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lifted up his hands, and blessed said, "Peace be unto you." O Saviour, them.

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51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

52 "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy :

53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

g Mark xvi. 14. John xx. 19. 1 Cor. xv. 5.-h Mark vi. 49.-i John xx. 20, 27.-k Gen. xlv. 26.- John xxi. 5.-m Acts x. 41.-n Mat. xvi. 21: & xvii. 22; & xx. 18. Mark viii. 31. ch. ix. 22; & xviii 31. ver. 6.-0 Acts xvi. 14.-p ver. 26. Ps. xxii. 1s. 1. 6; & liii. 2, &c. Acts xvii.3.-q Dan. ix. 24. Acts xiii. 38, 46. 1 John ii. 12.-r Gen. xii. 3. Ps. xxii. 27. Is. xlix. 6, 22. Jer. xxxi. 34. Hos. ii. 23. Mic. iv. 2. Mal. i. 11.-8 John xv. 27. Acts i. 8, 22; & ii. 32; & iii. 15.- Is. xlvi. 3. Joel ii. 28. John xiv. 16, 26; & xv. 26; & xvi. 7. Acts 1.4; & ii. 1, &c.-u Acts i. 12.- 2 Kings ii. 11. Mark xvi. 19. John xx. 17. Acts i. 9. Eph. iv. 8.-y Mat. xxviii. 9, 17.- Acts 46; & v. 42.

how thou camest in hither, I wonder, I inquire not: I know not what a glorified body can do; I know there is nothing that thou canst not

do. Had not thine entrance been recorded for strange and supernatural, why was thy standing in the midst noted before thy passage into the room? Why were the doors said to be shut while thou camest in? Why were thy disciples amazed to see thee ere they heard thee? Doubtless, they that once before took thee for a spirit when thou didst walk upon the waters, could not but be astonished to see thee, while the doors were barred, with out any noise of thy entrance to stand in the midst : well might they think, thou couldst not thus be there, if thou wert not the God of spirits. There might seem more scruple of thy reality than of thy power; and therefore, after thy wonted greeting, thou showedst them thy hands and thy feet, stamped with the impressions of thy late sufferings. Thy respiration shall argue the truth of thy life. Thou breathest on them as a man, thou givest them thy Spirit as a God; and as God and man thou sendest them on the great errand of thy gospel.-HALL.

READER. Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, &c.-Those disciples, whose flight scattered them upon their Master's apprehension, are now, at night, like a dispersed covey, met together by their mutual call: their assembly is secret; when the light was shut in, when the doors were shut up. Still were they fearful, still were the Jews malicious. The assured tidings of their Master's resurrection and life hath filled their hearts with joy and wonder. While their thoughts and speech are taken up with so happy a subject, his miraculous and sudden presence bids their senses be witnesses of his reviving and their happiness. "When the doors were shut, where the disciples were as--Whensoever I think of my blessed sembled, for fear of the Jews, came Saviour, the Sun of righteousness, I Jesus, and stood in the midst, and apprehend, or rather by the eye of

Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, &c.

See Commentary on vrs. 26, 27. While he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into Heaven.

faith, I behold him in the highest heavens, there shining in glory and splendour infinitely greater than any mortal eye can bear, invested with supreme majesty, honour, and authority over the whole creation. I behold him there surrounded with an innumerable company of holy angels, as so many fixed stars, and of glorified saints, as planets, enlightened by him: all his satellites or servants waiting upon him, ready upon all occasions to reflect and convey his benign influences or favour to his people upon earth. I see him yonder, by his own light, I behold him displaying his bright beams, and diffusing his light round about, over his whole church, both that which is triumphant in heaven, and that which is militant here on earth; that all the members of it may see all things belonging to their peace. I behold him continually sending down his quickening Spirit upon those that are baptized into, and believe in, his holy name, to regenerate them, to be a standing principle of a new and divine life in them. I behold him there manifesting himself and causing his face to shine upon those who look up to him, so as to refresh and cheer their spirits, to make them brisk and lively, and able to run "with patience the race that is set before them." I behold him there continually issuing forth his Holy Spirit, to actuate and influence the administration of his word and sacraments; that all who duly receive them may thereby grow in grace, and be fruitful in every good word

and work. I behold the Sun of righteousness shining with so much power and efficacy upon his church, that all the good works that are done in it, though imperfect in themselves, do notwithstanding appear through him as good and righteous in the sight of God himself, and are accordingly rewarded by him. In short, as the sun was made to govern the day, so I behold the Sun of righteousness as governing his church, and ordering all things both within and without it, so as to make them work together for the good of those who love God, till he hath brought them all to himself, to live with them in the highest heavens, where they shall also, by his means, "shine forth as the sun" in the kingdon of their Father for ever; Matt. xiii. 43. Could we keep these and such like thoughts of our blessed Saviour always fresh in our minds, could we be always thus looking upon him, as the Sun of righteousness shining continually upon us and his whole church, what holy, what heavenly, what comfortable lives should we then lead! We should then despise the pomps and vanities of this wicked world as nothing, as less than nothing, in comparison of this most glorious sun and his righteousness. We should then, with St. Paul, "count all things but loss in comparison of the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord," and should "count them but dung, that we may win Christ, and be found in him; not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is of God by faith;" Phil. iii. 8, 9. We should

then leave gazing upon the trifles of the lower world, and should be always looking up to the Sun of righteousness, so as to be enlightened by him, Psalm xxxiv. 5, with such a light as will discover to us the glories of the other world together with the way that leads to it.

We should then abhor and detest the works of darkness, and walk as the children of light, and accordingly shine as lights in the world. And then we should have the light of God's countenance shining continually upon us, and enlightening, enlivening, and refreshing our whole souls, and purifying both our hearts and lives, so as to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; in that everlasting light which comes from the Sun

of righteousness, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for ever.-Beveridge.

HYMN.

'Tis the Saviour! seraphs, raise
Your eternal songs of praise:
Let the earth's remotest bound
Hear the joy-inspiring sound.
Lift, ye saints, lift up your eyes;
Now to glory see Him rise:
Hosts of angels on the road
Hail and sing th' incarnate God.
Heaven unfolds its portals wide:
Gracious conqueror through them ride!
King of glory mount thy throne!
Boundless empire is thine own.

Praise Him, all ye heavenly choirs,
Praise and sweep your golden lyres;
Praise Him in the noblest songs,
From ten thousand thousand tongues.

SCOTT.

THE GOSPEL

ACCORDING TO

ST. JOHN.

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§ CCXXV.

CHAP. I. 1—18.

d

2 The same was in the be

ginning with God.

3 All things were made by

The divinity, humanity, and office of him; and without him was not Jesus Christ.

In the beginning "was the Word, and the Word was 'with God,

and the Word was God.

any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And "the light shineth in

and the darkness

darkness; and comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 * The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

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10 He was in the world, and Col. i. 16. ver 10. Eph. iii. 9.

'the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 "He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

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12 But as many as received him, to them gave he 'power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13" Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word Word was made 'flesh, and dwelt among us, (and 'we bebeld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) "full of grace and truth.

15 "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake," He

a Prov. viii. 22 23, &c. Col. i. 17. 1 John 1. 1. Rev. i. 2; & 19, 13. Prov. viii. 30. ch. xvii. 5. 1 John i. 2. Phil. ii 6. 1 John v 7. Gen. i. I. Psalm xxxii. 6. Heb i. 2. Rev. v. 11. fch. v. 26. 1 John v. 11. gch. viii 12; & ix. 5; & xii. 35, 46. h ch. iii. 19. i Mal. iii. I. Mat. iii. 1. Luke iii. 2. ver. 33. Acts xx. 4. ver. 4. Isaiah xlix. 6. 1 John ii. 8. m ver. 3. Heb. i. 2; & xi. 3. n Luke xix. 14. Acts iii. 26; & xiii, 46. ols. Ivi. 5. Rom. viii. 15. Gal. iii 26. 2 Pet. i. 4. 1John iii. 1. Or, the right, or, privilege. pch ii. 5. James i. 18. q Mat. i. 16, 20. Luke i. 31, 35; & ii. 7. Rom. i. 3. Gal. iv. 4. s Heb. ii. 11, 14, xl. 5. Mat. xvii. 2. ch. ii 11, & xi 40. u Col. i 19; & ii. 3, 9. w ver. 32. ch. iii. 2: & v. 33. Mat. iii. II. Mark i.7. Luke iii. 16. ver. 27, 30. ch. iii. 31. ych. viii. 58. Col. . 17. z ch iii. 34. Eph. i. 6, 7, 8. Col. i. 19; & ii. 9, 10. a Ex. xx. I, &c. Deut.iv.

1 Peter i. 23.

1 Tim. iit. 16.

16, 17. lis. 2 Peter i. 17.

44; & v. 1; & xxxiii. 4. 6 Rom. iii. 24; & v. 21; &

vi. 14. ech. viii. 32; & xiv. 6. d Ex. xxxiii. 20. Deat. iv. Mat. xi. 27. Luke x. 22. ch. vi. 46 I Tim.

17 & 18. John iv. 12, 20. e ver. 14. ch. 3, 16,

18. 1 John iv. 9.

READER. In the beginning was the

Word, &c. This gospel opens with claration of the nature and office of a sublime and most important dethe adorable Redeemer. When we consider the history of his life and actions, we plainly discover that he was more than man,―more than a righteous man,-more than a prophet. Some points of resemblance may be traced between the Lord

Jesus Christ and certain human messengers of God; but there are many respects in which he is altogether superior to them all. We see him working miracles by his

us.

for ourselves to obtain some insight into the mysteries of the Divine essence. But let us be content to learn what God has been pleased to reveal. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, existed from eternity in his Divine nature, before he assumed that human soul and body with which he appeared on earth. He was "in the beginning." This eternal Being is one with Jehovah, the true and living God. During his sojourn upon earth he declared, "Before Abraham was, I am ;" and again, "I and the Father are one." The Jews charged him with blasphemy, because that he, being a man, made himself God. But our Lord persisted in his claim, and said, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him." (John x. 30, 37, 38.) He, whose "name is called The Word of God," "hath also on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of kings and Lord of lords." (Rev. xix. 13, 16.)—Further, this eternal Being, and fellow of Jehovah, is the author of creation: "All things were made by him." "God," says St. Paul, "created all things by Jesus Christ." Eph. iii. 9. And again, "He is before all things, and by him all things consist." Col. i. 17. In this latter passage we are taught to attribute to the Son of God, not only the original creation of all things, but, their continual preservation, or the work of an upholding and superintending provi

own authority and power; and we trace in his character that perfect purity and majesty which never appeared in any but himself. He is man, indeed; but he is, he must be, more than man. Who is he? He is God! He is the eternal Being, co-existent with the Father, and one with him, the author of creation, the fountain of spiritual life and light! Such is the description of his nature and character which we find in the verses before Here the great question concerning the nature and office of the Redeemer receives a sufficient answer. If we push our inquiries too far, with vain or presumptuous curiosity, we shall soon be baffled and confused. Must we insist upon knowing exactly how the Word or Son of God is with, or as it is else where expressed, in the Father, and the Father in him, so that the unity of the Godhead remains undivided? Let us remember that this is to require no less than to find out to perfection, to comprehend fully, the nature of the eternal Jehovah. And before we venture upon such a speculation, let us charge ourselves to do (for example) this one thing; namely, to determine how a brute animal could understand our method of communicating an impression of our thoughts to a friend at the distance of the globe's circumference, without an interview or a word spoken! When an irrational creature can so far comprehend the mind of man as to understand the mystery of a letter or a printed book, we may begin to think it possible

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