for the last time with the eleven; gave them His parting commands, and going out with them to the Mount of Olives, and to Bethany, thence in their sight ascended into heaven, and a cloud received Him from their gaze.

If the vision of St. Stephen in his dying moments can be explained without allusion to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, not thus can we explain His appearance to St. Paul on the road to Damascus; for the apostle himself relates it amongst the instances in which the Redeemer had been seen after His resurrection.

Such a body of witnesses attest the great victory over the grave. It is attested, however, not only by pure apostles and faithful martyrs, who spoke that which they had seen, but also by every token of the presence of God in the Gospel and the church of Christ. That fact of facts is rather the keystone than the cornerstone of revelation; all the parts sustain it, and it upholds them all. "The Lord is risen," said the apostles; as the angels had said before, "He is not here, but is risen;" and every Sunday, and every Easter-day, and every baptism, in which men are "planted in the likeness of His death, that they may be in the likeness of His resurrection," and every Christian burial, transmits the same tidings with one more testimony. "If Christ be not risen," says every preacher, with Paul, "then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." "But now is Christ risen from the dead." From that hour when the tomb of Joseph was opened to the first rays of the dawn, death was no more what death had been since the last sunset shone on Eden. Before, two human forms had been borne into the skies, without yielding to the common doom which consigns

the body to the grave. Now, the grave had prevailed, and yet had been compelled to relinquish its prize. Body and spirit were reunited after their painful separation; and henceforth it was a part of the knowledge which rests not on faith alone, but on human sight, that both are immortal.

LXII.

Resurrection of Man in Christ.

"Then, then I rose; then, first humanity
Triumphant passed the crystal ports of light,
Stupendous guest, and seized eternal youth,
Seized in our name."

YOUNG.

THE relation between the resurrection of the Lord and the everlasting destinies of men must be learned, if learned at all, solely from the Scriptures.

There His resurrection is ascribed to a special operation of Omnipotence. Our faith is in "the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead." God "loosed the pains of death," and "raised up the Lord Jesus;" and with remarkable frequency is the act named as that of the Father. This Jesus hath God raised up ;""being by the right hand of God exalted." It was "according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places." He brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." He "raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory." But our Saviour also asserted that the power to effect His own resurrection dwelt in Himself. "Destroy this temple," said He of the temple of His body, "and in three days I will raise it up again." He said of His own life, "to lay it

"I have power," down, and I have

power to take it again: this commandment have I received of my Father."

He was, too, though "put to death in the flesh, quickened by the Spirit." "Made of the seed of David according to the flesh, He was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Thus, like the creation of the first man, Adam, the resurrection of the second man, the Lord from heaven, as well as His incarnation, is at different times ascribed to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The end of His exaltation was, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." He was raised again for our justification." He is ever at the right hand of God, and maketh intercession for us. "God raised Him up, and showed Him openly," and commanded His apostles to "testify. that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead;" and "to Him give all the prophets witness." God hath given assurance unto all men that He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." He died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." "God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.' He is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto Him."

It is in our nature that He has returned from the grave, and is exalted even to the throne of heaven. He took that nature upon Him that He might suffer

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with it, and then might lift it to life and immortality. His own promise was, "I go to prepare a place for you:"where I am, there shall my servant be." He is raised from the dead, now no more to return to corruption" He "dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him." He died unto sin once, but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God." In this resurrection and life, He only precedes His people; and what they believe of Him, they must now believe of themselves. I would not have you to be ignorant, says the apostle Paul, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope; for, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him." "If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised;" but now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." "The last Adam was made a quickening spirit;" "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Thus, "if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." "If we be dead with Him, we "If so be that we suffer

shall also live with Him.” with Him, we shall be also glorified together." "He shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body." "To him that overcometh," is henceforth His promise, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne."

Raised, therefore, from the dead, and exalted to the