The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 33

disciples, who, when earth and air vibrate again with the shock and the.clash of dis- cord1rnt thcolo;;ical polemics, still keeps his own band faithful to the memo,·y of hie own commissiou, that they should be "witnesses unto" him throughout all th 8 worldl-B. Vere, 9-11.-Ileavenward gazing recalled to earthward watching. "While they beheld, he wns taken up . . . as ye have seen him go into heaven." The exact aspect of the glories of the Ascension dcpicteu here is not found in any of the accounts of the evangelists. Happy for us that second thoughts were brought to St. Luke, a.ad that we were not left without the beautiful and valuable suggestions that arise from these verses I 'l'he resurrection of Jesus ChrisL stamped the stamp of undeniable royalty upon his brow; round his brow the Ascension flung royalty's own gol<le11 crown-a crown of unsurpassed worth and lustre and unfadingness. Well may we pause and ponder the brief recital of tha.t marvel of glorification. Let us notice- I. THE AsoENBION ITSELF-what is recorded of it. Nothing whatever is eaicl of it in the Gospel by St. John. In tha.t by St. Matthew the matter leads up to it, and abruptly stops, omitting all description of the great event itself. The language of St. Marki~," So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of Go<l." 'l'he invisible world was for one moment opeued to the inspired vision of St. Mark, it would seem, as afterwards to that of Stephen. And the account of St. Luke iu his" former treatise" is," And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." '!'here are a detail and an added touch, however, in the passage before us very grateful to read: "When he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And .•. they looked steaclfastly toward heaven as he went up." In the event itself, iL~ unadorned majesty is the characteristic. In the description, the own dignity of brevity is pronounced. '!'here is reason, as well as sublimity of e!Iect, iu both the one and the other of these things. Simplicity and brevity obviate distraction, and attention is fixed on the essentials. So we see again the scene with no bodily eye, it is true; men to the end of time shall see again and again the scene, it is true, with no bodily eye, but with a spiritual distinctness and a vividness that may leave nothing more to be nsked for that could, in the nature of things, be given. Jesus does not die away on mortal view, but he soars away from mortal view, while the accents of his voice are still in the ear, "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God," and repeating the "promise of the Father" in the gift of the Holy Ghost. An<l for what is seen it is this: he is bo1·ne in an unusual direction--upward, clear in the eye of sense, till "a cloud received him;" and beyond that cloud, only clear where the eye of faith pierces, he is seen "received up into heaven, and . . . on the right hand of God." In this ascension, therefore, notice : 1. The visibleness of it, as compared, for instance, with the departures, whatever they were, of Enoch and of Moses. 2. 'l'he deliberateness of it, as compared, for instance, with the departure in blaze and speed of Elijah. So much tc the contrary the manner of ascent of Jesus, that in the all-brief description before us there are nevertheless contained as many as four verbal indications of the distinctness of the amazing phenomenon; e.g. "while they beheld . . . out of their sight . . . while they looked steadfastly as he went up . . . in like manner as ye have seen him go." 3. The number of witnesses present to sec whatever was to be seen. 4. Not a figment of an earthly trace of Jesus after ascension allege<l by foe, not a fancy of it alleged by friend, as compared, for instance, with such things as we read in 1 Kiugs xviii. 12 ; Luke iv. 1, and as might have been conceivable. II. THE l!'ABCINATI0N 01!' THE BIOHT FOR 'l'HE APOSTLES. One thing betrays it and describes it-their rapt upward gaze. Beneath this one thing what wealth of sugges• tion may lie I It is probable that the apostles were forewarned of the coming ascension of their Master; of his depnrture, certninly. At all events prophecy (Ps. xx.1v. 7-10; lxviii. 18; Eph. iv, 8), with which it is likely that they were on their own account acquainted, likelier that Jesus had made them acquainted, had advisc<l them that the departure would bo of the nalurc of an ascension. Yet, judgin:.: from the analogy of other forewarnings, mercifullyvonchsafco. but littlo improved (Luke xxiv. 25-27,4'1- 46; John ni. 4-6), it is conceivable that the moment found them now off their gum!, 28 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.