Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-21
ON EASTER MORNING.
Rev. Geo. Hodges kehearseS in Elo-
quent Language the
STORY OF THE RESURRECTION.
The Appearance of the Risen LOrdtO Mary
at the Tomb.
THE DOUBT AND JOY OF THE DISCIPLES
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH ]

WRITTEN FOR THE D1sPATCH.1
There is some confusion in the gospel
story of the early Easter morning. The
gray dusk which hung about the city and
the tomb fingers still in the pages of the
scripture. Through the darkness figures
are seen moving, there are voices and Wis
ions of angels, but all is dim and confused.
We catch the sound of running feet. Here
is Mary Magdalene, hurrying from the tomb
into the city; and there the apostles John
and Peter, with troubled faces, hurrying
from the city to the tomb. On the road are
women, perplexed between fear and joy; in
the air are strange rumors, which, when the
apostles hear them, cause much mournful
shaking of incredulous heads Everybody
is excited-excited soldiers, telling ola
marvellous apparition of an angel which
has scared them from their watch; excited
and apprehensive priests; excited women,
declaring that they have seen with their
own eyes, walking, speaking and alive, One
who was yesterday MANNED and dead.
All this hurry and excitement, this rush
ing to and fro, and telling of strange sights,
is reflected in the pages of the gospel. It is
hard to make out the full, connected story
Of that ever-memorable morning. Putting
all the accounts together, however, we get
some such result as this:
While it was yet dark and the soldiers
were keeping their watch, pacing up and
down before the tomb, at an hour when no
man knew, and as silently as the stars move
in the sky, was enacted the most important
IN in fhn h hicflp
Christ rose from the dead. The guarded
tomb was empty.
Then, swift coming down from heaven,
appeared the angel of the resurrection, his
face like lightning and his robes like the
snow, In whose presence the stout soldiers
trembled and fell like men dead. The
great stone was rolled away. The empty
tomb was open.
HE HAS RISEN.
Then slowly along the road from Jerusa-
lem, bearing in the il hands spices and oint-
ments for embalming, came loving and sor-
rowing women, chief among them Mary of
Magdala. As they draw near the place
they remember the great stone, and wonder
how they will get it rolled away. And as
they look before them, straining their eyes
to see in the imperfect light, it seems as if
the stone is out of place. Somebody has
moved it. Yes; the stone is rolled awayI
There is a great sinking of the heart as
they hurry to the mouth of the tomb, and
looking in find that the body is gone The
Jews have come, they say one to another
the cruel, merciless rulers-they have come
and stolen the body. Even the scourging
and the crucifxion have not contented them.
They cannot even let his body lie quiet in
the grave. They have taken our Lord from
US, and now they must come and take even
His dead body.
You observe that here is not a ray of
hope. Not one of this mourning company
suggests that the Lord has perhaps risen.
They look with tears in their eyes upon
that empty tomb. That deserted tomb was
the gladdest sight to be seen that day all
the broad earth over, 1t meant victory and
life eternal. 1t meant all that it means to
us. We gather about it with flowers and
glad hearts and singing. They stood and
gazed upon it, and cried as if their hearts
would break. They could not understand
how there could be anything good about
this grievous trouble They looked each
other in the face with utter despair. We
make mistakes sometimes just as they did.
That which seems grief beyond bearing is
often, if we could but look deeper and see
farther, only the beginning of better JOY
But from these desolate women the meaning
was hid, as yet. Mary turns back, and
runs to tell the sad news to the apostles,
Peter and John.
Meantime the, women make another
search, those rock-hewn tombs consisted of
a vestibule and several niches The vesti-
bule was commonly of some size; the inches
were cut farther into the rock, and in these
the bodies of the dead were raised. Per-
haps there is some mistake They will look
again. And as they look
BEHOLD A STRANGE SIGHT.
Here is vision of angels, and the angels
have a message. They have come to bring
the Easter tidings. 'Why seek ye the iiv,
ing" they say, 'among the dead? ? He is
not here; He is risen." The women have
fallen on their faces to the earth. A new
light breaks upon their hearts. They rise,
and half in fear and half in joy, not we'll
knowing what to think, they hurry back to
tell the others.
And now, by another road, come other
eager runners. First, the younger apostle,
John, quicker of step, and behind him
Peter, both hurrying and breathing hard;
and behind both, outdistanced for weak
ness, Mary Magdalene. The apostles reach
the tomb. Yes, it is true, as Mary has said.
L
and empty. ST. John stoops down and looks
in. There on the rocky floor lie the grave
clothes. Then comes st. Peter, the i'm
pulsive, and he is not content with looking
in; he must feel with his hands. In he goes
There lie the swathing bands that were
about the body. There is something strange
about the look Of them. They lie in order,
folded. Why the robbers should have left
them at all is hard question; but how
came it that they not only took them off,
but so carefully folded them? The tomb
has been robbed. There is the terrible and
tragical fact But what strange robberyl
There is some mystery about it. And Peter
and John go back, asking each other ques-
tions without any answers, and greatly
wondering.
By this time Mary has reached the tomb
The body is gone. Yes, that is true. But
here at least is the place where Heswas laid.
Here she must stay. She is weary with
running, and weary with weeping. She
stands leaning on the great stone, against
the broken seal, and cries bitterly. She
will go and look again. She looks, and
now she, too, sees angels. There they sit
within the tomb, one at the head and the
other at the feet where the body of Jesus
had lain. Mary sees them, but she does not
fall down in awe and fear as the other
WOmcu u4u. Ouc Se0u1S W Idhc lueSc duSS1S
as matter of course. Her heart is so
FULL OF SORROW
that there is no room in it, even for the SEN
sation of surprise. A whole sky full of
angels cannot take her from her grief The
angels say: "Why weepest thou?" and she
answers as if she were in the habit of talk
ing to angels every day: Because they
have taken away my Lord, and know not