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with him." For he is entered within the vail, that

is, into the most holy place, even into heaven "itself, there to appear in the prefence of God for ❝ us." And this brings me,

II. To point out fome of the important ends and purposes for which Chrift afcended into heaven.

1. He afcended, that he might receive the reward which was promifed by the Father, for having undertaken and accomplished the work of our redemption. While he was on earth, he was obfcure and unknown. Instead of giving him the honour due to his character and dignity, the princes and people of this world joined to affront and blafpheme him. He was reproached and buffeted, he was cruelly fcourged, and at laft put to a fhameful death. But, the Son of God was not to be always the object of infult and derifion to finful men. There were honours in referve for him, which were promised of the Father, and fuch as became his native perfections, and acquired merit. Thefe, we find, he claims as a matter of agreement between him and the Father. "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished "the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, "O Father, glorify thou me with thine own felf, with "the glory which I had with thee before the world was (a)." He afcended then to receive this glory, as the due reward of his labours and fufferings. This is the exprefs language of the apoftle to the Philippians: "Because he humbled himself, and became "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, "wherefore God alfo hath highly exalted him (b)." But who can conceive, much lefs reprefent to you, that glory and dignity to which he is now advanced? It is infinitely fuperior to what eye hath feen, or ear heard: "For he hath a name given him above every name; that, at the name of Jefus, every knee should "bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, "and things under the earth; and that every tongue "fhould

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(a) John xvii. 4, 5.

(b) Philip. i. 8, 9.

"should confefs that he is Lord, to the glory of God "the Father." And in another place we find all the creatures joining together to exalt his name; faying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb "that was flain: Bleffing, and honour, and glory, "and power, be unto him that fitteth upon the "throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever (a).” ́

2. He afcended, that he might send down the Holy Spirit, in his miraculous gifts, and fanctifying influences, on his church and people. This promife he himself gave to his difciples before his crucifixion. "Nevertheless, it is expedient for you that I go "away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will "not come unto you: but, if I depart, I will fend "him unto you (b)." Accordingly, foon after his afcenfion, on the day of Pentecoft, the Holy Spirit was poured out in an extraordinary manner upon the apoftles; whereby their minds were fully enlightened, and whereby they were furnished with all those gifts and graces which were neceffary to qualify them for preaching the gofpel to the world, and spreading it with credit and fuccefs. This was a gracious and important end of our Saviour's afcenfion. How ineftimably precious were thofe gifts and graces of the Spirit, thofe noble donations, which he distributed on the day of his triumph? With what gratitude ought we to blefs him, both for those distinguishing evidences of our religion at first, and for the continuance of thofe facred influences of grace, by which our fouls are quickened and renewed; by which they are fanctified and adorned; by which they are strengthened and comforted?" Thou haft afcended. "on high, thou haft led captivity captive: thou haft "received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious alfo, "that the Lord God might dwell among them. "Bleffed be the Lord, who daily loads us with be"nefits, even the God of our falvation."

3. He afcended, that he might make interceffion for his people, appear in the presence of God for them,

(a) Rev. v. 12, 13.

(b) John xvi. 7.

them, and be their Advocate with the Father. Having, by his death and sufferings, purchased their deliverance from the guilt of fin, and by his doctrine and ufeful life, pointed out the way of recovery from the power of it; he did not then leave his work imperfect, nor abandon his gracious defign: but, having rifen from the dead, he afcended into heaven to plead their cause, to represent their wants, to offer up their requests to the Father, and to obtain for them all ne ceffary bleffings. "For Chrift," fays the apostle, " is not entered into the holy places made with hands, "which are the figures of the true; but into heaven "itself, there to appear in the prefence of God for "us (k)." And O, my brethren, what obligations do we ly under to the bleffed Saviour, for this end and purpose of his afcenfion? How comfortable is it, under all our finful failings and lamented weaknesses, that we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jefus Christ the Righteous? What confolation is it under trials and temptations, that we have fuch a merciful and faithful High-priest, who has knowledge of our infirmities, and is able to fuccour them that are tempted? How encouraging is it to our prayers, that we have fuch a Friend in heaven, fuch a powerful and kind Mediator at the throne of grace? And how animating to the faithful fervant of Chrift, when called to combat with his fpiritual enemies, that his Lord is pleading for him in heaven, and ever lives to make interceffion for him?

4. He afcended, that he might take poffeffion of heaven in the name of his followers, and prepare for them a place of eternal happiness. Chrift, our elder brother, is gone before, to take poffeffion of the heavenly inheritance. Hence he is reprefented in fcripture as our forerunner. "Whither," that is, into hea"the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jefus, "made an High-prieft for ever, after the order of "Melchifedec." The life of the Christian is by faith, and not by fight; and therefore, it was not meet that

ven,

(*) Heb. ix. 24.

Chrift

Christ should continue to be the vifible Captain of our falvation on earth; but we have reason to rejoice in the words of confolation which he administered to his difciples, when they were afflicted with the prospect of his departure, "In my Father's houfe,"

are many mansions ; if it were not fo, I would "have told you: I go to prepare a place for you "(a)." How infinitely, then, are we indebted to Jefus Chrift! What endearing obligations ly upon us to love and honour him, who not only purchafed heaven for us by his death, but who has gone before to prepare it for our reception!

Laftly. He afcended, that he might fecure to his followers their admiffion into heaven after him. In the mean time, having all power in heaven and in earth committed to him, he reigns above as the guardian of their title to an incorruptible inheritance. And he has graciously promised, that he will come again and receive them to the full poffeffion of it "And if I go away," fays he, "and prepare a place " for you, I will come again, and receive you to my"felf, that where I am, there you may be alfo (b).”, Hence, the Chriftian's future afcenfion into heaven, is as certain as that of his Lord and Mafter. He will come again at the end of the world, and raise their bodies from the grave; and, having fashioned them like to his own glorious body, he will tranflate them in a triumphant manner into heaven; and there they fhall be ever, with the Lord.

It now remains that I direct your attention to fome fuitable improvement of this fubject.

1. If Christ our Lord and Saviour be afcended into heaven, it becomes us to follow him frequently thither with our thoughts and meditations. Let our minds be directed to the contemplation of what he is in himself, of what he has done and suffered for us and of what he is ftill doing, now that he is paffed into the heavens, and far exalted above every name. D Let

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Let us particularly meditate on that glory and happinefs to which he is now advanced as the reward of his fufferings. He who was wounded for our tranfgreffions, and bruifed for our iniquities, is now made glad at his Father's right hand, in the full poffeffion of eternal joy: He that was defpifed and infulted by men, is now adored and worshipped by angels: He whofe head was pierced with a crown of thorns, is now adorned with a crown of glory: He who was exposed to the ridicule of his enemies on the cross, fits enthroned in the highest majesty, and all his enemies fhall be made his footftool. Let us frequently indulge in fuch meditations as thofe. And furely, none can be more worthy of our ferious attention, or more agreeable to the mind of a Christian.

2. Let the confideration of our Lord's afcenfion engage us to adore and worship him. This effect we find it produced on the difciples, in the verse followang the text. When they faw him afcending, they worshipped him. Religious worship and adoration is due to him both from angels and men. Thus, the apostle to the Hebrews; When he," that is, the Father, "bringeth in the Firft-begotten into the world, "he faith, Let all the angels of God worship him (a).” And, if thofe glorious and exalted fpirits who furround the throne of God, and minister continually in his prefence, proftrate themfelves before the Lamb, and pay their homage to him; much more ought we, who are creatures of a lower rank, and who ly under infinitely greater obligations to him. Let us then entertain the moft exalted thoughts of our afcended Saviour; let us worship him with the higheft acts of homage; and, while we view him by faith afcended into heaven, let us lift up our fouls to him in the moft fervent devotion.

3. We have much reafon to rejoice in the thoughts of our Lord's afcenfion into heaven, and exaltation at the right hand of God. This effect we find his afcenfion alfo to have produced on the minds of his difciples.

fa) Heb. i. 6.

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