The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-09

But the risen Chris! rccpens the countless
graves. tIc unrivris the IOi'"psS :ii"z.'. We
believe that the saIn.. power whi.h "r;iiScd up
Jesus from tic dead VIII also raise up them
that sleep In .le$rls. and bring them with Him
10 the PLACE wh.h Is prepared Tor them lie
wlIr ri rrts ur doubts the truth on Wii;ch thlS
faith rests, without examination incurS guilt
In the view OF heaven. and rejects the bright
e>t hope of lilr-.il thHt makes life worth lir.
ing.
And IT, IL one of the greatest of marvelS
that any one should he unwilling to accept
Il fact SD full OF hope, and which 50 accnrdS
with the irre,'rcssible instinct OF his nature
that any should set himself against that Cos
pei which brings life and Immortality 10
light. t."--lhatany should Of choice encase MN
self In mere matrrialism and shut outnf view
the blessed and unclOu.led prospect OF res
urrcclion from the dead, through the risen
Christ. But some may he troubled WIN
doubt. Some are perhaps h. coudcd ty the
sOchistrIes and j.bcs " infide'S. Let such
seek for truth with an honest NINA ana we
do not lear but IL will nc found.
Sergeant West one oi thc nDlest i;."yerS Oh
the English bar, eNaini ned this sutJci l''"St
critically. His object DriLg t" Hiss Ill C:Ir's.
tianiy from this side. The rcsnlt was, That
he Was entirely convinced that he WAS wrong
and that christianity is true, ana he has gwen
to the Church one OF the ab!est arguments IN
defence Of the truth lie Ouce doubted. we
believe that If many who are now In perplex-
ity would put aside prejudice, speculative rea
sOnlng and mere hypothesis. and examine
this fact on Is merits, as they would examine
any other subject, they would reach the same
conclusion. It is Impossible In our liinited
time 10 do more than alluue to some OF the
points OF this gospel history-a history OF
such vital Importance 10 our religion ami our
hopes for ourselves ard our beloved dead.
Christ Is risen. We have the record In the
gospels Of this inct and we have right To ap-
peal 10 this evidence, for Celrus, Purphyry,
and In ian, the great lnfidels of primitive
times, admitted the history contained in the
sospe!s to be In the lnaiu true. The gospel
history hen Tells US that our Lord was cruel.
fled, and that lis dead body was laid In u
drim, and guarded without By u band OF sol.
diers. In The morning OF the ilrst day of the
week the tomb Is open, and the body not to
be found in or out OF the sepulchre How can
WAS accomplished, and He really arose from
the dead.
The Apostles and primitive Christians who
lived Mt the time and place, and who are hd-
declared that He had risen. They declared
this 10 be a fact. not merely that they believ.
Ell Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, but
because they knew it. They knew II, not be.
cause they felt some divine impulse, or had
because for 40 days He often appeared TO
them in the day-ti me, rs well as by night. de
convcrsed with them. He ate and drank In
and sclls tina, marked His identy, He allud-
cl TO topics OF conversation that He had had
with tliem before His crucifXon. They
could not possibly be deceived.
one thus rising from the dead Is an oGlect
of scnce, he eau he seen, and heard and han
died. A body dead, and u body alive, can be
Enthusiastically distinguished. Norcould they
have intended 10 deceive. and asserted Il
them, what motive could have led them TO
Disseminate lie. Not the fame or reward OF
the fanatic, heapplause of their followers, for
they would have had no followers. There
was no worldly gain of any kind to influence
them. The Knowledge that Jesus had been
cruciiicd as q malefictor would have repelled
all from cnIsting under His banner. 10 do
this, meant ruin, disgrace and deaf TO
suppose then the Apostles proclaimed and
died fora prohtless lie, is 10 suppose that they
acted in violation OF all known principles OF
human action. But the persuasion and posi-
tive knowledge they had that their Divine
Master was true, that He had risen, the coll
sIraining power of this marvellous fact was
suflirient to induce them to spend their
whole lives In maintaining and making 1t
known.
They would not deny 1t, though, they
were tortured upon the rack, were chained TO
the stake, and expired amidst the flames Of
martrydUm. But not only the disciples and
friends bear testimony on this point, put the
enemies are equally good witnesses. The sol
dierS that were employed TO watch the sepul
chre painly saw, and some OF them believed.
they felt the earthquake that rolled away the
stone from the tomb-they looked on the an
gel that stood by, his raiment as white ms
snow. and they became es dead men, while
others running into the city, told what was
done IT Is true, at the insiigation OF the rul-
ers LheyluOiishly asserted that they slept,
and the body of Jesus was stolen. If this
had been true, they would not have dared To
confess IL, Tor death was the penalty.
But it was beyond question improbable.
Conjecture Is absolutely at fault TO find II
plausible motive for so foolish an act on the
part of the Apostles. even If 1t was possible
r~- 81, q mi (Ilr
Lord.
they had seen Him who was their Master,
Protector and Hope, slain on the Cross. He
was one then whose power was no longer TO
lie trusted. They themselves, were weak,
helpless men, filed with dread lest the rage
of the multitude should turn on them, so hll-
ed with fear. of personal harm, that they
earnestly denied that they were disciples OF
Jesus, and hid away aiirighted, ana despair
ing 1t Is morally impossible then that the
disciple of Jesus, should have stolen the
body OF Jesus, for with the dead body In their
possession they would have had no motlFe
to speak and act uS they did-thcy would have
gained nothing. II they were stupid impos.
tors. the hundreds To whom they appealed to
range themselves on the side OF the risen
Irsus. would not have listened, suffered and
died IN defense of prniiLlrSs llp Sure at
least would have crested against the false.
hood, wnuli have exposed and betrayed the
impOsture.
On the other htnd, If the body was in pos
produred It. 10 the confusion and disprovnl OF
inc Apostles, who said He was risen. But IL
is inlpusSiblc to cover the whole grOGnd. we
have only glanced ut II few points, anu we
surely need not go over the argument, as II
doubled Yet IEcre is one other point to
which we would call your attention. Unless
tile resurrection be fact, how will you ac-
count for the observance OF the first day OF
the week, and the Lords supper, o"th o..
which are kept as memorials OF the SaVlotrs ;
bno n nd resurrection.
These two monuments have been kept up
wirnout interruption by the whole Christian
now. They are founded upon the fact of TIE
resurrection. This fact is The only adequate
reason, that can be assigned for their ooser-
vance, and heather rs well as CHRISTIAN VIII,
ers agree that the first dag OF the week ana
thc Lords Supper are kept IN memory 0f our
Lords resurrection. Nov, unless this resur.
rectIon he u tact, there Is no possible e%plana-
tiun for these two institutions Ol tne ChriS-
Iian religion. Ii Christ did not rise irOia me
dead. these two institutions are an effect
without nm ADEQUATE cause. Just rs the ilh
Of July and other human memorials have
reference to wcll-knOwn positive lactS, so u
is with this greatest OF all ilclS, 1act Whlch
bears on our well-hstns In tlint anu eternity.
Iniidelity never has, and never can account
for these institutions in amy other Way. lhty
are standing monuments that ChrlsL our
| ord has risen from tie dead ana bccnmG tlle
first fruits Of them who sleep IN Him. III Jesus
died and rose again, they which sleep IN
Jesus will God bring with Him. Here IN inns
suurrnatual fact we have the strongest con-
formation of the truth Of the Gospel
rhc whole fabric of the christian faith rests
on This foundation that our Lord Is risen. II
The ord Jesus be not risen, our preaching IS
worse than vain, and the innl hopes OF a.
lirye,s are worthless. "IrembllnS on tne
verge of the dark and terrible valley which
nnris the land of the living from the nntred
hereafter. Take this land of human lender
ness, yet Godiikc tIensth, or they tot;cr iato
tic gloom without prop ur stay. christ NOT
worse ti.nn nuihing in the Bible and Chris
tiuutly. Christ ri%rn means that HIS re'ls-
i'm is no human device, hut revelation rom
above Christ not risen, means despair ioi
"rrse ives. hopeless grisfovcr tie broken ties
Of nilectioD, and that the deepest instincts ol
'' -. IN