Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-04-04


l Corinthians, 30,
"But now is Christ risen from the dead. -
The theme deduced from the text
is
CHRIST ARISEN.
The Introductory compr shended
the evidence that abounds in the Nep
Testament, and among profane writer's
of the death of Christ on the Cross.
The three days death of the body OF
the Redeemer was dwelt on, and the
place whence his spirit dwel. during
the three days that the body passed
in the grave was lengthily considered.
The Reverend gentleman felt salts
fed, after having examined all authors
on the subject that the place Of de-
parted spirits, to which Christ's spirit
passed on the death of his body, was
Paradise. The best authority bears
him out in that Interpretation, but
that which caused him to feel posi-
tive on that point is Christ's own
declaration or promise to the thief,
also on a cross: To-day shalt thou
be with me in Paradise" The prom
ise was no figure; it meant that the
spirits passed from the bodies to Par
adise. The Interpretation must be
SO accepted.
From the introduction the preacher
passed to the Theme proper,
CHRIST ARISEN,
and proceeded to produce testimony
to prove that Christ had indeed
arisen.
TIE FIRST Testimony presented was
the testimony of the Apostles. By
them he was seen ten different times
after his resurrection. They made
sure of it that the being seen by
them was their Lord and Master.
When he was laid In the sepulchre,
doubts arose in their minds as to his
resurrection, and when he appeared
to them those doubts had to be re-
moved So doubling was Thomas
that he doubted the sense of his own
sight, and must needs prove the
truth of his sight by using the sense
of touch, by laying his hands on the
body of the Savior. The testimony
of the Apostles was or is most con-
vincing testimony of Christ's resur-
rection.
The Second testimony on the resur-
rection of Christ is by the enemies
of the Savior. Their evidence is
strong indirect evidence that he arose
from the grave on the third day.
The enemies of Christ-the Jews
did all they knew to throw discredit
on the testimony of his resurrection,
but their very efforts to destroy the
facts of his resurrection added more
proof to the wonderful and Joyous
event. The empty sepulchre wherein
mis- body had been laid spoke con
vincingly to all who went there to see
for themselves no body lay in the
place where all the populace knew
that the body of Christ had been
placed. What became of it? Did
the Jews take it :" No, that could
not be, for if they had, they would
have made public exhibition of it, for
that would have been incontroverti-
BILE proof that Christ was deceiver,
an impostor, for he had declared that
he would arise from the tomb on the
third day. The fact that the Jews
did not put the body on exhibition,
was strong indirect evidence that
they did not take the body of Christ
out Of the grave. They could not
have done SO if they had wished, for
guard of Roman soldiers stood
about the place. The testimony of
the Roman soldiers that the Disci-
pies of Christ came by night and
stole the body away while they slept
was also an invention of the enemies
of Christ, and strong indirect evi
dence that the resurrection as record
ed by the Apostles is true. How
could the Disciples steal him away!
They were not of the class of people
who would project such thing as the
stealing of his body, under the seem
ingly crushing circumstances under
which he had been crucifed.
The disciples had been SO intimida-
ted that they were not near to cheer
the last hours of their Savior. So
crushed in spirit were they that they
hid away, and when one of them was
accused by a servant girl of being
member of Christ's company he had
not the courage to acknowledge it,
but denied "him thrice" and then
went out and wept bitterly over his
miserable humiliation.
"How was it possible for these
poor despised followers of Christ
TO steal the body when a guard
of Roman soldiers stood around
the sepulchre. Never before, and