Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-04-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON
Comments BY
Rev. Ernest Bourner Allen, D. D.
Pastor Of the Washington ss
Congregational Church and the
IariOn Lawrance SundaF
aGheol, Toledo, Ohio.
For Sunday. April %, 1916

Lesson Title: "The Risen Christ"
Lesson Text: Cor. Is: 1-2s. Mem
orize VS.. 8, A.
Golden Text: "Now hath Christ
been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of them are asleep."-I Cor.
Is: 20.
/ The Resurrection of Jesus
The proofs of the resurrection of
Jesus Christ are complete and unan
swerable. They have been attacked
by brilliant men in every century but
the evidence stands. Jesus was cruci-
ie! by his enimies. They were fully
satisfied that he was really dead. 1t
was to their interest to be sure. In
addition they set guard of Roman
soldiers at his tomb. Jesus was rec
o.nized by hundreds of his friends
after his resurrection. They were tie
ones most vitality concerned in being
sure it was their Lord. They could
not afford to risk their lives for an
uncertainty. The first century people
were fully satisfied as to Christ's real
resurrection. In some ways they
were able to test the evidence most
severely. They were so sure of it,
that they went everywhere proclaim
it. Many of them gave up their lives
for their faith. Paul gives great
summary of arguments in the 18th
chapter of first Corinthians.
III. Our Hope.
Christ's resurrection is a pledge of
ours. Because live" He said, I'VE
shall live also" Here is the suprem-
acy of christianity over other phil
osophies and religions. They are un-
certain. Christianity is sure. Catul-
lus,a great Roman writer said: "The
suns die and are able to return; as for
us, when once our brief light goes
out, we sleep in one perpetual night"
Not so. We "sleep to wake!" The
christian inscriptions in the Cata-
combs are suggestive in contrast: "In
peace;" sin Christi" Sin hope"
There is no home but has its va
cant chair! Sad hearts are asking the
age-old question, where is my loved
one?" Christianity has an answer
Infdelity, in the cold, beautiful Ian
guage of Mr.. Ingersoll, says: "A
wreck must mark at last the end OF
each and all" That is not Gods plan
Men may wreck themselves, but God
designs to save them. The earthly
life is full of injustices and mockeries
unless there is some judgement and
reward upon the other shore. Faith
sees the "many mansions" in the
homeland of God. They are prepared
for those who love and acknowledge
their Father in heaven.
Is the christian hope yours? Have
you dared to examine its rock foun
dations? Wouldn't you like to have
such faith? You can, if you seel
it. These Easter days, with theil
prophecy, in an earth revived, of {
greater good in eternity, can brinf
you the glorious hope. Open YOU
heart to it. Read the message il
Gods Book. Someday you will neet
it, if not today.
A little four-year old was walking
one day with her father thru the vii
lage cemetery, when she pointed II
the graves and asked, "What are thes
for?"
"They belong to the people VIII
have gone to heaven" was the an
swer her father made.
''To the angels?" she asked won
deringly.
"Yes."
"Then," she remarked after nom
ents, thought, "these are where the
have left their clothes!"
III.Our Gratitude.
Gratitude for our incomparabl
hope should make us glad. 1t shoul
also lead to very steadfast endeavor
to live worthily of such hope. w
can never be fully worthy of eterna
life, but we can be far worthier tina
we are. When we reflect that W
shall live forever with the sort c
character we are now creating,
ought to make us more earnest to
the men we ought to be. The he
which some men suffer will be in tn
necessity of living with themselve
Heaven, in part, will be possible b'
cause we have begun to set our live
to do Gods will. "The resurrectio
time is not at Easter alone" sal
Sylvester Horne. "There is not
moment of any day, in any year, whe
we may not rise with Christ into new
ness of life, and walk in his wa!
with transfgured faces"