give an antecedent testimony by way of representation, unto the things of Christ that were afterward to be revealed. And that