The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-16

of the corner" And hence St. Paul as serts: If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain"
 His resurrection from the dead was the single and signal test to which our Lord had appealed throughout His nor tai life as proof of the truth and dlvln- ity of His teaching. To the Jews, de- mandlng visible sign of the divine au- thCrity by which He acted He answered: Destroy this temple and in three days will raise 1t up." The Jews then sald "Six and forty years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise il up in three days?' But He spoke of the tenn pie of His body.
 When the Scribes and the Pharisees made demand similar to that of the Jews, saying Master we would see sign from thee" His answer was: An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, and a sign shall not be given 1t but the sign of Jonas the prophet For Jonas was in the whales belly three days and three nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" (Matt. xii l0). Nay more. He tells them that He has re- ceived the command of his Father as to His death and resurrection: Therefore doth the Father love me, because l lay down my life that l may take 1t again No man tal1eth 1t away from me. but l lay 1t down of myself, and l have power to lay 1t down. and l have power to take 1t up again This commandment have I received of my Father (John X 17-19.
 Plainly Foretold.
 Our Savfors sufferings and death came home more closely to His disciples and affected them more intimately than oth- CTS. and so He prepares them for these trials to their faith and fidelity by re- ferring to the grand and convincing fact of His subsequent resurrection: And Jesus going up to Jerusalem. took the twelve disciples apart and said 10 them: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scrbes and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified. and the third day He shall rise again." tMatt. xx l7-l9
 Passing on get an incidental glimpse of the inscrutable ways of God for we find, though many charges were brought against Jesus before Piiate. the Roman governor the only cause of death alleged again Him before the Sanhedrn or su- preme council of the Jews, was the one just now referred to. And last of all.'' writes St. Matthew, there came two false witnesses. And they said: This man said. l am able to destroy the temple Of God, and after three days to rebuild 1t. QMatt. Xxvi 6O.
 Important Fact.
 l would direct your attention to q fact to which you might not otherwise, per haps attach sufficient importance name ly. that the crucihxlon. death and burial of Jesus were public as it was possible for them to be. The place of crucfxlon tt,,ffx tl, ,tt ..Fan a-
 lin His own garments" His name and title. written in Hebrew Greek and Latin" they put over His head upon the cross that many of the Jews did read "as well as the Greeks and Ro- mans. The cruel exposure of His sacred body made all deception impossible and the very mockers who passed gave un- wittlng testimony that 1t was Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified
 And here again we get a passing glimpse of Gods mysterious ways, for the mock ers' shout of scorn, like the two witness es' lying testimony, Is made to give evil dence of Christs resurrection. "Vah thou that destroyest the temple of God and in three days dost rebuild if. save thy own self. if thou be the Son of God come down from the cross" (Matt XXvii 40).
 As His cruclixion was beyond all doubt so also were Chrst's death and burial We are told that the soldiers sat and watched Him, and that when cry ing out with a loud voice He gave up the ghostS the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus saw and proclaimed the fact declaring: Truly this was the Son of God" And all the null titude of them that were come together to that sight, and saw the things that were done. returned, striking their breasts" |" No evidence could be stronger. no death more patent.
 And our Lords burial was as open It was indeed official
 Again. as in the case of His death was the burial of Jesus officially notified to the Roman governor. The chief priests and the Pharises came together to Pilate demanding that the sepulchre should be guarded until the third day. "Piate said to them: You have a guard; go guard it as you know. And they departing made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards" tMatt. xxvii-62-66). And herein we get the third glimpse of the inscrutable ways of Almighty God, for in the very request which these chief priests and Pharisees made to the Roman governor they bear witness to Christ $ resurrection. sir" they say, I've have