The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-05-15
The Ascension Of Christ.
SERMON DELIVERED BY REV. j. r. REIT-
EEL TO CORUNNA CoMMANDERY No.
81 KNIGHTS TEMPLAR AT OPERA
House, SUNDAY, MAY 10.

| "And he led them out until they were over
against Bethany; he parted from them; a
| cloud received him out OF their sight"-Luke
And sat down at the right hand OF God. y
Mark. And they went forth and preached
everywhere. Mark.
In that day when the Son of man was
pictured ascending to be seated on the right
hand of God, on that day the course of man
was turned upward. Since then heaven
has lifted earth toward itself, and the race
! has ever since been led forth and upward.
That was the entering in of the lofty soul,
followed ever since by those of the Kingdom
of God, and we do well to hold in mind that
day. Itwas the sublime event in Christian
| ity, given i'm few simple words; it Is today
a great picture in simple frame-''He led
them out"
1t is always significant, when men are led
forth, the history-making epOchs of the race,
are simply this and nothing more, the people
led forth. First, it speaks of motion, of
movement. The healthy, normal life of
man is like everything else of life-it must
be in motion. 1t is movement or death with
man, land the evil sign i'm race history is
inertia. The ages declined. quietly sank
into the darkness of decay and death be-
cause they stagDated around the old lifeless
forms, until the stagnation sent the mias-
matte and corrosive elements into the atmOs-
phere of the whole life, intellectual and
religious. domestic and social, civil and
educational, literary and industrial. The
whole life of the people declined, and dreary
desolation dwelt in the land.
But every motion suggested life. When
the people are in motion and are led forth it
always suggests that the activity will pro.
duce some results, and certain elements of
| the results will settle into permanent con-
ditiOns. Whether the results are good and
the permanent conditions blessed depends
on say three things.
First, who leads them forth?
Second, what is the object or destination
toward which they are being led?
Third, what is the character of those who
comprise the company led forth?
Is it a mere wild, aimless agitat0r stirring
the people into movement? Is it matter
of simply material gain, purely earthly, and
selfish ends toward which the people are
being moved? Is the moving company
made up of those whose inferior motives
and narrow ambition leaves them without
moral manliness?
History has given us one compliment to
man, i'm this that it records no movement
under unworthy leadership, seeking inferior
ends, made up of frail, evil persons, as ever
continuing or producing permanent condi-
| tiOns. The mass of the human race has
always come up like the food of the ancient
Nile and carried the rubbish out of sight.
UnhOly crusades, unrighteous invasions,
selfish expeditions have arisen on the hOri-
Zon, and dashed across the continent of
history, but with the departing dust of their
steeds the results have passed away.
Pizarro, the Spanish Swinherd, may rise to
lead military conquest, sweep across the
ocean, enter the caves of the lncaS, enrich
himself and his soldiers with gold, but
no permanent conditions follow. The wild
horde of Northern Hussars may dash
through the mountain pass, and slay, cap
ture or carry into slavery thousands, yet
history allows them to pass. Thousands of
our own people, led by the thirst for gold,
rush across the continent, hundreds leaving
their cOrpses unburied OH the mountains
and plains, but history redeems their story
by those who followed under higher leader
ship. How different the invinciDle con.
science led by Almighty God from England
to Amsterdam, from Lyden to Plymouth
Rock-a noble company with lofty pur
pose, and their memory lives i'm the insti
tutiOns of this modern nation.
But what great leading forth that was
when the voice of patriotism and the love OF
human liberty called, and they followed
''three hundred thousand strong" making
the continent tremble with the tread of theil
terrible earnestness.. Chains dropped from
off millions of slaves and the Union was re-
stored. So when William of Orange, thai
Knight of the Golden Fleece, learned
at the Court of France that Spain was tC
unite in an determination of all heretics,
he sprang into the leadership of that i'm
mortal crusade which resulted i'm the re.
ligious freedom of the Netherlands.
These last are instances where the people
were led forth something after the princi.
Piles of Him who led his chosen company
until the sorr0wing garden, the torturine
cross and the dreary tomb were passed and
they all stood under the open sky of the
divine majesty and power, where the lofty
leader took the place and attitude of per-
petual authority. He led them out from the
noise and attraction of the busy city, unit
they reached the place OF their tenderest as
sociation-Bethany- place where He
had given life to his friend, and amidst
these holy scenes he ascended into the place
of authority, seated at the right hand OF
God.
Christ met his disciples i'm Jerusalem.
They began to question him as to the form
and power of his continued life. "Wilt
thou at this time restore the kingdom tC
Israel, wilt thou bring back into the control
OF the Jews their ancient, civil and social
forms, wilt thou deliver us from the Roman
power and influence and give us back the
ancient rites and institutions of the fathers?'
He saw their imperfect idea of the true
Kingdom of God. so he said ''you follow me;
j will reveal to you the true and permanent
Kingdom. Mine is not the kingdom of
ancient forms nor display of earthly power,
but the everlasting, spiritual kingdom, the
perpetual power of new life. Yours is
not to be a crusade of swords, of blood
and death, but in the bloodless chvalry of
goodness we shall conquer; go proclaim good
will and peace and the power of truth shall
give you kingdom" AS Christ thus ad-
dressed his disciples he passed from them,
and looking they saw him ''seated," no more
going about i'm wearying toll; they saw him
''at the right hand of God" no more accus-
ed, condemned and executed, but judging
and ruling forever.
If Christ's ascension is nothing more than
n symbolp fraction Of Christian lore IN ypt i