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Thou haft led Captivity Captive. Thefe Captives were the Saints, whofe Bodies Chrift raised with his own from the Grave, where they had been kept in manner of Captives and Prifoners of Hope, when their Souls in the mean Time were in Abraham's Bofom, and a Place of Refrefhment, waiting patiently for this happy Day and Deliverance.

These all died in the Faith, not having received the Promifes, but having feen them afar off, and were perfwaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth.

The Way unto the Holy of Holies was not yet made manifeft, until by the Blood of Jefus Chrift we had Liberty to enter in by a new and living Way, which he hath confecrated for us through the Vail, that is to 10. 19. fay, his Flefh, which like a Vail covered in fome Meafure his Divinity, and was taken up into Heaven, as an Earneft of our Afcenfion, who are Heirs and Co-heirs with him in Glory.

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As Chrift was the Firft-fruits from the dead, fo he was the first that entred into the celeftial Paradife, and Acts 2. opened the Gates of Heaven to all Believers, admitting them into a more immediate and intire Poffeffion of the Divine Prefence; as it is written, No Man hath afcended John up into Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even 3.13. the Son of Man which is in Heaven.

Pfal.

The royal Prophet foreseeing this, fpake of Chrift's
Afcenfion
Afcenfion into Heaven by Way of Apoftrophe and
Acclamation unto the Angels, thefe Guards and Attend-
ants of the heavenly Mansions.

Lift up your Heads, O ye Gates, and be ve lifted up, ye everlasting Doors, and the King of Glory shall come

24. 7. in.

Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hofts, he is the King of Glory. Selah.

But

But can the Prey be taken from the Mighty, or the lawful I. 49.
Captive delivered?

Yea, for thus faith the Lord, Even the Captives of the Mighty fhall be taken away, and the Prey of the Terrible fball be delivered.

For, I will Contend with them that Contend with thee, and will fave thy Children.

O Bleffed Conquerer! Happy Captives, and Triumphant Captivity, whereby thou haft fpoiled Principalities, and Powers, and releafed thefe Prifoners of Hope, from the Bondage of the Grave, and their long Expectations, into perfect Happiness, and endless Joys.

Thou haft received Gifts for Men, even the Gifts of the Holy Ghoft, which he plentifully difperfed on the Day of Pentecoft; giving fome Apoftles, and fome Evangelifts, and fome Paftors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the edifying of the Body of Chrift,his Myftical Body the Church, till we all come in the Unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect Man, unto the Measure of the Stature of the Fulnefs of Chrift.

However, Our Bleffed Saviour did Purchafe the Grant of thefe Gifts, from the firft Inftant of his Incarnation, until his bloody Paffion on the Crofs, which was the meritorious and procuring Caufe of all Goodnefs to his Church in former Ages, as well as afterwards; yet the folemn Publication, and Effufion of thefe Gifts was not until his Afcenfion into Heaven; therefore faid he unto his Difciples, It is expedient for. you,

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that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter Joh.16. will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you.'

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Thou haft received Gifts for Men, not for the Fallen
Angels, who through inordinate Love and Admiration

of

17.

Rev.
IL. 16.

of their own Excellencies, where-with they were creat ed, kept not their firft State, but left their own Habita tion and Dependence upon God,and therefore are referved into everlafting Chains unto the great Day..

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But he received thefe Gifts for Men, yea, for the Rebellious alfo, which fometime were Difobedient, having no Hope, and without God in the World; But now, they that were fometimes afar off, are made nigh by the Blood of Chrift, and his Powerful Interceffion. As it is written, The Kingdoms of this World, are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he fball Reign for ever and ever."

And the Four and Twenty Elders, which fat before God, on their Seats, fell upon their Faces, and Worshipped God, faying, We give thee Thanks O Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy Great Power, and haft Reigned.

Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever, the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a right Scepter.

Thou loveft Righteousness, and hatest Wickedness, therefore God, even thy God hath Anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows.

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All thy Garments (mell of Myrrh, and Aloes, and Caffia,out of the ivory Palaces whereby they have made thee glad. For this End, our bleffed Lord Afcended on high, led Captivity Captive, and received Gifts for Men, yea. for the Rebellious alfo, that the Lord God might dwell Rev. 2. among them, as it is written, Behold the Tabernacle of God is with Men, and he will dwell with them, and they Shall be his People, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

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Ohow great is this Promife, and this Privilege, that God will be our God, even our own God, then all will be ours; his Wifdom to Teach us, and his Goodnefs to Pity us; and his Power to Defend us, and all

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Things will work together for our Good: If God be with us, who can be against us, fo as to pre vail over us: As the King of Ifrael faid to the King of Affyria, I am thine, and all that I have is thine, Bleffed is the Nation whofe God is the Lord, and the People whom he bath chofen for his Inheritance.

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After this manner our bleffed Lord Afcended on high, with a Glorious Train of Saints and Angels, in publick View, and before many Witneffes, to whom he fhewed himself, alive, after his Paffion, by many in- Act. 1. fallible Proofs,being feen of them, Fourty Days, and fpeaking of the Things pertaining to theKingdom of God.

When he had led forth his Difciples as far as Bethany, to draw their Affections after him, and lifted up his Hands and bleffed them, when a bright fhining Cloud, (like that on Mount Tabor) which was a Sign of the Di vine Prefence, and Glory, received him out of their Sight, which cannot but greatly ftrengthen our Faith, and cherish our Hopes, and fill our Hearts with unfpeakable Joy and Comfort, when we confider the excellentGlory,to which our bleffed Lord is nowExalted, and the great Bleffings which we have by the fame.

Now our bleffed Lord, who is Afcended into Hea ven, and fitteth on the right Hand of God, is invested: with all Power and Authority, Angels and Arch-Angels being made Subject unto him; he hath on his Vetture, and on his Thigh, a Name written, KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords, him hath God Exalted on his right Hand, to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give Repentance to Ifrael, and Forgivenefs of Sins, fo that we may boldly fay,The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what Man can do unto me. And again, The right Hand of the Lord is Exalted, the right Hand of the Lord doth Valiantly; I shall not die, but live and declare the Works of the Lord.

Now

Now our bleffed Lord is Afcended into Heaven, there to appear in the Prefence of God for us; not in a low fupplicating Manner, as in the Days of his Flefh on Earth, when he fell on his Face, and proftrate him felf on the Ground, offering up Prayers and Supplications, with strong Crying and Tears for himfelf and us, when he was to fuffer for our Sins; but now being exalted on the right Hand of Majefty, and highly advanced in Grace and Favour, he is able to fave them to the uttermost that come to God by him, feing he ever liveth to make Interceffion for them.

In this refpect, even after the Power of an endless Life, Chrift is a Prieft for ever, prefenting his holy Humanity, his perfect Obedience and chearful Sufferings in our Behalf, and his continual Reprefentation, (fhewing his deep and wide Wounds which he received for our fakes) is a continual Interceffion for us.

For Chrift is not entred into the Holy Places made with Hands, which are Figures of the true, but into Heaven it felf, now to appear in the Prefence of God, for us, with all our Names, and Neceffities Ingra ven upon his Heart, and upon the Palms of his Hands, whereof Aaron was a Type, when he entred into the Holy of Holies, bearing the Names of the Twelve Tribes of the Children of Ifrael,Engraven upon Twelve precious Stones, and fet in Gold, in the Breaft-plate of Judgment, upon his Heart, for a. Memorial before the Matth. Lord continually. Behold, faith the Lord, I have Graven thee upon the Palms of my Hands,thy Walls are continu-. ally before me. When our bleffed Saviour faid to the Mother of Zebedee's Children, That to fet the one on his right Hand and the other on his left, in the Kingdom Glory, was not his to give it; because he was yet in theState of hisHumiliation, when he appeared in the Form of a Servant, before he had payed the Price of our Re

20.

demption,

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