opened the door without their noticing the fact, is positively contradicted by the statement, that the door was "shut for fear of the Jews." The mystery of His entrance, therefore-for mystery it was-was designed to convey the impression, and teach the disciples that He was now in His risen state, and no more subject to the laws of this corruptible body.

Observe, also, more particularly, the bearing of the fact that Jesus did not continue with the disciples during these forty days of His manifestation.

It was only occasionally that He appeared, and then but for a few moments. He was seen three or four times on the first day, by different parties, and then not until the next Sabbath. Where was He during the interval? Who knew of the place of His abode? Did He hide himself in some secret corner? The suggestion of the thought is revolting to our minds. Yet such must have been the case, if He was in the body as before, and subject to the natural laws of the same. That the disciples, too, knew nothing of the presence or dwelling-place of their Master, is evident from the facts respecting Thomas, who was absent when Jesus met the disciples on the first Sabbath evening, and would not believe that they had seen Him. His argument undoubtedly was to this effect: You assert that our blessed Lord is risen from the dead, and that He is alive. Where, now, is He? Who of you can tell of His dwelling-place? If our Jesus were upon earth, would He not be with us as of old, and be found somewhere in the circle of His friends? Should we not know where He was? Would He not be among us, to comfort and instruct us as He was wont to do? No. It is an idle tale. You have been imposed upon, and have seen a ghost. I will not believe, neither can I be thus deceived. "For unless I can see in his hands the print of the nails;" nay verily, I will not trust my own eyes

in such a case, but "put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." It was with such arguments and facts that Thomas was pressing his fellow-disciples during the week, which they had no power to meet. He seemingly, for the time, had the better of the argument. It was against the whole character of Jesus and the history of His life to leave His disciples alone at such a time of trial and darkness as they were now passing through. If He were alive and upon earth, He would surely be with them, and let them know that He had come back again to the body. But they knew nothing of Him during that week, nor could they take the doubting Thomas to the place of His abode to silence his unbelief.

It was not until the return of the next Sabbath evening, when the disciples were again assembled, "the doors being shut," as we are once more pointedly informed, that Jesus stood in the midst of them, and said, "Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing." Who of the disciples had then seen the Master during the week, to tell Him of the very words he had spoken, and the evidence he would demand of the resurrection of his Lord? And yet Jesus was now repeating those words, and furnishing the very demonstration he had asked. Here was evidence of more than His resurrection-evidence that the unseen Jesus had been cognizant of all his words and thoughts-evidence of His divinity. And all that the astonished disciple could utter to express the overpowering emotions of his soul, was, My Lord, and my God!" Oh, I am satisfied. It is enough—more than enough. My risen, glorified Redeemer! I ask no more.

So Jesus continued to manifest himself from time to

time during the period of forty days. He showed himself often enough, and under such different circumstances, as to demonstrate, beyond all doubt, the reality of His resurrection; while, at the same time, His absence from them the greater portion of the time, their entire ignorance of His dwelling-place, His want of all ordinary means of support, and His mysterious approach to, and withdrawal from them, were demonstration equally strong that He was now moving in a higher and spiritual sphere, of which their senses could take no cognizance. He was now in the resurrection body. The disciples could not mistake this, or have a doubt respecting it.

The facts of this sublime history show that that state involves powers and capacities which are unknown in this present condition of the body. They are supernatural as respects the present, but they are natural to that redeemed incorruptible state. Christ did not transcend the laws of the sphere in which He was moving at this time, any more than Moses and Elijah, when they appeared upon the mount of transfiguration, or the angel, when he entered the guarded prison for the release of Peter. This was within their sphere. Jesus likewise, under the same laws of the glorified body, entered where the disciples were assembled, "the doors being shut." Had He been in the natural body, as when He walked the stormy waves of Genesaret, it would have been a proper miracle. But Jesus was not living by constant miracle during the forty days subsequent to His resurrection. He was not living without food and habitation, when His necessities demanded them. It is derogatory to Him to suppose it; while by such a course the disciples would inevitably have been misled and deceived. The risen body is endowed with new and transcendant powers, which belong not to this present, dying, corruptible, dishonored condition, where we groan and sigh in our bondage, and travail

body is visible to Men did not neces

in pain together. That "spiritual" mortal eyes only as it reveals itself. sarily behold Jesus, because He was risen from the dead, as they did Lazarus, and others. He disclosed His glorified presence only when, and where, and to whom He pleased, even as Moses and Elijah appeared to the three disciples upon the mount. The same fact is brought to light in connection with that company of the saints, which arose, and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many; Matt. xxvii. 52. Did these saints come back to the natural body, to be subject again to the curse? or were they raised in incorruption and glory? The latter, most clearly. When Jesus burst the bars of death, the sepulchre was hardly able to hold its prisoners longer. His triumph shook the whole empire of death, so that the prison doors of many were opened even then. This is confirmed by the statement, that "They went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Had they been raised in the flesh, it would have been superfluous to state this. Of course, they appeared, if they were thus raised. They could not be hid. There would have been no meaning in a statement concerning Lazarus, that he appeared to many after his resurrection. He was restored to his normal condition and relations. Men saw him as they saw other men. They came from Jerusalem in great numbers to behold and converse with a man brought again from the grave. But there was significancy in asserting of these saints, who arose with Christ, that they went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." It means that they were not necessarily to be seen, because risen. They were arrayed in their glorious, incorruptible forms, and appeared only where, and to whom they pleased. They must reveal themselves if they would be seen by mortal eyes. The law of their being was the

same with that of Christ's resurrection body. "They appeared unto many," thereby demonstrating the fact that they had risen, and implying that they did not continue among men, and resume their stations in life as of old. They simply "appeared " to their friends, as Christ showed himself to His disciples, and then vanished again from their sight. Those saints could as easily make their appearance now, as did Moses and Elijah on the mount. A thin vail only separates these seen and unseen worlds. The facts show that that vail can easily, and at any moment, be taken from mortal eyes, so that we may gaze upon, and hold converse with, those risen and glorified ones, who have already attained unto their reward. They may be hovering near these mortal shores, and awaiting with intensest joy the hour when Christ shall burst the bars from the tombs of all His saints, and all that glorious company of the dead shall be gathered from their slumbers, clothed with incorruption and power. When, too, that joyful event shall take place, as ere long it will, and the glad hour of earth's long-promised redemption shall have come, that unseen world will not be hidden from our sight, as now it is in this night of her sorrow and travail. It will not be a rare thing for the risen saints then to appear, and hold converse with men in the flesh. It may become the natural and established order of things. We have seen how these glorified ones have revealed themselves to mortal eyes from time to time, even now, when Satan holds the empire-when the Church is in sackcloth, and fasting because of the bridegroom's absence. Is it, then, to be deemed incredible, that that intercourse of the risen saints should be an ordinary event in that coming, blessed day, when Satan shall be cast out with all his works of darkness, and this carth shall be given into their possession, to whom it rightfully belongs, that they may live and reign with