z7 z 'The Circumgances and Benefits i }.:;íl.{I Vol II. which the Father path put into his own Power. And inflead of fatisfying them in Things that did not concern them, he difcourfeth to them about thofe Things which did concern them ; namely, how they fhould be qualified and tent forth to preach the Gofpel 'to theWorld ; Ver. 8. But yefhall receive Power, aftér that the Holy Gbafi is come`upon you, andye fhall be Witnefes unto me, both in Jerrtfalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the utmoji Parts of the Earth. And whén he had Token thefe Things, he was taken up. Thefe are the Circumftances preceding his AfcenGon. Secondly, VVe will confider the Circumftances of his AfcenGon, and they are thefe four : L That ourSaviour was taken up, whilehewas blefling his Dilciples; Lu/ie24.51. And it came to pay, while he blefed them, he was parted from them, and carriedon into Heaven. H. That he was taken up in the View of his Difciples, and while their Eyes were attentively fix'd upon him : While they beheld, he Was taken up, Ver. 9. And Ver. to. it is faid, They lookedfedfaf?ly toward Heaven, as he went up. III. That he was taken up in a Cloud : And a Cloud received him out of their Sight. IV. The Place whither he went, Ver. t I. The fame yefus, which is taken up from you into Heaven; which is elfewhere more particularlyexprefs'd, by declaring the Dignity to which he was exalted in Heaven, kingyet down on the Right Hand of God, and having all Power in Heaven and in Earth committed to him. Thefe are the chief Circumftances of his AfcenGon, which I fhali (peak briefly to. I. That our BiefrdSaviour was taken up, while he was bleffing his Difciples. This St. Luke does not mention here in the Hifloryof the Atli, having mentioned it before in his Gofpel, to which he refers us; Luke 24. 50, 51. fpeaking of our Saviour and his Apoftles; And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lift up his Hands, and blefd them. Lifting up of the Hands, was a Ceremony ufed among the yews, in blefling the People, Levit. 9.2 2. it is Paid there, that Aaron lift up his Hands towards the People, and ble /d them. So our Saviour here, in Imitattionof the ufual Ceremonies among the yews: And it came to pats, while he bled them, he was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven. The firft Tidings of our Saviour's Birth, were attended with Prai es to God, and Bleffings to Men ; Glory to God on high, Peace onEarth, andGood-will towardMen. Andwhen he died, he breathed out his Soul in Bleffings to his Enemies ; in the Height of his Sufferings be was full of hearty Prayers, and good Willies for thole who were the Caule of them : Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And after his Refurre&ionfrom theDead, jolt as he left the World, be was taken out of it, and tranflated into Heaven, with a Blefling in hisMouth : While he ble/fd them, he was partedfrom them, and carried up into Heaven. And indeed his whole Life, all that he did, and all that he Coffered, his coming into the World, and bis goingout of it, was all a Blef- fing to Mankind : GodPent him to biefs us, in turning us away every one fromhis Ini- quity. He was always wifhing well to us, and doing well for us ; he went about doing Goad. A blared Pattern to us, Leaving ws an Example, that we fhould follow his Steps : A lovely and defirable Example; in Imitation whereof, we Ihould endeavour that our whole Life may be a Blefiing and Benefit to Mankind ; and that when we leave the World, we may be found fo doing as our Lord did, doing the Work of Heaven while we are going thither. II. He was taken up in the View of his Difciples, and while their Eyes were attentively fix'd upon him : While they beheld, hewas taken up, V. 9. AndV. to. it is faid, They looked fiedfaflly toward Heaven, as he went up. After the Apoftles were fully convinc'd, by feveral Appearances of our Saviour to them, and familiar Converfation with them, that he was indeed rifen from the Dead ; that they might be fully fatisfied that he came from God, andwent to him ; he was in their Sight, while he was fpeaking to them, taken up into Heaven. And this is no final Confirmation of the Truth of our Religion, that our Saviour dici not only work the greateft Miracles while he wasalive, and after Death rote again, and converted amongMen; but was vifbly taken up into Heaven. So that if all Things be duly 5 confider'd,
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