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Did Christ Rise
F rom the Dead?
(Continued from 1st Page)
have gone by than had elapsed
when Paul wrote to the Corinthi-
aDs. Do you suppose that young
lawyer who lived at \\ ashington in
the stormy days of ‘bl knows any¬
thing about the happenings of
that time now ? Of course he does.
But suppose he should write to
foiks now who lived at the time of,
—say the death of Lincoln, do you
suppose they would know what he
was talking about? Certainly you
do! But suppose he were to write
not to folks who lived then —but
to me of the death of Lincoln;
would I be likely to understand his
reference to Lincoln’s death? "Y ou
know I would, for though I did
not* live then, yet we are all so
familiar with the history of the
times that we know as much of it
as they who lived then. But sup¬
pose this lawyer wrote to me and
referred to not only the death of
Lincoln, but said that afterwards
Lincoln rose from the dead, he was
seen of certain men, and that then
Lincoln made the speech that real¬
ly freed the negroes. Don’t you
think 1 know enough of the facts
of history to know this was false?
And don’t you know that if he not
only did this one, but many times
in many letters that we should be
apt to have him looked after as one
insane. We certainly would riot
treasure those letters as memorials
of his learning or wisdom. Make
the application with Paul's letters.
It is worthy of remark
Christianity is the only religion
the sacred books of which contain
letters. It is a religion of facts;
for letters can not arise without
persons, and the facts of personal
history. I used to think it possi¬
ble for ten men to have gotten to¬
gether and written the Bible; but
they deal with episodes and inci¬
dents, persons and things, and un¬
less they were facts when they
were started—for they must have
a start—some one or thousands,
would rise up to say, this thing
never happened.
2. These epistles show Paul
was quite at rest as to the facts of
the Resurrection, since he declares
his apostleship, which his enemies
denied, in these words, “Paul an
apostle, not of men, neither by
men, but by Jesus Christ and God
the Father, who raised Him from
the dead” Gal. 1:1. It shows that
those to whom he wrote accepted
as a fact the Resurrection. Not
only in churches lie established,
but also in the church at Rome
which he had not then visited.
Shows that the apostles of whom
Paul names Peter, James and
John, with whom lie had personal
interviews, claimed to believe that
the Lord had risen from the dead,
and that they had seen Him and
talked with Him after His resur¬
rection.
1 Cor. Shows that at the time it
was written there were still living
not less than 250 persons who
claimed they had seen the risen
Lord.
Furthermore, no matter what
shade of faith they belonged, they
ail came together on this one thing,
the Resurrection.
And it is plain that there could
be no force in this if there had been
a question in their minds as to the
Resurrection. One cannot read
these epistles without coming to
the conclusion that however falsa
their faith, these men and women
believed that Christ rose from the
dead. And this leads to the
thought.
III. Whence came this belief?
There are but three theories that
can be adduced. Belief in the
Resurrection was a conscious and
intended fraud by apostles and
disciples of first century; They de¬
ceived by some form of hallucina¬
tion; Je6us did Rise.
As to the first, what had they
gain in the world or in eternity by
such imposture? They would in¬
cur hatred of friends, exile,
and death, for what? They lost
everything and gained nothing.
Preeminently true of Paul.
motive could they bring to bear
on converts? But if He rose,
THE FITZGERALD LEADER, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1910’
can understand. Well might men
who saw Christ dead on Friday
and alive on Sunday be fearless of
death. He had conquered death.
As to the hallucination theory.
No account need to lie taken of
the silly idea that Jesus was not
dead when taken from the cross.
The best man the world ever saw
would not lend himself to such a
scheme. We cannot believe that
such a number of men at exactly
the same time took exactly the
same spell of seeing the same
vision.
Furthermore it is conceded that
before the mind can yield itself to
a hallucination there must at least
exist one of three mental condi¬
tions. Prepossession, lixed idea,
expectancy. But the Resurrection
broke into every hope the disciples
could have had, and sent them out
to a work that they despised and
would never have dreamed of.
Why did all these men of different
temperaments take to seeing
visions at once; and why did they
cease at the same time? And isn’t
it remarkable that from that time
to this no other should be thus
affected ?
IV. In the last place, if Christ
be not risen, explain this great
Christian Church an J thought that
is verily taking the world.
Some point to spiritualism as
analogous to Christianity ;but there
is no ana logy. What great truth,
or what great good has spiritual-
ism done?
Men will tell you that there arc
systems as beautiful as Christiani-
^ that Tom Paine believed in a
su I ,rc ' me ^ e ‘ n * atu ^ hved puie.
t '* ia, ‘' Uieodoie ^ ar kci could des-
cribe with eloquence of aq angel
the beauty of the Christian life;
that Voltaire erected a church to
God; but I am here to tell you
that their disciples have not sent
missionaries to Africa; they have
founded no orphaus’ Homes, no
hospitals, saved no drunkards from
the graves, and no sinners from
hell. It is the Resurrected Christ
and the Spirit His power gives
that is saving the world to-day.
If He did not rise from the
dead, He is not the Christ and
what shall we say of John the
Baptist?
The testimony of Napoleon the
Great, spoken to Count Montholon
on the island of St. Helena, is a
just conclusion concerning the
majesty and divinity of Jesus as
revealed in history. He is said to
have inquired, “Can you tell me
who Jesus Christ was?” and when
a negative answer was given to
the question, lie began: ‘Well then,
I tell tell you. Alexander, Caesar,
Charlemagne and myself have
founded great empires; but upon
what did these creations of our
genius depend ? Upon force. Jesus
alone founded His empire upon
love, ami to this very day millions
would die for Him. I think I
understand something of human
nature; and I tell you all these
were men, and I am a man. None
else is like Him: Jesus Christ was
more than man. I have inspired
multitudes with enthusiastic devo¬
tion that they would have died for
me. But to do this it was neces¬
sary that I should be visibly pres¬
ent with the electric influence of
my looks, of my words, of my
voice, When I saw men and
spoke to them I lighted up the
flame of self-devotion in their
hearts. Christ alone has succeed¬
ed in so raising the mind of man
towards the unseen that it becomes
insensible to the barriers of time
and space. Across a chasm of
eighteen hundred years Jesus
Christ makes a demand which is
beyond all others difficult to satisfy.
He asks for that which a philoso¬
pher may often seek in vain at the
hands of his friends, or the
of his children, or the bride of her
spouse, or a man of his brother.
He asks for the human heart?
will have it entire to Himself.
He demands it
and forthwith His demand is
granted. Wonderful! In
of time and space and soul of man,
with all its powers and faculties,
becomes an annexation to the em¬
pire of Christ. All who sincerely
believe in Him, experience that re-
markable supernatural love
towards Him. This phenomenon
is unaccountable: it is altogether
beyond the scope of man’s crea¬
tive powers. Time, the great de¬
stroyer, is powerless to extinguish
the sacred (lame: time can neither
exhause its strength nor,; put a
limit to its range. This is it'which
strikes rue most: I have often
thought of it. This is which proves
to me quite" convincingly the
divinity of Jesus Christ.’"
The past is to be accounted for
as well as the present. 1 What
shall we say of those prophecies in
Old Testament pointing so conclu¬
sively to the Christ who catne ac¬
cording to the word of the Holy
(Scripture, and so died and rose
again? To whom did that Pre-
Christian history look?
Again, look upon that sacrificial
chain, running like a crimson
thread thru the history of the
world, from the blood of righteous
Abel to the unacceptable sacrifices
that burdened faithful Malachi in
his day. Did they mean nothing?
And why did they cease with the
coming of Jesus? Who wrenched
the sacrificial knife from the hand
of mankind and sheattied it foi-
ever, unless Christ, the eternal
sacrilice for sin hath not ascended
into glory to make intercession for
us thru His blood <
How shall we account for those
words which Wellington, with a
soldier's insight called the ‘’march-
ing orders” of Christianity? “Go
ye into all the world and preach
the Gospel to every creature.”
No one can read these words and
believe a defeated Christ is be¬
hind them. Back of these words
must have been the miracle of the
open grave, the risen Christ, The
transfigured Cross.
And how shall we account for
success of the word? As a
of fact they proved the
for that great march of
before which empires,
kingdoms, and creeds have gone
down, which—though it has some¬
times loitered—has never ceased
since, and, please God, never will
cease.
The fact of the missionary and
his success—for he succeeds every
where—what is the scientific ex¬
planation of these facts and the
forces behind them? Every effect
must have an adequate cause. Any
other cause than a risen Christ is
inadequate. It is indeed as Jean
Paul Richeter says: “He being the
holiest among the mighty, and the
mightiest among the holy, has
lifted with His pierced hands em¬
pires off their hinges, has turned
the stream of centuries out of it
is channel, and still governs the
ages.
The pierced hand governs the
best government of earth today.
Oscar Strauss, perhaps the fore¬
most Hebrew in the United States
to-day, said a few days ago, that
this government approximated the
old Israelitish ideal more closely
than anything in the history of
human affairs. Our land is not as
Christian as we should like it.
But the name high over all in
America is the Name than which
“none other is given among men
whereby we must be saved—the
blessed name of Jesus.”
The flag of no other nation can
make our flag come down. It is
nailed to the mast when earthly
powers speak; but on the SaDbath
day, the day purchased by, end in
memory of, the glorious risen
Christ—on Sunday morning
will see the Stars and Stripes
down on every battleship
cruiser, and Dreadnaught, and
other flag go up, then under
White Cross the nation’s flag
estly takes its place,
ing to the world we believe in
Resurrected Christ.
WANTED FOR U.S.
Able bodied unmarried men,
tween ages of 19 and 35;
of United States, of Good
ter. and temperate habits, who
speak, read For and write the
language. Recruiting information
to Officer 113
Main St., Fitzgerald, Ga.,
West York St, Savannah, Ga..
108 West Forsyth St.,
ville, Fla., 140 Market St, Char¬
leston, S. C. or Southern building,
Waycross, Ga.
C- A. Holtzendorf
1 DENTIST \
*
2nd Floor Rooms 208=9=10 %
Ga.rbutt-Donov»n Bldg. a
» kfcfc**fe*K******S^k**X**ikfc*
PERSONALS
Mrs. C. C. Hyer, of Brunswick,
arrived in the city Monday, and is
the guest of Mrs. J. C. Ligeour.
Miss Myrtle Markley, of Albany,
spent Saturday and Sunday very
pleasantly with friends in the city.
Miss Julia Bethune left Monday
for her home in Milledgeville,
after a visit of several days to her
sister, Mrs. E. Julian Peacock.
Miss Marie Johnson, who has
been delightfully entertained for
several days as the guest of Miss
Fannie Boyd, left Monday for her
home in Talbotton.
Miss Susie Sharpe passed
through the city Monday, en route
to Oglethorpe, to attend the
Harris-Lamdin wedding, which
was an event of today.
HEAKT DICE PARTS' FOR
MISS BETHUNE
Foremost among the social gay -
ities of last week was the progres¬
sive Heart Dice party Saturday ev¬
ening, given by Dr. and Mrs. E.
Julian Peacock, complimentary to
their sister, Miss Bethune, of Mil¬
ledgeville.
The Mercer parlors, admirab¬
ly adapted for such functions, nev¬
er looked more beautiful than on
this occasion, when graced by one
dozen couples, members the city‘s
society set.
Miss Bethune, the guest of
honor, wore an exquisite toilet of
blue satin, veiled in silver spangled
marquisette, which was most be¬
coming to her charming brunette
type of beauty, while the hostess,
Mrs. Peacock, was attired in white
satin. Miss Marie Johnson of Tal¬
botton, the guest of Miss Fannie
Boyd, was beautiful in a gorgeous
creation of pink satin, veiled in
pink marquisette.
Six tables were arranged for
Heart Dice, which proved quite an
exciting and interesting diversion,
and was indulged in until a late
hour, when a lovely course lunch¬
eon was served.
A delightful feature of the ev¬
ening were the duets rendered by
Miss Young and Mr. Phillips on
the piano and violin.
Dr. and Mrs. Peacock’s hospital¬
ity will long be remembered by
those so fortunate as to be present
on this enjoyable occasion, who were
Miss Julia Bethune. of Milledge¬
ville, Miss Marie Johnson, of Tal¬
botton, Miss Louise Fisher, Miss
Fannie Boyd. Miss Jennie Wash¬
burn, Miss Jeanette Venable, Miss
Margaret Harris, Miss Ethel
Hines, Miss Mildred Wooten, Miss
Hazel Young, Miss Floy Mc¬
Laughlin, Miss Dotlie McLendon,
Miss Myrtle Venable; Messers
Chas. Isler, P. F. Clark, Frank
Taylor, Cleve Miller, Bowers,
Clyde Walker, E. L. Bush, Chas.
Hubbart Allan, Homer Phillips,
and Earl Braswell.
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Mosher and
their neice, Miss Florence Bige¬
low, are at Miona Springs, spend¬
ing the week with Mrs. H. C.
Chaple. The trip up to Miona
being made in Mr. Mosher’s auto.
Card of Thinks
We wish to express through this
medium our sincere thanks to all
that were with us and in sympathy
With us during the sad death
our loved one.
Husband, families.
G. S. Deyo.
For Sale or Trade
For a farm, one large, 2-story
flat, 303 East Altamaha Avenue,
Fitzgerald, Ga.
7-5w M. H. Plopper.
I 9 Look!
TV
$2000 in Paper Money !
Is Burned Up in Fire
MACON, Ga., Jan. 4.—Two thousand
dollars in paper money was burned up in
a fire which destroyed the store of «J. P.
Noble in Soutn Macon last night. His
entire stock and furnishings were lost.
Noble had the money in a cash box secure¬
ly hidden away. It was burned to ashes.
The fire is believed to have been of incen¬ i
diary origin.
The above tells its own story. Please don’t YOU
take such a risk, when you can place your monev in our
bank, where we use every safeguard and precaution to
keep it for yeu. It costs you nothing to get this protec¬
tion from us. ::::::: :
Our Wish for You is That the Year
1911
Be a Happy and Prosperous Year in Every Way
American State Bank
Fitzgerald Georgia.
is
m m **%
FOR SALE
12-Acre Tract, one-fourth mile south of Fitzgerald, on the
• newly graded road to Ocilla; a good 4-room house, with
hall, pantry, bath room, a good well of water, a good sized
barn, 37 bearing Peach Trees, Plums, Pears, Quince, Figs,
Cherry, Crab Apple, a Parks, Necterean, with Black Hen and Strawberries, all under
Grapes, and Chicken Houses,
■ good fence ; about 2 acres of fine Timber. For terms and
price see owner at place. F. SPIEGLE.
—------ i vivn num
Clements & Fletcher ix
215 East Magnolia. at
mules! The Finest Car-Load of tarn
Ever early Shipped call to Ben Hill Co.
An will secure you 8
V'- best selection. BOB FLETCH¬
tv
ER will be pleased to show
hem to you. 8
RHODE I have 3 pens ISLAND of the prettiest RED Red CHICKENS Chickens in S
the South, and for utility purposes, as well as
show, they are the best in the world.
Eggs $1.50, $2.50 and $3.50 Setting. V
SAM WILCOX. : : OCILLA. GA. I
Our Books Show
this laundry sends
its packages out to
the best people in
town. There’s a
stray one here and i
there, though, we V
haven’t got. Are
you one of them? !
Laundry Work
do is complain¬ hi
we never i
ed of. Our prices are I
regular and work the A
best Give us a trial. r
White Swan Laundry 1
Phone 35.