The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-03-30
EASTER REFLECTIONS.
What 1t Signifies Spiritually and HistorI-
ORllv.

oally.
What Significance attaches to Easter
If Moses made the mistakes" attribu.
ted to him by Col. Ingersoll2 t. re-
quires no argument to demonstrate
that the mistakes" If real, would have
been fatal to the commemoration of
the day. The ages cannot pause to
celebrate the anniversary of an un-
truth, much less can Christian civili-
zation be perpetuated upon fal-
lacy. The highest flights of
American patriotism would not
be equal to the task OF honorinz
the Fourth Of July il there was
no antecedent truth upon which to
base the national jubilee. The nations
natal day means something; 1t Is foun-
ded upon historical fact, and because
1T Is fact mighty people unite in an.
thems and peans of national rejoicing.
Historically, Easter commentaries a
risen saviour. Spiritually, 1t means
more than that. For a Redeemer, risen
| from the grave, enthroned in Heaven,
| typical of human hope and the assured
life beyond the tomb, Is the embodi-
ment OF all religious truth. Jesus pre-
dlcted his Messiahship upon the truths
OF the Old Testament as well as those
he came to reveal. A Messiahship
based upon "the mistakes of Moses
and the other prophets would be in
congruous and farcical. Easter, there
fore, stands forth as the eternal light
OF great and undying truth. The
waves of skepticism in all ages have
peaten against this rock In vain. Vol
from varied standpoints. but there it
shlne, more luminous than ever. Iu-
gersoll would disdain the tools of the
earlier skeptical writer's as others In
turn Will refuse to use his; but there
stands Easter, century a fter century, to
nerald TO increasing millions the glory
of the truth.
1t 1s sometimes helpful and inspiring
TO look upon truth from fresh vantage
grounds: If we study the truths Of
Cne Old testament as Jesus studied
ana proclaimed them, we get better
insight into all that is meant by His
descent into the dark tomb and His
glorious emergence. The books Of the
Bible, written by various authors at
different periods of the worlds history
partak1ng so largely of local coloring
| nodded by the environments of the
| writer's, unless inspired must have ab-
| sorbed inevitably some of the contem-
poraneouS beliefs, creeds, maxims and
traditions In morals, political economy,
philosophy, astronomy, geology. medi-
cine and kindred sciences of the pagan
nations. Outside of the Bible all the
writings OF ithOSe ages are more or less
permeated with gross errors. The most
fantastic notions prevailed about the
cosmoRony of the universe, the nature
of the elements, the structure of the
globe, the cause and cure of disease, the
| movements of the heavenly bodies and
| all the physical phenomena known to
man. There was absolutely no escape
from the intiltration of these false con-
| cepts into the books of the Bible, writ
ten by variety of authors unknown
to each other and living in periods
widely separated, unless the writers
were inspired by a superior existence
whom we call God, and whom Christ
calls by the precious name of Father
There is no escape from this conclusion
by any accepted rule of logic.
| But the Bible Is free from all these
errors. This one characteristic of the
sacred writings is alone the greatest
miracle Of the ages. For though Christ
raised the dead He had not the power
to raise such a tremendous historic
fact out of the grave of untruth.
| Easter, then, In commemorative
Chrlsts resurrection, commentaries all
truth. 1t Is a beacon light of tremen.
dous Significance reaching across the
ages to the cradle of mankind and
sweeping onward into the cons of eter.
| nifty.