Christ, and an enemy to God. The word and seals of life are dead to thee, and thou art still dead in the use of them all. Know you not, that many have made shipwreck upon the very rock of salvation? that many who were baptized as well as you, and as constant attendants on all the worship and ordinances of God as you, yet have remained without Christ, and died in their sins, and are now past recovery? O that you would be warned! There are still multitudes running headlong the same course, tending to destruction, through the midst of all the means of salvation-the saddest way of all to it— through word and sacraments, and all heavenly ordinances, to be walking hell-wards! Christians and yet no Christians; baptized and yet unbaptized! You think the renouncing of baptism a horrible thing, yet it is a common guiltiness that cleaves to all who renounce not the filthy lusts and the self-will of their own hearts; for baptism carries in it a renouncing of these; and so the cleaving unto these is a renouncing of it. We all were sealed for God in baptism; but who lives as if it were so? How few have the impression of it on the conscience, and the expression of it in the walk and fruit of their life! We do not, as clean-washed persons, abhor and fly all pollutions, all fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ? We have been a long time hearers of the gospel, whereof baptism is the seal, and most of us are often at the Lord's table. What hath all this done upon us? Ask within. Are your hearts changed? Is there a new creation there? Where is that spiritual mindedness? Are your hearts dead to the world and sin, and alive to God, your consciences purged from dead works?

If you would have your consciences answer well, they must inquire and question much beforehand. Think it not enough to go to church or to pray, but take heed how ye hear; consider how pure he is, and how piercing his eye, whom thou servest. Then again afterwards, think it not enough to say, I was praying, or hearing, or reading; it was a good work; what need I question it further? No, but be still reflecting and asking how it was doneHow have I heard? how have I prayed? Was my heart humbled by the discoveries of sin from the word? Was

it refreshed with the promises of grace? Did it lie level under the word, to receive the stamp of it? Was it in prayer set and kept in a holy bent towards God? Did it breathe forth real and earnest desires into his ear; or was it remiss, and roving, and dead in the service? So in my society with others, in such and such company, what was spent of my time and how did I employ it? Did I seek to honor my Lord and to edify my brethren, by my carriage and speeches; or did the time run out in trifling vain discourse? When alone, what is the carriage and walk of my heart? Where it hath most liberty to move in its own way, is it delighted in converse with God? Are the thoughts of heavenly things frequent and sweet to it; or does it run after the earth and the delights of it, spinning out itself in impertinent vain contrivances? The neglect of such inquiries as these entertains and increases the impurity of the soul, so that men are afraid to look into themselves, and to look up to God. But O what a foolish course is this, to shift off what cannot be avoided! In the end answer must be made to that all-seeing Judge with whom we have to do, and to whom we owe our accompts. 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. Say, 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 content, I will out-vie them all with this one word, My beloved is mine, and I am his.

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 show 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-resurrection from the dead-ascension into heaven-sitting at the right hand of God-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 sovereignty given him over heaven and earth. And the mention of the subjection of augels 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 over all the world is implied in this 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 intends here 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 stations above, is a point not only of vain fruitless curiosity, 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 cannnot 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 dignity, 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 alleged 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 of each particular believer, as he deputes and employs them.

This is the thing here intended, having in it these two particulars-his dignity above them, and his authority over them.

I. Such is his dignity, that even that nature which he stooped below them to take on, he hath carried up and raised above them; the very earth, the flesh of man, being 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 such transcendent glory. A parcel of clay is made so bright and set so high, as to outshine those bright flaming spirits, those 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 raised high above them; as the apostle teaches excellently and amply; To which of them, said he, Sit thou on my right hand?

This they look upon with perpetual wonder, but not with envy or 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, with such as are born heirs of hell; but that not only sinful men should thus be raised to a participation of glory with them who are spotless sinless spirits, but their flesh, in their Redeemer, should be dignified with a glory so far beyond them-this is that mystery the angels are intent on looking and prying into, and

cannot nor ever shall see the bottom of it, for it hath

none.

II. 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 on particular elect ones. Are they not all ministering 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 us off from that. The angel judged his argument strong enough to St. John against that, that he was but his fellow servant. But this is more, that they are servants to us, although not therefore inferior, it being an honorary service. Yet certainly they are inferior to our Head, and so to his mystical body, taken in that notion, as a part of him.

The height of this our Saviour's glory will appear the more if we reflect on the descent from which he ascended to it. O how low did we bring down so high a Majesty, into the pit wherein we had fallen, by climbing to be higher than he had set us! He against whom our sin was com mitted, came down to help us up again, and to take hold of us; he took us on; so the word is Heb. ii, 16. He took not hold of the angels, let them go, left them to die for ever; but he took hold of the seed of Abraham, and took on him their flesh, dwelling amongst us and in a mean condition. He emptied himself, Phil. ii, 7, and became of no repute. And after he descended to the earth and into our flesh, he became obedient to death upon the cross, and descended into the grave. And by these steps, he was walking towards that glory wherein he now is. He abased himself, wherefore says the apostle, God hath highly exalted him. So he says of himself, Ought not Christ first to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory? Now this indeed it is pertinent to consider. The