The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-19

terror was beautifully decorated with
Dotted plants and the beauteous lily was
everywhere in evidence.
The musical programme was:
6attison Haynes communion service in
Eb.
Garrish's TIE Deum in c.
Introit: He is Risen by 5. Shipper
Ofertory anthem: They have taken
away my Lord" by Stainer.
Dean Halsey's sermon was an able ef-
fort. The reverend gentleman took for
his text, If Christ be not risen, then IS
our preaching vain: and your faith also
is vain" ] Corinthians 1-15.
The speaker asserted these words of St.
Paul were not addressed to men who
denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
the church at Corinth believed IN MS
resurrection. Their faith WAS based upon
il. All the claims of the religion of
Jesus Christ gain their credence from the
certainty that The Lord is risen in
deed" The Corinthians. while believing
IN the resurrection of Christ. were way
ering q little as to their own fate in the
eternity to come. st. Paul said unto
them You viii remember that l de-
liVered unto you first OF all that He rose
again the third day according to the
scriptures He was seen of Cephas. one
of the twelve and OF 500 brethren at once,
of whom the greater part remain at pres
ent. but some are fallen asleep. After
that he was seen of James, then of all
the apostles and last of all was seen Of
me Also St Peter declared on the day
of Pentecost This Jesus had God raised
up. whereof we all are witnesses. When
the place of Judas was filled ST. Peter
said his successor must be a man who
had companied with Him from Baptism
until his ascension and that he should
be deemed TO be a witness of His Resur-
rection.
Dean Halsey contended that in the face
of the evidence at hand it was almost
impossible for any of the early Chris
tians to deny the resurrection. 1t would
be like preferring the night to the day,
TO declaring there was no sunshine when
the hour of noon was at hand. or that
sailing on the mighty deep. Affirming
there was nothing between the mariner
and the sea.
St Paul was bringing some pressure to
bear upon the Corinthians in this mat
ter To thoroughly understand this sub
ject one must know that the inhabitants
of the city were of a very cosmopolitan
character. The place was noted because
it was gay and profiigate people who
inhabited il. All nations Joined in max
ing UP its character.
Many of the members of the church at
Corinth were formerly Gnostics who be
lieVed in stripping everything or It's
spiritual character and clothing II IN
the hay garh of what they choose 10
designate as philosophy: to reason, as
they called il. among themselves ana
with themselves and then arrive at
conclusion. St. Paul well knew the char
acter of the people ne was dealing with
and he used very strong arguments with
them. Note where he says: Now II
Christ be preached that he is risen from
there is no resurrection of the dead? Yet
We are found false witnesses of God. for
We have testified of God that He raised
up Christ when He raised up not For
if the dead rose not then Is Christ not
raised.
Paul staked all on the one issue and he
did we'll, because he knew he was talk
ir- 10 those who knew the witnesses OF
the resurrection. And so cogent was his
reasoning that the church at COrinth re-
manned firm. But Paul continued: We
also believe and therefore speak knowing
that He which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise us up also by Jesus and shall
present us with you.
The church today is willing TO let the
issue rest where St. Paul did. If Christ
be not risen indeed then is our preaching
vain If all Christ gave us was code
or morals, then We of all men are most
miserable Everything in our faith
hinges on this one fact. Inasmuch as
we are buried with Him in baptism unto
his death we are also resurrected with
Him through faith.
1t is hardly possible to live in modern
civilization without believing in the sub
stance of Christianity. The substance of
morality of Jesus. 1t is around Us and
with US. We see il and come in contact
with it every day. The evidence of its
truth are manifested on every hand We
have undisputable record of its stability
and accuracy. Yet l say TO YOU that II
Christ the Lord be not risen indeed, then,
as St Paul said. is our preaching vain.
But he is risen.