III

CHRIST HIMSELF THE WITNESS TO IMMORTALITY

"He appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine
prophets had foretold."--_Josephus_.


How often have men missed the sight of great historic occurrences,
in their attention to the routine of life! So it was that Quintus
did not witness the tragic events of that Passover week on which
human destiny was to turn. To Tyre on the Great Sea he had gone,
to arrange for the landing of a new quota of troops from
Brundisium. The commander at Scopus had chosen him for the
responsible mission, in token of his especial fitness. The
compliment was pleasing. But in his absence he was ever thinking
of the promise made by the Teacher in Solomon's Porch, that the
sheep who followed him should have eternal life.

Astir was all Jerusalem, when the knight returned to Scopus. It
was on the morning after the Lord's resurrection. That Roman
centurion who had been at Calvary reviewed for Quintus the fateful
happenings. With pomp reminding of a Roman triumph the Christ had
entered David's city; after four days Iscariot had betrayed him
with a kiss; for blasphemy Pilatus, the procurator, had sentenced
him to the cross; they had put on him a scarlet robe in mockery;
they had hung him between two robbers on the hill of Golgotha; a
brutal soldier now at Scopus had won by lot his seamless robe, and