DISCOURSE XV.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR SAVIOUR.

Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your God. -John xx. 17.

It is not necessary to inquire-whose language is this?

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No sooner do we hear it, than we exclaim with one of his followers on another occasion-it is the Lord!

The words are addressed to Mary Magdalene, as a reward for her constancy, in adhering so firmly to him, and for her affection, in seeking so early after him. He appeared to her before he shewed himself to his apostles. The relation is singularly interesting. But we have only to remark, that she was so transported with the sight of her Lord and Saviour that she was going to embrace his feet, and bedew them with tears of joy. But he said unto her," touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father-but shall soon; and there is no time to lose-private satisfaction is to be relinquished for public service-I employ you immediately as my herald; what you have seen, I wish others "to bear-use no delay; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Fa"ther; and to my God and your God."

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There are two things in the words which require our attention. I. The persons to whom the message is addressed. II. The substance of the intelligence.

I. It may be asked-why was not this information sent to the scribes, and pharisees, and chief priests?

Why did he not thus convince his enemies, and render his resurrection undeniable ? Because "whosoever "hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more

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abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall "be taken away, even that he hath. The meek will he "guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear ." him; and he will shew them his covenant." He never refused explanation to any humble inquirer-but he was surely not obliged to force information upon those that hated knowlegde. To what purpose is it to adduce evidence to those that wilfully shut their eyes, and will not see. They had seen him heal the sick with a touch, and raise the dead with a word. They knew the report of the guards, and had given then money to propagate a known falsehood, "saying, his "disciples came by night, and stole him away while "we slept."

-But his own followers only labored under infirmi ties. They loved him, and had forsaken all to attend him. They wished to be established in the truth; they were willing to come to the light and had doubtless been praying, "what I know not teach thou me. And "then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord: "his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he "shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former "rain unto the earth." And thus enlightening, and thus refreshing, was this message to the perplexed and desponding disciples.

But what I wished to observe here was not only his sending this message exclusively to his disciples; but also his addressing them under a particular name-my brethren. This is more than he would have said of angels. He is only their Lord-but he is our brother. "He took not on him the nature of angels," but he "took on him the seed of Abraham." Thus he is bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. "Both he that "sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them breth

ren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren "in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made

like unto his brethren; that he might be a merciful "and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to "make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Many an elder brother has stood between the affections of the father and the rest of the children, and by engrossing the whole of the inheritance, has reduced the younger branches to dependence, if not to beggary: but Jesus pitied those who were less happy than himself, pleaded for them, shared with them in all their miseries, and determined to make them partakers of all his honors and riches. Thus they have fellowship with him: they are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ." -By using this name, he would shew that his elevation had not made him forgetful of those he was to leave behind. Though he was now rich and they were poor; though he had now a glorious body, and they were groaning under the burden of the flesh; though he had now all power in heaven and in earth, and they were weak, despised, and persecuted-he calls them brethren. Yea, he will not be ashamed to do this, even in the great day, when he shall sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations: in the presence of men, of angels, and of God, he will say, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of "these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

His addressing them in this message, as brethren, would comfort his disciples. One had denied him; and the rest had forsaken him and fled! They had acted a very unworthy part, and their consciences made them uneasy. And had they heard of his resurrection alone, it would have filled them, not only with surprise but with terror, and afraid of his rebukes, they would have hid themselves from him, rather than have approached him. When therefore he sends them word that he is risen from the dead, he calls them brethren; and by this he seems to extend his arms to embrace them again :

by this he seems to call after them, and say, "return ye "backsiding children: I am ready to pity the weak, and "to pardon the penitent." Thus he dispels their anxiety, and fills them with hope. And thus he realizes his illustrious type, when he made himself known to those who had treated him with baseness and cruelty. Joseph saw what confusion, and anguish, and dread, the discovery of himself had produced in those who were now in his power, and at his mercy: and therefore with his name, he is eager to mention his relation, and to give them encouragement to trust in him." And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my "father yet live? and his brethren could not answer him: for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me, I pray you; and they came near and he said, I am Joseph your BROTHER, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now "therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, "that ye sold me hither; for God did send me before you to preserve life.”

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And did not our Lord, by using this endearing name in these circumstances, convey to them an intimation of duty? “Since I do not disown the relation in which "C you stand to me; since I acknowledge you as breth"ren notwithstanding your imperfections-follow my "example; acknowledge each other as brethren; love "as brethren; let there be no strife between you, for "ye are brethren. Disclaim me for your brother, or "receive as such every follower of mine. Whether strong in the faith, or weak; whether young men, or "babes-they all stand in the same relation to me, and "in the same relation to you."

Hence, secondly, he adds, go to my brethren, andsay unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your "Father, and to my God and your God." Let us take some views of this interesting intelligence.

It may be necessary to premise, that this ascension was real and local. He had a body and this he assured his disciples after his resurrection, had flesh and

bones, and could not only be seen, but touched and handled. With this he ascended. Heaven therefor is a place as well as a state : his body cannot be every where; but wherever it be, there is heaven, at least there is the christian's heaven. Let us now consider this ascension-in reference to the Saviour-his ene mies-and his people.

First. If we view it in reference to himself, we may observe-that in ascending he returned to the place from whence he came, and assumed the glory which he had laid aside, or rather obscured. Did you never observe with what ease, and freedom from sur prise, he always spoke of heaven? Prophets and apos tles seem to labor for expressions when they spoke of it-to them heaven was new as well as vast; but h speaks of it familiarly-as one to whom there was no thing in it novel or wonderful. And this was the case He was the Prince of heaven-and the palace was only his home. "What, says he, and if ye shall see the "son of man ascending up where he was before ?have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the "work which thou gavest me to do. And now, "Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with th glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

He also ascended to enjoy the reward of his humili vation, and sufferings. For our sakes he became poor He was born in a stable, and laid in a manger. As h grew up, he appeared" a man of sorrows, and ac "quainted with grief." After a life of contradiction and anguish, he became obedient unto death, even "the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above ev "ery name.” His humiliation and death, are not to be opposed to his glory-they were the road that led to it. There was "a joy set before him, for which he "endured the cross, despising the shame;" and what The died to procure, he now ascends to possess. What a change in his condition!....Ye, who have sympathized *with him in the garden, come, rejoice with him upor