us, O Saviour, that thou art gone to prepare a place in those celestial mansions; it is for us that thou sittest at the right hand of Majesty. It is a piece of thy divine prayer to thy Father, that "those whom he hath given thee, may be with thee." To every bleeding soul thou sayst still, as thou didst to Peter, "Whither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me hereafter." In assured hope of this glory, why do I not rejoice, and, before-hand, walk in white with thine angels, that, at the last I may walk with thee in white?

Little would the presence of these angels have availed, if they had not been heard as well as seen. They stand not silent therefore, but, directing their speech to the amazed beholders, say, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven?" What a question was this! could any of those two hundred and forty eyes have power to turn themselves off to any other object than that cloud, and that point of heaven where they left their ascended Saviour? Surely every one of them were so fixed, that had not the speech of these angels called them off, there they had set up their rest till the darkness of night had interposed. Pardon me, O ye blessed angels; had I been there with them, I should also have been unwilling to have had mine eyes pulled off from that dear prospect, and diverted unto you. Never could they have gazed so happily as now. If but some great man be advanced to honour over our heads, how apt we are to stand to gaze, and to eye him as some strange meteor! let the sun but shine a little upon these dials, how are they looked at by all passengers! Yet, alas! what can earthly advancement make us other than we are, dust and ashes, which, the higher it is blown, the more it is scattered! O how worthy is the King of glory to command our eyes, now in the highest pitch of his heavenly exaltation! Lord, I can never look enough at the place where thou art; but what eye could be satisfied with seeing the way that thou wentst?

It was not the purpose of these angels to check the long looks of these faithful disciples after their ascended Master; it was only a change of eyes that they intended, of carnal for spiritual, of the eye of sense for the eye of faith. "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." Look not after him, O ye weak disciples, as so departed that ye

shall see him no more; if he be gone, yet he is not lost; those heavens that received him shall restore him; neither can those blessed mansions decrease his glory. Ye have seen him ascend upon the chariot of a bright cloud; and, in the clouds of heaven, ye shall see him descend again to his last judgment. He is gone: can it trouble you to know you have an Advocate in heaven? Strive not now so much to exercise your bodily eyes in looking after him, as the eyes of your souls in looking for him.

Ye cannot, O ye blessed spirits, wish other than well to mankind. How happy a diversion of eyes and thoughts is this that you advise! If it be our sorrow to part with our Saviour, yet, to part with him into heaven, it is our comfort and felicity; if his absence could be grievous, his return shall be happy and glorious.

Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly in the mean while, it is not heaven that can keep thee from me; it is not earth that can keep me from thee: raise thou up my soul to a life of faith with thee; let me ever enjoy thy conversation, whilst I expect thy return.

FINIS.

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BISHOPSGATE.