The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-03

perceived to some extent the bca,ing Of certain
scriptural statements as 9. O., Ps-, Is 10. com
pared with Acts 9. 1851. IL 81. ,; l Cor. i5i
He had degree Of comprehension Of some Of
the sayings Of Jesus before his death As, z. O..
ST. Mt. 1921; st. Lu., -: o., 10
On their way back. SITS. Peter and John prob
ably passed Mary Magdalene returning to the
sepulcher. She was anxious 10 see If II were
really fact tbs the body was gone. It IS now
daylight, say 80 o'clock a. M. and hence she
is not so RlarrIed as she would have been in
darkness. Then, she was Drawer than the other
women. She loved much and love fires Cour-
age. She was in great distress. net knowing
but the corpse was being mutilated or other
wise dishOuored. She had come to embalm 10,
but 10. it is not to be found. STOPPING down
for the sepulcher was too low to admit erect po-
sition Luke % : ~. and much more so was the
entraHce-sbe gazed through tears into the
vault and verified her fears and the Apostles
reports. Instead OF the corpse. she saw two
angels one at the head and the other at the
foot OF the sepulcher. They were dressed in
white, the usual raiment ascribed to Heavenly
visitants, aud symbolic Of their purity. They
served various purposes. They gave weight
ness aud dignity TO the act Of the resurrec' ion,
their presence showed the origin and csIse Of
the empty grave. They cOnld tell the whole
story OF the mysteries attaching 10 a vacated
sepulcheT. Specially they had power to COM
lDAt We sec THIS IN LHtlE uOLlCt OF MARY >
tears and their inquiry as TO the cause. IL is
apparent from the account that in asking her
explain they speak in the most tenGer tones,
aud with disposition 20 remove her SORROW.
At this moment Mary, hearing the sound Of
footsteps. turned and saw a per'On standing
near the sepulcher. IL is said she did not
recognize him There are reasons. ]. Her
eyes were blinded By tears. 2 Christ had on
different apparel. = She waz in a very per-
ris1a AZ of A {.
be resemblance. she could no. imagine that the
form before her was the body Of the man torn,
mangled, bleeding wounded, Of Friday before.
.. 10 was natural the gardener should be in the
vicinity, and that she might suspect him 10 be
the person she saw. O. Then for the moment
our Savior may not have manifested his iden-
tity, but chose TO make himself known by de-
grees, and so save Mary the fearful blow Of a
Sudden revelation OF his resurIected body. At
length Christ speaks in his natural tone, calling
Mary By name. The excitement Of Mary for
tine moment was almost uncomfortable. She
exelaims Ny Master" fRabbonD. All her
former attachment for Christ was revived and
even intensified. She extended her hands and
was Hbout 10 grasp him. 10 was an outbur5t OF
reni-Up love for Christ, attended by the de-
mo IstratiEeness Of oriental ardor.
Christ babe Mary not to touch him. Why
MT; IL was not because there was unftness
"a the act. He did not thus keep of the other
women. (St Mat. - 81 lie even invited st.
| Thomas 10 handle him. tSt. John, 20:Z7.) We
cannot think Christ declined Mary's touch on
/ the ground there was then no time for the act.
lt does not seem there was any great haste 10 90
/ to the brethren. ". IL And Christ was 10
continue in the world for 30 days He did not
/ mean 10 say. Mary, away. Look to message
| for me Immediately. No time for hand shak-
/ ing. You will have plenty Of opportunity TO
see me before ascend" What is the explana-
I tion2 Evidently Mary had wrong idea She
/ imagined Christ had come to stay and set up his
/ personal kingdom among men. Her demon
/ STATIONS were the Ou;growth Of n miscOncep-
/ ton. Christ had told Of the great intimacy
/ which would exist between him and his follow
| crs after this life. She did not realize our Sa-
/ vior had finished only part Of his earth mis-
/ sion. She did not know he was soon 10 ascend,
/ and that the time for such demonstrations as
/ those she proposed would not arrive till we en-
I ter our Eternal Home TO be forever with Jesus
! (St. John, 14:3.)
| Mary was told to inform the Disciples Of the
destined ascension. This involved the resur.
/ TectiOn. The ascension took place from Mt
I Olives 30 days aftcrward. Meanwhile Christ
appeared 10 one or more Of his Disciples II
successive times We notice the tenderness Of
/ Christ and his forgiying nature, in the fact he
styled his Disciples brethren" " IL and
that though they acted so eowardly at the time
Of his arrest, so shamefully avoided him during
his trial, and 50 fed from the cross.
IL is n matter Of interest that Christ. after
his resurrection, first appeared TO a woman
| aud that woman was first to declare the Fesur
reetion. Last at the cross, first at the tomb
women proved their devotion 70 Jesus. ApOs
ties shrank where and when women were
brave.
4. SaggesiiOas
/. We see how much relief persons would gair
il they were better informed and exercised pro
portionate faith. Had Mary and her associate,
rightly studied Gods Word had they com
pretended Christ's repeated limitations o
his resurrection; had not anxiety gotten tht
start OF faith, they need not have had suct
concern when they found the sspulcher empty
| Study the Bible. Exercise faith.
2. Notice the different motives Of action IL
| men as contTasLed with those in women. Thl