The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-19
TIE AsCHNpEn CHRISTI.


4 And cloud received Him out of
their sight."-Acts l. y. Then we
which are alive and remain shall be
caught UP together with them in the
clouds, to meet tho Lord in the air.:
and so shall we ever be with tho
| l-ord."--I Thess. ". II.
Last Thursday was Ascension Day.
and these two texts contain the story
of the ascension. The first text de-
scrhes the fact of Chrlsts departure;
the second tells us what His departure
Is to be to His servants; how even in
that last and browning experience OF
life we are to have some fellowship
with Him. We cannot follow this
Wonderful event in all its details; we
nave 10 rest upon the mere fact of His
! departure In some way unlike tho old
familiar way of death. 1t could not
be that once having died and then
risen from the dead He should at last.
by a new death, have yielded to the
power which He seemed to have sub
dued: 1t could not be that again living
among men he should fust live on for
ever. so never letting His ministry pass
I
And so there came n disappearance
that was not death; Il disappearance
strange and mysterious. but not more
wonderful than had been the life and
character OF Him who so departed.
/ IT is not then, the physical meaning
OF the ascension of Christ. but its
spiritual side. that we wish to sneak
of to-day. For the three and thirty
years that He walked on earth He
gave TO His disciples a new and divine
light for even the commoncst things.
( The fishing nets the water Jars, the
baked bread. all seemed to be farm
from the hands of God with His dl-
vine touch. But still the soul of His
followers. even after the resurrection.
b chung to lower forms. Then came the
ascension. and Ills disciples and friends
/ had 10 ut their eycs and lift their
/ hearts, and with this act the greater
life Of their souls with Him. yet keep
Ing oil the Intimacy OF their earthly
| Intercourse began. Is not that human
striving upward something perpetual?
! NJ hrst God seems to us very dim and
far away Then comes tho blessed
revelation of the Gospel. Christ. the
! lncarnate Son of God tells us that
God our Father is not far away. lie
teaches us that all that interests us
interests lIim;. lie encourages us to
lay our most homcly burdens at His
feet. The merchant. the 1aborer, the
school boy. the frightened and oppress.
ed man or woman can all cry to God
ana know that their appeal will not
30 unrcgardcd. This is tho glory OF
tho Incarnation-thc intimate. personal
God. But is there is no danger? DO we
I not often tend to make this nearnoss
+ Of God mere means for dealing with
our cares and problems In the lower
I walks? BY the well of Samaria n
woman cried to the Saviour: "Sir. give
me this water that You speak or SC
that need not come hither to draw
. And His disciples asked Him to max,
Thorn kings In His earthly Kingdom
ana the same narrow Wow bcscts II.
sim Some sec In Christ the safe.
guard OF government or the GIver OF
dnlIy bread; another believer can nevc,
get his thought of Jesus large enough
TO transcend his own little set o,
denomination. Now. ali these believ.
ers arc using Christ In His lower of.
Hces. AS father gives his children
hread and waits for the day whcr
they shall ask him for knowledge. for
sympathy. for hope. for inspiration n nd
B. Tor strength TO meet temptations. 90
Jesus gives us friends and health and
happiness. and waite anxiously to SOC
when we shall desire holiness. divine
unseihshness and communion with
j, himself
Had Jesus never passed into the
heavens. can we imagine anything but
ifhat the lower uses OF HIS life woult
have usurped mems attentfons7 Blu