BOOK 8. THE ASCENSION.
CHAPTER 1.
8.1.2. Of the Place whither he ascended.
Of the Place whither he ascended.
1. Whither he ascended, the gospel tells us into heaven: only Paul saith. That "he ascended far above all heavens," Eph. iv. 10. But the meaning is, he went above all these visible heavens, into those heavenly mansions where the angels and the spirits of the just have their abode. Or, if the highest heavens be included, I see no absurdity in it; the highest heaven, we usually call the kingdom of heaven, which is either heaven material, or heaven spiritual; and first for the material heaven, in some sense he may be said to ascend above that, both in respect of his body, because the body of Christ is more glorious than any material heaven: and in respect of his soul, because the soul of Christ is more blessed than all things else whatsoever. And,
2. For the spiritual heaven, (i.e.) all angelical or heavenly perfections, he is said to ascend above them all, both in respect of his humiliation, because he hath vilified himself below all things, and therefore he is worthily exalted above all things; and in respect of his perfection, because the human nature of Christ is more excellent than any creature, it being joined to the Godhead by an hypostatical union. Some there are that understand this place of "Christ's ascending far above all heavens" not so much by a local motion, as by a spiritual mutation and exaltation of his person; as earth heightened into a flame, changeth not its place only, but form and figure; so the person of our Saviour was raised to a greatness and glory, vastly differing from, and surmounting any image of things, visible or invisible in this creation; so it is fitly expressed, "He was made higher than the heavens," Heb. vii. 26. He was heightened to a splendor, enlarged to a capacity and compass above the brightest, and beyond the widest heavens; he transcended all in the spirituality of his ascension: but I will not much insist on that.