were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? They were looking for a temporal kingdom to be set up by the Messiah, of which they had frequently before expressed their expectation. But as it was a spiritual kingdom which He intended to set up, 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. Future worldly aggrandisement was not the object upon which their desires were to be fixed any longer. A more noble and useful course was marked out for them, as the messengers of the glad tidings of salvation to a lost world. 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. They were to go and teach all nations, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. This was a more important office for them to sustain, than any station of worldly aggrandizement, to which they might previously have expected to be advanced by their Messiah.

When He had thus declared to them their future destiny, or as it is said, When He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. They saw Him gradually rise from the ground, and ascend towards the sky, until a cloud obscured

Him from their view. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as He went up, astonished at so unexpected a sight; behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, two of the heavenly host who had been sent to call their attention more particularly to the subject; 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. Here they were directed thenceforward to have their conversation in heaven, whither their Lord and Master was gone; and also from thence to look for their Saviour to appear again, to take to Himself His kingdom in His own due time. Let us consider,

First, Some of the leading illustrations and references to the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, in other parts of the holy scriptures.

Secondly, The manner in which the disciples of Christ were affected by His ascension, when they witnessed it. And

Thirdly, The improvement which the angels. directed them to derive from it.

May that Divine Spirit, by whom the records of truth were indited, give us wise and understanding hearts, that we may receive the truth in the love of it, and seek from our risen and exalted Saviour those blessings which He has promised to bestow upon His waiting people. We are to notice,

First, Some of the leading illustrations and references to the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, which are contained in other parts of the holy scriptures. The illustrations of it are to be found in the narratives of other similar events therein recorded. There are two other instances of this kind mentioned in the Old Testament; of which Enoch and Elijah were the subjects. The record respecting the former of these persons is in very few words; He was not, for God took him. A commentary is, however, given in the epistle to the Hebrews, from which we gather that he was taken up into heaven much in the same manner that our Saviour was. The apostle says, By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.23 The word translation denotes a removal from one place to another. God took him in the same way that He. afterwards took Elijah. The manner in which Elijah was taken up into heaven, is recorded in the first lesson for the evening service on Ascension Day. We there read, that it came to pass as Elijah and Elisha went on and talked, 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, and Elisha saw him no more.2

22 Gen. v. 24. 23 Heb. xi. 5. 24 2 Kings ii. 11, 12; 3, 5.

The ascension of Elijah appears to have been witnessed by Elisha alone, although the sons of the prophets, both at Bethel and Jericho, seem to have had some previous intimation that such an event would take place on the day that it did occur; as they gave notice that the Lord would take him away on that day." The ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ took place in the sight of His apostles, whom He had chosen. Their names are mentioned on their return to Jerusalem from the mount of Olives, for the purpose of showing that they were all present on this occasion.

The ascension of Enoch may be considered as an illustration of that of our Lord Jesus Christ, since it afforded a confirmation of the truth of his prophecy, recorded by St. Jude: Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. In this prophecy the second coming of Christ is foretold in a manner similar to the declaration in the text; and one of the purposes of it is stated, namely, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.27

The ascension of Elijah may be considered as an illustration of that of our Lord Jesus Christ, with respect to the blessings bestowed

upon His church and people in connexion with it. Just before his ascension, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing; nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee.25 And accordingly it was afterwards said that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. So, likewise, the last promise of our blessed Saviour to His apostles was, Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence; for, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; and ye shall be endued with power from on high.26 Thus then the visible ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven affords an assurance to His enemies, that when He shall come again, they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; and to His friends, His believing people, that He will come to own them as the children of God, and to bless them by taking them to be ever with Himself, in His eternal kingdom and glory; for He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, in that day."7

But we find not only these illustrations of the subject in the Old Testament; there are also

25 2 Kings ii. 9, 10. 26 Luke xxiv. 49. 27 2 Thess. i. 8, 9, 10.