Looking Unto Jesus, Book 10 · Chapter 1 · Section 8
SECT. VIII. Of Chriſt's ſurrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God, even the Father.
8. FOR Chriſt's ſurrendring and delivering up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, no ſooner is he in heaven but theſe things follow.—
1. He preſents the Elect unto his Father, of this the Apoſtle ſpeaks, you hath he reconciled in the body of his fleſh through death, to preſent you holy and unblameable, Col. 1.12, 22.and unproveable in his ſight; to this end Chriſt dyed that he might waſh us and cleanſe us by his blood, and then that he might preſent us without ſpot unto his Father. We may imagine Chriſt as going to his Father with his bride in his hand, and ſaying thus, O my Father, here is my Church, my Spouſe, my Queen; here are the Saints concerning whom I covenanted with thee from Eternity, concerning whom I went down from heaven, and dyed on earth, and aſcending up I have interceded theſe many hundred years; concerning whom I went down to Judge the World, and having ſentenced them to life eternal, I now bring them in my hand to give them the poſſeſſion of thy ſelf. Theſe are they whom thou gaveſt me in the beginning of the World, and now I reſtore them to thy ſelf at the end of the World, for they are thine. Thus he preſents them to his Father. Indeed we read that Chriſt preſents the Saints to himſelf, as well as to his Father,Eph. 5.25.27. Chriſt loved the Church and gave himſelf for it,—that he might preſent it to himſelf, a glorious Church, not having ſpot or wrinkle; but this I take it was done before; when firſt a Soul believes, it is contracted to Chriſt, when the ſoul is ſentenced to glory, then is the ſolemnity, and conſummation of the Marriage, then doth Chriſt preſent the Soul to himſelf; and I know not but that the Miniſters of Chriſt may have a part in this matter, for I have eſpouſed you to one husband (ſaid Paul to his Corinthians) that I may preſent you as a chaſt Virgin to Chriſt.2 Cor. 11 2.
And after this when Chriſt takes the bride home, brings her into Heaven, and leads her by the hand into his Fathers preſence; then is his laſt preſentation, then he preſents her faultleſs before the preſence of his glory with exceeding joy. The word ſignifies leaping, ſpringing, exalting joy: O what ſpringing, leaping, exalting is in heaven, when Chriſt takes the hand of his Bride and gives her into the hand of his Father; q. d. O my Father, ſee what a number I have brought home to thee; thou knoweſt what I have done, and what I have ſuffered, and what offices I have gone through, to bring theſe hither; and now my Mediatourſhip is done, I reſign all my charge to thee again; ſee what a goodly Troop, what a noble Army I have brought thee home, why all theſe are mine, and all mine are thine, and all thine are mine,Joh. 17.10, 12. and I am glorified in them; all thoſe that thou gaveſt me, I have kept, and none of them is loſt; ſee here is Adam, and Abel, and Noah, and Sem, and every Saint from the beginning to the end of the World, the Nuptial between them and me is ſolemnized? and whither ſhould I lead them but to my Father's houſe, and into my Father's preſence? I have already pronounced them bleſſed, and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, Joh. 17.22.23.that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. Here take them from mine hands, now give them a welcome into glory, and let them know that thou haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me.
2. He preſents all his Commiſſions to his Father, as he is a Mediatour (at leaſt by Deſtination) from all Eternity;Eph. 1.4. were not the Saints choſen in Chriſt before the foundation of the World? then was he a Mediatour in the buſineſs of Election, and then was he Predeſtinated to be a Mediatour of Reconciliation.Prov. 8.23. I was ſet up from Everlaſting, (i.e.) I was appointed and deſigned to be a Mediatour from all Eternity. Howſoever he was a Mediatour virtually and inchoatively from the Fall of Adam; then did he undertake that great Negotiation of reconciling God to man, and man to God; and actually he was a Mediatour after his Incarnation; for then was he manifeſted in the fleſh, then was he manifeſted to be what before he was, then did he act that part viſibly upon earth, which before he had acted ſecretly and inviſibly in heaven; then he entred upon the work of his active and paſſive obedience; then he diſcharged his Prophetical and Prieſtly office here on Earth, which having done, then he entred upon his Kingly Adminiſtration in Heaven. Now as to this work he was called by God (him hath God the Father ſealed; John 6.27.it pleaſed the Father by him to reconcile all things to himſelf. Coloſ. 1.19.And as to theſe offices ſeverally he had Commiſſion from God, (the Lord hath annoynted me to Preach good tydings unto the meek; and the Lord hath ſworn, Iſa. 61.1. Pſal. 110.4. Pſal. 110.1.and will not repent, thou art a Prieſt for ever; and the Lord ſaid unto my Lord, ſit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-ſtool.) So now he comes with all his Commiſſions in his hand, and he delivers them all up unto his Father again. In this caſe it is with Chriſt as with ſome General, whom the King ſends forth with Regal Authority to the War, who having ſubdued the Enemy, he returns in Triumph, and all being finiſhed he makes a ſurrender of his place; thus Chriſt having diſcharged all his offices impoſed on him, now the work is finiſhed, he leaves his function by delivering up his Commiſſions to his Father.Rev. 21.23. In Heaven there is no need of Sun or Moon, that is, as ſome interpret, there is no need of Preaching, or Propheſying; of the Word or Sacraments, for the Lamb is the light thereof, Chriſt is the only means of all the communication that the Elect there ſhall have; and as for his Regal Office,1 Cor. 15.24. the Apoſtle is expreſs, then ſhall he deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father. Only here is the queſtion, how is Chriſt ſaid to reſign his Kingdom to God the Father?Luk. 1.33. Heb. 1.8. for ſaith not the Scripture, that Chriſt's Kingdom ſhall have no end? and that Chriſt's Throne is for ever and ever? for anſwer, I ſee no contradiction but that Chriſt may both reſign his Kingdom, and yet reſerve it. See a like caſe,Mat. 28.18. All Power, ſaith Chriſt, in heaven and earth is given to me of my Father: ſhall we ſay now that the Father himſelf was quite ſtript of it? no; but as the Kingdom which the Father gave the Son is nevertheleſs called the Father's Kingdom, or the Kingdom of God; ſo Chriſt ſhall return it, yet retain it alſo. Two things (we ſay) are contained in the Term of Reign, ſci. Dominion, and Execution; to wear the Crown, and to bear the Scepter: now Chriſt in the former ſenſe ſhall reign for ever, the honour of dominion and of wearing the Crown he ſhall never reſign up to his Father, for his Fathers Throne diſturbs not his, there are both their Thrones at once, Rev. 7.11. but the functions of a King, to ſit in Judgment, to reward deſervers, to puniſh evil-doers, to reſcue the oppreſſed, to fight with the enemy, Chriſt in this ſenſe ſhall ceaſe to reign, and ſhall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father.
More particularly, Chriſt is ſaid to deliver up the Kingdom in three reſpects.
1. Becauſe he ceaſeth to execute that Authority, which nevertheleſs he hath; as a Judge that goeth from the Bench is a Judge ſtill, although he giveth no judgment, but imployeth his time about other occaſions; ſo Chriſt is ſaid to reſign his place, not that his Authority is ſubject to Diminution, but in that he makes no ſhew; for when his enemies are all put under, there is no need that any more blows ſhould proceed from his Kingly power.
1. Becauſe the manner of his Kingdom after the judgment day ſhall be wholly changed; he ſhall not Reign in the ſame faſhion that he did before; there's no need in heaven of good Laws to keep men from ſtarting into wickedneſs; the orders of this life are changed into a new kind of Government, and in that reſpect he is ſaid to give over the Kingdome.
3. Becauſe he ceaſeth to increaſe his Dominion. In this World Chriſt was ſtill gaining more ſouls to his Kingdom by the Preaching of his Word, and ſo he ſpread his dominion further, and further; but when the Lord ſhall have made up the number of his Servants to his mind, then he will end the World, and give up the Kingdom, (i.e.) he will ceaſe to enlarge his confines any more, he will be content with the number of his Subjects that he hath already. Here is the Second thing, Chriſt preſents all his Commiſſions to his Father, he gives up his Prieſtly, Prophetical, and regal offices at his firſt entrance into heaven.
4. He preſents himſelf unto his Father; not only his offices but Chriſt himſelf is preſented, and ſubjected unto God. This I take it, is the meaning of the Apoſtle, when he ſaith, then ſhall the Son alſo be Subject unto him, 1 Cor. 15.28.that put all things under him. The words are myſtical, and therefore we had need to underſtand them ſoberly, and according to the Analogy of Faith. The Arrians hence inferr'd, that the Son was not equal with the Father, becauſe he that is ſubject muſt needs be inferiour to him whoſe Subject he is. But the Anſwer is eaſie, Chriſt is conſidered either as God, or as man, and Mediatour betwixt God and Man; Chriſt as God hath us Subject to him, and is Subject to none; but Chriſt as man and Mediatour is Subject to his Father together with us. Some would have it, that Chriſt is Subject to his Father in reſpect of his myſtical body, the Church; and that this only ſhould be the meaning of the Apoſtle, then ſhall the Church be Subject to the Father; but I cannot aſſent to this Expoſition. 1. Becauſe the Apoſtle ſpeaks expreſly of Chriſt and of his Kingdom. 2. Becauſe though Chriſt be ſometimes in Scripture read for the Church, or for the body of Chriſt, yet the Son as oppoſed to the Father, is never ſo read or underſtood. 3. Becauſe we read, that he that is to be Subject, muſt firſt, have all things Subject to himſelf. Now the Father doth not properly Subject or ſubdue all things to the Church of Chriſt, but only unto Chriſt, and therefore the Apoſtle ſpeaks of Chriſt's ſubjection to the Father; In the ſame way as Chriſt delivers up the Kingdom to the Father, is Chriſt alſo to be ſubject to his Father; but Chriſt delivers up his Kingdom as man, and as mediatour betwixt God and man; in theſe reſpects Chriſt (as we have heard) muſt Reign no more, at that day his Mediatourſhip ſhall ceaſe, and by conſequence in reſpect of his Mediatourſhip, or in reſpect of his humanity, he ſhall that day be ſubject to his Father.
You will ſay, is not, and was not Chriſt always ſubject to his Father as man, or as mediatour betwixt God and man? how then do we limit this ſubjection to that day? then (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſhall the Son be ſubject.
I anſwer, this ſubjection will be then, or at that day more clearly manifeſted then ever it was before; then he muſt ſurrender his Kingdom to his Father in the ſight of men and Angels; then he ſhall lay aſide all his Offices in the view of all; ſo that henceforth God ſhall not Reign by the humanity of Chriſt, but by himſelf; nor ſhall we henceforth be ſubject to God through a mediatour Chriſt, but immediately to God himſelf; nor ſhall Chriſt himſelf reign over us as mediatour any more, for the very glory of his Majeſty ſhall become ſo illuſtrious, that all eyes ſhall ſee how tranſcendently eminent the Deity of Chriſt is above all creatures, even above the humanity of Chriſt himſelf. That a fuller view of Chriſt's ſubjection ſhall be at that day then ever before: we may illuſtrate thus; by night the Sun Reigns or rules over us, but by the Moon; for the light of the Moon is borrowed from the Sun, though in the night we ſee not any ſubjection of the Moon to the Sun at all: but ſo ſoon as the Sun riſeth, preſently the Moon ſurceaſeth its office of lightning others, and becomes ſubject to the Sun it ſelf; not by a new ſubjection, but by a declaration of its former ſubjection, ſo that now all may ſee what eminency of glory and light the Sun hath both above the Stars, and above the Moon, thus it is with God and Chriſt, now it is God reigns over us, but only by Chriſt as Mediatour; God's immediate Reign we diſcern not ſo clearly for the preſent; but when the end ſhall come, and Chriſt ſhall ſurceaſe his Office of Mediatourſhip, then ſhall the glory of Chriſt's Divinity appear more eminently, not only above all creatures, but above the brightneſs of Chriſt's humanity it ſelf; and in this reſpect Chriſt then ſhall be Subject, if not by a new ſubjection, yet certainly by a new declaration and manifeſtation of his ſubjection, ſo as never was before.
Ʋſe.O the wonders of this day! O the admirable ſhews in heaven, at Chriſt and his Saints firſt entrance into heaven! O my ſoul, where wilt thou ſtand? or what wilt thou ſay, when Chriſt ſhall take thee by the hand, and bring thee into the preſence of his glorious Father? when he ſhall preſent thee, and preſent all his Commiſſions which he received for thee, and preſent himſelf unto his Father with thee, ſaying, O my Father, here we are all before thy glorious God-head; thus far I have carryed on the great work of man's Salvation, and now all's done according to the Covenant betwixt thee and me; lo here all the Saints which by decree thou gaveſt me before the world was made; lo here all the Commiſſions which I received from thee in order to their Salvation; lo here the humanity which thou gaveſt me when I came into the World; ſuch were the ſins of my redeemed ones, and grown to ſuch an height, that Sacrifice and offering thou wouldſt not have, but a body thou preparedſt for me, Heb. 10.5.and lo here I preſent all theſe before thee; come, take thy Commiſſions, and be thou all in all; we praiſe thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Come welcome me, and welcome mine, we all ſtand here before thy glorious Throne, and expect every way as high an entertainment as Heaven, or the God of heaven can afford us. O my ſoul, what joy will poſſeſs thee at this paſſage? be ſure now thy danger is over, and thy arrival is ſafe, neither ſhall it ever be heard, friend how cameſt thou hither? for the Lord himſelf will run unto thee, he will hug thee and embrace thee, mouth on thy mouth, eyes on thy eyes, and hands on thy hands; and each hand ſhall clap for joy, each harp ſhall warble, each knee ſhall bend and bow, and each heart be merry and glad. O for the day! Oh when will the day come on, when Chriſt ſhall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father!