kind, freely undertook to deliver them from that dreadful Obligation wherein they were involv'd; and to put them in away to attain that never ending Happiness, of the Title to which they were by their own Folly depriv'd. In order to accomplish this vaft Design, he vouchfafed to ftrip himself of his heavenly Honours, and veil his Divinity with Flesh and Blood. Though he was in the Form of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God; he took upon him the Form of a Servant, being made in the Likeness of Man: By the Union of whofe Nature to his own Divine Nature, he became both God and Man, and fo one CHRIST. And as he took our Nature upon him, fo he Did, and Suffer'd in it, all that was ne ceffary to appeale incenfed Juftice: He was continually bufied in promoting both our Temporal and Spiritual Welfare; for which he bore abundance of Hardship; and at laft endured a most painful, accurfed, and inglorious Death.

Now as a Reward for fuch his ftupendous Humanity and Condefcention; as a Recompence for what he Did, and Suffer'd for the Sons of Men; God hath alfo bighly Exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every Name.

And

And this Exaltation of CHRIST Confifteth, in the Poffeffion of certain peculiar Powers and Priviledges, from whence the highest Glory is reflected upon his human Nature. He enter'd upon the Execution, and Enjoyment of thefe, prefently after his Death: For.when his Body had been for fome Time in the Grave, before it faw Corruption, he reftored it again to Life: As be was put to Death in the Flesh, fo he was foon after Quicken'd by the Spirit, that is, by the Power of his own Godhead; by Virtue whereof he did reunite unto his Soul, the fame Body which diedand was buried, retaining all its effential Properties, yet eternally feparated from Mortality, and all other Infirmities whatfoever. So that what was fubject to Death, was plac'd beyond the Poffibility of it, What was liable to Pain and Weariness, became utterly incapable of any fuch Senfation. What required the Refreshments of Meat, Drink, and Sleep, was entirely freed from wanting the Ufe of thofe Supports. And what was a natural Body, fitted for a Pilgrimage here on Earth, was purified, and fpiritualiz'd into a Capacity of inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven, into which Flesh and Blood, in its natural, un refin'd State, cannot Enter. Thus was the

Body.

Body of CHRIST Exalted from the lowly Condition, it underwent for our Sakes, and fashioned into a more Glorious Frame than ever it was before. Thus was his Soul brought back from the unfeen Rcgions, and joyn'd again to it, never more to fuffer another Separation. And thus was all his Doctrine moft illuftriously Confirm'd; and he himself declared to be the Son of God with Power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by his Refurrection from

the Dead.

And as CHRIST was highly Exalted in his Refurrection from the Dead; fo likewife in his Afcenfion into Heaven. After he had difarmed Death of its Sting, and overcome the King of Terrors, be afcended up on high, and led Captivity Captive. By a true and local Tranflation, he convey'd himself from the Earth on which he lived, through all the Regions of the Air, through all the Celeftial Orbs, until he came unto the Heaven of Heavens, the moft glorious Prefence of the Divine Majefty. This was a noble Inauguration to the perfect Execution of his Kingly Of fice: And then it might properly have been Sung; Lift up your Heads, O ye Gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting Doors, and the King of Glory fhall come in.

The

The Heaven of Heavens did Open and Receive his humane Nature: which was prefently fet down at the right Hand of God, far above all Principality, and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and every Name that is named, not only in this World, but also in that which is to come..

And this fitting of CHRIST at God's right Hand, is another Priviledge wherein his Exaltation confifteth. We must not however understand the Phrafe, of fitting at God's right Hand, ftrictly and literally, but in a loofe and metaphorical Senfe: For whereas God is a Spirit he can have no bodily Parts, and confequently no Hands at all. But the right Hand of God, fignifies the Seat of immenfe Power, Hap: pinefs, and Glory; and becaufe CHRIST in his human Nature, is exalted above all created Beings, to be immediately next unto God himself in Power, Happiness, and Glory, therefore he is faid to fit at God's right Hand. Not as if he was confin'd to any particular Pofture, for fitting only implies his being unchangeably fix'd in the Poffeffion of that Glory, Happinels, and Power, which upon account of his Death and Sufferings, are conferred upon him.

Laftly,

Laftly, Another Part of CHRIST's Exaltation, is his coming to Judge the World at the last Day. Though the Power of Judging is common to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yet the Execution of this Power belongs to the Son alone; forafmuch as he alone flooped fo low, as to Affume our Nature. Thus he tells us himfelf, that the Father bath given him Au thority to execute Judgment, becaufe be is the Son of Man; that is, because he alone is the Son of Man as well as the Son of God: He alone of the three Perfons which by God was judg'd, and condeinn'd by Man, and therefore he alone fhall Judge, and refpe&tively Condemn and Abfolve Men at the laft Day; when he hall appear in his human glorified Body, attended and waited upon by all the Angels of Heaven. After this, he fhall deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; by which may be meant, that his Mediatorial Kingdom, or his Office of Mediator fhall be at an End, togetherwith those Powers that relate to it: Nevertheless, the Powers and Priviledges which are due either upon the Union of the human Nature with the Divine, or in Compensation of the Afflictions un

be

dergone