tians and torments them in every way; this is but a temporal suffering and can readily be endured if we know and believe that Christ arose for us and that now we have a life eternal. Let us, therefore, well learn and retain in memory the precious tidings of the angel: "Fear ye not, but be glad; praise God and give thanks unto Him; Christ is arisen and is no longer in the grave."

But this is not the only consoling assurance which we receive; Christ Himself makes it still greater and more glorious. He says: "Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me." Or, as St. John relates the occurrence in the 20. chapter, Christ told Mary: "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and unto your Father, and to my God, and to your God."

How consoling is this term brethren, which Christ here applies to His disciples. Among men this appellation is common, and means that one whom we call brother is a sharer with us of our heritage or of friendship. But when Christ, the Son of God, calls us brethren, the name becomes most excellent, most glorious, and of inexpressible value. If He calls us brethren, we thereby become also partakers of His heritage; for Christ surely does not make use of this name merely for appearance' sake, as men often do who address each other as "dear brother," while at the same time they are enemies at heart, and wish each other ill. When Christ calls us brethren He really means what the word implies, and declares that He will be our brother, and will regard us and deal with us in every respect as with brethren.

How did the Apostles merit such an honor? Did they perhaps earn this distinction when they shamefully deserted Him, when they denied Him and lost all confidence in His promise that He would live again and establish His kingdom? Such conduct would indeed have been a sufficient reason for the Lord to regard them as His enemies, and not as brethren. But, as already shown, Christ knows them to be sinners, and desires poor sinners to enjoy the benefits of His resurrection; else He would surely not have called His disciples brethren, who had by their timid and faithless conduct shown themselves so unworthy of this name. We also are indeed not worthy of this name, being such poor sinners, yet we are permitted to make use of it; yea, Christ teaches all Christians, when they pray, to say: "Our Father who art in heaven." If we call God in heaven our Father, then it follows that we are Christ's brethren, as He says in this connection: "I ascend unto my Father, and unto your Father, and to my God and to your God." There is this distinction however: Christ is in Himself the real and eternal Son of God, we on the other hand obtain this name through Christ, who died for us and arose from the dead that we, through faith in Him, might become children of God, Filii adoptati, non nati; (children by adoption, not by birth,) as St. Paul describes the relation.

With the name brethren, which the Lord applies to His disciples, He really pronounces to them the absolution from all their sins, that they might forget them and be no longer troubled on their account. Christ has no sin; if then the disciples are His brethren, they must likewise be free from

sin, else Christ would have an advantage over them in the heritage and would not really be our brother; but now He says that we are His brethren, from which it follows that we are equal heirs with Him.

What is the inheritance of Christ? Neither money, nor goods, nor great power and temporal glory. Experience teaches that many, who are not children of God and not the brethren of Christ, have such earthly possessions; hence these cannot be the heritage of Christ, which He and His brethren alone possess. With these temporal gifts it is as with sunshine and rain and other earthly blessings; God bestows them equally upon the wicked and the just. The true heritage of Christ is that of which Paul speaks, 1 Cor. 1: "But of Him are are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption that according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

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We poor mortals are so blinded by sin that of ourselves we know nothing of God, of His being and will, nor of sin and righteousness. And even though there is yet a small glimmer of the knowledge of God within us, as St. Paul writes Rom. 1, yet it is evident that this is easily quenched and that we readily fall into error and idolatry. The very first advantage of being an heir with Christ is a correct knowledge of God, as He says Matt. 11: "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him." This then is the greatest and highest wisdom, compared with which all worldly wisdom is utter foolishness. All human wisdom, wisdom, though

much honored among men, is only of short duration, but this knowledge of God in Christ, and of His grace and mercy toward us, is the true, eternal wisdom, yea, the life everlasting, as Christ says, and enables us not only to defend ourselves against men, but also to contend with the devil, and to know and to judge him aright.

The other portion of our heritage is that "Christ is made unto us righteousness." We not only live in sin, but are conceived and born therein; through Christ, however, this sin is not accounted unto us; God forgives us and pardons us for the sake of His Son. This is justification; God considers us righteous, though we, in ourselves, are poor, miserable sinners.

The third portion of our heritage is that "Christ is made unto us sanctification." This He is unto us not only by consecrating Himself as a sacrifice for us, as John 17. declares, but also by sending us His Holy Spirit, who assures our hearts of the mercy of God, and comforts and directs and supports us in all times of sorrow and tribulation, also working in us a new life, resisting sin, and prompting to true obedience towards God.

The fourth portion of our heritage is that "Christ is made unto us redemption." Let tribulations, sorrows, want, and persecutions come as they will, if Christ is only with us and defends us, they are harmless; we shall conquer in the end and have redemption from them all, not alone in this world, but also in eternity.

We should indeed earnestly long for such a precious, blessed and eternal heritage, and rejoice

over it with our whole heart. This hope and privilege we have in Christ, since He calls us brethren. Alas, that we fritter away this joy; we are merrier if some one gives us a hundred dollars than when the Son of God makes us heirs of His kingdom and everlasting heritage. We would indeed have great reason to be satisfied if Christ but permitted us to be His disciples, His servants, His pupils, or if He called us His friends; for who could wish for a nobler Lord or a better Master. But He does much more than this, and elevates us to the loftiest position; He calls us "His brethren." Let us, therefore, never forget the great consolation contained in this everlasting brotherhood; and may we in all distress, and in the bitter hour of death, derive all comfort from it.

To this the devil objects. Ile brings it about that the Pope and the false, delusive teachers say naught of this brotherhood, and make for themselves, in the devil's name, other associations, where the good works, so called, of saints, of monks, and of priests are distributed as a heritage. But men deserve such delusion. If they will not rejoice and be comforted in the brotherhood of Christ, they fully deserve to go astray into other impious, idolatrous, false and worthless brotherhoods, in which they place their confidence and trust.

Let us, therefore, be grateful for the true doctrine and cordially receive it; let us make good use of the resurrection of Christ, coming unto Him as to our brother, in whom we have all confidence, fully believing that His life is the guarantee of our salvation and our defence from all wrath to come. If