great earthquake, and an angel descended from heaven and rolled away the stone from the door of the sepulchre ; and upon this the keepers became exceedingly affrighted and fled. Jesus, having arisen from the dead, appeared to many pious persons; in particular, he made himself known at different times to his desponding disciples. He called up their attention to, and gave them instructions respecting, the various prophecies and teachings of the sacred Scriptures which spake of himself. He appointed them to teach his religion, commanding them in the first place to make mankind acquainted with it, and when they avowed their faith in it, to consecrate them in professing the same, by means of baptism. On the fortieth day after his resurrection, he assembled his disciples together, at Bethany; promised them that the Holy Spirit, with his gifts, should soon be poured out upon them, and that by this means they should receive power to execute the duties of their apostolic office; and then he lifted up his hands and blessed them; during his performance of which act he ascended from them before their eyes up into heaven. While they stood gazing after him with wonder and astonishment, two angels appeared to them, and told them, that Jesus, who had now gone up into heaven, should one day come again. PART II. I. REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF JESUS. SECTION I. NECESSARY TO BECOME TRULY ACQUAINTED WITH JESUS. THERE is much, my young friends, for you to learn, if you would have things go well with you,—if you would have enough to eat and drink, and would live contented and esteemed in this world, and obtain happiness after death. The most important knowledge for you to acquire, however, is that which relates to Jesus Christ. You must begin to exhibit your love of study and your persevering diligence, in the very first place, in forming a true acquaintance with his character. I will give you reasons why this knowledge is of such importance. The first reason I have to give, is, that Jesus Christ was the wisest, the most pious, the holiest of men. Indeed, he is the only perfect man that has ever lived on earth, from its creation down to the present time. All other men, even the best of them, have sinned, and sinned a great many times. They have had wicked thoughts, they have spoken wicked words, they have done what is wicked. Should we take any one of them, therefore, as our guide in all things, we should often be led astray, and do what God has forbidden. Jesus Christ, however, never committed a single sin, or broke one of God's commandments. From his childhood to his death, he obeyed his heavenly Father in all things. It was his greatest joy to honour God and yield perfect obedience to his will. He was also ever full of kind feeling, and engaged in doing good. He helped those who were in want, healed the sick, taught the ignorant, guided the wanderer right, warned the vicious, strengthened the weak in virtue, comforted the sorrowful, and laboured night and day to serve others, and advance the best interests of mankind. Though grieved, wronged, and persecuted, by wicked men, he never grieved, wronged, or persecuted them in return. On the other hand, he mourned over the evil of their hearts, which made them unhappy, and was leading them on to destruction. He prayed for them, sought to bring them to better thoughts, and did them acts of kindness and benevolence. You must make yourself acquainted, therefore, dear youth, with Jesus Christ, in order to have a rule before you which you may always safely follow; in order that, guided by his instruction and led by his example, you may always know how to obey God, by doing what is good and avoiding what is wicked. If at any time you are doubtful as to how you ought to act, you have only to ask how Jesus Christ has acted or would act, under similar circumstances, and that will be the right way. In him you see all the virtues that we are ever to practise, shining forth in the greatest beauty and the most amiable dignity. This view should certainly fill you with reverence towards him, incline your feelings to him, and make you anxious to become more intimately acquainted with him. The second reason why you should become truly acquainted with Jesus Christ, is, that he is the only son of WE MUST BE TRULY ACQUAINTED WITH HIM. 31 God, that is, the only son of God in his kind, in the highest, noblest, and best sense. This is a name he receives in the Bible, where he is also called by various other names, as, The Life of the World, Redeemer, Saviour, The Lord our Righteousness. He came down from heaven, to teach men the way that leads to it. This he has done most faithfully. He has told the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the wise and the simple, what is good and right; and how they must live if they would obtain the grace of God, and have a sure hope of going to him, and living with him, in eternal happiness, after death. While in the world, he was greatly persecuted and afflicted. In particular, he suffered much during his last days and hours. Though perfectly innocent and holy, he was seized by his enemies, and crucified. All this, however, he freely suffered for mankind. They had sinned against God, and thus brought themselves into a state of misery and everlasting death. Jesus knew this, and pitied them. The grand object of his message of love from heaven, was, to deliver them from this state. cordingly, in order to procure the grace and forgiveness of God for all who repented of their sins, and gratefully recognised him as their Saviour, he spent his life in labouring for them, passing through a great variety of sorrows and woes, and finally bore their sins for them in the fearful sufferings, the agonizing death, of the cross. Ac To complete the great work he had undertaken, procure for his followers a peaceful death, resurrection at length from their graves, and entrance into celestial joy, he himself arose again from the dead on the third day, and went to heaven, where he has prepared for them stores of everlasting happiness. He is now himself in glory, sitting on the right hand of God. There, though surrounded with angels and the splendour of the upper world, he thinks on us here below, intercedes for us with God, and blesses us. Those of you, therefore, my young friends, who love what is good, and wish to know with certainty how to live truly pious, obtain the grace of God, die at last without feeling the bitter stings of conscience, and enter into happiness after death, must become acquainted with this son, this messenger of God, this most exalted teacher of wisdom and godliness, our Saviour from all that is evil, our intercessor with God, and the being from whom alone we expect to receive our happiness in the world to come. Those of you who do not form a true acquaintance with him, receive him in confidence as your Saviour, love him, and obey all his commandments, must not even hope that he will make you wise, and good, and happy. Treasure these words, dear youth, up in your minds, and let the following often constitute your prayer:— Help me, Lord, while here I wander, Oft the Saviour's life to ponder, E'er, in spirit meek and lowly, Should of friends the dearest fail me, |