27I SERMON CXLII. The Circunil[ances and Benefits of out Saviour's Afeenfion. ACTS T. 9, I O, I I . And when he hadfpoken thefe Things, while theybeheld, he was taken up, anda Cloud received him out of their Sight. Andwhile they looked fedfafly toward Heaven, as he went up, behold, two Men flood by them in white Apparel, which allo Jaid, Te Men of Galilee, why 'land yegaging up into Heaven? This fame Jefus which is taken up from you into Heaven, (hall fo come, in like manner, as yehave feen him go into Heaven. THERE are two Occafons of this Day x accidentally met together, which bear fome Refemblance to one another ; the Afcenfion of our Bleffed Savi- NT'Y ''9 our into Heaven, and his Exaltation in his Kingdom, being crowneda ith Glory and censon.f Honour, andfit on the Right Handofthe Majefy on high : And the Reftoration of our Day. Sovereign to his juft Rights, and Royal State and Dignity here upon Earth, by a miraculous Providence of God, and as it were by a Kind of Refurrettion from the Dead. The firft of thefe being of a more Spiritual and Excellent Nature, flail be the Subje&ofmyprefent /Difcourfe, notforgetting theother in theApplicationofit. The greatFoundation of our Religion is the Hiftory of our Saviour, of his Incar- nation, and Miracles, and Life, of his Refurre&ion from the Dead, and Afcenfion intoHeaven, and Interceffìon for us at theRight Hand of God; and the Do&rines and Articlesconcerning thefe, make up the main Body of theChriftianFaith ; and therefore, nothing can be more ufeful, than the Explication of thefe, and a feri- ous Confideration and Meditation upon them. In thefeWords you havean Account of our Saviour's Afcenfion into Heaven, concerning which, we will confider thefe three Things Firf, The Circumftances foregoing his Afcenfion. Secondly, The Circumltances of his Afcenfion.' Thirdly, The confequent Benefits and Advantages of it. Firfi, The Circumftances foregoing his Afcenfion And when he had fpoken theft Things, he was taken up. This refers to the Difcourfe which our Saviour had with his.Apofiles, immediately before he was taken up from them into Heaven, of which we have an Account in theVerfes before the Text, Ver. 4. Being affembled with them, and juft ready to take his Leave of them, he commands them that they íhouldnot departfrom Jerufalem, but wait for the Promife ofthe Father, which they had heard of him: That is, they fhould not difperfe themfelves, 'till the Holy Ghoft, which he had promifed to fend from his Father, was come upon them, in thofe miraculous Gifts and Powers, whereby they íhould be qualified for the Preaching of the Gofpel to the World. And when our Saviour had given them this Charge, they put a Queftion to him, concerninga Thing which, notwithftanding he had fo plainly declared to them, that his Kingdom was not ofthis World, did hill run in their Minds, about the Temporal Reignof theMeas, and a Glorious Kingdom by him tobe fet up among the yews; Ver. 6. They asked ofhim, flying, Lord, wilt thon at this Time re- fiere the Kingdom unto Ifrael ? To this our Saviour gives them no dire& Anfwer, neither that he would, nor that he would not do what they expe&ed ; but gently reprehends their Curiofity ; Ver. y. It is not for yen toknow the Times and Siafnns, which r
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