Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-24
SPOKE TO THE YOUNG.
Prof. Swings Easter Sermon Directed
Especially to the Youth of
the Land.
Many Wholesome Truths Clearly and
Beautifully Presented by the
Great Divine.


sermon at Central church on Sunday. 1t
was directed especially to young people.
''The story of the risen Lord, illustrative
of the new and upspringing life of the
world, has," the speaker said, an especial
| ly important and deep meaning for the
young. The Easter Sunday delights be-
cause it stands for a general awakening
from the dead. Not only does it imply
awakening from sleep, but its
celebrates the resurrection of the fields. 1t
involves in its rejoicing the trees, the
shrubs, and the grass. With many per-
sons is gathered an additional cheerful
ness from its being the end of a forty-day
| fasting and from being an open gateway
| to more of worldly gayety. Its worth all
comes from its aiiusion to the second life
of man, and from its standing upon the
borders Of that spring-time which is al
ways joy to the lover of God and nature
Its beauty is enhanced not only by the fast
ings back of it, but by the long winter, in
which no leaf budded, no bird sang, but
In which the poor grew poorer, the feeble
feebler, and the sad more sad. Fasting is
something voluntarily added to the great
scene. 1t must not be thought happi-
ness to pass away from an inconvenience of
our own manufacture, but it must be
thought happiness to pass away from the
winter which nature makes, and it is a
pleasure to glide along into the longer and
warmer days of April and May and a
pleasure to think that the winter of life
will pass away into the summer of immor-
tality
''The church has long called Easter the
greatest OF It's sacred days. Itcomes full of
the hope of a reunion of friends separated
by death. 1t points to kingdom of i'm
mense import beyond the petty kingdoms
of men. 1t comes when nature Is burst
ing its winding-sheet. 1t stands for all
that IS upspringing in the great human
landscape. The spring-time alone is
worthy of being the season of a sacred
festival. 1t has come so often that the
mind has grown useo to it, but this fact
does not disturb the greatness of tie event.
Could we measure that plan of the heaven
ly bodies which makes the sun come back
to the temperate zone, and in April and
ground the grains and the fruits that feed
all animal and vegetable life, and evoke
also the numberless beauties of leaf, grass
blossoms, color and perfume, we should all
seek the affairs and sing praises to God for
such an amazing adaptation of world to
world and world to man. A Columbus
touching a new continent, the pilgrims
touching at Plymouth are small events COM
pared with the scene of spring touching
the surface of our planet. The human
man family has run forth joyous into the
spring sunbeams for tens of thousands of
years. Christ said when the branch of
the fig-tree is tender and is putting forth
It's leaves ye know that summer is nigh
ALI were thus happy in its nearness. This
approach the Latins called spring. But
called Or unnamed it was just as rich and
sweet to Palestine as as it was to Rome.
Virgil, In the third pastoral, says: Every
held Is being clothed, every shrub is bud
ding; the woods send forth leaves and the
year becomes most beautifulS Catulius
spiritualizes the season and speaks Of one
whose young life was passing through its
happy spring time Thus do we per-
ceive that for years and ages our sensitive,
loving race has delighted to pass over the
line between the water that was frozen and
that water which sparkled and muir
INJURED.
mo older mind which has seen many
casters can stand within the influence of
the great festival without thinking of the
beauty and privilege of those who are in
their early years; in the spring of the mind,
heart and body. The Greater has not es-
teemed the trees and the grasses more
than he has his rational children. The
wonders of the universe are not limited to
dumb nature. Man surpasses nature be-
cause he has a mind that can perceive, can
admire, reason, and can love. The mind
soon leaves dumb nature far behind. HUI
mainly is the one mighty spectacle, and
therefore, must we conclude that the spring
of the external world is only an emblem Of
that youth whose fowery zone each hui
man foot may once cross. Easter comes
with a new world and newly risen Christ
to lend its awakening to all the younger
hearts. The oldest minds are also touched
by the passing breeze, but its deepest in
SEPARATION should fall upon all those who
are in the April and June of their life
1.-The dividing line between youth and
age is not perhaps as wide and deep as it
was hundred years ago, for industry and
equality have destroyed dullness and
moroseness as once they fourished in our
seniors. Some parts of youth now jour
ney onward into age. As vines will pass
over their garden wall and ornament the
old wayside, making ragged rocks beauti-
full, so youth passes its old walls and push
es many Of its branches and blossoms to
the very graves edge. For such a reform
alton the entire era deserves praise. Re-
publican governments have taken away
that load which in Asia, In Russia, and in
all uespotisms once broke the common
heart. The dawn of freedom lifted
great load from the heart. To this re-
lease add education and mental activity
and reason enough is seen for finding the
youthful spirit reaching far away from its
old confines. After the foot can no longer
run race after the eye is less powerful,
the face less rudy and less smooth, the
glow of youth runs onward ia the
intellect and the emotions.
The RESPONSIBILITIES of the real mental
and physical springtime are as great as
the period is beautiful. # youth is time
of great upspringing, time of life as
from the dead. then should great things
upspring. Why should the fields have an
April and May if they are not to grow
anything Of beauty and utility. From
fields so rich and astounding as those of
this life much should grow. The soil is
deep, the climate congenial. Language
broad and pure. learning, general taste,
character, mental force, all will come to
those who seek them. But these seekers
must enter early upon this search. The
mere powers is then lifelong. No young
mind can afford to say: Il need not read
much or acquire much, for [ am going to |
be business man. The business man
must have a soul, and one that will beat in |
sweet response TO the orator, the poet, the |
musician, or the acute reasoner. !
I'm April and May the flowers rise
JS f17ll Of 4