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I. CHRIST'S HUMILIATION AND DESCENSION. Christ descended according to His Divine nature, not indeed by a proper and local motion; but because it united itself to a nature here below; in respect of which union to an earthly nature, it might metaphorically be said to descend to the place where that nature did reside. And thus much for the way and manner how Christ did descend. We are now to direct our next inquiry to the place whither He descended; and for this we are to reflect an eye upon the former verse of this chapter, which tells us that it was into "the lower parts of the earth"; but what those "lower parts of the earth" are, here lies the doubt, and here must be the explication. I conceive these words in the text to bear the same sense with, and perhaps to have reference to, those in Psalm 139:15, where David, speaking of his conception in his mother's womb, says, that "he was framed and fashioned in the lowest parts of the earth." In like manner, Christ's descending into the lowest parts of the earth, may very properly be taken for His incarnation and conception in the womb of the blessed Virgin. I add, that these words, of Christ's descending and ascending, are so put together in the text, that they seem to intend us a summary account of Christ's whole transaction of that great work of man's redemption from first to last; which being begun in His conception, and consummate in His ascension, by what better can His descending be explained, than by His conception, the first part and instance of this great work, as His ascension was the last? So that by this explication the apostle's words are cast into this easy and proper sense, that the same Christ, and eternal Son of God, who first condescended and debased Himself so far as to be incarnate and conceived in the flesh, was He who afterwards ascended into heaven, and was advanced to that pitch of sublime honour and dignity, far above the principalities and powers of men and angels.

II. CHRIST'S EXALTATION AND ASCENSION. As for the way and manner how He ascended, I affirm that it was according to His human nature, properly and by local motion; but according to His Divine, only by communication of properties, the action of one nature being ascribed to both, by virtue of their union in the same person. As for the place to which He advanced, it is, says the apostle, "far above all heavens." But the words of the text have something of figure, of hyperbole, and latitude in them; and signify not, according to their literal niceness, a going above the heavens by a local superiority; but an advance to the most eminent place of dignity and glory in the highest heaven.

III. THE QUALIFICATION AND STATE OF CHRIST'S PERSON. In reference to both these conditions He was the same — "He that descended is the same also that ascended." Which to me seems a full argument to evince the unity of the two natures in the same person; since two several actions are ascribed to the same person, both of which, it is evident, could not be performed by the same nature.

IV. THE END OF CHRIST'S ASCENSION "that He might fill all things." Now, Christ may be said thus to fill all things in a double respect.

1. In respect of the omnipresence of His nature and universal diffusion of His Godhead. But yet this is not the "filling all things" directly intended in the text; for that was to be consequent to His ascension; "He ascended that He might fill all things"; it accrued to Him upon and after His ascension, not before; but His omnipresential filling all things being an inseparable property of His Divine nature, always agreed to Him, and was not then at length to be conferred on Him.

2. In the second place, therefore, Christ may be said to fill all things, in respect of the universal rule and government of all things in heaven and earth committed to Him as Mediator upon His ascension. All the elements the whole train and retinue of nature, are subservient to His pleasure, and instruments of His purposes. The stars fight in their courses under His banner, and subordinate their powers to the dictates of His will. The heavens rule all below them by their influences, but themselves are governed by His. He can command nature out of its course, and reverse the great ordinances of the creation. The government, the stress and burden of all things, lies upon His hands. The blind heathen have been told of an Atlas that shoulders up the heavens; but we know that He who supports the heavens is not under them, but above them.

(R. South, D. D.)

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KJV: (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

WEB: Now this, "He ascended," what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?