instrument of conveying this mercy to them ; and had the happiness of seeing, that he had not laboured in vain, or run in vain. There were multitudes in every place who received the word with all readiness of mind, and rested all their hopes of salvation on their incarnate God. Their prejudices vanished ; their passions were overcome ; and their whole souls were sub- dued to the obedience of faith.
And were not these things also mysterious, that the poor idolatrous Gentiles should have such glad tidings proclaimed to them ; and that he, who had not saved himself, should be regarded as the Saviour of the whole world ?]
V. He " was received up into glory" —
[The return of Jesus to his heavenly mansions is gene- rally thought to be here referred to : but perhaps the reference rather is to the glorious reception which he met with among those who believed on him a : they did not merely assent to the truth of his Gospel, but received him into their hearts with most fervent love. " No sooner did they hear of him, than they obeyed himb," ar>d accounted his service to be perfect freedom : and so unreserved was their surrender of themselves to him, that they desired " every thought," as well as every action, " to be brought into captivity" to his willc. In short, they " counted all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord ;" nor were their goods, their reputation, their liberty, or their life, of any value, when put in competition with his will, or when an opportunity was offered to sacrifice them to his honour d.
Such was the reception given him wherever his name was preached : multitudes in every place " blessed themselves in hime," and " rejoiced in him with joy unspeakable1"." And what a glorious mystery was this! that foreigners should so highly honour one who had not only been abhorred by all his own countrymen, but had been executed by them as the vilest of malefactors ! and that men of every nation under heaven should feel such love to one whom they had never seen, as to renounce for his sake all that their eyes had seen, and all that was held dear among them ! This was wonderful indeed : yet,
a It seems that the different members of the text received their accomplishment in a successive order of time : and, if this be duly considered, the interpretation here given to the last clause will appear the most suitable of any : and it is certain that drtXiifdr) iv lolq may very properly be translated, he was received gloriously. See in the Greek, Acts xx. 13, 14. Phil. iv. 19. with other passages referred to by that most instructive and judicious commentator, Dr. Guyse.
b Ps. xviii. 44. c 2 Cor. x. 5. d Phil. hi. 7, 8.
« Ps. lxxii. 17. f 1 Pet. i. 8.