Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

' 872. Book.IV .Part.V. Lookingunto:Jefm. Chap.2.S_ett.~ ----------------------------------------------~ not feare any check from God or Angel, fo that thy contemplation befpiritual and divine. No fooner had Chrift fini1hed his work of reqemption here on earth, but on the mount called olivet he affembfes with his Difciples, where having given them commands, he begins to mount ; and being a little lifted up into ·, the ayre, preferltly a cloud receives him into her lap. Herein is. a cleare derrionfiration of his Godhead '; clouds are ufually in Scriptures put for the houfe, or Temple; or recepcacle of God d 6 himfelfe. How often is it faid that the glory of the Lord npprared ~-~~ ~1 :::·16 in the cloud? And that he.came to Mofes in a thick.. clo~td? and --34: 5; that he ca/ltd unto Mofes out of the midft ofthe Cloud? and that ICa.1,9.r . the Lord defcendedin the cloud? is not the cloud Gods own charet ? b.chold the Lord rideth on 11 fwift cloud; -and 0 Lord l'fal.Io4·3· my qod thou art very g·rrat, faith David; great indeed, And he proves it thu1, who makfth the clou(u his charet. Jcfus Chri£1: in his afcenfion to heaven enters by the way into a cloud; this was ; his charet, led by thoufands and ten thoufands ofhis Angels, the chartts of Cjod are tWttJty th9ufand, even thoFt[andsof Angeli>, the - pf 168 8 L1rd is amang them Min Sinai in the holy place, thou haft afcended • • ' 17 ' 1 ·on high, thou haft led captivity c.zptive, thou ht~fl received gifts for men. Some are ofopini9n that not only thoufands ofAngels led this charet, but that many of the Saints which flept, and rofe with Chri£1: at his refurredion, now afcended with him, and compalfed about this glorious cloud ; whence they give this for - the meaning of the text, that when he went up throHgh the ayre, . and ~tfcended up on high, he led captivifJ captive, that is, he led" Enghlhlnno- certaine number ofcaptives, namely the Saints thttt were long hdd ~tbons S n in captivity ofdeath, whofe bodyes arofe at Chrifls refurre[lion, and p ·+ · now th'ey accompanyrd Chrifl: at his tryumph11nt march into heaven. However he was attended, be not too curious {0 my foul in this) the bright cloud that covered his body. difcovered his divinity; and therefore here is thy duty; to look £l:ea9fafily towards heaven, and to worfhip him in his ~fcenfion up!into heaven; 0 admire and adore ! But flay not thy contemplation in the cloud, he afcends yet higher, through the ayre, and through the c~uds, and through t hat fphere, or element offire, and through thofe orbes ofthe Moone, .ll-1'erotry, Mars; of the Sun, 'fupiter, Vmm, .Saturne; and-through that azure heaven of fixed fiars, and through that · firil

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