November 1

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.—Colossians 3:1, 2.

Where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. This is that other inducement or spur to seek and affect lofty or celestial things: Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; therefore it behooves us to seek and to affect the things that are above. First, we shall explain the meaning of these words; and then show the force of the argument.

First: Since God hath no bodily right hand, by this sitting is signified that Christ as man, having accomplished the work of our redemption, is not only endowed with immortality and perfect blessedness, but is raised to heaven, placed above all creatures, Lord, Governor, and Judge of the whole world, and especially constituted the most glorious and powerful King and Patron of the church. Augustine says, "To sit, is to possess judicial power; but to be at the right hand of God, is to be in the highest blessedness; as to be at the left hand is to be in the deepest misery." As to the divine nature, we must believe that he sat at the right hand of the Father from all eternity, that is, as it has been expounded, that he had an equality of Divine Majesty with God the Father: "By the right hand of the Father we mean the glory and honor of the Godhead; in which the Son of God existed, before the world began, as God, and of one substance with the Father, but became incarnate in these last days, and sitteth there bodily, his flesh being also glorified." But what it is for the man Christ to sit at the right hand of the Father, is best explained by the apostle in Ephesians 1:20, 21, and 22. It comprises, then, the exaltation of the human nature to a state of the completest happiness and glory of which it could be capable, and likewise exaltation and authority over all other creatures.

And thus ye see briefly in what sense Christ is set at the right hand of God: His Divine nature, or the person of the Word, sits in the equality of majesty and glory, and of all the Divine attributes; the human nature sits above all created things, but yet beneath God,—endued with majesty, and the greatest glory adapted to it, and of which it can be capable.

Secondly: Those things being explained, it remains that we show the force of this argument: Christ sitteth on the right hand of God; therefore we ought to seek and affect the things which are above. There are two reasons which strengthen this consequence. The first derived from the love of all the faithful to the Head and Saviour Christ Jesus. It is a common saying, The mind is where it loves, not where its actual seat is: and that saying in the gospel is also well known, Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also. Since then Christ, who is the love and delight of the souls of the faithful, is placed in the heavens at the right hand of God, it is needful for every pious and holy soul to flee towards that celestial place as by a straight course, and in heart and mind especially to have conversation there daily. That saying of Paul, I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, flowed from this affection. The inferior members can never be well if they be disjointed and separated from the head: it is no wonder, therefore, if all the faithful mount to heaven as much as they can, and strive to join themselves to Christ their Head.

The other cause is derived from the influence of the head over the members. For Christ sits not idle at the right hand of the Father, but imparts saving grace to all his people, and supplies them with strength to trample under foot earthly things, and to seek those things which are above. For Christ being exalted, hath attractive virtue, he draws all his people upward, and suffers them not to cleave to the earth. Even as the heavenly sun draws upwards by his power, gross and earthly vapors; so Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, separates our gross and rigid souls from the dregs of earthly things, and by his efficacious working raises them to heavenly. The argument, therefore, is derived from what is possible or feasible: as though he had said, Although ye cannot by the strength of nature seek and affect the things which are above, yet by the aid of Christ sitting at the right hand of God, and drawing you to himself by the Spirit of grace, ye are now able to accomplish that. I can do all things, says the apostle, through Christ strengthening me. Hence we infer:

1. There is no reason why we should fear the hosts of our spiritual enemies, the devil, the world, and the flesh; because Christ our Saviour is more powerful than all these, inasmuch as he is exalted at the right hand of God, far above all creatures. "What fear of the world is there to him, who hath God for his guide through the world?" "Human persecution shall not shake the mind, but Divine protection shall strengthen faith."

2. This ought to induce a perpetual exercise of faith, that as often as we are troubled with earthly desires, forthwith we should look up to heaven, we should contemplate Christ sitting at the right hand of God, and seek spiritual strength from him. Thus Stephen was even supported against the very terrors of death. 3. They are not true and living members under Christ the Head, whose minds are not directed heavenward. For wheresoever the carcass is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.