Such is our faith, and yet not only do we neglect to show it forth, but we neglect a powerful method, the Liturgy for the day, of establishing it in our hearts; for a strong inducement to observe Ascension-day is found in the service appointed for it. We have Psalms,the 8th, magnifying the mercy of God in exalting human nature by our Saviour's assumption of the flesh, and ascension with it into heaven;-the 15th, shewing how truly our Saviour "ascended the holy hill," the highest heavens, of which Mount Sion was a type; he alone had the qualifications which the Psalm records, and which must be ours if we be to follow him;-and the 21st, which was then fulfilled when he was "exalted in his own strength;" when, entering into everlasting joy, he had a crown of pure gold set upon his head;and do we refuse to sing these songs of Zion? When the bringing of the ark into the house on the Mount, typical of his ascension into heaven, is celebrated;-when God is praised who " is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trump;"-who being now highly exalted, defends his Church as with a shield;-or, when He is thanked, "who hath set himself above the heavens, and his glory above all the earth;*"-shall we remain mute and unconcerned, or immersed in worldly cares? Nor are these the only portions of Holy Writ, to instruct and edify our faith. Let us consider Deut. x. and 2 Kings ii. What heart is not affected by the thoughts of Moses going up to receive the law, as the type of Christ's ascension, who sent down the new law from heaven? Or by the history of Elijah, who, when he was taken up into heaven, conferred a double portion of his spirit on Elisha? A figure of "the fulness of the Spirit" which Christ sent down on his apostles? While these, and other selected passages, have all the charm of antiquity, being found in the oldest offices of the Christian Church! Or finally, shall we leave the Jews to fulfil the offices of their religion, when the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies, and shall we be neglectful when his great Antitype, that High Priest of the good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, enters into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us? Have we so

learned Christ?

The fault of Christians in general, it has been observed, is in not sufficiently dwelling upon a glorified Messiah; that of the Jews, in altogether denying a crucified one. It is manifest that Israel persists in denying "the despised and rejected of men; the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;" while he waits for his glorious and reigning King. And it is much to be feared, that many Christians have their minds so bent down to the earth, as scarcely ever to think of the glorified Redeemer, exalted to the right hand of God-the future Judge of all the earth-under any other character than that of the crucified and suffering Messiah. Such an error, however, where it exists, may in part arise from the singular preference given to the days of our Saviour's humiliation; and yet if "Christ ought to suffer," so ought he to "enter on his glory;" if " the Spirit of Christ did testify

• Ps. xxiv. xlvii. ciii. for the evening. See Wheatley, Com. Pr. p. 237.

beforehand the sufferings of Jesus," it signified also" the glory that should follow."

Rejoicing in the hope of glory, even under trial and suffering, is not the character of the christian church now, as it was in its first and purest days; and we may venture to say that it will not be so, until, as was then done, we earnestly contemplate the glorified as well as the afflicted Saviour.

"Many of us take in no more of Christ than what was done on the cross; we seldom follow Christ into heaven, to see what he is doing there for us." And yet we may be well assured, that " a serious beholding of Jesus in his ascension, session, and mission of his spirit, is enough to change us into the same image, from glory to glory.' It was the saying of an experienced saint, View a glorified Christ, and you will soon have the sparkles of the same glory in your hearts!' Christ is now exalted, he is now in glory at the right hand of God. O let all our actings be glorious! Let all our walkings, joys, breathings be as in glory." "-" If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." (Col. iii. 2.)

The remaining arguments by which we hope to recommend this subject to notice, have regard to two very opposite sects; the fruits of that unhappy propensity of our nature which would ever lead us into extremes. The spirit and tendency of Socinianism has been noticed. We do not use this name in reproach; but either this, or Humanitarianism (making Christ a man, not making God one) is the term we are bound to use, so long as it is asserted that those who call themselves Unitarians are "the only persons who practically maintain the important doctrine of the divine unity in its full and just extent." However, we conceive that the observance of Ascension-day would greatly tend to awaken men's minds to the absurdities of this class of opinions. We will not contend that the crucifixion of Jesus is more consistent with his simple manhood, than his ascension, though to most minds there are obvious reasons why it should be esteemed so; but here are the simple facts.-The Socinians teach, "that those passages in which Jesus represents himself as having descended from heaven, signify nothing more than the divine original of his doctrinet"-that "the Jewish notion of a local heaven is an absurdity," because, forsooth, "modern discoveries in astronomy amply refute this puerile hypothesis;" and as might be expected from all this, in regard to the Ascension, they "believe that (Jesus) having given sufficient proofs to his disciples, &c. . . . . was, in a miraculous manner, withdrawn from their society, a circumstance which is described as an ascension into heaven.” In all which there appears that evasive and deceitful method of interpretation which has been so frequently exposed. This, plainly, is not what Christians believe and teach. Nor is such their method of depreciating the natural import of the word of God. They have a local heavens presented before the eye of faith-they, too, believe that Jesus was withdrawn, and that withdrawing was nothing less than an actual ascension in the body which he had mysteriously assumed, in • Ambrose's Looking unto Jesus, Book vii.

+ Belsham's Calm Inquiry.

Idem, p. 457, pp. 54, 325-450. But see Whitby-John vi. 33, note (12.) § See Bishop Greene's Four Last Things. On Locality of Heaven and Hell.

which, while blessing his disciples, visibly, "as they beheld, he was taken up" in a cloud "into heaven itself," to enter into that glory he had with the Father before the world was, and "to appear in the presence of God for us," where he ever liveth to make intercession for them" "that come unto God by him." The Socinians tell us, that, "the truth is, the Scriptures have left us totally in the dark in regard to the present condition, employment, and attributes of Christ; and therefore it is in vain to speculate upon the subject." But Christians acknowledge no such "TRUTH." They receive the simple words, "In my Father's house are many mansions"- "I go to prepare a place for you"-" If I depart I will send him (the Comforter) unto you;" for, All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth." Upon these most important differences, then, we ground an argument for the propriety of celebrating, as a national solemnity, the return of the Son of the Most High into the bosom of the Father.

66

With respect to those who are called Dissenters, their condition and opinions demand a return to the same primitive usage of the Church.— Our national establishment holds a strong place in the affections of the people, from the circumstance of our commemorating the great events which marked the life of Jesus Christ.-Most of the unhappy pleas for schism are gone.-Our practices of kneeling in prayer, of crossing in baptism, of the laying on of hands, of clothing the minister of sacred things in a peculiar dress, &c.—if not adopted, as some of them are, receive respect and esteem. "Such evermore is the final victory of all truth." It is notorious that a large portion of the Dissenters attend the Church of England service on Good Friday, while many of them frequent the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper at stated periods. We presume, therefore, that our Church would present itself in their eyes, with an additional charm, were the solemnity of the Ascension added to our other appointments. But there is another view of our differences with Dissenters, which furnishes no unworthy argument. There has been, at times, a loud outcry against the Clergy for not preaching the great doctrines of the Gospel. Some have been bold to say, that where they are taught, it is merely in imitation of, and in conformity with, the Dissenters. But this assertion is more easily made than proved; and where made with all sincerity, it generally arises from a confusion of ideas which the following hints may have a tendency to remove.

The distinction between Church principles and those of Dissenters, and their different manners of preaching, on a closer inspection than some are apt to make, appears to consist in this :-The one builds up a religion on the solid basis of facts; the other teaches a religion whose very essence consists of feelings. The first, sometimes too exclusively, inculcates righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come :-the second, also too exclusively, and in many respects most erroneously, inward experience, sensible illumination and regeneration. "There is an assurance of faith which our Church in her homilies calls a sure trust and confidence that our sins are forgiven,' &c. The methodistical assurance, is an internal feeling, an assurance of sense. But faith and

Hooker, Eccl. Pol. B. v. Vol. xi. p. 278.

sense are quite different things."* This may be thought to apply to one class of Dissenters only: yet let us ask a person, who from illness, or any other cause, has been visited by any dissenting teacher, what article of the Apostles' creed has been usually inculcated?-We may venture to assert positively, and from experience, that it will be found, that neither the resurrection, nor the crucifixion, nor in any proper sense the communion of saints, nor any other great fact, will appear to have been dwelt on; but rather, sudden and convincing regenerationsensible and awakening experience, and a whole catalogue of similar doctrines. And is this scriptural or evangelical? Is this to give milk to babes, and to teach the sincere word?-May we not assume this as a proof of the distinction which we have pointed out?The assertions, therefore, that the character of the Clergy is changed and changing, that a purer and evangelical spirit animates the Church, and that the reflux of good feeling towards the Establishment, which has taken place, has arisen from a change in the doctrines we preach, are not true, without very considerable qualification. There is, we may hope, a greater attention to religion; an increasing zeal for the things of God;-there is a strong re-action in favour of the best and purest institution, the reformed Church of Christ;-there is a feeling abroad, which would welcome any invitation to promote the advancement of pure religion; and a conviction that these things are so, may have given a warmth, a feeling and unction, to many of the addresses of our Clergy. But we must not therefore suppose that their manner of preaching is changed. The mystery of the holy incarnation; the holy nativity and circumcision; the baptism, fasting, and temptation; the agony and bloody sweat; the cross and passion: the death, the burial, the resurrection, the ascension of Christ; and the coming of the Holy Ghost; that is, all the great facts of Christ's religion, are still taught as they were, and were formerly taught as they now are. The works of Gibson, Wake, Sherlock, Butler, Secker, Hurd, Lowth, Porteus, Horsley, &c. &c. &c. are not out of repute.-They are the models proposed for the imitation of the younger Clergy. And yet these were the lights that adorned the Church in the days wherein we are now told, the spirit of religion was gone, and her beauty was not.→ Of the distinction here pointed out between Churchmen and Dissenters, we read a strong confirmation in the passage with which Hooker has closed his triumphant defence of religious festivals." They are the splendour and outward dignity of our religion, forcible witnesses of ancient truth, provocations to the exercises of piety, shadows of our endless felicity in heaven, on earth everlasting records and memorials ; wherein they which cannot be drawn to hearken unto what we teach, may, only by looking upon that we do, in a manner, read whatsoever we believe."

Upon all these grounds are we persuaded, that to establish a serious observance of Holy Thursday as a national and religious festival, would be, in some degree, to restore the custom of the primitive ages, and to vindicate the honour and excellence of our church appointments. Surely, it is a cause which deserves encouragement and support!

+ Bishop Horne's Life. Jones' Appendix, p. 342.

And

it would, we doubt not, be most powerfully felt by all who differ from us in religion. But, if not for their sakes, for our own, let us not lose sight of so solemn a Christian truth. Why shall we welcome the coming of Christ to earth to save us, and neglect his going to heaven to prepare a place for us? Why shall we select only the gloomy and depressing view of our religion? For, surely, whatever glad tidings may attend the birth of Christ, whatever be the worth of his cross, to empty himself of the glories of divinity, to become like one of us,-to be crucified, are painfully depressing facts! But in his glorious ascension, the weight is, as it were, removed-the human mind with his glorified body, takes its flight at once from earth; and rising, as the eye of faith sees him rise, it ascends, glowing more and more with the purer atmosphere it breathes, and at length ceases to rise, only because the soul is still tied to earth by a corruptible body which weighs it down; but it is left (like the hart panting for the water-brook) eager to be, where its treasure is, with God in heaven!

And, now, having done our feeble endeavours to describe the mercies and the benefits of the Ascension of our Saviour, we will once more recur to the arguments of him, who had rule over us, and spoke unto us the word of God. May we follow his faith, and consider the end of his conversation!

Ought that very day on which these mercies were sealed to us, in reason, in justice, in gratitude, in common decency, to be treated in the manner it too commonly is? If a father for his family, or a patriot for his country, had done some mighty act to raise it in the scale of nations, or the eye of the world, some grateful sentiments would be felt-the return of the day on which the event took place would indeed be welcome! And none would bear the charge of neglecting it without feeling himself grossly injured! Yet all supposed acts of kindness fall far below what we have actually experienced from the love of our blessed Saviour. We believe, or profess to believe, that this is true! that he led captivity captive, and received gifts for us! And yet what is our behaviour in consequence? Why, on the anniversary of the day when this is supposed to have happened, too many of us, alas! are as easy and unaffected, and as much bent down to the cares and business of the world, as if nothing had happened in which we had the least concern! Is this right? is this fitting?-is it Christianlike, is it decent, is it creditable? Does it shew that veneration, love and gratitude which men are wont to testify towards one who has raised them, with himself, from the abyss of misery, to the joys and glory of a kingdom which is spiritual, heavenly, and eternal?

If then it be asked, how shall this day be spent?-the answer is plain. In the manner prescribed by the Church, and in which it used anciently to be observed; with the same seriousness, solemnity, and devotion, as the days of the nativity, crucifixion, and resurrection have been and are still observed. Let it "be clothed with those outward robes of holiness, whereby its difference from other days may be made manifest."* Let it be adorned with those elements of festival solemnities, "Praise, liberality, and rest." In all our principal Churches let the emblems of the incarnation be duly and reverently administered. Let every thing, in short, be subservient to the spirit of that "song," which all Christian feasts do apply as their several occasions require,

Hooker, Ecc. Pol. B. v. p. 360.