"Behold and wonder, ye inhabitants of paradise," said a mighty angel as he descended and stood upon the tomb. "Yea, behold, as the Son of Man cometh from the abode of desolation, lo! he cometh a conqueror from the regions of the dead."

While he yet spake, Jesus, even the Incarnate Spirit, the Spirit of Redemption, appeared walking among the tombs. And as he looked over them, he said, "Here sleep the bodies of my people. Long and dreary hath been the night of your slumbers, and cold the couch on which ye have reposed. Massive walls, enclosing this vast arena, have guarded and confined you while ye have slept. Precious dust thou art, since thou hast been the dwelling

of spirits I redeem. Thou shalt arise. This darkness which hath so long shrouded thy abode in night, adding gloom to gloom, shall be dispersed by the light of life. Lo, I come to illumine this dark and solitary vault, this charnel-house of the dead, to determine the limits of death and the grave, and to open a door of escape. Sleep on, ye sacred relics. Dust of my people. Sleep on until thou art animated by the quickening, purifying, and exalting principle of eternal law. Sleep on until life from on high shall redeem and spiritualize these properties of nature; and prepare the atoms of the sphere of rudimental life for the immortal and incorruptible habitations of the spirit in its spiritual existence. Sleep on until that day, when thou art called from this silent slumber to spheres of life. The tomb shall be illumined. Henceforth the totality of its darkness shall be no more."

Then lifting his eyes, he said, "Watchman from the everlasting hills, descend and enter thou this abode. Keep guard until the morning of the Resurrection, when 1 will bid thee arise with these ashes, which, quickened into life, refined, purified, and reorganized, shall become the outer garment of my redeemed people. That day in divine certainty surely cometh." The one, mighty in strength, whose garment reflected ten thousand interwoven crosses, entered the arena, from the mount of light, and addressing Jesus, said, "Lo! I come to do thy will, O God."

The Lord then replied, "Guard thou this sepulchre where mortality slumbereth;" and placing in his right hand a sceptre, upon whose burnished shaft, was engraven the image of the cross; and also in hieroglyphics, the solemn events of the trial and crucifixion, Jesus said, "With this sceptre thou shalt defend and control these dominions until Heaven calleth for thee." The watchman answered, "Be thou my help; thy will be done evermore."

The Divine Spirit then approached a lone tomb, even that which angels watched, and in which reposed the body of Jesus; and with a voice that indicated supreme power, said, "Let Life descend upon this inanimate form. Let the Quickening Spirit pervade and quicken this body. Let every function, tissue, and property thereof, be transformed into life, and thus immortalized: let this body arise."

Then light from the Divine Spirit encompassed the body, and a sudden shaking seized the walls and foundation of the tombs.

And the body of Jesus arose. Whereupon a mighty angel said, with a loud voice, "Jesus prevaileth; he ariseth triumphant. Death hath no power over him; he breaketh the strong bands thereof; he liveth evermore. Raise your anthems high all ye who dwell in worlds of light: Jesus reigns. "Hallelujah! amen! Jesus reigns!" answered the innumerable companies of angels, who had witnessed the reanimation and resurrection of the body. "But although ye shout him victorious, he remaineth with the dead," said Justice, who was still observing the scene.

Then Jesus approached the massive gate, which shut the passage from the tomb, and reaching forth his hand, touched its mighty bars, and lo! they crumbled to dust. He then said, "Be unbarred thou mighty gate-Lo! thy keeper, even Death, hath no more power over thee. His limits are determined. Yea, even although, through the violation of the law of life, man faileth; and as Adam perished even so the outer man wasteth away and dieth; yet in Jesus, by the law of life revealed through the Incarnate Spirit, man shall be restored; he shall live again.

"The grave shall not have everlasting dominion over the ashes of the dead, nor exist as a perpetual vale of darkness between earth and the regions occupied by those spirits departed from the outer world."

Then said Jesus, "Open ye massive gate; and ye winds bear it away that it may return no more forever."

The gate then disappeared, and Jesus moved his right hand over the silent slumberers, saying, "This dust shall awake; it shall be quickened and prepared for the habitation of disembodied spirits."

"How shall these awake? How shall the grave give up their dead?" enquired a voice, and lo! Justice appeared above the gateway.

Then Jesus arose from the tomb, holding in his hand the keys of the dark dominions.

And a voice spake from a cloud which rested above the scene, saying, "This is my beloved Son; the hope of Israel; the bright and morning star. Peace be unto the world."

The cloud then descended, and as it approached Jesus, Mercy moved therefrom, and addressing Justice, said, "This is the offering I bring, and this is the trophy of’his victory, even the body of Jesus now raised from the tomb and made immortal. Dost thou, O Justice, accept the offering?" Justice replied, "The offering is accepted since divine power immortalized the properties of the outer man giving life to that from which life had departed.

Then said Mercy, "The offering ariseth in perfection, animate with divine life, and shall henceforth be glorified. In Jesus, the Divine Spirit came to seek and save perverted man, even as a faithful shepherd seeketh the lost sheep strayed from the fold; and henceforth salvation shall be preached to the forlorn race; and hope like a star of superior light shall guide the wanderer to the port of peace. Jesus controlleth the fury of discordant elements, henceforth they shall not drive the humble mariner to the regions of eternal night. At the gateway of death, remaineth the mighty watchman, who, by divine appointment, guardeth the cold sepulcher. Heaven hath determined that death shall give up her dead in the last day; that day appointed, when God shall make up his jewels; and shall spare all who love and obey him, even as a man spareth his own son that serveth him."

Then Justice, addressing Jesus, said, "Thou art from everlasting to everlasting, King of kings and Lord of lords. Thou hast the keys of death. Heaven accepts the offering and acknowledges the victory. Thy mission, trial, and conquest, is inscribed upon the Throne of eternal recollection. Henceforth the Cross is engraven upon, and inwrought throughout all things in the kingdom of righteousness—to be kept in everlasting remembrance.

"Lo! I come to thee, thou Lamb slain for sinners; yea, thou upon whose shoulders resteth the government of peace. I embrace thee. Thou art God." Thus saying, Justice embraced Jesus, and Mercy said, "Shall the sinner, even he who lieth in his fallen condition, be rescued? Shall he find favor?" Justice replied, "God in Christ reconcileth the world to himself, and through his mediation, Heaven shall be just in the justification of all who come to God through Him. If the sinner forsake the evil of his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return unto the Lord, he shall obtain favor. He who seeketh life, shall in Jesus enjoy the blessings of everlasting righteousness unto peace. Then Mercy raising her hands and eyes to heaven, said, ‘Now is salvation complete. Henceforth, thy glory, O God! shineth upon the fallen orb. And Thy name shall be adored by all who have immortality, because thou hast provided means for the salvation of man."’

Thus saying, Mercy also embraced Jesus, and a cloud of light encompassed them, whereupon Justice and Mercy so blended in the sphere of the Lord as to lose identy, and they were thereafter only revealed as in the person of Jesus, who, with that cloud amid the hallelujahs of legions, arose from the tomb.

Before us now appeared the afflicted disciples, who, having met in a mountain by special appointment of their Lord, were communing with each other relative to the resurrection. Suddenly a light shone upon them, and Jesus appeared in their midst, and said, "Fear not; all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and preach the Gospel unto all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Ye shall be persecuted of men for my name’s sake: but I have overcome; and ye shall also overcome if ye trust my word. These signs shall follow thaw that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and .if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until endued with power front on high."

Then he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While blessing them he arose, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Then the unnumbered millions, who filled the heavens, with strong hands swept the chords of their stringed instruments, and, with loud voices, said, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast conquered. We praise thee, O Lord, who art King of kings, and Lord of lords; the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

During the Ascension, the disciples had steadfastly looked up into heaven, whither had gone their arisen and ascended Lord. But as the cloud which received him from their sight finally disappeared, they worshiped; and afterwards, in silence arose and departed for Jerusalem.