REFLECTIONS. The great event, the death of Jesus, has taken place. It is followed by one, in some points of view still greater. The Saviour rises from the tomb. Till that moment, his enemies had appeared to triumph, but now the power of the Almighty is manifested, and all other powers sink to nothing. Until that moment, doubt might have questioned the possibility of a resurrection from the dead, but all doubt vanishes, as the Lord Jesus, "the first fruits of them that sleep," bursts the confinement of the grave. Thus shall his followers rise; "Those that sleep in Jesus shall God bring with him." Thus "all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." The Christian sees in the resurrection of his Saviour the earnest of his own. How then, should we ask ourselves, how shall we rise, when the sleep of death is broken? Shall it be to light and glory, as our Lord arose? Shall it be to join the company of the just made perfect? Can we have even now, a steadfast hope that such will be the case? If so, happy are we, for to us death has lost its terrific nature; it is no longer the extinction of existence, but only a step,—the lifting of a curtain,the passing of a projecting rock, which discloses to us but another and brighter scene of our unbroken and endless being. HYMN. Rev. H. Ware, Jun. Lift your glad voices in triumph on high, For Jesus hath risen, and man cannot die. Vain were the terrors that gather'd around him, And short the dominion of death and the grave; He burst from the fetters of darkness that bound him Resplendent in glory, to live and to save. Loud was the chorus of angels on high, "The Saviour hath risen, and man shall not die." Glory to God, in full anthems of joy ; The being he gave us, death cannot destroy. Lift, then, your voices in triumph on high, SECTION XLVIII. JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES. AND behold, two of them went that same day to a village, called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while they communed together, and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were holden, that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel; and besides all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us, went. to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, Oh fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went; and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Ahide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem; and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.-And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them; and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. REFLECTIONS. "Did not our heart burn within us by the way?" May we not all look back upon hours in our own lives which answer to this description of the disciples' feelings? There are times when our hearts 66 hold converse with a Being whom they do not comprehend, when a feeling of solemn thought comes over them, and they seem in the presence of something indescribably holy. It was thus with the disciples, as they trod with their unknown Master, the path to Emmaus. It is at such times that the Spirit of God is holding converse with our spirits. Let us not silence its whisperings by permitting the loud voice of the world to make them unheard; but in solitude, commune with our own hearts," and with our Maker; "and be still." We shall find the thoughtlessness of our natures corrected by the exercise. We shall find virtuous principle acquiring strength, and the force of headlong impulse weakened. The things which before were hard to our minds in the dispensations of Providence, will become easy to understand, and doubt will give place to adoring faith and love; as the sadness and ignorance which hung over the minds of the disciples, gave way as the Saviour instructed them from the Scriptures, in the prophecies relating to himself. HYMN. Hath not thy heart within thee burn'd |