The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-03-28

I. he wonderful change IN the disciples Of
.ChriSt. tpfnthat trsl Coed Friday, the disciples
cung % ne old Jewish idea that Christ had cone
10 resicse tie throae u David and hecone a
mighty temporal ruler. They believed that He
| would overthrow the hated Roman government,
and tsample her proud banner under HIS feet
/ his tho1gAs hiled them WITH e1thnsiaSra- Twas
- real that the dseples quArrelicd among them
selves as to who shcald hsvs the chief places o.
/ ofaees. james and John both wanted portfolios
when Jesus came % make M his hisOahinft Al
these hores persisted In the disgrseefpl deaih q
their leader. CelSus. one q the first inndeiss
ycced the feelings Of the disciples ~ the close u
I that hrst Good Friday, when he Wrofrs lie has
ended miserable life by wretcAed death The
biackncss. which AZ midday onsaroadea Calvary.
and the Holy City, was 81 emblem Of the
despair which fell aron the disciples. They al
forsook him and aed. going buck TO their old
/ trades and walks Of life, But in less than two
months We and these iirnid flying. despairing
disciples once more In Jerusalem. AZ a national
feast AZ the peril Of their lives thesc men boldly
| faced the same high priests rulers, aud common
people, who fifty days netore with faces pale with
bate. hta stained their hands with the blood O.
Christ. Thcso transformed disciples. nov eoldly
eharSc that wilG-bsaSt, crowd Of turhuleat
Jews. no, oaly with murder hui with the murder
of their long expected Messiah. They reaesrse
the sad story u the erucihxon with its attendant
wonders. and add that this Christ did rise again
on the shird day, as Tie had said lie WOnld. They
told the trutk-oF else a lie patent 50 open, -
easily pruvea false, that it voRld have been ex-
plOded IN day, ard their lives would not have
been worth a farthine, Would these men. who IN
the garden Of GeihSenane. ran at the hrsi sight Of
danger, standing on a fAlSehood. have dared ini-
peach nation. arTaln is Justice, and elarso its
rulers with the murder Of innOceneet No, The
disciples certainly believed the story they told.
> Tho cou6uci Of the rulers and people Of
Jerusalem Is also unsxplainsble. II the Resurrso-
ton Of Christ be not fact Between two and
three millions Of poople were assembled IN and
around Jerusalem at the time Of ChriSt's cruel
hxion and resurrection. Their passover booths
covered every hill and valley around the city, and
every Nvaiilele foot Of gzonnd within II. livery
fact, every event was not only known, but was
subjected % the keen scrutiny Of these millions
enc1mped in and around Jerusalem. The truth
was known by tens Of thousands, and could be
easily shown II the disciples did not tell the
truth, why did the rulers and the people only .
DAYS Afterwards stand like criminals at the bar u
Justice, oonsciencesnitten, and virtually coafess
JudcwentsH Why did not the chief priests expose
this transparent fraud. arrest the disciples and
put them to death. as they did their Master
5. Boston looks acruss the Charles River
with pride upon Bunker Hill MOnument-that
granite shaft which towers 81 feet above the
ground. Tor forty years It has stood there, and
for generations TO come II will stand tscre an
enduring witness Of American valor, and TO CON-
mennonite the great fact that there, that hill,
on the 18th day Of June lI7S, was fought the first
PATCHED battle IN the war which resulted IN Amer
lean independence Christ's resurrection has q
monument in the Christian Sabbath. more impuS-
inc and more enduring, 70 centuries ago, Satur-
dAy was. rs il Is now, the Sabbath Of the Jews.
But Christend0n. aud the civilized world. now OBJ
serve SUNDAY, or the Lords day. WAS tia small
undertaking for few men, without influence OF
authority without occasion TO warrant it. and with
particular motive or reasou 20 begin and accom-
plish - Important change Of DAYS as thislN
This monument has stood for - centuries-it will
stand till time shall be no more. bearing witness
Of Christ's resurrgcti1u-
1. Once more; On the superstition that Easter IS |
delusiol, that the eguciied malefactor, looked
the last time on earth. on that terrible Good FIJI
day. how urv y0u 10 account for the coming into
existence Of the great Christian sweeping |
0yrr Grcek aud Roman culture, topplins down the |
throne Of the CNsarS, spreading itself over bar |
barie tribes and across the Balkans and the Alps.
and the hovlins North Sea- and England, rolling |
the Atlantic itself and advancing from side
10 side Of the New World. and beyond II TO the isl
ands OF the Western Sea. and again into Asia, sc.
cuuulating forcs all the way? This waive, which |
seems likely to end its course only by the ensvathe
nent OF tue whole planet. You are 20 explain how
that wave started. II Is colnc past YOU the dulleSt
ear can hear the surge Of its tremendous torrents
What force hsayed this earthquake wave out of |
the first century, The fishermen Of Gallilee, |
standing on the grave Of dead Christ, preaching
a transparent lie. How absurd, Infdels who scout /
the idea of Chris:s resurrection. ask 10 believe
in greater miracle namely: That transparent |
lie, champiOued by ignorant men, opposed by all /
other relisiOns, and by all earthly powers, vas |
stronger than all these. and in few centuries, /
this lie, from the throne Of the Cse2rs ruled the
world,
Ii is easier 10 believe Christianity born Of mix
acle than lie. II owes its existence TO the
other. 80 / accept the glad simple story of the /
ChEist's resurrection. With the Marys. bow at |
the feet Of the risen. triumphant Christ and woT-
shin hiuf'