Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light, It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail; Thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
--_R. Grant_.
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How the Lord Jesus rose again from the dead, how He comforted His disciples, and how He sent them out to teach all men in His name.
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PERSONS OF THE STORY.
The LORD JESUS.
Mary Magdalene.
Peter.
"The Other Disciple."
Cleopas.
Thomas.
Disciples, Angels.
PLACES OF THE STORY.
_The Garden of the Tomb_.
_The Village of Emmaus_.
_Jerusalem_.
_The Sea of Galilee_.
_The Mountain of the Ascension_.
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I
THE RESURRECTION
_How the Lord Jesus Rose from the Dead, and Appeared to Mary of Magdala_.
Now on the first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, while it was yet dark, unto the tomb, and seeth the stone taken away from the tomb. She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him."
Peter therefore went forth, and the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. And they ran both together: and the other disciple outran Peter, and came first to the tomb; and stooping and looking in, he seeth the linen cloths lying; yet entered he not in. Simon Peter therefore also cometh, following him, and entered into the tomb; and he beholdeth the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then entered in therefore the other disciple also, which came first to the tomb, and he saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again unto their own home.
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But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She saith unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."
When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and beholdeth Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?"
She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, "Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away."
Jesus saith unto her, "Mary."
She turneth herself, and saith unto him in Hebrew, "Rabboni"; which is to say, "Master."
Jesus saith to her, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended unto the Father: but go unto my brethren, and say to them, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my G.o.d and your G.o.d.""
Mary Magdalene cometh and telleth the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and that he had said these things unto her.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE WOMEN AT THE TOMB.
[End ill.u.s.tration]
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II
ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS
_How on the Same Day He Joined Two of His Disciples, as They Walked into the Country_.
And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was three-score furlongs from Jerusalem. And they communed with each other of all these things which had happened. And it came to pa.s.s, while they communed and questioned together, that Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, "What communications are these that ye have one with another, as ye walk?"
And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them, named Cleopas, answering said unto him, "Dost thou alone sojourn in Jerusalem and not know the things which are come to pa.s.s there in these days?"
And he said unto them, "What things?"
And they said unto him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before G.o.d and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we hoped that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yea and beside all this, it is now the third day since these things came to pa.s.s. Moreover {302} certain women of our company amazed us, having been early at the tomb; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them that were with us went to the tomb, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not."
And he said unto them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory?"
And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew near unto the village, whither they were going: and he made as though he would go further. And they constrained him, saying, "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent."
And he went in to abide with them. And it came to pa.s.s, when he had sat down with them to meat, he took the bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, "Was not our heart burning within us, while he spoke to us on the way, while he opened to us the scriptures?"
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS.
By Bernard Plockhorst (1825- )
"He blessed the bread, but vanished at the word And left them both exclaiming, "T was the Lord!
Did not our hearts feel all he deign"d to say?