The Kings Bath, Section 6
And lo, the heauens were opened vntounto him.
Sect. 6.
NOw it followeth, that wee speake of those three admirable euents, which followed the PrayerThe opening of the heauens vponupon him in his prayer. of Christ: 1. The sensible opening of the heauens. 2. The visible descending of the holy Ghost. 3. The audible voice of God the Father, witnessing to many, both eye and eare-witnesses, the solemne instalment and induction of Christ into his office and worke of mediation and ministery: Wherein wee must know, that as there neuer was in all the world so high and excellent an office as Christs was: (for, the greatest of Kings, and the high Priest, who yet were with great state and obseruation anoynted and deputed to their offices, were but shadowes of this:) euen so God would hauehave Christ entred into it with such magnificence and glory as neuer man was, nor creature is capable of. As the Coronation of a Prince, with what glory, pompe, and sumptuousnesse, euen to admiration, is hee brought foorth with his Nobles and subiects? But all this is but earthly glory, from earthly men, to an earthly King: But now at the Coronation of the Prince of peace, God sets himselfe from heauen to honour it; and for this purpose he doth more familiarly, and yet more gloriously reueale himselfe vntounto all mankind, then he had euer before done from the creation of the world; and neuer was any ceremony in all the world so honoured, as this Baptisme of Christ was. The ancient sacrifices of Gods institution were honoured by manifest signes of his gracious presence, as by the fire which came from heauen continually to consume them: the Arke was honoured with speciall signes of his glorious presence, sitting betweene the Cherubims, answering by Oracle and voice, vntounto cases propounded: the Temple it selfe at Ierusalem, at Salomons prayer and dedication, was filled with the glory of God, manifested in that cloud that filled the House of the Lord, 1. Kin. 8. 10. and this cloud still watched ouer the Tabernacle, Exod. 40. 34. But these were all but shadowes to this, wherein the Lord did not cloud and vaile his presence, or reueale his presence in some signe, but the Diuine Maiesty manifested it selfe distinctly, as we may say, in person, yea in the distinction of all the three Persons, the Father testifying his delight in his deare Sonne, the Sonne standing in Iordan, and receiuing his Fathers testimony; and the holy Ghost descending in the visible shape of a Doue.
From whence is notably grounded the doctrine of the blessed Trinity of persons,Obser. in the Vnity of diuine essence, because they be so really distinguished, although they cannot bee separated.
But the word Trinity,Obiect. is not to be found in the Scriptures.
Yet the doctrine is,Answ. if not according to the letter, yet according to the sense. Mat. 17. 5. In the transfiguration of Christ, the Sonne standeth, the Father by his voice witnesseth, and the holy Ghost ouershadowes him in a cloud, as heere by a Doue. So Matth. 28. 19. Baptize them in the name (not names, to note the vnity) of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost. And 2. Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, and the louelove of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost bee with you all. Besides, there is expresly the word three, frō whence Trinity comes, 1. Ioh. 5. 7. There be three that beare witnesse in heauen, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost, and these three are one. So also Gal. 4. 6. God sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts.
Which is worthy to be by the way obserued,Vse. as against sundry other damnable Heretikes, so especially against the Iewes at this day, who hold an indistinct essence in the Deity, without distinction of persons: and secondly, against the wicked Arrians, who deny the Sonne of God to bee begotten of the essence of the Father, and to bee coeternall and coequall with him; they hold him to be meere man, onelyonly borne without sin, and receiuing the Spirit beyond measure; and in all those places, where he is called God, they vnderstand it God by office, not by nature, as the Magistrate is called God; and by this equiuocation they can deceiue the Magistrate, and professe (namely in this their sense) that they verily beleeue him to bee God, and yet meere man. But this place, and many other assume him into equall dignitie with the Father and holie Ghost, as wee shall further see in the Fathers testimonie of him.
In the opening of the heauens consider 1. how they were opened: 2. why they were opened. For the former; not the whole heauens, but a part, and that part ouer the earth where Christ prayed in the banke of Iordan, and not to all the people of the earth, but to those onelyonly that were present with Christ, were the heauens opened: and therefore it is said, The heauen was opened vntounto him, not (as some say) to Iohn, but to Christ: for so the phrase is vsed, Act. 2. 3. foreign, visae eis linguae, i. supra eos. The difficultie is in the manner.
Some think it was but an apparition in the aire,How the heauens were opened. because the densitie of the heauens (as Philosophie teacheth) cannot admit of any diuision in the same. But this is vnlikely: for in apparitions the eye is easily deceiued by thinnesse or thicknesse, neerenes or remotenes, light or darknesse of the parts of the heauens and clouds: now God would not hauehave so notable a confirmation of Christs calling stand vponupon the credit of a thing so liable to deceit as apparitions be. Againe, this was a miracle, by which Christs office was exalted, and therefore goes beyond nature, and it is absurd to limit so transcendent a power within the rules and hedge of nature.
Others of the Fathers, whom some Schoolemen follow, think that there was no alteration in the heauēs to the bodily eye, but it was a meer vision, which none but Christ saw, and that not with the eyes of his body, but of his minde, such a vision as Ezekiel and Steuen saw. But this is not so: for first, to the eyes of Christs minde heauen was neuer shut. Secondly, Mark. 1. 10. hee saw the heauens foreign clouen, a word vsed in things really done, and vsed of the rent garment, Luk. 5. 36. and of the vaile of the Temple, which was rent in twaine. Thirdly, the other signes were really and sensibly done, the Spirits descending visible, and the Fathers voyce audible and sensible, which are things of greater difficultie to conceiue as wee shall see: and, visible and sensible were they not so much for Christs, as for Iohns and the peoples confirmation that stood there.
It seemeth therefore to bee true, that the heauen was sensibly diuided and rent in twaine, euen as the earth was when Korah and his company were swallowed vp. This is not vnreasonable to conceiue, if wee consider that the Lord might well doe as much for his Sonne, as he had formerly done for his seruants. Henoch, in his body as wel as in his soule, was taken vp into heauen: here either the heauens must diuide themselues, or one body must pearce and penetrate another, which euen glorified bodies cannot doe. Eliah, when Elisha prayed him that his spirit might be doubled on him, answered thus, Thou askest an hard thing, yet if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt hauehave it so, 2. King. 2. 11, 12. and Elisha saw him when he was taken vp into heauen by a whirlewinde, and consequently saw the heauens diuided to receiue his body now glorified in the act of translation.
When Christ had accomplished his whole ministery, Act. 1. 9. while his Disciples beheld, he was taken vp into heauen; they did see the heauens opening themselues to receiue his glorious body: and shall we think it absurd, that according to the letter of the Scripture, his Father should enter him into that ministery by a sensible opening of the heauens? As easie it must bee for God to doe this, as to make the Sunne stand still, the Sea runne backe, yea the Sea to diuide it selfe and stand like a wall for the defence of his people. And, that he thus did, it is plaine, because this serueth for the greater confirmation, and glorie of the businesse in hand, which aboue all other the Lord set himselfe to aduance & commend to the world.
Now in the second place,Why were the heauēs opened. the reasons why the heauens were opened, were sundry.
1. To manifest the truth and certaintie of the other signes which followed, that seeing the heauens opened, they might not conceiue, that either the Doue or the voyce came from any other place.
2. To shew that howsoeuer Christ stood there as a weake man, and in similitude of sinfull flesh, yet he was the Lord from heauen heauenly, of whom was verified, Ioh. 3. 31. Hee that is come from heauen, is aboue all.
3. That as his person, so likewise his doctrine was diuine and heauenly, ver. 34. He whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: and this was the speciall worke of his doctorall office, to reueale the will of his Father. And Io. 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time, the onelyonly begotten Sonne, which is in the bosome of the Father, hath declared him. The power also and grace, whereby he wrought miracles, was not from Beel-zebub, but from heauen.
4. To shew that his office, into which he was now entred, was and is to open heauen again for vsus, who by sinne had shut it against our selues; he hath made our way vntounto ye throne of grace. And thus this second Adam standeth in opposition with the first; he shut vsus out of Paradise: a token that we were shut out of heauen: but this lets vsus into the Paradise of God againe.
The heauens are opened byObiect. his passion, not by his baptisme, Heb. 10. 19.
They are opened by his deathAnsw. as by a common cause, which must be specially and singularly applied, and that is by baptisme: therefore it is said, Rom. 6. 3, 4. We are baptized into his death; that is, to hauehave benefit by his death.
1. Note hence, that Christ by fulfilling all righteousnesse, hath set heauen open vntounto vsus, and consequently, the iustification of a sinner, is not onelyonly by the obedience of his passion, but also by his actiue obedience in fulfilling the Law: for, 1. the whole summe of the Law, is, to louelove God with all the heart, &c. which if we performe not in our selues, or in Christ, then the whole Law is abolished, whereof eueryevery iot must be accomplished, Math. 5. and Christ came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. 2. The sanction of the Law (Cursed is eueryevery one that abideth not in all things) cannot be auoided, if all those things be not done in our selues or our surety. 3. There are two parts of iustification: 1. Remission of sinne, which is by the blood of Christ, which takes away all sin. 2. Imputation of Christs righteousnesse: neither can the one stand without the other, as 1. Cor. 5. 21. Hee hath made Him sinne that knew no sinne, that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in Him. And this meetes with their maine obiection, that when sin is taken away,Christ hath fulfilled actiue righteousnesse for vsus as well as passiue. the Law is fulfilled, and the sinner acquitted and iustified: for that is not true; for a sinner is not iustified when sinne is abolished, vnlesse iustice be added. Sinne must be couered indeed, but that is but fulfilling of halfe righteousnesse, vnlesse righteousnesse be imputed, Rom. 4. 25. He was deliuered for our offences, and was raised againe for our iustification: where iustification is farre more then remission of sinnes. 4. The words of Scripture are plaine, Rom. 5. 18. By the obedience of Christ many are made righteous: and 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse; and not only to remoue vnrighteousnesse. As for all those places, wherein it is said, that Christ hath purged all sinne with his blood, &c. they are to be meant exclusiuely, in respect of the blood of beasts or any meritorious workes of men out of Christ, but not to exclude the meritorious actiue obedience of the Sonne of God. 5. Hee that is circumcised, is bound to keepe the whole Law.
Obiect. That was to make him a fit Sauiour.
Answ. No, but that hee might redeeme them that were subiect to the Law, and that they might receiue the adoption of sonnes, vers. 5. Hee speakes plainely of Christs actiue obedience. We will conclude with Bernard, Totus mihi datus, totus in meos vsus expensus est. When I can hauehave too much of Christ, I will renounce his actiue obedience; but if by fulfilling all righteousnesse, he hath opened heauen, I will lay fast hold vponupon all his righteousnesse to bring mee thither.
Secondly, hence wee note what we are to thinke of the doctrine of Christ, who came from heauen, and spake from heauen. Heb. 1. 1. In these last dayes God hath spoken to vsus by his Sonne, and therefore our meanes of saluation are great and glorious; the onelyonly begotten Son, which is in the bosome of his Father, hath reuealed the Fathers will vntounto vsus. Naturall light hath manifested much of God to many men; supernaturall light hath made him more manifest, both by the deliuery of the Law, and the promises of the Gospell concerning Christ to come, whereby the Iewes saw God after a sort through the vaile of types and shadowes, but did not see him clearely and perspicuously, till Christ was manifested in the flesh, who was in his person the brightnes of his Fathers image, and in his office the chiefe Doctor and Teacher of his Church.
Whence it followes, Heb. 12. 25. That if they escaped not, who refused him vvhichwhich spake on earth, much lesse shall we, if we turne from him that speaketh from heauen: and 2. 2. If the vvord spoken by Angels was stedfast, &c. how shal we escape, if wee neglect so great saluation, which was first begun to be preached by the Lord, and is confirmed to vsus by them that heard him?
Obiect. Oh, if we should heareHeauen opened it selfe, to confirme our doctrine to be from heauen. Christ speake from heauen, wee would obey.
Answ. The doctrine that we bring, is from heauen, heauen opened it selfe to giuegive confirmation to it, the same it is which Christ taught, which the Apostles receiued from him, and we from them; and of vsus, holding our selues to the Apostles doctrine, our Sauiour saith, Hee that heareth you, heareth mee. With how great danger therefore doe men refuse and turne away from our doctrine? how shall they escape, that refuse doctrine from heauen? A iust thing it is, that they be giuen ouer to Satanicall and hellish delusions, who refuse doctrine from heauen.
3. This opening of heauen being a signe of that which Christ had done, affoordeth speciall comfort to all the members of Christ, in that heauen being shut against vsus by our sin (for into it shall no vncleane thing enter:) Christ hath set the gate of it open vntounto vsus againe; hee hath made a way, and as it were a thorow-fare betweene heauen and earth.
By him (saith the Apostle) all things in heauen and earth are gathered into one, Ephes. 1. 10. and Col. 1. 20. He hath reconciled to himselfe through him all things, which are in earth and in heauen; that is, all elect and beleeuing men on earth, and the blessed Saints and Angels in heauen: and this followes, that in the former verse, where Christ is called the head of all things; being the head of his body, hee hath made a passage both for himselfe and his members.
How doth Christ open heauenQuest. for vsus? oh that we could see such a sight!
Christ openeth heauen: 1. byAnsw. the merit of his obedience vntounto the death; so saith S Paul, Col. 1. 20. By the bloud of his crosse he hath set at peace all things.Christ openeth heauen for vsus 3. wayes. Meditate on his death. 2. By the donation of his Spirit, who worketh faith in the heart of Gods child; which is as an hand wherby Christ with all his benefits is receiued, and a mouth whereby he is eaten; so is it an eye cleered to see thorow the clouds God sitting in his glory, vponupon the Propitiatorie and Mercy-seate, and sometimes vponupon the throne of his iustice. Heb. 11. 27. By faith Moses departed Egypt, and feared not the fiercenesse of the King, but endured as one that sawe him that was inuisible. By faith Henoch walked with God, hee had him euer in his eye, heauen was euer open and vndrawne vntounto him. Iose…h saw on the throne of his iustice, and said, Can I sinne and doe this great wickednesse against God? Thus the godly in this life hauehave heauen after a sort opened, so as they hauehave God euer present with them. Steuen being full of the holy Ghost, saw heauen open; get faith, and thou shalt see it open too. 3. By the benefit of his intercession, Ioh. 17. Father, I will, that where I am, they also be to behold my glory. Now he was heard in all that he prayed for, so as by vertue of the merit of his intercession, all the elect shall be gathered in soule and body into heauen after this life. This same key openeth heauen to our prayers, and persons.
Heere is the comfort of the godly, that whereas the first Adam hath shut heauen on them, and set hell wide open, and armed all the creatures against them: this second Adam hath opened heauen againe and reconciled all things; there is now passage from man to God, from earth to heauen, by the prayer of faith: and betweene God and man, while hee heareth prayer and bestowes heauenly blessings: a passage for the Spirit, and for Gods helping hand in trouble; there is a beaten way betweene heauen & earth, in which Gods Angels are continually mouing as diligēt ministers to the heires of saluation. Here ye may see Iacobs ladder, which reacheth from earth to heauen, on which the Angels are continually ascendingGen. 28. 1. and descending: this ladder is Christ himselfe, who by his humanity toucheth earth,Ioh. 1. 51. and by his diuinity reacheth vp to the heauens, and so hath made heauen & earth meete together.
And as this comforteth vsus through our whole life, so especially in the houre of our death it is of exceeding vse; then happie is he that can see the heauens opened by Christ for him, as Steuen did; he shall lay himselfe downe in rest and assurance, that though his body shall be inclosed in the earth for a time, yet his soule shall ascend to God, and both soule and body in the Iudgement day shall partake of the glory, vntounto which Christ the Head is already ascended; and the same power, which made the heauens themselues now at his baptisme set themselues open to strengthen & encrease the grace of his Saints, shall then set them wide open to confirme them for euer in glory.