BOOK 10. THE JUDGEMENT.
CHAPTER 1.
10.1.8. Of Christ's surrendering, and delivering up the Kingdom unto God, even the Father.
Of Christ's surrendering, and delivering up the Kingdom unto God, even the Father.
For Christ's surrendering, and delivering up the kingdom to God, even the Father; no sooner is he in heaven, but these things follow: --
1. He presents the elect unto his Father; of this the apostle speaks, "you hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight," Col. i. 21. 22. To this end Christ died, that he might wash us, and cleanse us by his blood, and then that he might present us without spot unto his Father. We may imagine Christ as going to his Father, with his bride in his hand, and saying thus, "O my Father! here is my church, my spouse, my queen; here are the saints concerning whom I covenanted with thee from eternity, concerning whom I went down from heaven, and died on earth, and ascending up, I have interceded, these many hundred years; concerning whom I went down to judge the world, and having sentenced them to life eternal, I now bring them in my hand, to give them the possession of thyself. These are they whom thou gavest me in the beginning of the world, and now I restore them to thyself at the end of the world, for they are thine." Thus he presents them to his Father. Indeed we read that Christ presents the saints to himself, as well as to his Father, "Christ loveth the church, and gave himself for it, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot nor wrinkle," Eph. v. 25, 27. But this I take it was done before; when first a soul believes, it is contracted to Christ, when the soul is sentenced to glory, then is the solemnity and consummation of the marriage, then doth Christ present the soul to himself; and I know not but that the ministers of Christ may have a part in this matter, "For I have espoused you to one husband," (said Paul to his Corinthians) "that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" 2 Cor. xi. 2. And after this, when Christ takes the bride home, brings her into heaven, and leads her by the hand into his Father's presence; then is the last presentation, then, "he presents her faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy." The word signifies leaping, springing, and exulting joy: O! what springing, leaping and exulting is in heaven, when Christ takes the hand of his bride, and gives her into the hand of his Father! q.d. "O my Father! see what a number I have brought home to thee; thou knowest what I have done, and what I have suffered, and what offices I have gone through to bring these hither; and now my mediatorship is done, I resign all my charge to thee again; see what a goodly troop, what a noble army I have brought thee home; why, all these are mine, and all mine are thine, and all thine are mine, "And I am glorified in them, all those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost," John xvii, l0, 12. See here is Adam, and Abel, and Noah, and Shem, and every saint from the beginning to the end of the world, the nuptials between them and me is solemnized. And whither should I lead them but to my Father's house, and into my Father's presence? I have already pronounced them blessed, "And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one," John xvii, 22, 23. "Here take them from mine hands, now give them a welcome into glory, and let them know that thou hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."
2. He presents all his commissions to his Father, as he is a mediator (at least by destination) from all eternity; were not the saints "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world?" Eph. i. 4. Then was he a Mediator in the business of election, and then was he predestinated to be a Mediator of reconciliation, "I was set up from everlasting," Prov. viii. 23. (i.e. I was appointed and designed to be a Mediator from all eternity.) Howsoever he was a Mediator virtually and inchoatively from the fall of Adam; then did he undertake that great negotiation of reconciling God to man, and man to God, and actually he was a Mediator after his incarnation; for then was he manifested in the flesh, then was he manifested to be what before he was, then did he act that part visibly upon earth, which before he had acted secretly and invisibly in heaven, then he entered upon the work of his active and passive obedience, then he discharged his prophetical and priestly office here on earth, which having done, then he entered upon his kingly administration in heaven. Now, as to this work, he was called by God, "him hath God the Father sealed," John vi. 27. "It pleased the Father by him, -- to reconcile all things to himself," Col. i. 19 , 20. And as to these offices severally he had commission from God, "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek," Isa. lxi. 1. And "the Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever," Psal. cx. 4. And "the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool," Psal. cx. 1. So now he comes with all his commissions in his hand, and he delivers them all up unto his Father again. In this case it is with Christ, as with some general, whom the king sends forth with regal authority to the war, who having subdued the enemy, he returns in triumph, and all being finished, he makes a surrender of his place; thus Christ having discharged all his offices imposed on him, now the work is finished, he leaves his functions, by delivering up his commissions to his Father. "In heaven there is no need of sun or moon," Rev. xxi. 23. That is, as some interpret, there is no need of preaching, or prophesying, of the word or sacraments, "For the Lamb is the light thereof;" Christ is the only means of all the communication that the elect there shall have; and as for his regal office, the apostle is express, "Then shall he deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father," 1 Cor. xv. 24. Only here is the question, How is Christ said to resign his kingdom to God, even the Father? For saith not the scripture, "that Christ's kingdom shall have no end?" Luke i. 33. And that "Christ's throne is forever and ever?" Heb. i. 8. For answer, I see no contradiction, but that Christ may both resign his kingdom, and yet reserve it. See a like case, "All power, (saith Christ) in heaven and earth is given to me of my Father," Matt, xxviii. 18. Shall we say now, that the Father himself is quite stript of it? No; but as the kingdom which the Father gave the Son, is nevertheless called the Father's kingdom, or the kingdom of God, so Christ shall return it, yet retain it also. Two things (we say) are contained in the term of reign, 'scic.' dominion and execution, to wear the crown, and to bear the sceptre: now, Christ in the former sense shall reign forever, the honour of dominion, and of wearing the crown, he shall never resign up to his Father, for his Father's throne disturbs not his, there are both their thrones at once, Rev. vii. 11. But the functions of a king to sit in judgment, to reward deservers, to punish evil-doers, to rescue the oppressed, to fight with the enemy, Christ, in this sense, shall cease to reign, and shall deliver up the kingdom to his Father.
More particularly, Christ is said to deliver up the kingdom in three respects.
(a). Because he ceaseth to execute that authority, which nevertheless he hath; as a judge that goeth from the bench is a judge still, although he giveth no judgment, but employeth his time in other occasions; so Christ is said to resign his place; not that his authority is subject to diminution, but in that he makes no show, for when his enemies are all put under, there is no need that any more blows should proceed from his kingly power.
(b). Because the manner of his kingdom, after the judgment day shall be wholly changed; he shall not reign in the same fashion that he did before; there is no need in heaven of good laws to keep men from starting into wickedness; the orders of this life are changed into a new kind of government, and in that respect he is said to give over the kingdom.
(c). Because he ceaseth to increase his dominion. In this world Christ was still gaining more souls to his kingdom, by the preaching of his word; and so he spread his dominion farther and farther; but when the Lord shall have made up the number of his servants to his mind, then he will end the world, and give up the kingdom, (i.e.) he will cease to enlarge his confines any more, he will be content with the number of his subjects he hath already. Here is the second thing, Christ presents all his commissions to his Father, he gives up his priestly, prophetical, and regal offices at his first entrance into heaven.
3. He presents himself unto his Father, not only his offices, but Christ himself is presented and subjected unto God. This I take it is the meaning of the apostle, when he saith, "Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him," 1 Cor. xv. 28 The words are mystical, and therefore we had need to understand them soberly, and according to the analogy of faith. The Arians hence inferred, that the Son was not equal with the Father, because he that is subject must needs be inferior to him whose subject he is. But the answer is easy, Christ is considered either as God, or as man, and Mediator betwixt God and man; Christ as God, hath us subject to him, and is subject to none; but Christ, as man and Mediator, is subject to his Father, together with us, some would have it, that Christ is subject to his Father, in respect of his mystical body, the church; and that this only should be the meaning of the apostle, "Then shall the church be subject to the Father;" but I cannot assent to this exposition:
(a). Because the apostle speaks expressly of Christ and of his kingdom.
(b). Because though Christ be sometimes in scripture read for the church, or for the body of Christ, yet the Son as opposed to the Father, is never so read or understood.
(c). Because we read, that he that is to be subject, must first have all things subject to himself. Now, the Father doth not properly subject or subdue all things to the church of Christ, but only unto Christ, and therefore the apostle speaks of Christ's subjection to the Father; in the same way as Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, as Christ also to be subject to his Father; but Christ delivers up his kingdom as man, and as Mediator betwixt God and man; in these respects Christ (as we have heard) must reign no more, at that day his mediatorship shall cease; and by consequence, in respect of his mediatorship, or in respect of his humanity, he shall that day be subject to his Father.
You will say, is not, and was not Christ always subject to his Father, as man, or as mediator betwixt God and man? How then do we limit this subjection to that day? Then (saith the apostle) shall the Son be subject.
I answer, this subjection will be then, or at that day, more clearly manifested than ever it was before; then he must surrender the kingdom to his Father, in the sight of men and angels: then he shall lay aside all his offices in the view of all; so that thenceforth God shall not reign by the humanity of Christ, but by himself; nor shall we thenceforth be subject to God through a Mediator Christ, but immediately to God himself? nor shall Christ himself reign over us as Mediator any more: for the very glory of his Majesty shall become so illustrious, that all eyes shall see how transcendently eminent the Deity of Christ is above all creatures, even above the humanity of Christ himself. That a fuller view of Christ's subjection shall be at that day than ever before, we may illustrate thus: by night the sun reigns or rules over us, but by the moon; for the light of the moon is borrowed from the sun, though in the night we see not any subjection of the moon to the sun at all; but so soon as the sun riseth, presently the moon surceaseth its office of enlightening others, and becomes subject to the sun itself, not by a new subjection, but by a declaration of its former subjection, so that now all may see what eminency of glory and light the sun hath both above the stars, and above the moon. Thus it is with God and Christ, now it is God reigns over us, but only by Christ as Mediator; God's immediate reign we discern not so clearly for the present, but when the end shall come, and Christ shall surcease his office of mediatorship, then shall the glory of Christ's divinity appear more eminently, not only above all creatures, but above the brightness of Christ's humanity itself: and in this respect Christ then shall be subject, if not by a new subjection, yet certainly by a new declaration and manifestation of his subjection, so as never was before.
Use. O the wonders of this day! O the admirable shows in heaven, at Christ and his saints first entrance into heaven! O my soul! where wilt thou stand, or what wilt thou say, when Christ shall take thee by the hand, and bring thee into the presence of his glorious Father? When he shall present thee, and present all his commissions which he received for thee, and present himself unto his Father with thee, saying, "O my father! here we are all before thy glorious Godhead; thus far I have carried on the great work of man's salvation, and now all is done according to the covenant betwixt thee and me? lo! here all the saints, which by decree thou gavest me before the world was made; lo! here all the commissions which I received from thee in order to their salvation; lo! here the humanity which thou gavest me when I came into the world; such were the sins of my redeemed ones, and grown to such an height, "That sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not have, but a body hast thou prepared for me," Heb. x. 5, And, lo! here I present all these before thee: come, take thy commissions, and be thou "all in all." We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Come welcome me, and welcome mine, we all stand here before thy glorious throne, and expect every way as high an entertainment as heaven, or the God of heaven can afford us. O my soul! what joy will possess thee at this passage! Be sure now thy danger is over, and thy arrival is safe: neither shall it here be heard, "Friend, how comest thou hither?" For the Lord himself will run unto thee, he will hug thee, and embrace thee, mouth on thy mouth, eyes on thy eyes, hands on thy hands; and each hand shall clap for joy, each heart shall warble, each knee shall bend and bow, and each heart shall be merry and glad. O for the day! Oh! when will the day come on, when Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father.