St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-02
AT THE PEOPLES CHURCH.
Rev. s. G. Smith Conducts the
knights Templar Service-A
LARGE CONGREGATION.

knights Templar Service-A
Large Congregation.
Shortly after IL o'clock the doors of
the Grand Opera house were locked and
one of the ushers stood outside telling
people who came to hear the Easter
sermon of Rev. S. G. Smith, that all the
seats in the auditorium and first balcony
were taken, and if they cared to go In
they must go to the gallery. The services
which the pastor of the Peoples church
conducted were those of the Order of
the Knights Templar for Easter day,
and the members of that order, in their
regalia, attended in body, occupying
chairs directly in front OF the speaker.
There were several large bouquets,
and a quantity of potted plants
placed in front OF the organ
which was moved from It's
usual position to the middle of the stage.
The audience, aside from the Knights
Templar, was large and fashionable
one. and there were many bOnnets and
dresses as gay as are often seen at the
same place on weekday night. The
music and singing were unusually fine.
DR.. Smith preached a short sermon
which was in keeping with the day. His
text was, 81 am the resurrection" The
reverend gentleman said:
The Easter festival, born of the ORR
entail spirit, is the expression Of uni
versal hope. That under one form or
other it is older than Joseph's tomb
makes it not the less true, but rather
confirms its truth. The pageantries of
Egypt and the professions of Greece
were prophetic of the Christ. He came
and made dreams visible, hopes tangi-
BILE. He came to manifest that suprem-
acy of spirit which the world had come
in it's loftiest souls already to believe.
His career said to men: You have be-
lieved in the conquest OF the Spirit; now
see it done. In
ANSWER TO THE woMAN's WORD,
half plant, half hope, 81 know that He
shall rise again in the last day." the
conauerer says: II am the resurrec-
tion.n This discloses His power. He
says not, Il will RISE" but,"l am the re-
surrectiOn." He bids hope master the
present. His power is a giving, not a
greatness.
Every good thing rises in him. The
knowledge of God had plunged away
from the eyes of men, like subter-
ranean river. The glory no more came
to the temple. The light of every burn
ing bush was Quenched. No more did
man hold friendly cOnvers with his
Maker. Jesus gave a resurrection life
to all the best that man had
ever dared to dream about his Father.
He made it authentic, and authOrita-
tive. He furnished life to herOism and
good faith. The empty tomb inspired
the spirit, out of which knighthOOd was
born. The deeds of valOr which adorned
the age of chivalry are changed, not
n NUh
Jesus remains the worlds chiefteSt
teacher. Now, as ever, good men and
true make their vows in defense of in
nocence. helplessness and religion.
They make, aye, and keep them in
thousand different forms of modern life
as earnest, and perhaps, far more real
than those of the earlier time.
The chiefeSt lesson of the hour is
this: There is no wreck without its
resurrection. The overcome is not the
destroyed. Appearances are not final.
We walk by faith. Even the individ-
ual life has its hope after overthrow in
the life of little children. Every true
soul touches them somewhere, and
seeks to teach some successor out OF its
failures and defeats. We may make a
better human life than our own. We
may thus share the resurrection
power of Jesus. 1t you can
do no other, you may help the
Newsboys home, and reach out
hand to the waits of the street. That Is
Christ's work, and the "Sunday school
idea," at which some sneer, will win
when worlds burn. Hope belongs of
right to men. The world sports with
us at times, but veracity is its joy. 1t
dares to tell us the truth. Of that we
are sure. Many blows and wounds from
Natures hand bear witness. Shall we
not also accept the message of good
cheer which has survived all earthly dis
appointments? Shall we not believe the
deep undertones of hope that sound
clear and melodious in all healthy