The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-05-30


n III large and atten-
n III tive audiences. We
III AN report one of his
discourses from
ES5 S5SSEE1 the text, when
He assembled up on
high He led multitude of captives"
Ephesians iv, $40.
In this week occurs the anniversary
Of Jesus ascension. In one sense OF
the word our Lord assembled chat is,
from human nature and the tomb, to
the divine nature and Immortality at
the time Of His resurrection from the
dead He tarried, however, for forty
days, with the Apostles for their es-
Establishment and instruction-He on
the spirit plane, invisible to them, ex-
cept when he manifested Himself by
appearing miraculously in various
forms to convince them that He was
NO longer deceased, and also that He
was no longer confined to human con-
ditions-that His resurrection had
made Him again spirit being on the
higher plane, where he was before
He took human nature for the suffer-
ing Of death, for the redemption Of
humanity.
Not alone by His words, but also by
His conduct, our Lord taught His fol
lowers. They had not as yet been be
gotten Of the Holy Spirit, and hence
could not understand or appreciate
spiritual things. They could there
fore receive instruction only along nat
ura1 lines. Jesus was raised from the
dead spirit being, far above angels,
principalities and powers. Had BE
then gone directly to the Father with
out manifesting Himself to His disci-
pies, they would never have been able
to understand the truth Of the matter
Hence their lessons were given them
largely In pantomime, corroborated by
the Masters words, explaining that it
was necessary that Messiah should
die In order that He might redeem the
world, and that it was also necessary
that He ascend up on high and re
enter upon the spiritual plane Of ex-
istence, which He had before He came
into the world-in order that from
that higher plane Of being He might
be the more capable of filing the
great Office Of Prophet, Priest, Medi-
ator and King Of the world.
"FIesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the
Kingdom of 0odP
Not only, therefore, did Jesus mani
fest Himself during the forty days,
some seven times, for a few moments
each time, in various forms, but final
ly, at the conclusion of the forty days.
He assembled in full view Of His dis
ciples. This was one way of telling
them Of His ascension, that He had
gone to the Father, that they need not
expect to see Him again as formerly
We are not, however, to suppose for
moment that Jesus assembled a fieshl..
or human being; we remember, on the
contrary, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the Kingdom of Cod" and tina
HE was put to death in the flesh blu
quickened in the spirit" and that
thenceforth. as the Apostle declares,
'The Lord is that Spirit Oh CORN
thians Iii, I'D.
Seen by Saul of Tarsus.
The Apostles were to bear witness
to the resurrection of Jesus; but Judas
having lost his place. and it having
been given to ST. Paul, it was proper
that the latter, as well as the rest OF
the Apostles, should be able to bear
witness to Jesus resurrection. Re-
counting those who had seen the Lord
after His resurrection, in some of the
various manifestations, st. Paul says.
Last of all He was seen of me also.
as one born before the time"
Jesus appeared to St Paul in the
glorious brightness Of His Spirit Be-
ing, shining above the brightness Of
the sun at MONDAY" The sight caused
injury to the eyes Of the beholder.
Such a manifestation would have beeL
and unsatisfactory had
the Redeemer SO appeared to the elev-
en- during the forty days. How could
they have identified the glorious Per
coinage, who shone above the 6right
ness of the sun at MONDAY, as the Lord
Jesus, whom they had known TO-
years. How could they have been en-
abied to frlly identify Him, in HE
many different appearances. with His
former self-their Friend, their TeacL
or? But to Saul Of Tarsus, the reveal
ing in fiery light, above the MONDAY
glare, was very appropriate. 1t con-
WINGED him, IN manner that no human
appearance, in the flesh could have
equalled, that Jesus was no longer a
man and that He was no impostor St.
PauPs conversion was instantaneous.
"Who art thou Lord?" he asked. 81
am Jesus Whom thou persecutest"-
still represented in My followers, of
whom st. Stephen was one, whom you
murdered, and others of whom you
have been hailing to prison.
10 should not cause us to marvel that
Jesus assembled as He declared, up
where He was before John vi, go. 1t
should not surprise us that the Heav-
enly Father gave Him back all the
glory and honor which He had before
He came into the worId-w1th adued
glory. 1t should not surprise us there
fore, that the Apostle declares that He
assembled. in dignity and station, far
above angels. principslities and pow
ers, and every name that is named!
Ephesians 1, 21) On the contrary, it
would be both equitable and God-like
that the great Jehovah should highly
honor His faithful, Only Begotten Son,
the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the Ending of the creation of God
Revelation xxi, 49,. Could we for
one moment suppose that our great
Creator would allow His faithful Son,
or any servant, to lay down life In Di-
vine service, and to suffer loss as a
of His obedience? Is 1t
not much more rational to believe, as
the Scriptures declare, Him hath God
highly exalted" philippians ii. 81.
The Assembled Ono Descended.
Pastor Russell called attention to the
Apostles phraseology In the context
that the Assembled One had previously
and that the ascending and
descending were related as cause and
effect The One who assembled up on
high completely filed the highest po-
sition in the great, Divine Government
Of the Universe-as Head of principan-
ies and powers, angels and men-next
to the Father. Yet, the Apostle warns
US that we must not identify the glori
fed One with the One Who, In obedi-
ence to the Fathers will. BUNDLED
Himself to come down from the heav-
emily nature and glory to the earthly