The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-04-18
THE GREAT TRIUMPH.
The New Pastor of the Ohio Street
II. e. Church Discourses Flo
quently on the Resurrec-
ton of Christ.

sermon to his new charge, yesterday morn
ing. He was greeted with a full house and
The evident expectancy of the audience was
not disappointed in the sermon, both as To
matter and the manner of its delivery. DIR.
Jackson comes to Sedalia with reputa-
ton of the highest order as christian gen
ileman, Jealous pastor and fine pulpit
orator, and that he will impress his indi-
viduality and influence upon the church
and community, there is no doubt.
The subject of the sermon, of which only
a synopsis is given, was the "Great Tri-
umph," and the theme the resurrection of
Christ as fact, and the relations OF that
fact to other christian doctrines. The text
\ chosen was from 1st Corinthians, 18th
chapter and 10Th verse, and reads as fol-
lows:
"Now then is Christ risen from the dead
and become the first fruits of them that
slept"
The day, said the preacher, suggests the
subject. 1t is Easter, the day which spec
Ially commentaries the resurrection of
Christ 1t cannot be called an anniver-
sary, for there is nc fixedness to it as there
is to other DAYS which are anniversaries.
While / do not fully endorse the obser-
vance OF the day, as do some, yet We can
we'll celebrate it in a way which will more
wildly bring to our minds the great event
which it is intended to memorable. We
remember and celebrate our natal days,
why then may We not, as members of Gods
family, have some one day set apart, which
should especially remind us of the greatest
event in the worlds history? We celebrate
Christmas, not always piously, but always
with gladness. The criticism is on the
way, not on the fact of the celebration. 1t
should always be day of hearty Joy and
praise, re-echoing the song OF the angels.
No matter if Easter does not fall on the
same day of the month, every year, that it
is movable, it is intended to recall the
resurrection of Christ and that should
cause us to join hearts with the. christian
world and make it day of peculiar interest
and favor. 1t tells us of the great fact of
His rising in triumph from the embrace of
death and the doom of the grave, even
though the Roman soldiers stood in sullen
watchfulness at its portals. 1t is the most
important event i'm the record of His work
If Jesus only had died and had not risen,
no sinner could hope for salvation. Ii is
the grand basis of our religious life
There are two thoughts in the text to
which attention is asked. The first is, that
Christ did rise from the dead. Paul be-
lieved this and so did all the apostles 1t
was not mere opinion, but an actual, in
spring belief, aud this is the greatest
ground for our belief in the resurrection.
This fact cannot he proved by any process
Of reasoning, neither can it be fixed with
mathematical certainty. 1t depends on
evidence, not actual, visible demonstra-
ton. These writers state historical fact.
1t is of the same nature that any fact is
which depends on the credibility of wit
nesses. Nor does it weaken their state
ments to say that they were men without
learning. that they were poor and from the
toiling class. 1t is not question Of learn
ing but one ofeyesight.
The objector must prove that these men
were defective in sight, that they had lost
the senses of touch and hearing. They
said they saw, heard and felt of Christ
after He had risen from the grave that He
WAS living, speaking man among them.
And they gave their lives in attestation of
this belief. They gladly went down to
cruel deaths rather than make recantation
of their beliefs.
1t was an article of faith i'm the church
from the first. 1t was the very foundation
stone upon which the church of Christ was
built. The apostles told of living Christ,
not dead one. They proclaimed that He,
of whom they spoke, was alive and i'm full
possession of His regal powers; and
this has been the one grand inspiration
of every preacher, and of the church.
from their day unto ours.
This belief has always been kept promi-
nent This has already been limited, but
10 hot \ NJ m ;fa, ,nt,
1t was not sprung on the new convert as
secluded or reserved doctrine, but was held
forth to view and acceptance as the most
prominent belief of the christian church.
1t is not like the doctrines of the .mmac-
ulate Conception and Papal Infallibility,
which are of but recent origin i'm the Ro-
man Catholic church. Time was when it
was not heresy in that church to disbelieve
these two d ,ctrines but now il is. They
were sprung upon that church centuries al
ter it came into existence. But not so with
the belief in the resurrection of Christ.
The second thought is the relation of
this fact to the doctrines of the church.
1t is the completion of the atonement. 1t
rounds out the work of Christ Lacking
this, We could not believe that His mission
had been success. OF Him it was prophe-
the sinner and that He should conquer
death. So it is in reference to the miracles.
They were all wrought as proofs of His
divinity. If this one were lacking We
could not believe in that divinity. what
has become of Him." would be the fatal
question we would have to confront from
the sceptic. ale raised others, why can He
not raise Himself?' 1t is essential to
christian faith that Christ rose from the
dead, for if He is not risen we are, of all
men, the most miserable. Here is an arch
of stones. Every stone is needed in its
structure, but there is one which is of all
the most important. Upon its face the
sculptor has wrought beautiful designs and
the builder watches over it with singular
care. Why? 1t is the keystone of that
arch, its position is the one of honor. So
with this belief in the resurrection, 1t is