would least have chosen Jerusalem to tar- || stumbled at the poverty and meanness of ry in, had not Christ commanded them to Christ's outward condition when he was wait there. For Jerusalem was now a here on earth, seeing it was so hard for the justly abhorred and detested place, reek- disciples themselves to be convinced and ing afresh with the blood of the holy and believe that his kingdom was not of this innocent Jesus; yet Jerusalem is the world. I know not any thing wherein place chosen by Christ for the pouring the bishop of Rome may so properly call forth of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. himself apostolical, as in his following Because, 1. There had been his greatest this error of the apostles. Were they alhumiliation there Christ had suffered ways dreaming of a temporal kingdom? the greatest ignominy, therefore there will so is he always doting upon it, and his he show forth his power and glory. 2. eyes dazzled with the splendour and glory Because at Jerusalem there was the great- of it. The disciples not only all the time est company of spectators to behold this||that Christ was with them, but even now, noble work, and to be wrought upon by it. Such as would not be convinced by our Saviour's death and resurrection, might probably be convinced by this miraculous effusion of the Holy Spirit, descending upon the apostles in fiery cloven tongues. Lord! what an instance was this of thy love to thine enemies! How desirous wert thou of the conversion and salvation of thy very murderers! In and at Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified, the Holy Ghost first descended; and when Christ appointed where the gospelcombination should begin, Jerusalem is the first place in nomination by him. St. Luke xxiv. 47. And he said unto them, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power. when upon the point of departing from them, when he was just ascending, yea, in part ascended, having one foot upon the earth, and the other in the cloud which took him to heaven, yet still they asked him, Wilt thou now restore the kingdom? that is, settle upon us thy followers secular power, and temporal dominion here on earth? But mark, 2. Our Lord's answer, ver. 7. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put only in his own power. Our Saviour's answer doth not in the least imply that any such kingdom should ever be granted, as they dreamt of; but he checks their curiosity in inquring into the times and seasons, and nature of God's secrets, which in no ways concerned them to pry into: It is not for you to know the times or the seasons. Here note, 1. Something implied, namely, That there are certain times and seasons, the knowledge of which only belongs to God, which yet man's curiosity has an itching desire to search and pry into. There is nothing more natural to man, than a desire to know both what shall be hereafter, and when that hereafter shall be. We are very careless in seeking out the season Observe here, The disciples' question,|| of that which we ourselves should do; but and our Saviour's answer: 1. The ques-over-careful and curious in seeking out tion proposed by the disciples, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? That is, wilt thou repair the ruinous condition of the Jewish state, and restore it to that great dignity and splendour which we have always expected should be done by the Messias? Where observe, That notwithstanding Christ had so often rebuked the Jews in general, and his disciples in particular, for their conceit of a temporal kingdom, (who were so full of ambitious expectations to receive great honours and preferments here on earth,) yet it evidently appears, that this notion still ran in their minds, and that their Master being now risen from the dead, this was the time both for his and their dignity and advancement. Learn hence, That it is no wonder that unbelievers the season of what God will do. Note, Here is something expressed, namely, That God hath times and seasons for executing his own purposes, which it is neither proper, or profitable, nor possible, for us to know. Not proper, because none of our business; not profitable, because no part of our interest; not possible, because out of our reach. It is not possible for us to know either what God is about to do, or when he will do it. It is not possible for us to know it as men by a natural sagacity, nor as Christians by a supernatural illumination; no, nor as ministers and apostles, without divine inspiration and extraordinary revelation, which we have no warrant to expect, and should have no curiosity to desire. Learn hence, That it much better becomes us with an awfu! 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. silence to adore, than with a bold curiosity | Thence learn, That some measure of to pry into God's hidden and unrevealed ministerial gifts and sanctifying graces secrets. Yet though it be not for us to from the Holy Spirit, is absolutely neces know God's times and seasons, it is our sary to enable the ministers of the gospel duty to expect them, and be prepared for to bear their testimony unto Christ with them. We know not when our Lord will faithfulness and success. come to us, by death and judgment, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing, or in the morning; but it is our duty to believe and expect it, to wait and prepare for it, and be always ready to receive him. Finally, Though it is not for us to know the times and seasons which God hath put into his own power, yet it is for us to know the times and seasons which God hath put in our power; namely, the present time to improve it, and the time past to bewail our misimprovement of it. To improve the time of affliction, for consideration and humiliation; and the time of prosperity, mercy, and deliverance, for gratulation and thankfulness; and to improve both in farther measures and increase of holiness and sanctification both of heart and life. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Observe here, How Christ instead of gratifying his disciples' curiosity, acquaints them with their own duty: he tells them that although they had received his Spirit before in some measure, yet very shortly the Spirit should be poured forth upon them in a plentiful manner, to confer the gift of tongues, prophecies, and miracles, upon them, for rendering them fit to preach the gospel throughout all nations, and also to testify and bear witness unto the truth of what Christ did and said in Judea and Samaria, both to Jews and Gentiles, even to the uttermost parts of the earth. Hence note, What is the special work of the ministers of the gospel; namely, to bear witness unto Christ: Ye shall be witnesses unto me. This they do three ways: Christum prædicando; secundum Christum vivendo; propter Christum patiendo: "By the purity of their doctrine, by the piety of their lives, and by their patience under suffering, both for Christ, and from Christ." Note, 2. What it was that enabled the apostles thus to bear witness unto Christ, namely, the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit upon them: The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me. : Here an account is given of our Saviour's triumphant ascension into heaven, with several remarkable particulars there. unto belonging. Observe, 1. Who and what it was that ascended: even the same that descended, Christ Jesus in his divine nature as God, and in his human nature as man; his person consisting of soul and body, he now ascended in both. Observe, 2. The place he ascended from: from this world in general, and from mount Olivet in particular, that very place where he commenced his last sorrowful tragedy. Where his heart began to be sad, here it is now made glad. Learn hence, That God can make the very places of our trouble and torments, (as sick beds, prisons, strange countries,) to become places of comfort and triumphant joy unto us, when he pleases. Observe, 3. The place whither he ascended into hea ven; that is, the third heaven, the throne of God, the seat of the blessed. Hence he is said to ascend far above all heavens; that is, above the aerial and starry heavens which we see, into the highest heavens; unto the place where he was before, as himself expresses it, John vi. 62. Thence learn, That the Lord Jesus Christ is returned back again to that sweet and glo rious bosom of delight and love, from which he came at his first incarnation: What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascending up where he was before? Ob serve, 4. The time when our Lord ascended; forty days after his resurrection. The care and love of Christ to his church was manifested by this his stay with them. Unspeakable glory was prepared for him, and did now await him; but he would not go to possess it till he had settled all things for the good of his church. And when he had settled his family in order, and given charge to his disciples concerning the discipline of his house, he would stay no longer, lest he should seem to affect a ter rene life. Note hence, That Christ de sired to be no longer here, than he had work to do for God and souls. A good pattern for our imitation, to desire life upon the score of usefulness; to be will been enjoyed by his church: If Christ had not gone, the Comforter had not come. He begins where Christ ended. Take we good heed then, how we treat the holy Spirit whom Christ sent down from hea ven at his ascension thither; that we do not grieve him by our unkindness, nor vex him by our disobedience, nor quench him by our sinful neglects of duty; for in grieving the Spirit, we grieve our Comforter, and in grieving our Comforter, we grieve ourselves. But let us entertain him kindly, on account of his nature; for he is God, Acts. v. On the account of his office, and the benefits we receive by him; for he is Vinculum Unitatis, the bond of Union between Christ and our souls, without which we can never have either interest in Christ, or communion with him. ing to be gone when our work is done. I not in that measure in which he has since Observe, 5. How and after what manner Christ ascended up into heaven: he ascended, as well as was raised from the grave, by his own power, ver. 10. Whilst they looked steadfastly, he went up; that is, by his own divine power. True, the angels did attend him, but they did not assist him. Elias went to heaven in a chariot of fire, but he was fetched up, he could not carry himself up; but Christ needed no chariot, no carriage of angels for his conveyance, being the author of life and motion. 2. He ascended magnificently, with great triumph, into his kingdom in heaven; God went up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. A cloud is prepared as a royal chariot, to carry up this King of glory to his royal pavillion; A cloud received him out of their sight. And, O! what jubilations of the blessed angels were heard in heaven! The triumphs and universal acclamations are not ended to this day, nor ever shall end. 3. He ascended munificently, shedding forth innumerable and inestimable gifts upon his church at his ascension: When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts to men: prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. And, O! how many thousands now in heaven, and upon earth also, are blessing Christ, at this day, for these his ascension-gifts! Observe, 6. The witnesses of our Lord's ascension: Elias had but one witness of his rapture into heaven, St. Paul not one; but Christ will neither have all eye-witnesses of his ascension, nor yet too few; he did not carry all Jerusalem forth to see his glorious departure, but the select company of his disciples only; the number of witnesses was about an hundred and twenty. Those who had been partners with him in his humiliation, are now made witnesses of his glorious ascension. If we will converse with Christ in his lowly estate here on earth, we shall be made happy with the sight of his transcendent glory ere long above. Observe, 7. The cause and reasons why he thus ascended; namely, because, had he not ascended, he could not have been inaugurated and installed in the glory he now enjoys above. Had he not ascended, he could not have interceded, as now he doth, for us here below. Had he not ascended into heaven, we could never have entered heaven: he entered as our fore-runner, as our head and representative, and we ascend after him in the virtue of his ascension before us. In a word, had he not ascended before us, the Holy Spirit had not been enjoyed by us, as a sanctifier, and as a comforter, at least YOL. I.-72 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Observe here, How the spectators of our Lord's ascension were justly transported into an ecstacy of wonder and admiration. Christ ascended gradually and leisurely, that he might at once confirm the faith, and delight the eyes and minds, of his beholders. While they thus stood admiring, two angels in the shape of men appear in white, (a colour which they oft appeared in, to show both that they retained their native purity, and also to represent the joyfulness of their errand which they went upon,) and call to the apostles, who were some of them men of Galilee, to take notice that this Jesus whom they now beheld ascending up into heaven, should come again to judge the world, and so come again in like manner; that is, visible, in a cloud, by his own power, with the like majesty, and with the same soul and body. But not one word of the time when; that not knowing the hour, we may be upon the watch every hour: Ideo latet unus dies ut observentur omnes. 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbathday's journey. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an 3 B 2 upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. The apostles having seen our Saviour thus gloriously ascend into heaven, from mount Olivet, they return to Jerusalem, which is called a sabbath-day's journey, that is, about two miles. Eight furlongs make a mile, and Bethany, in which was the mount of Olivet, was from Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs, John xi. 18. This was the common walk which the Jews used on the sabbath-day, but rather for meditation than recreation's sake. The apostles thus returned, assemble together at Jerusalem, where they lay the foundation of the first gospel church. And here observe, 1. How the names of all the eleven apostles are repeated, and distinctly set down: to show that although they had fallen from their profession, and forsaken Christ, yet they had recovered themselves by repentance, and were risen again; and upon their recovery were continued by Christ in their former office and dignity. O the mighty power of a sincere repentance, to reinstate us in the favour and friendship of an offended God. Observe, 2. How the sight of Christ's ascension had established and confirmed the apostles' faith: they now adore and worship him, and assemble together to perform their joint devotions to him. Before Christ's resurrection and ascension, we scarce read of any act of adoration that the disciples paid unto him. True, they looked upon him as a person sent from God, a great prophet, and the Son of David. But his deity being evinced, and now made evident to them by his resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven, they now worship him as the Son of God. See Luke xxiv. 52. Observe, 3. The place where this Christian congregation did assemble: In an upper room. That is, says Dr. Hammond, in one of the chambers belonging to the temple; in the large upper room, say others, where Christ had lately eaten the passover with his disciples; it was, no doubt, the most convenient place they could find for that solemnity; an upper room being remote from noise and company, and capacious enough to receive this primo-primitive church, consisting of an hundred and twenty persons. It teaches us, that all advantages, with respect to time and place, performance of holy duties, ought to be made use of and improved by us. Observe, 4. The persons who were the first constituting members of this new constituted church: together with the apostles, mention is made of women in general, and of the Virgin Mary in particular; where we may remark, that this is the first and the last time the scripture makes mention of her after Christ's death. None of the evangelists record one word of our Lord's appearing once to her, during his forty days stay and continuance upon earth after his resurrection. Doubtless, The Spirit of God in the holy scriptures, by speaking so sparingly of her life, and no thing at all of her death, took care that all those fabulous reports of her assump tion, which have since arisen, should find no footsteps in the word of God. God dealeth with her as with Moses, of whose sepulchre no man knoweth unto this day, lest it should be abused to idolatry. The learned Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that she continued under the care of the belov ed disciple, unto whom Christ committed her, for some time, and at last was taken away by martyrdom, acccording to Simeon's prophecy, Luke ii. 25. A. sword shall pass through thine own soul also. Which prophecy, he thinks, pointed at the manner of her death. But notwithstanding the silence of the scriptures, the church of Rome confidently affirms, that the Virgin lived sixty-three years, and that all the apostles were at her funeral, except St. Thomas, who desiring afterwards to see her holy corpse, the sepulchre being opened the third day, the body was gone, being assumed and taken up into heaven. and other circumstances, for the better 15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of his disciples, and said, (the number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty.) 16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. 17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong he burst asunder in the midst, 19 and all his bowels gushed out. take. During the ten days' stay and continuance of the apostles at Jerusalem, before the feast at Pentecost, a motion was made amongst them for filling up the vacancy in the sacred college of the apostles, which was occasioned by the death of the traitor Judas; and here we have observable, 1. The person that made this motion, St. Peter: In those days Peter stood up, and said. Whence the church of Rome would infer his supremacy; but very groundlessly. For St. Peter's being the chief speaker, and sometimes the sole speaker, is not to be attributed to his superiority; but, 1. To his seniority, he being probably elder than the rest. 2. To his apostolical office: he was appointed to be the first and chief minister of the circumcision, to preach among the Jews; and therefore no wonder that Peter is first mentioned, when any thing relating to the Jewish affairs is recited. 3. His forwardness to speak and act for Christ and his interest, may be imputed to his repentance, it being but necessary that he, who had so scandalously fallen, should by his future zeal convince the world both of his repentance and recovery. And accordingly he speaks, acts, and labours more abundantly than all the apostles: not that the rest were idle or insignificant; for they were equal with him, having an equal authority, an equal gift of miracles, an equal number of tongues, an equal power to preach the gospel, an equal wisdom in preaching of it! For the reasons above mentioned, St. Peter spake and did so much; having dishonoured Christ before by his cowardly denial of him, he now resolves to signalize himself by showing extraordinary measures of zeal and activity for him.-Observe, 2. The honourable office and station which Judas once had: He was numbered with the apostles, and obtained part of that ministry with them. Judas, though (secretly) a thief, a traitor, yea, a devil, yet had he by Christ's own choice a part or office in the apostolic order. O Lord! how possible, and yet how sad, is it to preach to others, and to become castaways ourselves! to prophesy in thy 571 name, and yet to perish in thy wrath! to cast devils out of others, and yet to be castout devils ourselves! to have our ministry and at the same time to minister to our blessed to others' comfort and salvation, own condemnation! Quis talia fando temperet a lachrymis? Observe, 3. Judas's sin described; He was guide to them that took Jesus, ver. 16. A guide to the chief priests in their counsels, as to the manner of apprehending Christ; and a guide to the soldiers, as to the time and place of his apprehension. Note thence, That there cannot be a greater sin, than for a person to be a guide and leader of others into sin. Woe to magistrates! woe to ministers! woe to parents! that are found guilty of this sin. Observe, 4. Judas's punishment declared: 1. He was hanged or strangled; some think by his own hand, others by the devil's. No doubt that Satan who had so great a hand in his sin, had more than a finger in his punishment. Of all mortals, no wretch ever deserved so direful a fate as this traitor Judas: and doubtless it was the dreadfullest that the devil could inflict. 2. It is added that he burst asunder, and his bowels gushed out. The rope, or that to which it was fastened, breaking, he fell down headlong, and burst asunder, and his bowels gushed out. ble punishment for his want of bowels to A just and suitahis kind and innocent Master. 3. He went to his own place; that is, he went and was sent to hell and damnation, the proper place for the son of perdition; called his own place, because of his own choosing, of his own deserving, of his own procuring; it was what he had purchased to himself by the wages of iniquity, and justly deserved for his final impenitency. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. 23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave |
