The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-01-16

49, - '1sfa. Ih pfUlnunu ana cnnklnf,
ING was lie effect 81 This sudden appear,
snce Of the Lord. that ille disciples dursl
not converse with Him. only as lie drew
them on by questions.
followers aud friends seem after this
TO have assembled al Jerusalem in expee.
laiion of some derisive e,eni connected
Hiih The promised kingdom OF God.
Doubtless the myslernus influences Of The
Divine Master had drawn them 10 the city.
The lime Of Ills ascension was al hand.
Preparatory 10 this. he joined them and
gave them more particular instruction con.
eerning the mission He was about 10 CON.
init TO Them. As Jerusalem was 10 be il,e
centre OF This divine mission, He command.
cd them that they should not depart from
the city upon their mission until they
receive power from on high 10 qualify
them for il. But this divine power, ihe
Holy Spirit, which was 10 be given them,
and which was wonderfully shed upon
them on The day Of Peniecos,. was no.
sufficient to qualify them for their heaven.
" work. Ii is particularly recorded,
Then opened lie their understanding
that they might understand The Scripture. +"
How long the Lord assembled together
wftffshem at Jerusalem is not certain.
The imnri Sion made by the Sacred n is.
tory is. thai Hs-yas with them for several
days. explaining ss things written in
the law Of Moses. in the Pfoppiis.y, and in
The Psalms concerning himself. Luka,
xiv. AL
When lie had fully instructed them in
The Messianic Scriptures. lie prepared lor
His ascension. The power Of His pre-.
sence drew Ills fliends as well as His dis.
ciples close around him. And in The dusk
of The evening, that He might escape the
notice Of the multitude, lie passed out of
the city eastward, crossing the Kidron,
and wound round the southern flank of
Mount Oliyel. all following, slowly and
IN silence. while lie announced 10 His
disciples the import and prospect Of their
perilous mission. .Ye shall be witnesses
unto me in Jerusalem. and in ali Judea.
and in Samaria. and unto the ui,ermost
parts Of the earth. Go ye, therefore, into
all The wokd. teach all nations, and preach
the gospel 10 every creature. bsplizing
them in the name ofihe Father, and of the
Sun, and of the Holy Ghost. All power
is given TO me in Heaven and in earth,
and 10 ! am with you always even unto
the end Of The world" -
As He pronounced these waids He had
advanced round the southern fink Of the
mountain. leading II disciples. - as & I
as TO Bethany" There. as he ut,eitd
the last Morls Of the diyp<e benediciion,
He lified up His hands, .spreaIing them
out, perhaps.over, and perhaps touching
the heads of his apostles. While in this
act he was parted from them. lie threw
aside the restrain, which for the time
weighed down His glorious resurrection
body, and iterose majestically and was
carried up into Heaven; and the clouds re-
ceived him out of their sight, into that
spiritual and glorious world where He sa.
down on The right hand Of the throne Of
God, TO make intercession for us.
Ii was al nigMfall. and the parting was
so solemn and glorious. and His pathway
to Heaven so respendent, and the majesty
AMI benignancy of His ascending person
so enrapturing, that His friends stood
moiionless and sprechless, "gazing up
into Heaven" through the bright opening
which His ascension had left in the sky.
There probably they wonld have coniin-
ued 10 stand had not the spell been broken
by two Of the heavenly visitors who had
descended to witness the ascension. From
the midst of The illuminated clouds, where
they fingered in pity and admiration Of
the asionished and bereaved disciples, they
descended to the earth, and" stood among
them in white apparel, and said, Ye men
Of Galilee, why stand We 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
60 into Heaven" The charm was brok.
en-. Ascending Mount Olivet from the
edge ofthe village Of Bethany, for this was
as near, and more private way back TO
the city. they halted on the summit TO look
once more into the heavens, after their as.
cended Lord. But the sky had recovered
its usual serenity. and spread out IFS calm
blue canopy, lii up with the countless
stars Of heaven. On the spot where they
halted, the pieiy Of subsequent ages erect
ed magnificent church, and that same
piely, sublimated into enthusiasm and
creduliiy, transferred the scene Of the as
cension from the humble village of Belha-
ny, far down on the southern flank Of the
mountain, TO its summit. Hence the
church is called the Church of the Ascen-
sion. II is about half mile due east from
st. Stephens gale, about three hundred
feet above the city. And the only wor-
shippers in il are few monks; sometimes
of The Armenian; as the gold Of the one
outweighs, in The judgment Of the Pacha
Of Jerusalem, the gold of the other. And
not unfrsqnenlls very unchrisiian contests
,r.,,r ln,. The nncspssion nj The church,