The Acts of The Apostles Author:Joseph Addison Alexander 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: particular occasions, as a proof of his identity and resurrection. Forty days, the length of the interval just mentioned, and known to us only from this passage,... more » which enables us moreover to determine the interval between the Ascension and the day of Pentecost. (See below, on 2, 1.) The other use to which our Saviour put the longer of these intervals was that of conversation and instruction. Speaking, not merely talking, but authoritatively teaching and declaring. Of is not in the original, and is superfluous in the translation. He not only spoke of or about the things, etc., but he uttered or declared the things themselves. Pertaining to, concerning, is expressed in the original, and indicates the subject of our Lord's authoritative declarations. This was the kingdom of God, denoting in its widest sense the Church under all its forms and dispensations, and including therefore the Theocracy or Jewish Church, but here referring more especially, no doubt, to the Messiah's kingdom, or the new form under which the Church, or chosen people, was about to be re-organized. It is worthy of remark, that the last days of our Lord on earth were still employed in words and acts relating to the great end of his mission, and in strict accordance with his words and acts in early childhood. Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ? (Luke 2, 49.) In this he furnishes a model and example to his people, not only in their last days, but throughout their lives. 4. And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which (saith he) ye have heard of me : This is the command, or one of the commands, referred to in v. 2, as given on the day of the ascension, at the last meeting between Christ and his...« less