men of Galilee, why ftand ye gazing up into heaven? this fame Jefus, which is taken ' up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have feen him go into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerufalem with great joy.' His final departure from the world in this extraordinary manner, was probably directed by the providence of God, with a view to give his friends the most fenfible, and convincing demonftration of his total conqueft over death, and that he had the power of raising them to everlasting life. By this event was remarkably confirmed the truth of what he had declared to his difciples. That it was the 'will of him that fent him, that 6 every one who feeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and that he would • raise him up at the last day. That he came forth from the Father, and was come into 'the world; and that again he would leave the world, and go to the Father.' Jefus had come into the world in a very different manner from what the reft of the fons of Adam do. It was not by the original condition and law of his exiftence, but by his own voluntary choice, upon a special emergency, and to ferve an extraordinary purpose John vi. 40. xvi. 28. in the providence of God; therefore after he had ferved the purpose of his coming to the world, he returned immediately, and in an extraordinary manner, unto God, from whom he came. By his leaving the world in this manner, he was no lefs remarkably distinguifhed from the reft of mankind, than he had been by the manner in which he had come into it; and by each of these events he was declared to be the Son of God. * The extraordinary circumstances which accompanied this event, add to its fignificance; fuch as the appearance of the angels to the difciples who were prefent, and the voice which proceeded from the clouds declaring him to be the perfon, who fhould come again from heaven in the fame glorious manner, to be the judge of all the earth. Hereby, were the friends of Jefus fufficiently affured, that he was approved by God in every thing which he had faid and done, and was therefore readmitted with honour into the heavenly world. They accordingly after his afcenfion Worshipped him, and returned to Jeru• falem with great joy,' These were the extraordinary interpofitions of Providence, by which Jefus was declared to be the meffenger and Son of God: and the following obfervation may be made on this part of the facred history; that if Jefus is fuppofed to be the perfon whom he is described to be in the history of the gospel; (and furely no one can say it was impoffible for fuch a perfon to exift, or to come into this world) if he is the only Begotten, and eternal Son of God;' if he came into this world by an immediate commiffion from the Father, to enlighten, purify, and redeem the human race, if mens reception of him as the Son of God, and their obedience to the gofpel, be of fuch importance to their virtue and happiness, as they are there defcribed to be; from all this it is natural to infer, that the extraordinary facts which have been mentioned, are not fo unlikely, or fo difficult to be believed, as their marvellous, and extraordinary nature would at first fight lead us to conceive. The unufual nature of thefe events, and their being so different from what happens in the ordinary courfe of things, gives them an improbable appearance, and with fome persons totally deftroys their credibility. But it ought to be confidered, that in the history of fuch a per fon as Jefus is defcribed to be, they are probable events, and fuch as we might naturally expect to meet with in the records of his life. Their improbability is removed by the pecu liar circumftances of the cafe. The appear : ance of fuch an extraordinary meffenger from God, behoved to be declared in fome fingular and extraordinary manner by his providence and it will puzzle any man to imagine in what more fignificant and certain manner this could have been done, than by the marvellous events which have been mentioned: nor will it be easy to avoid the following alternative, either to affirm that it was impoffible for fuch a perfon, as Jefus is described to be, to have exifted, and to have come into this world; or to allow, that the marvellous events recorded in the gofpel were the probable effects of his appearance, and fuch as we might expect to find in the hiftory of his life. It may be added to the preceding obfervation, that it is exceedingly improbable, and difficult to be believed, that the writers of the gofpel could of themselves have invented fuch a feries of events, so admirably suited to the character and office of the Lord Jefus Chrift; ftill more improbable, that they could have dared to appeal to the knowledge of the public for the truth of these events; and most of all improbable, that on this appeal, they could have made one, not to say innumerable converts to the gospel, had not the evidence of their truth been entirely inconteftable; efpecially when it is confidered that the writers of the |