And herein,1 first there is not nothing in it to consider, what he then did, and what was his last Act when he was to take his rise, to fly up to Heaven. He blessed his Disciples, and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them, for all his elect, to the end of the World: The true reason and mind of which blessing them was, that he being now to go to execute the eternal office of his Priest-hood in Heaven, (of which God had sworn, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,) As Melehisedec in the Type, blessed Abraham, and in him all the faithful as in his loins, (therefore the Apostle said that Levi paid tithes ⟨p. 92⟩unto Melchizedek in Abraham's loins; therefore he was blessed in his loins) so did Christ begin this new and second part of his Priest-hood, with blessing the Apostles, and in them, all the elect, to the end of the World. This was the last thing that Christ did on earth, yea this he did, whilst ascending; he was taken up, whilst he did it: So Luke 24. 50. 51. And thus solemnly he now did this, to show that the curse was gone, and that sin was gone; and that action speaks thus much, as if Christ himself had said;2 O my brethren (for so he styled his Disciples, after his Resurrection) I have been dead, and in dying made a curse for you: now that curse I have fully removed, and my Father hath acquitted me, and you, for it: and now I can be bold to bless you, and pronounce all your sins forgiven, and your persons justified. For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing, [Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him] and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them: which he reserved thus as his last Act, to show, how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the Law, & now going to Heaven, was able to bless them with all the spiritual blessings that are there, and which Heaven can afford; for Heavenly they are called in that respect,3 Ephes. 1. 4. And as in Abraham (blessed by Melchizedek,) all the faithful were blessed: so, in these Apostles, all the elect to come are blessed. As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve, at the first Creation, yet he in them, blessed all that were for ever to come of them: ⟨p. 93⟩so Christ in blessing them, blessed us, and all that shall believe, through their word, to the end of the World.
And herein,1 first there is not nothing in it to consider, what he then did, and what was his last Act when he was to take his rise, to fly up to Heaven. He blessed his Disciples, and thereby left a blessing upon earth with them, for all his elect, to the end of the World: The true reason and minde of which blessing them was, that he being now to go to execute the eternall office of his Priest-hood in Heaven, (of which God had sworn, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec,) As Melehisedec in the Type, blessed Abraham, and in him all the faithfull as in his loins, (therefore the Apostle said that Levi paid tithes ⟨p. 92⟩unto Melchisedec in Abrahams loines; therefore he was blessed in his loines) so did Christ begin this new and second part of his Priest-hood, with blessing the Apostles, and in them, all the elect, to the end of the World. This was the last thing that Christ did on earth, yea this he did, whilst ascending; he was taken up, whilst he did it: So Luke 24. 50. 51. And thus solemnly he now did this, to shew that the curse was gone, and that sin was gone; and that action speakes thus much, as if Christ himselfe had said;2 O my brethren (for so he styled his Disciples, after his Resurrection) I have been dead, and in dying made a curse for you: now that curse I have fully removed, and my Father hath aquited me, and you, for it: and now I can be bold to blesse you, and pronounce all your sins forgiven, and your persons justified. For that is the intendment and foundation of blessing, [Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven him] and therefore that was the true meaning of his blessing them: which he reserved thus as his last Act, to shew, how by his death he had redeemed them from the curse of the Law, & now going to Heaven, was able to blesse them with all the spirituall blessings that are there, and which Heaven can afford; for Heavenly they are called in that respect,3 Ephes. 1. 4. And as in Abraham (blessed by Melchisedec,) all the faithfull were blessed: so, in these Apostles, all the elect to come are blessed. As when God individually blessed Adam and Eve, at the first Creation, yet he in them, blessed all that were for ever to come of them: ⟨p. 93⟩so Christ in blessing them, blessed us, and all that shall beleeve, through their word, to the end of the World.
- 11. By considering what was the last action he did when he was to Ascend: Blessing his Disciples.
- 2To show the curse was removed, and their sins pardoned.To shew the curse was removed, and their sins pardoned.
- 3And in blessing his Apostles thus he blessed all that should believe in him.
