Brief Exposition of Galatians and Ephesians, Exposition 2 · Chapter 4 · Verse and explication 9
Vers. 9. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
THe Apostle doth, thirdly, comment upon, and apply the cited testimony. And, first, he sheweth what Christs ascending unto heaven (to wit, by His own divine power, otherwise the Apostle's inference in this place should not hold) did presuppose, as necessarily foregoing, even His previous humiliation and abasement in all its steps, expressed by His descending to the lowerparts of the earth; where, the lower parts are to be understood, by comparing not the parts of the earth among themselves, but earth with heaven, the earth being the lowest part of the world; and particularly, it pointeth either at His conception in the womb of the Virgin (See conception so expressed, Psal. 139. 15.) or at His burial (expressed by a like phrase, Matth. 12. 40.) wherein the Apostle's scope is not only to prove, that the former testimony is pertinently cited, and applyed to Christ, but also to presse humility in order to unity and peace from Christs example, as Phil. 2. 7. Now, Christ is said to have descended, not properly and locally, as man, (for, before His incarnation He was not man) but as God, and therefore not properly by changing place, but improperly, and with respect had to His state, by taking on the humane nature upon earth, under the infirmities whereof He did for a time hide His divine glory, so that very little of it did appear, and to some few only, Isa. 53. 12. Doct. 1. Sacred Scripture is a great depth, containing much more than what is obvious at the first view; and therefore we are to advert not only to that which is expresly said in Scripture, but what may be drawn from it by direct and just consequence: for, Paul doth so look on this testimony of Christs ascension, as finding another great Truth concerning His previous humiliation lurking under it, and by just consequence deducible from it, while he saith, Now that He ascended, what is it but that He first descended? 2. It is not enough for Ministers to cite Scriptures for confirmation of those Truths which they hold forth to the Lords People, except the Scriptures cited be pertinent, and the pertinency of them be also made clear and obvious: for, Paul, having cited a Scripture to confirm somewhat which he said of Christ, doth prove the Scripture cited doth speak of Christ, because it implyeth previous descending and humiliation in the partie spoken of, which can agree to none other of the Persons of the blessed Trinity, but to Christ only; Now that He ascended, what is it but that He descended? 3. Such was the love of Christ to lost sinners, Joh. 15. 13. and to the glory of His own and his Fathers mercy to be manifested in their salvation, Joh. 17. 4. that He did willingly lay aside His glory, which He had with His Father before the world was, Joh. 17. 5. by assuming the nature of man to Himself, and suffering therein the utmost of misery and grief which the malice of men and devils could inflict, and which seemed good unto the Father, in order to the satisfaction of provoked justice, to inflict, Heb: 10. 7. for, all this is implyed in His descending; and saith Paul, Now that He ascended, what is it but that He descended? 4. Then do we study and know Christs exaltation aright, when we do also seriously consider, and think upon His previous humiliation and abasement: for therein we may see, not only how low He stooped for our good, but also that He hath fully accomplished whatever He undertook, and is now absolved, Joh. 17. 4, 5. and that the Lords usuall way is with His own, as it was with Christ, to make their deep humiliation and lowlinesse of mind go before their highest exaltation and honour, Prov. 15. 33. for, Paul doth read previous humiliation in Christs exaltation, and thinks upon both joyntly; Now that He ascended, what is it, but that He descended? 5. Then do we think upon Christs humiliation and abasement aright, when we consider it in its greatest depth and lowest step unto which He demitted Himself, even to the lowest parts of the earth: for therein we may see the greatnesse of His love, the depth of our misery, and the full sufficiency of the price paid by Christ in the state of His humiliation, in order to our delivery; He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth: by which is not meaned the place of the damned, nor any place near to that, where the souls of the Patriarchs were before Christs death, as the Papists affirm; this being contrary to Scripture, affirming that Christs soul was after death to be in heaven, Luk. 23. 43. and that the souls of the Patriarchs were there also, Luke 16. 22, 23, 25, 26. but hereby, as I shew in the exposition, is meaned His conception and buriall, with all the other steps of His humiliation interveening.