THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST. 



155 



in Christian circles" (and we may add, in the world's history). 

 This fact is so remarkable and important that i should like to 

 elaborate it a little. 



Supposing (in the manner of Mr. Wells) an inhabitant of Mars 

 were to arrive here to look into our manners and customs, and on 

 Sunday enquired into the meaning of the crowds he would see going 

 to our religious buildings, combined with the closing of all our 

 offices and shops. 



He would be told that the first day of the week was the general 

 holy day. Asking if it had always been so, he would be told * ' No ; 

 that the last day of the week had been so kept for thousands of 

 years." In answer to further enquiries, he would learn that the 

 change took place at the Christian era because Christ was alleged 

 to have arisen from His grave upon that day. The surprise he 

 would naturally express on the power of such a " fable " to alter a 

 sacred day would be deepened when he learned that the central 

 ceremonial of the day was the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 

 in memory of his death. 



"Then He died on that day?" 



" No, He died on the Friday." 



"Then He instituted this memorial on that day?" 

 '* No, that was on the Thursday." 

 " Well then, it was the sacred day at that time?" 

 " No, that was on the Saturday." 



And thus he would discover that the only event in the world 

 that was deliberately commemorated (for centuries) on the day it 

 DID NOT happen was Christ's death, and that the only reason for 

 flying in the face of all custom was the belief that a greater event 

 than even the death on the Cross took place on the first day of 

 the week. 



The only conclusion possible to draw in the face of these facts 

 (quite apart from Scripture statements of its truth) is that the 

 Resurrection is a fact. I consider the above picture, though 

 very roughly drawn, a good illustration of the testimony to Christ's 

 rising on the third day that can be drawn from the fact of Sunday, 

 and the Lord's Supper being taken on that day. 



Rev. J. J. B. Coles quite agreed with the remarks of Dr. Schofield 

 as to the absence of blood in the Lord's resurrection body. In 

 1 Cor. XV. 45 we read, " The first man, Adam, was made a living 

 soul; the last Adam, a quickening spirit.'' This referred to the 

 risen body of the Lord Jesus, and not, as is generally supposed, 

 to His Deity, as in St. John v. 21. This energising vital power 

 had taken the place of blood (see St. John xix. 34). 



Lieut. -Colonel G. Mackinlay said: — I thank Dr. Murray warmly 

 for the tenor of his able paper immediately expressed in his opening 

 words, " The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central event of 



