Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-06-30
CHRIST'S ASCENSION.
LESSON |, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 3.


/. "The former treatise have ! made, o
Thcophilus, of all that Jesus began both
TO do and teach" As the Gospels are n
record of all that Jesus began to do and
teach by the Holy Spirit, so this book and
the epistles are a record of all that Jesus
continued to do and teach by the same
Holy Spirit through the apostles. The
daily life of every true believer should be a
further continuance of the same doing and
teaching by the same power in us John
xvi T. s: Math. X, 20). AS to the former
treatise see Luke i, IA. Observe that do
ing comes before teaching, and compare
Math. V, 49,
.. Until the day in which He was taken
up, after that lie through the Holy Spirit
had given commandments unto the apos-
ties whom He had chosen" He wrought
and taught until the day He was received
up. SO should it be with us, all the mo
ments filled for Him until "absent from
the body present with the Lord" or pos
sibly until He come for body and soul
B. "To whom also He showeth Himself
alive after His passion by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days, and
speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God" See the record of eleven
appearances during the forty days after
His resurrection in Mark xvi, o. Math.
xviii, 0, 10; Luke xiv, 10, "a, 3G; John Ky,
20; xxi |; Math. xviii, 1911; | Cor. XIV, 6,
I; Luke xXiv, 80, 81 In all His preaching
the Kingdom was very prominent see Math.
iv, %; ix, s.
T. And being assembled together with
them, commanded them that they should
not depart from Jerusalem, bat wait for
the promise of the father, which. saith He,
ye have heard of me-" Wherever it WINS
that He met them at this time the great
thing to be observed is that they were not
TO go forth until qualified by special power
from on high. His presence with them for
two or three years was not sufficient
qualification; they must receive in fulness
the same power which wrought in Him.
self, and this could not be till He was
glorifed (John vii, 800.
). For John :ruly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence" As to the
Spirits connection with Christ see Mark
!, Is; Acts X Is; Luke iv, /; Math. xii, IS;
Heb. tx, II; Rom. viii II. And if Christ
Himself was powcrlcss, apart from the
spirit, how much more are we? See the
difference between an ordinary believer
and one filled with the Spirit, in Peter be-
fore and after Pentccost; observe also that
1t is as much disObedience not to be filled
with the Spirit as it is to be drunk with
wine tlIph. V, 49,,
u. when they therefore We're come to-
gcther, they asked of Him, saying Lord,
wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israeli" He had told them
that they were foolish not to believe all
that the prophets had spoken, and He had
also opened their understanding that they
might understand the Scriptures duke
XNlv, -, 40, so that this question was not
from blind and c&rnal men, as many think.
The Kingdom of which the prophets are full
is IA kingdom to be restored to Israel and
such great promises as lisa. tx. :; xiv, %;
XXNv, 10; TX, II; Jer iii, II, IS; xiii ), 6:
XXXl, -, 90, Eek. XXXvii 81, % and a host
OF others, nave no reference to the church.
but to The kingdom for which the apostles
rightly looked
I. and He said unto them, 1t is not for
you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in His own
power" He did not say that their ques
ton was wrong one, nor that they mis-
understood the nature Of His kingdom;
He spoke only Of the knowledge of the
time being withheld. He had taught
them that it was to be postponed till His
return luke MN H. ~, but they had not
received 1t, IN ch'pter H. ~. Il, the spirit
'nrough refer very plainly teaches that
Mnen Jesus comes again lie Will restore
an 'n'''sS Oh "hlch the prophets have
SPOKEN,
h"I Se ShaI receive power, after that
'he Hoiy ?iHrI' Is come upon You, and We
Sh"'l pe WITNESSES unto me unto the utter
l'"NV P"rC OF the earth Tue kingdom
u l.
Pto'hISet, al llortD upon condition OF ODE
uIeuce ZEN NIX, . D; Deut. V, :, - having |
oeeh ilhaiiy forfeited by israel (Math. Xxi !
41) 'h"c othcr nation u ret II, y, the |
ch'rch gathered out OF all nations, must |
no" ne competed by the preaching OF the |
GoSPei as witness unto al nations, and |
uneh SEall me end come lMath. XIV, IA. |
he emu OF TINS age, and the beginning of |
I ne next Wheh jesus VIII return to fulfill |
10 lHracl the unconditional promises which |
were mace 10 Abraham and David, and |
theh VIII lie restore the Kingdom the |
apostles sought.
u Ana when lie had spoken these
thlhgs "hlie they beheld, lie was taken
up ana cloud received Him out of their |
slSht'' In the Gospel IL Is said duke |