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wailed the wretchedness of human disciples while he was solemnly nature, and the miseries of this life. blessing them; and multitudes of ASCENSION OF CHRIST, angels attended him with shouts his visible elevation to heaven. of praise, Ps. lxviii, 17. Ps. xlvii, The ascension of Jesus Christ was 5, 6.

not only presignified by many The effects or ends of Christ's scripture types, but also by many ascension were, 1. To fulfil the remarkable scripture prophecies, prophecies and types concerning Ps. xlvii, 5. Ps. cx, 1. Dan. vii, it.-2. To take upon him more 13, 14. Mic. ii, 13. Ps. lxviii, 18. openly the exercise of his kingly The evidences of his ascension office.-3. To receive gifts for were numerous. The disciples men both ordinary and extraorsaw him ascend, Acts i, 9, 10. dinary, Ps. lxviii, 18.-4. To Two angels testified that he did open the way into heaven for his ascend, Acts i, 11. Stephen, Paul, people, Heb. x, 19, 20.-5. To and John, saw him in his ascend-assure the saints of their ascension ed state, Acts vii, 55, 56. Acts ix. also, John xiv, 1, 2.

Rev. i. The marvellous descent of ASCETIC, one who retires the Holy Ghost demonstrated it, from the world for the purpose of John xvi, 7, 14. Acts ii, 33. The devotion and mortification. When terrible overthrow and dispersion the monks came in fashion, this of the Jewish nation is a standing title was bestowed upon them, esproof of it, John viii, 21. Matt. pecially such as lived in solitude. xxvi, 64. It was also the title of several The time of his ascension. It books of spiritual exercises, as the was forty days after his resurrec- Ascetics or devout exercises of St. tion. He continued so many days Basil, &c. on earth, that he might give many ASCODROGITES, a denomirepeated proofs of his resurrection, nation which arose about the year Acts i, 3; that he might instruct 181. They brought into their his followers in every thing which churches bags or skins filled with pertained to the abolishment of new wine, to represent the new the Jewish ceremonies, Acts i, 3; bottles filled with new wine menand that he might open to them tioned by Christ. They danced the scriptures concerning himself, round these bags or skins, and, it and renew their commission to is said, intoxicated themselves with preach the gospel, Acts i, 5, 6, the wine.

Mark xvi, 15.

ASCOODRUTES, a sect, in The manner of his ascension. It the second century, who rejected was from Mount Olivet to heaven, the use of all symbols and sacraActs i, 12; not in appearance on-ments on this principle, that incorly, but in reality and truth; visi-poreal things cannot be communibly and locally; a real motion of cated by things corporeal, nor dihis human nature; sudden, swift, vine mysteries by any thing visible. glorious, and in a triumphant ASSEMBLIES OF THE manner. He was parted from his CLERGY are called convocations,

nods, councils. The annual meet-afforded matter for dispute among ing of the church of Scotland is divines. Some have asserted that called a general assembly. In this it is not to be obtained in the preassembly his majesty is represent-sent state, allowing that persons ed by his commissioner, who dis-may be in a hopeful way to salvasolves one meeting and calls ano-ion, but that they can have no ther in the name of the king, real or absolute assurance of it: while the moderator does the same but this is clearly refuted by fact in the name of Jesus Christ.as well as by scripture. That it See CONVOCATION, PRESBYTERI-s to be obtained is evident, for we have reason to believe many

ANS.

ASSENT, that act of the mind persons have actually obtained it, whereby it takes or acknowledges Job xix, 25. Ps. xvii, 15. 2d Tim. any proposition to be true or false.i, 12. The scriptures exhort us to There are three degrees of assent, obtain it, 2d Cor. xiii, 5. Heb. -conjecture, opinion, and beliefvi, 11. 1st Thess. v, 21. The HoConjecture is but a slight and ly Spirit is said to bear witness of weak inclination to assent to the it, Rom. viii, 16. The exercise of thing proposed by reason of the the christian graces is considered weighty objections that lie against as a proof of it, 1st John iii, 14.

it. Opinion is a more steady and 1st John ii, 3. We must, howfixed assent, when a man is almost ever, guard against presumption; certain, though yet some fear or a mere persuasion that Christ of the contrary remains with him, is our's, is no proof that he is so. Belief is a more full and assured We must have evidence before we assent to the truth. See BELIEF. can have assurance. It is neces

ASSURANCE is the firm per-sary to observe also, that it is not suasion we have of the certainty a duty imposed upon all mankind, of any thing, or a certain expec-so that every one, in whatsoever tation of something future. state he may be, ought to be fully

Assurance of the Understanding persuaded of his salvation. "We is a well-grounded knowledge of do not affirm," says Saurin, "that divine things founded on God's christians of whose sincerity there word, Col. ii, 2.-Assurance of may be some doubt have a right Faith does not relate to our per-to assurance; that backsliders, as sonal interest in Christ, but con-such, ought to persuade themsists in a firm belief of the revela-selves that they shall be saved; nor tion that God has given us of do we say that christians who have Christ in his word, with an entire arrived to the highest degree of dependance on him, Heb. x, 22.-holiness can be persuaded of the Assurance of Hope is a firm ex-certainty of their salvation in evepectation that God will grant usry period of their lives; nor, if the complete enjoyment of what left to their own efforts, can they he has promised, Heb. vi, 11. enjoy it; but believers supported The doctrine of assurance has by the Divine aid, who walk in all VOL. I.

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good conscience before him, these only have ground to expect this privilege.

they have not the faith of God's elect, and must inevitably be lost. The means to attain assurance Some divines have maintained are not those of an extraordinary that assurance is included in the kind, as sonie people imagine; very essence of faith, so that a such as visions, dreams, voices, man cannot have faith without &c.; but such as are ordinaryassurance; but we must distin-self-examination, humble and conguish between assurance and jus- stant prayer, consulting the sacred tifying faith. The apostle, indeed, oracles, christian communication, speaks of the full assurance of attendance on the divine ordinances faith; but then this is a full and and perseverance in the path of firm persuasion of what the gos-duty; without which all our aspel reveals; whereas the assurance surance is but presumption, and we are speaking of relates to our our profession but hypocrisy. personal interest in Christ, and is Assurance may be lost for a seaan effect of this faith, and not faith son through bodily diseases which itself. Faith in Christ certainly depress the spirits, unwatchfulincludes some idea of assurance; ness, falling into sin, manifold for, except we be assured that he temptations, worldly cares, and is the Saviour, we shall never goneglect of private duty. He, thereto or rely upon him as such: but fore, who would wish to enjoy faith in Christ does not imply an this privilege, let him cultivate assurance of our interest in him; communion with God, exercise a for there may be faith long before watchful spirit against his spiritual the assurance of personal interest enemies, and give himself unrecommences. The confounding of servedly to Him whose he is, and these ideas has been the cause of whom he professes to serve. See presumption on the one hand, and Saurin's Ser. vol. iii, ser. 10, despair on the other. When men Eng. ed.; Case's Sermons, ser. 13; have been taught that faith con- Lambert's Ser. on John ix, 35; sisted in believing that Christ died Hervey's Theoron and Aspasia, for them, and been assured that, dialogue 17; Howe's Works, vol. if they can only believe so, all is i, p. 342, 348; Brooks on Assurwell, and that then they are im-ance; Hora Sol. vol. ii, p. 269. mediately pardoned and justified, ASSURITANS, a branch of the consequence has been, that the Donatists, who held that the the bold and self-conceited have Son was inferior to the Father, soon wrought themselves up to and the Holy Ghost to the Son. such a persuasion, without any See DONATISTS. ground for it, to their own decep- ASTONISHMENT, a kind tion; whilst the dejected, humble, or degree of wonder introduced by and poor in spirit, not being able surprise. This emotion always to work themselves to such a pitch relates to things of the highest imof confidence, have concluded that portance; to things which appear

too vast and extensive for the|| observes, that speculative atheism grasp of intellect, rather than to is unreasonable upon five accounts. any thing of an intricate nature. 1. Because it gives no tolerable The body marks in a striking man-account of the existence of the ner the singular state of the mind world.-2. It does not give any under this emotion. The eyes are reasonable account of the univerfirely fixed, without being direct-sal consent of mankind in this aped to any particular object; the prehension, that there is a God. character of countenance, which 3. It requires more evidence for was formed by the habitual influ- things than they are capable of ence of some predominant affec-giving,-4. The Atheist pretends tion, is for a time effaced; and ato know that which no man can suspension of every other expres-know.-5. Atheism contradicts itsion, a certain vacuity, strongly self. Under the first of these he notes this state of mind. thus argues:-" I appeal to any ATHANASIANS, those who man of reason whether any thing profess the sentiments held in the can be more unreasonable than Athanasian Creed. See CREED. obstinately to impute an effect to

ATHEIST, one who denies chance, which carries in the very the existence of God:-this is call-face of it all the arguments and ed speculative atheism. Profess-characters of a wise design and ing to believe in God, and yet contrivance. Was ever any conacting contrary to this belief, issiderable work, in which there called practical atheism Absurd was required a great variety of and irrational as atheism is, it has parts, and a regular and orderly had its votaries and martyrs. In disposition of those parts, done by the seventeenth century, Spinosa, chance? Will chance fit means to a foreigner, was its noted defend-ends, and that in ten thousand iner. Lucilio Vanini, a native of Na-stances, and not fail in any one? ples, also publicly taught atheism How often might a man, after he in France; and, being convicted had jumbled a set of letters in a of it at Toulouse, was condemned bag, fling them out upon the ground and executed in 1619, It has before they would fall into an exbeen questioned, however, whe-act poem; yea, or so much as ther any man ever seriously adopt-make a good discourse in prose? ed such a principle. The preten- And may not a little book be as sions to it have been generally easily made by chance as the great founded on pride or affectation. volume of the world? How long The open avowal of atheism by might a man be in sprinkling coseveral of the leading members of lours upon canvas with a careless the French convention seems to hand, before they would happen have been an extraordinary moral to make the exact picture of a phenomenon. This, however, as man? And is a man easier made we have seen, was too vague and by chance than his picture? How uncomfortable a principle to last long might twenty thousand blind long. Archbishop Tillotson justly men, which should be sent out

from several remote parts of Eng-and experiment, in any age or hisland, wander up and down before tory, to countenance so monstrous they would all meet upon Salisa supposition? The thing is, at bury plain, and fall into rank and first sight, so gross and palpable, file in the exact order of an army that no discourse about it can And, yet, this is much more eas make it more apparent. And, to be imagined than how the in-et, these shameful beggars of numerable blind parts of matter principles give this precarious acshould rendezvous themselves into count of the original of things; a world. A man that sees Henry assume to themselves to be the the Seventh's chapel at Westmin-men of reason, the great wits of ster might with as good reason the world, the only cautious and maintain (yea, with much better,wary persons that hate to be imconsidering the vast difference be-posed upon, that must have contwixt that little structure and th vincing evidence for every thing, huge fabric of the world) that it and can admit of nothing without was never contrived or built a clear demonstration for it." See EXISTENCE OF GOD.

any means, but that the stones did by chance grow into those curious Some of the principal writers on figures into which they seem to the existence of a Deity have been have been cut and graven; and Newton, Boyle, Cheyne, Locke, that upon a time (as tales usuallNieuwentyt, Derham, Bentley, begin) the meterials of that build Ray; Cudworth, Samuel and John ing, the stone, mortar, timber, Clarke, Abernethy, Balguy, Baxiron, lead, and glass, happily meter, Fenelon, &c. &c. Tillotson's together, and very fortunately sermon on the subject, as quoted ranged themselves into that deli- above, has been considered as one cate order in which we see them of the best in the English language, now, so close compacted, that it See ser. 1, vol. i. must be a very great chance that ATONEMENT is the satisfyparts them again. What would ing Divine Justice by Jesus Christ the world think of a man that giving himself a ransom for us, should advance such an opinion as undergoing the penalty due to our this, and write a book for it? If sins, and thereby releasing us from they would do him right, they that punishment which God might ought to look upon him as mad;||justly inflict upon us, Rom. v, 11, but yet with a little more reason The Hebrew word signifies coverthan any man can have to say that ing, and intimates that our offences the world was made by chance, are, by a proper atonement, cov or that the first men grew up out ered from the avenging justice of the earth as plants do now. of God. In order to understand the For, can any thing be more ridi-manner wherein Christ becomes culous, and against all reason, than an atonement, "we should," says to ascribe the production of men Dr. Watts, "consider the followto the first fruitfulness of the earth, ing propositions, 1. The great God without so much as one instance having made man, appointed to

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