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selfsame body that had been crucified. Incredulity itself is satisfied; and the convinced apostle exclaims, " My Lord and my God!"

COMPREHENSIVE BIBLE.

Messiah finished all that was appointed for him on earth, as the second Adam ; he ascended on high, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Surrounded as we are with unnumbered difficulties, we plead against every accusation and threatening, that our Head is in heaven: we have an Advocate with the Father, a High Priest upon the throne, who, because he ever liveth to make intercession, is able to save to the uttermost. This is all our plea, nor do we desire any other. His ascension on high is a sure pledge that his servants shall follow him.

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Messiah has received gifts for men, even for the rebellious. stow gifts upon the miserable, is bounty; to bestow them upon rebels, is grace. The greatness of the gifts contrasted with the characters of those who receive them, displays the exceeding riches of the Redeemer's grace. He came to save, not the unhappy only, but the ungodly. He gives pardon, peace, and eternal life to his enemies, wooed and besought by the consideration of the mercies of God, and conquered by invincible grace, through the dying agonies of the Mediator, whose grand gift, the Holy Spirit, renews their souls: then the rebels relent and sue for mercy; then they obtain faith, repentance, remission, a full and free salvation, and all the gifts which Messiah has received for them.

Messiah's ultimate design in favour of rebellious men, the great final cause of his mediation, and particularly of his bestowing on them the gift of the Holy Spirit, is, that the Lord God may dwell among them. Thus the heart, anointed with the holy unction (John ii. 20), becomes a consecrated temple of the Holy Ghost. "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?"-2 Cor. vi. 19. Again, he speaks of Christ dwelling in the heart: "Christ in you the hope of glory."- Eph. iii. 17; Col. i. 27. And in another place, "Ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them," agreeably to his promise by the prophets.

Messiah dwells likewise among his people in their collective capacity. His whole church, comprising all the members of his mystical body, "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, forms a building fitly framed together, a palace, a holy temple !" for the Lord, the great King. REV. JOHN NEWTON.

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Through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph. ii. 18. Jesus, our Lord, having reconciled us to God by the cross, may I practically know what it is to have access unto him through Christ by the Spirit. I desire to know the great and glorious doctrine of the Trinity, not as a matter of theory or belief merely, but as a thing of experience and daily practice. Deliver me from a proud and presumptuous spirit, that would cavil at thy truth: deliver me from a too curious and prying spirit, that would attempt to comprehend that which it has not

pleased thee fully to reveal. Give me grace, in all simplicity of heart, to receive what thou hast declared, and feeling my own ignorance and nothingness, to adore thee in thy incomprehensible Majesty and unsearchable glory. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, I come to thee as one that spared not thy beloved Son for us; and, I beseech thee, receive, provide for, and bless me.

Blessed Redeemer, thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life, my Mediator and my Advocate: my hope is in thy merits and thy intercession. Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who showest the Saviour to sinners, I look to thee to teach and guide, to purify, strengthen, and console me. Amen. REV. EDWARD BICKERSTeth.

Our Saviour, having repeatedly conversed with his apostles after his resurrection, and afforded them many infallible proofs of its reality, led them from Jerusalem to Bethany, and was raised up to heaven in their sight; there to continue till he shall descend at the last day to judge the quick and the dead. He was parted from his disciples while he was solemnly blessing them; and multitudes of angels attended him with shouts of praise.-Psalm lxviii. 17.—xlvii. 5, 6.

Christ's ascension was designed for him, 1. To fulfil the types and prophecies concerning it. 2. To " appear" as a Priest "in the presence of God for us." 3. To take upon him more openly the exercise of his kingly office. 4. To receive gifts for men, both ordinary and extraordinary. Psalm lxviii. 18. 5. To open the way to heaven for his people.-Heb. x. 19,

20. 6. To assure the saints of their ascension to heaven after their resurrection from the dead.-John xiv. 1, 2. REV. RICHARD WATSON.

Christ's sitting down at God's right hand, notes the high content and satisfaction of God the Father in him and in his work. "The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand:" the words are brought in as the words of the Father, welcoming Christ to heaven; and, as it were, congratulating the happy accomplishment of his most difficult work. He delighted greatly to behold him here in his work on earth, and by a voice from the excellent glory he told him so, when he spake from heaven to him, saying, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”— 2 Pet. i. 17. And himself tells us, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life," &c.-John x. 17; for it was a work that the heart of God had been set upon from eternity; he took infinite delight in it. Oh! here is the mystery, that flesh and blood should ever be advanced to the highest throne of Majesty, and being there installed in that glory, we may now direct our worship to him as God-man. "The Father hath

committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father." And the Father will accept of no honour divided from his honour. Therefore it is added, "He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”John v. 22, 23. Hence the apostles, in the salutations of their epistles, beg for grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus

Christ;
and in their valedictions they desire the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ to the churches.
REV. JOHN FLAVEL.

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"Thou hast ascended on high; thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." - Psalm lxviii. 18. When the ark had ascended Mount Sion, and was deposited in the place assigned for it, the singers are supposed, by Dr. Chandler, to have proceeded with this part of the Psalm, in which they celebrate the ascension of their God and King, by the symbol of his presence, to the heights of Sion, after having subdued their enemies, and enriched his people with the spoil of the vanquished, and the gifts of the tributary nations; of which much was probably employed in the service of the tabernacle, and afterwards in building the temple, first designed by David, "that the LORD God might dwell," and have a fixed permanent habitation among his people. But the whole transaction, like many others of old, being a figurative one, the apostle (Eph. iv. 8) has applied the words before us to our blessed Saviour, (the true ARK, on which the GLORY rested,) who personally ascended up to the highest heavens, "led captivity captive," by triumphing over his conquered enemies, and having received gifts from his heavenly Father as the fruits of his victory, gave them unto men, as was most conducive to the establishment of his church, "that the Lord God might dwell among them.—Thou hast ascended on high;" thou, O Christ, who didst descend from the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens to the lower parts of the earth, art again ascended from the lower parts of the earth to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens: "thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also ;" and being thus ascended into thy glory, thou hast received of the Father the promise of the Spirit, with all his gifts and graces, to bestow upon the sons of men, even upon such as heretofore have not only broken thy laws, but appeared in arms against thee; yet of such as these, converted by the power of thy gospel, wilt thou form and establish a church; "that the LORD God may dwell among them;" that so, of thy faithful people, gathered from all parts of the world, may be built up a living temple, "a habitation of God through the Spirit." BP. HORNE.

Jews, and Gentiles of various nations, were struck with one general surprise, when they found fishermen, and persons of no learning, declare in every tongue the wonderful works of God and his grace. And while they were busy in their inquiries into the cause of this great event, "Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice," as their speaker, and beginning with the prophecy of Joel, concerning the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh, preaches to them the life, and death, and resurrection of Christ. "We are witnesses," says he, "that God has raised him from the dead; and being exalted by the right hand of God, he has shed forth these wondrous gifts of the Holy Ghost, which the Father had promised him, and of which your own eyes and ears are present witnesses." Acts i. 14. 33.

Since the gifts of the Spirit are shed forth in a way of promise and prediction, they more plainly appear to be Divine. It is the promised Spirit which our Saviour gave to men. It can never be said they were casual events, or they happened by chance; they were foretold by the ancient prophets, by John the Baptist, and by our blessed Saviour. They were promised to Christ Jesus by his Father, and he promised them to his own disciples, and bid them wait till they received them at Jerusalem. -Luke xxiv. 49.

Is the Spirit sent down to men in this wondrous manner? Then God has not failed of his promises to the Jews and Gentiles made by his ancient prophets; then the Father hath not failed of his promise to his Son Jesus, nor has the Son of God failed of his promise to his disciples and followers. Are these wondrous gifts of the Spirit sent down to publish and confirm the blessed gospel? Then surely it demands our firmest faith, since it was propagated at first by such Divine miracles, and has been established by such surprising and glorious gifts. How wisely, therefore, has God ordained these visible and sensible wonders, to prove the exaltation of his Son Jesus! And though the founder of Christianity submitted to death, yet the Christian church was never designed to die, because Jesus lives again in an exalted state, and hath all the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit in his hand, which have been the life and soul of the church.

Thus all-glorious and divine is our salvation, from the original love, power, and promise of God the Father, through the sufferings, the death, and exaltation of Jesus Christ his Son, and by the gifts and graces of the blessed Spirit. Hence arise the talents and furniture of ministers, and hence the faith and hope, the life and holiness, the joy and comfort of Christians! DR. WATTS.

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THE GRAPHIC LIBRARY FOR DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION.

DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION is universally acknowledged to be of the highest importance, both personal and social. Conducted on Christian principles, it has ever been the means of forming the most virtuous and useful characters. General history concurs with the Holy Scriptures in supporting this representation; and it must necessarily be founded in truth, because such is the wise and gracious ordination of God. Domestic Instruction, therefore, needs the choicest materials for its assistance; and to prepare these the most powerful claim may be made upon the best consideration of the patriot, the philosopher, and the Christian.

Education, to accomplish its professed design, must be religious: and a religious education, to secure its moral advantages and its imperishable blessings, must be based upon the Bible. Such is the universal sentiment of all believers in the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

Christian Parents, in our favoured times, possess a thousand advantages, which were unknown forty, or even twenty years ago, to aid them in carrying on their plans of education: but, notwithstanding the multiplication of new works in every department of knowledge, there is still felt to be a deficiency of good religious books adapted for domestic instruction.

Graphic Illustrations are now universally acknowledged to be desirable, as amongst the most rational and efficient means of mental improvement, and these are found to be peculiarly valuable in promoting religious instruction. Divine Revelation receives many of its most splendid evidences from the continued existence of ancient monumental remains: and their exhibition to the population of the western regions, by the ingenuity of our artists, in confirmation of Christianity,—like the mysterious preservation of the Jews, as a distinct and separate people, appears to have been

one reason of their preservation by the same infinitely wise and Almighty Providence!

Oriental customs also, described and delineated in every page of the Sacred Scriptures, have now become familiar to our recent intelligent travellers and missionaries in Egypt, Arabia, Syria Asia Minor, Greece, India, &c. &c. Past stores, therefore, the accumulations of ages, yet unused, at least, for the benefit of the multitude, lie at the command of the Christian artist, to furnish the theologian with illustrations in expounding more clearly the sublime and saving doctrines of the Word of God.

"BALL'S GRAPHIC LIBRARY FOR DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION" designs to supply some of the deficiencies thus acknowledged, making use of ample materials which have been collected for this purpose. Sacred Biography, Biblical Antiquities, and Geography, &c. &c. will form some of the earliest subjects contemplated in this series, embracing most of the nobler branches of Christian knowledge; while typography and paper, in their most improved state, and wood-engraving in its advanced state of perfection, will be employed to enrich these works, their elegance, beauty, and religious excellency, for which a confident reference is made to the "LIFE OF CHRIST ILLUSTRATED," as a specimen,-it is presumed, will secure, according to their merit, the patronage of every Christian family in the BRITISH EMPIRE.

Each volume will be complete in itself, and the size and price will vary according to the subject.

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