The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-10
sHUa n or IRE DIVINE PATERNITY.

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The Empty Tomb-The Risen Lerd-Tho
Basis OF the Christians raitL-Sermoa by
Rev. Dr. Chaplin.
In harmony with the beautiful Easter morn were
the noral decorations OF the Church OF the Divine
Paternity yesterday. the pulpit and stairs leading
thereto were made vcrdant and fragrant with the
richest spring mowers in pots and bouquets; while
as relief to the dark woodwork ar The back OF the
pulpit there stood splendid cross OF white Mowers
upon base Of var1egated ones, and at either side
were heart-shaped clusters OF the same emblenls
OF renewed nature. AS became the festa
idea Of the day. also. the service consisted IN large
part OF hymns OF love and praise and chants
aad Easter anthems, which were admirably rem
dered by the choir. The beautiful and impressive
custom in this church OF chanting the Lords
Prayer I'm echol by the choir, alter the opening
prayer by the pastor, must strike every stranger
favorably. In the services yesterday morning DR..
Chaplin was assisted by Rev. Mr.. Clair. The ser.
mon by Dr. Chaplin was grand argument from the
analogies OF nature. the consciousness OF our own
being and from the divine revelation OF the
DOCTRINE OF A FUTURE LIFE. $685.
His remarks were based upon Matthew xviii.
e"He is not here; for He Is risen He said. Como
see the place where the Lord lay.n When we arrive,
ne said, at the fact here proclaimed, We shall De
down the Mount OF Olives which was made the sub
Ject OF consideration last Sabbath. That dark way
cross Of infamy were the crown ana throne Of JOY
and triumph. This fact is either the greatest OF
corded and perpetuated 1t the greatest Of facts
or the greatest OF suppos1tions. lt is not partly
sss partly St mTss Se Wholly NnS true
ment as an historical record To be sure the truths
which Jesus spoke would abide and still maintain
their intrinsic authority but they would only be like
the truths OF Plato, or Cicero, or CorfuciuS, or
socrates. They would afford no reason why we
should be Christian more than PatOnian or COf1fu-
Clan. we part with TINS fact
WE PAET WITH EVERYTHING.
The ark in which humanity mas enshrined Its treas
aros Becomes loose timber and floats away, we
know not whittier. The resurrection OF Jesus Is the
radical fact OF Christianity The character OF Jesus
might stand without IT, but what is It? 1t lives on
the same page as the rcsuirecii0n and the autho
mtg OF the one tails so must the other: And If we
accept the life and character OF Christ in all its full
ness and beauty we cannot long consistently resist
the doctrine OF the resurrection. Any man who ac-
cepts the personality or Christ as real must accept
the resurrection also. The Christian world then
cepts this as
and ia recognition OF It the Church breaks forth
to-day In songs OF joy, In the ringing OF bells aud
nC he o. .ns organ ana r a Us 70
haps 1t would lie as well to leave the subject here
and let our minds realize the fact or the rsen Lord
and the empty tomb mat all the powers OF the soul
may be stirred within us. Not only Is this the or
panic fact OF Christianiv 1t agrees also with rhe
Instincts and CONSEQUENCES or our own nature.
God should raise the dead ~ II 1t Is not
a thing incredible, then the argument for q
future life Is perfected in the resurrection OF the
Lord Jesus CHRIST. The arguments for future life
drawn from the anaiogies OF nature are Old. For
They come spontaneously to the mind and agree as
well with tbe oldest philosophy as with modern
science. The fact that this
TRUTH Is COMMONPLACE
does not vItiate against the fact There are great
IN the resurrection Of Christ nor In the authenticity
OF the Bible he would put Paul's question again 10
credible that God should raise the deads What for
bids the existence OF q future lie for man, ex-
cept that 1t mas not isen d n Win our expert,
that we don't Know the fact because
one mas ever come back to tell US OF that future
life: but t does not form good reason for rejecting
the possibility OF such evidence. Then the marvel
lousness OF the resurrection IS alleged against 1t.
wonaerius Did you, asked the Doctor ever stop
70 think OF the wondrous mechanism OF y0ur own
exlstence-how the blood circulates IN your yeinss
II you have, then you must stand appalled, and
amazed before t. The Doctor further illustrated
this thought by the human eye, the seed dropped
Into the ocean. the waves OF which sing its re-
QUEEN, and the unfolding beauty OF one OF the now.
ers beside him. the man OF science can tell All
about the constituent parts or the flower, but he
cannot make one. And am TO be told he asked,
WORLD OF WONDERS LIKE THIS
&c Ia too wonderful To believe that man should rise
from the deads The dryest evidence Of science DIS
ever passing from the lower to the nigber-not from
lie to death, but from life through death TO some
thing higher We can't think OF the termination OF
cant think OF life ending In ann'hnaton. There Ii
no such thing. Form may change and cease to be.
but essence never. The normal ana conscious de-
sire OF every healthy person is to live. II IL dis
tiuctIve Idea orhumanty. We never reach the time
whcn mea want to stop or cease to desire to struggle
on. This beautiful world and glorious liic,
but there IL more beautiful and glorious to come.
the trees, plants, flowers, oil speak Of an economy
ONLY UNsATIsFfED ONE.
shut him up TO this life apd we DO not know what
inspiration comes to men from the future life.
Everything within US and withost calls out for q
demonstration Of the resurrection life, and here
haveit: "ife Is not here He is risen Come see the
place where the Lord lay.r And IN this demonstra.
ton We ire r3ce @ sser "c wn reIuss
line Of rational argument II II In harmony with
reason Christianity rests upon II. The tomb OF
Sos risen it becomes me grave " cnrs.snis1 Also
Tor Il resis upon the historical fact Of the resarrec-
~Sss there Is 80 much in s favor and not one
mout against it, Come see where the LORD lay. and
where generations OF men before him and e. since
equal. Kings havs laid aside their crowns 10 &c
eiLhsr aud beggars lie there as kings. What histo-
Scrssi view Y How 11''' ~" = 80 ~'
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED AND UNIVERSAL IT rs
are NOT Ss We can SET foot d1rn wners
In tho green nelds of the country; IL 10 on mountain
tops and In The bottom Of the sea; ana what trea-
love and JOY. and there also the babe that dropped
Ike messenger from the sky, and Just waited long
enough 10 draw out the directions OF our hearts and
then hasiened back 70 its home beyond. II this
EiorI Of christs resurrection. Let Us remember
ssss S sna SSs
bf bread and wine which we here partake Of this
eAy. And let us also remember that
LAfe u the togrid day,
Death the cool evening shade
when the weary day 10 done.
The Communion Of the Iord's Supper was sub5e-