GOD; for there is a power and virtue in the refur- SERM. rection of CHRIST, and his afcenfion into hea- CXCV. ven, as well as in his death, to draw all men to him. The gift of GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT is the fruit of his ascension and exaltation" at the right hand of "his majefty on high :" and 'tis by the powerful operation of the SPIRIT of GOD upon our hearts, that we are raised to newness of life, and our affec tions fix'd upon heavenly things. We are naturally bowed down to the earth, and inclined to the things of this world, curva in terris animæ, & cæleftium inanes: but our glorified SAVIOUR fitting at the right hand of GoD, by the power of his SPIRIT, draws our affections to him. The

IIId and last argument, which is but implied in the text, is the transcendent and incomparable excellency of heavenly things, above things on the earth, which the apoftle intimates by the oppofition, "fet 66 your affections on things above; not on things on "the earth." Earthly things are perifhing and tranfitory, grofs and unfatisfactory, and cannot be the felicity of an immortal foul, being neither fuited to the spiritual nature, nor to the immortal duration of our fouls; they can neither satisfy us while we live, nor preserve us from death, nor comfort us in it, nor accompany us into the other world, nor contribute any thing to our happiness there; and if they can do nothing towards our happiness, why should we fet our hearts upon them? They that feek for happiness in earthly things, are like the women fitting over our SAVIOUR'S fepulchre, with their faces bowed down to the earth; they "feek the living among the dead;" our happiness " is not here, 'tis rifen," 'tis above. Let our hearts afcend thither,

R 4

SERM. thither, where our happiness and our treasure is. CXCV. Why fhould we bestow our affections upon these low and mean things, when there are incomparably better objects to fix them upon?

The inference from all this fhall be to engage and perfuade us by all these arguments and confiderations, "to feek and mind the things which are "above, where CHRIST fitteth at the right hand "of GOD; and to have our converfation there, "where our SAVIOUR is, and from whence alfo "we look for him again, to change thefe vile bo"dies, that they may be made like unto his glorious body, according to the working of that mighty

66

power, whereby he is able to fubdue all things to "himself." Let all our actions have relation to another world, and our converfation declare, that we are mindful of another country, that is a heaven"ly." IS CHRIST our head rifen and afcended into heaven ?.. let us in our hearts and affections follow him thither, and patiently wait till he receive our fouls, and raise our bodies, and take us wholly to himself, that we may be "LORD."

for ever with the

The refurrection of CHRIST is a demonstration of a future ftate after this life, and a pledge of a bleffed immortality in another world. For our LORD, by his refurrection from the dead, hath conquer'd death, and "abolish'd it, and brought ❝ life and immortality to light." He is "the firft"fruits of them that flept," and his refurrection is an earnest and affurance of ours; and from thence the apostle makes this inference," therefore, my be"loved brethren, be ye ftedfaft and unmoveable, al

ways abounding in the work of the LORD; for

" afmuch

"afmuch as ye know, that your labour fhall not be SERM. "in vain in the LORD." The belief of a future ftate after this life, fhould put us upon the most earneft and vigorous endeavours to fecure this happy condition to ourselves; "if by any means," as the apoftle expreffeth it, "we may attain the refurrection "of the dead." It fhould raise us above the world and the lufts of it, above all the terrors and temptations of it.

As on the one hand, the ferious thoughts of our mortality fhould check our eager purfuit of this world; fo on the other hand, the belief of a life to come should quicken our endeavours for the obtaining of it feeing we hope for fo happy a ftate, we should prepare ourselves for it by purity, and holiness of heart and life, by perfeverance, and a "patient "continuance in well-doing. What manner of per"fons ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godlinefs," who have fuch hopes and expectations? Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth " himself even as he is pure." Now that "life and "immortality are brought to light by the gospel," what greater, what other defign can any man pro-, pose to himself, than to be happy for ever? For fuch a prize, who would not ftrive, and run, and take any pains? Who would not deny himself, "the "pleasures of fin, which are but for a feafon," refift temptations, and conflict with difficulties, and "glory, " in tribulations" and fufferings, and be constant and "faithful to the death, in hope of that eternal life, "which God that cannot lye hath promised?"

In our pursuit of the things of this world, we ufu.. ally prevent enjoyment, by expectation; we anticipate our own happiness, and eat out the heart and

fweetness

SERM. fweetness of worldly pleasures, by delightful foreCXCV. thoughts of them; fo that when we come to poffefs

them, they do not anfwer the expectation, nor fatisfy
the defires which were raised about them, and they
vanish into nothing: but the things which are above,
are fo great, fo folid, fo durable, fo glorious, that
we cannot raise our thoughts to an equal height with
'them; we cannot enlarge our defires beyond a poffi-
bility of fatisfaction. Our hearts are greater than the
world; but God is greater than our hearts; and the
happiness which he hath laid up for us, is like him-
felf, incomprehenfibly great and glorious. Let the
thoughts of this raise us above this world, and infpire
us with greater thoughts and defigns, than the care
and concernments of this prefent life.

We all profess moft firmly to believe, that after a few days we fhall leave this world, and all the enjoyments of it, and go to the place from whence we fhall not return; that we fhall enter upon an unchangeable state of happiness or misery, according as we have demeaned ourselves in this prefent life; that great care and diligence is neceffary" to work out "our own falvation;" that there must be a great preparation of ourselves, by unfpotted purity of heart and life, to make ourselves "meet for an inheri"tance with them that are fanctified;" that we must "labour, and strive, and run, and fight, and give "all diligence to make our calling and election "fure;" that we had need "to watch and pray al"ways, that we may be accounted worthy to efcape "the judgment of the great day, and to stand be"fore the Son of man." Such thoughts as these should continually poffefs our fouls, and heaven should be always in our eye, if, with St. Stephen, we

"faw

faw the heavens opened, and JESUS ftanding at "the right hand of GoD," to see how we behave ourselves here below; and when we have fought

a good fight, and finished our course, and kept "the faith, to receive us to himself, that where he ❝is, there we may be also."

"To whom, with the FATHER, and the HOLY "GHOST, be all honour and glory now and for Amen."

"evermore.

SERMON CXCVI. The circumstances and benefits of our SAVIOUR'S afcenfion.

ACTS i. 9, 10, 11.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their fight. And while they looked ftedfaftly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, which also faid, ye men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into heaven? this fame JESUS which is taken up from you into heaven, fhall fo come in like manner, as ye have seen him go inte

beaven.

HERE are two occafions of this day* ac- SERM,

T cidentally met together, which bear fome cxcvi.

resemblance to one another; the afcenfion of our Preachbleffed SAVIOUR into heaven, and his exalta-ed May tion in his kingdom, being "crowned with glory afcenfion

29, being

❝and day.