The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-05-02
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
BY THOMAS j. WATER.

S~o>@S~~~~~~~~~~~~~>< "~~-~~~~~~~~~~~>>"S~S
l suppose there is no subject of
greater interest than this to profess
ing Christians. And perhaps there
is none so suggestive of questions, to
the inquiring mind almost of doubts,
on closer thought. The resurrection
of Christ is unlike all our experiences
and observations, before or since.
There is very strong, and, think,
growing tendency in this ege of ma
terial science to brush aside, or reject
entirely, any statement, anywhere, on
any subject that does not seem to
square with general observation and
experience, as being unnatural, and
therefore impossible.
But of course it is the greatest
egotism, and most unwarrantable as
sumption to say there can nothing be
or occur that we have not seen, or
seen the like Of. Yet this is precisely
the position of doubters and object
ors, especially on this subject as con-
tanned in what is known as Revelation.
think see a growing disposition
on the part of many, if not most min
listers, in our day to cater to this ele-
ment of our times; to smooth over,
explain away or ignore passages relat-
ing to things or occurrences out of
the ordinary, or unnatural, as they are
called; and thus weaken the author
ity of the foundation of our faith. In
jure or destroy the foundation, and
the superstructure must surely suffer.
Strength of effort corresponds with
strength of faith. If the Bible is no
more than any other hook it will be
read no more and believed no more, and
followed or obeyed no more, and the
civilizing influence of Christianity in
the world will measurably cease. Ex-
plantations, are valuable, constructive;
but explaining away is destructive;
and to ignore is to give an impression
of misgiving or weakness.
Let US now see what the record in
Luke says on the Resurrection. 1st.
They entered in and found not the
body of the Lord Jesus. And the
men in shining garments told them,
He is not here, he is risen.' And
when they told others what they had
seen, sit seemed to them as idle
talk" "But Peter hearing ran to the
sepulchre and looking in sees nothing
but the clothes by themselves"
The lesson of the day ends here;
but this is not all of Luke's record.
In the same chapter we find, End,
That, Jesus himself drew near, and
went with two of them on their way
to Emmaus who were talking over
the wonderful occurrences. They
did not recognize him, "And he said
unto them, what manner of communi-
cations are these that he have one to
another, as ye walk, and are sad7"
And the answer was: "Art thou
only stranger in Jerusalem, and
hast not known the things which are
come to pass here in these days9"
He asks, "What thingsa" They ans
wer, concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
which was Prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the
people; and how the Chief Priests
and our rulers delivered him up to
be condemned to death and have
crucifed him. But we trusted that
it had been he which should have re-
deemed Israel; and besides all this,
today is the third day since these
things were DONE" Then they re-
peated to him the occurrences given
in the first twelve verses of the chap
ter. "And he said unto them, o,
fools, and slow of heart to believe all
that the Prophets have spoken;
ought not Christ to have suffered
these things, and to enter into glory9
And beginning with Moses, and all
the Prophets, he expounded unto
them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning himself" Arriving at
the village he made as though he
would have gone on, "but they con-
strained him saying, abide with us;
for it is toward evening and the day
is we'll spent. And he went in to
tarry with them. And it came to pass
as he sat at meat with them, he took
bread and blessed it, and break, and
gave to them" And they recognized
him, and he vanished. "And they
rose up the same hour and returned
to Jerusalem, and found the eleven
gathered together, and them that