which will but breed more vexation in the end; it will fester and grow more difficult to be cured; and if it be cured, it must be by deeper cutting and more pain, than if at first it had endured a thorough search.

O, my brethren! take heed of sleeping unto death in carnal ease. Resolve to take no rest till you be in the element and place of soul rest, where solid rest indeed is. Rest not till you be with Christ; though all the world should offer their best, turn them by with disdain; if they will not be turned by, throw them down, and go over them, and trample upon them. "You have no rest to give me; nor will I take any at your hands, nor from any creature. There is no rest for me till I be under his shadow, who endured so much trouble to purchase my rest; and whom having found, I may sit down quiet and satisfied; and when the men of the world make boast of the highest contents, I will outvie them all with this one word, My beloved is mine, and I am his "

The answer of a good conscience toward God.] The conscience of man is never right at peace in itself, till it be rightly persuaded of peace with God; which, while it remains filthy, it cannot be; for he is holy, and iniquity cannot dwell with him: What communion betwixt light and darkness? so then the conscience must be cleansed ere it can look upon God with assurance and peace. This cleansing is sacramentally performed by baptism effectually by the Spirit of Christ and the blood of Christ; and he lives to impart both: therefore here is mentioned his resurrection from the dead, as that by virtue where-. of we are assured of this purging and peace. Then can it, in some measure, with confidence answer, "Lord, though polluted by former sins, and by sin still dwelling in me, yet thou seest that my desires are to be daily more like my Saviour; I would have more love and zeal for thee, more hatred of sin, that can answer with St. Peter, when he was posed,

'Cant. ii. 16.

$ 2 Cor. vi. 14.

Lovest thou me? Lord, I appeal to thine own eye, who seest my heart: Lord thou knowest that I love thee, at least I desire to love thee, and to desire thee, and that is love. Willingly would I do thee more suitable service, and honour thy name more; and I do sincerely desire more grace for this, that thou mayest have more glory; and I entreat the light of thy countenance for this end, that, by seeing it, my heart may be more weaned from the world, and knit unto thyself." Thus it answers touching its inward frame, and the work of holiness by the spirit of holiness dwelling in it. But to answer justice, touching the point of guilt, it flies to the blood of sprinkling, fetches all its answers thence, turns over the matter upon it, and that blood answers for it; for it doth speak, and speaks better things than the blood of Abel"; speaks full payment of all that can be exacted from the sinner; and that is a sufficient

answer.

The conscience is then, in this point, made speechless at once; driven to a nonplus in itself; hath from itself no answer to make; but then it turns about to Christ, and finds what to say, "Lord there is indeed in me nothing but guiltiness; I have deserved death, but I have fled into the city of refuge, which thou hast appointed; there I resolve to abide, to live and die there. If justice pursue me, it shall find me there: I take sanctuary in Jesus. My arrest laid upon me will light upon him, and he hath wherewithal to answer it. He can straightway declare he hath paid all, and can make it good: hath the acquittance to shew; yea, his own liberty is a real sign of it. He was in prison, and is let free, which declares that all is satisfied." Therefore the answer here rises out of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And in this very thing lies our peace and way, and all our happiness; Oh! it is worth your time and pains to try your interest in this; it is the only thing worthy your highest diligence. But the most are out of their wits, running like a number of distractJohn xxi. 15.

" Heb. xi. 24.

ed persons, and still in a deal of business, but to what end they know not. You are unwilling to be deceived in those things that at their best and surest do but deceive you when all is done; but are content to be deceived in that which is your great concernment. You are your own deceivers in it; gladly gulled with shadows of faith and repentance, false touches of sorrow, and false flashes of joy, and are not careful to have your souls really unbottomed from themselves, and built upon Christ; to have him your treasure, your righteousness, your all, and to have him your answer unto God your Father. But if you will yet be advised, let go all, to lay hold on him; lay your souls on him, and leave him not; he is a tried foundation stone, and he that trusts on him shall not be confounded*.

Ver. 22. Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him.

THIS is added on purpose to shew us further what he is, how high and glorious a Saviour we

have.

We have here four points or steps of the exaltation of Christ: 1. Resurrection from the dead. 2. Ascension into heaven. 3. Sitting at the right hand of God. 4. In that posture, his royal authority over the angels. The particulars are clear in themselves. Of the sitting at the right hand of God, you are not ignorant that it is a borrowed expression, drawn from earth to heaven, to bring down some notion of heaven to us; to signify to us in our language, suitably to our customs, the supreme dignity of Jesus Christ, God and man, the Mediator of the new covenant, his matchless nearness unto his Father, and the soveAnd that reignty given him over heaven and earth. of the subjection of angels, is but a more particular specifying of that his dignity and power, as enthroned at the Father's right hand, they being the most elevated and glorious creatures; so that his authority * Isa. xxviii. 16. 1 Pet. ii. 6.

over all the world is implied in that subjection of the highest and noblest part of it: His victory and triumph over the angels of darkness, is an evidence of his invincible power and greatness, and matter of comfort to his saints; but this which we read of here is his supremacy over the glorious elect angels.

That there is amongst them priority we find; that there is a comely order in their differences cannot be doubted: But to marshal their degrees and sta tions above, is a point, not only of vain fruitless cu→ riosity, but of presumptuous intrusion, whether these are names of their different particular dignities, or only different names of their general excellency and power, as I think it cannot be certainly well determined, so it imports us not to determine; only this we know, and are particularly taught from this place, that whatsoever is their common dignity, both in names and differences, they are all subject to our glorious head, Christ.

What confirmation they have in their estate by him, (though piously asserted by divines), is not so infallibly clear from the alledged scriptures, which may bear another sense. But this is certain, that he is their king, and they acknowledge him to be so, and do incessantly admire and adore him. They rejoice in his glory, and in the glory and happiness of mankind through him; they yield him most cheerful obedience, and serve him readily in the good of his church, and each particular believer, as he deputes and employs them.

Which is the thing here intended, having in it these two, his dignity above them, and his authority over them. 1. His superior dignity; that even that nature which he stoopt below them to take on, he hath carried up and raised above them; the very earth, the flesh of man exalted in his person above all those heavenly spirits, who are of so excellent and pure a being in their nature, and from the beginning of the world have been clothed with so transcendant glory. The text assures us, that a parcel of clay is made so bright, and set so high, as to outshine these bright

flaming spirits, these stars of the morning, that flesh being united to the Fountain of Light, the blessed Deity in the person of the Son.

In coming to fetch and put on this garment, he made himself lower than the angels; but carrying it with him at his return to his eternal throne, and sitting down with it there, it is high above them, as the Apostle teaches excellently and amply, To which of them, said he, Sit on my right hand?

This they look upon with perpetual wonder, but not with envy nor repining: No, amongst all their eyes, no such eye is to be found; yea, they rejoice in the infinite wisdom of God in this design, and his infinite love to poor lost mankind. It is wonderful indeed to see him filling the room of their fallen brethren with new guests from earth; yea, such as are born heirs of hell; not only that sinful man should thus be raised to a participation of glory with them who are spotless, sinless spirits, but that their flesh, in their Redeemer, should be dignified with a glory so far beyond them. This is that mystery they are intent in looking and prying into, and cannot, nor ever shall, see the bottom of it; for it hath no bottom.

2. Jesus Christ is not only exalted above the angels in absolute dignity, but in relative authority over them. He is made Captain over those heavenly bands; they are all under his command, for all services wherein it pleases him to employ them; and the great employment he hath, is the attending on his Church, and particular elect ones; are they not all ministring spirits, sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of salvation? They are the servants of Christ, and in him, and, at his appointment, the servants of every believer; and are many ways serviceable and useful for their good, which truly we do not duly consider. There is no danger of overvaluing them, and inclining to worship them upon this consideration; yea, if we take it right, it will rather take off from that. The angel judged his argument strong enough to St. John

Heb. i. 2.

Heb. i. ult.