DISCOURSE XXX.

THE ASCENSION OF JESUS.

JOHN XX. 17.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

OUR attention has already been directed to that memorable and well authenticated event, which, in its indisputable evidence, was the commencement of our Redeemer's manifested triumph over the powers of darkness. And if, in the contemplation of his Resurrection, we found topics of encouragement and gratitude, surely we may proceed to that of his Ascension, with the prospect of being no less animated and impressed. To this subject, then, let us seriously direct our attention, and may the Holy Spirit of God be with us, and bless our meditations!

The words which I have read to you, were addressed by our Lord to Mary Magdalene, to whom he

appeared, and by whom he was recognised when he had called her by name, on the morning, and shortly after the event, of his resurrection.

Mary had already accosted him by his customary title, on discovering who He was; and was probably preparing to offer him her joyful homage, when he checked the immediate expression of her reverential regard, and intrusted her with an important commission to his disciples, which he required her to execute without delay. We may take occasion, therefore, without further introduction, to notice,

I. THE EXTRAORDINARY EVENT OF WHICH THE APPROACH IS HERE INTIMATED: and

II. THE GRACIOUS DIRECTION OF OUR SAVIOUR IN REFERENCE TO THAT APPROACHING EVENT.

EXTRAORDINARY EVENT

I. LET US NOTICE THE OF WHICH THE APPROACH IS HERE INTIMATED.

It is the Ascension of our Lord into heaven; which may be regarded as the completion of his manifested triumph.

It has been accurately observed, that 'two modes of expression are used in the Scriptures when they describe this event. Sometimes our Lord is said to have ascended, and sometimes to have been taken up; in consequence of which the ancients called it both the ascension and the assumption. The former of these terms denotes that it was by his own right and power that Christ ascended; and the latter that it was a judicial act of God the great Lawgiver, assigning to Christ as Mediator the reward of his

work.' Having stated to you this obvious distinction, it will scarcely be necessary for me to observe, that both the words of our Lord on this occasion, and the consistency of that series of Discourses on his Miracles, which is now hastening to its close, will lead us to consider the event which we are about to contemplate, in the former point of view,—that is, as effected" by the right and power" of Jesus himself.

This ascension had not taken place when our Lord addressed himself to Mary in the words of our text; nor did it occur till several weeks had elapsed after that period. It was his will, however, that his disciples should be immediately apprized of the joyful event of his Resurrection, and particularly that they should be assured that his promise of ascending to the Father, in the fulfilment of which they were deeply interested, was shortly to be accomplished. These considerations sufficiently account for the abruptness and peculiarity of his language to Mary : "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:"—as though he had said, Be not in haste to manifest your regard and reverence for me at this moment; you will have other opportunities of communication with me, as the time of my ascension has not yet arrived delay not therefore'-such is the tenour of his further address- delay not to execute the commission with which I now intrust you, but instantly convey the animating intelligence to my

1 Practical Essays on the Collects in the Liturgy of the Church of England; &c, by the Rev. T. T. Biddulph, M. A. Collect for Ascension Day. Vol. ii. p. 337.

brethren, that the hopes which they have cherished are not disappointed, and that all which I have promised will speedily be fulfilled.' This, perhaps, is the simplest mode of explaining a passage, which has been considered by some commentators as presenting no ordinary difficulty. Though, however, our Lord had not yet ascended, his language in the first clause of our text implies, that that event was not far distant; and this indeed is more clearly signified in the subsequent portion of it.

Here then it may be proper to remark, that intimations were given under the former dispensation, both typically and prophetically, of the Messiah's ascension into heaven. Without referring to other typical representations of this event, which it has been supposed that the Mosaic economy afforded, suffice it to observe, that it was certainly and strikingly prefigured by the annual entrance of the High Priest into the Holy of Holies. Of this we are assured by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews; -who, in speaking of the ordinances of the tabernacle, observes, "Into the second"-that is, the second department of the tabernacle-" went the High Priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people the Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing :"-he afterwards adds, "But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to

say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." 1

The same event was also prophetically intimated, as in other parts of the Old Testament, so especially in the Book of Psalms. The twenty-fourth Psalm has been considered as speaking very distinctly on the subject; particularly in the repeated demand of the joyful attendants of the Messiah to the celestial city. Arriving at its portals, they exclaim, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in." The same event is supposed to have been foretold in the forty-seventh Psalm; in which it is proclaimed, that "God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.' 'God incarnate,' says Bishop Horne, is gone up into that holy place, not made with hands; the everlasting doors of heaven are opened for the King of Glory to enter, and repossess his ancient throne; there he is received by the united acclamations of the celestial armies, by that shout, that voice of the archangel, and that trump of God, which are to sound again, in the day when he shall so come, in like manner, as he went into heaven.'2 These are highly interesting passages. the clearest prophecy of this so great a mystery,' observes Bishop Beveridge, is delivered in those words, "Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity

1 Heb. ix. 7, 8, 11, 12.

2 Commentary on the Psalms. Ps. xlvii, 5.