It was a solemn hour when "Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice, yielded up His spirit." The rent veil, the earthquake, the rent rocks, the opened tombs, were loud announcements from God that the mighty victory was won, that heaven was opened, the holiest entered, and the great sacrifice accepted!"And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts and returned."

The body must needs be removed from the cross. Where were His apostles? And His brethren, where were they ? Had all forsaken Him ? There were yet two disciples, who, though they had feared to confess Him while He lived, now come boldly forward to render the last sad tribute of affection to His lifeless body. Joseph of Arimathea asked leave of Pilate to take Him away. It was readily granted. He went, therefore, and bought fine linen. And Nicodemus, the same who came to Jesus by night, came, bringing a mixture of spices, about a hundred pounds weight. "They took therefore the body of Jesus and bound it up in linen cloths with the spices, as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial." Many women were there who had followed Him from Galilee, and who had viewed from afar the whole scene of the crucifixion, among whom was Salome, the wife of Zebedee, and Mary, the mother of James and Joses, and Mary Magdalene. The two latter drew near, and sitting opposite the sepulcher, saw how His body was laid. As the Sabbath drew on, a stone was hastily rolled to the door of the sepulcher; and they departed, and remained quiet on the Sabbath, according to the commandment.

Thus Joseph and Nicodemus divided between them the honor which ought to have been shared by others; but none lent a helping hand.

"Late on the Sabbath, as it was the dusk of the next day after the Sabbath" (our Saturday evening), "came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary" (of Cleophas) "to view the tomb" (Matt. 28:i). They returned home, and, joined by Salome, "bought aromatic spices, that they might come and anoint Him." (Mark 16:1:) In the dead of the night, or early morning, the Roman soldiers still keeping guard at the tomb, " there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descending out of heaven came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His look was as lightning, and his clothing white as snow; and for fear of him the guards trembled, and became as dead men." (Matt. 28:2-4.) Little sleep would Mary Magdalene have that night. Alarmed and solemnized, and probably impatient for daybreak, she at length wandered alone to the sepulcher. It was yet dark when she entered the lonely garden. All was still. The terrified guards had fled. Startled at finding the stone rolled away from the empty tomb, she ran to tell Peter and John. They hasted to the spot, and found it even so, as she had said. There lay the undisturbed linen cloths, just as they had been placed; the handkerchief that was about His head folded up separately. Peter went into the sepulcher; John followed. The Lord had more than once told His disciples that He must suffer, and on the third day be raised again. These words possibly might have been recalled to remembrance as John looked upon the empty grave-clothes. "He saw, and believed." Not from the holy writings had he learned that thus it must be:"He saw, and believed; for as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead." (Ps. 2:, 16:) The One who loved him was alive again, and by divine power had communicated the blessed truth to his soul. He left the abode of death, and returned home. He had the high pre-eminence of being the first of the apostles to believe in the resurrection from among the dead, and this before the Lord had showed Himself alive to Mary. Not having yet seen the risen Lord, of John it might be said, as of believers now, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Mary, seeking His dead body, lingered at the hallowed spot, and again looking into the sepulcher as she wept, saw two angels sitting there. They inquired the cause of her sorrow. It was soon told. So intently was she absorbed with the one Object of her affection, that she manifested no alarm at the appearance of the heavenly visitors. Turning back, the gardener, as she supposed Him to be, said to her, " Woman, why weepest thou ? Whom seekest thou ? " Tell me, she answered, where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. "Jesus saith unto her, Mary." At the sound of that well-known voice, familiarly calling her by name, she recognized her Lord and Master:it was Himself. Her ready obedience was as beautiful as her affection. At His bidding, she hastens to carry the joyful message to His "brethren "; but, like her Lord, had to taste the sorrow of rejected testimony:"And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and been seen of her, believed not." (Mark 16:2:)

Up to the time of her first departure from the sepulcher, all must have taken place a little before sunrise. By this time another company of women were on their way to the sepulcher, bringing the aromatic spices and ointments, that they might come and anoint Him. It was very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun. (Mark 16:i, 2.) "There was Joanna," the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, "who had been healed of wicked spirits," (Luke 8:3; 24:10); Salome, the wife of Zebedee; and the other Mary, mother of James and Joses; and other women that were with them. "And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?" No men were with them. "And when they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very great." (Mark 16:4.) But the angel who had rolled away that stone, whose look was as lightning, and before whom the guards trembled and became as dead men, was no longer sitting upon it. He was not seen thus by Mary Magdalene, when she entered the garden. "Entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment, and he said unto the women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus the crucified [One]. He is not here, for He is arisen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay; and go quickly and tell His disciples that He goeth before you into Galilee :there shall ye see him."

Matthew passes over without notice the visit of Mary to the garden. The break between verses 4 and 5; of chapter 28:is very perceptible. John supplies the parenthesis:the thread of the interrupted narrative is resumed at verse 5. With fear and great joy the women ran to bring the disciples word. As they went, the Lord met them:they held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. If the words of the women seemed to the apostles and others as idle tales, the Lord could speak to them in another and more striking way. A strange company of unearthly witnesses visited Jerusalem that day, in confirmation of the great truth of resurrection from among the dead:"Many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many:" Would the disciples still doubt ? Some did.

The Lord's heart yearned over Peter. His mission was still to bind up the broken-hearted, and to com-fort those that mourned. Peter was restored. The Lord walked miles with two sorrowing disciples, as they walked and were sad, on their way to Emmaus. He opened their eyes, and they knew Him. He showed Himself suddenly in the midst of the eleven, and those that were with them, as they sat at meat, Thomas was unhappily absent. They were troubled at His presence, but He soon dispelled their fears. He showed them His hands and His feet. Eight days elapsed, and again He showed Himself to the disciples, Thomas being; present. He was convinced and confessed Him as his Lord and his God.

They seemed to have forgotten His words, '' Tell my brethren that they go into Galilee :there shall they see Me." It might have been a fortnight or more after this message to the women, that some of His disciples had returned to their old occupations the sea of Tiberias. Why were they loitering thus on their way to the mountain where He had promised to meet them ? That meeting had not yet taken place, for "this was now the third time that He showed Himself alive to His disciples."

If it was in Galilee that He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, they must have arrived tardily at the appointed spot. Thomas:was not the only indifferent one. In patient grace He awaited the arrival of the last straggler before showing Himself in their midst. No wonder that when they saw Him "some doubted," others worshiped. How different will the next great gathering of His redeemed ones! "He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.

After this He was seen of James, and lastly of all the apostles. This last interview was possibly the
longest and most important of all. The apostles were at home and at ease in His presence. They received His commandments, and spake freely together of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. He led them out as far as to Bethany, and in parting-words of blessing was received up into glory.

Ten times had He showed Himself alive after His passion. In each case His appearing was sudden and unlocked for, without intimation or warning. He appointed, a meeting in Galilee, but neither the day nor the hour was named. We wait to see Him again, according to His promise. May we not infer that, without any premonition, He will at some unexpected moment call us up to meet Himself in the air ? We ask not for signs :enough that He who loves us has said, " Surely, I come quickly. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments." (From " Words in Season.") J. M.