EPC Australia

How much will eternity reveal to our astonished minds; and, in reference to a thousand things, we may safely follow the advice of the Poet,

"Wait the great teacher Death, and God adore."

The Scripture is given to establish our faith, and comfort our hearts, and sanctity our lives, but not not to amuse us, and to gratify our curiosity. Our Saviour rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, but between these events there elapsed a considerable portion of time. During these intervening weeks, where was he, and how employed? One thing only we know, that he frequently showed himself to his disciples.

But what purposes were these intermediate appearances intended to answer? The Lord does not always give an account of any of his matters, and we ought to be peculiarly cautious in assigning reasons for his conduct who says, "My ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts." We cannot, however, err in remarking, That they were the accomplishment of his word. He had said, "Ye now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice; and your joy no man taketh from you." "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me." Now though these declarations extend to his final coming to judgment, and his advent in the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, yet they more immediately insure his manifestation of himself between his resurrection and his glory. And if the disciples understood it not at the time, the meaning would be explained by the verification. And they would see how well they might in every other case rely upon his promise.

They were also to convince them how fully he had forgiven them, and thus to gain the confidence of their hearts. For they had behaved very unworthily. After all he had done for them, and their own professions of attachment, when the hour of trial came, they all forsook him and fled. How much he felt their defection, we learn from his complaint: "I looked for some to take pity, and there was none; and for comforters, and I found none." And their own consciences upbraided and condemned them for their vileness. And therefore, had he gone away to heaven, and they had not seen him, they would have feared his resentment and displeasure. But he appeared to them again and again, and always with kindness in his looks, and peace on his lips; and at last, laying his hands on them, he was taken up to heaven in the very act of blessing them, thus telling them that he had the same heart as ever, and was more than pacified towards them after all that they had done.

They were also to evince the certainty of his resurrection. The importance of this event rendered it necessary that it should be placed beyond the possibility of all reasonable doubt. The disciples were not eagerly credulous of the fact, but slow of heart to believe and their diffidence has been overruled to confirm our faith. For they required and obtained every kind and degree of proof. And these deponents were many; and were eye and ear witnesses; and even handled the Word of Life; and did eat and drink with him; and for a length of time; and in cases of a most peculiar nature. They could not, therefore, be mistaken, and we cannot be deceived. He is risen indeed! And therefore he is the Son of God. And we are not in our sins. The dead in Christ are not perished. And because he lives, we shall live also.

They were also to impart information on subjects not touched, or only hinted at before, because the disciples were not able to bear them, and the proper hour was not yet come. And therefore the sacred historian says, that he not only showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, but also spake to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And this led them to think so differently of this kingdom from what they had done before, and to wait by prayer for its coming, in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

But when he said, I am no more in this world, and also, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world; and when he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him," surely he intended a manifestation beyond his appearance, between his grave and his glory. And this we ourselves may hope to claim. But how is it that he will manifest himself unto us, and not unto the world? We disclaim all pretensions to personal manifestations. Some have contended for these, and, like Colonel Gardiner, have believed that they corporeally saw him. But surely, this was mistaking a lively impression on the mind for a reality. The case speaks for itself. Being embodied, he could render himself visible; but then it would be a true representation — we should see him as he is. And, accordingly, Saul saw him, when he appeared to him in his way to Damascus, with a body glorious above the brightness of the sun. But these good people always see him as he is not: they always see him bleeding on the cross; but he is not there. He dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. We need no sensible appearance.

But there is a spiritual manifestation absolutely necessary. Paul experienced this, or the outward vision would have been of little avail: "It pleased God," says he, "to reveal his Son in me." And our Saviour himself said, He that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, hath everlasting life. It is a perception, by faith, of his glory, so as to induce us to love him, and trust in him, and follow him.

There are also special manifestations of himself — we mean as to clearness and enjoyment — occasionally experienced by his people, and which excite them to exclaim, "This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." These are not their food, but cordials. They are regulated by their condition and exigences. But though they are limited, as to number and degree, they are most desirable and valuable. They make us better acquainted with heaven than all the descriptions contained in sermons and books. And they make us long after a state, in which his servants shall serve Him, and they shall see his face. "And so shall they be for ever with the Lord."

Morning Exercises For Everyday In The Year
By Rev. William Jay