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The language of the Acts also favours the same conclusion. "To whom he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days." (i. 3.) Those only, it is suggested by West, are specified, which answered the purpose of their conviction, and are enough for ours; the others were for their instruction in the faith. Be this however as it may, and satisfactory as the evidence he afforded was, it was afforded only to friends; as St. Peter candidly states, (Acts x. 40.) “ Him hath God shown openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God." It may be, and it has been asked, why was he not shown to all, if the identity of his person would stand the test. The most incredulous of his enemies had declared that they would believe in him, if they might but see him descend from the cross; and would they not much more have believed, had they seen him the third day arisen from the grave? In such a case, the choice of witnesses may be thought to bring a suspicion on their whole testimony, a surmise that they were chosen not of God, but of themselves and their confederates. This objection, an obvious one, which has been repeated by modern infidels, did not escape Celsus, the earliest opponent of Christianity. It is plausible, but upon examination will be found to be of no weight; for those to whom Jesus was known in his life-time, were the only competent witnesses of his personal identity, and their number was quite sufficient; for the fact does not rest merely upon that of the eleven apostles, or even of Paul, (1 Cor. xv. 6.) but on that of five hundred persons, most of whom were alive many years after. Even the evidence, which unbelievers call for, might not have answered the purpose, for it is well known that the understanding is much under the influence of the inclination; and in vain had a succession of miracles (among them the restoration to life of Lazarus) been exhibited, as signs to those who had no heart to believe. Had the evidence amounted to demonstration; had, as a modern infidel arrogantly and absurdly demands, the fact of the resurrection been made as certain to their conviction as the presence of

the sun to their eyes; none truly could have contradicted it, but then none could have only believed, (accurately speaking,) they must have known it, and certainty would extinguish faith. To his contemporaries, then, overpowering and irresistible evidence would have of necessity done away the moral nature of their assent, while to many of subsequent times, the national reception of this truth would have been a stumbling block, for it would have been easy for Celsus and other adversaries to have represented it as "a state trick, a Jewish fable, a mere political contrivance."

There was, however, another reason, which has not been sufficiently noticed, but on which alone Origen rests his reply -the unseemliness of the thing required, constituting what we may call a moral impossibility. "None but the pure in heart shall see God." Our Lord, therefore, now recompensed as Mediator, with all power in heaven and on earth, could not renew the familiar intercourse of the Son of Man with the world. His presence henceforward, like his manifestations under the old covenant, was a privilege vouchsafed to those who were distinguished by their godly dispositions from the corrupt mass. The atonement once made, the form of a servant was to cease. Christ was to resume his glory, and to appear only as the only-begotten of the Father. His appearance accordingly, after the resurrection, was a favour granted to his friends, and justly withheld from the nation at large, who, by their rejection of him, had proved themselves unworthy of this distinction. He had solemnly taken leave of them on quitting for the last time the temple, when he declared that they should see him no more, till they were disposed to acknowledge him as their king. He now opened a new commission, addressed to the whole world, and that once opened, there was no ground to demand special and particular evidence to the Jews. The world, he had told the Apostles, should see him no more, but they should see him again; their hearts should rejoice, and their

• Sherlock's Trial of the Witnesses.

joy should no man take from them. It was, however, a joy tempered with reverence; there was now a more reserved dignity in his deportment, on their part a more humble and less familiar intercourse. He showed himself to them, and even ate with them, but it was for the purpose of convincing them, that though restored to life, he had still a real body, for his time was no longer passed as heretofore in their society; they knew not his goings out and his comings in, and none of them, for instance, could say to Thomas as Nathaniel did formerly to Philip, "Come and see." On the journey to Galilee, he was not their companion, but went before them; they were not to seek him at his former residence in that province, (Capernaum,) but at a certain mountain; and when they saw him there, they worshipped him'.

145. Jesus instructs his Apostles, who had now returned to Jerusalem, to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Matthew xxviii. Mark xiv. Luke xxiv.

His first message to the Apostles after his resurrection was, that they should go into Galilee. When they saw him there, he must have commanded them to return to Jerusalem, for it was in the capital that he took leave of them. At this last meeting, having opened their understandings that they might comprehend the prophecies concerning him, he commanded them to proclaim repentance and pardon through his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and to baptize them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that is, into the religion, the characteristic tenet of which is belief in the existence, offices, and operations of the three Persons of the ever-blessed Trinity, as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. We learn from the Acts, that at

f Horsley, Sermon xiv. on the Evidence of our Lord's Resurrection. As long as these words shall stand in Holy Scripture as a commandment, to persist in the endeavour, either personally, or by aiding the

this last meeting, though he had spoken to them concerning "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," they were still under the influence of their carnal prejudices; from their question, "Wilt thou, Lord, at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" his reply conveyed not the information they sought, but a reproof; "It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." But, that they might not be discouraged, he subjoined a promise, well fitted to comfort them; that they should receive miraculous power after the Holy Ghost had come upon them; and he contrasts his baptism with that of John, to intimate its superior efficacy.

146. The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into Heaven, and his sitting down there on the right hand of God. Mark xv. xvi. Luke xxiv. John xx. xxi.

JESUS had now fulfilled all the designs of his mission. He had offered himself upon the cross as the sacrifice for sin, and having triumphed over death, he had given his disciples sufficient opportunity to assure themselves of the truth of the fact, "I have glorified thee upon earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." There was no reason, therefore, why he should prolong his stay, and it was necessary, that, as our High Priest, he should enter into heaven, to appear in the presence of God for us, and to take possession of the mediatorial throne. He had both before and since his death forewarned his disciples of his departure; and lest they might suppose, when they heard of his resurrection, that he meant to associate with them as formerly, he sent this message to them by Mary

missionary in evangelizing the world, will be the duty of Christians; and as long as the concluding words, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," stand in Holy Scripture as a promise, nothing but want of faith can make us think at any time, that our labour in such undertakings can be " in vain in the Lord."

Magdalene," I ascend unto my Father." He now led them out, therefore, to their accustomed place of resort, the mount of Olives, and proceeding as far as Bethany, blessed them. While blessing them, a cloud received him out of their sight, and he ascended, as he had declared he should, into heaven, there to sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, till the prophecy be fulfilled, (Psalm cx.) that his enemies shall be made his footstool. It appears from Mark and Luke, the only Evangelists that record the ascension, that he was passive in the act, and therefore that it was effected by the power of the Father. It was not sudden, but gradual, the disciples having full leisure to observe it. The resurrection required not to be seen, because it was proved by his appearance alive repeatedly, after his passion; but it was desirable that he should ascend in the sight of the apostles, because they could have no evidence of that fact, while they continued on earth.

A human body is, we know, prevented by its gravity from rising into the air; but the universal principle of attraction which pervades all matter was either now suspended, or had ceased to affect the body of the Saviour, which we may suppose as he ascended underwent a change, and put on incorruption, becoming a spiritual and glorious body, such as by his almighty energy (Phil. iii. 21.) he shall render, in due time, the vile bodies of all who shall hereafter, in answer to his prayer, be with him where he is, and behold and share his glory. (John xvii. 24.)

The apostles gazed intently upon their ascending Lord, till he was out of sight, when two angels standing by them declared, that as they had seen him taken up into heaven, so should he in like manner descend. They worshipped him as their God, (for though the word be equivocal, there can be no doubt, after all that had passed, that it is here used in the sense of adoration,) and then returned to Jerusalem, not in sorrow on account of this separation, but in great joy, and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God;

h Dick on the Acts.