The
life-giving Spirit, whom He has obtained for us, effects all this in
each in the measure that pleases Him; and if once the life of God is
kindled in the human soul if we have once, as the apostle says, become
like Him in His resurrection, then His powers are also more and more
abundantly and gloriously manifested in us through the efficacy of His
Spirit for the common good.
But along with all this activity and strength, the life of the risen
Savior was yet, in another sense, a secluded and hidden life. It is
probable that when, in order to show Himself to His disciples, He went
here and there from one part of the land to another, he was seen by
many besides them, who had known Him in His previous life. How could
it be otherwise? But the eyes of men were holden, that they did not
recognize Him; and He made Himself known only to those who belonged
to Him in faithful love. At the same time, however, He said to them,
Blest are they who do not see, yet believe! And what was the little
number of those who were counted worthy of seeing Him, even if we add
to them the five hundred whom Paul mentions, compared with the number
of those who afterward believed in their testimony to the Lord's
resurrection? And thus it is also, my friends, with the new life in
which we walk, even if it is, as it ought to be, strong and vigorous,
and ever at work for the kingdom of God; yet it is at the same time an
unknown and hidden life, unrecognized by and hidden from the world,
whose eyes are holden; and he who should set himself to force
the knowledge of it upon them, who should hit upon extraordinary
proceedings in order to attract their attention to the difference
between the life of sin and the resurrection life, would not be
walking in the likeness of the Lord's resurrection.
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