Page:On the Desert - Recent Events in Egypt.djvu/343

Rh and here when all was over, when death was past, He came to take farewell of His disciples. Of course legend is busy fixing on this or the other spot as the scene of the ascension. In one place they show the print of our Saviour's foot as He pressed the earth for the last time. But that is of little moment. This only we know, that it was from Bethany; and though we cannot fix the precise spot — though we cannot point to the print of His foot in a rock — yet as it was from one or other of these heights, all of which are near, it must have been within the sweep of the eye. "And he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." Was there ever a more simple announcement of a great event? In so few words is depicted that wondrous scene. With such simplicity throughout is told the story of our Saviour's life on earth. So brief a span is it from the beginning to the end — from the hill of Bethlehem to the hill of Bethany. If, as some pretend, the Gospel be all a myth, a poetic fancy, surely never was any poet's dream so perfect and complete — beginning with the song of angels, and ending with the flight to heaven! And what a harmony in all that life and death and rising again! Over his cradle the angels sang, Peace on earth, good will to men! And the last sight of him was in the act of blessing the disciples he left behind. So he came and so he went away: with hands stretched out in benediction, and words of blessing descending from the depths of air, till "a cloud received him out of their sight." No wonder that his disciples caught inspiration from that upward flight, "and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God."

With such thoughts we advance towards the city, descending the slope along which Christ made his