The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

2 For consolation: and so this Article ought to be a fountain of great consolation to us, if we consider especially the fruit and profit comes to us by it: which may be partly gathered by that which hath been declared before: for first we get heaven open for us by it: since the sin of the first Adam heaven was shut against us, which was shadowed out by the Angel with a flaming Sword, stopping the way into Paradise, which was a type of heaven. The first Adam shut heaven, and the second opened it: opened it I say for us; for Christ entered into heaven in our person, to take possession for us, so as we do actually possess heaven, in that our flesh is there, and our head is there: God hath made us to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph. 1. 6. for as he left us the earnest of his Spirit, so he took from us the earnest of the flesh, and carried it into heaven, as a pawn to assure that the whole should be brought after him. So that his ascension into heaven works our ascension into heaven, and so a threefold ascension: For first, heaven is opened for a spiritual ascension of our minds, while our bodies are on earth, our hearts taking unspeakable comfort by faith, in our union with Christ, and so with God; whereas otherwise without Christ, our very thoughts are shut out of heaven, our hearts having no cause of comfort, but rather of sorrow to think of our loss of Gods favour, and so glorious a place. Secondly, heaven is opened for our souls to enter in when we dye, our souls being to be carried by the Angels into heaven, that before in Adam kept us out of heaven. Thirdly, heaven is opened for both soul and body at the last day, 1 Thes. 4. 14. 17. Joh. 17. 24. Thus of the first benefit. Another benefit comes to us by the ascension of Christ, and that is, the leading of our enemies captive, for his triumph over them when he led captivity captive, Psal. 89. 19. extends to us.

2 For consolation: and so this Article ought to bee a fountaine of great consolation to vs, if we consider especially the fruit and profit comes to vs by it: which may bee partly gathered by that which hath beene declared before: for first wee get heauen open for vs by it: since the sinne of the first Adam heauen was shut against vs, which was shadowed out by the Angell with a flaming Sword, stopping the way into Paradise, which was a type of heauen. The first Adam shut heauen, and the second opened it: opened it I say for vs; for Christ entred into heauen in our person, to take possession for vs, so as we doe actually possesse heauen, in that our flesh is there, and our head is there: God hath made vs to sit in heauenly places in Christ Iesus,