Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?
Ver. 4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended?] Who but the Son of man which is in heaven? Joh 3:13 who but the holy angels upon that Son of man, the ladder of life? Joh 1:51 who but those that have, in some measure, the knowledge of those holy ones, Pro 30:3 the knowledge of God in Christ, which is life eternal, Joh 17:3 heaven aforehand? Holy Agur holds it out to us here that to "know heavenly things" is to "ascend into heaven." Even Aristotle a saith that a little knowledge, though but conjectural, about heavenly things, is to be preferred above much knowledge, though certain, about inferior things, and yet he knew no heaven beyond the moveable heavens, neither acknowledged any body, or time, or place, or vacuum there. The truth is, no natural knowledge can be had of the third heaven, nor any help by human arts, for it is neither aspectable nor moveable. As no man hath seen God at any time, so, nor heaven, the throne of God, only "the only begotten Son of God which is in the bosom of the Father," he hath declared both him and heaven, Joh 1:18 as that there are many mansions, crowns, sceptres, kingdoms, glories, beauties, angelical entertainments, beatific visions, sweetest varieties, felicities, eternities. And yet all this, or whatsoever more can be said of heaven's happiness, is not the one half, as she said of Solomon's magnificence, of what we shall find in that city of pearl. To express it is as impossible as to compass the heavens with a span, or contain the ocean in a nutshell. Let there be continual ascensions thither in our hearts; let us lift up hearts and hands to God in the heavens, and he will shortly send his chariots for us, as Joseph did for his father, fetch us riding upon the clouds, convoy us by his angels through the air, as through the enemy's country, and puts us into that panegyries, that general assembly, and solemn celebrity of holy and happy souls. Heb 12:23 As in the mean space, how should we every day take a turn or two with Christ upon Mount Tabor? - get up to the top of Pisgah with Moses, and take a prospect of heaven? - turn every solemnity into a school of divinity? Say, as Fulgentius, when he saw the nobility of Rome sit mounted in their bravery, Si talis est Roma terrestris qualis est Roma coelestis? If Rome be such a glorious place, what is heaven? What music may we think there is in heaven? said another good soul, when he sat and heard a good concert of music. This, this is the principal end and most profitable use of all creatures, Cum scalae nobis et alae fiant, When they become ladders and wings to us to mount up to heaven.
Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? &c.] None but God, the great wonder worker, the right Aeolus, that "bringeth the winds out of his treasures," Psa 135:7 and bids them at his pleasure "Peace, be still." We read of a whirlwind raised by the devil, Job 1:19 and of a tempest, laid by the magicians (Herodotus, in Polymnia). But it cannot be said as 1Ki 19:11 that "God was not in that wind"; for he hath the royalty of all the creatures, though he suffer the devil to play rex sometimes, for ends best known to himself.
Who hath bound the waters in a garment?] Those above the firmament, in clouds - through which they distil and drop down, as water would do if bound up in a garment - those below, in channels and bottles, as the Psalmist hath it. Water is naturally above the earth, as the garment above the body, and would, but for the providence of God, prove as the shirt made for the murdering of Agamemnon, where the head had no issue out, &c. See Trapp on " Gen 1:7 "
What is his name?] God is above all name, to speak properly. When Manoah inquires after his name, the answer is, "It is Wonderful"; that is, I am called as I am called; but such is thy weakness that it passeth thy conception; this ocean will not be measured by thy musselshell. Multa nomina et lumina sibi finxerunt infideles. The heathens had many names for their dunghill deities; but the Africans called an "unknown god" whom they worshipped, Amen, that is, Heus tu quis est? Hark, who art thou? as Plutarch relateth. b
And what is his son's name?] Christ hath many names in Holy Scripture, as Isaiah 9:6,7. So "Jehovah, our righteousness"; "Messiah the Prince," Dan 9:25 whereunto answereth in the New Testament, "the Lord Christ"; but "who can declare his generation?" Isa 53:8 whether that eternal generation, or that in the fulness of time, the mystery whereof was beyond words? Our safest eloquence here will be our silence, our greatest knowledge a learned ignorance. Only we have here a clear testimony of the distinction of the persons, and that the Son is coequal and consubstantial with the Father, since he is also, as the Father, above all name and notion.
If thou canst tell.] But so can none: "No man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither doth any man know the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." Mat 11:27 The Son is so like the Father here, that if you know the one, ye cannot but know the other. Joh 14:7-9 Milk is not so like milk. Non tam ovum ovo simile. He is "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." Heb 1:3 See Trapp on "Hebrews 1:1,14 ; Heb 3:1-19 " And if we desire a glass wherein to behold the face of God the Father, and of his Son, here is one held forth in the next verse.
a De Coelo, text. 99.
b Lib. de Isid. et Osirid.