National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-18


and the streets were thronged all day with wor-
shippers and promenaders. AT other Protestant
churches, also, special Easter services were held
| in accordance with the pro grammes published in
THE REPUBLICAN,.
Easter in History.
Rev. Rush r. Shipper, the new pastor
of All Souls Church, preached his first sermon to
his congregation yesterday. The church was
thronged with people Mr.. Shipper is a clear and
pleasing speaker, and by his first effort made a
most favorable impression upon his hearers. Mr..
Shipper preached from the text Luke XIV, 81
e The Lord is risen indeed" On this Easter fes-
tival Christendom celebrates the resurrection of
Jesus; and Christ so represents the divine in man
that whenever the Holy Spirit awakens thesoul or
the race to better life there comes an Easter day
resurrection, in which we may say
1.-THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED
These passing April days are memorable for many
such uprisings of humanity. Go with me to the
synagogue. The Jew last week celebrated his Feast
of the Passover tits the chief of Hebrew festivals
1t renews to his patriotic heart the thrilling story
of Moses and his deliverance of Israel from Egyp-
tan bondage The associations of the festival have
come to include the whole story of the exodus I'M
der Moses the pillar of cloud and fire, the Red Sea
crossing, and the forty years wandering from
Egypt to Canaan-from bondage to their national
career of glory. This wondrous transformation
the Jew everywhere in the Old World and the New
celebrated last week and with broken nationality
and scattered people the festival has held him
with resistleSs sway to
THE FAITH OF HIS FATHERS.
Again it is Passover week in Jerusalem. The
crowds are assembling for their jubilee. Jesus
and his friends are among them. The common
people have heard him gladly. They hail him as
Messiah strewing palms in his pathway and cheer
ing him as King. They expect him to expel the
Romans and restore the ancient glory of Solomon.
The hostile priests deem him an impostor. Freshly
exasperated by the popular demonstrations, they
doom him to death. The treachery of Judas the
mock trial before PLATE the ascent of Calvary, the
cruel murder speedily and to all human sight
effectually, consummate their desire As on that
dark Friday the sun went down the grave closed
over him, and the hopes of his friends seemed
ended forever. But as Sunday dawns the grave is
empty. Christ has risen. The scattered followers
are rallied. The
GOSPEL HAS NEW MEANING
for their hearts. They go forth to preach il. The
defeat turns to victory. The cross changes from
symbol ofignominy to an emblem of immortality.
The bad Friday i'll Jerusalem turns to the Good
Friday of the worlds redemption. 1t is not the
cross, but the resurrection that Paul emphasizes in
his preaching The Lord is risen indeed. His
power of life is planted on the ruins of the old
classic civilization that transforms the face of the
world 1t is an uprising of divine life in the
human race-a glad Easter day for humanity.
The Jewish and Christian Passover epitomize the
history of human emancipation and progress in
every age. Come down seventeen centuries and
half. Does it seem myth or history that it was in
these same passing April days that British oppres-
sion
ELIMINATED IN A TYRANNY
no longer to be endured, and at Concord Bridge
was fired the shot heard round the world, and the
fires of the revolution began to burn up the lead
ing strings in which the Old World held the New in
perpetual childhood and emancipated America
for career of manhood among the nations? In
the face all the world it was glorious uprising
ofthe rights of man, resurrection of hGInanity's
best hopes government of the people. by the
people, and for the people, In itself gospel of glad
tidings to oppressed humanity throughout the
world. 09ce more through sea and wilderness by
fire and cloud God led His children forward, as
plainly visible with Washington as with Moses,
with our fathers as with the
HEBREW OF THE oLDEN TINE.
Not quite a century passes, and another Egyp-
tan bondage is taking possession of fair land.
Every American trembles as he remembers that
God is just. The history of twenty years ago seems
to US who went through it like dark dream, and
to our children like a myth of the middle ages.
We may recall it calmly, for swiftly it is gliding
into the record of history. 1t would hardly be
worth while to recall it, except that the contrast
of to dag and then shows progress wonderful as
any of history. May we not record that progress
without bitterness? Bitterness, did say? Never,
never-as was well said by speaker in this church
last Thursday, and gladly repeat his words this
morning in behalf of this church and the COM
munion it represents-never was there drop of
bitterness in the heart of the North toward the
people of the South; never, up to this moment,
aught but goodwill the uttermost, and with it
conscientious hostility to that upas- tree that with
its baleful influence, was
DESTROYING THE WHOLE COUNTRY;
for it is plain history that an Egyptian bondage
was taking possession of our fair continent Not
satisfied to remain in its early domain, it was push
ing its way to universal dominion. dark pail
was clouding the land. Once more came the
April days; and, while the aristocracies of the
Old World rejoiced at the doom of the Republic
there came that magnificent uprising that brought
another Easter Day resurrection for mankind.
Once more it enacted the story of the cloud and
the fire. For some years it was the Red Sea pas
sage, and now 1t is the wilderness: The forty
years are not over 1t seems to-day, of old, that
the old generation, who cannot forget their old
love for Egypt, must die out and new generation
back, before we can see our Canaan. But why
shall we despair; God is with us and
HUMANITY MOVES FORWARD WITHOUT FAIL
All this history has occurred in the northern
half of our planet. Our hemisphere is swinging
lovingly toward the sun. Winter is dying The
spring is on its way northward. sThe summer is
surely coming. Nature isyejoicing in our Easter
And shall not our heats accept the
inspiring omens of history and nature? Does not
our beloved country need fresh uprising from
materialism and contention and strife and hate
Does not the church need an uprising from effete
dogmas and from bigotry, superstition, and preju-
dice? Shall not this church help on that better
day? Thanking you for your welcome, pledge
to YOU my best endeavor, and ask you to join me,
heart and hand, in making the days TO come better
than the days that are gone. &c. for our church
and for our own souls this shall become glad be-
ginning of new life in which for ourselves we
may repeat, 1.-THE Lord is risen indeed"
De La Mafyr's Easter Sermon.
The Ryland Chapel seceders, to the
number of a hundred or more. gathered in their
new place of worship, Kendall Chapel, yesterday |
morning, when the services were conducted by |