it is truth which he contends for. When we meet people such as I have just described, we may well yield to the dictates of that love which hopeth all things; like friends and brothers we must accost them, and on no account condemn them for their wavering and unbelief, lest we vex that Holy Spirit, who is even now working within them, and whom it pleases on this occasion to bring forth first the blade, then the ear, and afterwards the golden corn in the ear.

II. Sorrowful and utterly cast down, the wanderers pursue their path; alas, what an Easter have those poor men kept! It is a pity that they have left Jerusalem so quickly, but this cannot be altered now: had they remained there only one short hour longer, much grief and lamentation might have been spared them, for then they would have heard from Mary Magdalene what wonderful things had taken place. Unfortunately, however, they had departed from Jerusalem at the moment when the joyful life of Easter began. Thus men frequently stand in their own light: but beware of doing so, ye among my friends who are still mourning and weeping, and whom the Easter sun has not yet illuminated: be not too hasty in deciding what has taken place, or what must be done. Resist this tendency to rash measures, for it is evil; close not your heart against hope, but give heed when you hear its little voice whisper, "Jesus lives, and I along with him! The Lord is risen indeed!"

The farther our two pilgrims travel from Jerusalem, the heavier do their hearts become. Alas! their oppression and sorrow is so great that they seem even

to breathe with difficulty; though at times a spark of hope arises in the bosom of one of them, it flickers upwards only to be extinguished by the doubts and objections of the other. If the one ask whether it can be possible that his cause is lost who commanded the winds and the sea to obey him; the other shakes his head with a sigh, fearful of exciting hopes in the mind of his friend which must end in bitter disappointment. Again and again they repeat over to each other the late mysterious occurrences; at intervals some word of promise shines in the back-ground of their memories, only to die away the next moment, and their countenances change colour, brighten and are overcast with gloom, varying like their thoughts, their opinions, and their feelings. The end of their discussion, however, is always the same: "Yes," say they, "our sweet dream is over, and our life of sorrow has begun-may God take pity upon us!" Unfortunate men! beaten and harassed by the storm, it seems as though the sun would never shine upon them again. And yet who is there that would not like to stand in their place? Who would not gladly exchange all earthly splendour for the happiness which is even now awaiting the wanderers? O sorrow without cause, and unnecessary grief! We may compare them to a man who is living a twofold existence, and who at the same moment breathes in two worlds, the one of which resembles the other as much as the darkest and most cheerless night does the brightest and loveliest day. And certainly the world in which our disciples imagined themselves to be at present was like a night

ren,

scene, in which neither moon nor stars are visible in the heavens, and darkness which can be felt is covering the land. Here they were poor, forsaken childwith neither father nor mother, sinners, with none to save and none to help them. O what a world of misery and confusion! A world where nothing can be seen before them, and where the hand of Providence cannot be traced; a world where the raging lion goes about, with none to stay his ferocity; a world under the government of the blindest chance, groaning under the curse, and ruled by the sceptre of the king of terrors, from whose destroying power none can make their escape,—not even the Immaculate One, the Lord of Heaven! A gloomy House of imprisonment for lost and hopeless creatures; one vast abode of sorrow, suffering, and death; the gloomy ante-chamber, opening into eternal desolation, and the terrific preparation for hell!

Such was the aspect of one of those worlds in which the two disciples were existing. And what was this world in reality? A mere dream of the imagination; a delusive picture mirrored in their faithless hearts. They breathed at the same moment the air of a different world, clad in different colours, illuminated by a different light. It was the new world which commenced in the early dawn of Easter day, and which was born while the heavens were thundering, the rocks were splitting, and while the morning stars were shouting for joy ;—a world of splendour, triumph, and glory, where the raging lion is trampled in the dust, and where the king of terrors is disarmed and dead;-a

world from which the curse has been removed, and which is gladdened by the smiles of the Almighty; where the angels of God are constantly descending upon errands of mercy, and upon whose throne a Prince of Peace is wielding his gentle sceptre. Yes, it was a world such as this which surrounded our disciples; but how little were they aware of it! Obstinately they remained in the gloomy dream which the timidity of their hearts and their want of faith had created, instead of entering the joyful light of the Easter world, which shone so gloriously around them. Nothing more was necessary than that some friendly hand should come to their assistance, and open the windows of their souls, in order that they might see clearly. What beautiful objects would then meet their gaze? In an instant the voice of their complaining would cease, and the clouds of their sorrow be dissipated like the mist of the morning by the rising sun. Already this hand is approaching the wanderers; and in a few moments more the darkness of their dream will be dissipated, and the joy of Paradise and the light of the Easter world will dawn in their souls.

III. We shall now leave the two pilgrims for a while, as another and more glorious object arrests our attention it is the person who appears at some distance, walking along the same path. Who is this Stranger? Do you not know him? It is-it is the Easter King! Let us sing Hosanna to greet him! But before approaching him more nearly, I must relate his history. He, as you are aware, was from all eternity in heaven. What induced him to snatch sinners

from destruction, I know not, for the word love says too little, and raise them to the glory of heaven. For this purpose, when the fulness of time had arrived, he descended to this earth amid the songs of the blessed angels, and took upon him our nature. He became a man like unto us, with the exception of our sinfulness; for sin had no part in him, although he took it upon himself. It was ascribed to him as though he, the Holy One, had committed it; and like us, he stood before the tribunal of God, charged with the same transgressions, and condemned to undergo the same sen

tence.

While he was thus standing as our representative, he said, "I go to the Father!" thus designating his pilgrimage through this world; and certainly it was a most wonderful thing that he, in the character of our Pledge, should be going to the Father. It was a thing in which we, as sinners, were inexpressibly interested; for should he attain this goal, should he actually be received into fellowship with the Father, then it was clear as day that there would no longer be any hindrance in our path to heaven. Our Saviour, as being laden with the burden of our sins, was to be treated like ourselves; if then the Father's arms were opened to receive him, it would be a certain proof that they would also be open to receive us. But what happened? Scarcely was this mysterious journey towards his Father's house commenced, when a mighty difficulty The word " Stay!" was thundered forth, and a voice cried out from the throne of the Majesty on high, "They alone are permitted to enter my sanctuary

arose.