John 3:13

If we understand these words properly of ascending to heaven and enjoying eternal felicity, it doth indeed hold good, that onely Christ entereth there by his own vertue, and all others onely through and by him; and so the scope of this verse will be the same with verse 14, 15. of which in its owne place. But the dependance on the former purpose, and the expression of this in the by-past time, whereas Christ was not yet ascended in his humane nature, leads us rather to understand this ascending to heaven, figuratively, of comprehending heavenly mysteries, and entering on Gods Councel concerning the way of salvation, as it seemeth to be understood, Rom. 10.6, 8. with Deut. 30.11, 12, 14. And so the meaning is, that no man of himselfe can know or take up these things, that being Christs prerogative, who manifested himselfe from the bosome of the Father, in our nature, and yet as God, is still in heaven; and thus Christ having reproved Nicodemus for his ignorance, doth yet shew the remedy thereof in himselfe. Whence Learn. 1. Christs sharp Word is not his last Word to his own, but when he hath chalenged most sharply for any fault, he is willing to offer himself, the onely remedy, to cure it; For, so doth he deale with Nicodemus his ignorance. 2. It is alike impossible for men, by their own parts and natural endowments, to take up and comprehend spiritual mysteries, as to climb up to heaven and enter upon Gods Councel; Therefore is it called an ascending up to heaven. 3. In so far as sinners come to a true and saving knowledge of heavenly mysteries: they are in a sort transported up to heaven from off the earth, as knowing the counsels of God, and being ravished with what they know; therefore also is it called an ascending to heaven. If Capernaum were exalted to heaven, Matth. 11.23. because of the offer of these things, what are they, who in some measure comprehend and embrace them? 4. It is proper to Christ the Mediatour only, in some sense, to ascend to heaven, and comprehend spiritual mysteries, both for the measure and degree of knowledge in these things, which, as God, is infinite, and as man, is large, as the humane nature is capable of, and for the kinde and manner of knowledge, which, as God, is of himselfe, and, as man, by vertue of the personal union, whereas all others have any knowledge they have it from him; for, no man hath ascended up to heaven, (or comprehended these things fully or of themselves) but he that came down from heaven. 5. The Son of God in the bosome of the Father, was pleased to condescend so far, as to manifest himself unto the world in our nature, that so he might in our nature understand heavenly mysteries, and communicate the knowledge thereof to his people; therefore it is marked as the ground of his ascending to heaven, or comprehending of these things for his peoples use, that he came down from heaven, the Son of man, hereby shewing, that his abasing of himself did exalt him as Mediatour God-man to that dignity, to be the store-house of wisdome and knowledge to his people; and that his love in stooping so low, to bring and communicate knowledge to us, is remarkable; In all which, we are not to understand, that Christ, as God, did change place by his Incarnation, but only did stoop and demit himself to assume the humane nature in a personal union. 6. Christ by his Incarnation, and becoming man, did not cease to be God, but continueth still the same, filling heaven and earth; for, he that descended down from heaven, is in heaven, and so is upon the counsel of God still, to teach us infalliblie. 7. The Son of God hath assumed the humane nature into so strict a personal union, that what is proper to either nature, is ascribed unto the person under whatsoever name; for, saith he, the Son of man which is in heaven, which is not to be understood, as if either his humane nature came from heaven, (for he is speaking of what still is there) or that his humane nature were in every place, but that the same person who is the Son of man according to our nature, is in heaven according to his divine nature, and yet but one person still. And hereby Christ sheweth his love to our nature, that under that name he ascribeth what is proper to his Godhead, to himself.