to confess thee before Men, as they did; that neither Profit may engage, nor Pleasure soften me into any sinful Compliance, nor any Sufferings or Persecutions so far influence my Fear, as to make me stagger or move from my Stedfastness; that in all my Sufferings here upon Earth, for the Testimony of thy Truth, I may fix my Mind upon those Things thou hast prepared for them that love thee, and by the Example of thy Saints, pray to thee for those that cruelly and despitefully use me, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right Hand of God, to succour those who suffer for thee, the only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

CHAP.

XX.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

A MOVEABLE FEAST.

Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day?

A. Our blessed Saviour ascending into Heaven in his human Nature, and his sitting at the Right Hand of God.

Q. When did our Saviour ascend into Heaven?

A. Forty Days after his Resurrection; during Acts i, 3. which Time he confirmed the Truth of his Resurrection, by appearing several Times to his Disciples, discoursing with them, and speaking of the Things concerning the Kingdom of God.

Q. How was the Ascension performed?

A. While Jesus was blessing his Disciples, he ver. 9. 10. was taken up in a bright Cloud, they all stedfastly looking after him, till he was entirely gone out of their Sight.

Q. What Testimony did the Angels bear at his Ascension?

4. While the Apostles were looking after our Saviour, two of them appeared to them, assuring them, that as Jesus was taken from them into ver. 11.

John xiv. 28, 29.

Johu zv.

26.

Heb. ix. 11, 12.

Heaven, so he should in as glorious a Manner return again to judge the World.

Q. Was it necessary the Apostles should be Eyewitnesses of the Ascension?

A. Yes, in order to the Confirmation of the Certainty and Reality of it. For though this was not necessary in his Resurrection, because whatever was a Proof of his Life after Death, was a Demonstration of his Resurrection; yet the Apostles not being to see him when in Heaven, it was necessary they should be Eye-witnesses of his Act of Ascending, that so they might be able to bear their Testimony to it. Q. What farther Proof had the Apostles of our

Saviour's Ascension ?

A. Before they saw our Saviour ascend, he had told them whither he was going, and what Power and Dignity would be conferred upon him; and, as an Evidence of this his Exaltation to the Right Hand of God, had promised to send down the Holy Ghost upon them in a sensible Manner; so that they, afterwards receiving the wonderful Effects of his being there, had abundant Evidence of his Exaltation in Heaven.

Q. How was Christ's Ascension typically represented under the Law?

A. By the High Priest's being appointed once every Year to enter into the Holy of Holies; which shewed that the High Priest of the good Things to come, by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle, not made with Hands, was to enter into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal Redemption for us; all the Jews, believing that the Tabernacle did signify this World, and the Holy of Holies the highest Heavens. Wherefore, as the High Priest did pass through the Rest of the Tabernacle, and with the Blood of the Sacrifice enter into the Holy of Holies, so was the Messias to offer up himself a Sacrifice, to pass through all the Courts of this World, and with his Blood to enter into the highest Heavens, the most glorious Seat of the Majesty of God,

Q. How was Christ's Ascension prophetically declared?

A. By the Royal Prophet David. Thou hast as- Psal. cended up on High, thou hast led Captivity captive, lxvii. thou hast received Gifts for Men. Which Words, though spoken immediately of David himself ascending in Triumph up the Hill where on the Temple stood, the Mount Sion, after his Conquest over the Philistines, yet they had also a prophetical Relation to our blessed Saviour's Ascension into Heaven; the Phrase on high, in the Language of David, signifying Heaven, is most properly applied to our Conqueror the Messias. And thus they are understood by St. Paul to the Ephesians.

Q. Whither did our Saviour ascend?

A. Into the Heaven of Heavens, the Presence of God; where his human Nature is seated far above all Angels and Archangels, all Principalities and Powers; even at the Right Hand of God.

Q. What mean you by his sitting at the Right Hand of God?

Eph. iv. 3.

A. The Advancement of his human Nature to the Height of Dignity and Authority in the Presence of God; the Right Hand being esteemed the Place of greatest Honour and Favour. Or it may import his sitting in his human Shape on the Right Hand of that bright Throne, or resplendent Glory, which visibly accompanies and manifests some extraordinary Presence of God; the usual Symbol of his Power and Majesty, which was probably what St. Stephen seems to have seen, when he beheld the Glory of Acts vii. God, and Jesus standing at the Right Hand of God. Q. What are we obliged to believe concerning our Saviour's Ascension?

A. That the only-begotten and eternal Son of God, after he rose from the Dead, did, with the same Soul and Body with which he rose, by a true and local Translation, convey himself from the Earth on which he lived, through all the Regions of the Air, through all the celestial Orbs, until he came +

55.

unto the Heaven of Heavens, the most glorious Presence of the Majesty of God.

Q. What Benefit do we particularly receive from Christ's Exaltation in Heaven?

A. The great Advantage of his Intercession for us at the Right Hand of God, where he is a perpetual Patron and Advocate in our Behalf, to plead our Cause, to solicit our Concernments, to represent our Wants, and to offer up our Prayers and Requests to God, by virtue of his meritorious Sacrifice. So that the true Penitent may expect Forgiveness; the weak, but sincere Christian, Strength and Assistance, having so powerful a Mediator with the Father. Those that suffer, and are persecuted, may depend upon their High Priest for Comfort and Heb. iv. Support, since he is touched with a Sense of our Infirmities. And all may come boldly to the Throne of Grace to obtain Mercy and Help in time of Need, because our Prayers are offered to God by so powerful and prevalent a Hand.

15, 16.

Q. What Reason may there be given why our Saviour did not ascend in the Sight of the Jews for their Conviction?

A. It was only absolutely necessary, that they who were to preach the Gospel should have the utmost Evidence of those Matters of Fact they attested. God's Design was to bring the World to Salvation by the Exercise of Faith, which is an Act of Assent upon the Testimony of another, with which Sight is inconsistent. And it is to be doubted, whether they, who ascribed our Saviour's Miracles to the Power of the Devil, and suborned the Soldiers to say, upon his Resurrection, that his Disciples stole -xxviii. him away, would not have called his Ascension if they had seen it, a Phantasm and vain Apparition. Q. What influence ought the Ascension of our Saviour to have upon us?

Mat. ix.

34.

12, 13.

A. It ought to confirm our Faith, to strengthen our Hope, and to raise our Affections to Things above. Q. How doth the Ascension confirm our Faith?

A. Because it gives us a farther Proof of our Saviour's divine Mission, and that he was a true Prophet sent from God; it being Evidence beyond Exception that God would never have so highly rewarded him, and visibly have taken him into Heaven, if he had not been sent into the World by him, and had not approved of the Message he delivered Neither can we doubt of his Return to judge the World, our Saviour having declared him- Acts x. 42 self appointed by God, Judge of Quick and Dead. And the Angels having confirmed the same, Nothing being more credible than the Saying of one whom God has so visibly taken to himself.

to us.

Q. How doth the Ascension strengthen our Hope? A. By seeing our own Nature thus advanced, we are assured that Dust and Ashes may thither ascend; and the blessed Jesus being our Head, as Members of his Body we may expect Admission into that heavenly Court, where he sits in Glory, since we have his Word, that can never fail, that he is gone to prepare a Place for us. Besides, our Saviour's Exaltation dispels all those Fears the Weakness of our Nature may suggest to us, because he hath an absolute Disposal of all those Graces, which are necessary to attain eternal Happiness.

Q. How doth the Ascension exalt our Affections? 4. By putting us in Mind that our Treasure is above, and that therefore we ought not to set our Affections upon Things that are below. That Heaven is the true and only Happiness of a Christian, and that our great Design in this World ought to be, to fit and prepare ourselves for the Enjoyment of it. That our constant Endeavours ought to tend towards the qualifying ourselves to be received into our Saviour's Presence, to whom we have the greatest Obligations of Duty and Gratitude. That by trampling upon our Sins, and subduing the Lusts of the Flesh, we may make our Conversation correspond to our Saviour's Condition, that where the Eyes of the Apostles were forced to leave him, thither our Thoughts may follow him.