his Authority, 2 Cor. 5. 20. To be Ambaſſadors for Chriſt, Stewards of his Myſteries : Or elſe it may refer to Repentance and Remiſſm Sins, which are to be preached in bis Name, for the ſake of his Me- rits and Satisfation. They were to preach this to all Nations. This was propheſied of plentifully, Pſal. 2. 8. 1a. 49. 6. Dan. 7. 14. Hd. 2. 23. Foel 2. 32. This was a piece of Divine Revelation, which Chriſt had, till this time, concealed in a great meaſure, when heſent out the Twelve, Matth. io, He commanded them not to go to the Gentiles. Beginning at Feruſalem, that is, amongſt the Jews. He was propheſied of under the Notion of a King, to: be ſet upon the Lords holy hill of Sion. So Pſal. 110. 2. Ia. 2.3. OF 28. 16. (7 60 v. I, In purſuance of this, we ſhall find the Apoſtles preaching only in Fudea, till the Jews had judged themſelves unworthy of Ete nal Life, then they turned to the Gentiles, Afs 13. 38, 46.
that it was his zrue Body which appeared to them, becauſe, 1. It had Integral parts, Hands and Feet. 2. Becauſe it might be ſecn. 3. It might be handled. 4. It had Fleſh and Bones, which a Spirit
49 And behold, * I ſend the promiſe of my fa-* | ther upon you : but tarry ye in the city of Je- oo hath nor. Then he ſhews them his Hands and Feet. So then our | ruſalem, until ye be indued with power from on ,,;;;
Saviour did not think, that tte Judgment of our Senſes was to be'| high, Af rczeted concerning the Nature of Bodies, and his Body in particu- | ft js queſtioned by none, but by the promiſe of the Father our & 7.5
* John 21. I,
Jar, and that in its State of Exaltation, when it was raiſed from the Dead. Do any of them ſay that ChriſFs Body here came through the Door, or it could not have been here ? How ſhall that be proved 2 We can eaſily tell them how his Body might be in the midſt of them, tho it were not diſcerned while he was there : Even as the eyes of the two Diſciples were held, v. 16. that they could not diſcern Chriſt, to the eyes of the Diſciples might be held now, till he was in the midſt amongſt them,
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and
wondred, he faid unto them, * Have ye here any
meat ?
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fiſh, and of an honey-comb.
43 And he took zr, and did eat before them.
Believed not for Foy, vet if they had not now believed, they doubt- leſs would not have rejoyced, but their Faith was the cauſe of their Joy z yet the exceſs of their Joy was the hindrance of their Faith, ſo dangerous arc the exceffive motions of cur Affettions. Chriſt here gives them another evidence of the truth of his Body, he did eat with them, (tho very ordinary Country Diet, a piece of broiled F:ſh,
Lord meaneth the promiſe of the Spirit, as it came down in the days of Pentecoſt, This effuſion of the Spirit was promiſed under the Old Teſtament, 1a. 44. 3. Fer. 31. 33. Exek. 36. 24. Moſt emi- n-ntly, Joel 2. 28. (The Apoſtle himſelf interpreting the Prophet, Affs 2.16, 17, 18.) See alſo Affs 1.8. Where the fulfilling of this premiſe of the Father, as it is called, v. 4. is put before —And ye ſpat be Witneſſes unto me, both in Jeruſalem, and Judea, and in Samaita, and js alſo expounded by, And ye ſhall receive power, after te Hily Ghoſt 3s come upon you. Our Lord alſo had ſaid, 1 will pray the Fa- ther, and he ſhall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. In this Text, he ſaith, that he will ſend him ; {0 alſo, Fohn x 5. 26. and ch. 16.9. thereby confirming his Diſciples in this, That he was equal with the Father, and that the Holy Ghoſt was ſent by the Father and him, yet ſent by the Father upon the prayer © he Son, and in hs Name, Fibn I4. 15, 26. This Holy Spirit 15 al- fo called power from on high, the power of the higheſt, Luke 1. 35 But here the Gifts of the Holy Ghoſt, may be underſtood as alſo in As 1. 8. where this Power is ſaid ſhould be received after that - Holy Gho ſhould come upon them. Until this time ſhould come, (which was in the Days of Pentecoſt, AZs 2. 1.) the Diſciples were bound to ſtay at Feruſalem, which accordingly they did. And we may from
hence conclude, that thefe Wortis of our Saviour were ſpoken to Þ15
Diſciplc5,
Ay
Mark 16-
%
hap. XXIV, | S.
Diſciples, after his appearance to them in Galilee, (of which we faith nothing) which was the place where (as moſt think) he was ſeen
of above frve handred Brethren at once, 1 Cor, 15.6.
50 And heled them our as far as to Bethany : and he |, , $3 And were continually in the temple, Praifing and
ſift up his hands, and bleſſed them. 5i * And it came to paſs , he was parted from them,
VE.
This muſt be underſtood to have happened forty days after our Saviour's Reſurretion; for ſo Luke himſelf tells us, 4s x. he led them out as far as Bethany, not the Village Bethany, but that
part of the Mount of 0lzves, which belonged to Bethany.
our had been often there Praying, from thence he now into Heaven, [ And lifted up his hands and bleſſed them.] Some think that by Blefing, here is meant Praying ; and the lifting up his hands was accommodated to that religious Aion. Others think that Bleſſing here ſiguitteth a more Authoritative 4#; and that his lifting up of his Hands, was a ſtretching out of his Hands, as a {ign of that effeQual | per Rom, was appendent to the Temple. Bieffing of them. ([ While he bleſſed them, he was parted from them,
while he bleſſed them, and carried up into hea- | ct pitch.
LUKE.
ſalem with great joy - bleſſing God. Amen
We never before read of any a& of Adoy at; ples performed to Chriſt, be Fa ws
God, a great Prophet,
Meſfiah, in the mean time not rightly taking the 3. Then | ſiah, but looking upon him as one who ſhould b
Our Savi- aſcendeth
and continued in Prayer and Supplicaticn,
Chap. XXIV.
32 And they worſhipped him, and returned to ery.
which the Diſci- heir Faith was now come to the high- They did no longer Iook upon him only as one ſent of
nor only as the Son of David, the promiſed
According to
his Commandment they return to Feruſalem, full of Joy: Anz were continually in the Temple praiſing and bleſſing God, = bl as I2, 13. It is faid, that being returned, they went into an upper Room,
Some think that this up=
| ie. But continually here ma reaſonably be interpreted often, or ordinarily, or at Temple hours of
and carried up to Heaven, that is, he -moved upward, as if he had | Prayer; as the Morning and Evening Sacrifice, are called t!:2 Contin-