The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-03
The Resurrection From the
Dead-A sermonAby President
w. II. PendIetOn Mt Fourth
street n. Il. Church Yesterday.

street n. L. Church Yesterday.
Acts xxyI. s.-"Why should II DO thought ar
incredible thing with you, that God shoald rails
the deAd:"
This is the question Of Paul 10
Agrippa. II was asked on the memo
rable occasion Of the Apostles trial for
his faith. It Is introduced with fine nat
ural grace and courtesy, but with wonder
derful and startling ab%ruptness and force
The devoted apostle does not fret over biz
chains, but counts himself happy that he
can speak for himself and bis cause, in
any guise-eyen that Of 4 criminal,-be.
fore one 80 competent TO Judge as his
ilustrious and learned Judge. From thi'
brief but corteous introduction, he pro-
ceeded, very modestly and honestly, to
state his case. He was himself a Jew,
brought up In the strictest sect Of his re
ligion, fair in character, learned in edu.
cation, and above reproach for piety and
devotion. He could appeal TO his very
prosecutors, If they would testify, that he
had lived In all respects in harmony with
the most rigid discipline Of the Pharasee
Yet, with no stain upon his character, with.
out a reproach that even the most rigid
could truthiully bring against him, there
he stood, a prisoner before them, accused
Of the Jews and loaded with chains;-and
for what? "Ror he hope Of hsaprom-
ice made Of God unto his Ioreiathers p
What Is Il true, can II be true, that il
Is a crime to cherish and preach 4 hope
resting upon a promise made OF God A
promise cherished by the twelve tribes oil
Israel, and to which day and night they
were looking with longing and hopel Yes;
for the hope OF such a promise, / stand
before you To-day, o, King Agrippa, &C
cused Of the Jewsl
Such is the brief, but impressive light
in which the eloquent Apostle puts his
case. A criminal without a crime. ar
raigned without 4 fault; and accused for
that, which was, in truth, the promise oil
God and the hope Of Israel.
And now, as II chatting under the re-
preston OF his eagerness TO rush upon biz
theme, to burst forth with the grand ar.
sument OF his hope; he seizes the mind
and heart Of Agrippa with the abrupt and
startling question, "Why should 1t be
thought a thing incredible with you that
God should raise the dead ?"
We fancy that we hear and see the con
summate orator and dialectician, as with
the assurance OF Gods truth in his heart
and the fire Of his spirit in his eye, be
startled the astonished Agrippa with q
question, that like the explosion OF q hid.
den mine, shakes the very foundation :oi
his thoughtless infdelity and fills him
with fear. "Why should II be thought q
thing incredible with You 2" The en-
pbasis is on YOU The question is per.
sonal. Agippa was a Jew, expert In al
the customs and questions OF the Jews,'
and this was afaci-the resurrection OF the
dead-for which such a Jew ought &c
have been prepared. It ought not Il
seem incredible to him. Did he not be-
lieye In the being and power OF God? He
was not an Atheist. Had he not accepted
the history Of his people?' Did he moi
boast Of the rich providences by
which they had been raised up
and distinguished above all other
nations OF the earth? When the Hood
came and covered the earth, he said III
Ia the hand Of God, when Abraham was
called and separated to be the father OF q
great nation, he accepted 1t as the favor
Of God;yhenh his observation-disclosures deliver
ed from the bondage Of Egypt, he saw the
strong arm Of Jehovah dividing the wa,
ters, 10 make a dry channel for them, and
closing them again to engulph their enc
mics. Moses and Israel paas over dry
shod, but Pharaoh and his hosts-the
horse and his rider, chariot and char
ioteer,-are drowned In the sea. i wa
the might Of Jehovah interceding Tor his
chosen. In the thunder aud Lightning, the
storm and tempest Of Mount Sinai he had
seen him delivering the law and assuming
the government Of Israel. On q thousand
battle fields, he had spread his imperial
aegis over them, and through cohorts OF
fierce enemies, led them to victory aud
conquest. And "why should it be In
credible with him, that God should raise
the dead?' =,
And may We not press the question with
Won. nv hearers? with like emphasls, We
ask, "why should 1t be thought an incred,
ible thing with you, that God should
raise the dead? Are we atheistsH Is moi
faith IN the power and providence Of GOD
stamped dpon every feature Of our organi'
%Lation, a. & government; recognized IL
eyery page Of our national literature
woven into the very fabric, as warp aud
and wool, Of the web OF our common Ian
guaRe? And when We recognize God, do
we not recognize the power OF God, and
the credibility OF the resurrection OF The
deadP Let rs not stumble at the thresh'
hold
But that may be possible and therefore
credible, which lie not actual and which
cannot, therefore, be proved to have &C
Cured. This Ia conceded and seems To-
deed 10 have been contemplated in TIT
form Of Paul's question. He does moi
stop nj the question Of the possibility o
the resurrection. His question Is presset
"A 4 thing which not only may be, bu'
which ought to be. Il is not simply cred
ilibIe that God could, but that He IOLlt
raise the dead. The Apostle assumes TIT
a~ntecedent expectation OF this maryellou
event. II is q development In the diyin'
purpose which has been f~oreshadowed Ii
prophecy, embalmed In promise, ant
eberished as the golden thread Of Israeli
hone. from the exile Of our first parent
ill The present hour. i Is the one GOV
enanted blessing to which "the twsly'
tribes instantly serving God day ant
night, had, with deathless longing. eve
hoped 10 come. II Is not an isolated phe
nomenon, brilliant startling, sublime
like the unanticipated meteor that break
at night upon the harmony Of lthe heav
aver. II il A TACT that takes It's appointe'
place In the order Of Gods plans and be
comes the eternal basis Of the worlds re
generation; a fact revealing 4 new powei
exalting matter and disenthralling spiril
and redeeming- from tho primal ours
both man and his home. Its the begin
ming ola new creation; the bringing o
: life and Immortality TO light
r Strip Christianity Of the power Of thI