Why does He call His disciples brethren ? He had never so called them before, yet they never seemed to be so unworthy. He might have informed them of everything without conferring on them this distinction. In some way or other He might have connected the announcement of the ascension with a hint of reproach, and have worded it so that it might have been understood to mean, Go, tell swearing Peter, tell dull Philip, tell doubting Thomas, tell cautious Nathanael, tell timid Andrew, that I am risen from the dead.' Had they heard of the resurrection thus, the news might have almost killed them; and they might have said, 'He is risen to call us to account; He is risen to smite us with the sword of His mouth; risen to cast us from His presence.' But, as if to prevent this, the despatch is addressed to them under the title of His brethren.' Grand instance this of the truth that He is not ashamed to call us brethren.' Some of us take fresh heart at the thought of it, and learn that it is not in the power of infirmity to unbrother us; we are Christ's brothers; and 'brothers are brothers evermore.'

'I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.' This was partly to comfort them as to Himself. To them His cruel death might have looked like a contradic

tion of the lofty Sonship that He claimed; but though He had been slain upon the cross, and had felt in one black moment as if God had forsaken Him, He now assures them that God was still His God, and teaches them to infer that the cross was that through which He had to pass in His ascension to the throne. 'I ascend,' said He; thus taking up the thought round which, as the central point, His last conversation had turned. Then He had spoken of going away to His Father; now He speaks in continuation of what had been broken off. They were not to think that He had changed His purpose and had given up His sublime journey, because they saw Him with them once more. I ascend to My Father, and to your Father; to My God, and to your God.' In these words, heard through all ages, He makes clear the relationship of His followers to Himself; He makes equally clear the difference of being by which He and they are separated. He says not, 'Our Father and our God;' but, 'Your Father and Mine; your God and Mine.' They are brethren indeed-sons with Him of one Father, yet not sons in the same sense; they by regeneration, He by essence; the order of language represents the order of the relationship described. Speaking to us, He seems to say of God, First Mine, then yours; yours because Mine. You enter into My Sonship, and you are His because you are in Me.'

་

MAR

Matt. xxviii. 9, 10.

ARY stands trembling from the shock o: her happiness, and timid from the sense of her presumption, for Jesus has had to say to her, Touch Me not.' While her soul is drinking in His voice with rapture, the sound stops-she looks up, He is gone; and, in this very moment, He is speaking to a little band of His followers, just winding between the trees in a distant part of the valley. This, at least, is what you may see in the mirror of your imagination, when you lift it, and when you try to see in it that scene of the past, as if it were a scene of the present.

You may see through other organs than the eyes, yet see truly; and this our description seems to be justified by, if not asserted in, the

text of the sacred narrative. In accordance with His own standing order, 'Them that honour Me, I will honour,' Mary (of Magdala, having been first in the rank of those who paid honour to the crucified One, is the first of human-kind to receive from Him the honour of a personal interview. In the course of the day, there may have been several appearances of Christ, but we have been furnished with particular information of only two; one of these is now claiming our attention.

I. The members of this first company. They were the women hastening to obey the behest of the angels who had spoken to them at the sepulchre. The interview between Jesus and Mary might have been over in a few minutes, and, just as we have seen in our crystal, He might have appeared to these before they had reached home.

John's mind is so absorbed in Mary's revelation, that he entirely omits mention of this episode, and only Matthew tells it. He says, 'They departed quickly from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciples word.' Mark's version is, 'And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre, for trembling and ecstasy possessed them; neither said they anything to any one,' that is, not to any one whom they met, for they were afraid.' They were in

great agitation, not only on

account of what had been told them, but on account of the teller. Inhabitants of this world do not converse with the inhabitants of another and keep their equanimity. Besides, the effect of their great grief had not yet left them. Watch the sea from the shore after a tempestuous night. Although the storm is down and the sun is risen, there is still that swing of the whitening waves that you call a ground swell; so it was with these bearers of glad tidings. They were like Mercy and Christiana, of whom Bunyan says, 'Now they were greatly tumbled up and down in their thoughts, and knew not what to do.' They were hurrying along to tell the mourners at home the glorious things that seemed like things in a dream, and which had shaken them with an alarm of delight. Questions were in their hearts and on their lips. How should they tell the tale so as to get it believed? How were they to break the story to poor, still, stunned Mary? How would she take it? Would it rouse her? Would she understand? What would Peter say? What wonder would come next? What

All at once-in front-just there-the morning sun on His face-Jesus stood in the road— stood at a little distance, seeming to have come, not from the sepulchre, but in an opposite direction. If, for an instant, they were unable to stir, unable to speak before the mysterious