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XXX.

our fins did flay him; it must be our repentance that re SERM. viveth him to us, our obedience that maketh him to live in our behalf; for Chrift is not in effect rifen to impenitent people as they continue dead in trefpaffes and fins, as they lie buried in corruption of heart and life, fo their condemnation abideth, and death retaineth its entire power over them; they shall not xatavtav sis tùy ékavásαow, attain Phil. iii. 11. unto that happy refurrection, whereof our Lord's refurrection was the pledge and pattern; fo did our Lord affure in his preaching; He, faid our Lord, that believeth in the John iii. 36, Son (that is, who with a fincere, ftrong, and lively faith, productive of due obedience, believeth in him) hath everlafting life; but i av, he that disobeyeth (or with a practical infidelity disbelieveth) the Son shall not fee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him; whence we may well infer with St. Paul, Therefore, brethren, we are debt- Rom. viii. ors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if we live after the flesh, we shall die; but if through the Spirit we do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live; that is, affuredly by obeying God's will we fhall obtain, by dif obedience we muft forfeit, all the benefits of our Lord's refurrection.

12, 13.

Phil. i. 23.

5. Laftly, The contemplation of this point should elevate our thoughts and affections unto heaven and heavenly things, above the fordid pleasures, the fading glories, and the unstable poffeffions of this world; for him we fhould Rev. xiv. 4. Eph. ii. 6. follow whitherfoever he goeth; rifing with him, not only from all finful defires, but from all inferior concernments, foaring after him in the contemplation of our minds and affections of our heart; that although we are abfent from 2 Cor. v. 6. the Lord in the body, we may be present with him in fpi- iii. 20. rit, having our converfation in heaven, and our heart there, Matt. vi. where our treasure is; for if our fouls do ftill grovel on the earth, if they be closely affixed to worldly interefts, deeply immerfed in fenfual delights, utterly enslaved to corrup-2 Pet.ii. 19. tion, we do not partake of our Lord's refurrection, being quite fevered from his living body, and continuing in vaft (Gal. vi. 8. diftance from him: I fhall therefore conclude, recom-1 Tim. v. mending that admonition of St. Paul; If ye then be rifen 6.)

21.

Rom. viii.

Rev. iii. 1

Col. iii. 1

SERM. with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift XXX. fitteth on the right hand of God: Set your affections on

Heb. xiii. 20, 21.

things above, not on things on the earth: for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; that when Chrift, who is our life, fhall appear, then ye may also appear with him in glory. Amen.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is wellpleafing in his fight, through Jefus Chrift; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

He afcended into Heaven, and fitteth at the

right hand of God.

SERMON XXXI.

MARK XVI. 19.

He was received up into heaven, and fat on the right hand

of God.

OUR Lord after his refurrection having confummated SERM. what was requifite to be done by him upon earth, for XXXI. the confirmation of our faith, and the conftitution of his Church; having for a competent time converfed with his difciples, enlightening their minds with knowledge of the truths concerning him, and in right understanding of the Scriptures relating to him; establishing their faith in immoveable conviction, enflaming their affections by pathetical discourse, comforting their minds with gracious promises against tribulations enfuing, and arming their hearts with courage and patience against all oppofitions of earth and hell; directing and prefcribing to them how they should proceed in the inftruction of men, and converfion of the world to the belief of his doctrine, the acceptance of his overtures, the obfervance of his laws; furnishing them with authority, and giving them orders to atteft the truth concerning him, to difpenfe the grace and mercy procured by him, and to promulgate the whole will of God to mankind; promifing them fpiritual gifts and aids (both ordinary and extraordinary) neceffary or conducible either

SERM. to the common edification or to the particular welfare of XXXI. Chriftians; ordering them to collect and compact the fociety of faithful believers in him, which he had purchased with his blood; in fine, imparting to them his effectual benediction, and a promise of continual affiftance in the profecution of thofe great and holy defigns which he committed to their management; having, I fay, accomplished all these things, which St. Mark in this verfe expreffeth briefly by the words μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι αὐτοῖς, after he had spoken to them; and which St. Luke compriseth in Ats i. 2, the words évtaλáμevos aurois, that is, having imparted to

51.

Acts i. 9.

1 Pet. iii.

22.

them all needful inftructions, and impofed all fitting commands upon them; he in their presence departed away into the poffeffion of his glorious ftate; He was, faith St. Mark in our text, received up into heaven, and fat on the right hand of God.

Which words of the Evangelift do contain two grand points of our faith, the afcenfion of our Lord to heaven, and his feffion there at God's right hand; the right understanding and due confideration whereof [as it is now peculiarly, when the Church recommendeth these points to be the fubjects of our devotion most seasonable, so perpetually] is of great use for the edification of our fouls and the direction of our practice: in order to which purposes, I shall endeavour to explain them, to confirm the truth of them, to fhew the ends and effects of them, and practically to apply them.

I. He was received into heaven; this is the first point, wherein we may obferve the act, and its term: the act, άveλpen, he was affumed, or taken up, faith St. Mark here; dve épeтo, he was elevated, or carried up; and

pn,

Luke xxiv. he was borne up, faith St. Luke; πopeúdŋ, he went into heaven, faith St. Peter: which phrases do import, that he was, according to his humanity, (or that his body and foul united together were,) tranflated by the divine power into heaven; or that he as God (by the divine power immanent in him) did transfer himself as man thither; fo that he both was carried and did go with a proper local motion, the term whereof was heaven,

17.

xiii. 1.

ται τῷ προσω ώπῳ Θεό. Heb. ix. 24.

Acts ii. 33.

v. 31.

16.

26.

ix. 12.

Διεληλυθέα

v૪૬.

And what is meant by heaven, in the proper fenfe ade- SERM. quate to this matter, may appear from other places equi- XXXI. valent, by which this action, or the refult thereof are expreffed. It is called afcending to his Father, and passing John xx. out of this world to his Father; that is, departing hence into the place of God's more efpecial prefence and refidence; where he, as the Apoftle to the Hebrews faith, 'Epavi appeareth to the face of God; being, as St. Peter speaketh, exalted to the right hand of God; (that is, to the greatest proximity, and therefore highest eminency, with God.) Itv. is termed being taken up into glory, and entering into his 1 Tim. iii. glory; that is, into a moft glorious place and state peculiar Luke xxiv. to him; that place which St. Peter calleth μeyaλoжрenn's 2 Pet. i. 17. doa, the magnificent, or moft excellent glory. It is ftyled Heb. vi. 19. entering εἰς τὸ ἐσώτερον τῷ καταπετάσματος, into the mofi inward part behind the veil; and into the rà aya, the espe- જા જà૬ ૪ઃcially holy places; that is, into the inmoft receffes of glory, Heb. iv. 14. inacceffible, and in degree incommunicable, to any other. Eph. iv. 10. He is faid to have passed through the heavens, (that is, through all places inferior to the highest top of glory and felicity ;) to have afcended ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν ἐρανῶν, over Υψηλότε above all the heavens; to have become higher than the hea-yeavens, or advanced above them: by which expreffions it Heb. vii.26. appeareth, that the term of our Saviour's afcent, called heaven here, was that place of all places in the universe of things in fituation moft eminent, in quality most holy, in dignity most excellent, in glory most illuftrious; the inmost fanctuary of God's temple above, not made with Heb. ix. 11, hands; the most auguft chamber of presence in the celeftial court and whereas there are, as our Lord telleth us, many manfions, or apartments, in the houfe of God, the John xiv. 2. chief and best of them our Lord hath taken up for his refidence; whereas heaven is a place of vaft extent, to the utmoft top thereof our Lord hath afcended, even into that pas apósitov, inacceffible light where God dwelleth.

And there, as it followeth, he fitteth at God's right hand; the meaning of which words it is not difficult to find out; it being obvious and clear, that the state of things above, in the other blessed world, is in the Scrip

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1 Tim. vi.

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