Friday after the Ascension — On the Lessons we are to learn from the Ascension of our Lord

Consider, first, that as we ought to imitate the resurrection of our 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 ascent sion 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, secondly, that in order to be qualified to ascend a ter Christ our Lord into heaven, we must first get rid of our vices, and criminal passions; for none of these can be 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 his 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 in sunder, which keep thee from ascending after him, and, by the precious gifts of his grace, set thee at liberty, to fly upwards with the wings of the dove, till thou canst come to repose in him, and with him.

Consider, thirdly, 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 de- «res 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, that fills her 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, groveling in the mire. Nor 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 jdace thy affections here upon earth, lest they hinder thy flight towards thy true treasure in heaven. My love is my weighty says St. Augustine; that way am I carried whithersoever I am carried.