Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-30
GOSPEL OF RESURRECTION
Powerful Address BY tie Rev. Henry
c. SwentzeI.
What a Hopeless Task IL Seemed TO Be to
Convert the human Family 10 th: Gss'
Pei OF Jesus Christ.

NEW IoRK CiTY.-Dr. Henry {. Swent-
gel, rector of St. Luke's Church. preached
Sunday morning or The Gospelof The Ee:-
direction. lie took his text from Acts
xvii: Is: He preached unto them Jesus
and the resurrection DIR. Swentye. sad:
With what noble confidence did the aros-
toie church set out to serve it's word vide
mission. 1t bad new religion to proclaim,
a glorious message from God for all tho
races OF mankind. 1t was not provincial,
hut catholic. Il began in Jerusalem but il
looked forward to comprising the whole
earth. Wherever II went il encountered
beliefs and rites which were venerable. i'm
presslve and upheld by the prestige Of
wealth, rank ard culture, but it was lone
the less devoted 10 its huge work. What
hopeless task il seemed 10 he to convert
the human family to the gospel OF Iesus
Christ. The Master OF this latest init was
a Jew. File had been disgraced by r:uciIix-
ION. and there was now scarcely more than
handful OF disciples to tell the story 81
HIS career. When we consider the over
wheiminc odds against which these ;cen
struggled as they proceeded to cvanSeiize
the multitudes. we are al the more pro-
iorndly immersed with tire cartiicre~ with
which they took up the moro than hers.u-
lean labor. The magnitude of the effort to
which they were called did not deter them,
persecution could not alright then. the
cnpos' tiHns OF Indifference nj the hettcr
cssses could not discourage them On
they went. from city IN city. from country
t. country. preaehing tho religion of which
they were gladly the earthly chamnions
Not always had they been OF this temper.
Inc mlehtiest among them. The rnck-Inan
himself. had nttery ca,iansed ir the high
priests ra'ane. and after the fatetu dav Of
tire cross they ail accepted the p!rlt
al those who Ind served 'nst cause l,ut
row al this is CHANGED. Tho towards are
the bravest OF the brave. and each of he
apostles - ready 10 face every peril and to
meet death for the r1esss=e Of love and SAL
vat,on which burned upor his .ins.
Nor Is the reason for this radical change
difficult TO account for. Those iinid and
laundering men had reccircd divine at
fatus-ttev had hecn revolntonizcd in
mind and heart and soul hy the Lords res.
direction from the dead. TO the ri is Of
fnr Ho'v Ghost which they receives was
added the indomi'shle assurance Of the
triumph OF their divine Ma.ser over death
and the gyavc. The Lords resur-e,tio ion
was the dominant doctrina. note II their
thinking and their teaching. and wherever
witnesses to the feet which they 20 body
declared. Although thev ha! known .IeSms
and had conpanied with Er- as int .,rafe
associates for several wears their snirituai
perceptions were dull until Tie last. ard
they understood 'ot His Oft repeated saw
ing that lie would rise fran the dead. Bnt
rs soon IS thev are satisfied cf His rcs,,r-
rection they I'll cove n the front. ready
Tor the fray. enger Cor the honor ~ renre-
senting Him in every land AID wiling to
endure every ha"dshir FOR His causc.
81. Paul on Mars Hill is IN Illustration
n! the tenncr of the Anasto'c Church H
is til ,-ouCh'y inhucd with TIE certainty Of
the Faster story. and besitGtes not IN
preach it throughout ;hc missio7arv jour
neys when he so sr,end;i'v served his nfTicr
az the apostle 10 the Genti'cs. As we ;h:nl,
OF him in the Grecian canitaI we can on;v
wonder ut the raimr"ss and ~1rra-e With
which he met the o-'cal which he had de-
,iDeratelv sought. What striking nc.urc
he IS as he stands on Areonacus facing thu.
chief inteilects OF the classic !,etrono.is and
sneaking with undauntcd ho'dnees of the
risen Jesus. The sun-hrowrcd travc'er p
stranger in STRANGE lad. he knows that
he Is IN the centre Of the very hest ,,aoan-
ISM. ard he IL rs fearless of its prciudices
and subteties a1d ridic.i'e as he had heen
OF the p":sons of Syria. His training hith
ertn had n-er1roi him TO annrec;ate the
sights OF which he gazeo IN h;-, the civil
cations nj Jews Romans and Greeks r,ct
and he had appropriated the fi~eet things
OF each. HIS attainr' an's enabled him to
soc the difficulties al the more n,a;nir.
Evidently = Hebrew. lis nationality would
r.ske t har,le: for him to viz ~" rcsnect'
ri his h"are-s. Co>s~io'S Of tn handican
he wou'd feel the w~i-ht a'so n: the ruor
les and the has which his words WOMB
sure'v evoke. 1t was n~ohablv his fist visil
to this scat of erligh;cnr,en:. Us far
i9m,d glorie' which he he'd lon- since dc
sired to soc wore row before his eyes il
all their hewiloerin- sn'~n6nr. He haC
mastered its langua~e aud literature. art
row he vailed on its streets. looked unnt
its Dorr alton. raxed IRON objects mad,
rare in interest ard celebrated in epic 81
IN song. visited ire sanctuaries and III
schools. ret its thinkers and artists. art
realized the h-sutv and the power of III
lie and thought. From the time that h,
eiscmDarked At tn" nie~ his attention wa,
constantly arrested BIZ the monuments an.
shrine. OF Athens. and al the tokens
It's genius and culture.
or monuments the nc- re'i-ion has We,
had scarce.y one II was still in the dav,
OF its poverty. Churches and cathedra',
ana endowmcuts were matters of the tut
r-e. Whit cou'd St Paul exrect in re
Spouse In his rronouncenents The amhas
sador OF Christ understood that he hac
corne hithPr az the .egate iro-, the carr.,
al heaven 10 the serrs and .cho,ars Of tki
scat OF lefrninz to declare tho rosurrectiox
o. .'esus Chri.t frora the dead He was face
10 fare With tn" ceve- scions If the highest
intellectual culture known to antiquity.
hard by were til. terr,.es of Eumenide;
aid Jhessus. The pro-'v.aeum of the Acrop
o's. the tenrp'e OF victory. and. towcrin.
above al from its lofty pedestal. was thu
bronze colossus Of Minervs. Well might
he assume that Stocs and Epicureans and
o.her thinkers would attempt his over
throw. hut h. did not finch while he an
ncunced a religion rs vet without infueact
or at o: literature. with scarcely a com.
Portable resting r'nce for its Scripthres anc
Its sacraments. In his manner however
there are no Indications that he was con.
sciops OF any snecial advantages. Il canla
not bc otherwise. for he had him se'f seen
the risen Jesus and ne coa';. therefore.
rot be moro certain Of the .h.nny sun Than
he was 1t the truth of the Gospel which no
preached. Ii WAS this nna.terAbe co-vic.
tio1 which sustained rim even IN Mar,
Hill while Is disconrsel tho rede.nntioa
accomplished by Him vino disI anil rose
aga,r. He was rot snliCr;r~ hairs nor tell.
ing fnbes nor p!ayirr with rretaphy>ics
lie upheld the risen Ch-,t to cha crce nj.
iention and surnort his truths and win The
sor's OF his distinguished audience
The basis of 81. Pals confidence as ~
sposte of Christ & zoe only basic 1T conf
Gencc in believing. The fret Christians
were Faster enthusiasts. Their unt-ii:n.
belief IN the resurrection OF Jesus md
much to do in making them worthy OF veni
Grafton as the lest among G.1's family al
faints. All that bod ceen written concern
ing the Sor Ct Man they ponderrd with
rlous devotion. hut th,v never forgot tina j
He came forth alive n ain from the grave,
They would think 1T Him ms the SON o.
Mary: they would he, of His childhood
wears; they would s,aiy His sa,:nps ani
His weeks; they would contemclatc His
aud ioafa has