The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-01
FUNERAL SERMON
OF Mrs. Thomas Hustab!e, Preached at the
Presbyterian Church, in Saliva,
Kansas, Nov. 5th, 1879, by
Rev. w. A. Simkins,
Her Pastor.

key. w. n. S!rskins,
Her Pastor.
Tfxr: "why should II he thought thing In 1
credible with you, that God should raise tho dead
Acts xviii; :.
The doctrine ofthe resurrection has |
reference TO the body, not TO the soul; |
for the soul is strictly immortal. 1t
does not die-cannot die-,ind of course /
ii cannot be raised from the dead. Ii |
Is the body tat becomes lifeiess at
death. Ii is this which returns to the |
earth as it was, but the spirit 10 God
who gave il.
But we are taught. i'm the Scriptures
that the body shall not always sleep |
i'm the dust. The hour is coming when |
the slumbering, moulding body shall
he reanimated-when soul and body |
shall be again united 10 part no more.
Ofthis truth the Apostle declares that |
God hath given all men ASSURANCE in |
that He hath raised up Jesus Christ |
from the dead to be the Judge Of all,
and assign to them-reunitcd soul and |
body-their eternal destinies, accord
ing to the deeds done here in the body. |
The reasoning of the Bible is very
clear and simple upon this point. II
teaches the resurrection of the dead as
a fact already accomplished In the per-
son of Jesus Christ, and as a promise
to all Others, based upon the fact as a
pledge. And so important and funda-
mental does the New Testament make
this doctrine and fact that it Is to be
the test of the truth of the whole sys-
tenn of the christian religion. The
preaching of the forgiveness of sins
through Christ is de!usion if the res
direction of the dead is a delusion.
"For if the dead rise not, then is Christ
not raised; and If Christ be not raised
your hope is vain, We are yet in your
SINS
The fact that such q being as Jesus
lived, that He died and was buried, all
acknowledge. No one doubts. The
proof that He rose from the dead rests
upon the testimony of his Disciples.
Their credibility is affected by their
competency to show that they were
neither deceiyers nor deceived.
l Then we notice, they were com
petent. IfJesus did indeed rise, they
as witnesses 10 the fact would not have
been deceived. They knew Him init
mately; they were numerous; they
were on the lookout TO test the reality
were incredulous and slow TO believe
that il was indeed Jesus-His actual
body that was laid in the ground. until
they had tested II in various ways, rs
! reliable as the most scientific tests OF
! to-day.
1 He proved to them that He was the
I same flesh and bones that they had
seen hanging on the Cross, and not
spirit. only, by showing them His
nail-pierced hands and feet, and His
spear-lanced side, and allowing them
TO handle Him and still further, TO
prove His material nature, He called
| for meat and ate il i'm their presence.
| They saw Him often and under great
variety of cOnditio,ns during period
of forty,,days. They'cou!d t.haye been
deceived. Again they were sincere.
As they could not have been deceived,
neither were they deceivers. They had
no motive for making up this story.
if il were only a story. Deceivers al
ways have selfish motive. But no
such motive applies here. IL tins
were false, their detection was sure.
They had nothing 10 gain and every
thing TO lose "a dishonest men 10y IN
venting the story that Jesus had risen.
He had been cruciiied on the charge
of blasphemy and sedition, ana 1or
them to avow themselves as Ills dlsci'
pies and believers in His resurrection,
was toprovoke His fate rs accomplices
There was nothing in the world Ia
tempt them 10 start such IA report ii
false. Yet we find these men giving
their whole lives TO declare the fact
that Jesus rose from the dead SAYING
they were witnesses of the fact suffer
ing imprisonment, torture, ana 'ieaih,
rather than take back that testimony.
And the use they made OF 1t showed
that they were not dishonest men-bui
were honest and competent. FOR the
use they made Of the resurrection WAS,
not some selfish advancement. hHt "a
pefuade men TO forsake thei: sins and
lead holy lives. The witnesses s"iSh'
for themselves neither money, power
Office orjfame-thines which imposter>
seck-but were ready 10 die for theii
word. Such il not the manner "t I'M
posters.
Take Saul of Tarsils fer your exam
pIe-a man of liberal culture and IN
tense Jewish prejudice man oil eS
traor,iII:ary powers OF reasoning ans
marked positiveneas and -ihceiity o.
1 character: a man of strong ambition
who had the finest prospects thar ccti'
then omen to a Jew. He had yo.un
teerc3 To persecute this new faith. Iii
hated this Jesus whom he esteemed al
enemy To his God and traitor 10 III;
nation. We see this man saul TN
trained logician and honest lover o
truth. suddenly change from pcrse
cutor to defender OF the new faith
embracing il, relinuuishing ali earthl,
J.. Har.1 1ArnffnfT him
self to ,,reaching the cross with firm
ness and moral ,ieroism almost heyonf
/ a paralieI. saul the haicr of the dead
Jesus, examined III" evidence WIN III
trained mind. and became Paul, the
lover of that JESUS truly fis:n nom Tin
, dead. In his epistle to theCorinthiai :
the repuinenpss Of which ha. not been
. denied bv any modern r.,tioGalis,l'
scholar. and could not I've questioned
since II is quoted IL his by the earlies
Fathers II, tina. epistie. Paul declare
time aud again. that Jesus rose iron
the .iea.l-;iiat he wi- seen OF Ccphu-
of James, aud Of all The Apostles, an'
of above i've hundred brethren u
once. And then he adds, ''of whom
greater part remain unto this present
the present of his writing. Pau
Peter, he knew intimately. lame
and the other APOSTLES he had confer
rel with AT Jerusalem about his owl
work. Many OF the five hundret "er'
personally known Ia him. lie kncy
their character, had tested iiieir cyl
denea. \ grea; lawyer once sui, J.
would iihe IN have cFc-s-quc>'lOilI'
those witnesses. Here We see IL wa
done-done hy dishelicver. And II
man ever lived WHO was more compe
tent 10 crosS-Iuestion Than was Sa,
: ofTarsus. He did il. and a result
: was ready 10 stake his existence upol
the fact that Christ died, was buried
and rose again the third day.
THAT maa of such breadth, kecf
, ness. candor and honesty, made TN
, examination of eyewitness, an
came 10 this c0nviction-srav. up eNer.i
thing for his beiief-livei in il, lie
for it-this almost Judicial inve-tig:
lion and decision, 4; the time, sweep
away the qualms ofmo,iern douhtcr'
!. and thrills oar inmn-t neing VII
Pauls ,riuniphan; belief, - that !'
sus rose from the dead. and became In
first fruits of them that slept An
five believe that Jesus diet and ro-
again. even 81 them also which slice
; i'm Jesus will God bring with him.
Whenever we believ. the single ia'
that God has already RAISED Jesus fro:
n the dead, that fac; sweeps away In
= greatest difficulty L. believing The do'