Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-09-13
THE PULPIT.
AN ELOQUENT. SUNDAY SERMON BY
Or. r. A. TORREY.
Subject: Resurrection a Fact.

New York City.-The Rev. Reuben
A. Iorrey, DID,, the celebrated evan.
gellst, preached Sunday morning in
the Fifth Avenue PRESBYTERIAN
church. There was a large congre-
cation, consisting almost entirely of
strangers, only a very small per-
centage being members of the church.
Dr. Torrey's subject was: ."The
resurrection Fact, not Fiction
ana his text was I Cor. xv:2O But
now is Christ risen from the dead.
ana become the frst-fruits of them
that slept" He said:
Last Sunday morning we said that
the resurrection of Jesus was the
most important event in history. and
we said that It it could be proved
to be historic fact that everything
essential to Christianity was proved.
but that If, on the other hand. it
could not be proved to be historic
TACT. then everything essential to
Christianity must go. We started
out, without assuming anything as
TO by whom, or when, the gospels
were written. to decide whether thew
we're a record OF facts, Or merely fc-
tlon. First, we discovered that the four
gospels were each an Independent
account, and we were driven to the
conclusion that they were a record
or actual occurrences. Next, we dis
covered that each bore the evidences
OF having been written by an eve
witness. 1t often. happens that q
witness tells his story so artlessly.
with such an entire absence of any
attempt to color it, that his testi-
mony carries weight. We have not
only one witness, but four, differing
apparently in details (showing that
they were not eoached) but all agree
ing in the essential facts, and each
ones story bearing marks Of artless
simplicity, so that we were driven
to the conclusion that the story OF
the four gospels was q record az
actual facts beyond dispute. Some
times the details OF evidence are
more conclusive than the direct evi-
dence. because it Is not the testi-
mony OF the witness, but Of the truth
that Is sought.
We begin here this morning, and
we shall show that the narratives in
the Gospels prove conclusively that
they are not fiction, but fact. One
illustration: In St. Johns account
Of Thomas refusal to believe that
the Lord had risen, notice what Is
said about the character of Thomas
and the character of Jesus. How
characteristic is Thomas action and
how characteristic is the rebuke of
Jesus! When the other disciples tell
Thomas that they have seen the Lord,
he refuses to believe, and says, II
won't believe it until see.the prints
of the nails in His hands," A week
passes and the disciples, including
Thomas, are gathered together, and
Jesus suddenly appears again. He
bids Thomas put forth his finger and
thrust it into His side, and Thomas
cries out, s'My Lord and my Cod
And then Jesus introduces the tender
rebuke. "Thomas, you ought to have
believed before; but because thou
hast seen Me, thou hast believed;
blessed are those who believe ON suf-
ficient evidence without sight" Is
that made up? Is it lie? If it is
made up then the man who drew that
picture of Thomas, without word of
explanation, and that picture of
Jesus, is the greatest literary master
of the centuries. It is not made up:
1t is the record Of reality.
Another illustration: When Peter
said to Jesus (John xxi:21), what
shall this man do?" the Lord replied:
"What is that to thee? Follow thou
Me-" The fishers had breakfasted on
the shore, and Jesus had told Peter
Of Peters coming .crucifixion, and
then starts down the shore and says,
.Follow Me-" And Peter, turning
round as he goes, sees John follow
ing, and says: Lord. you have told
me what my future is to be-. What
will this man do?'' Now, remember,
all though the life of Jesus, &s it is
recorded in the four Gospels. Jesus
never answered questions Of mere
speculative curiosity. Peter wants. to
know another mans business, and
Jesus says, "What is that to thee?-
You see that you obey" Is that made
up, or It is reality? lis it a lie? An
other illustrations: In the same chap
ter Jesus asks Peter, Lowest thou
Me?" three times, and Peter wass
grieved because He asked him that
question three times. Notice these
words: "Peter 3was grieyed because