The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-04-10

there can be no Risen Christ to approve
or inspire them.
Further still: Then they aohich are
fallen asleep in Christ are persisted.
Martyrs had already died for the Chris
tian faith. Many Christians had died
in the glorious belief that they were
going home to the Father. They had
come to their last hour of earth with ex-
ultation. believing that they were to be
ushered among the immortals and be
forevermore with Jesus in the spiritual
life. IL there is no resurrection of the
dead all these martyrs aud victors were
self-deceived. II there is no resurrec-
ton of the dead. they have all, souls
and bodies alike, gone back to the dust
whence they came.
In short: If Christ died and did NOT
rise again, then we who believe in him as
the Risen Christ are, of all men, most
miserably pitiable.
II we are all to perish with the ami
mails. those among men who believe this
to be their fate have this advantage
they believe the truth.
immortality is not true. Christianity
is worse than delusion; it is crime.
z. But Christ is Risen,-vs 20
26.
Having shown the direful logical Sc
quences of denial of the resurrection as
minor wall. Paul returns to the conf
dent major strain of positive faith. NoaO
HATH Christ been raised from the dead.
He speaks from personal knowledge He
appeals to the witnesses of Christ's re-
appearance he had previously sum-
moned. Those who declare that they
have SEEN the Immortal Jesus must, as
honest men. be believed. Acceptance is
the only reasonable construction to
place upon such testimony.
The Risen Christ. he further says. is
the Jirstfruits of them that are asleep.
Not in the order of time. AS the old He
Drews brought the first sheaves of their
harvest to the temple, an altar offering
symbolizing the offering of the whole
harvest to the Lord, so Jesus rose from
the dead and the sight of him was
vouchsafed to human eyes, as the pledge
of Immortality for all men.
The first man who died demonstrated
that death is universal human inheri-
lance; 80 the first man who, distinctly
and Enthusiastically, speaks to men from
the realm of immortality demonstrates
that all men inherit immortality. For
as IN Adam all die, so also IN Christ
shall all be made alive. Not more uni
versal and absolute is our mortality
which we inherit in our Adamic nature,
than is our Immortality which we inherit,
after the similitude of Jesus. in our
spiritual nature.
But each IN has oaon order,-that is,
according to his own rank. Christ the
frstfruits. high above all. Then they
that are Christ's at has coming; the
true reading. as the revisers tell US in
the margin. being, they that are Christ's
at has presence. They that are PRESENT
with Christ, partakers of his ministry,
the apostles, sharers of his personal
favor: these shall, by universal conces-
sion, have rank nearest to Christ among
those who are raised from the dead.
Then the end. The apostle sees at
last a completely victorious Redeemer.
He is to finish the mission on which he
was sent by the Father. He will deliver
up his kingdom to his Father, when he
shall have made his kingdom universal
by the conquest of all his Fathers enc
mics. He will abolish all rule contrary
to Gods; he will annul all authority save
that of the Perfect One; he will over
come all power that opposes the Eterni
Love. For he mast reign till he hath
put all enemies under has feet. In the
contamination he will turn all spirits now
at enmity with him into friends. Evil
principles will then be under his feet,
under mems feet. He will then deliver
up to the Father completely victorious
kingdom, - which means a universe
freed from moral evil.
Paul returns to his specific subject.
the resurrection from the dead, when
he says in the final words of our lesson
assignment: The last enemy that shall
be abolished is death. II the revisers
are right in this rendering the signifi-
canoe Of Paul's saying is this: Death
vii, for long ages still continue to be the
inheritance Of human beings; but in the
far fnalit;es, when the universe shall be
completely delivered from evil, there
will be no death. All evil things will
then have been destroyed; death will be
known no more.