Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1892-04-29

woot OF Christian civilization and there
it will remain. 2. May Easter Sunday
be observed by Christians with proprie.
", as a voluntary service? Yes. Rea.
sons: /. Even under the bondage of the
Law OF Moses, the people were left free
to bring their free will offerings 10
Gods altar.
>. Every ordinance OF the gospel is
adapted to mans mental and moral ma.
ture, so that his worship may be both
Ineligible and voluntary. When We
obey the Savior in observi ny the Lords
supper, that act springs voluntarily out
Of an enlightened mind and loving
heart. SO when We obey Christ in bap-
tism with enlightened intelligence and
loving heart, we voluntarily yield our
bodies to be buried with Him" be-
meath the yielding wave, thereby sym.
bolizing the literal burial and resurrec-
ton OF Jesus. Since the prescribed
forms OF worship are all voluntarily per-
formed, may not Christians, out OF pur-
est love, present free will offerings of
service that will be equally acceptable?
II not, then the gospel is more severe in
the bondage which it imposes than was
the law. And, right here, the gospel
has greatly suffered at the hands of its
friends. The very Jewish Sabbath was
made for man: "All things are for your
sakes."
The gospel is provision of Gods love
for man. God wants to pour into the
heat so much OF divine love that he can
see Gods love blazing from every star
and hear his loving voice in the songs OF
every bird aud in the babble of every
brook and taste the fragrance OF his pres
ence in the opening buds OF springtime
and in all the flowers that bloom aloug
our pathway.
He wants Us to gather up the ever.
green's and the roses and branches from
trees and with the sound of music, OF the
harp and the loud sounding cymbal, aud
with everything that hath breath. shout
his praise, singing "Hosannah. blessed
is he that cometh in the name OF the
Lord Where the Spirit of the Lord
Is there is liberty and not bondage"
What do these flowers all mean? Are
they here ike Christmas tree With il
evergreen and burning tapers and toys
merely to entertain and please the chill
dren? That would be something, but
without spiritual psofit. But il they
are here 10 symbolic the changeless
blessedness OF that new life into which
Jesus entered when he arose-if they
are here as expressions Of our faith and
our hope OF the approach OF that glad
day when the bodies OF all the sainted
dead, shall, like their risen Lord, awake
from deaths long sleep and arise, as He
arose, into new life, changeless and
eternal, then can read in the crimson
tint and snowy petals OF these open ant
opening flower buds, the true signifi
canoe of the language of Jesus, when h,
said as he gazed upon their beauty, tina
solomon, in all his glory, vas not ar
rsyed like one OF these"
Yes, the gospel call is call to spiritu
al freedom, where every yoke is reject
"a but the yoke OF Christ and that i
easy because Christ's burden is light.
Here We have large room to grow sym
metrical and round on every side. Low,
iultlls the law and proclaims every on
that loves God to be born OF God and
therefore children of God.
The gospel neither sanctities nor save
souls, by physical measurement. SO mucI
, pardon for 80 much work, nor upon I'm
, principle OF weights aud measurements
either long or short, wet or dry measur,
But the Kingdom OF God is within vol
and consists in the spiritual enthrone
r ment OF Christ in the soul and on
, works are but the fruits OF the Spirit @
Christ formed in the soul, the hope q
glory.
Bat why call it Easter Stree Easte
was the name OF the goddess OF spring
2 Well, ii | had the naming OF il, | new
, er would have 50 named il, but th,
name Easter WAS bestowed upon
+, ! DtiNfth "a A. duu -. ~. 90 anu NJ
one can alter IT. But what is any word
but the sign OF an idea? Words are lin
BILE TO be- used as the sign OF a very dit
ferent idea from the first idea attache,
, TO it. SO Easter, to all Christian people
has become to signiiy-"Now is Chris
risen" from the dead, That ia IN
meaning OF Easter now; as such il ma,
, properly be used.
But, practically, what is the value G
the resurrection OF Christ to us?
|. 1t is the pivotal fact % the gospe
The salvation OF man depends upon il
I'll Christ be not risen our faith is val
every man living and dead is in hi
sins" But since he has arisen, thel
every child Of Adams race shall arts
. from the dead. No future event can b,
more certain-they who have receive
Christ shall all arise at his coming b
caught up in the air TO meet him-"com
Lord Jesus, come quickly" Is not tina
. a precious faith?
The last enemy is Death and tina
must and shall be destroyed
As long as one child OF God remain