BOOK 8. THE ASCENSION.
CHAPTER 2.
8.2.3. Of Desiring after Jesus in that Respect.
Of Desiring after Jesus in that Respect.
Let us desire after Jesus, carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in these particulars: Who seeing Christ to ascend into heaven, would not be glad to ascend up with him? Who seeing Christ to sit down at the right hand of his Father, would not be glad to sit down with him? Who seeing Christ to scatter his gifts and Spirit amongst his saints, would not cry, "Come, Holy Spirit, O Christ give me thy Spirit! thou that gavest gifts unto men, come, and bestow those gifts on me, even upon me?" The believing soul cannot hear of Christ in any true discovery of his grace and glory, but it must needs send out breathings after him, "Oh that Christ were mine! O that I had any interest in this transaction!" It is true, these transactions are past, but the virtue of them continues still, and accordingly the virtue, power, and influence of these transactions must be the object of our desires. Now, what is the virtue of Christ's ascension, but that we might ascend? And what the virtue of Christ's session, but that we might sit down with him on his throne? And what the virtue of the mission of his Spirit, but that we might partake of the Holy Ghost? Oh let these be the objects of our desires! come, let us pant and breathe after these things! As, --
1. Let us see Christ ascending, and so desire to ascend with him, when Christ ascended it was not merely for himself, but also in our stead; he ascended as a common person; as the high-priest ascending into the holy of holies, he carried all the names of the twelve tribes on his breast; so Jesus Christ ascending into heaven, he carried the names of all believers in the world on his breast, thereby showing they were likewise to come after him; in this case how should we long after him, and cry after him, as Elisha after Elijah, when he saw him ascending, "My father, my father, the chariots, of Israel, and the horsemen thereof?" 2 Kings ii. 12. How should we cry after him, "O my Lord, and my God, see that my name be written in thy breast. O that virtually I may ascend with thee! And that really and bodily, I may at last ascend after thee!" there are many that can say in their heart, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High," Isa. xiv. 14,15. But the prophet tells us, "Such shall be brought down to hell, and to the sides of the pit." Oh the desires and eager pursuits of men after ambition! what toping and advancing of one over another? In the mean time the Psalmist's question is quite forgotten, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity," Psal. xxiv. 3, 4. Down, O my soul! with thy top and top-gallant: strike sail to God and Christ, know that God resists the proud, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer! Son of the morning?" Isa. xiv. 12. Even he that would "exalt his throne above the stars of God, is brought down to hell!" Come, come! A desire after Christ and his ascension is the way to heaven; if thou wilt ascend after Christ, set thy desires upon Christ; if thou wilt arrive at true glory, breathe after Christ ascending up into his glory; let others ascend up into their heaven upon earth, but, O my soul! desire thy interest in Christ's ascension into the heaven of heavens, Oh when it will once be! That by virtue of Christ's ascension, I shall ascend? Is Christ gone up, and am I yet behind? Is my head, my husband, my Lord in heaven, and am I a poor member of his body grovelling here on earth? What, is Christ gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet? Are all the angels sounding his praise, and bidding him welcome into glory? And am I sinning here on earth, and by my sins crucifying again and again the Lord of glory? Oh that I might ascend with Christ! Oh that I were now on the wing toward heaven! Oh! What is it that hinders my ascension, but this clog of clay? So long as this body remains a natural body, I cannot ascend; Oh therefore that the change were come! Oh that this natural body were spiritual! that this corruptible had put on incorruption, and this mortal had put on immortality! then could I move upwards as well as downwards; such is the supernatural property of a glorified body, that it ascends, or descends, with equal ease; or, if this be not possible for my present condition, if this body of mine must first descend, before it ascend, if it must down into the grave, before it go up into glory: why, yet, Oh that my better part were on the wing! Oh that my soul were mounting upwards! O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver my soul from this body of death? Or, if the union be so strong for a while, that neither soul nor body can really or substantially ascend, yet, O that I were still ascending in a spiritual way! O that my affections were still on things above, and not on things beneath! yea, I could wish a nearer union even by a dissolution; why, Christ is ascended: and I would fain be where Christ is, though it cost me dear; I desire to be dissolved, I desire to depart, and to be with Christ which is far better, Phil. i. 23.
2. Let us see Christ sitting down at the right hand of God, and so desire to sit with him: when Christ sat down it was not in his own pure personal right simply, as it is his inheritance, but with relation to his saints and members, "He hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus," Eph. ii. 5, 6. I confess Christ's sitting at God's right hand (as taken for the sublimity of his power) is not communicable unto us, for that is Christ's own prerogative. "To which of the angels said he at any time, sit on my right hand?" Heb. i. 13. Yet his sitting in heaven as it is indefinitely expressed, is in some sort communicable unto us, for he sat down as a common person, thereby showing that we were to sit down with him in our proportion, "Him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne," Rev. iii. 21. Christ sits in his Father's throne, and we sit in Christ's throne; Christ sits at the right hand of God, and we sit at the right hand of Christ. O how desirable is this! The mother of Zebedee's children understood this mystery very darkly, yet worshipping Jesus, "She desired a certain thing of him;" what thing? "Why, grant (said she) that those my two sons may sit, the one at thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy kingdom," Matth. xx. 21. Christ blamed them, because they knew not what they asked, ver. 22. and yet he tells them, that "to sit on his right hand, and on his left, is given to them for whom it is prepared of his Father," verse 23. O my soul! Desire after this, for this is worthy of thy desire: this is a great thing, an high exaltation, another manner of honour than any that this world affords; courtiers desire no more but to sit at the prince's right hand; but, O the virtue of Christ's session! that thereby thou should sit at the right hand of God: this is the very height and excellency of heaven's glory; only take heed of apprehending it after a carnal and natural way, this very exaltation consists in the image of God, and communion with God; it is the spiritual part, and power, and glory of heaven: if anything be desirable above another, surely this above all; what, that Christ should be exalted; "above all principalities, and powers, and mights, and dominions, and every thing that is named in this world, and in the other?" Eph. i. 20, 21. What, that Christ should sit down in his Father's throne, in the highest part of heaven, "far above all heavens?" Eph. iv. 10. And that I a poor worm, dust and ashes, should sit with him in heaven, should be one with him in glory, should be as near him in honour and happiness, as such a poor creature is possibly capable of? Oh! How should I but hunger and thirst after this? If I might have a wish, I would not wish low things: why, this is the very top, and height, and quintessence of heaven, "Christ in his Father's throne, and I in Christ's throne; in desiring this, I desire all: and therefore whatever thou givest or deniest, Lord give me this, and I have enough forever.
3. Let us see Christ's mission of his Holy Spirit, and so desire a share in that gift, we cannot expect to sit with Christ, but we must have the Spirit of Christ; and therefore as we would have that; let us desire after this. The greatest gift we can expect in this world is the Spirit of Christ. Consider, O my soul! all things here below are either temporal or spiritual things; and of things spiritual, this is the sum, "the indwelling of the Spirit." O Lord give me thyself, and that contains all gifts! O give me thy Spirit! and thou canst not but with him give me all things, "There be many that say, (saith the Psalmist) who will show us any good?" PsaL iv. 6. Earthly things are desired of many; but is anything on earth to be compared with this gift from heaven? If it were only the beauty of holiness, it were certainly a most desirable thing; if we rightly understand it, holiness (though but one effect of the Spirit) is a most rare thing; holiness fills the soul with joy, peace, quietness, assurance; holiness entertains the soul with feasts of fat things, and of refined wines; holiness carries the soul into the banqueting house of apples and flaggons; holiness gives the soul a near communion with God and Christ; holiness brings the soul into a sight of Christ, an access to him, a boldness in his presence; holiness admits the soul into the most intimate conferences with Jesus Christ in his bed-chamber, in his galleries of love, and that which is an argument of more beauty than all the creatures in the world have besides; holiness attracts the eye, and heart, and longings, and ravishments, the tender compassions, and everlasting delights of the Lord Jesus; and if holiness be thus lively, Oh! what is the Holy Spirit itself? What is the rise, the spring, the fountain of holiness? What, O my soul! that not only grace, but the Spirit of Christ should dwell in thy Spirit? That thou shouldst be God's building! 1 Cor. iii. 9. And that not as the rest of the world is, for his creatures to inhabit, but as "a temple for himself to dwell in," 2 Cor. vi. 16 . As "a gallery for himself to walk in?" Cant. vii. 5. Oh what longings! O what pantings and gaspings! Oh what faintings and swoonings should there be in thy spirit after this Spirit? "Come, Holy Spirit," O come and dwell in my soul! I know thou wilt make the place of thy feet glorious; if I have but thy presence I shall be all glorious within: "Oh come, come Holy Spirit."