Then,1 thirdly, see him entering into Heaven; when he comes first to Court after this great undertaking; how doth God look on him? is God satisfied with what he hath done? As (you know) when a General comes home, there useth to be great observing how the King takes his service, as performed according to commission; Christ as a Surety undertook for sinners, fully to conquer all our enemies; and God bade him look that he did it perfectly, or never see his face more: Heb. 5. He was to be perfect through sufferings, and those sufferings to be such as to perfect us also; Heb. 210. Now behold your Surety is like a Conqueror entered Heaven: let that convince you; that he hath satisfied the debt, and performed his commission to a tittle: God would never have suffered him to come thither else; but as soon as ever his head had peeped into Heaven, have sent him down again to perform the rest; But God lets him enter in, and he comes boldly, and confidently, and God lets him stay there: therefore be convinced, that he hath given God full satisfaction. Christ himself useth this argument, as the strongest that could be brought to convince the World, that his righteousness (which he had in his Doctrine taught them,) was the righteousness which men were only to be saved by, the true Righteousness of God indeed. John 16. 9, 10. He shall convince the world of righteousness: that is, work faith in the hearts of men, to believe and ⟨p. 98⟩lay hold on my righteousness, as the true righteousness that God hath ordained: and this because (says he) I go to my Father, and you shall see me no more: That is, by this argument and evidence it is, and shall be evinced, that I who undertook to satisfy for sin, and to procure a perfect righteousness, have perfectly performed it: and that it is a righteousness which Gods justice doth accept of, to save sinners by; In that I after my death, and finishing this work, will ascend up to my Father, into Heaven, and keep my standing there, and you shall see me no more: Whereas, if I had not fulfilled all righteousness, and perfectly satisfied God, you may be sure there would be no going into Heaven for me, nor remaining there: God would send me down again, to do the rest, and you should certainly see me with shame sent back again; but I go to Heaven and you shall see me no more.
Then,1 thirdly, see him entring into Heaven; when he comes first to Court after this great undertaking; how doth God looke on him? is God satisfied with what he hath done? As (you know) when a Generall comes home, there useth to be great observing how the King takes his service, as performed according to commission; Christ as a Surety undertook for sinners, fully to conquer all our enemies; and God bade him look that he did it perfectly, or never see his face more: Heb. 5. He was to be perfect through sufferings, and those sufferings to be such as to perfect us also; Heb. 210. Now behold your Surety is like a Conqueror entred Heaven: let that convince you; that he hath satisfied the debt, and performed his commission to a tittle: God would never have suffered him to come thither else; but as soon as ever his head had peept into Heaven, have sent him downe again to performe the rest; But God lets him enter in, and he comes boldly, and confidently, and God lets him stay there: therefore be convinced, that he hath given God full satisfaction. Christ himself useth this argument, as the strongest that could be brought to convince the World, that his righteousnesse (which he had in his Doctrine taught them,) was the righteousnesse which men were only to be saved by, the true Righteousnesse of God indeede. Iohn 16. 9, 10. He shall convince the world of righteousnesse: that is, worke faith in the hearts of men, to believe and ⟨p. 98⟩lay hold on my righteousnesse, as the true righteousnesse that God hath ordained: and this because (sayes he) I go to my Father, and you shall see me no more: That is, by this argument and evidence it is, and shall be evinced, that I who undertooke to satisfie for sin, and to procure a perfect righteousnesse, have perfectly performed it: and that it is a righteousnesse which Gods justice doth accept of, to save sinners by; In that I after my death, and finishing this worke, will ascend up to my Father, into Heaven, and keepe my standing there, and you shall see me no more: Whereas, if I had not fulfilled all righteousnesse, and perfectly satisfied God, you may be sure there would be no going into Heaven for mee, nor remaining there: God would send me down again, to doe the rest, and you should certainly see mee with shame sent back again; but I goe to Heaven and you shall see me no more.
- 1A third support to faith from Gods first entertainment of Christ when he came first to Heaven.
- 2That this is a further evidence that God is satisfied for sin.
