be no ftronger proof of his Divine Miflion, than, when he had been openly put to death as a deceiver, for God to reverse the fentence in fo extraordihary a manner, as restoring him to life again. This was the great evidence, to which he had before his death appealed. No one either did, or could, object against it, as not being a decifive one. And therefore on its coming to pafs, as he had foretold it would, he is juftly said by the Apoftle to be declared the Son of God with power, by the refurrection from the dead *. But there are two things proved by it more particularly.

1. That his fufferings are accepted by our heavenly Father, as a full atonement for the fins of men. For fince God hath loofed the bands of the grave, with which he was holden on our account; it is manifeft, that he hath completed the fatisfection owing from us; that he hath "through death destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and delivered thofe, who through fear of it, were all their lifetime fubject to bondage +." If then we do, by faith and repentance, qualify ourselves to receive the pardon, that he is authorized to give; we may boldly fay, with the Apostle, "Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who maketh interceffion for us ‡.”

2. From our Saviour's refurrection appears the certainty of our own. The promife, which he made, was, that " every one who believed on him should have everlafting life, and he would raife him at the laft day §:" and to fhow the truth of it, he raifed up himfelf from the death, which he had fuffered for the fins of men. This is a proof, clear and ftrong beyond all exception or cavil. Since Chrift is rifen, our refurrection is poffible and fince Chrift hath promised, it is certain. "If then we believe Jefus died, and rofe again," we must believe too, as St Paul juftly argue:, that "them alfo, which fleep in Jefus, will God bring with him. For the Lord himself shall defcend from heaven with a fhout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Chrift fhall rife firft; and they which are alive and remain, fhall be caught up together with them in the clouds, and fo fhall we

Rom. i. 4. Heb. ii. 14, 15.

be

Rom. viii. 33, 34. John vi. 40.

be ever with the Lord *." "Bleffed therefore be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the refurrection of Jesus Christ, from the dead; to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled; that fadeth not away, referved in heaven for us t." And may "the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make ns perfect in every good work, to do his will; working in us that which is well-pleafing in his fight, through Jesus Christ : to whom be glory, for ever and ever. Amen ‡."

* Theff. iv. 14, 16, 17.

† 1 Pet. i. 3, 4.

Heb. xiii. 20, 21.

LECTURE XI.

CREED.

Article VI.-He afcended into heaven, and fitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

TH THE firft care of our bleffed Lord, in confequence o his Refurrection, was to fatisfy his difciples fully of the truth of it: the next, to fit them for inftructing mankind in his religion, of which it was one principal doctrine and evidence. "He therefore fhowed himself alive to them, after his paffion, by many infallible proofs; being feen of them forty days; and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." This being done, as he had now gone thro' the whole of his work on earth; it was proper, that he should return to that happy place, from whence his compaffion to a

loft

*Acts i, 3

loft world had brought him down: according to the words of his own prayer ; Father, the hour is come; I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work, which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with the glory, which I had with thee, before the world was *:" There did not remain any further reason for his appearance personally amongst men; till he fhould "come again to judge the quick and the dead." Many ages were to pass "before that great and terrible day of the Lord +." It was fit therefore, that, as St Peter fpeaks, "the Heaven fhould receive him, until the times of the reftitution of all things ."

And, though the redemption of mankind was completed by him, so far as, in this lower world, it could be; yet there was left an important part of it, to be accomplished above. The Jewish difpenfation, as the epistle to the Hebrews more efpecially informs us, was " a fhadow of things to come." As therefore, under this, the great Sacrifice of Atonement was yearly flain without the fanctuary first; and then the High Priest entered alone with the blood of it, into the most holy place; there to offer it before the Lord, and atone for the fins of the people fo, in the gofpel age, was our bleffed Saviour, first as the Lamb of God ||, to be facrificed for our fins on earth; and then, as the High Priest of our profeffion, to enter, with his own blood, into heaven; the true holy place, of which the other was a figure, there to appear with it, in the prefence of God for us: and thus, having offered one Sacrifice for fins, he was for ever to fit down on the right hand of God 4.

:

When the time therefore was come, for this purpofe of Divine Wisdom to take effect; having gradually prepared the minds of his apoftles to bear his departure, he, in the laft place, with his usual tenderness, gave them all a folemn bleffing the words of which indeed are not delivered down to us; but probably they might not be unlike, and certainly they could not well be more affectionate, than those, which we find he used for their confolation, even before his sufferings, on a more diftant prospect of his being taken from them. "Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God; believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you; and I will come again,

1

Peace I

and receive you unto myfelf; that where I am, there ye may be alfo. Whatfoever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do. And I will pray the Father, and he fhall give you another Comforter: that he may abide with you for ever. leave with you: : my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid *.' 22 "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, and your heart fhall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. These things I have fpoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye fhall have tribulation: but be

of good cheer; I have overcome the world †.”

Undoubtedly with fuch like words of grace and affection, which every good Chriftian may and ought to confider as spoken to himself, did our Lord, before his departure, comfort his difciples under the immediate view of that interesting event. "And it came to pafs," the Evangelifts informs us, "that as he was yet bleffing them, while they beheld, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their fight ‡."

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:

It is hardly poffible to conceive ftronger or more various emotions of mind, than thofe, with which the breast of every one of his followers must be filled, on this occafion of furprise and aftonishment at what they had feen; of gratitude and tenderness, in return to what they had heard; of grief and fear concerning their now folitary condition; yet mixed, at the fame time, with fubmiffion and hope, and faithful trust in their dear Lord. But, as he himself had told them, "If they loved him, they would rejoice, because he went unto the Father §;" fo in fact, amidst all the paffions working within them, this prevailed above the reft; and triumphant gladness of heart was the feeling, that took poffeffion, and dwelt with them. They worshipped him, and returned to Jerufalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and bleffing God || "

Let us then rejoice alfo in this glorious exaltation of Chrift our Head. Let us confider the opportunity it gives us of exercifing that faith in him, which the apoftle juftly calls "the evidence

2

evidence of things not feen*;" and of obtaining a reward, fuitable to the greater virtue and piety that we show, in conducting aright our understandings, our hearts and our lives, under a lower, and yet fufficient, degree of evidence for our holy religion. "Because thou haft feen me," faith he himfelf to St Thomas, "thou haft believed: bleffed are they, that have not feen, and yet have believed t." This bleffedness therefore, by his afcenfion, he hath left to his whole church the means of acquiring; "that the trial of your faith," as St Peter expreffes it, "may be found unto praife and honour and gly, at the appearing of Jefus Chrift: whom not having feen, ye love; and in whom, though now ye fee him not, yet. believing, ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, the falvation of your fouls ‡." Let us confider too, that if his abfence tries our faith, the manner of his going away powerfully confirms it. For the apoftles were eye-witneffes of his afcending into the clouds and what stronger proof need we, of his coming from God, than his being thus taken up to him again; according to his own repeated predictions; befides the remarkable, though obfcurer, intimations of the fame thing in the Old Teftament?

:

Nor let it seem strange, that the fcripture fhould speak of one especial place, as the peculiar and appropriated refidence of God. We acknowledge, that he is, and cannot but be, every where. "Heaven and earth are full of the majefty of kis glory:" yea, "the Heaven and Heaven of heavens can§:"yea, not contain him ||." "Whither fhall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither fhall I flee from thy prefence? If I afcend up into heaven, thou art there: If I go down to hell, thou art there alfo. If I take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermoft parts of the fea; even there fhall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand fhall hold me ¶." Yet, notwithstanding this, the fcripture conftantly mentions him, as having condefcended to establish his throne in one particular place; and exhibit himself there, in the fymbol of light inacceffible: where therefore his holy angels attend upon him, and see his face; from whence he iffues forth his commands, as princes do theirs from the royal palace; and is reprefented, as viewVOL. IV.

ing

1 Pet. i. 7, 8, 9... § Te Deum. ¶ Pfal. cxxxix. 7,-IQ.