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that Jefus was not gone before them into Galilee, (nor doth it appear by Mark or Luke, that he went there at all) but that he met the eleven, according to Mark and Luke, ten, according to John, with others; at a house in Jerufalem. Now as to the speech and its effect. In the former, the four evangelifts differ exceedingly. In Matthew we find no falutation: no upbraiding, though fome doubted. Jefus fays- All power is given ⚫ unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye there'fore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft: teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you, &c.' In Mark, we have no falutation, but Jefus upbraids them for their unbelief. He does not inform them of his power on earth or in Heaven, or order them to baptize in direct terms, or form, but commands them to go into all the world, and preach the gofpel: to every creature, addingHe that believeth and is baptized, shall be faved, but he that believeth not, fhall be damned. I have in page 200, remarked the feverity of this fentence, and its confequences. In page 197, I have recited the long converfation which paffed between Jefus, Cleopas, and Simon; recorded by Luke only we will now ftate his account of Jefus's appearance and speech to the eleven, viz. - Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and faith unto them, Peace be unto you. (This

'falutation

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falutation agrees with John's, but its effect differs.) But they were terrified, and affrighted, ⚫ and supposed that they had seen a spirit.' Jesus endeavoured to convince them of the contrary; fhewed them his hands and his feet, and defired they would touch them, they yet believed not for joy (an odd phrafe) and wondered. Finding they were yet doubtful, he asked if they had any

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meat; they produce fome, which he eat before them, and then reminds them of what he had before taught them-That all things written of him in the law of Mofes, in the prophets, ' and in the Pfalms; must be fulfilled. Still were they ignorant? Then opened he their under< standing, that they might understand the fcrip6 tures, and faith unto them, Thus it is written, < and thus it behoved Chrift to fuffer, and to rife from the dead the third day, and that repentance, and remiffion of fins, fhould be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerufalem.' Here nothing is said of Matthew's baptizing: Mark's anathema: or John's Holy Ghoft with power to forgive fins. On the contrary, Luke here adds- And behold I fend the ' promife of my Father upon you; but tarry ye ' in the city of Jerufalem until ye be endued with

power from on high.' This power from on high, certainly means the Holy Ghoft. Luke, in his other work, tells us fo very plainly; that they were not to receive it till after the afcenfion, and

particularifes

particularifes the time, place, and manner, in which they did receive it. Luke's account is connected, and correfponds with the prophecy of Jefus himself. John has been the most explicit in his account of the quality and ufe of the Holy Ghoft; how then are we to account for his mif take in this matter? In his 14th chapter, he informs us, that the Holy Ghoft, and the Comforter, are fynonimous terms; and that it means the fpirit of truth and knowledge, which the Father would fend after the departure of Jefus, to teach them all things; to bring all things to their remembrance, which he had faid to them; and to fhew them things to come. This gift of the Holy Ghoft, with power to forgive fins: appears more premature in John's account, than it would have done in either of the others as he records

two appearances with long converfations, fubfequent to this. First to the eleven after an interval of eight days; and, from the doors being fhut, we may conclude at Jerufalem. After this, but how long is not faid, at the fea of Tiberias, to feven of his difciples who were returned to their old employ fishing. This I think they would not have done had they poffeffed the knowledge and power described by John, who was one of the feven. And here another difficulty arifes, the afcenfion that ftupendous miracle; where was it performed and what were the circumstances attending it? According to Matthew-the only

appearance

appearance Jefus made to the eleven, after his refurrection, was in a mountain in Galilee; where he commands them to inftruct and baptize all nations; adding- And lo, I am with you al

way, even unto the end of the world.' And thus ends Matthew's gofpel, without a fingle word relative to the afcenfion. Mark's record implies, that this meeting was in the evening of the refurrection day, and at a houfe in Jerufalem. The inftructions given, as to teaching all nations, agree baptizing is indeed omitted, but Mark has a long addition which concludes-'So

then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into Heaven, and fat on the right hand of God.' If this was meant as a record of the afcenfion; it certainly is very defective, and would not have conveyed to us any idea of fuch an afcenfion as we find defcribed by Luke. He, in his gofpel, tells us of this meeting, at a house in Jerufalem, between Jefus and the eleven. After explaining to them the scriptures relative to himself, and telling them-that repentance and remiffion of fins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerufalem he adds- And behold I fend the

promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerufalem, until ye be endued " with power from on high.' Luke goes onAnd he led them out as far as Bethany, (about fifteen furlongs from Jerufalem, John, ch. xi. v. 18.)

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' v.18) And he lift up his hands and bleffed them. And it came to pass, while he bleffed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven. (I fuppofe from Mount Olivet or the Mount of Olives) and they worshipped him, and returned to Jerufalem with great joy.' This account of the afcenfion, is better than Mark's, but poffibly Luke thought it ftill defective; and therefore in a fubfequent work he improves it greatly: he adds fresh matter to the last discourse, which ended he fays- And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their fight. And while they looked ftedfaftly ⚫ toward Heaven as he went up, behold two men ftood by them in white apparel; which alfo faid -ye men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into Heaven? This fame Jefus which is taken up from you into Heaven, fhall fo come in like manner as ye have feen him go into Heaven.' How happened Luke in his firft account of this tranfaction, to omit fo remarkable, so material a teftimomy as is here introduced? Two angels vouching that Jefus was really taken up into Heaven; and that he would return from thence in like manner. How happened Matthew and John, who were fpectators of this glorious fcene; who were deeply interefted for the honor of their Mafter and the promulgation of his doctrine : and who wrote profeffedly to promote both: how

happened

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