the glorious Resurrection of THY SON, JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD: for HE is the very Paschal LAMB, WHICH was offered for us, and hath taken away the sin of the world; WHO by His Death hath destroyed death, and by His Rising to life again hath restored to us everlasting life. Therefore, with Angels, and Archangels, and with all the Company of Heaven, we laud and magnify THY glorious NAME; evermore praising THEE, and saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy LORD GOD of Hosts, Heaven and Earth are full of THY glory: Glory be to THEE, O LORD Most High. Amen."

1 Communion Service. Proper Preface.

SERMON XIV.

OUR ASCENSION IN CHRIST.

For Ascension-Bap.

ACTS 1. 10, 11.1

"AND WHILE THEY LOOKED STEDFASTLY TOWARD HEAVEN, AS HE WENT UP, BEHOLD, TWO MEN STOOD BY THEM, IN WHITE APPAREL; WHICH ALSO SAID, YE MEN OF GALILEE, WHY STAND YE GAZING UP INTO HEAVEN? THIS SAME JESUS, WHICH IS TAKEN UP FROM YOU INTO HEAVEN, SHALL SO COME, IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO INTO HEAVEN."

"BUT will GOD indeed," WHO did " dwell on the earth," raise man to dwell in "the Heaven, and Heaven of Heavens ?"" Even so. The end of our Blessed REDEEMER'S Coming

1 The portion of Holy Scripture appointed for the Epistle.

2 1 Kings viii. 27.

upon earth in the Flesh was to enable us to ascend into Heaven. At His miraculous Conception, "HE bowed the Heavens " down to earth: at His Ascension He lifted up man, "of the earth, earthy, " but such no longer in HIM, unto the Skies: committed not "earth to earth; ashes to ashes; dust to dust;" but earth to Heaven; ashes to beauty; dust to glory. It was for this that GOD the FATHER sent His Only-Begotten SON into the world, "that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, He might gather together in one, all things in CHRIST, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth."2 It was for this that God became man. Earth could not rise to Heaven, and Heaven was bowed down to earth, that man, who was formed of the dust, might be "blessed with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in CHRIST." And that which to nature was impossible grace accomplished. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” As the offspring of Adam "man is very far gone from

1 1 Cor. xv. 47.
Eph. i. 3.

3

2 Eph. i. 10.

4 Rom. v. 12.

991

original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth GoD's wrath and damnation.' Is this the nature, then, that shall itself restore itself to the Divine Image? Is this the nature that shall say, "I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of GOD . . . . I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High? How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning, how art thou cut down to the ground," the "ground cursed for thy sake," "till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." What were we in the first Adam! What are we not in the Second Adam ! "O LORD our Governor, how excellent is THY Name in all the world;" for THOU didst die and rise again, for "the Holy Church throughout all the world:" "THOU hast set THY glory above the Heavens;" for now after that "THY precious Death, and Burial, and glo

1 Art. ix.

3 Gen. iii. 17, 19.

2 Isa. xiv. 12, 13, 14.

* Ps. viii. Morning Service.

L

rious Resurrection," THOU hast, of a truth, "set THY glory above the Heavens ". -yea, Blessed LORD, and not THY glory only, but our vileness; "for our conversation is in Heaven, from whence also we look for the SAVIOUR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious Body."

Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast THOU ordained strength;" ordained strength for us-weaker are we than babes and sucklings-" because of THINE enemies, to still the enemy and the avenger,' who would "put out our glory, and cast our throne down to the ground." "For we will consider THY Heavens, even the works of THY Fingers, the moon and the stars, which THOU hast ordained;"" they shall perish, but THOU"-but we-" shall endure !" "What is man that THOU art mindful of him, and the son of man that THOU visitest him? Lower than the Angels," yet trampling on Hell! "Having dominion of " the world and all that therein is--keeping " in subjection under his feet" the powers of the world un"O LORD our Governor, how excellent is THY Name in all the world!"

seen.