The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-04-03

appearances OF the Risen Christ unre-
corded in Gospels. must. however,
mention the story of Christ's descent
to the underworld so familiar from such
pictures as those OF Fra Angelica, Al
brecht, and Bronzino.
LEGENDS OF THE DESCENT.
We hear in the Gospel OF Nlcodemus
that while all the saints were rejoicing
over the promised resurrection, Satan.
the inheritor of darkness. came and said
to Hades: can devourlng and insa-
tiate one. hear my words. One who
calls Himself the Son OF God has just
been crucined. but know him to be a
man. for I heard him say. My soul
Is very sorrowful unto death Keep
Him safe. He has done me much evil"
| rs He SO powerful?" said Hades.
Then, woe, woe unto thee!'
Art thou so afraid. all devouring and
insatiate Hades?" said Satan. "I got
Him crucifed: do thou hold Him firm
""
"1nheritor of darkness. son of perdi-
tion. Devil. son of Hadcs, do not bring
Him hither: for He raised Lazarus, and
If thou brinsest Him hither none of the
dead will he left to me-"
| While they were talking, n voice as Of
thunder cried. Lift up your heads We
gates. and the King of Glory shall come
In" Then Satan went to oppose Him:
uilN ItaucS sillu 10 MS demons, secure
firmly the brnzcn gates and the iron
bars" Therefore. all the saints and pa
tr!archs began to taunt and reproach
HadeS. saying. Where Is thy sting O
death? Where Is thy victory, . Ha-
| dcs?"
Then the voice came again, Lift up
your heads. o We gates. and the King of
Glory shall come in" "yYho Is this
King of Glory?" asked Hades: and all
| the Archangeis and ANGELS answered.
| The Lord strong and mighty; the Lord
mighty in battls" Instantly the gates
were burst and the iron bars crushed.
ard Satan was bound by the head. and
delivered to the angels and consigned
to the custody of Ilaaes till the Second
Advent But Christ took Adam by the
hand and raised him: and Adam kissed
| Ills hands and feet. Then. turning ia
the rest, Christ said. "Come with me all
ye who died through the tree which he
touched. For behold / raise you all up
! again through the Tree of the Cross"
Then the whole rejoicing throng entered
| Paradise, where Enoch and Elijah met
them, and they were joined by the cru
cited repentant robber who bore a cross
upon his shoulders.
The story is supposed to be told by the
two sons of Simeon. Karinus and Leu
clus. who have been suffered to see
these things. that they may be then
raised frCm the dead for the purpose of
nara ting them to the world.
Let me conclude by pointing out once
more. how sovereign is the sanity and
simplicity of Scripture when we COM
pare its majestic narratives with these
wild apocalyptic inventions BY the arti-
clc of the creed which saws that Christ
descended into hsl!" was meant only,
what Scripture tells us. that He was
truly dead and buried. and that His
soul passed until the resurrection. into
the habi,a;inn Of depart a sr'rits. This
much was necessary for our comfort
;ha; we wi%ht rot fear to enter shat
Dark Valley which has been illuminated
for us by the footsteps Of the King of
Kings. Anything more than this Is only
Swallowed foith in the dirnmest possible
way In that passage OF St. Peter q Peter
iii. 10. 2o). which tells us that by the
Spirit He departed and preached to the
spirits In prison. which in time past
wNre disohsiiart, when once the long
suffering of God waited In tha days of
Noah. There is nothing which Scrip
ture less encourages than the temper of
prying curiosity which would fain ny
on the waXen wings of human incapaci-
ty into those inefahle secrets of the
D.ity, which were only not revealed to
MS because they pass mans understand
irs. and have no bearing on our eterna,
veal