The record-union., 1892-04-18

would nave meant death Tor them. But
power far stronger than that of the
Roman army interfered, the infinite
power of God, and the dead Jesus came
forth in life, the living Christ. The mir
acle OF the resurrection was accomplished,
and the seal OF Immortality was set.
st. Paul clearly recognizes the unique
value OF the fact Of Christ's resurrection.
lie says: If Christ be not raised, your
faith is vain" and he was writing to men
who had faith in that fact. 1t is needless
now TO enter into any argument to prove
that Jesus Christ was raised from the
dead. 1t has been believed so long and
by such men that the burden of proof is
now upon those who would reject it. Let
such show that He was not raised from
the dead. The short and easy method
Which these men have of putting the res
direction to one side, as outside nature"
unnatural" and therefore essentially
incredible, will not do until all the secrets
OF nature in all times shall have been ex-
amined. Until they have examined and
understand all the secrets of nature in all
times we have authority enough to con-
vince reasonable minds that the resurrec-
ton of Jesus Christ is fact
But one step then still remains to be
taken: Suppose He did rise, why should
we? Because of the Incarnation. We
turn to the Scriptures, and observe their
teaching as to the relation of Christ to
humanity-the way He is identified with
it. He was the ''Son of Man" By the
incarnation the divine was united to the
human nature. 1.-The Word was made
flesh" The second person Of the Blessed
Trinity took upon Him the form and per-
son and nature Of man. Thus the man
Christ Jesus bridged the space that sepa-
rated man from God, and united human
ity to, Deity. By this act the Christ
opened the way for man to enter into the
mortal nd
mortality for mankind. As 1.-The first
Adam was made a living soul,' so ''the
second man" became "a life-giving
spirit" He came that we might have
life, and have it more abundantly.
All attempt to emasculate Christianity
OF its supernatural quality breaks down
before the fact that ''tne second man was
made life-giving spirit" Argument is
useless. The fact is established. "How
is Christ risen from the dead and become
the first fruits of them that slept For
since by man came death, by man came
also the resurrection of the dead. For, as
in Adam, all dies, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive"
Millions of human beings believe in
the resurrection of Christ. They believe
IN mans immortality, and their faith
rests upon the resurrection of Christ. eff
Christ be not raised. our faith is van.o
Our fortunes are bound up with His. Be-
cause he has risen, we, too, shall rise.
Upon the fact OF the resurrection Chris
tianity rests. Christian civilization, with
its extensive developments, rises like an
enormous building upon this foundation.
The arts, literature, and the like, are the
towers which rise in grandeur and beauty
TO give glory and dignity to the structure.
The Church of Christ, the great bulwark
of morality and all truth, draws its life
from the resurrection. The risen Lord
death is the source of its being and the
power which has ever moved and still
moves it TO go on in its march, conquer
ing sin, overcoming evil, and leading
men to ever higher and nobler conditions
of existence. The church, the body Of
Christ, has not lost its power for good, nor
can 1t lose that power SO long as time en-
dures. But ever will it stand, the enemy
Of sin and wrongdoing, the reproof of
evil, the molder and supporter of right
thought and lofty impulse, until the
whole world snail become the kingdom
of the Lord and of the risen Christ.
Side by side with the church there have
ever been human organizations, COM
posed of believers in Christ, and having
for their object the defense OF the
Christian faith, the preservation of
Christian institutions, the protec-
ton from desecratlon of places and
things associated with the Christ
The empty sepulcher has possessed
power OF attraction sufficiently strong
to lead men to leave home and friends to
go forth to fight for its protection. And
the world has seen few sights more in
spring than those of the crusades Of CEN
turtles gone by. Useless they appear to
many to have been. But prompted as
they were by belief in and love of Jesus
Christ. they were most powerful factors
IN the development of Christian man
hood. And that influence has extended
even to this day. The time when men
shall go forth to fight for the possession
of the empty sepulcher is passed. But
the same spirit that prompted the cru
Sader is still alive, and that spirit is
manly and honest recognition of, and
faith in the resurrection of Christ, and
mans Immortality. To you, Sir knights
and brethren, the words of our text
should come with special import. You
who are gathered here to-nlg hit are repre-
sentatives of body composed of the best
men in the country, and numbering
amongst its members many of the leaders
in every vocation in life But what does
this great and noble organization repre-
sent? Upon what does it rest? l know
that | am right when / say that it repre-
SentS Christian manhood, and that it
rests upon faith in the fact of ChriSt's
resurrection. THAT sword that you bear,
is it not patterned after the cross upon
consecrated? Is it not to defend the
widow and orphan, to protect innocent
maidens, to defend the Christian religion.
aye, to support at all times and all haZ-
ards truth, honor and all things that the
Christ upheld and called good? Freely
and willingly you have taken upon your
selves VOWS that are sacred because of
their deep import. To you chosen from
the many, great and important truths
have been taught in lessons of most sol
emn and beautiful character, and such as
should touch more and more the very
depths of heart and mind. The order of
which we are members is grand and
noble in its conception. Its ritual is
most beautiful and dignified. The
truths which it teaches and supports are
those upon which the worlds morality is
based. Its end is to aid i'll the great work
which Christ came to accomplish, the
salvation of the world from sin. We be-
Iieve in its success. We have faith in the
ultimate accomplishment of the ends
which it was designed to secure. But
"If Christ be not raised, our faith is
vain" Hand in hand with the church of
Christ, our noble order should go on, a
tower of strength for good, power for
righteousness in men. Our swords should
not rust in their shields so long as vice
walks boldly in the land, corruption
holds sway in the government of nation
VI Olbs VI Sill t'iANt VIZ SAb GHtuiOu6u III
high places. But the power of our order
should be exerted continually until these
things are destroyed, and truth and right
eousuess prevail. A high and noble
work is ours, nay brethren, aud we should
not permit our Christian knighthood to
be an empty name. or rest under the i'm
putation of sham and mere profession.
| Knights of the Temple We are, my
brethren. And | should be an unworthy
member of your order, much more an
unworthy priest of the church, were to
fail to nroe Won to strive To be 1rnrthu Of