actually raised from the dead, and "speaking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God*.” · '.

In one of these discourses, he took occasion to advert more particularly to those things that were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning him. He showed how exactly and minutely all the predictions respecting him, contained in those sacred books were accomplished in his birth, his life, his doctrines, his sufferings, his death, and his resurrection.

This stamps at once a divine authority on those books, and gives a sanction to the interpretation of the passages alluded to, and the application of them to our blessed Lord, by our best and most learned expositors.

It is added, that on this occasion he opened their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Luke xxiv. 44. Acts i. 3.

He

He entered, we see, at large into the great evangelical doctrines of the atonement, of the redemption of mankind by his death, of the resurrection, of repentance, and the remission of sins through faith in his name. These are most important topics, and the illustration of them to his disciples must have opened to them an invaluable treasure of divine knowledge. And as these doctrines are but briefly touched upon in the Gospels, and more fully unfolded and explained in the Acts and the Epistles, it is highly probable that a very considerable part, if not the whole of what passed in these discourses of our Lord to his disciples after his resurrection, is faithfully preserved and detailed in those inspired writings. This places in a very strong light the high importance of those writings, and the high rank they ought to hold in our estimation, as forming an essential part of the Christian system, and completing the code of doctrines and of duties contained in that divine revelation.

It is remarkable also, that St. Matthew has made no mention of the concluding act of our Lord's life on earth, his ascension into heaven.

The

We

The reason of this omission it is not perhaps very easy to assign, nor is it necessary. know, that in several other instances various circumstances are omitted by one evangelist which are supplied by the rest, and others passed over by those which are noticed by the former; a plain proof by the way that they did not write in concert with each other, but each related his own story, and selected such facts and events as appeared to him most deserving of notice.

In the present case it is sufficient for our satisfaction that the ascension is related by two of the evangelists, St. Mark and St. Luke. The latter of these tells us in his Gospel, and in the Acts, that Jesus led out his apostles (and the disciples that were with them) to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly towards heaven, as he went up, hehold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same

3

Jesus,

Jesus, which is taken up from

you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen. him go into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God*."

The last observation I have to make is, that neither St. Matthew, nor any other of the evangelists, have given us a full and complete history of every thing that our Saviour did during the whole course of his ministry; but have only recorded the most important and the most remarkable of his transactions and his miracles. Beside, therefore, the many irresistible proofs we already possess of his divine wisdom and almighty power, there are many others still remaining behind, which might have been produced, but which the evangelists did not think it necessary to specify; for St. John, in the 20th chapter of his Gospel, makes this remarkable declaration: "Many other signs truly (says he) did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that

Luke xxiv. 50-53.

believing

1

believing ye might have life through his name." God grant that this effect may be produced on all who now hear me; otherwise my labours, and their attendance, will have been in vain!

I HAVE now brought these Lectures to a conclusion, and must here take my final leave of you. It was my original intention and my wish to have proceeded next to the Acts of the Apostles, which contain the history of the first propagation of the Christian religion, and the astonishing progress it made through a large part of the world, by the preaching of the apostles and their coadjutors, after our Lord's departure into heaven: but I must not now venture into so large a field. Circumstanced as Ι am, it would be presumption in me to expect either that God would grant me time to accomplish so arduous a work, or that you would have perseverance to bear with me to the conclusion. I must here therefore close my labours, at least in this place; and must now, for the last time, implore you to think and to meditate again and again on the important and interesting truths which have been

unfolded