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and amendment of life; and now, for the first time, expressly tells them That this bleffing was not to be confined to the Jews, but extended to all nations, beginning first at Jerufalem. This information was of the more importance, as, when he nominated them to their high office and sent them on their firft miffion, he had directed them to preach the gospel to the loft sheep of the house of Israel, and not to go into the way of the Gentiles.-(St. Matt. chap. x. ver. 5. 6.) Their time was not yet come. The preference was to be given to the Jews, who were heirs of the promife: yet they caft away from them this jewel of inestimable price, suffering the Gentile world to obtain their birthright. Although our bleffed Lord had enlightened the minds of the apoftles, that they might understand the Scriptures, yet he would not suffer them to begin their great work till they had publicly received the gift of the Holy Ghost; which he here repeats his promise to fend them, but directs them to wait its accomplishment at Jerufalem.

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Jerufalem. Our Lord might intend, by this injunction, to point out to them, in the most forcible manner, that they were to place no reliance upon themselves, or upon their own knowledge, but implicitly to fubmit themselves to the guidance of God's holy Spirit, which should be sent to their affiftance.

The whole of our bleffed Saviour's bufiness on earth being now completed, he leads his difciples out to Bethany: (by which we understand the Mount of Olives, a part of which belonged to Bethany.) This fpot, which had been particularly diftinguished by his frequent inftructions to his difciples, by his prayers to his Father, and by his agonizing fufferings previous to his death, he chofe as the scene of his glory, and for the manifestation of his divine power; and there, having given to his difciples his farewel bleffing, in the view of them all, he afcended to Heaven. The difciples, who till this time seem not to have perfectly underflood the dignity of their Master, are now, from the circumftance of

his ascension before their eyes, added to that of his refurrection, fully convinced that he is the eternal Son of God; and, their faith being now exalted to the highest pitch, they offer to him that adoration which, till then, they had only paid to God the Father. Afterwards, in compliance with the directions he had left them, they return to Jerufalem, blessing and praising God, there to wait the further manifeftation of his power from the heavenly throne to which he was afcended.

As Chrift afcended, fo he will return in the clouds of Heaven; then will all the holy angels attend him, and all the world be fummoned to appear before him: for the trumpet shall found, and the dead shall arife. The pomp and grandeur, the joy and terror of that day, will infinitely exceed whatever we can now form an idea of. The Scripture abounds with texts upon this fubject; of which I fhall felect a few. (St. Paul's first epistle to the Theffalonians, chap. iv. ver. 16. 17.:) "For the Lord "himself shall defcend from Heaven with "a fhout,

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"a shout, with the voice of the archangel, "and with the trump of God: and the "dead in Chrift fhall rife firft: then we "which are alive, and remain, fhall be

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caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and "fo fhall we ever be with the Lord.” (II. Theffalonians, chap. i. ver. 7. 8. 9. 10.:) "And to you who are troubled, reft with

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us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed "from Heaven, with his mighty angels, " in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them "that know not God, and that obey not "the gofpel of our Lord Jefus Christ: "who fhall be punished with everlasting "deftruction from the prefence of the 'Lord, and from the glory of his power; "when he fhall come to be glorified in "his faints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our teftimony among

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you was believed) in that day." (II. Epift. St. Peter, chap. iii. ver. 10. 11. 12.:) "But the day of the Lord will come as a "thief in the night; in the which the “heavens shall pass away with a great

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noife, and the elements fhall melt with "fervent heat, the earth alfo and the works "that are therein fhall be burned up. "Seeing then that all these things shall be "diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and "godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the "heavens being on fire shall be diffolved, " and the elements fhall melt with fervent "heat ?" How tremendous is this account! Let us not, then, read these and fimilar texts upon this fubject with indifference, as if there could be any doubt of their truth, or that they did not concern us: every human being is equally interested in them; for we must all attend the fummons to the judgment-feat of Chrift; none can escape, though they fhould call on the hills and mountains to cover them; neither can they flee from the presence of their Judge. Let us, fore, prepare for that most awful day; that we may not be difowned by the Saviour and Judge of mankind. The greatest encouragement

there

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