The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

For the second question, divers things are to be answered, viz. that he ascended, first by his own power, even by the power of his divine nature, carrying up his body into heaven, and opening heaven to bring in his Humanity, as also by a virtue in his glorified body, which was able to move upward, as well as downward. Secondly, that being about to leave his Disciples, in a solemn manner he lift up his hands and blessed them. To bless, is sometimes to wish a blessing, as when Parents bless their Children. Sometimes it is to pronounce a blessing, as when the Priests blessed the people, Numb. 6. 22. or Melchizedek blessed Abraham, Gen. 14. 19. sometime it is to foretell a blessing, as when Isaac blessed his two sons: sometimes it is to confer a blessing, and so only God blesseth us, and his Son Christ. God blesseth us in bestowing all spiritual blessings in heavenly things: Eph. 1. 3. And so when we read that Christ blessed them, lifting up his hands, we must think of him ⟨p. 480⟩as that blessed seed, the fountain of blessings to all Nations, in whom only all blessedness was to be had, that had now satisfied Gods Justice, and removed the curse, and therefore had power to estate blessing upon his Disciples, and all true Christians for ever. This blessing was the fruit of his Passion and Resurrection, and belongs to all the godly to the worlds end, and therefore he leaves his blessing on earth, being now to ascend to heaven. Unto this blessed Father and Saviour should we daily fly, and seek his blessing, which is able to do us more good than all the blessings of men or Angels. Thirdly, that he ascended visibly in the sight of his Disciples, Act. 1. 9. and therefore he did not vanish and become invisible in himself, as the Ubiquitaries dream. Fourthly, he made use of the service of a cloud, which received him as he departed, and carried him up as it were a Chariot, and at length hid him from the eyes of his Disciples: and thus he did, to prove, that it was he of whom it had been long before said, He maketh his Clouds his Chariot, Psal. 104. 3. and withal to restrain curiosity, he doth as it were draw a curtain between his body and their eyes, and between this mystery and our minds, that we should rest satisfied in believing that he did ascend, and not busy our heads about unprofitable and curious questions, in things not revealed.