The Washington times., 1903-04-11
Che International SUNDAY SCHOOL lesson
FOR APRIL II.

ceasing forever when the harp is broken
or like that of a rover 10 a boat the
rover surviving though the boat be de-
stroyed. He decided in favor of the lat
ter conception The Stoies taught that
the soul, when released from the body.
became absorbed in divinity and lost all
personality. The Epicureans believed IN
this life only and denied the possibility
of the continued existence of the soul
after the death of the body Thus the
speculation and debate OF different
schools of thought went on. There was
definiteness and certainty Of belief no
where to be found There was very little
hope beyond the grave, especially in the
Pagan world. To both the Jews and the
Greek Christianity came with a positive
and definite revelation on the subject
The whole system Of Christian life
and doctrine is built upon this great
truth of the resurrection. The idea
was so profound, and IN way so novel,
that it is not surprising that unbeliev-
ers in Christianity scoffed at 1t. and
that new converts were troubled and
perpiexed with doubts about It, Paul
wrote this. the fifteenth chapter Of First
Corinthians. which may be called The
Great Resurrection Chapter, TO remove
the doubts concerning the resurrection
of Christ himself and of all the dead,
which had crept into the minds OF GER
tain members of the church at Corirth
while the apostle was laboring at Epno-
sus 1t is the earliest extant account
of the resurrection OF Christ, as the
Gospels. as we have them now, were not
yet written This chapter is very
precious piece of Scripture Il is TO
Christianity what the Phaedo OF Plato
and the Tusculan disputations OF cicero
are to heather philosophy It shows
Us the infinite superiority Of Christian
faith over all human speculation, and
gives us the secret OF how the great
doctrines of Christianity gradually con-
quered the thought and religious sys-
tens of the Greek and Roman world ana
still continue their ascendency over the
world.
The late Canon Farrar said: no hui
man words eyer written have brought
such comfort TO millions Of mourners as
the words of this chapter This chap
ter is read at nesrly every funerai
throughout the bounds OF ChTIstencol
IS the expression OF confidence in Christ
The doctrine of the resurrection hailows
every grave and casts a light OF nope
into every tomb. The doctrine OF the
resurrection honors the body OF man as
we'll as his soul Christianity has given
men q new name for death sleep
The great cornerstone Of the Chris
tian's hope in death is the fact that
Christ himself rose from the dead rms
is something that has actually occurred
in time The proof Of this historical
fact is logically fndispUtable. All critics
will admit that Jesus of Nazareth was
crucified. The proof His resurrection IS
the fact of His empty tomb, His absent
BODY. the acts of HIS re-emboldened dis
cfpIes their straightforward stories OF
His having risen from the dead and OF
their sight OF Him at intervals Tor forty
DAYS and OF how He looked, now lie
acted and what He said. and OF now he at
last ascended before their eyes up int
heaven. the testimony Of Paul, the one
time doubter and prosecutor, who says
thar he was converted 10 the truth or
Christianity BY seeing Him; the subse-
auent establishment and growth or
ChTistianitE
These facts challenge the world s faith
in the reality Of ChTist's personal res
direction from the dead The proof is
of such a nature that it would seem
overwhelmingly convincing 10 the mind
Of every candid investigator. No phan-
ton-theory: no vision-theoTy; no optt-
caI-fIIusfon theory; no pious-fraud the
orv- no fondly-cherished Imagination
theory can explain away the evident
facts in the case. No fact IN ali the
worlds history is so weii-attested as
that Jesus OF Nazareth did rise from the
dead.
After stating the argument for the
trt,th of this belief the apOstle trium-
nbantIv excIairns. Now hath Christ been
raised from the dead. the frst-fruits OF
them that are asleep" To the believer,
Cbrist,s resurrection is the pledge OF
mis- own resurrection 10 glory and ever
lasting life. as the first bud and lear IA
the pledge that spring is coming with
eli and
as the first ripe grain is the pledge OF
the advancing harvest time. Christ
resurrection is the proof OF his power
and the truth OF his promises christ
had remained in the grave MS gospel
would have persisted with him and his
followers today would be OF ali men
the most foolish and deiuded. CHRIS
tfsnitv without the truth OF the fact or
cbrisf's resurrection would be tissue
NJ absurdities. II Christ be not raised
from the dead then mankind is aoso-
1,,faIv without hope beyond this world,
and an fmpenetrabIe nj CIR of agnosticism
has settled upon US Bus the return OF
every Easter. hailed as it is BY we'll
nigh universal delight. proves that men
stfU believe in him who was once dead,
but is alive again" the worlds ali-gloFi-
Gus RedeemeT.
PAM makes known a profound mys-
terv. It is that all men shall have the
same bodies that they had before the
resurrection but that they shall be
changed that their new resurrection
bodies will have new properties adapted
To their new environment, The bodies
will be the same in substance but
changed In nature, just as the seed is
thf, same in substance as the flower
that grows from il, but Is different in
| form and function Flesh and blood