The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-05-16

out the ascension,
Just as that event awaits the fruition
Of its purpose in his return again to
the earth; for 1t Is not till then that
the divine plan concerning his man
ifested kingdom will begin to ap
proach fulfllment.
But that which gives peculiar inter
est to Christs ascension is its bear
Ing on our spiritual life today, for If
We are being established In the faith
enlightened In the knowledge OF God
sanctified i'm our souls and anointec
by the Holy Spirit for service, al
blessings are the result OF our Sa
viour's presence in heaven al our In
terceding high priest at the right
hand OF God
At the ascension the body OF Jesus
did not vanish into nothing. for not
only did the disciples see him AZ he
went up. but Stephen beheld him az
terwards. standing at the right-hanc
OF God (Acts VII. $3.50. Moreover
the angels on Mount Ollvet said to the
disciples that he would so come In
like manner as he was seen to &c
Acts. I'D. In other words, HEAVIER
is a locality and Jesus Christ, the
glorifed Goldman. is there. We can
not understand how the original body
of Jesus was transmitted into his res
direction and glorlned body, any more
than we can understand how heavy
waited is changed into light vapor. OF
dark flint into transparent glass, by
heat; but we know that he is I'm tn,
same body. although now in another
form OF existence and standing under
other laws. How the thought dgni
fies our conception of human nature
and broadens our idea of the scope
OF the atonement! The presence of
his glorifed body In heaven takes
away any vagueness as to our own
glorihed bodies being there. If we
have been united to him by n living
also.
Was 1t not the reward OF his ODE.
dience to the father I'm his sufferings
and death on behalf OF guilty men?
Was IL not the JOY set before him for
which he was willing to endure the
cross, despising the shame? And yet
there is more to follow, when, In the
regeneration OF the heavens and the
earth he shall sit upon the throne of
his power in the sight OF the whole
universe, and every knee shall bow to
him and every tongue confess that ne
is lord, to the glory OF God the father
philippians IL. Gid.
OF course we speak now, only OF his
human nature, of the Goldman consid
cred as the mediatorial prince. Such
terms do not pertain to his deity, In
which sense his glory could not be
is entirely excluded.
But the ascension OF Jesus Christ
means great things for us who believe
on him as well as great things for
himself. II means the reinstatement
OF our nature In all it's lost honors
In reconciliation with God. II means
our reception into Paradise and par
ticipation In endless felicity. IL Christ
had risen from the dead and still re-.
, mained on earth we might have been
assured OF deliverance from the grave,
and possibly a protracted residence
here; but what we desire before all
~things is reunion with God. the hab.
itation OF glory and the communion
of his presence. The ascension Sc.
cures this.
on, you TO whom these truths have
no meaning. in whose esteem they are
as foolishnesses, think what you are
losing now, and shall forever lose. II
they be true! would have you fol
loN the example OF John Keble. who,
conscious OF his grovellng thoughts
which lay half buried. roamed lawless.
ly. around this earthly waste. ex
claimed.
"Chains OF my heart. avaunt. say
/ will arise. and ia the strength OF love
Pursue the bright track ere Il fade away
My Savior's pathway TO His Hon,
above"
But Il is useless TO urge man e
do this without telling him how &c
do e. When. or how. can one obtair
this strength OF love" OF which tn,
poet speaks? How can he pursue 9Th,
right track" whose eyes are blinded
by sin other things OF the present
world VII will seek the hon,
above" unless he shall be awakened {,
It's glories? IL is God only who car
accomplish these things in human ex
perience. and he begins the work b,
weakening the ties OF earth and re
vealing the loathsomeness of sin an,
the peril OF unbelief