Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-01-27
The Bible View Ofthe Resurrection
A SERMON
BY REV. A. II. TRUAx,


ON A QUARTERLY MEETING OCCASION, NOV. q,
1881 ALSO AT VERNON, DEC IL.
published by RequesLI
"But now is Christ risen from the dead and become
the hrsfruits Of them that slept" LIST Cor. Nv, 20.
To the Christian, the resurrection of Christ
is one of the most cheering truths contained
in the Holy Scriptures. II is the foundation
of his hope. 1t lifts the veil of the tomb, and
is the key that opens tho gate Of Paradise.
On il the whole Christian superstructure is
reared, and rests without il the entire fabric
crumbles to the ground. Take away my
Lord, and my hope expires and is buried,
never to rise. Is this language too strong
Then listen to the inspired penman And
If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching
vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and
we are found false witnesses of God because
we have testified Of God that he raised up
Christ; whom he raised not up, if so be that
the dead rise not For if the dead rise not
then is not Christ raised. And if Christ be
not raised, your faith is vain ye are yet in
your sins. Then they also which are fallen
asleep in Christ are perished If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are of all
men most miserable" Such are the awful
consequences if Christ is not risen. But since
the fact that he did rise is established, by in
contestible evidence, we exuliingly excam in
the language OF the text, "But now is Christ
risen from the dead, and become the first
fruits Of them that slept"
The resurrection Of the human body is a
great mystery. And, on the ground Of its
| mysteriousness, or supposed impossibility,
philosophical objections against it have been
| raised. That the resurrection Of the body is
in itself incomprehensible, is no argument,
much less proof, against it. No this only
| proves our Ignorance, and ignorance is not
| evidence. II would be the utmost folly for
| fn ,u1argoka 10 tIa 1nc
trine of the resurrection of the body, because
enigmatcal in its process As well might he
try TO argue away his own existence, which is
one Of the greatest mysteries. That finite
beings cannot comprehend the manner of the
resurrection of the body that the thing is
impossible with man, does not make il i'm
possible with God. Nothing is impossible
with Him which is not impossible in itself.
| Nothing is physically impossible with God,
but what is impossible in itself, self lf.contra-
| dictory. The resurrection Of the human body
is not physical impossbility, for He who
formed ii from the dust Of the ground can re-
| produce 1t after il has returned to dust. Is
| there any mystery involved in the reproduc-
ton Of the body, that is not involved in the
creation of the body from the dust Of the
ground or the creation Of the material uni
verse ? As far as we are able to comprehend,
one is as great mystery as the other. The
DObblDlilNy VI one implies Inc pOhhlDlllty OF
the other. Nothing is morally impossible
with Him but what is inconsistent with his
moral character" 1t is not morally mpossi-
BILE that God should raise the dead, for the
resurrection is the corner stone to the glori-
GUS system of redemption, of which God is
the author.
Further, that the resurrection is beyond
the reach OF the faculties Of man is only say
ing what is true Of other things. How little
| do we know of the laws which govern the
material universe What mysteries in nature;
in both the intellectual and physical worlds
Science, it is true, has solved problems sup
posed to have been beyond the reach Of the
human mind but there are others that are
destined to remain hidden mysteries, at least
in time. IT, therefore, there are mysteries in
the manner in which God governs the natural
world, is it at all 10 be wondered at that
there are mysteries in his manner Of govern
ingth moral world ? As the resurrection of the
body is a miracle, it must be considered in
the light of a miracle, and not in the light Of
human science. And although it does not
conflict with true science, but rather harmo-
nizes with it, yet, it is infinitely above all
human science, being divine. II man cannot
solve the problems OF nature, can he reasonably
expect TO fathom the mysteries of grace The
earthquake and the eruption Of the volcano are
apparent deviations from what is called the or
dinary course ofnature, or from the known and
established laws Of nature, and yet, relative to
q whole, and for ought we know to the con-
trary, they are not departures from those
laws, but are component parts OF regularly
established system Of nature parts of a con-
nected whole and in harmony with the entire
system. And who is prepared 10 say that the
resurrection is any less a part of the moral,
than these are parts of the physical world
The resurrection is fundamental doctrine
OF the Bibie-clearly authenticated and un-
til revelation can be overthrown, the doctrine
of the resurrection of the body stands unrefut-
ed. The resurrection Of the body is suggest
ed by the analogy of nature, and is therefore
in harmony with it. Sun, moon and stars set
TO rise again. Plants wither and die "at the
north winds breath, only to live again in all
their beauty and glory by the genial breath
Of spring. Vegetation dies in autumn and is
terminated under the direct rays of the sun.
Paul reasons from analogy: "That which
thou sowest is not quickened, except it die :"
The seed committed to the earth must decom-
pOse rot, in order to germinate. See the
resurrection illustrated by the insect tribe.
Now in its chrysalis state now breaking from
its inclosure now a worm on the plant now
skimming the atmosphere with wings of ac-
tivity and beauty. Now torpid now full Of
active life and motion. See il in the fowl of
the air now confined in the shell, now soar
ing above the clouds to rivet its eye on the
sun. See it in the seed; sleeping for thous-
Rnds Of years, then committed 10 earth, now
quiekened, now the beautiful fragrant flower
We are now prepared for the testimony in
proof of Chrsts resurrection. ''Now is
Christ risen from the dead" Our Lord ap-
peared to Mary Magdalene, at the sepulchre,
on the very morning he arose. He showed
himself TO both Mary Magdalene and Mary
the wife of CleOphas and mother of James,
on their return from the sepulcher, TO
declare the glad news of his resurrection
to his disciples. He manifested himself
to Peter; also to Cleophss and another
disciple on their way to Emmaus, a village
some eight miles from Jerusalem. He re-
vealed himself to ten of his disciples assem-
bled in the guest chamber at Jerusalem,
Thomas being absent. Eight days after this
he appeared to the eleven, Thomas being
present, who, no longer doubling exclaimed
MY Lord, and my God" Soon after this,
he appeared to seven of his disciples at the
sea of Tiberius. He was seen of James
seen Of his disciples on a certain mountain in
Galilee seen by above five hundred brethren
at once. Still again he manifested himself TO
his disciples in Mount Olives which stood
within the bounds of Bethany and was near
ly mile from Jerusalem. And on that hal
lowed spot he lifted up his hands and blessed
them and, as he pronounced his parting
benediction, he rose in God-like splendor
from the mountain a cloud received him out
of their sight, and throned him in glory,
whence he came.
The disciples delayed not to declare the
fact of his resurrection, but Immediately pub
lshed it to the people. They did not wait
until his death and resurrection had become
an old story but as soon as he had risen,
while his blood was yet fresh ON the cross
and his dying cry still fingered in their ears,
went forth, and everywhere and to every
body declared the glad tidings. They pro-
claimed it in royal Jerusalem, and Judea
where Christ was well known, in the very
city where he had performed mighty acts
lived died and was buried, and where they
Wara familiar with the circumstances of his