The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1890-04-17

day, 10 realize 90 best ne may, the
spiritual Significance aud moral In =
port OF that great event. The resu =
rection Of Christ must Of course be
interpreted by each according TO the
plane OF thOaght aud feeling TO
which he has attained, yet all may
realize that our great commander is
not q mere memory, much less q
dead tradition. Tut \ living radiant
Presenee. Tor he II neither dead, nor
away otf In some far region Ia the
skies, but IL here and about u As q
spiritual infiuenee To guide our way
ward feet Ia the path OF righteous
ness, II more than ever alive to
nerve with coBqueFlng might the
feeblest warrior priest who wields
the giittering sword In the cause OF
the poor and oppressed, and la the
defence Of an euObilng faith. IL II
not that Jesus eane back from
death, hut that he rose up Through
death to immortal life aud Ineffable
light. We celebrate not . physie.l
fact. not that which was true nj one
time aud m one place, but q
spiritual fact, that IL eteTnnlly true.
He forever destroyed death, that we
who now live might be caught up
into q life 80 real, that we cannot
DE-. IL was the fullness Of life
manifested In unselfish love that
transformed the cross Of the male
factor Into Q living symbol Of death
swallowed up OF life. IL has become
the Sign OF the unlyIng power OF
goodnrss, aud the iuPvTishable
nature Of love.
The cross IL the symbol Of our
order. To others IL may have o
doubtful Significance, or q mere
measurable value. but To tue knight
VINO inieTprets 10 by the light a,Id
glory east back upon it from the
mount of transformation It eX-
presses more than the mind can
iathom, the Imagination picture,
or tue tongue speak. Its slgnIh-
canoe IL unreasonable, aud Its
splendor imperisnsble.
The festival OF Easter, the season
when natures life is resuTrecied,
time to celebrate the glOr.ficatlon of
our great commander, aud read Into
this symbol the divinest spiritual
meanings. We should not assocl-
ate the words, IL am the resurrec-
lion and the lite" With fading leaves,
moaning winds, and the sound OF
earth falling Into an open grave,
but with laughing brook, bursting
bud, singing bird. and fragrant
flower; net into the yawnIug grave,
but into the opening heavens, do
we look for the Interpretation Of the
sign under which we conquer. In
JubIlant notes aud with swelling
rapture We sing:
I'm the cross Of Christ I glory"
etc.
We do not need to formulate an
exact and logical belief about the
resurrection. As The ignorant dis
ciples were lifted from q state Of
fear aud dependency to an upllfted
state OF eXaltation when they
realized that death had MT robbed
them OF their Lord but had brought
him nearer to them. aud theta
nearer To him, 80 also we may I've
Inspired by truths We cannot fOTmu-
late, and touched by symbols too
full Of divine meanings for us tn
interpret in language. Let Us but
feel the pulsings Of this resurrerIing
life, and We eau wait for a perfect
understanding Of the mysteries nf
the souls growth through seeming
loss, and its Qualification through
shame. The simplest symbols will
suffice, IL we are enabled to read
into aud draw therefTOm ever
higher aud diviner meanings.
However learned and rational we
may he, or however simple, We still
sing:
Hold thou the cross hef,rr my rIn.inE
eyes,
shine through the gIoora aud point NJ" tn
Heavens morning hreaks. esrIhI vain
shadows fee,
In lie ia death. - rrd sbide with me-
This radiant presence, a. an abld-
ing consciousness, alone eau trans
form the gloomy symbol Of our
order into a cOnquering sign. We
also must put on the whole armOr Of
liOd IL We would be identified with
that which ahldeth for ever. We
must he Knights OF the Holy Spirit
converting the kingdoms Of tins
world into the kingdoms Of our God
aud His Christ, II we would realize
tue ideal Of Templarism. And We
must not only dsIeud our enobling
faith, aud practice all the external
grace Of ohivalry, but become the
protectors OF the defenceless. aud
the servants OF the poOr, II we
would be Loyal Knights Of 81. John.
Nothing that Is grand or gentle can
we become, save rs partAkers of
Christ's glorious resurrection and
life, for he who was the way, the
truth, and the life, spent himself In
lowliest service among the SHINING,
tOillng aud suffering sons Of earth,
and he Is ut once our ideal, our In
spiration and our guide.