On the Afcenfion of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, commonly called, Holy Thursday.

Μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα.

HIS Day, we celebrate th' Afcenfion

TH

Of Christ our Lord, to his celeftial Throne. He having now continued forty Days On Earth, after his Resurrection; And having oft appeared in that Space To his Difciples, for their Conviction; Yea, to above five Hundred Brethren, he Did fhew himself at once, that there might be No room for Doubt: And having now prepar'd Th' Apoftles for the Work they had to do; He at Jerufalem, to them appear'd,

Told them that now to Heaven he would go,

And would from thence fend down the Holy

Ghoft

Upon them, on the Day of Pentecoft.

THEN to Mount Olivet he leads them on, Gives them his folemn Benediction; Then parting from them, flowly did ascend That all their Eyes his Motion might attend, Till he was mounted unto fuch an Height, That he was gone entirely out of Sight. And when they quite the Sight of him had loft, Then two bright Min'fters of the Heav'nly Hoft

Appear'd, and faid, Ye Men of Galilee, Why gaze ye after him, whom ye fhall fee No more, till he from God's Right-hand fhall come

With Clouds, to raise the Dead from ev'ry Tomb,

To hear their Sentence at the univerfal Doom,

Rev. i. 7.

Then

Then the Apostles more abundantly
Convinc'd of's Glory and Divinity,
Fell proftrate, and ador'd his Majefty.
And to the City, they with one Accord
Return, and wait the Promife of their Lord.
He is our Advocate, to plead our Caufe,
When we are griev'd that we have broke his

Laws.

He does prefent my Prayers unto God,
That for the Merit of his precious Blood,
They may be heard, and my Repentance be
Accepted for his Sake, who died for me..
He yields a ready Ear to my Complaints,
And to the Father reprefents my Wants:
Therefore, tho' I am weak, yet if fincere,
And having fuch an Interceffor there,

In Heav'n, at God's Right-Hand, why should

I fear?

What tho' I fuffer Perfecution here ?

Yet for Support, I will depend on Chrift,

Who is my Lord, my God, and my High-Priefs

Touch'd with a Senfe of my Infirmities; **
And is fo powerful to grant Supplies
For all my Wants, that in the Time of Need,
I, to the Throne of Grace, will come with Speed,
That I may Help, and Strength, and Comfort
gain,

And finally, eternal Life obtain,
Thro' Chrift, his Death and Mediation,
By which alone we have Salvation.

Now, both the Refurrection and Afcenfion,
Are of our Faith a mighty Confirmation:
For, whilft our Saviour here made his Abode,
H' affirm'd himself to be the Son of God;
For which the Jews charge him with Blaf-
phemy,

And did declare, he worthy was to die i
As an Impoftor; which if he had been,

God then would not have rais'd him up again;
Which, fince God hath, 'tis Demonftration
That Jefus Chrift was certainly his Son:

* Heb. iv. 15, 16.

And

And then his Doctrine muft infallibly

Be very Truth, and could not be a Lie.

BESIDES, our bleffed Lord's Afcenfion Is ftill a further Confirmation,

Yea, Evidence beyond Exception,

That God would not fuch a Reward have giv'n,
As vifibly to take him up to Heav'n,
If he had not Meffiah been, as he
So frequently declar'd himself to be.
Farther, from Chrift's Afcenfion, we may learn
And this fo comfortable Truth difcern,
That as in our own Nature he went up,
So there is Ground from hence, for us to hope
That we may likewife after him ascend,
And fhall, if we take care our Lives to mend;
Whereby, it evidently will appear,

That we true Members of his Body are;
And may expect thofe Manfions to inherit,
Which he for us by his Blood-fhed, did merit.
For, is our Nature now advanc'd so high
With the Divine, in Glory 'nd Majesty?