Consider first, that as we ought to imitate the resurrection of the Lord by a spiritual resurrection from the death of sin to the life of grace, so we must also imitate the ascension of our Lord by a spiritual ascension into heaven, and by dwelling there in spirit with Him; that, as we hope one day to ascend thither after Him in effect, we may learn the way by ascending after Him every day in affection. Our Lord has told us that where our treasure is there our heart shall also be. Our treasure is that which we love the most and the best of all things; now, if this be Christ, as it ought to be, as He is ascended into heaven, our treasure is in heaven; and therefore our heart should follow its treasure by ascending after Him in spirit into heaven, and by fixing there its abode with its beloved. O happy ascension of love, which teaches the soul to find in some measure a heaven upon earth, and interiorly to have always her conversation in heaven, whatever occupation or company she may be exteriorly engaged in upon earth.

Consider 2ndly, that in order to be qualified to ascend after Christ our Lord into heaven, we must first get rid of our vices and criminal passions, for none of these can he admitted into that blessed abode; there is no room for them there. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, can have no place in heaven; all their pursuits are earthly - instead of carrying the soul upwards towards heaven, they press her down towards hell. They are all slaves to Satan; they bind the poor soul fast in chains; they will not suffer her to follow after Christ; they are His mortal enemies. See then, my soul, if none of these have dominion over thee; see if pride, avarice, passion, or lust have not more influence on thee, to keep thee afar off from Christ in this region of sin and death, than the love of God has to draw thee up to heaven after Him. O beg of thy Lord, through His triumphant ascension, by which 'ascending on high He led captivity captive; He gave gifts to men,' Eph. iv. 8, that He would break all thy bonds asunder, which keep thee from ascending after Him, and by the precious gift of His grace set thee at liberty to fly up wards with the wings of the dove, till thou canst come to repose in Him and with Him.

Consider 3rdly, that the soul can never be rightly qualified to fly up towards heaven by this spiritual ascension, as long as her wings, that is, her affections, are not disengaged. For as the bird cannot fly if its wings be either entangled or daubed over with bird-lime, so the soul cannot fly if her affections are either entangled in the nets of the world, or defiled with the bird-lime of a misplaced love. So that it is not enough for a soul that desires to ascend to heaven after Christ to be free from downright lust or other scandalous excesses and passions; but she must also be disengaged in her affections from every love of person or thing that ties her down as it were to the earth; that captivates her thoughts with solicitudes and perplexities or otherwise takes off her heart from the love of God. All such love as this disqualifies the soul from flying towards heaven: it keeps her far below, grovelling in the mire. Not let her flatter herself that her affections are innocent, because the object is not of itself criminal; for let the object be what it will, it is a crime to prefer it to God, or to love it so as to forfeit for its sake the love of God.

Conclude to be jealous of thyself; how thou placest thy affections here upon earth, lest thou hinder thy flight towards thy true treasure in heaven: 'my love is my weight,' says St. Augustine, 'that way am I carried, whithersoever I am carried.'

Consider first, that as in consequence of the ascension of our Lord we ought to be daily carried as it were upon the wings of love up to Him in His heavenly kingdom, so we ought by this frequent ascending thither to be daily more and more enamoured with that kingdom of love; to conceive the highest ideas of that incomprehensible happiness of the soul's being there eternally united to her God, and absorbed in Him, and with the most ardent desires to long daily more and more for this fountain of life. But what then must the sentiments of the soul be, when after she has begun, by the practice of this devotion, to relish something of the sweetness of the good things of her Lord in the land of the living, she finds herself still a prisoner in this foreign land, in this earthly Babylon? O how does she wish to be delivered from this captivity! to see an end of this long pilgrimage! How does she lament her banishment in this vale of tears, at so great a distance from her true country! How does she despise this miserable world, and even loathe its choicest enjoyments! O my soul, that these were your sentiments.

Consider 2ndly, and give ear to the exhortation of the apostle, Coloss. iii. 1, &c., 'If thou be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; and the things that are above, not the things that are on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then shall you also appear with Him in glory.' How happy are those Christians that enter into these sentiments upon occasion of the ascension of our Lord; who consider Christ as the great object of their love and their true life; and, as He is in heaven, sitting at the right hand of God, turn all their intentions and affections towards heaven; who consider this their true life as absent arid as hidden from them here below, and therefore, continually aspire after that happy revolution when they shall cease to die and begin to live. And in the mean time, whilst they remain in this region of death, they seek, as much as they can, to divest themselves of this body of death, by mortifying, as the apostle admonishes, their members that are upon earth, and by crucifying the flesh with its vices and concupiscences.

Consider 3rdly, that as we are informed by church history, our Lord, at His ascension, left the last prints of his feet upon the top of Mount Olivet, in the place from whence He ascended, which no length of time, nor encampments of armies, or other accidents, nor even industry of man, could ever efface or cover over, that we might learn that the true way for all that desire to follow Christ, by ascending after Him to heaven, is to have His footsteps always before their eyes, and to walk in them by a diligent imitation of his life and conversation. They that are careful to walk in His footsteps are His disciples indeed; and they that are His disciples indeed, will infallibly, if they persevere, ascend to heaven after Him, and be for ever with Him.

Conclude to lay up in thy heart all these lessons which Christ desires to teach thee in His ascension and so to adhere to His footsteps, that nothing in life or death may ever separate thee from Him.

At the close of evening I shall appear before Thee with empty hands, for I ask not, Lord, that Thou wouldnst count my works. All our justice is tarnished in Thy sight. It is therefore my desire to be clothed with Thine own justice and to receive from Thy love the eternal possession of Thyself. I crave no other throne or other crown but Thee, O my Beloved.

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