The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-28


are conclusive to the unprecedented mind. The
writer's of that ana Immediately succeeding
day, prove beyond question:. that the Gospel
records are authentic, that their authors were
the very persons they describe themselves to
be, the disciples of Christ, the witnesses Of
What they record, the propagators ot Chris
tianity, and that they wrote in times and
places SO distant US to destroy all Idea of COL
fusion.
Now what was the character of these disc1-
plies and the weight OF their testimony, what
were their opportunities for information, and
the peculiar circu instances in which they pub
iished and preached Christ and the resurrec-
tion ? 1t appears then, that they were plain,
unlearned men. i'll fitted therefore, to affect
so complete change as was wrought III TIT
belief OF mankind, they were temperate and
CUTE the visionary dreams Of enthusiasm,
knowing that they would thus bring upon
themselves every kind OF suffering. Iley were
so infected with Jewish prejudiccs, that they
were long unable to comprehend the whole
scheme OF Christianity, and little disposed to
adopt new for the old creed, or give up the
dream of temporal greatness, for themselves
and their people, through Jesus, whom they
believed to be the Messiah. When therefore,
they saw Him die on the cross. and laid IN the
grave. their expectations were dlsappolnted
and all their hopes at an end. Though ne NAG
told them again and again, that lie Would
rise the third day, they seemed to forget and
to despair. Contrary, however, to their ut
most hopes, the crucitied Redeemer burst the
bonds of the tomb and gave undoubted PROOF
to His followers and 10 The world, that rat, ne s IS
High. by the resurrection from the dead.
Such IS their declaration. Now how far Is
this declaration sustained hy the clrcum-
stances of the case ? Jesus died on the cross,
and was laid in the tomb, His body, against
all human probability and in spite of every
precaution, on the third day, was not In the
to,nh it was either stolen By His enemies: or
His friends, or He was actually restored to
inS yun11IH removed
and hidden the body. that would have deieal-
ed their very design, which WAS to prove He
had not risen and could not RISE
His terrified disciples could not. II they bad
tried, have overcome the armed Ro-
man guard, or rolled away in silence and Sc
crecy the heavy stone at the door of the sep
ulchrc. They could not have carried the BODY
unnoticcd through the crowded streets OF Je-
rusalem, and while the full-orbcd moon shone
down upon the scene. The soldiers would not
have riSl,ed death by sleeping, nor would tho
whole uetachment have slept at the same
time, nor if they did sleep, could they say tue
disciples came by night and took away the
body. But even IL His followers had obtained
possession of His body, what motive could
they have had in asserting that the llmd was
risen? What was the prospect OF success III IN
the monstrous attempt? What the rewards
for founding Il religion that should rest on so
incredible Il circumstance as the resurrection
of its crucitied author.
Despised by the Romans, hated by their
own CUuntrylncn, WlGlOuL lCttTIlllS, WltlDuu
riches, Without Influence of any kind, what
could have induced the first champions OF
christianity to preach this wonucrioi uoc.
true? 1t was not power Often did they
did they attempt to sway it's sccptre. 1t was
not fame. They were accounted the otscour-
ing of all things" twas not ease or pleasure
They were prosecuted, imprisoned. scourged
and martyred: 1t WAS not to sive e. reign rel ITO TO
pei called them to sclf:deniaI and the avoid.
ance Of all sin. The only motive that could
have led them to give up every tI1n! dear 10
man and suffer every peril and pain, must
have been the absolute belief that the Master
was risen, and that in love and obedience
they must preach that which they knew was
true, and Oh which so much depended.
But could they be under deluSion them, lf,ll,,
told Thomas the joyful news they indicatGd
the ground Of their faith. They said, 1--WE
have seen the Lord" They did not say, We
whom we once trusted as the Redeem :r OF Is
rac, but who is now with the dead Dut we
have seen the Lord Himself. We hav enjoy
ed His bodily presence. We have sc IN Him
eat and drink before us: Aterwate WnEn
Thomas doubted Jesus suffered him tc handle
His body, to touch the print Of the nails ana
to thrust his hands into his wounded side.
He went in and out among them fer forty
ly by some, but all. He talked with them,
walk ed with them and instructed them "con-
cerning HIMSELF" that they might kpoW tilat
"dpath had no more dominion over HIN,
That with calm confidence they ml9:ht walt
for the outpouring of the Holy Gb ost, and
tear no evil from human malice, or the pow
ers OF darkness for "the Redcencr livcth."
serted by the teXt-that "in our flesh we shall
sec God" OF all doctrines taught by the goS-
pei, the most mysterious to human reason is
that of our resurrection from the dead. the re-
union of the body and soul in another world,
and where there will be no more death. The
old philosophers and rejecting heatDen 1et
within them All immortal spirit, and they had
q faint notion OF a future state. But that Ill.
ture state was to consist, in their view, not or
another union to the body, but in complete
separation from it's bondage. And the Deists
and SadduceeS Of modern times nave never
risen to higher conception of the future.
But the teachings Of christianity is OF dlf1er-
ent character. 1t promises to man perfeG"
ton and al eternity both in body and soul.
1t tells the believer In Revelation that as ne IS
now, so he will be hereaftcr-a compound be.
ing That, the same being that now ulsoe.
licves and sins, will in hat same form III
which he sinned be condemned; and, that on
the other hand, the same being who on earth
is faithful to his Saviour vii! be gloriiled oy
that saviour, and received into everlasting
habitationS. This was The promise OF Jesus
to His followers, and to illustrate and confirm
that promise He himself rose from the dead
and proclaimed 1.-The resurrection ana the
where Hc was, they should also be, but us He
was they also should become.
Now they had seen Hin risen from lhe
tomb, therefore they would rise. They had
seen Him ascending up n heavcn-int0 heav-
cn-thcrrfDrc they themselves would go.
They had seen Him car wing up thither the
very body in which Z hid walked with
them, nilh talked witt them on earth: III
their own bodies therefore they themselves
were to follow Him int the hcavcnl ly places.
and become The conpa1 ions of angels. prlnci-
paltieS and powers. And, why brethren
should it he thought impossible, as 1t Is by
some, that God should raise the dead: why
should ii be thought i'm probable thntHlte the
body has lnnglcl with its kindred elements
IT should be rr:,nim;ttcd rs to everything eS-
scntia to its Identity: 1t is neither physical.
ly impossible, nor inconsistent with the ANAL
ogy of nature, that our bodies should rise
from the dust in IL new and more glorious
form. How often, in many OF the WORKS OF
nature, has prcSunptuouS scientific ignorance
boldly drawn the line of impOSSibllity, and
That to its own confusion. But for experience
the acorn that drops lifelcSs from the bough,
is withcred by the winds, is drenched by the
rains, and moulders unseen beneath the earth
might with equal justice be thought to have
pcriShed Yet shall "thc sapling spring up IN
it's vgOr and expand into the mighty oak of
the forest" The insect that Sportcd In sum-
mer pride, though now an inantmatc form
shall in due season he clothed in brightest
hues, and waited on the gale of spring. Thus
man shall arise from the dust when light and
liberty awake the slunbers OF the tomb. Ihc
hand which rom II buried grain OF wheat can
raise up the blade and the ear, can aud will
call forth our mortal bodies from the ruin in
10 which they have fallen, and give them q
frame tit to partakc OF the inheritance of the
saints in light. He who made man at the
first from the dust Of the ground can compel
death to give back that dust inviOlatc, and
will forever crown it with untading glory.
The word Of God assures lis that our body
though at Is sown in corruption, is raised in
interruption, though it is sown in dishonor,
is raised in glory though IT is sown in weak
ness is raised in power; though it is sown Il
natural bcdy. is raised n spiritual body"
RI tad Tor.