April 5

He is risen. - Matthew 28:7.

HERE is a pact admitted: this is the resurrection of Christ. That he was dead-really dead-is a fact that cannot be questioned. The soldier’s spear pierced his heart, and forthwith flowed there out blood and water. His body, taken down from the cross, embalmed, and buried by people in his new tomb,-what became of it? “If Christ be not risen, then,” says the apostle, “is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Ye are yet in your sins, and then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” But if he is risen, then the reproach of the cross is rolled away; then his divine mission is clearly evinced, and he is declared to be the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead; then is established the perfection of his sufferings; then he hath accomplished salvation for all who believe; then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; then death hath ceased to be the king of terrors, and the grave has become the avenue to life and immortality. “Remember,” therefore, says the Apostle Paul to Timothy, (as if this was the chief thing,) “remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel.”

Ecclesiastical history tells us that it was customary for the first Christians, when they met on a Lord’s-day morning, to exclaim, “He is risen!” By the over ruling providence of God, many circumstances transpired to render the resurrection of Christ most obvious and undeniable. “They rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre.” They sealed the tomb. They appointed a Roman watch. But on the morning of the third day, as it was dawning, behold, there was a great earthquake, for “the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow; and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the woman, Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and behold he goeth before you into Galilee. There shall ye see him, as I have told you.”