The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-30

struck OUT anew because ne has not want
esd 70 bring 5iscre6ir upon his father $
rarne 80 say 10 any Christians who are
inclined 20 lament their small service:
Remember IRE victory OF Jesus And
realize that His power by faith may bs In
corpcrated into your life.
Power Over Death.
Put tire exalted view rhsch Paul takes
% cTsrsst IN nay text. refers not only 70
power over sir but power over death ard
me grave. Christ rose from the dead. ard
He stall give US power 10 rise. The mir
zsle Of the T@serfesz tomb OF the Arfrnathe-
an. ts not the cause OF our Anal resurrec-
ton. out the confirming fact which gives
the theory which had always existed IN the
world, q certainty OF assurance. There Is
an uuweicome vagusaess about any theory
Until Il has gone into practice. and sc-
Quilted Itself honorabiy. David sang about
nope OF Immortality. Isaiah looked for
warf 70 a time when the earth should give
~ her dead Daniel spoke OF the great
a waking IN the last day. some 70 eFertaasS-
ing life and some 20 everlasting shame and
contempt The Phzrisees vfthsfccd Fne
Saa9uceex 10 the face n an argument on
this matter. But until Christs stepping
forth from the grave, no one had ever
verified Il In bis own experience, because
the last day, when al things should dis
t0Et& AEEA EAFkff pas A2A %S~ 49,
come. True, Elisha stretched himself upon
the dead child. and ne revived: but in
in course OF time was again vanquisned
ov mans universal enemy. True. Ezekiel
proohesiei, and the dry bones became an
army. but the army became dry bones
again. True, Lazarus was summoned back
10 life, even after he began TO cecomposs.
but ia succunbed again 10 the inevitable.
Wonderful as all these things we're, they
were no argument 10 anyone, who ADMIT
ted them as facts, for the resurrection OF
the dead. But here was one who tested
death. and, as Phillips Brooks says. RE-
fused IL as an unpalatable potion, VINO
rose in majesty, and stepping upon the car
of His own omnipoience. sped into the
heavens. and dened its further power.
Paul could now say, Here Is the sublime
fact Il cannot be disputed. We know that
Jesus died. We know that He was buried
We know that He rose again. and was
seen OF men, and last OF all, was seen or
me also, as one born out OF due time. And
because He. who was a perfect human De-
ing, lives in the possession or his gioFi-
fed body, having been once dead, we shaii
live also. His victory over the grave as
sures us that our theory is well founded,
and that our immortality Is certain" And
so Paul says here In this epistle TO the
Philippians. want TO know Him, and the
power OF His resurrection.
Now. IN spite of all the incontrovertois
testimony TO the genuineness or tnr1st
resurrection-for there Is no single rack
in His whole career so well authenticated
-rationalism stoutly refuses 10 believe H.
This form OF infidslity declares that the
so-called witnesses were FAR more apt 10
be mistaken than the assertion Is TO De
true. RationaIism throws away this fact
DO not
seem to realize all that is included In that
denial. Let US follow its course Logically.
A denial OF the miracle of the resurrection
involves a distrust OF all New Testmens
passages that declare the supernatural
The men who wrote them were the victims
OF Authorization But il they were untrust-
worthy in so much of their work, they
were untrustworthy In all. The passages In
the Old Testament which propfIesy or
chronicle similar unbelievable things,
must also come under condemnation. SO
all Scripture becomes tradition or myth.
But a God who would give His created
beings no guide, no revelation Of His will,
must be an unrighteous God, for He de-
rnands holiness without showing the path
toward IL, I'm which His children are 10
tread If unjust, God cannot exist at all,
for that would be contradiction in terms.
So we are landed on the barren shores or
actual atheism.
Christianity argues in exactly the oppo-
site way. We cannot account for this UNI
verse, unless II is the product of per-
sonai Being. That Being must be infinite
in all His attributes. else He could not
create and uphold the universe. Infinite in
one set of qualities, He must be Infinite in
all. II infinite in holiness, He must desire
the holiness OF His creatures. IL Infinite
in wisdom He must have devised some
revelation OF His will. capable OF being re-
celved and followed by His creatures. III
Infinite tn love, He must have made known
that will 10 the world. If that revealed
word Is 10 be worthy the character or us
Author. 1t must also be perfect, and there
fore infallible. II He employed human
agents to carry out His idea of love and
mercy. He must have rendered them In
capable of error. or all reliability in that
word would be dlssipated. IL worthy OF
its Divine Author, that word should con-
tain some inexphcable things. irreconcil-
able To my finite powers. but clear enough
IN the mind of God. What shall ] do with
themg Reject them. and cast discreoit up
on their Author or accept them ana hon"r
Him by my faith? Arriving AT that point
and deciding properly. there need be no
further trouble. None OF the miracles men
toned in the Bible are difficult of belief
~ We accent IL al Gods lnfalhhle word. /
onen this volume. and read that Jesus was
God manifested In the likeness OF sinful
flesh. knowing no sin. / believe it. read
that In the fnliness Of time He suffered the
cruel death OF the cross. the Just Tor the
unjust. that 4fe who knew no sin, bare
our sins on the tree that we might be free
from the condemnation of sin. l believe IL.
I read that according 70 ancient prophecy
and TO His own promise. He rose again
the third day, and appeared unto men. l
beliave Il. Il is no harder 70 believe than
any other fnexplIcable thing. and there are
Thousands Of them IN our lives and all
around ms. II Is specially easy OF eredence
when God, who lies not. says Il Is SO. And,
N am told BY the nationalist, that II is
all myth. that there IS no truth in X, that
I am the victim. with many others. OF a
baseless delusion. then. I say, welcome de-
iusion.
welcorne Delusion.
The grandest scholars Of the age are
alika deceived. Tie sweetest lives that
have ever existed have declared that II
was ehis power that made them what they
we're The truest heroes have breathed
ouf their souls 70 God in the prosecuting
fame. because they would rather die ia
Christ. trusting 20 the power Of His res
direction. than live without Him. ] am
sn glorious company. and II II is a delu-
eaDr vefnfca that for EhriSCs sake I am
willing to be fool Heavenly deiusion,
that has expelled tire evil that IS in man
end built NJ many noble. pure life; that
has made men humble IN The midst - daz-
zlin< prosperity. and has put songs Of
triumph In - their mouths when stripped
OF every earthIy comfort that has gone
out everywhither With the blessings % its
love. and has returned laden with the rich
fruits Of - unselfs1 service: that has
lived 50 ralat the worie has been Obliged
- acknowledge - true worth and has
died with a chorus % sobs around its bed