"Why

angels, addreffing them in human voice. stand ye gazing up into heaven? This fame Jefus, whom ye have feen go up into heaven, fhall fo come in like manner, as ye have feen him. go into heaven."

This expoftulation of the angels, we are now, fecondly, to confider.

The angels here remind the difciples, that though Jefus, was gone, from their fight, yet he ftill lived, in heaven to carry on that gracious work, which he had begun on earth; and that from this time, they were to see him, not with the bodily eyes,, which were now gazing after him, but with the eyes of their faith, which, through the medium of his promises, might ftill difcern him in his invisible state, with the fame organ, and through the fame medium, we are to view him. We have not; the privilege, which they had,, to fee him in the flesh; but we may fee him by faith, as cafily as they could. It was but for a fhort time, that they en joyed perfonal intercourfe with him; and the chief benefit of this intercourse, was to lay a foun dation for their faith. What they faw and heard,, while he was with, them was the ground of that faith by which they held a correfpondence with him, after he was gone.. And it is alfo the ground of our faith in him, and communion with him now. St. John fays, "That which we have seen and. heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have. fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Christ,” The fight which the difciples had of their Lord af cending in his glory, was a fuitable mean to confirm▸ and enliven their faith. But if in gazing at this, wonderful scene, they had been fo long detained. and fo wholly abforbed, as to loose their spiritual views of Christ, its end would have been defeated. The word and ordinances of Chrift are means to

lead our thoughts to him, and affift our converfe with him. But we must remember, that hearing his word, and attending on his ordinances, are no farther acceptable to him, and useful to us, than they awaken in us thofe exercises of faith and love, which will excite us to the active discharge of all religious duties.

It will be proper for us particularly to confider, what views of Chrift we fhould have in the contemplation of his afcenfion into heaven.

1. Chrift warned his difciples, that he would go to him who fent him. Because he said this, their hearts were filled with forrow. To confole them in their forrow, he affured them, that when he went to the father, he fhould be glorified with the glory which he had before the world was. Hence he fays, "If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go to the father." "I go away, but my peace I leave with you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

At the afcenfion they faw his glory begun; and hence might conclude, that the glory foretold would be completed. "Because Jefus humbled himself and became obedient to the death of the crofs, therefore God highly exalted him, and gave him a name above every name." And if the Saviour has been honoured and rewarded for all that he has done and fuffered in our behalf, we may reft in the full affurance, that through him our works of faith, and labours of love will be graciously accepted. And in his name we may come to God with all confidence for prefent pardon and future falvation. Had Chrift been left in the grave, our faith and hope must have been buried with him. But because he lives, we fhall live alfo. Our life is hidden with Chrift in God, and when he shall appear, we fhall appear with him in glory.

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2. Christ told his difciples, that he was going to prepare a place for them in his father's houfe; and that he would come again and receive them to himself. When they faw him taken up into heaven, they were naturally reminded of the glori ous mansions in God's houfe, into which they might, one day, be received. And it became them not to ftand gazing into heaven, but rather to feek a practical preparation for it, and to ascertain their title to it. "We are begotten to a lively hope by the refurrection of Chrift from the dead. And if we be rifen with Chrift, let us feek the things, which are above, where Chrift fitteth on the right hand of God. Let us set our affection on things above, and not on things on the earth.” To gaze at heaven is one thing; to prepare for heaven is another. The contemplation of hea venly glory is useful only as a mean to draw our affection to it, and quicken our preparation for it. When we think of heaven, let us think of the qualifications neceffary for admiffion into it. "Bleffed are the pure in heart, for theirs is the kingdom of God." Nothing can enter thither, which defiles, or works abomination." Let us examine ourselves, whether we poffefs the temper requifite for entering into fo pure a place, and for affociating with fuch holy company, as will be found there. Let us call up our refolutions a gainst all fin, and fix our purposes for a humble walk with God, that we may now enjoy heaven in hope, and may hereafter poffefs it in reality.

3. Before Chrift went away, he taught his dif ciples, what they might expect from him after he was gone.. "I go to the Father; and whatsoever ye fhall afk in my name, I will do it for you, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye fhall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

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When they faw their Lord afcend, forrow filled their hearts; but the recollection of this promife, that he would be their advocate with the Father, might reasonably turn their forrow into joy. It was, on this account, expedient for them, that he fhould go away.

It is a comfort to humble chriftians, in all their approaches to God, that Jefus, who is the propitiation for their fins, lives in heaven to make interceffion for them. We think it a privilege to have pious interceffors on earth; for the prayers of the righteous avail much. But a much greater privilege is it to have an advocate in heaven, efpecially fuch an advocate as Chrift. He is near to us-near in relation; for he has taken part of our flesh and blood, and is not ashamed to call us brethren-near in affection; for he has been tempted as we are, and can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He can therefore pray for us with the earneftnefs of an experienced friend. He can pray with fuccefs; for he is near to God. He, as God's beloved fon, dwells in his bosom, and God hears him always. He has powerful arguments to urge in our behalf. He can plead his own purchafe; and God's approbation of him in his work, and promifc to him grounded on his fulfilling this work. This is the Father's promife to the fon, "That he fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and be fatisfied; by the knowledge of him fhall many be juftified, because he hath poured out his foul unto death, and made interceffion for tranfgreffors." In confideration of Chrift's continual and prevailing interceffion, the apoftle exhorts us to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

4. When Chrift dwelt on earth, he promised his difciples, that, "if he went away, he would' fend them the comforter, even the spirit of truth, who fhould abide with them forever." His glorious afcent to heaven ought to have reminded them, and now to remind us, of that precious promife, by which the comforts and affiftances of the spirit are secured to the faithful.

The humble chriftian feels his infufficiency to the duties and trials to which he is called. But he is ftrong in the grace that is in Chrift Jefus. He lives on this promife, "My grace is fufficient for thee." When his faith follows Jefus to heaven, it looks earnestly and ftedfaftly to him for the fupply of the fpirit. Confcious of his own weaknefs, he adopts for himself Paul's prayer for the Ephefians, that " God would grant them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his fpirit in the inner man; that Chrift might dwell in their hearts by faith; and that, being rooted and grounded in love, they might be able to comprehend with all faints what is the length and breadth and depth and height, and to know the love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge, and might be filled with all the fulnefs of God."

5. The angels exprefsly direct the disciples to regard the afcenfion of Chrift, as an evidence of his fecond coming. "This fame Jefus, who is taken up from you into heaven, fhall fo in like manner come, as ye have feen him go into heaven." "As Jefus was once offered to bear the fin of many, fo to them who look for him he fhall appear a fecond time without fin unto falvation."

Jefus taught his difciples, that as God had ap pointed a time for the general judgment of the world, fo he had committed the adminiftration