The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-29

June 80, 1SOliI Corinthians, xv-Q1ar-
terly Review.

terly Review.
With reference to the resurrection Of Jesus
there have been two voices through all he eyes.
One is the voice OF nhdelity-uncertain waver-
ing. ohangeable. 1t first accounted for The resur-
rection by charging the disciples with theft OF
the body. Miserable conceit-its cwn rofutat.on
OF Il Strauss himself said that such a falsehood
is wholly incompatible with the after life. hero
ism and martyrdom OF the apostles. Then came
the theory Of the recovery from a swoon-an I'M
warrantable reflection on either the capacity Of
the Roman executioners or the honesty OF Jesus.
Finally the 'vision-hypothesis." irreconcilable
with the circumstantial account of the resur-
rection. Thus theory succeeds theory. Each
virtually denies the suficiency OF the preceding.
Thus Semlar and Paulus contradict CELSIUS;
Strauss contradicts Senior and Paulus: and
Renan. Strauss; and Keim, Renan. We are on
the point OF having some new theory. or a re-
turn to some old and discarded hypothesis. Such
is the voice of inhdelity-at best an uncertain
sound. . . The voice OF faith is in striking
contrast to this. II is the voice OF affirmation.
steady and unchanging. What ii said twenty
centuries ago it says to-day: 1.-The Lord is
risen indeed" The first public declaration OF
the fact Of Jesus resurrection was made by the
apostle Peter, when. standing at scarcely the
distance Of a stones throw from his empty
tomb. and surrounded by those who had seen
the risen Lord. he cast into the teeth OF those
who had passed his death. "He whom We have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucihed and
slain. God has raised up" And faith has never.
will never. retract from that affirmation. 1t will
never WAIVER from ii or dilute it. One century
has proclaimed TO another, The Lord is risen. -
until row twenty centuries unite in the respon-
sive acclaim, "The Lord is risen indeed" q.
And this is not the pronunciamento OF mere en-
thusiasm. 1t has a legitimate and historical
foundation. Few. IL any. facts OF human record
are better authenticated than the resurrection
OF Jesus. Might as soon doubt that Napoleon
died at st. Helena, and is buried under the
splendid dome OF the Invalides. where he wished
to be. on the bank of his favorite river, or that
washington died. and is buried at Mount Yer
non' on the Potomac. The line OF argument
used to invalidate the former would as readily
impeach the latter. All human leadership
closes at the grave. The glory OF the divine lead
ership OF Jesus is that it conducts us through
and beyond the grave. He makes it a thorough
fare. His passage of it enabled Victor Hugo 10
cry. 1.-The grave is no cul de saci' and the apos-
tie to argue, Because He lives. we shall live
Also . Not Easter alone commentaries
the resurrection, but each succeeding Sabbath.
and so we sing:
Welcome. sweet day of rest,
That saw the Lord arisel"
Reasoning forward, nothing but the res
direction could have inspired the disciples to
their splendid zeal and heroism. So that 1t may
well be said the empty tomb OF Jesus was the
cradle of the infant church. Reasoning back
ward, the rapid. universal extension Of Christian
ity. in spite of fearful odds, can best be account
ed for oy its being sealed with some supernat-
ural event. Thus it has well been said il is
easier to admit Christianity the offspring OF a
miracle than that it was born Of a lie. .
ST. PAU is willing IN cfaka ChriStfapftr ,ro AZ
historicity Of this event. II Christ is not riser
preaching and faith are in vain; apostles are
false witnesses. men are yet in their sins, and
there is no resurrection. But Christ is risen
therefore, all may be affirmed; preaching and
faith are effectual. apostles are true witnesses.
there is forgiveness of sins and a resurrection
for all. = 1t is to be regretted that art has
so habitually pictured the dead Christ-deposi-
ton. pieta and entombment. 1t tends to give
the impression of permanence to that which was
Incidental and transitory. Jesus was numbered
with the dead scarcely t~hirty-six hours. The
tomb could not detain Him. . . . Jesus is not
only risen, but glorifed. The manger which
served as His cradle was the beginning of His
humiliation; so His tomb among the rich and
His kingly burial was the beginning OF His ex-
ultation. He has assembled on high. He shines
forever with that luster which for a moment He
revealed to the disciples on the mount. .
rev., III any ldctS OF human history are better
authenticated than the resurrection Of Jesus.
THE TEACHERS
Lesson l.. No event OF human history is more
completely verified, more incontestably authenti-
Gated. than the resurrection from the tomb OF
Joseph OF Arlmathea, in the garden near 10
Calvary. If that circumstance. as related by
the evangelists, can be impeached. then any page
OF history can be impeached by the same meth
DDS. The event the world celebrates on
Easter transposes its dead march into a halle
lujah chorus Funeral piumes can never nod SO
ominously again. There is a silver lining TO all
the somber drapery OF the tomb. Sorrow car
never again be hopeless. All our Easter lilies
are silver trumpets. making the warm air vocal
with their happy annunciation. HE is risen!''
Lesson II: She, with greater fervor. perhaps.
than the others, started earlier (while ii was
get dark on the errand to the tomb. What
was in her heart was richer than what was
in her hand. AS Margaret T. Preston suggests.
she
: in her throbbing bosom bore
A burden of such fragrant store
AS never there had lain before"
The description Of Mary's recognition of Jesus
Is ore OF the most unique and skillful things
in literature. Much in little, Jesus saith unto
hoT, Mary She turned herself, and saith unto
Him. My Master"
Lesson III: This scene is a parable Of the
. dHa dQN ldk d Il religious COENer-
sation- Jesus appears in this incident
as the ideal Sunday school teacher. He did
not deluge his class with a flood OF per
sons. places. precepts and doctrines" drained
from lesson notes and commentaries. and peni
up for a week for the purpose. His method was
inductive. He found where His scholars were
in thought and feeling. He induced them to
express themselves. Then He reconciled their
natural feelings and ideas with Scripture.
~
theological training were compressed in that
hours interview with the risen Christ. His
presence and words cast a food OF light upon
the law. prophecy and psalter. Their sensibiIi-
ties quickened TO the best by a supernatural
environment, took in the whole OF soteriology al
a sitting.
Lesson V: The center OF this picture. the OBJ
ject OF this meeting. is the rehabilitation OF
Peter--his restoration to the apostolic office after
his shameful lapse.
Lesson VI: The astonishing boldness OF Jesus
as exemplihed in His last command is still tbs
marvel Of history. There Is. humanity speak
ing. audacity in what Canon Lidden calls tho
plan" Of Jesus. The great commission" in
its very terms. embraces all time and thu
whole earth. AS GotthoId says. Christ be.
~queathed to His church the world. to be con.
yerted."
Lesson VII: Such was Jesus assumption-His
taking up into heaven. Mark says lie sat on
the right hand OF God. Luke aflrms the apostles
worshiped Him. In Acts. he describes them
as riveted to earth. and gazing into the heavens