Lu.xxiv.51. and carried up into heaven.

Acts i. 9. and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Mar.xvi.19. he was received up into heaven, and sate on the right hand of God 43.

43 In each of the three dispensations a visible ascension of the body has taken place. Some holy personage has been visibly taken up into heaven. In the first of these periods, between the Creation and the Deluge, Enoch was translated: "He was not," says the Scriptures, "he did not die;" for, "he walked with God, and God took him." During the second period, from the Deluge to the Advent of our Saviour, Elijah was visibly taken up into heaven: "It came to pass as he and Elisha still went on and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. During the third period, which has continued nearly two thousand years, in which we and the whole Christian Church now live, and which will be concluded only by the day of judgment, Christ, our Lord, while in the act of blessing his disciples"and while they beheld, was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight." He ascended into heaven, and he now sitteth, till he shall again come to judge the living and the dead, at the right hand of God. Whatever were the sundry ways and divers manners in which God, by his prophets appealed to the Jewish world; whatever reception we ourselves may give to the precepts and the sanctions of his Evangelists and Apostles, who have more especially written for the Christian dispensation, this is undeniable: that God, in every age has made most abundant provision to prove and demonstrate to all the certainty of another life, and another state of being. In the great mercy of our Almighty Creator, this solemn truth has been enforced by three visible ascensions into heaven, an earnest to the world of the certainty of that great day, when all the Church of God, from the days of Adam, till the sounding of the trumpet of the Archangel, shall assemble before the judgment seat of Christ. As surely as Enoch, and Elijah, and our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, so also shall we ascend from our graves, to give an account of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad.

Where is now the body of Christ, which ascended in a visible and tangible shape? Wherever body exists, it must exist in reference to place, and heaven cannot therefore be merely a state or condition. There must be, then, in some part of the universe of God, a place in which the glory of the Deity is more immediately and peculiarly manifest, where the body of Christ now is, the real "holy of holies," the true Christian heaven. There is the seat of that happiness which is peculiarly prepared and destined for the faithful followers of Christ. There is the abode of angels; there, are the spirits of the just made perfect; there is God, the Judge of all. To that place, and to the state and condition of happiness which is enjoyed there, every son of man may arrive, to whom the invitation of divine mercy has been extended. There is our home, here is our pilgrimage. There is our Father, here we are pilgrims of strangers. There is the Son of God, our Brother, and our Friend, here we live among fallen creatures, a cold and selfish world. There is peace, and repose, and rest, here is vexation, turbulence, and sorrow. Frail indeed is the veil or

Galilee.

La.xxiv. 52.
Acts i. 10.

11.

12.

And they worshipped him,

And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 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.

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath-day's journey".

mortality which separates us from that holy mansion of God our
Father; and poor and contemptible are the toys and follies
that bind us to earth, and prevent us from anticipating, with
serene and rational confidence, the summons to the invisible
world, that most assuredly awaits us. He that numbers the very
hairs of our head, in whose book all our members are written,
will not leave us nor forsake us in the grave. He shall separate
our corrupted and mouldering bodies from the confused mass of
atoms by which they may be surrounded, with as much faithful-
ness and truth as the loadstone will draw to itself the smallest
filing of steel, from the innumerable grains of sand by which it
may be encompassed. Why then should it seem a thing im-
possible to you that Christ should raise the dead? The voice
of inspiration has declared, "Thy dead men shall live, to-
gether with my dead body shall they arise. And the earth
shall cast out the dead." (Isa. xxvi. 19.) And that same glori-
fied body which the disciples saw ascend, shall at the last day
descend, and conduct us from the grave and gate of death to
the glorious home of holiness and purity, to the new Jerusa-
lem, the city of the living God.

44 The difficulty of this verse, when collated with the ac-
counts given by the other Evangelists, are thus reconciled by
Dr. Lightfoot.

1. In Luke xxiv. 50. we read, "He led them out as far as Bethany," and in this passage (Acts i. 12.) that when the disciples came back from the place where our Lord had ascended,

they returned from Mount Olivet, distant from Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey." But now the town of Bethany was about fifteen furlongs from Jerusalem, John xi. 18. and that is double a sabbath day's journey.

2. Josephus tells us, that Mount Olivet was but five furlongs from the city, and a sabbath day's journey was seven furlongs and a half. Antiq. lib. xx. cap. vi. O kai τng toλews ävтiкový κείμενον, ἀπεχει στάδια πέντε ; which being situated in front of the city, is distant five furlongs.

These things are all true. 1. That the Mount of Olives lay but five furlongs distant from Jerusalem. 2. That the town of Bethany was fifteen furlongs. 3. That the disciples were brought by Christ as far as Bethany. 4. That when they returned from the Mount of Olives, they travelled more than five furlongs. And, 5. Returning from Bethany, they travelled but a sabbath day's journey. All which may be easily reconciled, if we would observe, that the first space from the city was called Bethpage, which part of the mount was known by the name "to the length of about a sabbath day's journey," till it came to that part which is called Bethany. There was a Bethany, a tract of the mount, and also the town of Bethany. The town was distant from the city about fifteen furlongs, i. e. about two

Galilee.

Lu, xxiv.52. and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

53.

Mar.xvi.20.

John xx. 30.

31.

Joh. xxi. 25.

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

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

SECTION XXXV.

St. John's Conclusion to the Gospel History of Jesus Christ.
JOHN XX. 30, 31. xxi. 25.

45

And many other signs " truly 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 believing ye might have life through his name.

And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

Amen.

miles, or double a sabbath day's journey: but the first border
of this tract (which also bore the name of Bethany) was distant
but one mile, or a single sabbath day's journey.

Our Saviour led out his disciples, when he was about to
ascend, to the very first region or tract of Mount Olivet, which
was called Bethany, and was distant from the city a sabbath
day's journey. And so far also from the city itself did that
tract extend itself which was called Bethpage: and when he
was come to that place where the bounds of Bethpage and
Bethany met, and touched one another, he then ascended; in
that very place where he got upon the ass when he rode into
Jerusalem, Mark xi, 1. Whereas, therefore, Josephus saith,
that Mount Olivet was but five furlongs from the city, he means
the first brink and border of it. But our Evangelist must be
understood of the place where Christ ascended, where the name
of Olivet began, as it was distinguished from Bethpage.

45 It has been supposed by Grotius, that the Gospel of St. John was originally terminated at the end of the 23d verse of chapter xx. and the remainder of the Gospel was added by the Church at Ephesus. This opinion, however, is rejected by Wetstein, Michaelis, Whitby, &c.

Galilee.

END OF VOL. I.

WORKS IN DIVINITY,

PUBLISHED BY C. AND J. RIVINGTON.

I.

In two very large Volumes, 8vo. price 17. 16s. in boards, inscribed, by Permission, to the Lord Bishop of London,

THE OLD TESTAMENT, arranged on the Basis of Lightfoot's Chronicle, in Historical and Chronological Order, in such manner, that the Books, Chapters, Psalms, Prophecies, &c. may be read as one connected History, in the very Words of the authorized Translation. To the above are added six Indexes-the First containing an account of the Periods, Chapters, and Sections into which the Work is divided, with the Passages of Scripture comprised in each;-the Second, in Columns, enabling the Reader to discover in what Part of the Arrangement any Chapter or Verse of the Bible may be found;-the Third and Fourth of the Psalms and Prophecies, in Tables; shewing in what part of the Arrangement, and after what Passage of Scripture every Psalm or Prophecy is inserted; and likewise on what Occasion, and at what Period, they were probably writtenwith the Authority for their Place in the Arrangement;-the Fifth containing the Dates of the Events according to Dr. Hales ;-and the Sixth a General Index to the Notes. By the Rev. GEORGE TOWNSEND, M.A. of Trinity College, Cambridge.

Extract from Mr. Horne's new edition of his Introduction to the Critical Study of the Holy Scriptures, vol. ii. p. 402, and Supplement to the first edition, p. 139.

"The writer of these pages, on the completion of the present work, proposed to himself to attempt a harmony of the entire Bible. This laborious undertaking has been happily rendered unnecessary, as it respects the Old Testament, by Mr. Townsend's Arrangement. This beautifully printed, and carefully executed work, is indispensably necessary to those who are preparing for the sacred office. The notes are very appropriate, and possess the rare merit of compressing a great variety of valuable information into a small compass."

II.

A SUMMARY OF CHRISTIAN FAITH AND PRACTICE, confirmed by References to the Texts of Holy Scripture, compared with the Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies of the Church of England; and illustrated by Extracts from the chief of those Works which received the Sanction of Public Authority, from the time of the Reformation, to the final Revision of the Established Formularies. By the Rev. E. J. BURROW, D.D. F.R. and L.S. 3 vols. 12mo. 17. 1s.

"This is a very valuable Work. To the YOUNGER CLERGY, in particular, we think it will prove very useful in the composition of Sermons; we mean in that portion of it, in which Copious Extracts are made from the Scriptures, which bear upon particular points of Faith or Practice. We take our leave of the Author, returning him our best thanks for having opposed this barrier to that flood of Fanaticism, which threatens to carry every thing before it, until Reason, Religion, and Morality, are swept away into the ocean of Infidelity."-BRITISH CRITIC, Nov. 1822.

III.

THE BOOK of COMMON PRAYER, with NOTES, Explanatory, Practical, and Historical, from approved Writers of the Church of England, selected and arranged by the Right Rev. RICHARD MANT, D.D. Lord Bishop of Down and Connor. Second Edition. In one large Volume, Quarto, price 17. 16s. in boards; or on Royal Paper, 3l. 12s.

IV.

A CONCORDANCE to the HOLY BIBLE; to which is added, a GEOGRAPHICAL INDEX, with the Calendar and Table of Lessons; designed to accompany any Quarto Edition of the Bible, and adapted to the Maps and Notes of the FAMILY BIBLE, published under the Direction of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Edited by JAMES W. BELLAMY, M.A. Rector of the United Parishes of St. Mary Abchurch, and St. Lawrence Pountney, and Prebendary of St. Paul's. Price 5s. on Medium, and 7s. on Royal Paper.

Another Edition. Royal 8vo. Price 8s.

V.

ANNOTATIONS on the FOUR GOSPELS, and the ACTS of the APOSTLES; compiled and abridged for the Use of Students. Fifth Edition. 3 vols. 8vo. 11. 4s.

VI.

ANNOTATIONS on the EPISTLES; being a Continuation of the above, and principally designed for the Use of Candidates for Holy Orders. By the Rev. JAMES ŠLADE, M.A. late Fellow and Tutor of Emanuel Col lege, Cambridge, and examining Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Chester. 2 vols. 8vo. Second Edition. 18s.

VII.

An ATTEMPT to ILLUSTRATE those ARTICLES of the CHURCH of ENGLAND which the Calvinists improperly consider as Calvinistical, in eight Sermons preached before the University of Oxford, in the Year 1804, at the Lecture founded by J. BAMPTON, M.A. Canon of Salisbury; with copious Notes. By the Right Rev. RICHARD LAURENCE, LL.D. Archbishop of Cashel. A New Edition.

8vo.

12s. VIII.

INTRODUCTION to the NEW TESTAMENT. By Sir JOHN DAVID MICHAELIS, late Professor of the University of Gottingen, &c. Translated from the fourth Edition of the German; and considerably augmented with Notes. By the Right Rev. HERBERT Marsh, D.D. F.R.S. Lord Bishop of Peterborough. The Fourth Edition. In 6 vols. 8vo. 31. 3s.

IX.

A KEY to the OLD TESTAMENT and APOCRYPHA; or, an Ac count of their several Books, their Contents, Authors, &c. By the Rev. ROBERT GRAY, D.D. Prebendary of Durham and Chichester, and Rector of Bishop Wearmouth. Seventh Edition. 8vo. 13s.

X.

A KEY to the NEW TESTAMENT, giving an Account of the several Books, their Contents, Authors, &c. By the Right Rev. THOMAS PERCY, D.D. late Bishop of Dromore. Seventh Edition. 8vo. 3s. 6d.

The two last mentioned Works form a complete Key to the Holy Scriptures, and may be had together in one Vol. 8vo. price 16s. boards.