BOOK 8. THE ASCENSION.
CHAPTER 2.
8.2.7. Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Joying in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us joy in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in these particulars; there is not a particular under consideration, but it is the object of a Christian's joy. As, --
1. How should it heighten my joys, and enlarge my comforts, when I do but consider that Christ is ascended into glory? By this it as clear and evident, that Christ is accepted of the Father for me, or otherwise, he should never have been received into heaven; if any frown had been in the face of God, surely Christ coming so near God, he should have had it; if any exception had been against his satisfaction, any flaw in our pardons, surely Christ should have heard of it, yea, without question, he must have been turned out of heaven, until he had made a full payment of our debts. I need not doubt of my acceptance at the throne of grace, when Jesus Christ is accepted for me, and that I stand in such a relation of Jesus Christ. Oh what joy is in this!
2. How should it heighten my joys and enlarge my comforts when I do but consider that Christ is set down at God's right hand. Why, now he hath the keys of heaven delivered into his hands. "All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth," Matth. xxviii, 18. And now he can do what he will; God the Father hath given away (as it were) all his prerogatives unto Jesus Christ, "All judgment is committed to the Son, for the Father judgeth no man," John v. 22. Now, he is in a capacity of acting out all his love, and the Father's desire to me in the most glorious way; he is highly advanced, and thereby he hath the advantage to advance me, and to glorify me; God hath given into his hands all the treasures and riches of heaven, in bidding him, "sit down at his right hand," he told him that he would have no more to do with the world, but that Christ should have all, and that Christ should bestow all he had amongst his saints; and that this should be the reward of his death, and when once his saints were come about him, and sat with him in his glory, why, then Christ should resign up again his place, "And deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father," 1 Cor. xv. 24. Oh! what joy may enter into this poor dark dungeon, disconsolate soul of mine, whilst I but think over these glorious passages of my Christ in glory?
3. How should it heighten my joys and fill me with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, when I do consider that Christ hath sent down his Holy Spirit into my heart? When sorrow had filled the apostles' hearts, because he had told them, "I must go away," he comforts them with this, "If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto yon, but if I depart, I will send him unto you," John xvi. 7. The Spirit is the Comforter, and where he comes, he fills souls with comforts; O what comfort is this! to know that the Spirit of Christ is my inmate? That my soul is the temple and receptacle, the house and dwelling of the Spirit of God? That Christ is in me of a truth, and that not only by the infusion of his grace, but by the indwelling of his spirit? Surely it is some comfort to a sickly man that he hath a physician always in the house with him; and to a woman that is near her travail, that the midwife is in the house with her! but what comfort is it to a poor soul that the Spirit of Christ is always in him? "I will send you another Comforter (said Christ) that he may abide with you forever," John xiv. 16. Christ in his bodily presence went away, but Christ in his Spirit continues still, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," Matth. xxviii. 10. He is with us, and which is more, he is in us for our comfort, "Christ in you the hope of glory," Col. i. 27. Not Christ in sermons which we hear, not Christ in chapters which we read, nor Christ in sacraments which we receive, nor Christ in our heads by high notions, nor Christ in our mouths by frequent glorious expressions, but Christ in our hearts by his Spirit, is unto us "the hope of glory." The grounds of our comforts in this respect, are; --
(a). Christ's presence. It is said of Paul that after a sad shipwreck, the sight of some Christian brethren so cheered him up, that upon the sight of them, "he thanked God, and took courage," Acts xxviii. 15. It is said of Caesar, that he cheered the drooping mariners in a storm, by minding them of his presence, you carry Caesar; how much more should the in-being of Christ solace saints? "Lo, I am with you." O my soul! was it not a cordial to the disciples in a storm, that Christ was with them, whom the winds and waves obeyed? Cheer up now, for if the Spirit be in thee, Christ is with thee.
(b). Christ's complacency. If his Spirit dwell in us, How should he but be well pleased with us? A man cannot be properly said to dwell in a prison, in which he taketh no delight; the Spirit's indwelling imports a delight of Christ in such a soul, "Here will I dwell, for I have desired it, or delighted in it," saith God of Zion, Psal. cxxxii. 14, though many times drooping Christians, viewing their own beggarliness and vileness, judge themselves to be worthy to be detested and deserted, and would relinquish themselves if they possibly could, yet Christ looketh to the poor and contrite soul, as a meet habitation for himself to dwell in, "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit," Isa. lvii. 15.
(c). Christ's communications. Union is the ground of our communion with Christ; and the nearer our union, the greater is our communion; if Christ were only in a believer by the habit of grace, the union would not be so great, but if Christ be in us by his Spirit, the union is nearer, and therefore the communion will be greater; O my soul! remember this in all thy straits; there can be no creature-want or danger whatsoever, wherein the improvement of this indwelling of the Spirit may not refresh thee. Art thou sick? The physician both of soul and body is within thee. Art thou sad? The Comforter himself that supplies the stead and room of Christ, inhabits in thee. Art thou in exile, in banishment, imprisonment, at greatest distance from thy dearest friends? See Paul's refreshment, when they were ready to pull him in pieces, and threw him into the castle, even "the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, be of good cheer, Paul" Acts xxiii. 11. Christ will stand by thee, nay, Christ by his Spirit dwelleth in thee, and will speak to thee comfortable words in thy greatest pressures.
(d). Christ's witnessings of his Spirit dwell in us, we may then be assured of future glory. "Christ in you the hope of glory," Col. i. 27. It is a sweet note of a divine upon it, "The existency of Christ's Spirit in believers, giveth existence to their hopes of glory. The Spirit in us is God's earnest of glory, the Spirit in us doth prepare us for participation in that glory." (Mr Ash in his sermon of Christ the riches of the gospel.) I look upon this indwelling of the Spirit as that which no hypocrite in the world can lay any claim unto; as for gifts, or graces, an hypocrite may attain them, or something like them; it is said of Simon Magus that he believed, Acts viii. 13. It is said of Judas that be repented, Matth. xxvii. 3. And of Esau, "that he sought the birth-right with tears," Heb. xii. 17. It is said of some, "that they partook of the heavenly gift, and of the powers of the world to come, and yet fell away," Heb. vi. 5, 6. And it is said of such others, "That they trampled upon the blood of Christ wherewith they were sanctified," Heb. x. 29. Thus we find in scripture phrase, that is, an hypocrite or wicked man, there may be a kind of faith and repentance, a taste of heaven, and of sanctification; but where do we find in all the Bible, that Christ or the Spirit of Christ is said to dwell in an hypocrite, or wicked man? This only is the great privilege of a true believer, "Christ in him the hope of glory." -- O the comfort of this indwelling of Christ! If "Zaccheus hearing that Christ would abide in his house, received him joyfully," Luke xix. 6, how much greater cause of joy have they who have already lodged him in their hearts? "These things have I spoken to you, (said Christ) that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full," John xv. 11.
And now, O my soul, spread thyself on this great good, Christ's ascension, Christ's session, and Christ's mission of his Holy Spirit. What is joy, but an effusion of the appetite whereby the soul spreads itself on what is good, to possess it more perfectly? the object is sweet, and large, and therefore the soul hath need to spread itself, that it may be more united to the object, and touch the good in more of its parts, yea, if it were possible in every part, there is not any particular here before thee, but it is fuel for joy; O what joy was in heaven, when Christ ascended, and when Christ sat down at God's right hand, and when Christ sent down the Holy Spirit? How stood the angels wondering and admiring at these several passages? How did they stoop, "and look with the bowing of the head, and bending of the neck?" l Pet. i. 12. As the word implies, and is not thy interest in these transactions more than angels? O rejoice, and again rejoice! Suppose thyself in heaven, and that thou hadst a vision of Christ ascended; say. Is he not a pleasant object? "In his face there is fulness of joy," Psal. xvi. 11. Suppose thyself to have been in heaven when he first entered into it, and when he first sat down at God's right hand, and sent down the Comforter to his saints, Was not heaven full of joy! Methinks he very thought of Christ's bright face, and Christ's white throne, and Christ's harpers, and heavenly troops surrounding the throne, and Christ's welcome to his father, both for himself, and all his saints, and Christ carrying thy name upon his breast before his Father, should fill thy soul as full of joy, as possibly it can hold. O the first-fruits of Emmanuel's land, that lies beyond time and death! O the joys that were in heaven at Christ's first entrance into heaven? O my soul! why dost thou not check thyself, and lay aside thy sad complaints, and forget this earth and earthly troubles? Why dost thou not look up to Jesus Christ, and rejoice in him who hath done all this for thy salvation? Either the Spirit of God is not thy Comforter, or thou canst not but receive comfort in these passages.