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Ascension Thursday.

EVENING SERVICE.-First Lesson 2 Kings ii.

Verse 11.-" And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up in a whirlwind into heaven."

We know of only three human bodies in heaven-that of Enoch, that of Elijah, and that of Christ. Enoch was translated thither under the Patriarchal dispensation, Elijah under the Jewish, and Christ under the Christian; which may be regarded as an earnest that the bodies of all mankind, under every dispensation, in every age of the world, shall be finally re-animated, and shall enter on a future state of existence.

The translation of Elijah was full of interest. Whether we regard it as a reward for his devoted perseverance in life, or as a miraculous display of Divine power in its accompaniments, or as an emblem of the translation of Christ, we can but admire the wonderful interposition of God in behalf of His people.

Elijah was one of the most illustrious characters which the Holy Scriptures unfold. He was distinguished for his piety, for his integrity, for his zeal, for his unflinching courage, and for his indefatigable perseverance. He manifested no respect of persons. Whether he appeared before the prophets of Baal, or before the court of Ahab and Jezebel, he never shrunk from the faithful discharge of duty. He declared unto them "the whole counsel of God," reproving them for their wickedness, and warning them of their danger. With untiring patience he endured want and fatigue, and never relaxed in his efforts for the glory of God until he finished his course upon earth. Such a life closed with a distinction

unknown to the world before. Miracles of a most wonderful nature accompanied the event: by a stroke of his mantle Jordan was divided, chariots of fire and horses of fire were sent to convey him to his rest, by a whirlwind he was raised directly to heaven.

We shall now regard the translation of Elijah as especially prefiguring the ascension of our Saviour, who in a similar, but in a more serene, manner was taken to heaven. In His case there were no chariots of fire, horses of fire, and whirlwind accompanying the ascent. He went up in a bright, calm cloud, with no violent rush of the elements. He thus ascended gradually and peacefully, both that His disciples might follow Him with their eyes as He ascended, and to indicate the superior mildness of the dispensation under which He ascended.

In the morning we divided the subject into three parts, which were, the fact, the circumstances, and the results of His ascension. In speaking of the fact, we observed that it was both passive and active-that it corresponded with ancient institutions and predictions-that it terminated in the heavens, and that He ascended with the same body as He possessed upon earth. In speaking of the circumstances, we observed, First, That He was accompanied by His friends; Secondly, That He ascended from the spot which had been consecrated by His previous prayers and tears. We come now to

observe

3. That He manifested the deepest concern for the future welfare of His followers, giving them the minutest instructions for their guidance, and encouraging them with a renewal of the promise of the Holy Ghost. One foolishly feels a wish that the full details of that interesting conversation were recorded; but we have sufficient on record to satisfy us of the interest which He felt in His Church. We may imagine that the pathetic strains and the loving accents in which those instructions were conveyed, produced a hallowed influence on the minds of the disciples, and kindled in them a resolution and energy which no earthly power could

destroy. In addition to holding before them the descent of the Holy Ghost, whom they should receive in a few days hence by waiting in Jerusalem, we have reason to believe that He referred especially to His second coming in glory, upon which they asked the question, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" They had not got rid of the notion of His personal reign as a temporal sovereign, and did not fully understand the subject until the Holy Spirit came upon them, guiding them into all truth. Through that Spirit He told them, "Ye shall receive power and shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the utmost part of the earth."

Finally, His ascension was graced with the presence of the holy angels. The angels desire to look into the mysteries of His dying love. The interest which they felt was manifested on various occasions when He was in a state of humiliation and suffering; and now, upon His returning to glory, they thronged to the portals of heaven to welcome back their long absent King. Their shouts of praise were echoed by David in the language of prophecy some hundreds of years before the event-" Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." All heaven resounded with His praise. We may imagine that not an angel was silent then. The chorus, "He is the King of Glory," vibrated far and wide. Every harp was tuned in honour of Him who resumed His lawful seat as their Head. Not only were they loud in the celebration of His honours, but they were also ready to obey His command. In an instant two of them fled to earth to console the bereaved disciples. "Behold," the sacred penman says, "two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye here gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." This showed that, although He had gone into

heaven, He had not forgotten those whom He had left behind, which we shall observe more fully by noticing

III. The results of His ascension.

These results were the object of His mission upon earth, and, by ascending triumphantly to heaven, He gave an incontestible proof that the object had been effected.

1. His ascension furnishes us with an evidence of His true Messiahship. We have already shown that the Messiah was to ascend into heaven, as represented typically and declared prophetically in the Old Testament Scriptures. All those types and prophecies our Saviour fully verified. Not one was left unfulfilled. His birth, life, death, and resurrection literally corresponded with the ancient prophecies, and not to leave one line incomplete, He now draws the whole to a climax, and establishes the truth of the testimony of Philip to Nathaniel, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

2. By ascending into heaven, He verified His own statements upon earth. In His conversation with Nicodemus, He declared, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven." He had often intimated His ascension to His disciples, and meeting with Mary after His resurrection from the dead, He said 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."

3. He thus secured the descent of the Holy Ghost upon earth. When the disciples' hearts were troubled at the prospect of His departure from them, He encouraged them by saying, "It is expedient for you that I go away; for, if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." Christ's ascension was indispensably necessary for the Spirit's mission. The Spirit could not have descended if Christ had not first ascended, for

he could only come according to the Divine schemes of salvation, by the gift and mission of the Mediator. The second Person must rule in heaven before the third Person could rule upon earth. The second Person must be crowned before the third Person could work. He was to apply to the sinner the perfected redemption purchased by the Redeemer. This could not have been done until a proof had been given of the acceptance of the purchasing price. Christ's intercession before the throne of God is the basis of the Spirit's intercession in the heart of man. The Advocate above gives power

to the Advocate below.

4. The ascension was a proof of Christ's complete victory over all His enemies. By His resurrection from the dead, He placed His foot on the neck of the last enemy that is to be subdued, and by His ascension He bounded beyond the reach of his fatal arm. The resurrection would not have been a sufficient evidence that death had been finally conquered by Him, if He had not also ascended into heaven. The son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus of Bethany, as well as some others, who were raised from the dead, merely returned to life for a season to fall again victims to the shafts of the enemy. Death's power over them was merely relaxed-not destroyed. Not so Christ. Death had no more dominion over Him. St. Paul, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, quotes the expressive language of David in the Psalms to describe this incomparable conquest. "Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." In this expression there is a manifest allusion to the Roman conquerors, who in the day of their triumph bound their enemies to their triumphal cars, and led them into the city amid the shouts and applause of the admiring crowds. Christ "led captivity captive." Sin, Satan, and death, that had long exercised sway over human nature, He bound to the victorious chariot of His ascension, never more to be released, but to be kept in chains, " to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." On the cross He "spoiled principalities and powers, making a show of them

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