Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-04-19
The Revelation OF the Risen Lord.

Christ was changed. He was no longer
sst,isot TO the laws Of the material order to
which his earthly life was previously con-
formed. As has been well said "What
was natural to him before is now mracu-
lous what was before miraculous is now
natural" Or, to put the thought in another
form, in our earthly life the spirit is mani
tested through the body; in the life of the
risen Christ the body is manifested (may
we not say so y through the spirit. He zap
pears " and no longer is seen coming. He
is found present, no one knows from whence;
he passes away, no one knows whittier. He
stands in the midst of the group of apostles
when the doors were shut for fear of the
Jews. lie vanishes out of the sight of the
disciples whose eyes were opened that they
should know him. And at last as they were
looking he was taken up, and cloud re-
ceived him out of their sight. The con-
tinuity, the intimacy, the simple familiarity
of former intercourse, is gone. He is seen
and recognized only as he wills, and when
he wills. In the former sense of the phrase,
he is no longer with his disciples. They
have, it appears, no longer natural power
of recognizing him. Feeling and thought
require to be purified and enlightened, in
order that he may be known under the con-
ditions of earthly life. There is mysteri-
Gus awfulness about his person which first
inspires fear and then claims alteration. He
appointed place Of meeting with his apos-
ties, but he did not accompany them on
their journey. He belongs already to another
realm, so that the ascension only ratifes and
presents in final form the lessons of the
forty days, in which it was included. Thus
Christ is seen to be changed, but none the
less he is also seen to be essentially the
same. Nothing has been left in the grave,
though all has been transfgured. He is the
same, so that the marks of the passion can
become sensibly present to the doubling
Thomas the same, so that he can eat the
broiled fish which the disciples had pre-
pared the same, so that one word spoken
with the old accent, makes him known to
the weeping Magdalene the same, that
above all expectations, and against the evi
dence of death, the apostles could proclaim
TO the world that he who suffered upon the
cross had indeed redeemed Israel; the same
in patience, in tenderness, in Christening re
proof, in watchful sympathy, in quickening
love. In each narrative the marvellous con
trast is written-Christ changed and yet thu
same-without effort, without premedita
ton, without consciousness, as it appears
on the part of the evangelists. And if w
put together these two series of facts IL
which the contrast is presented, we shall SCI
how they ennoble and complete our pros
poets of the future. 1t is not that Christ
soul lives on, divested of the essence as o
the accidents of the earthly garments il
which it was for time arrayed. 1t is no
that his body, torn and wounded, is restored
such as it was to its former vigor an,
beauty. But in him soul and body, in tn
indissoluble union of perfect manhood
are seen triumphant over the last penalty o
sin. In him first the corruptible puts on in
corruption, and the mortal puts on immorta
ity, without ceasing to "b be-" so far as
has been, that in him we may learn somt
thing more of the possibilities of human lif'
which, as far as we can observe it with ou
present powers is sad and feeting; that i
him we may lift our eyes to heaven ou
3 home, and find it about us even here; ths
in him we may be enabled to gain some sur
confidence of fellowship with the departed
; that in him we may have our hope steadfas
: unmovable, knowing that our labor cannc
8 be vain. Now if this be so, if the Lord a
ter his resurrection laid open to men, q
they could bear it, a new life, it will be ev
dent upon reflection, that his knowledg
could only be given to the faithful: Go
g gave him to be made manifest not to all tn
a people, but unto witnesses that were chose
= before by God. The revelation was a rev
y lation TO believers.-Canon Westcoh.