National Republican., 1884-04-14
CHRIST Is TIE LIFE.

EASTER THOUGHTS OF REV. DR. GREENE, OF
THE CALVARY BAPTIST.
."1f ye then bo risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above. Col. iii, l.
Through the gateway of this spring morn
ing we look across the years to that empty
tomb III the garden and comprehend some
what its wonderous significance. The angel
messenger of God declares "IIe Is not here;
He Is risen as lilo said" Without this His
mission had failed. But now is Christ risen
from the dead and become the first fruits OF
them that slept" Mysterious, unexplainablc
.as it may seem, here stands the fact Of the
resurrection, resting upon evidence as
conclusive as that Of any 2tact in
history. Tho sepulcher Is open; Christ ap-
pears; many who had previously known Him
now see and hear Him; He eats with the dis
ciples, and Thomas, to add yet another strand
to the sufficient proof, puts his, hands into the
very wounds Of the cross. 1t is not tsrange
that this great truth became central in apos-
tolic thought and discourse, or that the early
church dwelt upon il with delight. Many
had loved Christ in tho days of His humilia-
ton. They now rejoiced in the vindication
of the resurrection. The Nanreno had tri-
umphed. But what was more, His triumph
was theirs. His mysterious words now
took on q sublime, inspiring significance.
II am tho resurrection and the life
he that beleveth in Mo though he were
dead, yet shall ho live" Faith in Christ
brought to them, not forgiveness alone, but
eternal, unquenchable life. The seed of now
life was in the Man Of Nazareth. There
came to the believer those practical, blessed
results of faith in such one. The dying fell
"asleep in Jesus" The bereaved wrote over
their dust, "resting in hope" while they said
one to another "the hour cometh when they
that are in their graves shall hear His voice
and come forth" and SO they could mot
mourn as those who havo no hope"
On the cold cheek Of death smiles and roses
And beauty immortal aw axes from the tomb.
We should be anxious that this great truth
of the resurrection have its legitimate in
fuence on our lives.
There is a profound significance to the first
clause Of the text 1t presupposes union
with Christ, by.virtue of which His victory is
ours. Standing among the graves of more
than hundred generations, surrounded by
the dying conscious Of spiritual desolation
as great, Christ said, II am the life"--not a
life but the life; its source and center. II
am come that they might have life" is our
Lords statement of His own mission, while to
those He sought He said, "Ye must be born
again." Regeneration is but the consumma-
tion of that union by means of which we are
made shaTers in the divine nature and en-
ergy. There can be no Vigor of the vine
which is not transmitted to the branch. When
---~~- ..r-s.Iss ..IV' EII -us WHICH triumpneu
once LOT all over ueatn. Inat life
triumphs everywhere. Every regenerate
soul has in it the germ power of
the resurrection in this sense is risen with
Christ" So great thing is it to be in Christ
The difference between the spiritual and
natural man is not q difference of growth
but generation; not of quantity, but quality.
He that hath the Son hath life. He that
hath not tho Son of God hath not life" Have
you this life?
The duty naturally urged upon those who
are risen with Christ is to seek those things
which are above, We must share in the
duties and rewards of human living, but
these are not 10 be ends, but means We are
to use them, not abusing them. Their inau-
ence is dangerous. They are unworthy our
best time and thought. They are trouble.
some, transient, delusive, and have no power
in themselves to satisfy. But nourish this
germ of higher life in you. Bald char
acter worthy of it.