came to reign over the Jews; and you will find that the next verse in our chapter shows us the same thing. What did they ask Jesus?

C. "Lord, wilt thou, at this time, restore the kingdom to Israel ?"

T. What does restore mean?
C. Give.

T. No, not exactly; if I were to give a beggar a halfpenny, it would not be restoring it to him. If you had taken the next child's book, and I were to say restore it to him, what should I mean?

C. Give it him back.

T. Well, then restore means-
C. Give back.

T. The disciples asked Jesus, then, "Wilt thou now restore the kingdom, or give it back to Israel?" Who was Israel? You must read Gen. xxxii. 24-28. Now, who was Israel?

C. Jacob.

T. But then Jacob was dead long ago; then what did the disciples mean? That Jacob should come and have the kingdom? Or, whom did they mean by Israel here ?

C. The Jews.

T. Yes; we very often find the name "Israel" mean not Jacob but Jacob's nation-the Jews. Then the disciples asked Jesus whether He would now give back-what?

C. The Jews' kingdom.

T. Why, who had taken away their kingdom?

C. The Romans.

T. Had the disciples any reason to expect that God would give back the Jews' kingdom? We must turn to some of God's prophets, and see what they said. Read Isaiah i. 26, 27; now Ezekiel xxxvii. 21, 22, 24, 25. What does God promise here ?

C. That He will restore their kingdom.

T. But when does He say--does He say any time ?

C. No.

T. And so we find the disciples ask

ing when it should be; and when does Jesus say it will be?

C. He does not say when.

T. No; He tells them-what? C. That it is not for them to know the time.

T. As if He would say, That is no business of yours. The angels, do they know?

C. It does not say.

T. No; but God lets angels know many things; now do they know this?

Sce in Matt. xxiv. 36.

C. "No, not the angels, but the Father only."

T. Yes; God has not given any one power to know that time; it is like the hour of our death. us know when it take care to be always ready. But Christ tells them there is something of much more consequence to them than the exact time when He shall give back the Jews' kingdom-that God would do something better for them;—that He had a far more honourable and blessed work for them to do. Read verse 8; He tells them that after they had received what God had promised-what was that?

God lets none of will be, so we should

C. The Holy Spirit.

T. Yes; that after the Holy Ghost had come on them, they should receive -what?

C. Power.

T. Power to do, what do you think?
C. Miracles.

T. Yes, they had power to do mira

cles; but something better than that as well-that would not save people's souls; but they had power to lead people to salvation. How? C. By preaching the Gospel.

T. And if you turn to the Acts (or doings) of the Apostles after they received the Holy Ghost, you will see if they had power. In Acts vi. 8, you will find Stephen was "full of faith

and

C. "Power."

T. And so did great wonders, and

what was He doing just before He went up? (still look at Luke's Gospel v. 50).

C. He was blessing them.

T. Ah, I dare say the disciples often thought of that last blessing! Often when a dear father or mother is dying, and about leaving their children for ever in this world, they give them their blessing just before they die-and so did Jesus before He left His disciples, and while He was blessing them He was

C. "Taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight."

T. And what did the disciples do? Verse 10 says,

C. "Looked steadfastly up toward heaven."

T. What does steadfastly mean? How do you think they looked up? C. Kopt their eyes fixed.

T. Aye, earnestly, eagerly, perhaps wondering whether He had really gone from them. I dare say they could hardly believe it was true. I dare say they thought it must have been a dream, as they saw Jesus rise higher and higher, and at last vanish in the clouds. Do you think they now believ⚫ ed Him more than before? C. Yes.

T. Oh yes, I think they must now have felt quite sure He was indeed the Son of God- God Himself. Luke tells us (last verse) where He went.

C. "Into heaven."

T. And Mark tells us, and so do many other texts, what place He takes there.

C.The right hand of God."

T. Yes, that is, the highest and most honourable and glorious place there. Now what else did the disciples see as they were looking up?

C. "Two men stood by in white apparel."

T. And who were they, do you think?
C. Angels.

T. And what did they say to them?
C. (Read verse 11).

T. When will that be?
C. At the judgment day.

T. Well, I think Jesus will come before then; for in Rev. xx., and also in the Epistles we read that Christ will come, and then His own people, all who loved Him, the dead as well as those who will be alive, shall reign with Jesus over the earth for a thousand years; and after that the books shall be opened, the rest of the dead arise, and all be judged. You see in verse 12, what mountain they were near-what mountain was near Bethany?

C. Mount Olivet.

T. You remember it is generally called the Mount of

C. Mount of Olives.

T. And Zechariah, you will see, (chap. xiv. 4) tells us what place Christ will stand on when He returns.

C. The Mount of Olives.

T. Yes, so Scripture seems to say, that He shall come again at the very place where He last left the earth. After this the disciples, we read,

went

C. Back to Jerusalem-a Sabbath day's journey.

T. Do you know how much a Sabbath day's journey was? it was about a mile and a half. Well, we must now, for the rest of our time, talk a little about the ascension of Jesus, and see what good we can get from it.

Had the ascension of Jesus ever been foretold? read Psalm lxviii. 18, this is known to have been spoken (by the guidance of the Holy Spirit) about Jesus, because we shall find Paul refers to it as applying to Jesus. Then did not Jesus speak of His ascension? see in John vi. 62, and John xiv, 28. Now when a person goes out on purpose to do anything when he comes back, what do we suppose he has done?

C. What he went out to do.

T. Yes; and if he came in and sat down, should we think he had half done it, or finished it?

C. Finished it.

T. Now, you all know for what

blessed purpose Jesus left heaven for a time, and came to this poor sinful world ?

C. To save us.

T. Yes, and when He went to hea ven, and sat down at the right hand of God, that shows

C. That he had finished His work.

T. So that if any one were to tell us that our sins were partly atoned for, and that some other thing was to be done to make up, we could say that Jesus has gone back to heaven, has sat down there, and so we know that our salvation

C. Is all finished.

T. Yes now read Heb. x. 12,—we there find it said, that, Jesus sat down when? (notice the stops).

C. "When He had offered one sacri fice for sin for ever.”

T. Suppose a person had been taken up for some crime, and sentenced to be transported for seven years, when would he be allowed to come back again?

C. When the seven years were done -when the time was up.

T. Yes, when the time was up, that is, when he had paid the full penalty. Or, suppose a person was put in prison for some large debt he owed, when would he be let out again?

C. When he had paid what he owed.

T. Well now, Jesus Christ agreed to take on Himself the penalty we had deserved, the punishment due to us for our sins, and for this He had to leave His Father's happy and glorious presence, and had to be banished from heaven-how long?

C. Till the debt was paid.

T. Yes, He took all our debts on Himself too, and so He had to stay away from heaven till He had paid all our debts-as well as till He endured all our punishment. He had to do both. And now, when we see Jesus received back to heaven, and remember how He was banished once for our sins we should feel that He was received

C. To pray for.

T. Well, so it does; but it generally means to pray for, under particular cir cumstances; for instance, if I saw a friend of mine, whose little child had behaved badly, and was in disgrace, and I were to beg he might be let off, I should be interceding, or, making intercession for the child. Or, if I were to see a man beating a boy, and wanted to intercede for him, where should I run ?

C. Between them.

--

T. Well, now, that's just what intercede (or make intercession) means,going between persons to make them friends. Then whom does Jesus intercede between?

C. Between us and God.

T. Yes, He appears for us in heaven -and when God would in His holiness and justice be angry with us, He sees Christ's blood, and He spares us. Now, suppose you wanted to ask our Queen for something, to grant some petition, and you happened to know some one very high in favour with the Queen, how would you send your petition to her?

C. By the person I knew.

T. And who would stand most chance of gaining what they wantedyou, or somebody else who had no friend in the queen's palace?

C. I should.

T. Well, now, Jesus appears in the presence of God—the King of heavenfor us-and so whenever we have any petitions to present to God, by whom should we send them?

C. By our friend-By Jesus Christ. T. Yes; and when do we present our petitions to God?

C. Whenever we pray.

T. And can't you remember some thing Christ said to encourage us to present our prayers and petitions through Him?

C. "Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, He will give it you."

T. Yes, that is in John's Gospel.

So you see another thing we learn from Christ's ascension, is that we have a friend in heaven who liveth to

C. To "make intercession for us." T. One who is always our friend; so that, as St. Paul says, we may come with boldness to God's throne of grace, and never be afraid to ask God for anything, for we have a kind friend at God's right hand-Jesus. And now,

if you will read John xx. 17, as His Father is our Father, so He is our Brother, if we are His people. Yes, Jesus wants to be a friend to each one of you; He wants to be your brother, and He will present all your prayers to God Himself, and He will stand your friend before God. Now, you know, many people like to have great people for their friends, those who are rich and powerful; and this is just the kind of Friend we have in heaven. You know Jesus said, after He rose again, "All power is given

C. "Unto Me in heaven and in earth."

T. Yes, and in other places He is said to be "Head over all things." If our Friend in heaven is SO powerful and so rich, we may expect that He will give us some of the many things He possesses. But does the Bible teach us that He will give us good things?

C. Yes, He tells us, "God will give good gifts to them that ask Him."

T. Well, but that refers to God the Father; now, there are one or two texts that teach us that our ascended Saviour sends us down gifts from heaven. Read Ps. lxviii. 18. We there read that, when Jesus ascended, He "received gifts

C. "For men."

T. Then, in Ephes. iv. 8, you read that Jesus

C." Gave gifts unto men."

T. So that Jesus, as the Son of God, receives gifts-whom from?

C. From His Father.

T. And then gives these gifts unto whom?

C. Unto men.

T. Yes, unto us. And what are these gifts that He gives us?

C. All good things-His help, the Holy Spirit.

T. Well, these are some of them. We read that God "will supply all our need, through His riches in glory in Christ Jesus"-everything we want, and the thing we want most is—what? G. The Holy Spirit.

T. Why do we want the Holy Spirit ?

C. To make us good, to give us new hearts.

T. Yes, we all of us need the Holy Spirit, for without Him we should never feel that we were sinners, never come to Jesus, never seek for pardon, never have our hard hearts softened, never be made fit for heaven, but die lost sinners, Now Jesus, you know, told His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit when He went back to heaven. But although Jesus died for every one of you, yet you will never come to Him for pardon, unless the Holy Spirit leads you. Then go to Him, and ask Him for this-the best gift He has to give. Just read the Collect for the Sunday after Ascension Day. Now make this your prayer. Ask Him for the Spirit day by day, to lead and guide you in the way to heaven, to keep you from sin, to help you to resist the devil, to make you holy, even as He is holy. And what• ever you want, go to your best Friend, Jesus, and ask Him for it. You know if some friend had given us some very valu able present, we should think it very likely he would give us something of less value, if we wanted it. Now, Jesus has given us His own blood, His own self, and He will surely give us whatever else we need.

T. There is another thing we may learn from the ascension of Jesus. Turn to Christ's prayer for His disci