St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-13

to worship God in purer and better way.
they Stunned everything that was
Of spectacular or material
character, and stroye more for spirituality of
the inner life. The aim of the Puritans of later
times was for the pure worship of the soul
instead of genufexions and the
forms and ceremonies of the Angli-
can church under its early leaders. Besides
they were compelled to maintain their belief
with the sword, they had no time or thought
to spare for Easter flowers, or joyful anthems,
when the dungeon and the stake were before
them. No sect of Christians ever
felt more profoundly the great love of Christ.
All he did or suffered they regarded as per-
sonal matter. He died for them; "they were
ransomed by the sweat of no vulgar agony,
by the blood of no earthly sacrifice" Under
happier circumstances, no church affairs at
Easter would have been heaped higher with
blossoms than the dissenter's, no more
heartfelt Jubilates would have been sung
than by the Puritans.
As religious beliefs no longer need the de-
Tense of the sword, men are learning to look
upon the open tomb of Aramathea as the in
heritance Of all men of whatever faith, the
worlds heritage, and that it is not only an
appropriate but precious privilege to cele-
brate the resurrection of our Lord with all
things that are beautiful and glad, with
flowers and song and gladness for the worlds
"Christ is risen from the dead"
What would have been the condition of the
world if tho stone had not been
rolled away from the door of the sepulcher?
In place of light darkness; in place of hope
despair; instead of life-death. If from
the tomb in the garden Christ had not risen
there could have been no hereafter for man
kind, nothing but death and oblivion. The
belief that death is the gate to endless
joy'' was not taught by Christ or his disci-
pies. Christ said, eff go and prepare a
place for you l will come again and receive
you unto myself" and, again, he said, ''This
is the will of him that sent me, that every
one which seeth the Son and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life, and I
will raise him up at the last day" John said,
Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not appear
what we shall be; but we know that when He
shall appear we shall be like Him, for we
shall see Him as he is" And again he
wrote, "Behold, He cometh with clouds and
every eye shall see him." Not once is there
any hope given Of seeing Christ until ellis
appearing"
In reading the Bible does not the question
arise, if Christs disciples were to go to Him
at death, if they were to see his glory then,
why did He never comfort them with the
hope? Why did he not say, in few years
you shall come to me and know that II am
indeed the Christi? Instead He says, 'when
[ come again will receive you" and Eat that
day ye shall know that am in the Father"
Christ's disciples never wrote or spoke
of seeing Christ, or of receiving the crown of
righteousness until the day of his coming.
st. Paul said, "When he assembled up on
high he led captivity captive" To fully
understand what he means by the term,
l!'captivity captive, 1--WE must go back to the
time of Adam and Eve. Why did Satan con-
descend to notice the new race God had Gre
ated by Christ Jesus? 1t was condescen-
sion, for Lucifer was the Son of the morn
ing, and however defaced and defiled by re-
bellion and sin, however fallen from his first
estate, he was infinitely superior to man.
Because by SHINING they became
the captives of death, and Paul saws.
in Hebrews, that the devil had the power oveI
DEATH so man by disobedience became sub
ject to the devil, When they passed through
the gates of death they became the lawful
captives of the king of death-the devil; thus
by sin mankind became the prey of death and
they are all their life in bondage through
fear of their great conqueror.
To redeem man from this captivity; to
open the gates of death and make
it possible for them to pass
through life and light, to take
the sting from death, and the victory from
the grave, Christ died and him
self became subject to him who had the
power of death. But unlike the other sub
jects of that kingdom of darkness and cor
ruption ''it was not possible for him to be
holden by the pains of DEATH" and "God
raised him up.'' 'tFor this cause he is the
mediator of a new testament, that by means
of death, for the redemption of the trans
gressors that were under the first testament,
they which are called might receive the prom
Use of eternal inheritance.n God raised him
up and when he assembled up on high he led
death and the devil captives, he conquered
death in his own dominion, and from hence
forth the subjects of death who accept
the WY Christ has provided will also rise
from the grave, when he shall call them.
From this standpoint how clear are St.
Paul's declarations that everything depended
upon Christ's resurrection. eff Christ be net
raised, your faith is vain. Then they which
are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.',
eff in this life only we have hope in Christ
we are of all men most miserable" Christ's
resurrection was the cap sheaf of his work,
the surety of Immortality for man. If Christ
had not opened the gates of death, there
would be no hope for any one, no promise
of life to come, nothing but. death and OBJ
livion.
"But now is Christ risen from the dead
and become the first fruits of them that
slept" "Christ the first fruits; afterwards
they that are Christs at his comingn Not
until he appears the second time will the
captives of death be free. st. Paul SAYS ssthe
last enemy to be destroyedis death" 'sWhen
the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall
be raised" then will the redeemed sing
''Thanks be to God who giveth US the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.