(Matth. xxvii. 52, 53.)-This narrative reproduces the human idea (with its miraculous character and marvellous circumstances) of visible apparitions of spirits. The ignorance and prejudice of the men of that age were incapable of understanding and explaining the fact, and they believed in a corporeal resurrection by the return of a spirit into its corpse, which it either resumed in its decomposition, or reconstituted from the dust. The Apostles and Evangelists shared in the ignorance and superstition of the masses, in this respect.

The spirits who manifested themselves assumed forms which might be recognized, and make a greater impression on the people. We say assumed, for these manifestations were not produced by elevated spirits, but by good spirits of a relatively inferior order. The elevated spirits whose likeness the others assumed, and who were called, in the figurative language suited to the age, "the holy ones at rest," were the prophets, and those whose austere and just lives had earned public admiration. Thus, when the passage is interpreted in spirit and in truth, it simply signifies, “Spirits made themselves visible to the eyes of men." "They were seen by many"-i.e., by those who were, unknown to themselves, gifted with the faculty of seeing medianimically.

The Centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus witnessed the earthquake and the other phenomena which took place under their eyes at the very moment when Jesus uttered a loud cry. They were seized with terror; and as they supposed that the wrath of God was manifested before their eyes against the iniquity of the execution, they said, "Truly this was a just man; truly this was the Son of God." These two expressions here imply the same idea; and the term Son is not to be understood as descent, though it afterwards gave rise to the human dogma of the divinity of Christ, according to human interpretations, under the empire and veil of the letter.

ciples came by night and stole him while you slept; and if the governor should hear of this, we will persuade him and secure you." The soldiers took the money, and reported what they were told; and this report is still current among the Jews. (Matth. xxviii. 11-15.)

When the women came to the disciples, Mary Magdalene related the two appearances of Jesus, and all that they had seen and heard. It is because she alone related the events that she alone is mentioned in the narratives of Mark and John, which are incomplete on account of the details being omitted. Thus Mary Magdalene came to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and what he had said (John xx. 18); and she went to relate the story to those who had been with him, and who were in mourning and sorrow; but when they heard that he was alive, and that she had seen him, they did not believe her.

Such is the complete. narrative, when the events related separately by each of the Evangelists have been placed in order.

The great earthquake was a motion imparted to the locality where the women and the guards were; and their terror, and ignorance of fluidic phenomena led them to ascribe it to an earthquake. This manifestation, which may seem puerile to sceptics, was designed to strike the guards of the tomb with consternation, and to give more effect to the prodigy in their eyes, when they saw that the approaching women shared their terror. It also rendered the narrative which they gave to the high priests, and which was subsequently recorded by the Evangelists, more impressive. The shock took place simultaneously with the removal of the stone, and these phenomena were effected by spirits in obedience to the will of the angel, or superior spirit. The shaking of the ground, and the unsealing and removal of the stone, by the attractive force of the necesssry fluids, will be no more surprising to those who are aware of the effects which the spirits of the Lord can produce, than the opening of Peter's prison doors, and the falling off of his chains.*

*Acts v. 18, 19, 21, 23; xii. 3-10.

As for those who deny these events, their time will come, and the light will shine upon them; but we are not yet sent to them. You must not try to make a prejudiced man abandon his opinions by violence, but must wait till he opens his eyes to the light of his own free will, with the aid of time and reincarnation. We are sent to willing labourers, and we refresh the thirsty lands, however dry and hard; but we leave it to time to pulverise those rocks which are so hard as to resist our efforts at present. It is our mission to prepare the scattered materials and to collect and arrange them for him who shall be the architect of the Temple of the Future, who will lay the solid foundations of your beliefs. Do not try to penetrate the meaning of our words; they will be understood in due time; but we shall say no more now. As yet you are only unskilled workmen, but still you are useful for the work of the future. Do not let yourselves be discouraged, for your efforts will be repulsed, and received with sarcasm and ridicule; but press onwards, and offer a refuge to those who have been torn from their opinions, and know not where to seek for hope and consolation. Hold out to them the torch whose feeble ray may aid them to advance towards the light which shall leave no shade behind it.

The appearance of angels or spirits to the women, and afterwards to Mary Magdalene alone, were simply visible and audible appearances; for the women were seeing and hearing mediums, and received what was communicated to them by the spirits.

You need not be surprised at the repetitions of the angels in insisting on what had been said to the women, both before and after they entered the tomb. The suddenness and strangeness of the phenomena had thrown them into great consternation and profound trouble. They were simple, ignorant, unaffected, and loving, and their minds were filled with conflicting emotions. Was it not needful to reassure them, console them, and fix in their memory all that they were to report to the disciples? Did they not leave the tomb with fear and great joy, as soon as they had

heard the words of the two angels, and fly from it in such fear and trembling that they said nothing to anyone, so great was their terror?

The first appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene was a simply visible apparition; audible, but intangible. Mary did not recognise Jesus, because he did not at first appear to her under the figure in which she had previously beheld him, and he addressed her in a voice which she did not know. Then Jesus resumed the same voice that Mary had often heard, which arrested her attention, and caused her to turn towards him a second time; and then Jesus showed her the figure of the Master. At that time, he forbade her to touch him, for she would have clasped emptiness, the apparition being impalpable to man. These are phenomena which have taken place in all ages, according to the course of the laws of nature; and there is nothing surprising about them. Those who are initiated in spiritual science know that even the inferior spirits can make themselves visible to seeing and hearing mediums; and Mary Magdalene was gifted with both faculties.

Jesus acted thus when he first appeared to Mary, and availed himself of her trouble and surprise, to prepare her to recognise him, and to fix the impression of his appearance, and the memory of the words which she was to report upon her mind. This first appearance prepared the way for the second appearance to her and to the other women. This was a visible, tangible, and audible apparition. Jesus presented himself before them, visible, and tangible, as they had known him, and clothed in a similar manner. Just as the appearances of stone, hail, snow, rain, and other similar substances materially resemble the objects which they represent to the eyes of the medium, so, when a spirit makes himself tangible under material conditions, he assumes a clothed appearance, needful to establish his identity, and gives it the appearance and consistency of matter itself, as he does to his body. It is not more difficult to combine the fluids which assume the form and colour of human fabrics than to combine those which constitute the body. It is not

Would any critic, whose objections imply that the Jews acted thus, be so confident and credulous, to use no stronger expression, as to close a door in such a manner, after the prisoner had escaped, without even verifying the circumstance beforehand? He who would prove too much, often arrives at a result contrary to what he intended.

MATTHEW, CHAP. XXVIII.-VERSES 1-15. MARK, CHAP. XVI.-VERSES 1-11. LUKE, CHAP. XXIV. VERSES 1-12.

Visit of the Women to the Tomb.

Matth. xxviii. (1) And after the Sabbath, as it was dawning on the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to view the tomb. (2) And behold there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (3) And his countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. (4) And from fear of him the keepers shook, and became as dead men. (5) And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear not, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. (6) He is not here, for he is risen, as he said; come and see the place where the Lord lay. (7) And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall you see him; lo, I have told you. (8) And they came out of the sepulchre quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to bring the tidings to his disciples. (9) And as they went to tell the disciples, lo, Jesus met them, saying, Hail. And they came and took hold of his feet, and did him homage. (10) Then said Jesus to them, Do not fear; go and tell my brethren that they shall depart into Galilee, and there shall they see me. (11) And while they were going, behold some of the guard came into the city, and told the high priests all that had happened. (12) And being assembled with the elders, and having taken counsel together, they gave as much money as was necessary to the soldiers, saying, (13) Say, His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep. (14) And if the governor should hear this, we will persuade him, and make you secure. (15) And they took the money, and did as they were taught, and this saying is reported among the Jews to this day. Mark xvi. (1) And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices that they might come and anoint him. (2) And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb at sunrise. (3) And they said among themselves, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb? (4) And when they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very large. (5) And coming into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right hand, clothed in a white robe, and they were astounded. (6) And he said to them, Be not astounded. You seek Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified; he