Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-12-16
SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON.

The Saviour's last words. Luke "a,
44-53. Sunday, Dec. %.
The time when our Saviour spoke the
words in the first five verses of our les
son, is matter of dispute. Some COM
mentators think they were uttered on the
day of his ascension, while others hold
that they we're spoken on the day of his
resurrection. Mark says that when ne
appeared to the eleven as they sat at
meat, he upbraided them for their unbe.
lief. There would have been no occasion
for this if they had fully understood the
prophecies concerning him. And it is
quite likely that he showed them from
scripture at this time, that his death and
resurrection fulfilled the predictions of
Moses and the prophets. as he had just
unfolded to his two friends in the walk
to Emmaus. Although they had been so
long with him, yet they had not so fully
huOWu ulm uoI uuuClolOVu euc ucduiuS
of his teachings. 1t was hard to eradi-
cate from their minds the idea that he
would not be Israel's temporal deliverer
and even on the day of his ascension
they venture to ask him if he would
restore again at that time the kingdom
to Israel (Acts 1-6.) They could not
reconcile triumphant Redeemer with
their crucifed Lord. He then opened
their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures concerning
himself and declared that the cardinal
doctrines of his gospel, repentance and
remission of sin, should be preached in
his name to every creature. They were
to begin their work of love with those
that hated him, and to witness the new
life in his resurrection and show forth
in their life and character the image of
their Lord and Master. They were CON-
handed to return to Jerusalem and wait
for the promise of the Father, the bap-
tism of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus had
promised to his disciples in his discourse
at the last passover. This was fulfilled
ten days after his ascension, when the
day of Pentecost was fully come. The
great Jewish feast of the full ingathering
of the harvest, which was celebrated on
the fftieth day after the passover. He
then led them out as far as Bethany on
the further slope of the Mount of Olives
and with uplifted hands gave them his
parting blessing, and, as the blessing Of
the little children of Israel by Jacob and
Moses were of prophetic import, SO per-
haps, Jesus gives his disciples prophet
ic vision of the glorious results of their
labors and that his kingdom as Daniel
fOresaw was an everlasting kingdom.
While they were looking at him, he was
parted from them and carried up into
heaven, and, like the chariot and horses
of fire that separated Elijah from Elisha,
a cloud hid him from their view. AS
their eyes are strained to catch the last
glance of Jesus in the golden cloud, two
angels, as Luke further tells US in Acts
, appeared to them and declared that the
same Jesus, who was taken from them
, into heaven, should so come in like man
ner as they had seen him 60 into heaven
/ This second advent he had declared t.
his disciples, luke 81, 27.) Having
worshipped their glori6ed Lord. they
/ return TO jerusalem with hearts overflow
! ing with JOY on account of the wonderful
! sights their eyes had beheld and tn,
3 glorious promise so soon to be fulfilled.
TEACHER.