not all-why did they doubt it? Did not our Lord foretel that event, as well as his death? Yes-But as his death seemed to crush all their hopes of a temporal Messiah, so they annexed no peculiar advantage to mankind. from his resurrection. They knew that he was a Prophet highly favoured of God-as such they could believe that God had raised him, and taken him to himself; but that the body itself had thus triumphed over the grave, and could again be an object of their senses, this they were not ready to believe, because they had not as yet any clear idea of that spiritual justification for which Christ rose from the dead, and which was to have its final completion in the happy resurrection of all true believers in his mysterious death and sacrifice.

Let us not wonder then that the two disciples left the city so soon; while their minds were under the impression of their national prejudices, they could not feel a lively personal interest in the report of Christ's resurrection; and therefore, whether they believed it or not, they equally gave way to despondency, at the disappointment of their worldly hopes. As the cross of Christ was a stumbling block to the unbelieving Jews, it was, at first, to his followers the cause of confusion

and dismay.

The two disciples, therefore, who were travelling to Emmaus, fully prove that they were under that impression, by their leaving Jerusalem at this time; and their journey is, of course, a strong additional evidence of the truth of the gospel, because it was so consistent with the state of mind in which they must have felt themselves at this very period.

Before we pursue this interesting narrative, let us dwell on an important practical application of what has been already laid before you. The two disciples acknowledged, that Christ was a Prophet mighty in word and deed. They admired his miracles, loved his person, extolled his morality—in a word, they received him as a great and inspired Prophet— but no more. His patience under sufferings and an ignominious death were viewed as proofs of his consistent and perfect virtue, and of the cruelty and injustice of his enemies. They knew nothing yet of the allpowerful efficacy of his blood in procuring the remission of sins, nor the necessity of his grace to awaken, support, and confirm repentance and obedience. They were therefore dispirited and sad. Their hearts and souls were still unchanged. The internal comforts of a pure and sanctifying religion

The at

were still strangers to their bosoms. tractions of the world were as strong as ever. Ignorance of their own sinful propensities and native corruption was as deeply rooted in their breasts, as if they had never heard that Christ was "the Lamb of God that taketh

no more.

away the sins of the world.” And yet, such is the low and miserable pittance of faith in Christ, to which a certain class of nominal Christians would reduce all who adopt their cold and paralyzing system. If we were by nature strongly disposed to virtue, piety and goodness, or if we were merely intellectual beings, a great prophet might be a sufficient guide and instructor in the path of life. Christ might be to us wisdom only-we should require But if there be any truth in Christianity-if the Scriptures be the word of God if man is prone to evil, and neither able nor willing to reform himself by his own power, and if the history of mankind, and the experience of every heart, confirm this momentous truth, it will be vain to look for redemption if Christ be not made righteousnes and sanctification also, to those who call upon his name? We must look to his cross for pardon, and to his grace for holiness, or we shall never see him as our adored Redeemer in his Heavenly Kingdom. We may pass through

person whom they addressed was interested in these things-or that the very event which they deplored was that which insured the redemption of Israel-or that on this very day he had risen from the dead to assume his royal dignity, and to commence the mighty work of a triumphant and glorified, as he had already finished that of a suffering Messiah. They had indeed, heard a report of his resurrection before they quitted Jerusalem. But the two disciples appear to have left the city before our Lord was personally seen by any of the Apostles, or before Mary Magdalene had informed them of his appearance to her in the garden. Under these circumstances, we might at first view be surprised that the two disciples did not remain in Jerusalem, until this report was fully ascertained. But if they had done so, we should have lost, not only the Evangelist's narrative which we are now considering, but with it, a fine example of that internal evidence, which so strongly characterizes the gospel of our salvation. The Evangelists themselves have recorded the slowness of their own belief in the resurrection of our Lord. It was not a fact which they were ready and predisposed to admit, and on which, of course, their testimony might then be liable to suspicion. But this is

not all-why did they doubt it? Did not our Lord foretel that event, as well as his death? Yes-But as his death seemed to crush all their hopes of a temporal Messiah, so they annexed no peculiar advantage to mankind. from his resurrection. They knew that he was a Prophet highly favoured of God-as such they could believe that God had raised him, and taken him to himself; but that the body itself had thus triumphed over the grave, and could again be an object of their senses, this they were not ready to believe, because they had not as yet any clear idea of that spiritual justification for which Christ rose from the dead, and which was to have its final completion in the happy resurrection of all true believers in his mysterious death and sacrifice.

Let us not wonder then that the two disciples left the city so soon; while their minds were under the impression of their national prejudices, they could not feel a lively personal interest in the report of Christ's resurrection; and therefore, whether they believed it or not, they equally gave way to despondency, at the disappointment of their worldly hopes. As the cross of Christ was a stumbling block to the unbelieving Jews, it was, at first, to his followers the cause of confusion