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But　such　visions　must　be　necessarily　rare　and　transient；　or　we　shall　miss　their　genuine　efficacy。　　We　must　work　in　comparative　shadow；　without　the　immediate　sight　of　these　realities；　and　only　in　the　place　of　our　rest；　　rest　for　higher　efforts　and　a　new　career；　only　there　may　we　have　their　constant　companionship；　and　build　their　perpetual　tabernacles。




THE　SHADOW　OF　DISAPPOINTMENT。

But　we　trusted　that　it　had　been　he　which　should　have　redeemed　Israel。　　　　LUKE　xxiv。　21。


In　the　accounts　of　the　disciples；　contained　in　the　New　Testament；　there　is　no　attempt　to　glorify　them；　or　to　conceal　any　weakness。　　From　the　first　to　the　last；　they　think　and　act　precisely　as　men　would　think　and　act　in　their　circumstances；　…they　are　affected　just　as　others　of　like　culture　would　be　affected　by　such　events　as　those　set　forth　in　the　record。　　And　the　genuineness　of　their　conduct　argues　the　genuineness　of　the　incidents　which　excited　it。　　The　divine；　wonderworking；　risen　Jesus；　is　the　necessary　counterpart　of　the　amazed；　believing；　erring　hoping；　desponding；　rejoicing　fishermen　and　publicans。　　This　stamp　of　reality　is　very　evident　in　the　instance　before　us。　　The　conduct　and　the　feelings　of　the　disciples　are　those　of　men　who　have　been　involved　in　a　succession　of　strange　experiences。　　For　a　little　while　they　have　been　in　communion　with　One　who　has　spoken　as　never　man　spoke；　and　who　has　touched　the　deepest　springs　of　their　being。　　He　has　lifted　them　out　of　the　narrow　limits　of　their　previous　lives。　　From　the　Receipt　of　Customs；　and　the　Galilean　lake；　he　has　summoned　them　to　the　interests　and　awards；　the　thought　and　the　work；　of　a　spiritual　and　divine　kingdom。　　At　first　following　him；　perhaps　they　hardly　knew　why；。　conscious　only　that　he　had　the　Words　of　Eternal　Life；　the　terms　of　this　discipleship　have　grown　into　bonds　of　the　dearest　intimacy。　Their　Master　has　become　their　Companion　and　their　Friend；　and　their　faith　has　deepened　into　tender　and　confiding　love。　But　still；　theirs　has　been　the　belief　of　the　trusting　soul；　rather　than　the　enlightened　intellect。　　From　the　fitness　of　the　teaching；　and　the　wonder　of　the　miracle；　they　have　felt　that　he　was　the　very　Christ；　and　yet；　from　this　conviction　of　the　heart　they　have　not　been　able　to　separate　their　Jewish　conceits。　　Sometimes；　it　may　be；　the　language　of　the　Saviour　has　carried　them　up　into　a　broader　and　more　spiritual　region；　but　then；　they　have　subsided　into　their　symbols　and　shadows；　only；　notwithstanding　the　errors　that　have　hindered；　and　the　hints　that　have　awed　them；　they　have　steadily　felt　the　inspiration　of　a　great　hope；　the　expectation　of　something　glorious　to　be　revealed　in　the　speedy　coming　of　the　Messiah's　kingdom。　　And　now；　does　not　the　account　immediately　connected　with　the　text　picture　for　us　exactly　the　state　of　men　whose　conceptions　have　been　broken　up　by　a　great　shock；　and　yet　in　whose　hearts　the　central　hope　still　remains　and　vibrates　with　mysterious　tenacity？　men　who　have　had　the　form　of　their　expectation　utterly　refuted　and　scattered　into　darkness；　but　who　still　cherish　its　spirit？　Christ　the　crowned　King；　Christ　the　armed　Deliverer；　Christ　the　Avenger；　sweeping　away　his　foes　with　one　burst　of　miracle；is　to　them；　no　more。　　They　saw　the　multitude　seize　him；　and　no　legions　came　to　rescue；…　…they　saw　him　condemned；　abused；　crucified；　buried；　and　so；　in　no　sense　of　which　they　could　conceive；　was　this　he　who　should　have　redeemed　Israel。　　And　yet　the　suggestion　of　something　still　to　come；　something　connected　with　three　days；　　lingered　in　their　minds。　　And；　in　the　midst　of　their　despondency；　striking　upon　this　very　chord；　the　startling　rumor　reached　them　that　Christ　had　risen　from　the　dead。　　It　was　in　this　mood　that　Jesus　found　the　two　disciples　whose　words　I　have　selected　for　my　text；　　faith　and　doubt；　disappointment　and　hope；　alternating　in　their　minds；　their　Jewish　conceit　laid　prostrate　in　the　dust；　and　yet　the　expectation　of　something；　they　knew　not　what；　now　strangely　confirmed。　　See　how　these　feelings　mingle　in　the　passage　before　us。　　〃What　manner　of　communications；〃　said　the　undiscerned　Saviour；　〃are　these　that　ye　have　one　to　another；　as　ye　walk；　and　are　sad？〃…〃Art　thou　only　a　stranger　in　Jerusalem；〃　says　one　of　them；　〃and　hast　not　known　the　things　which　are　come　to　pass　there　in　these　days？〃　　What　things？　　〃Concerning　Jesus　of　Nazareth；〃　replied　they；　〃which　was　a　prophet　mighty　in　deed　and　word　before　God　and　all　the　people：　and　how　the　chief　priests　and　our　rulers　delivered　him　to　be　condemned　to　death；　and　have　crucified　him。　　But　we　trusted　that　it　had　been　he　which　should　have　redeemed　Israel：　　and　beside　all　this；　to…day　is　the　third　day　since　these　things　were　done。　　Yea；　and　certain　women　also　of　our　company　made　us　astonished；　which　were　early　at　the　sepulchre；　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　which　were　with　us　went　to　the　sepulchre；　and　found　it　even　so　as　the　women　had　said：　but　him　they　saw　not。〃

My　hearers；　I　think　we　see；　in　this　instance　the　minds　of　these　disciples　working　as　the　minds　of　men　might　be　expected　to　work　under　like　conditions。　　And　to　me　this　casts　a　complexion　of　genuineness　upon　the　transactions　which；　as　stated　in　the　record；　account　for　these　mental　alternations。　　The　entire　passage　is　alive　with　reality。　The　genuine　emotions　of　humanity　play　and　thrill　together；　there；　in　the　shadow　of　the　cross　and　the　glory　of　the　resurrection。

But；　if　these　feelings　are　thus　natural；　the　experience　itself　indicated　in　that　portion　of　this　verse　which　constitutes　the　text　is　not　entirely　removed　from　our　ordinary　life。　　The　incident　which　occasioned　these　sad　words　was　an　extraordinary　one；　but　its　moral　significance；　as　it　now　comes　before　us；　illustrates　many　a　passage　in　man's　daily　course。　　The　language；　as　we　read　it；　appears　to　be　the　language　of　disappointment；　…it　was　under　the　shadow　of　disappointment；　though　alternating　with　hope；　that　these　disciples　spoke；　and　it　is　to　the　lessons　afforded　by　disappointment　in　the　course　of　life　that　I　now　especially　invite　your　attention。

And　the　precise　point　in　the　text；　bearing　upon　this　subject；　is　the　fact；　that　while　the　disciples　seemed　to　feel　as　though　all　redemption　for　Israel　was　now　hopeless；　that　process　of　redemption　for　Israel；　and　for　the　world；　was　going　on　through　the　agency　of　those　very　events　which　had　filled　them　with　dismay。　　Even　as　they　were　speaking；　in　tones　of　sadness；　about　the　crucified　Christ；　the　living　Christ；　made　perfect　for　his　work　by　that　crucifixion；　was　walking　by　their　side。　　Looking　far　this　side　of　that　shadow　of　disappointment　which　then　brooded　over　them；　we　see　all　this；　that　then　they　did　not　see；　but　now　is　it　with　ourselves；　under　the　frequent　shadows　cast　by　more　ordinary　events？　　This　suggestion　may　afford　us　some　profitable　thoughts。

I　need　hardly　say；　in　the　first　place；　that　man　is　continually　inspired　by　expectation。　　Every　effort　he　makes　is　made　in　the　conviction　of　possibility　and　the　light　of　hope。　　This　is　the　heart　of　ambition　and　the　spring　of　toil。　It　is　the　balm　which　he　applies　to　the　wounds　of　misfortune。　It　is　the　key　with　which　he　tries　the　wards　of　nature。　　And　from　the　morning　of　life　to　its　last　twilight　he　is　always　looking。　forward。　　The　saddest　spectacle　of　allsadder　even　than　pain；　and　bereavement；　and　death　is　a　man　void　of　hope。　　The　most　abject　people　is　a　hopeless　people；　in　whose　hearts　the　memories　of　the　past；　and　the　pulses　of　endeavor；　and　the　courage　of　faith　are　dead；　and　who　crouch　by　their　own　thresholds　and　the　crumbling　tombstones　of　their　fathers；　and　take　the　tyrant's　will；　without　an　incentive；　and　without　even　a　dream。　　The　most　intense　form　in　which　misery　can　express　itself　is　in　the　phrase；　〃I　have　nothing　to　live　for。〃　　And　he　who　can　actually　say；　and　who　really　feels　this；　is　dead；　and　covered　with　the　very　pall　and　darkness　of　calamity。　　But　few；　indeed；　are　they　who　can；　with　truth；　say　this。

But　if　hope　or　expectation　is　such　a　vital　element　of　human　experience；　so　does　disappointment　have　its　part　in　the　mechanism　of　things；　and；　as　we　shall　presently　see；　its　wise　and　beneficial　part。　　For；　after　all；　how　few　things　correspond　with　the　forecast　of　expectation！　　To　be　sure；　some　results　transcend　our　hope；　but　how　many　fall　below　it；　balk　it；　　turn　out　exactly　opposite　to　it。！　　Among　those　who　meet　with　disappointments　in　life；　there　are　those　who　are　expecting　impossibilities；　　whose　expectations　are　inordinate；　　are　more　than　the　nature　of　things　will　admit；　or　who　are　looking　for　a　harvest　where　they　have　planted　no　seed。　　They　carry　the　dreams　of　youth　in　among　the　realities　of　the　world；　and　its　vanishing　visions　leave　them　naked　and　discouraged。　　The　light　of　romance；　that　glorified　all　things　in　the　future；　recedes　as　they　advance；　and　they　come　upon　rugged　paths　of　fact　upon　plain　toil　and　daily　care；　upon　the　market　and　the　field；　and　upon　men　as　they　are　in　their　weakness；　and　their　selfishness；　and　their　mutual　distrust。　　Or　they　belong；　it　may　be；　to　that　class　who　are　too　highly　charged　with　hope；　whose　sanguine　notions　never　go　by　induction；　but　by　leaps；　who　never　cal