69. The Apostle then looking in us for the
righteousness which is of Faith, cuts at the root of incredulous doubt
and godless unbelief. He forbids us to admit into our hearts the
cares of anxious thought, and points to the authority of the
Prophet’s words, Say not in thy heart, Who hath ascended into
heaven Deut. xxx. 12. The context is the assurance of
Moses, that “the law is not hidden from thee, neither is it far
off,” but “the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth,
and in thy heart.”?
Then He completes the thought of the Prophet’s words with the
addition, That is to bring Christ down. The perception of
the human mind cannot attain to the knowledge of the divine: but
neither can a reverent faith doubt the works of God. Christ
needed no human help, that any one should ascend into heaven to bring
Him down from His blessed Home to His earthly body. It was no
external force which drove Him down to the earth. We must believe
that He came, even as He did come: it is true religion to confess
Jesus Christ not brought down, but descending. The mystery both
of the time and the method of His coming, belongs to Him alone.
We may not think because He came but recently, that therefore He must
have been brought down, nor that His coming in time depended upon
another, who brought Him down.