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vices; feeding the flock of God: and taking the oversight of it, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; that when the chief Shepherd shall appear, they may receive an unfading crown of glory; (1 Pet. v. 2, 4.) a crown, which will infinitely more than repay, not only their labours, but their sufferings too!

Happy Peter who, having worn out his better years in the service of Christ, courageously stretched out his aged arms to be bound, and, being borne away to tortures and death, shed the last slow ebb of his blood as a martyr for him who had loved him and given himself for him.-And not less happy the beloved disciple, so willing to hazard his life in the same cause; though he was not in fact called to lay it down as a martyr ! Our gracious Lord, who sees every purpose, and every affection, as it rises in the heart, favourably accepts of the willing mind, and will, through the riches of his grace, entitle them to the reward of equal suffering, who have waited with a like readiness, though they have not been called out to the severity of the like trial.

SECTION X.

1 COR. XV. 7. LUKE XXIV. 44-49. ACTS I. 4.

AFTER that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And being assembled together with them, he commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

We have surely perpetual reason for thankfulness, when we think of that commission which Christ gave to his disciples: nor is it a circumstance of little importance, that they had it in charge, when they published this message of grace, to begin at Jerusalem; though the religious opportunities that were abused by that ungrateful city had already been so great, and their provocations so many. Amazing condescension of the Prince of Peace, that he sent his ambassadors of peace to them when they had hardly laid aside the weapons with which they had slain him, and were scarce rested after the cruel fatigue which their officious malice had given them in abetting his murder! Behold, he offers them all the invaluable blessings purchased by his blood, while it was yet, as we may say, warm upon mount Calvary! and on the same principles, even unto this day, where sin hath abounded, there is grace abounding much more. (Rom. v. 20.)

Christ opened the understanding of the apostles, to apprehend the sense of scripture. Let us study that sacred book with a humble dependance upon the aid of that blessed Spirit by whom it was dictated. And let these apostles who were thus divinely taught, be reverently regarded as our surest guides, when we are studying the oracles of the Old Testament; considering the extraordinary commission with which Christ sent them forth, the power from on high with which he invested them, and the ample credentials which he hereby gave them.

SECTION XI.

MARK XVI. 15-19. ACTS 1. 6-12. LUKE XXIV. 50-53.

WHEN they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And 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. But 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.

And he led them out as far as to Bethany.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; bu

that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall

recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken these things unto them, he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, and while they beheld, he was parted from them, and taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight, and carried him up into heaven, and he sat on the right hand of God.

And while they looked steadfastly 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.

And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath-day's journey: and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

Thus did our victorious Saviour ascend on high, and load captivity captive: the chariots of God which attended him were twenty thousand, even thousands of angels! (Psalm lxviii. 17, 18) and being gone into heaven, he is there seated on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject to him; (1 Peter iii. 22.) Let us his humble followers look after him with holy joy and pleasing expectation; congratulating his triumphs, and trusting through his grace to share them.

Like the apostles, let us bow down and worship him; and while we continue here below, let us make it our daily labour and care to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right-hand of God: (Col. iii. 1.) And, instead of amusing ourselves with the vain dreams of temporal grandeur and felicity, or with curious inquiries after those times

and seasons which the Father has reserved in his own power, let us apply with vigour and zeal to that business which he has assigned us; labouring to the utmost to promote his gospel, and, by a diligent improvement of our time and opportunities, to prepare for his final appearance, when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with more public splendour than he returned thither, and shall come in the glory of his Father, and his own glory, with a majestic pomp which every eye shall see, and with the sound of a trumpet, which even all the nations of the dead shall hear.

SECTION XII.

MARK XVI. 20. JOHN XX. 30, 31; XXI. 25. 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 [John] suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

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

Let us thankfully own his gracious presence with his disciples, whom he left behind him; and with admiring gratitude reflect upon the happy consequences of that presence, in the establishment of the gospel in the world, and the transmission of it even unto us, in so remote an age and country.

Let us especially praise him for these sacred records which contain such an authentic and exact account of those important facts in which we are all so nearly concerned; rècords incomparably more valuable than the writings of our private estates, or the charters of our public liberties. Let us earnestly pray that their great design may be answered in us; and make it our importunate request to Him who is the giver of all grace, that through the operations of that Holy Spirit, without the influence of which even scripture itself, with all our advantages for understanding and improving it, will be but a sealed book, or a dead letter, our faith may be nourished and confirmed by every portion of it which we read; and that our hearts may be so delivered into the mould of his word,

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HARMONY OF THE FOUR GOSpels.

that believing on Christ, under all the characters he bears, we may have life through his name; and may at length receive the end of our faith, in the complete salvation of our souls, through him, to whom with the Father, and the eternal Spirit, be undivided honours, and everlasting praises. Amen and Amen!

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