The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-05-29
A SERMSNdFOR SUNDAY
\ LEARNED DISCOURSE ENTITLED
s:,EosPel OF Ths RESURRECTION =
Christ Arisen From the Tomb" 10 Made
the subject Of n Powerful Address by
the Rev. Henry q. swentrei-He Re-
visws the Miracle From Every Point.

views the Miracle From Every Point
NEW YORK CIrY.-Dr Henry {. Swen,.
fel, rector OF 81. Luke's Church. preached
Sunday morning on The Gospel OF the Res
direction" He took his text from Acts
xvii: is: He preached unto them Jesus
With what noble confidence did the apos-
tolie church set out 20 serve its worldwide
mission. il had new religion 10 proclaim
glorious message from God for all the
races of mankind IL was not provincial
but catholic Ii began in Jerusalem, but IL
looked forward TO comprising the whole
earth. Wherever IL went il encountered
beliefs and rites which were venerable, i'm
pressve and upheld by the prestige of
wealth, rank and culture, but il was none
the less devoted 20 It's huge work. What a
hopeless task IL seemed 10 be 20 convert
the human family 20 the gospel OF Jesus
Christ. The Master Of this latest cult was
a jew. he had been disgraced by eiucinx'
ION, and there was now scarcely more than
a handful of disciples 20 tell the story Cf
His career. When we consider the over
wheming odds against which these iren
struggled As they proceeded 10 evaneelize
the mulutudes, we are all the more pro-
toundly impressed with the confidence with
which they took up the more than hercu.
lean labor. The magnitude OF the effort TO
which they were called did not deter them.
persecution could not alright them. the
onposltlons or indifference OF the better
classes could not discourage them. On
they went, from city 20 city, from country
10 country, preaching the religion of which
they were gladly the earthly champions.
Not always had they been Of this temper
The mightiest among them, the rock.man
himself, had utterly collapsed in the high
priests palace, and after the fateful dav Of
the cross they all accepted the plight
OF those VINO had served a lost cause But
now all this is changed. The towards are
the bravest of the brave, and each of .he
apostles IS ready to face every peril and to
meet death for the message OF love and sal
vauon which burned upon his hns.
Nor is the reason for this radical change
difficult 20 account for. Those timd and
laundering men had received a divine af.
flatus-thev had been revolutionized in
mind and heart and soul by the Lords res.
direction from the dead. To the gifts of
the Holy Ghost which they received was
added the indomitable assurance of the
triumph of their divine Master over death
and the grave. The Lords resurrection
was the dominant doctrina. note I'm their
thinking and their teaching, and wherever
they went they bore the witness of eve.
witnesses 10 the fact which they 30 boldly
declared. Although they had known Jesus
and had companied with Him as intimate
associates for several years. their spiritual
perceptions were dull until the last. and
they understood not His oft repeated say
ing that He would rise from the dead But
as soon as they are satisfied of His resur.
rectlon they all come TO the front, ready
for the fray eager for the honor of repre-.
sentlng HIM IN every land and willing to
endure every hardship for His cause
st. Paul on Mars Hill is an illustration
OF the temper of the Apostolic Church He
Is thoroughly imbued with the certainty Of
the Easter. story, and hesitates not TO
preach 1t throughout the missionary Jour
news when he so f1lendidiy served his Office
as the apostle 10 the Gentiles As we think
OF HIM In the Grecian capital, we can only
wonder at the calmness and courage with
which be met the ordeal which he had de-
hberately sought. What striking picture
he is as he stands on Areopagus. facing the
chief lntellects of the classic metropolis and
speaking with undaunted boldness of the
risen Jesus. The sun Drowned traveller. n
stranger in strange land, he knows that
h. is IN the centre of the very best pagan.
ism, and he Is as fearless of its prejudices
and subtletles and ridicule as he had been
OF the prisons of Syria. His training hith.
erto had prepared him TO appreciate the
sights on which he gazed. In him the civil.
izations OF Jews, Romans and Greeks met.
and he had appropriated the finest things
of each. His attainments enabled him to
see the difficulties all the more plainly
Evidently a Hebrew, his nationality would
make Il harder for him 10 win the respect
OF his hearers. Conscious of this handicap.
he would feel the weight also of the quer-
les and the bias which his words would
surely evoke. 1t was probably his first visit
70 this seat OF enlightenment It's far
famed glories which he had long since de-
sired TO see We're now before his eyes in
all their bewilderng splendor He had
mastered its language and literature. and
now he walked on IT'S streets, looked upon
Its population, gazed upon objects made
rare in interest and celebrated in epic or
IN song, VISITED It's sanctuaries and it's
schools, met its thinkers and artists, and
realized the beauty and the power of It's
llte and thought. From the time that he
dlscmbarked at the pier his attention was
constantly arrested by the monuments and
shrnes OF Athens, and all the tokens OF
Its genius and culture.
OF monuments the now reli.ion has yet
had scarcely one. IL was still i'm the DAYS
OF lts poverty. Churches and cathedrals
and endowmcnts were matters Of the fut-
ure. What could st. Paul expect in re-
sponse to his pronounccment? The ambas.
sador Of Christ understood that he had
come hither as the legate IRON the courts
OF heaven to the seers and scholars Of tbis
seat OF learning TO declare the resurrecti ION
Of Jesus Christ from the dead He was face
20 face with the clever scions OF the highest
intellectual culture known 20 antiquity;
hard by were the temples of Eumenides
and Theseus, the Propylaeum of the Acrop-
oils, the temple Of victory. and towering
above all from ITS lofty pedestal, was the
bronze colossus Of Minerva. We'll might
he assume that Stoics and Epcureans and
other thinkers would attempt his over.
throw. but he did not finch while he an.
nounced religion as yet without influence
or art or literature, with scarcely a com
Portable resting place for its Scriptrres and
ITS sacraments. In his manner. however.
there are no indications that he was con
scious OF any special advantages 1t conli
not be otherwise, for be had himself seen
the risen Jesus and ne could. therefore.
not be more certain OF the shining sun han
he was OF the truth Of the Gospel which he
preached. IL was this unaltefdble convic-
tion which sustained nm even on Mars
Hill while he discoursed II the redemption
accomplished by Him Who died and rose
again. He was not splitting hairs ncz tell
ing fables nor playing with metaphysics
He upheld the risen Christ 10 challenge at.
tention and support ,Ds truths and win the
souls OF his distinguished audience
The basis OF St PaiPs confidence as m
apostle Of Christ - .bc only basis OF cnpii.
de1ce IN believing. The first Christians
were Easter enthusiasts Their unrilins
belief in the resurrection OF Jesus had
much 10 do in making them worthy of ven.
Grafton as the rest among Gods family 81
saints. All that bad 5een written concern.
ing the -on cf Man they ponderod with
plous devotion, but they never forgot that
He came forth Slive again from the Traye.
They would think of Him a. the Son of
Mary. they would hear OF His childhood
years; they would s'udy His - yings and
His works they would contemclatc His
rufferings and death, but always would
thgv include His victory and coronation.
with great mower gave the aunstIp. wit