and where we are so concerned, there especially in spirit SERM. and heart we may be supposed to be.

ΧΧΧΙ.

6. I might add, that God did thus advance our Saviour, to declare the special regard he beareth to piety, righteousness, and obedience, by his fo amply rewarding and highly dignifying the practice thereof. We, faith the Heb. ii. 9. Apostle, fee Jefus, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour. We see him, not only as an object of our contemplation, but as a pattern of our practice, and as a ground of our encouragement; Looking up, faith that Heb. xii. 2. Apostle again, unto Jefus, the captain and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was fet before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is fet down at the right hand of God. God, it seemeth, did intend, and he doth propound, our Lord's exaltation, for an engagement and motive to us of following him in the way by which he attained it; giving us assuredly to hope for the like rewards of glory and joy, in proportion answerable to our imitation of his exemplary obedience and patience.

Such are the principal ends and effects of our Lord's afcenfion, and feffion at God's right hand; the confideration of which points may have great use, should have much influence upon our practice.

1. It may serve to guard us from divers errors, which to the dangerous prejudice and difparagement of our religion (introducing into it notions thwarting reason and sense, charging it with needless and groundless incredibilities, expofing it to difficulties and objections so maffy, that the foundations of Christian truth are scarce able to support them) have been and are afferted by divers perfons, or by fects of men profeffing Chriftianity, such as are that of the old Eutychians, who held, that the human nature of our Lord was converted into his divinity, or fwallowed up thereby; that of the German Ubiquitaries, who say, that our Lord according to his human nature corporally doth exist everywhere; that of the Lutheran Consubstantialists, and of the Roman Transubstantiators, who affirm, that the body of our Lord is here upon earth at once present in many places, (namely, in every place

:

SERM. where the Host is kept, or the Eucharift is celebrated:) XXXI. which affertions, by the right understanding of these points, will appear to be false. For our Lord did visibly in human shape ascend to heaven, (which to do is inconfiftent with the invisible, omnipresent, and immoveable nature of God,) and therefore he continueth still a man; and as fuch he abideth in heaven, and therefore he doth not exist everywhere or otherwhere. It is the property of a creature to have a definite existence, or to be only in one place at one time; for could it be in divers places at once, it might by like reason be in any or in every place, and consequently it might be immenfe; nor can we conceive a thing to be at once in several distant places, without its being multiplied in essence: it especially is repugnant to the nature of a body at once to possess several places, seeing its substance and quantity do not really differ, or are infeparably combined, whence it cannot be multiplied in dimensions, answerable to many localities, without being multiplied in substance; wherefore fince

our Lord, as man, did by a proper local motion ascend, Heb. ix. 24. pass through, and enter into the heavens, (being, as it is said in holy Scripture, in the visible form and dimensions

iv. 14. Acts i. 2, 9, 10, 11.

50, 51.

of his body, taken, carried, lifted up, gone into heaven, Luke xxiv. parting from his disciples, going away from us, leaving Mark xvi. the world and going to the Father; being where no man here can come, or can follow him; being to be no more in the world, fo that we have him not always with us; being

19.
Matt. xxvi.
11.

1 Pet. iii.

22.

there, where we, being in the body, are absent from him;

John xvi. 5, seeing he doth now reside in heaven, which must, as St. xiv. 25. xiii. Peter affirmed, receive (or hold) him, until the restitution 3.vii 33,34. of all things; where he constantly appeareth in God's pre36. xvii. 11. fence for us, and ever liveth to make interceffion for us; 2 Cor. v. 6. whence also we do expect, that in the like visible manner as he went, that he shall come again, descending, as St. Heb. vii. 25. Paul speaketh, from heaven, and coming in the clouds of heaven, at the last refurrection and judgment, which is 1 Thef. iv. therefore commonly termed his prefence and appearance 16. i. 10. here;) since, I say, according to the tenor of Scripture, 1 Cor.xv.47. our Lord did thus, as man, in his flesh go into heaven, and

30.

there perpetually doth abide in glory, until he shall thence SERM. return hither to judge the world, we must not suppose XXXI. him to be any where corporally upon earth. He is in- Rev. i. 7. deed every where by his Divinity present with us; he is Matt. xxiv. also in his humanity present to our faith, to our memory, (Εἰς ἀπάνο to our affection; he is therein also present by myfterious The τησιν Κυρίε, representation, by spiritual efficacy, by general inspection 17.) and influence upon his Church; but in body, as we are Ἐπιφάνεια. abfent from him, so is he likewise separated from us; we 2 Cor. v. 6.

Παρεσία.

Phil. i. 23.

must depart hence, that we may be with him, in the place 1 Thef. iv. whither he is gone to prepare for us. Who shall afcend 17. into heaven, to bring Christ down thence? faith St. Paul, intimating where he doth immoveably abide, in exclufion to all other places. These things (befide many other strong reafons) if we do confider, it will fuffice to guard us from those rampant absurdities, which so long, with fuch impudence and fuch violence, have outbraved plain reafon and sense. But to leave this, and to come to more practical applications.

SERM. lated to us, and in affection so well disposed toward us; XXXI. who, out of tender good-will toward us, hath undertaken

this high charge, and exerciseth it with design to do us good; who therefore especially is pleased to fit at the helm, that he may protect us from all the enemies of our welfare, and that he may fettle us in the enjoyment of happiness? Shall we dare to oppose his will, and not Matt.xxviii. dread to displease him, to whom all power in heaven and earth is given; whose will is executed by the irrefistible right hand of God; who therefore can easily check us in our bad courses, and will surely chastise us for our difobedience? We do plainly hereby incur the heinous guilt, and shall surely undergo the grievous punishment, of rebellion; this being the sentence which, refusing subjection

18.

27.

Luke xix. to him, we shall one day hear and feel; Those mine enemies, that would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and flay them before me.

3. These points do afford ground and matter of great joy and comfort to us. Have we not cause to rejoice, that our Lord hath obtained so absolute and glorious a victory over all our cruel enemies? Should we not with joyful gratulation applaud the triumphs of goodness over wickedness, of charity over malice, of mercy over wrath, of life and happiness over death and misery? Is it not matter of huge fatisfaction that one of our kind and kindred, who beareth toward us the bowels of a man and the affection of a brother, who hath yielded so wonderful expreffions of good-will and charity toward us, who so loved us as to lay down his life for us, is raised to such preferment? Shall we not be pleased, that we have fo good a friend in so high place and so great power; or that he who is so willing, is also so able to do us good? Have we not great cause to acquiefce in our fubjection to so just, so mild, so gracious a Governor; the fceptre of whose kingdom is a right fceptre, whose yoke is easy, and burden light? Shall we not be glad, considering that we have fo merciful and so kind an intercessor always refident with God, always ready to do good offices for us at the throne of grace? Confidering this, what is there that can be or happen in the world that should displease, discourage, or SERM. disturb us? What enemies should we fear, fince all our XXXI. enemies lie prostrate under his feet? What good can we fear to want, fince all things are at his disposal, and all good is dispensed by him? What events should trouble us, fince all things are managed and ordered by his good hand? Will he suffer any thing to hurt us? Will he fee us need any convenience? Will he let us be oppressed by any mischief or distress, whose office it is and continual care to protect and fuccour us? Have we not, in contemplation of these things, abundant reason to comply with that precept, of rejoicing in the Lord always? Be our cafe Phil. iv. 4. in this world what it will, confidering where our Lord is, iii. 1. we have great cause to be cheerful, according to that injunction of our Lord, enforced by this confideration; In John xvi. the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; 133. have overcome the world.

4. The confideration of these things serveth to cherish and strengthen all kind of faith and hope in us. If the refurrection of our Saviour might beget in us a strong perfuafion concerning the truth of our Lord's doctrine, and a lively hope of salvation from his undertakings and performances for us, his afcenfion and session in glory (confirmed by the same indubitable testimonies and authorities) must needs nourish, improve, and corroborate them. We cannot furely distrust the accomplishment of any promises declared by him, we cannot despair of receiving any good from him, who is afcended into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of divine wisdom and divine power, thence viewing all things done here, thence ordering all things every where for the advantage of those who love him and trust in him.

It especially doth serve to quicken in us that blessed Tit. ii. 13. hope, as St. Paul calleth it, of a joyful and happy rest after the troubles and forrows of this wretched life; which hope Heb. vi. 19. we have as an anchor of the foul, both fure and fledfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jefus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.