THE USE AND APPLICATION
Seventhly, having thus spoken to these objections, let us now come to make some use of the whole. And,
Use First. I would exhort the children to consider the dignity that God hath put upon Jesus Christ their Saviour, for by how much God hath called his Son to offices and places of trust, by so much he hath heaped dignities upon him. It is said of Mordecai that he was next to King Ahasuerus. And what then? Why, then, the greatness of Mordecai and his high advance must be written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? In the end, his fame might not be buried nor forgotten but remembered and talked of in generations to come (Esth 10). Why, my brethren, God exalted Jesus of Nazareth, hath made him the only great one, having given him a name above every name, did I say?-a name and glory beyond all names and above all names, as doth witness both his being set above all and the many offices which he executes for God on behalf of his people. It is counted no little addition to honor when men are not only made near to the king, but also entrusted with most, if not almost with all the most weighty affairs of the kingdom.
Why, this is the dignity of Christ; he is, it is true, the natural Son of God, and so high, and one that abounds with honor. But this is not all; God has conferred upon him, as man, all the most mighty honors of heaven; he hath made him Lord Mediator between him and the world. This is in general. And particularly, he hath called him to be his High Priest forever and hath sworn he shall not be changed for another (Heb 7:21-24). He hath accepted of his offering once forever, counting that there is wholly enough in what he did once "to perfect forever them that are sanctified"; to wit, set apart to glory (Heb 10:11-14).
He is Captain-general of all the forces God hath in heaven and earth, the King and Commander of his people (ch. 9:25, 28). He is Lord of all, and made "head over all things to the church," and is our Advocate with the Father (Eph 1:22). O, the exaltation of Jesus Christ! Let Christians, therefore, in the first place, consider this. Nor can it be but profitable to them, if withal they consider that all this trust and honor is put and conferred upon him in relation to the advantage and advancement of Christians.
If Christians do but consider the nearness that is betwixt Christ and them, and, withal, consider how he is exalted, it must needs be a matter of comfort to them. He is my flesh and bone that is exalted; he is my friend and brother, thus set up and preferred. It was something to the Jews when Mordecai was exalted to honor; they had, thereby, ground to rejoice and be glad, for that one of themselves was made lord-chief by the king, and the great governor of the land, for the good of his kindred. True, when a man thinks of Christ as severed from him, he sees but little to his comfort in Christ's exaltation; but when he looks upon Christ and can say, My Saviour, my Priest, or the chief Bishop of my soul, then he will see much in his being thus promoted to honor.
Consider, then, of the glories to which God has exalted our Saviour, in that he hath made him so high. It is comely, also, when thou speakest of him, that thou name his name with some additional title, thereby to call thy mind to the remembrance, and so to the greater reverence of the person of thy Jesus; as, our Lord Jesus, our Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ, "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (II Peter 2:20; Heb 3:1, &c). Men write themselves by their titles; as, John, earl of such a place, Anthony, earl of such a place, Thomas, lord, &c. It is common, also, to call men in great places by their titles rather than by their names; yea, it also pleaseth such great ones well; as, My lord high chancellor of England, My lord privy seal, My lord high admiral, &c.
And thus should Christians make mention of Jesus Christ our Lord, adding to his name some of his titles of honor; especially since all places of trust and titles of honor conferred on him are of special favor to us. I did use to be much taken with one sect of Christians; for that it was usually their way, when they made mention of the name of Jesus, to call him "The blessed King of Glory." Christians should do thus; it would do them good; for why doth the Holy Ghost, think you, give him all these titles but that we should call him by them, and so make mention of him one to another; for the very calling of him by this or that title, or name, belonging to this or that office of his, giveth us occasion, not only to think of him as exercising that office, but to inquire, by the Word, by meditation, and one of another, what there is in that office and what, by his exercising of that, the Lord Jesus profiteth his church.
