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The evidences of his refurrection, we mentioned and illuftrated in the former difcourfe.

From the 44th verfe, we have our Saviour's difcourfe to his difciples, before his afcenfion; in which, he explains to them, from the prophecies of the Old Teftament, the néceflity of his own death and refurrection. Like an affectionate parent, who is to leave his children on the world, he gives them fuitable inftructions concerning the defign of their miffion, and the doctrine they were to publifh; and comforts them with the promife of the Spirit, to fupply the wants of his bodily prefence, to qualify them for their important work, and enable them to deliver their meffage with credit and fuccefs. In this manner, as this evangelift expreffes it, "He fhowed him-"felf alive to them after his paflion, by many in"fallible proofs; being feen of them forty days, and fpeaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom. "of God (a)."

One great object of our Saviour's miffion was, to wean the affections of men from the things of this world, and to fix their attention on the happiness of a future and eternal ftate, which he died to Cure. Our Saviour, during his whole miniftry, in proportion as the prejudices of his difciples could bear it, was inftructing them in the fpiritual nature of his kingdom. But the period was now arrived, in which their minds would receive the most complete con-viction of this important fact. His fubmiflion to death, his refurrection from the grave, and his afcenfion into heaven, were a combination of cir cumftances, plainly calculated to fhow them, that his kingdom was not of this world; and that, whither he was going, there, in due time, they would be alfo. To this evidence, during the forty days he continued on earth, he added particular inftructions concerning the things that pertain to the kingdom of God. And when the time of his being: glorified was at hand," he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lift up his hands and bleffed

66

C 3
(4) Acts i. 3.

"them..

"them. And it came to pafs, while he bleffed "them, he was parted from them, and carried up "into heaven."

In difcourfing from thefe words, we propofe, Firft, To illuftrate the circumstances of our Lord's afcenfion, mentioned in the text. Secondly, We fhall point out to you fome of the ends and purpofes for which he afcended. And, Lafly, Direct you to a fuitable improvement.

I. We propofe to illuftrate the circumftances of our Lord's afcenfion, mentioned in the text. And,

1. We may attend to the place whence he afcended. It was from the neighbourhood of Bethany; I fay, from the neighbourhood of Bethany, because it appears, that the particular place whence he afcended, was the famous Mount Olivet, on the skirt of which the village of Bethany ftood. Thus we read in the Acts of the Apoftles (a), that immediately after his afcenfion, the difciples returned to Jerufalem from the Mount called Olivet, which is from Jerufalem a Sabbath-day's journey. This was the place whither our Saviour was accustomed to retire for meditation and prayer. In fuch fituations, there is a folitude which minifters to devotion, and helps to elevate the mind to the contemplation of divine things. And probably, in this Mount Olivet, there was a convenient place for retirement from the world, where our Saviour had spent many delightful hours in communion with his Father. There, alfo, or near to it, probably at the foot of it, was the garden of Gethsemane, a place which he often frequented; where, a little before, he began his paffion with an agony; where he was apprehended, and from whence he was led away to Jerufalem to be crucified. And, perhaps, he was pleafed to honour this place with his afcenfion from it, to give his difciples a fenfible demonftration of this great truth, that fufferings here, lead the way to glory hereafter; or, as the apoftle

(e) Acts i. 12.

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apoftle expreffes it, that "through much tribulation we enter into the kingdom of God." 2. To the witneffes of his afcenfion. His eleven apoftles, and probably, alfo, his other difciples about Jerufalem, to the number of one hundred and twenty, were witneffes of this fact. Thus, we are told, (a) that when they were affembled together, and Christ among them, after his refurrection, and when he had given them in charge what he would have them to do, as they beheld, he was taken up; and in verse 10th it is faid, they looked ftedfaftly toward heaven, as he went up. Hence he, afcended in the view of his difciples, and while their eyes were attentively fixed on him. And this is as full and convincing a proof of the reality of our Lord's afcenfion as we could reafonably defire. The fame perfons who were witneffes of his refurrection, were also witneffes of his afcenfion: And their teftimony is deferving of the higheft credit, from the circumftances mentioned in the former difcourfe, which, it were improper here to repeat *.

3. We may attend to the work in which he was employed when he afcended :-It was in bleffing his difciples. He lift up hands, and bleffed them; and it came to pafs, that while he bleffed them, he was part

ed from them.

The lifting up of the hands was a ceremony ufed among the Jews in bleffing the people. We are informed in one of the books of Mofes (b), that Aaron, the high priest, lift up his hand towards the people, and bleffed them. In like manner our Saviour, being now to leave this world, lifted up his hands in a folemn and devout manner, and bleffed his difciples. This was the laft action he performed on earth; an action prompted by love to them, and fuch as became him, who is the Prince of peace, and whofe defign in coming into the world was to feek and to fave them that were loft. When his aufpicious birth was pro

(a) Acts i. 9.
(b) Lev. ix. 22.

claimed

* See Sermon on the Resurrection, p. 6,-9.

claimed to the fhepherds, it was attended with praife to God, and with peace and good-will to men. His whole life was employed in acts of benevolence and love. When he died, he breathed out his foul in forgiveness to his enemies. And now, after his refurrection from the dead, when he was just leaving the world, he afcended to heaven with a blessing in his mouth; for it came to pafs, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. The words which he employed on this occafion, are not recorded by the Evangelift; but they were doubtlefs very powerful and affecting, attended with that divine energy which would give the difciples a fenfe and feeling of the bleffednefs he pronounced on them. And, O what warm emotions of love and gratitude would then fpring up in their hearts! With what exceeding delight and rapture would they be filled! When the two difciples reflected on the converfation they had with Chrift going to Emmaus, they cried out, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked to us by the way, and opened to us the fcriptures? Much more would the hearts of his difciples glow with holy affection, and exult with joy, while their Lord was pronouncing his parting bleffing. Accordingly we find, in the verfe following the text, "that they worshipped "him, and returned to Jerufalem with great joy." 4. We may attend to the manner of his afcenfion; -he was carried up. To the fame purpose, we are informed, in the Acts of the Apostles, that while his difciples beheid, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their fight (a). Not that our Saviour was merely pallive, or ftood in need of any affiftance to accomplish his afcenfion; for nothing is more evident, than that he afcended, as he rose from the dead, by his own power. But the expreffion is probably defigned to intimate, that though our Lord's afcenfion was his own voluntary act, yet, for the greater folemnity, he was attended by angels as he

(a) Acts i. 9.

went

went up into heaven. This, indeed, is hinted at in the two following verfes of the fame chapter: "And "while they looked ftedfaftly toward heaven, as he "went up, behold two men," that is, angels in the appearance of men, "ftood by them in white ap"parel; which also faid, Ye men of Galilee, why "stand ye gazing up into heaven? This fame Jefus, "which is taken from you into heaven, fhall fo 66 come, in like manner as ye have feen him go into "heaven." Hence the manner of his ascension was honourable and glorious. He returned to heaven as a triumphant conqueror, having obtained the most fignal victory over all his own enemies, and those of his people. He made the cloud his chariot, and angels attended, to grace the triumph, and celebrate the Conqueror. And, O with what tranfports of joy, and fongs of gladnefs, would they attend him in his glorious paffage! "God is gone up with a fhout;

the Lord with the found of a trumpet. Sing "praises to God, fing praises: fing praifes unto our

King, fing praifes (c)." And when he was ar rived at his Father's court above, how would the whole city of God be moved at his coming? and with what joyful acclamations would he be welcomed home, again to take poffeffion of the glory which he had with the Father before the world was?

Laftly, We may attend to the place whither he afcended;-He was carried up to heaven. The apoftles faw him afcend gradually from the earth, till a cloud received him out of their fight; and two angels came and told them he was gone into heaven. He is elsewhere said to have ascended up far above all heavens (d); meaning, I suppose, that part of the heavens, which is at prefent vifible to the inhabitants of this earth. Hence, the place whither our Lord afcended, was to the third heavens, the throne of God, and manfions of the bleffed; to that place where he is now fat down at the right hand of the Majefty on high, and where all his redeemed fhall be for ever

with

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