1st Peter 3 verse 22. Who is gone into heaven.......

The height of this our Saviour’s glory will appear the more, if we reflect on the descent from which he ascended to it. Oh! how low did we bring down so high a Majesty, into the pit wherein we had fallen, by climbing to be higher than he had set us! It was high indeed, as we were fallen so low, and yet he, against whom our sin was committed, came down to help us up again, and to take hold of us, — took us on; so the word is, [ἐπιλαμβάνεται] Heb. ii. 16. He “took not hold of the angels,”—let them go, hath left them to die for ever—“but he took hold of the seed of Abraham,” and took on him indeed their flesh, dwelling amongst us, and in a mean part. He “emptied himself,” [ἐκενωσε], Phil. ii. 7. and became of no repute. And further, after he descended to the earth, and into our flesh, in it he became “obedient to death” upon the cross, and descended into the grave. And by these steps, he was walking towards that glory wherein he now is: “He abased himself; wherefore," says the apostle, “God hath highly exalted Him,” Phil. ii. 9. So he says of himself, “Ought not Christ first to suffer these things, and so enter into his glory?” Luke xxvi. 26. Now this, indeed, it is pertinent to consider. The apostle is here upon the point of Christ’s suffering; that is his theme, and therefore he is so particular in the ascending of Christ to his glory. Who, of those that would come thither, will refuse to follow him in the way wherein he led, he, [ἀρχηγὸς] “the leader of our faith?” Heb. xii. 2. And who, of those that follow him, will not love and delight to follow him through any way, the lowest and darkest? It is excellent and safe, and then, it ends you see where. Robert Leighton