Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/272

 ing with  her  Lord. Thomas voiced  the  secret  sentiments of  them  all  when  he  said:  "  Except  I  shall  see in  His  hands  the  print  of  the  nails  and  put  my  finger into  the  place  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand  into  His side,  I  will  not  believe." Now would  men  so  set against deception  be  apt  to  set  about  deceiving others? And if  so,  how  was  their  deceit  accomplished? The Saviour's  transfixed  heart  and  the  official death  certificate  given  to  Pilate  by  the  centurion both attest  that  Jesus  really  died  on  Calvary. Joseph of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus  asked  for  and secured the  body,  embalmed  it  and  laid  it  in  a  tomb hewn out  of  solid  rock  and  closed  by  a  huge  boulder. To make  assurance  doubly  sure,  the  Jews  sealed  up the  rock  and  posted  a  guard  of  soldiers. Meantime, the Apostles  were  hiding  for  fear  of  the  Jews. Did the Roman  soldiers  betray  their  lordly  masters  and league themselves  with  poor,  despised  fishermen? Absurd. Did sentinels  trained  in  the  iron  discipline of Rome  sleep  on  their  watch,  and  if  so,  how  could the sleeping  soldiers  know  the  Apostles  stole  the body? Absurder still. Or did  the  timid  Apostles overcome the  armed  soldiery,  roll  back  the  stone, carefully fold  the  winding  sheet  and  escape  with  the dead uninjured? Most absurd  of  all. No, if  Christ arose not,  the  tomb  still  held  His  body — which,  too, is false,  for  the  Jews  would  eagerly  have  produced  it to  vindicate  themselves  and  discredit  Christianity. Christ, therefore,  did  arise. The Apostles'  and martyrs' blood  and  the  conversion  of  the  world  attest it,  for  men  die  not  to  uphold  a  lie  nor  is  the  world