Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 10
Vers. 10. He that descended, is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things.)
THe Apostle, in the explication and application of the cited testimony, doth, next, shew what it expresly holdeth forth, to wit, Christs ascension; and illustrates it from this, that the person who ascended, though now made man, was the same with him who descended to take on the nature of man. 2. That He ascended to the highest heavens, the seat of eternall glory, far above those visible heavens, not only in situation, but also in duration and glory, and are called the heaven of heavens, (1 King. 8. 27.) the third heavens, (2 Cor. 12. 3. 4.) and sometime simply by the name of heavens, Act. 3. 21. And, thirdly, from the end of His ascending, even to fill all things, not all places, with His bodily presence, (for Him must the heavens contain, Act. 3. 21.) but that He might fulfill all prophesies concerning Himself, and all those parts of His mediatory Office, which were yet to be performed in heaven: and particularly, that He might fill His Church, and all the members thereof, (which are His all, even His whole body, Joh. 6. 45.) with a large and plentifull measure of the gifts and graces of His spirit, Joh. 7. 39. according as was foretold in the cited testimony. Doct 1. The distinction of natures in Christ after His incarnation, doth not infer a distinction of persons in Him; He remaineth one person still: for, the Apostle speaketh of Him after incarnation, as of one; He that descended, is the same also that ascended. 2. Jesus Christ remaineth one and the same person after His assuming the humane nature unto Himself with that which He was before, so that neither is the person of God-man, Mediator, any third thing, made up, or compounded of both those natures, neither did the humane nature add any thing, before wanting, to make up, perfect, or work any alteration in the personall substance of the Son of God: only the humanity of Christ, being destitute of any personal subsistance of its own, is, as it were, ingrafted in the second person of the God-head, the Son of God, and doth subsist in Him: for, Paul sheweth that He who ascended, being now God-man, is the same with Him who descended before His incarnation; He that descended, is the same also that ascended. 3. By vertue of this personall union betwixt the divine and humane nature of Christ, there ariseth such a communion of the distinct properties of each nature, that those things, which are proper only to the one nature, are ascribed to the whole person: for, the same person is said here to descend and ascend, though He did descend, to wit, improperly, as God, not by change of place, but by assuming to Himself the humane nature, and did ascend properly by change of place, as he was man, and according to His humane nature; He that descended, is the same also that ascended. 4. Then do we profitably think on Christs exaltation, when we extend our selves unto the utmost to look upon the height of that honour and glory, unto which the humane nature, assumed by Christ, is now exalted; that so we may be the more taken up with admiration, Heb. 2. 6, &c. and the more encouraged in hopes of through-bearing, as knowing that our head and neer kins-man is already possessed of glory, and resideth there, as our great and powerfull Atturney and Agent to minde our everlasting concernments, as His own, Heb. 7. 25. for, Paul holdeth forth His exaltation to be considered thus, when in stead of what was said in the Psalm. He ascended up on high, he saith here, He ascended up far above all heavens. 5. Though Christ did furnish His Church with a competent measure of gifts and graces, even before His ascension or incarnation, Heb. 1. 1. yet, it pleased the Lord to suspend the pouring forth of His Spirit in such a large and plentifull measure upon His Church both of Jews and Gentiles, untill Christ, having overcome and spoiled principalities and powers by His death, had risen again, ascended, and taken actuall possession of His Kingdom; that so the glorious state of His Church and subjects, as it now is under the Gospel, might not go before, but follow after the glory of their King and Head: for, saith he, He ascended, that He might fill all things. 6. The way of Christ with His own, especially with His Church in generall, is such, that what is sad and grievous in it, in one respect, is joyous and advantageous unto them in another; for, Christs removall of His bodily presence, was sad to His Disciples, Joh. 16. 6. and yet a forerunner of much good; He ascended, that He might fill all things. 7. So large, and inexhaustible is that fountain of fulnesse in Christ, our exalted Lord, that, though all His followers and subjects be but empty things in themselves; yet, He can fill, not only one, but all, and all as well as one, yea and He doth really fill them, even here, to wit, with a fulnesse answerable to their present state of child-hood and imperfection, a fulnesse of grace in respect of parts, though not of degrees: for, this was the end of His ascension, that He might fill all things.