The Irish standard., 1894-03-31

lkhea4 u $Uu0tAy LUZ IL uaAo - 49,
81 familiar intercourse for forty days
confirming and completing what he had
taught and outlining their work and
mission. d
But neither were the Apostles de-:
5ceivers; no motive can possibly be- cons
Sceived for deception on such 9 scale.
And motive or no motive they were too
sunlettered to conceive such q conspiracy,
too numerous to hope that some one
would not betray it and too weak to hope
of ever publishing it with success. They
had absolutely no means at hand Judas
had stolen their purse, their influence il
they ever had any had completely col
lapsed with the triumph of the Jewe.
These therefore being neither deceived
nor deceivers are urexceptionable Wit
nesses that Christ was alive, on that
memorable Sunday morning and there
after. The closest criticism does not
break down this historical narrative. Life,
therefore, the second element Of the
Resurrection is also certain.
+ Thus we have the aggressors of Chris
tianity proving separately but conclu-
sively the two elemen of the mystery
Of the Resurrection, viz: the death Of
Christlon Friday, and His living, breath
ing reality on Sunday. Nothing but
their predetermination to exclude any
thing supernatural, to retire God from
His own universe, to tie His hands lest
He lead us to higher destiny keeps
them from seeing the overwhelming
force of each others arguments. The
second school Skaters completely the
assumption Of the first, that the Apostles
imagined they saw ghost, and the first
school makes ridiculous the statement of
the second school that Christ was not
really dead when placed in the sepulchre.
Finally the statement of the Jews that
the Apostles stole the body is the most
absurd of all. For this theft could have
been accomplished under the circum
stances either by the use of force, or OF
bribery or of cunning, but neither force
nor bribery nor cunning was employed.
The timid Apostles could not themselves
have overpowered the guard nor could
any multitude they might bring together
overpower them without breaking the
silence of the night with the noise of
combat or leaving behind signs of q
bloody affray. But there was nothi g Of
the kind at the tomb. Bribery or in-
fluence was impossible owing to the
poverty of the Apostles and their I'M
popular cause. Neither was there any
punishment me ted ont to the soldiers on
this account, nor were the Apostles them
selves when summoned before the ooun-
Gil ever accused of having broken the
seal and stolen the body. Finally no
cunning would avail. The Apostles were
too timid to approach that armed force.
Their chief had denied bis faith at the
silly remark of q woman. They could
not enter the tomb but by one way be-
cause it was hewn in the solid rock and
any other way would have been after
wards discovered. Stealing the body in
their haste and trepidation they Ger
tainly would not have leisurely unwound
the sheet glued on by spices and wounds
and having folded it and placed to one
side carried off the body unclothed. How
wonderfully have all the trivial circum-
stances under the direction of Divine
Pr violence conspired to bring out in re-
lief the truth of this cardinal point OF
our Faith! 1t is for this reason that
,ience which is armed against the Most
High is baHied, confounded and divided
into olashinR, schools. Oh, then, in the
words of the angel let us not seek the
living among the dead! As the rock
bound sepulchre could not imprison His
body, so the whole force of reason un-
vili6ed by Faith cannot imprlson the
truth Of Christ's resurrection and
through that resurrection flashes the di-
vinity Of His power. ''The Lamb that
was slain is worthy to receive power and
divinity" Through that resurrection is
seen the harmony of all the inspired
word and the reason of the new lite in
fused into the world by Christianity
Great soldiers and great sages are dead
and turned to clay and their followers
have vanished like waters on the desert
plain. But Christ rising disth no more.
Scarcely remembrance of their deeds
survives the wreck of time. But see!
today how the throngs the world over
surge to the churches, see how Christ
lives on adored, incensed. loved. Teach
ers Of false religion because Of earth have
kneaded. the slime of passion with their
maxims and the multitudes who follow
them but deity themselves. But Jesus
because of God crucifies the passions OF
earth and diffused the radiance Of
heaven. From Him has come light, the
charity and the chastity of all who ever
have been wise, cody and pure. His
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