The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 55
THE LV. LECTVRE, OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.
MARKE, CHAP. XXVI.
verse 19 So after the Lord had ſpoken vntounto them, hee was receiued into heauen, and ſate at the right hand of God.
LVKE, CHAP. XXIIII.
verse 50 Afterward hee led them out into Bethania, and lift vp his handes, and bleſſed them.
verse 51 And it came to paſſe, that as hee bleſſed them, hee departed from them, and was carried vp into heauen.
verse 52 And they worſhipped him, and returned to Hieruſalem with great ioye.
ACTS, CHAP. I.
verse 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, ſaying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reſtore the Kingdome to Iſrael?
verse 7 And hee ſaide vntounto them, It is for you to knowe the times, or the ſeaſons, which the Father hath put in his owne power.
verse 8 Bu yee ſhall receiue power of the holie Ghost, when hee ſhall come on you: and ye ſhall bee witneſſes vntounto mee both in Hieruſalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and vntounto the vttermost partes of the earth.
verse 9 And when he had ſpoken theſe things, while they beheld, he was taken vp: for a cloude tooke him vp out of their ſight.
verse 10 And while they looked ſtedfaſtlie toward heauen, as hee went, behold, two men ſtood by them in white apparell,
BELOVED BRETHREN IN CHRIST, vvee hauehave alreadie inſiſted at length in the Hiſtorie of the LORDES Reſurrection: vvherein vvee ſhewed you, how often Hee appeared to His owne, and eſpeciallie to His Apoſtles: to the ende, that not onelie they themſelues might bee more fullie perſwaded of His Reſurrection: but alſo vvith the greater confidence and libertie they might ſpeake therof to others. In His laſt appearing to His Apoſtles, vvee ſawe Hee gaue them a commiſſion and charge, To goe out to the vvorlde, to preach the Goſpell, and to baptize, In the Name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holy Ghoſt: but He willes them to teach nothing elſe, but onelie theſe things, & all theſe things which He had taught them before. And to th'end He might the more eaſily moue them willingly and chearfully to vndertake & diſcharge this calling; firſt He ſets down His vnſpeakable & incomprehenſible power wherupō is is grounded, ſhewing them, that al power in heauē & in earth was giuen vntounto him: Next, He ſubjoynes a threefold promiſe of bleſſing to them in the diſcharging of their Miniſtery. The firſt is a promiſe of life & ſaluation to them who beleeue, & are baptized. The ſecond is a promiſe of th'extraordinary & miraculous gifts of the H. Spirite. The third is a promiſe of His own powerfull preſence to continue with them vntounto th'end of the world: vponupon condition, That they faithfully diſcharge their calling, & teach theſe things, all theſe things, & onlie theſe things, which the Lord had taught, & no other. Now it reſts, that we ſpeak of the Hiſtory of His Aſcenſion to Heauen, which we hauehave briefelie, and in fewe vvordes, in th'Euangeliſtes: for Matthew and Iohn makes no mention of it: Marke touches it ſhortlie in his Goſpell. Luke alſo ſpeakes ſomething of it in his Goſpell, but hee inſiſtes in it more largely, in ſetting downe the Circumſtances of it in the firſt Chapter of the Actes of the Apoſtles: In the words which wee hauehave preſently read, we will ſee, how the LORD leades His Diſciples out to Bethania, we will ſee what conference & communication is betwixt the Lord and them, we will ſhew how He bleſſed them, we will ſee the manner of His Aſcenſion, & what was the behauiour of the Apoſtles, while Hee was aſcending to Heauen, and looked ſtedfaſtly to the Heauen, as He went vp.
Then to come to the words, Luke ſayes, He led them out into Bethania. This was the place from the which the Lord aſcended vp to the Heauen: and therefore of ſet purpoſe He leades them out of Ieruſalem to this place. They come not to this place by fortune or chance, they come not there of their owne accorde, or vponupon any foreſight that they themſelues had: No, but they were ledde out of Jeruſalem, to ſee that glorious Aſcenſion of Chriſt, and to be partakers of His grace. But who led them out? It is ſaide, The Lord ledde them out: none comes to grace by aime, none comes to the place vvhere grace is in dealing by fortune or chance: No, it is the Lord which leades them, as then the Lord ledde His Apoſtles, as it were by the hande, to Bethania, to ſee His glorie, and to be made partakers of grace: ſo it is alwayes by the LORDS ſecret and powerfull prouidence, that any man comes to the place vvhere the LORD diſtributes His grace: for ſayes CHRIST, No man can come to mee, except that Father who hath ſent mee, draw him, Ioh. Chapter 6. verſe 44. Therefore, if thou findeſt at any time by this Miniſterie, grace to bee communicated into thy ſoule in His Church, aſcribe neuer the praiſe of it to thy ſelfe, or to thy trauell, but giuegive the praiſe and honour of all to the LORD IESVS, vvho had a care of thee, and by His gracious prouidence b…ought thee there. But vvho are theſe vvhom the Lord leades out? Not all they vvho heard Him, vvho knew Him, vvho had conuerſed vvith Him, but it is only His Diſciples vvhome the Lord ledde out, theſe only vvhome He vſed moſt familiarly, vvhom Hee loued moſt tenderly, and vvho in a manner vvere His domeſtiques. The number of them vvhome the LORD chooſes and leades out to grace at any time is not great, they are but few in reſpect of the multitude vvhome the Lord paſſes by, but eſpecially at this time it was the LORDES pleaſure to chooſe but a few to be eye-witneſſes of His glorious Aſcēſiō: for it was ye Lords will, that His Aſcenſiō ſhould rather be manifeſted & made known to the world by hearing, than by ſeeing: for ye Lord prefers, & likes better of that faith yt coms by hearing, thō of that faith yt proceeds of ſeeing: for He ſayes to Thomas, Becauſe thou haſt ſeene mee, thou beleeueſt: but bleſſed are theſe that hauehave not ſeene, and hauehave beleeued. Joh. 20.29. Marke a manifeſt difference betwixt ye ſuffering & crucifying of the Lord, & His Reſurrection & Aſcenſion: When ye Lord was crucified al ſort of people beheld Him: there were gathered a great multitude not of the Iewes only, but alſo of the Gētiles, out of many natiōs (for it was a ſolemne time, the time of ye Paſſ…ouer,) but there were not ſo many yt beheld His Reſurrection, nor Aſcenſion: for it was His pleaſure to manifeſt Himſelf after His Reſurrection to a ſmall number of His own familiars, namely, His diſciples & Apoſtles: & likewiſe it was His pleaſure, to make choiſe but of a few of that ſame ſort to be eye-witneſſes of His glorious Aſcēſion: for He wold hauehave His glory to be made manifeſt to ye world rather by the preaching of ye Goſpel, than by the ſight of the eyes. Of this difference we learne this leſſon for our inſtruction, That the ſhame & ignominy of Chriſt is offred to be ſeene of all ſorts of mē: but His glory is manifeſted only to a ſmall number, euen to thoſe who are ſaued by His bloode. The ſhame & ignominy of Chriſt in His mēbers, is laid to th'eyes of all ſorts of men: there are none who ſees not how vile & contemptible the faithfull are vnderunder the croſſe: but the glory of the faithfull is ſeene but of a few, euē only of thoſe who are ordained to be partakers of that ſame glory: For albeit, ſaies Iohn, that now we are the ſons of God, yet it is not made manifeſt what we ſhall be. 1. Epiſt. 3.2. And as th'Apoſtle Paul ſaies of y• Iewes, Jf they had known the Lord of glory, they would not hauehave crucified him. 1. Cor. 2.8. So ſay we of the wicked of the world, If they knew that glory of the children of God, they would not ſo contemne them, deſpiſe, & perſecute thē The place yt He leades thē to, is ſaid to be Bethania: and Act. 1.12. it is ſaid, They returned to Jeruſalē, from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues, neare vntounto which moūt was Bethania: both were neare to Ieruſalem, about 15. furlonges, or a Sabbath dayes journey, about 2. miles, Ioh. 11.18. The Lord of ſet purpoſe choſe this place to manifeſt His glory, wherin before He ſuffred ignominy. It was in this place that He wraſtled with the feare of death, finding the terrours of the wrath of God ceazing on His ſoule, when He ſaid his ſoule was heauie vntounto the death. It was in this place that the bande of men of warre came and tooke him. It was in this place that they bound him, and led him away to that ſhamefull death of the croſſe. Therefore in this place the Lord makes a ſhew of His glory: in this ſame place He addreſſes Himſelf to triumph: from this ſame place aſcends He to His Heauenly Throne. Marke the leſſon in a worde. The Lord of neceſſitie muſt be glorified in that ſame place, where before He was diſhonored: He muſt be honoured either in mercy by ye conuerſion of a ſinner, who has deſpiſed Him, or els by the executing of judgemēt, & pouring forth of vengeance vponupon th'obſtinate & ſtubborne contemners. But to goe forward to the cōference & cōmunication that was betwixt the Lord & His Apoſtles alittle before He aſcēded to Heauē. This cōferēce is ſet down, Act. 1.6. For after the diſciples were come together to the mount of Oliues, they asked him, Lord, wilt thou at this time reſtore the kingdome of Iſrael? Th'occaſion of this their queſtion is not ſet down here: but it is likely, that the Lord at this time has bin ſpeaking ſomething of that Heauenly Kingdome: & that vponupon His ſpeach they hauehave taken occaſion to aske this queſtion of th'earthly kingdome. In demanding of this queſtion they faile many wayes: Firſt they faile in curioſity, being too curious, as the Lordes anſwere imports: Next, they faile in this, that as yet they thinke yt He ſhould hauehave bene an earthly king & that His kingdome ſhould bee of this world. Thirdly they faile in this, that they deſired to reign & triūph before they had foughten ſufficiently, & ended their warfare. This might ſeeme ſtrange, that they profited ſo litle in ſo long time, hauing ſuch faire occaſion. Their ignorance cannot be excuſed for by the ſpace of 3. yeeres & more they were cōuerſant with the Lord, hearing Him preach, & ſaw Him worke miracles: & after His reſurrectiō ſundry times He appeared to them, & ſpake to thē: & in this ſame time they ſaw in Him a majeſty, they ſaw Him clad & inueſted with Heauēly glory: & yet for all this they are earthly minded, and think of nothing but of an earthly kingdome. In this example of ye diſciples, we may perceiue how dull we are by nature & vncapable of ſpirituall & Heauēly things. All th'outward meanes of ye worlde will not profit vsus, if there be no more; albeit we heard al Heauēly & ſpirituall things neuer ſo lōg, albeit we ſaw all things neuer ſo lōg, we will neuer be a haire the better, except yt wee be taught of God, & except our minds be illuminate, & our hearts be opened by the H. Spirit. Therfore when we vſe th'outward meanes, we ſhould pray cōtinually, yt the Lord wold ſend His H. Spirit to inſtruct vsus inwardly, and to joyne His bleſſing with them. Now to come to the Lords anſwere: firſt He reproues them for their curioſity, he ſaid vntounto them, Jt is not for you to know the times & the ſeaſons: & He giues them a good reaſon, becauſe the Father has put them in his owne power. Men in all ages hauehave bin too curious to inquire the things which belong not vntounto them. Th'Apoſtles here began curiouſly to inquire of the time of the reſtoring of the kingdome to Iſrael, & euer ſince men hauehave cōtinued curiouſly to inquire the times & ſeaſons, & namely, the particular time of the Lordes cōming to judgement. But the Lord here ſnibs & repreſſes this curioſity in th'apoſtles: for what had they adoe to ſearch out the things yt the Lord kept ſecret to Himſelfe? It is not ye Lords will, that men at any time ſhould be curious to inquire the particular times, which He keepes cloſe to Himſelf, & namely, the particular diet & period of Chriſts cōming to judgement, for of that day & houre knowes no mā, no not th'Angels which are in heauē, Mark 13.32. Next in the anſwere, He calles them to remembrance of yt promiſe which He made to thē before of ye ſending of ye H. Spirit, & induing them with power frō an high. But, ſaies He, yee ſhall receiue power of the holie Ghoſt, when he ſhall come on you. This putting them in remēbrance of ye ſending of ye H. Ghoſt, imports, yt although it was not lōg time before made vntounto thē yet they thought not of it, nor remēbred it not as it became thē. So yt in thē we may ſee what is our naturall diſpoſition concerning ſpirituall things: we are very careles to thinke of thē, yea, for ye moſt part, we are altogether forgetfull of thē. If a promiſe were made to vsus of great earthly benefits (ſo carnall & earthly are our hearts) we wold think on it day & night: but albeit the promiſes of Heauēly things be oftē renewed to vsus, hardly cā we think of thē, or remēber thē. Thirdly, in this anſwere He puts thē in mind of their office & calling to ye Apoſtleſhip, Ye ſhalbe witneſſes, ſaies He, to me both in Ieruſalē, & in all Iudea, & in Samaria, & vntounto the vttermoſt parts of the earth: as if He had ſaid vntounto them, Inquire not curiouſly of the things which belong not to you, but looke to your calling, & the office which I hauehave choſen you to. And He ſets down what is their calling, Ye muſt be witneſſes. And to whom? Both to Iew & Gentile. And in what order? Firſt begin at Ieruſalē, & Iudea, & then goe to Samaria, & to the reſt of the world. It is the Lords wil, that mē ſo carefully attēd firſt vponupon ye calling that ye Lord has ſet them into this life, to bee faithfull & painfull in it, yt in it they may honour their Lord, & next vponupon ye promiſe of grace & ſaluation yt is promiſed in the life to come, that they take no leaſure, nor ſpare no time vponupon th'inquiring of curious queſtions. Of this anſwere of the Lords we may learn this leſſon: the Lord deals very meekly & gently with his own: their curioſity & wilfull ignorance deſerued a more ſharp & rough meeting, but the Lord meets thē not as they deſerued; for albeit that euē now he was to leaue ye world & aſcend to his Father, & to enter into glory; yet he ſtaies a while with thē, & with the Spi…it of meeknes & wonderful patiēce he teaches & inſtructs thē, who were ſo groſſe & carnal minded. That which the Lord did at this time to his Apoſtles, that ſame thing does he dayly to his owne, in whom he has once begun to worke, he wil not breake the bruiſed reed, nor quēch the ſmoaking flax, he wil not put out grace, if it were neuer in ſo ſmal a meaſure, but he wil cheriſh & nouriſh it, that it may come to perfectiō & that ye litle ſparke may grow to a fire & flame. Albeit we be rude & earthly minded, and take no pleaſure in ſpiritual things, yet the Lord continues with great lenitie and wonderful patience by his Miniſtery, to teach & inſtruct vsus. Now to go forward to His Aſcenſion: Before He aſcends, He bleſſes His diſciples: Luke ſaies, He lifted vp his hāds, & bleſſed thē. What meanes this, that the Lord lifted vp His hands to Heauen? Euen this, that he conueyed & drew grace powerfully out of heauē to his diſciples: Before He aſcended to Heauē, He drewe downe grace out of Heauen, to remaine with His Apoſtles, whom Hee left behinde Him in the earth, vvhen Hee aſcended, according to that which before His Paſſion He ſaide to them, Peace J leaue you, my peace I giuegive you. Ioh. Chap. 14. verſ. 27. Nowe vvhen Hee liftes vp His handes, vvhat ſorte of bleſſing giues He them? Was it a common ſorte of bleſſing? Was it ſuch a bleſſing as one giues to another? No, but He giues them the bleſſing of God He giues thē an effectuall bleſſing. And if vvee conſider vvho this vvas that bleſſed them, vvee may ſee, that of neceſſitie it behooued this bleſſing to bee effectuall: for Hee vvas not onelie a Prieſt, but a King alſo: Indeede as a Prieſt Hee bleſſed them, for it vvas the Prieſtes office publickelie to bleſſe the people: as a Prieſt likewiſe lifted Hee vp His handes in …leſſing of them: (for this vvas a Rite and Ceremonie vvhichwhich the Prieſtes vvere accuſtomed to vſe in their bleſſing) but as a King Hee giues them effectuallie that bleſſing vvhichwhich as a Prieſt Hee vviſhed vntounto them: for Hee vvas nowe to ſit downe in the Throne of His Kingdome: and therefore that bleſſing vvhichwhich as a Prieſt Hee vviſhed vntounto them, Hee vvorkes it effectually in them by His infinite power, as Hee is a king. Men may vviſh vvell one to another: men may vviſhe peace and bleſſing ſincerely, and from their heartes to others: but it lyes not in their hands to effectuate & to bring to paſſe that thing which they wiſh, but it is proper to God only, & to Ieſus His Sonne, to make the bleſſing effectual. One thing here wold be marked wel for our comfort: to wit, that Chriſt hath left a ſingular bleſsing to the Miniſtery of the Goſpel: for as before we heard, that the Lord made a ſweet and comfortable promiſe to this Miniſtery, euē, that He would be alway with them vntounto the end of the world, Mat. 28.20. Euē ſo, now we ſee here, that ye Lord at His departure out of ye world, leaues a ſpecial bleſsing to ye ſame Miniſtry: yea, ſuch a bleſsing as is not left to any other calling in the world, no, not to the calling of a King: for ye calling of a King, & al other callings whatſoeuer, receiues their bleſsing only in this bleſsing, which Chriſt giues to His Miniſterie: for except men in all callings by this Miniſterie be brought to th'obedience of Chriſt, & to ſanctification, they are accurſed: & if we looke to th'experience which ye faithful find in their ſoules, we wil find, that yt bleſsing which the Lord left to His Miniſtery at that time is effectuall this day: for they finde it to be effectuall to worke faith, repentance, joy & tranquillitie of conſcience, & they find it to be, as th'Apoſtl. calles it, The miniſterie of the Spirit, & the miniſterie of righteouſnes, 2. Cor. 3.8, 9: & if there were no more to teſtifie vntounto vsus the effectualnes of this bleſsing, this were ſufficiēt, that we ſee it hath continued ſo long in the world, notwithſtanding of all aduerſarie power, & oppoſition made thereto: for ſeeing this Miniſtery is ſo weak, baſe, & cōtemptible in it ſelfe, how had it bin poſsible, yt it could hauehave cō tinued & endured ſo lōg in the world, againſt the fury, craft, & aſſaults of Sathan, againſt the malice, hatred & perſecution of men, againſt the oppoſitiō & practiſes of the mightie, great & wiſe men of the world, except that this bleſsing, which at His departure He left with it, had bin effectual; if it had not bin effectuall, it had ſoone euaniſhed, & had bin rooted out. Now come to the Aſcenſiō it ſelfe it is ſet down partly by Marke, & partly by Luke in his Euāgel, & in the Hiſtory of th' Acts of th'Apoſtles in theſe circumſtāces: firſt, Luke ſayes, As He bleſſed them, He departed frō them, He went alitle frō them: Next, He was taken vp: Tdirdly, He was receiued in a cloud: Fourthly, being receiued in yt cloud, His Apoſtles beholding Him, the cloud to…ke Him out of their ſight: Fiftly, being taken out of their ſight by the cloud, He was caried vp into heauen. If we weigh & cōſider wel all theſe circumſtāces, we wil ſee, that th'Aſcenſiō of our Lord, was not only exceeding glorious, but alſo very ſenſible & viſible: for while He ſtood in the mids of them, He depa…ted & ſeparated Himſelfe a ſpace from them, to the end, that they all might the better ſee Him aſcending: thereafter He was taken vp piece & piece, degree by degree, ſo that ſenſibly, piece & piece they might hauehave followed Him with their eyes: then as they are thus beholding, a cloude interueenes, & takes Him out of their ſight. After this, they ſee His perſon no more, but they ſee yt cloud wherein He was receiued to be caried vp into heauē: al theſe circumſtāces, were very ſenſiible: for now He goes not frō them on a ſuddainty, He conueyes not Himſelfe out of their ſight in a momēt, as He did wt the two Diſciples wt whom He ſate at table in Emmaus▪ & no queſtion, the Lord of ſet purpoſe would hauehave His Aſcenſiō to be ſo ſenſible, to the end yt the diſciples who ſaw it, & the whole form of it ſo clearly, might hauehave a ſetled aſſurāce & ful perſwaſion in their hearts, to the end. yt wt the greater euidency, liberty & freedom they might preach & proclaime it to the world (for the ful perſwaſion of the heart made thē bold & confidēt in preaching, as Paul ſaies Seeing we hauehave ſuch truſt, we vſe great boldnes of ſpeech: yt ſo ye world hearing thē ſpeak wt ſuch euidency, freedome & boldnes of the Lords Aſcēſion, & ſeeing thē paint out ſo vinely & ſenſibly the whole forme & proceſſe yt therein was vſed, might without any doubt fully beleeue, yt the Lord was aſcended to heauē ▪ ſo the Lord had a regard & reſpect vntounto His Kirk, & in all the faithful yt ſhuld liue in th'ages to come, yea, euen of vsus, who liue this day, whē ſo ſenſibly & viſibly in the preſēce of His Apoſtles, He aſcēded into heauē. The Lord made not His Apoſtles eye witneſſes of His Aſcenſion ſo much for their own cauſe, as for the Kirkes cauſe, which by their Miniſtery was to be gathered together, & to be broght to th'obedience of Ieſus: ſo when yu cōſider…ſt yt ſenſible forme & progreſſe yt the Lord vſed in His Aſcenſion for thy cauſe, it is thy duty to praiſe & glorifie His Majeſty for it. Now after the Lord is caried vp to heauen, what followes? was there no higher degree of glory? Yes, for Marke ſayes, After He was receiued into heauen, He ſate at the right hand of God. After He had paſt throgh al the viſible Heauēs, He was ſet at the right hand of His Father in the higheſt Heauens, farre aboue all principalitie and power, and might, and domination, and eueryevery name that is named, not in this world only, but alſo in that which is to come: ſo that all things were made ſubiect vnderunder His feete, Epheſ. 1.20, 21. & this the Father had ſpoken of Him before, when He ſaid, Sit thou at my right hand, vntill I make thine enemies thy footſtoole, Pſal. 110.1. To ſit at the right hand of God, is to obtaine yt higheſt degree of glory in the heauens: as Mediator, to hauehave equal power & glory wt the Father, to hauehave power ouer all creatures, to doe wt them as He pleaſes, to hauehave all things vnderunder His feete, to be declared to be ye head of ye Kirk, & that perſon by whō the Father immediatly guides & gouernes all things: for as He is ye Sonne of God, equall with ye Father, He was glorified with that glory, which Hee had with the Father, before the foundations of the world were laid, according as He prayed before His Paſsion, Joh. 17.5. & as He is man, He is exalted aboue eueryevery creature, in ſuch ſort, that by ye hand of Chriſt the man, God gouernes all things in heauen & in earth: ſo we ſee, that ye Lord by degrees paſſed frō glory to glory, & now He is in ſuch incomprehenſibl… glory, as this mortal eye of man cānot be able to pierce into. Indeed, the diſciples ſaw His glorious Aſcenſiō, but they could not be able to ſee that highnes & ſublimity of glory, whereunto He was exalted, whē He ſate at the right hand of ye Father. Steuē ſaw the heauē, opened, & the Sonne of man ſtanding at the right hand of God, Acts 7.55. but how ſober & meane a portiō of His glory was yt which He ſaw, in reſp…ct of ye fulnes of glory, yt He had thē in ye heauēs? but albeit we be not able wt our bodily eyes to pierce & behold ye greatnes of yt glory, whereinto He is exalted: yet this is our cōfort, yt we find ſenſibly by experience in our own ſoules yt Ieſus is ſitting in his Kingdome wt exceeding glory & power, by theſe comfortable effects & motions yt He workes within vsus. Th'Apoſtles, albeit they ſaw Him not ſitting at ye right hand of God in glory: yet in yt ſame momēt yt He ſate down in His throne of glory, they found in their own hearts, his kingly power & that dominiō yt He hath ouer al creatures: for what meaned yt exceeding joy yt they had, after that He was taken out of their ſight, whē they were returning to Jeruſalem? euē this, that Chriſt was entred in His kingdome, & that His kingdome & power was effectuall into their ſoules: & what meanes theſe ſpiritual motions, which are raiſed vp in the hearts of the godly? this ſadnes for ſinne? this vnſpeakable joy, this peace & trāquillity of cōſcience, this louelove to God, & deſire to ſee Him? euen this, yt the Lord Ieſus is come into His Kingdome, & is now reigning in ye heauēs & yt He hath eſtabliſhed this Kingdome in our ſoules: For the Kingdome of God, ſayes Paul, is righteouſnes, & peace, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt, Rom. 14.17. therefore whē yu findeſt any ſpiritual motiō in thy ſoule, take it for a ſure argument of Chriſts ſitting at the right hand of God in His kingdome. Now hauing ſpokē of Chriſts Aſcenſion, let vsus ſee what was the Apoſtles behauiour: whē they ſaw the Lord thus aſcēd, wh…t did they? It is ſaid, that they worſhipped Him: next, that they looked ſtedfaſtly toward heauen: what moued thē to worſhip Him? no queſtion, the ſight of a wonderfull glory & Majeſtie in Ieſus: & becauſe at this time they ſaw Him in an higher glory & majeſty, than euer they did before: therfore of neceſſity their worſhipping of Him at this time behoued to be in a greater humility, wt greater reuerēce, & wt greater feruency thā euer it was before. Indeed they worſhipped Him before, knowing Him to be the Meſſias, but their knowledge was but very mean & ſober: but now they ſee & know perfectly that He is the Lord of glory, & the glorious judge of the world: & therefore the worſhipping of Him at this time behoued to be in greater reuerēce, with greater perſwaſion & boldnes than euer it was before. The ſight of that glorious majeſty makes euer the creature in reuerēce to worſhip God, & the greater ſight, the greater reuerence. The faithfull while they liue here in th'earth, becauſe by th'eye of faith, in the mirrour of the Goſpel, they ſee the glory of the Lord, therfore in humility they worſhip His majeſty: but becauſe they ſee Him not clearly as He is, but darkly and obſcurely, therfore their worſhipping here is not like that worſhipping yt ſhalbe when they ſhal ſee Him face to face: for when we ſhal ſee him as he is, we ſhal worſhip Him with greater reuerence, confidēce, boldnes & liberty, than euer we did before: for then vve ſhall be made like vntounto Him: that is, vve ſhall bee made conformable to the image of His glory, and vve ſhall ſhake off all this mortality & corruption, vvherewith th'Apoſtles vvere clad at this time vvhē they worſhipped Him aſcending to Heauē: So that that vvorſhipping & adoring of the Lord, which the faithful ſhal giuegive Him in that great day whē He deſcēds from the Heauēs to judge the world ſhall ſurpaſſe exceedingly & by many degrees that worſhip which the Apoſtle… gaue Him, whē they ſaw Him aſcēd into Heauē: for thē there ſhalbe nothing to hinder them. Now in the meane time while the Lord is aſcending to Heauen, as they worſhip Him, ſo likewiſe they followe Him vvith their eyes, and looked ſtedfaſtly toward heauen, vvhere they ſaw Him aſcending▪ vvhichwhich teſtifies plainly, that their hearts were lifted vp to the Heauens, together vvith Chriſt: & as Chriſt aſcended, ſo their hearts aſcended, & vvere lifted vp to Heauen, by the power & ve…tue of that ſame Aſcention & glorie of Chriſt, in vvhome they beleeued: for they that beleeue in Chriſt, and are conjoyned to Him by faith, of neceſſity muſt by that b…nd of faith be lifted vp, together vvith Him to the Heauens: for that ſoule that is linked to Him by faith, cānot be ſeuered from Him, but it muſt follow Him vvherſoeuer He goes Mark this leſſon: whē ye heart is lifted vp to Heauen, it vvill lift ye eye of ye bodie to Heauen alſo, & ye ſight & ſenſe of ye Aſcenſion of Chriſt liftes vp the heart to Heauen: for where there is in ye heart a ſenſe & feeling of ye power of Chriſts Aſcenſiō, of neceſſity both the ſoule & th'eyes of the body muſt be lifted vp to Heauen. And this lifting vp of th'eyes of the body, proceeding frō the lifting vp of ye heart to Heauen: & this lifting vp of ye heart proceeding frō ye feeling of ye power of th'Aſcēſiō of Ieſus, which now ye faithfull find, is a ſure argumēt & vndoubted warrā … to ye faithful, yt one day th'eye, ye heart ye ſoule, ye body, yea, ye whole man ſhalbe lifted vp to heauē: both ſoule & body in yt great day, whē ye Lord appeares to judgemēt, & ſhal enjoy His glorious preſēce: & therfore ye godly hauehave great cauſe continually to be waiting & looking for yt glorious apppearing of Chriſt (& happy art thou, who art euer waiting for it) for at yt glorious appearing thou ſh…lt be partaker of glory wt him: to whō with ye Father, & H. Spirit, be all praiſe, honor, & glory, Amen.