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Homilies on the former part of the Acts of the Apostles, chap. i-x
Homilies on the former part of the Acts of the Apostles chap i-x Author:Henry Alford Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: HOMILY II. CHAPTER I. 8—11. I believe that we shall find abundance in these three verses to occupy our attention this afternoon. The event of which they sp... more »eak holds so important and primary a place with regard to the whole history that is to follow, and the incident which is introduced immediately after these verses so completely begins a new and latter part of the introductory portion of the book, that we had better reserve ourselves to-day for considering the Ascension alone; the circumstances with which it was accompanied, and the import which it holds with regard to the history. It may be neces- sanr, in so doing, to recapitulate somewhat of that which engaged our attention last Sunday. In beginning this book, we found it to be a second discourse of the Evangelist St. Luke; and we saw that he referred back to the former discourse, which contained an account, as he describes it, "of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach". We found it probable that he used that expression, as signifying the the work which Jesus did on earth in the flesh, thereby intimating also his intention of continuing, in the book which he is now beginning, a further work of the same Jesus in his exalted state in heaven by his Spirit. We shall find that impression confirmed as we go on in the book, and confirmed I think especially, by what we are to-day to say respecting the Ascension. We found St. Luke also referring in very set terms, with regard to the book which he is beginning, to the periodof our Lord's appearance to his disciples between the Resurrection and the Ascension. He tells us, that during those forty days He spoke to them of the things concerning the kingdom of God, and He commanded them that they should wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father: and if you remember, I n...« less