Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-06-28

had been laid away, By cords of love
nightfer than the forged chains of i'm
perlal Caesar.
Mary Magdelen comes in the twi-
light of the morning to seek her
Christ. She sees the stone rolled
away from the sepulchre.
What does 1T mean Has that dear
body-that suffering body of the most
loving friend she had ever known been
stolen away? The suffering-the soul
torture undergone by the once sinful
Magdalene, but now the one grand
beautiful character in the eventful
drama, can never be told till we shall
hear it from Mary's lips in the Fathers
house.
Simon Peter and ''that other disci
| pie" whom Jesus loved, they come
also, for Mary had ran and told them,
and the disciple whom Jesus loved out.
runs Simon Peter and comes TO the
sepulchre first. They look in-they
see the napkins and the grave clothes
lying, but there is no Christ. Mary,
| weeping, looks in at the open sepul-
chre. Through her tears she peers
into the tomb, but only the habiliments
of the grave meet her vision. She
turns away, heartbrokcn, but she i.
addressed by two angels, "Woman,
why weepest thou?'' How full of love
the response, Because they have
taken away my Lord, and [ know not
where they have laid him." And then
she turns as if to hide her grief, and
she sees oae whom she conjcctures to
the gardner. She hears the interro-
gatory repeated, "Woman, why weep
est thou ~ She does not recognize
the voica-that voice that babe her be
true woman--that babe her sins de-
part from her, and she replies, 'If
thou hast borne him hence tell NE
where thou hast laid him, and / will
take him away" Then comes that
one sweet only word that opens up a
new heaven to the faithful penitent,-
MARY" o, how that word must
have thrilled her very soul. She had
found her Christ. 1t was like moth
er calling to her lost child. It was
more-it was heaven to Mary.
The WORDS of Mary we have said,
come to US bearing wonderful signi-
ficance, because of their adaptation to
the world as we find it to- day. We
sec Mary Magdalene in converse with
the Messiah the finite communing
with the Infinite, the once degraded,
sinful, neglected and despised talking
with the Infinite Good now clothed
with the majesty of heaven, yet re-
manning for little time with those
who had become his through perfect
faith.
Could, or rather would, the world
give expression to the thoughts which
are preying upon it, We should hear
coming from ten thousand hearts and
homes the words of Mary. They
have taken away my Lord and I know
not where they have laid bim:" The
world is agonizing to-day for a hidden
Saviour. 1t cries for de]iverance as
did the captives of Israel, but its cry
is hushed by the dominant spirit of
selishness which so pervades the world
that its selfish cry, peace, be still, 3"
chokes the utterancc of its agony.
The world has hid its Christ, and it
knows it not. 1t has put him away
and substituted in his stead the idols
which it were easier to worship, be-
cause they neither condemn nor praise.
The world with all its wickedness,
grooming under an oppression it dare
not oppose, seeks It's Christ, but fears
lest it find him. To find the hidden
Lord means to break asunder the
bonds which are pleasant though OPP
pressiYe-mea to forsake the sins
which yield profit and emolument, po-
sition and power, and accept in their
stead those better things which minis
ter to soul development and grander
life, but which in a worldly sense are
Improbable. Could the world embrace
the crucifed Messiah, and still cling to
its covetousness, its sel6shness, its
manifold sins, 1t would come forth with
grand acclaim and the shout of hosan.
mas would mingle with the clink of its
gold. 0, the selfshness that hides our
Christ! We find it everywhere, in the
market place, in the counting room, in
the factory and the shop, in business
aud in pleasure, in the home, yea, In
the Church which is the Bride of the
Lamb. 1t is the vail which hide.
from our vision our Christ, it is the
mighty stone that blocks the sepulchre
which perfect love shall one day rol
away, and then our Christ, the world.
Christ shall be revealed in all his love
illness, and all the earth shall come un
to him-unto that mighty one who ha.
been yearning for that love so long
withheld. Christ calls to the world a.
he called to Mary, but the world is al
idle listener. There is no music in
that voice to the busy, crashing world
but to Mary, the penitent, whose self
ishness had given place to a wealth O.
affection which lifted her nearer to hel
God. there was a melody which enrap
tured her whole soul, and sin could nc
more find an abiding place therein.
Only as the Christ spirit permeates
the world will the world be subdued to
Christ. 1t cannot be driven, it mus
be won, and those who are to become
the ministers in winning the prize fol
Christ are Gods children, carrying
Gods banners upon which shall aot be
inscribed UNCONVENTIONAL creeds but
rather Glove and Good Will to al
men,"
Christ organized but one Church