The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-22

be that joy9 We answer, first OF ALI
the cross saves us II tells of vicarious dvtnS
But IL Jesus did notrise, II there was no glorlohs
Jesus died for Himself alone. IL is the miracle
of the resurrection that lifts the cross above n
common instrument of suffering, and converts
itinto an altar ON which is expiated the worlds
guilt. The sepulchre tlluminates the cross, and
through the sepulchre fitting sacrifice ascends
to the most holy place TO present its wounds on
But the resurrection is also the ioy of death
in a general sense It's the JOY of death In the
case of all the good. If Jesus resur ection Is
the. proof and pledge OF ours II because He
glorious state of holy immortals then death
becomes a blessing and a charm. it is the gate
TO the celestial city. Its workmanshlpi Is heavy,
its bronze bars and panels are dark; IL has no
windows through which we may see the
glories beyond; its opening may be a pain
lul process, sendlng the jar OF lts mo noarse t
Creak through all the dissolVing members; but
this will only enhance the sweetness of the
prospect when once II Is opened ana our de-
lighted spirits have entered What is wanted,
is n distinct faith in ChTisps resurrection. Such
q faith Paul had he had seen his risen Lord
he had been in the third heaveni he said he
had a desire to depart; he declared, ITO be abb
sent from the body, was to be present with the
Lord" he said death belonged to the Christian.
When we remember that Paul, in the lie OF dan
ger which he led, lived as 1t were, right at the
door of death, and knew so well wnat lay on
the other side, the wonder is, how he could con-
tent himself to remain in the body. Aud, in
deed, he was only content TO remain as duty.
He desired TO go. That Is as far as he dared,
he courted death, and waited for It a great
gain. 10 him il was no more than be ''un-
clothed that he might be clothed upon"
have most thoroushiy im6ibed tie Christian waE
| idea of its meaning. How long has IL been
since one of our own number said, as she lay
| at the dark gateway awaiting its opening, as
! she thought of the glory about to burst through
! it, as death became transfigured into and iden-
| titled with the immortality of which IL was
! about to become the minister-she exclaimed,
| ''Oh, glorious death ~ Aye, to her it was
| swallowed up in victory; l. e., it was converted
| into victory; it was transformed into glorious
| parsonage, Just ready, with smiing face aud
| open arms, TO hand her into the waiting
| With such views as these, death would lose
all its terror; the day OF death would be waited
! for our own particular Easter. Why not9 II
to die IS to be gorified; il IL be TO see Jesus to
leave pain, to end doubt, to be quit of sin and
! of temptation: If IL is to be crowned forever,
! why not go to death as to our highest joyf
Why not covet 1t, and only do the work OF life
sweetened by its light and waiting with plea
This was the feeling of Charles Wesley when
he wrote that strange but beautiful hymn, be-
| ginning:-
"Ah lovely appearance of DEATH"
This hymn has been severely criticized and
the last editors OF our Hymn Book have very
or any Christian, to be Thoroughly penetrated
with the thought of the glory TO which only
deaIh can introduce him, and death at once
assumes friendly face and grows even more
beautiful as he is more looked at
But hear a verse or two of Wesleys hymn
"Ahl lovely appearance of death,
What sight upon earth is so fair?
with solemn delight survey
The corpse when the spirit is fed.
In love with the beautiful clay
And longing 10 lie In its stead.
How blest is our brother, bereft
How happy the soul that has lett
This wearisOme body behindi
"Of evil incapable thou,
Whose relics with envy see;
No longer In misery now,
No longer a inner like mew
If one should see vividly the glory to which
death alone can introduce him, surely the In
st1ument would catch some OF the glory and
beauty.
rising, is the joy of His victory, the Joy of a
sublime and heroic consistency, the Joy Of
death itself: But, brethren, has the joy
no means. 1t did not all belong to
efew who saw Jesus after His resurrection.
The victory is permanent, the consistency be-
tween His sublime life and His resurrection is
as glorious now as when it was first said "He
is not here; He is risen" the glorlfying of death
in the very dominion OF the grave is as real now
TO Christian faith as IL was at first to the eyes
of Mary Magdalene, or to the hands of Thomas.
AS the resurrection Of the Master gave new
meaning and power to the words of Christ for
those who had heard them from His own mouth.
SO now 1T pours brightness on the Old Tesla.
ment which Christ quoted, on the Gospels
which he uttered, and on the Epistles of those
under the inspiration of the vision, and, GER
Of Easter, the power of the resurrection, per-
vades the testimony Of the Sacred Books. No
one Cdn Iedu Iue new testament without see
ing both that the disciples were as certain OF
the resurrection Of our Lord as OF their exist
ence, and that they were perfectly conVersant
with the facts to which they testify.
The joy of Easter to-day, as at the first, gives
us humanity glorifled above weak ness; a. human
prince over the Church; not at Rome, but at
Jerusalem; not at the earthly but the heavenly
Jerusalem; not pope, but God robed in the
body that slept in the tomb of the Arimathean
Joseph. This hour the joy of Easter shines
in every Christian graveyard, in every
Christian siek.room, and gilds all Christendom
with the light and hope OF a distinct personal
Immortality. All hail, impershable joy of
Easter! Thy morn is the brightest of the year;
thy first dawning ushered in new age; then
began the Sun of righteousness coming up
with healing in His wings, travelling in the
greatness OF His strength, to draw the attention
and homage of the world to His majesty. All
hail, thrice hail, joy of Easter With thy
glory is glorihed the Cross and every word and
holy deed of Scripture. The souls of Gods
people realize thee in spiritual sense. The
risen Lord is risen within them, and they,
with Him. are risen to newness of life. The
outer Easter is the figure of the inner the
glory of the risen Lord strikes inward, and the
soul, on its Easter wings mounts up to wor-
ship the ascending Lord.
AMUSEMENTSs