strike through Kings in the day of his wrath, and break them as with a rod of iron," &c.

4. See hence the parallel, or similitude, between Christ's ascension, and his coming again to judgment. As he went up with a shout, and the sound of a trumpet; so in like manner he will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: but with this difference, that the shouts and sounds were not heard in this lower world when he went up; but when he descends or comes down to judge the world, the shouts of the Redeemer's voice, and the trump of God will sound so loud, as not only to startle them that are alive, but to awaken the dead that have lien in their graves for many thousand years.

Use second, of Trial. Try whether he that is gone up with a shout, be thy Husband, thy Head, thy Prophet, Priest, and King, thy Advocate, that so you may take the benefit and comfort of his ascension. And, to try this matter, I ask you,

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1. Have you received his Spirit? for he went up to pour down his Spirit upon his members here below. "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if 1 go not away, forter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you," John xvi. 7: If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." He is a holy Spirit, a praying Spirit, a Spirit of life and liberty, a public Spirit in a time of defection; when the house of Christ is turned into a den.of thieves, the zeal of his house will eat you up.

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2. Your hearts will be frequently mounting up on high af,ter him, as upon eagles' wings. You will mount up after him in your esteem, saying, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." In your delight and desire: "The desire of my soul is to thee." and the remembrance of thy name. In meditation; My meditation of him shall be sweet." You will be sending up many a cry in prayer after him, and the lifting up of your hands to him will be like the evening sacrifice; you will send up the prayers of faith like pillars of smoke, that went up when the sacrifices, mingled with incense, were offered under the law. You will send up not only the cry of prayers, but the cry of praise, like the church here, "Sing praises unto God, sing praises :" "Blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory." If he be gone up as thy Head, thou wilt " seek those things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand of God" and, like the woman clothed with the sun, you will trample upon the earth. You will be frequently looking up after him by the eye of faith. An affectionate wife will even take pleasure in

looking towards the quarter where her husband is; so is it with believers. Jonas, even in the belly of hell, cries, "Yet will I look again toward thy holy temple." And this will yield relief and comfort; "They looked unto him, and were lightened," &c. In a word, you will look to him for all the ends of his exaltation at the right hand of God. And since he is gone up to look after your affairs in heaven, you will look after his affairs here upon earth, according as he calls and employs you; you will be glad to "cause his name to be remembered in all generations;" and when his interest and people are suffering, it will go nearer your heart, than any private concern of your own, like David, Psal. cxxxvii. 6.

Use third of this doctrine may be of Consolation to all the friends of Christ in this reeling world wherein we are: God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet And hence it will follow,

1. That thou shalt follow him ere it be long; for the head, when it goes up, will draw all the members after it: "Where I am, there shall also my servants be." Thy soul shall fol low him at death, like the soul of Lazarus, under a guard of angels; and thy body shall follow him also at the resurrection, he will gather his saints together, they shall meet the Lord in the air, and sit with him upon his throne.

2. Is Christ gone up with a shout? then thou shalt not want the gifts, graces, and influences of the Spirit to bear you up, and to carry you through in the work and service that he has for you upon earth. Why, "when he ascended on high, he received gifts for men ;" and what he received for us, he will give out to us according to our need. And therefore let us not fear to go his errands, though it were to go through fires and waters, for your charges shall be borne by him that is gone up with a shout.

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3. Here is comfort under all the glooms and frowns of men in the world, for owning Christ, his cause, his kingdom, his truths, his ways, and people. Why, God is gone up with a shout. Christ has overcome the world, and all the wicked of the world, are Christ's footstool, Psal. cx. 1. God the Fa ther has put all his enemies under his feet, and he makes tools and fools of them, and all their politics; for he rules. in the midst of his enemies," and "makes the wrath of man to praise him." The wrath of man has cast some of us out of the established church; but who knows ere all be done, but that "wrath of man shall praise him," and be turned about to the advancement of the interest of Christ, in this poor backslidden land, and to the revival of a covenanted work of reformation?

4. Here is comfort against the fear of the roaring lion;

who goes about seeking whom he may devour." Why, Christ is gone up with a shout, and he has the lion in chains, and the upper end of the chain is in the hand of an exalted Redeemer: he had him under his command, 'when in a state of humiliation, as you see in the case of the Gadarenes' swine; much more now that he is ascended "far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that can be named, whether in this world, or that which is to come." Ere long he will make the poor tempted believer to "tread Satan under his feet."

5. Here is comfort: all the angels in heaven are upon thy side, believer, all the armies of heaven are ready to fight the quarrel of his church; they want nothing but his word of command, for he is "in the midst of them as in Sinai; and are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister unto the heirs of salvation?" &c. Psal xxxiv. 7: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him."

6. Here is comfort; death is disarmed of its sting, and can do no hurt. Why, Christ carried the sting of death, and the armour of this king of terrors with him, when he went up with a shout. "I have the keys of hell and of death.”

7. Here is comfort; thy life is well secured, believer. Why, it is hid in him who is gone up with a shout: Col. iii. 3: “Our life is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory."

8. Here is comfort, that all providential dispensations inthe government of the world, or in thy own lot in particular, shall be managed to advantage: Rom. viii. 28: "All thingsshall work together for good, to them that love God." Why, God is gone up with a shout, and God has "given him to be head over all things unto the church, which is his body." And, therefore, though black and gloomy dispensations should cast up, so as the "confused noise of the warrior, and garments rolled in blood," should be heard and seen in every corner of the land; yet God is gone up with a shout, and “he rules even in the raging of the sea, and when the waves thereof roar, he stilleth them again;" and he usually makes worldly shakings to usher in his own coming in a way of grace to his people: "I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come." Thus, you see that this doctrine is wonderfully comfortable to all the true friends of Christ.

Use fourth of the doctrine shall be of Exhortation. Is it so that Christ is gone up with a shout to the right hand of the Majesty on high? then,

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1. Be exhorted to behold him with the eye of faith upon the throne; for he that was "made a little lower than the

angels," is now "crowned with glory and honour: and therefore go forth, ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown wherewith his " Father" crowned him," when he went up with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet. His Father is beholding him with infinite delight, and he would have all the world to behold him also: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.-Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth." He himself is fond that we should cast our eyes upon him: "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." Oh how stately is he upon the throne with all his nobles about him!

2. Lift up the everlasting doors of your hearts, that this King of glory may come in. The gates of heaven were opened for him, when he went up with a shout; and shall not the gates of our hearts be opened to him, when he comes knocking with the rod of his mouth, saying, "Open unto me, and I will come in?" &c. Oh! let him who has now the principal room in heaven, have also the principal room in your hearts and souls.

3. Is he gone up with a shout?, Then "let us come with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in time of need :" for he is gone up as "our great High Priest and Advocate (as you heard,) to appear in the presence of God for us." Thou hast a friend upon the throne, believer, who hath "all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily; and it is nothing between you and him, but "ask, and ye shall receive, and your joy shall be full. "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not."

4. Is he gone up to the throne with a shout, and with the sound of a trumpet? Then let all the world, angels, men, and devils, reverence him, and do him homage; let "every knee bow unto him, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and let every tongue confess, that his name is above every name; that he alone is the Lord, to the glory and praise of his eternal Father." Sirs, the knee that will not bow to him shall break. They that are setting up their authority, in opposition to his authority, his laws, and government, and oppressing his poor people, dearly will they pay for it: "He will break all his enemies as with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces as a potter's vessel.”

5. See that you have a due regard to the laws and liberties of his house, and the interests of his glory and kingdom. Men are trampling these under their feet at this day; but whatever others do, keep by the laws of Christ as your rule, and "do not receive for doctrines the commandments of men.

Contend earnestly for the faith delivered unto the saints; and stand fast in the liberties wherewith Christ hath made you free, that you be not entangled with yokes of bondage ;" and when you give a testimony for Christ, "hold it fast, that no man take your crown.-Be faithful unto the death," and he that is gone up with a shout, will call you off the field of battle, and give you the crown of joy, the "crown of life and righteousness; and not to you only, but to all that love his appearing."

6. Is he gone up with a shout? Then let us never be ashamed of him before men, for he is our credit and ornament; he is not ashamed to confess us before his Father, and before his angels: let us therefore have his name written on our foreheads, like these hundred forty and four thousand, who stand with him upon mount Zion, Rev. xiv. 1; so as every one may know that we belong to him, and wear his livery.

7. Lastly, Let us join in the solemnity of his exaltation, for it is not yet ended. They that shouted when he went firstup to heaven from mount Olivet, are shouting for joy to this day; and therefore let us join in the concert. When he came into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, a great company shouted, and cried, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David;" how much more doth it become us to shout and celebrate his praises, when, instead of riding upon an ass, he is “riding in the heavens by his great name JAH, and in his excellency on the skies." I conclude with that exhortation, Is. xii., last verse," Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."