The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-27
THE EASTER SERMON.
SURELY THE BITTERNESS OF DEATH
Is PAST" CRIED AGAG.

CAs oafe AnN OHAE ODJtNtAoh W
This Text Is That Bad Man Uttered
It-Nevertheless 1t Carries Useful
Lesson.
BROOKLYN, April 17-Being Easter
morning. the Brooklyn Tabernacle congre-
cation had been invited to bring flowers
the night before, and n bank of them was
on the front of the pulpit and wreaths of
them over the pulpit The word "Resur-
rection" was spelled out in letters of white
lilies Especial music was added to the
great congregational singing. Text, l
Samuel XIV, 81 surely the bitterness of
death is past"
So cried Agag. and the only objection l
have TO this text IS that Il bad man uttered
it. Nevertheless it is true, and in a higher
and better sense than that in which it was
originally uttered. Years ago a legend
something like this WIS told me: In a
but lived very poor woman by the name
Of Misery. In front Of her door was pear
tree, which was her only resource for a liv-
ing. Christ the Lord, in poor garb was
walking through the earth and no one
would entertain him. In vain he knocked
az the door Of palaces and of humble dwell
linCs. Cold and hungry and insufficiently
clad as he was, none received him. But
coming one day 10 the hut Of this woman,
whose name was Misery. she received him,
and offered him a few crusts and asked
him to warm himself at the handful of
Goals. and she sat up all night that the
wGyfarer might have a pillow TO rest on.
In the morning this divine being asked
her as he departed what she would have
him do in the way of reward. and told her
that he owned the universe and would give
L Il. - u. n. 4
that her pear tree might be protected, and
that the boys who stole her fruit, once
climbing the tree might not be able 10 get
down without her consent. so it was
granted. and all who climbed the tree
were compelled TO stay there. After
awhile Death came along and told the poor
woman she must go with him. But she
did not want to go for. however poor ones
lot Is no one wants TO 60 with Death.
Then she said 10 Death. Il Will go with
you il YOU will first climb up into my pear
tree and bring me down few pears before
! start" This he consented TO do. but
having climbed into :he tree he could not
again come down
Then the troubles Of the world began.
for Death did not come. The physicians
had no patients, the undertakers no busi-
ness, lawyers no wills to make the people
them. the cid men staid in all the proles
sions and occupations 50 that there was no
room for the young who were coming on.
and the earth got Overcrowded, and from
all the earth the cry went up: "Oh, Tor
DEATH Where is Death" Then the peO-
pie came TO the poor woman and begged
her 60 let Death descend from the tree. in
sympathy for the world, she consented 10
let Death come down on one condition, and
that was that he should never modest or
take herawuy, and on that condition Death
was allowed 10 come down. and he kept his
word and never removed her. and for that
reason We s.ways have Misery with Us.
TIE RESURRECTION.
In that allegory some one has set forth
the truth that | mean 10 present on this
Easter morning. which celebrates the res
direction OF Christ ami our coming resur-
rection-thGt one Of the grandest and
miehtiest mercies Of the earth is our divine
permission TO quit il. Sixty-four persons
every minute step of this planet. Thirty
million people every year board this planet.
As a steamer must unload before il takes
another cargo, and as the passengers of a
rail train must leave il in order 10 have an
other company of passengers enter it, so
with this world.
What would happen 10 an ocean steam
er il "A man. taking n stateroom. should
stay in il forever? What would happen TO
a rail train il one who purchases ticket
should always occupy the seat assigned
himy And what would happen TO this
world if all who came into il never depart
ed from it, The grave is as much a bene-
diction as the cradle. What sunk that
ship in the Black sea a few days ago? Too
many passengers. What was the matter
Sc L. 9 l.~e.- 81
few years ago. went down with 600 lives?
Too many passengers. Now this world is
only a ship, which was launched some SIX
thousand years ago. IL is sailing at
the rate OF many thousand miles an
hour. 1t is freighted with mountains and
cities, and has in its staterooms and steer
age about sixteen hundred million passen-
gers SO many are coming aboard, it is
necessary that a good many disembark.
Suppose that all the people that have
lived since the days OF Adam and Eve were
still alive. What a cluttered up place this
world would be-no elbow roOm-no place
70 walk-no privacy TO eat Or
wear, or If anything were left the human
race would, ike a shipwrecked crew, have
70 be put on small rations each of US hay-
ing perhaps only a biscuit day. And
what chance would there be for the rising
generations The men and women who
started when the world started would keep
the modern people back and down. sayins:
1--WE are six thousand years old Bow
down. History is nothing, for we are older
than history What a mercy for the hui
man race was death. Within a few years
you can yet from this world all there is
In it.
After you have had fifty or sixty or
seventy springtimes. you have seen enough
blossoms. After fifty OF sixty or seventy
autumns you have seen enough Of gorgeous
foliage. After fifty or sixty or seventy
winters, you have seen enough snOwstOrms
and felt enough chills and wrapped your
self in enough blankets In the ordinary
length Of human life you have carried
enough burdens, and shed enough tears.
and suffered enough injustices, and felt
enough pangs, and been clOuded by enough
doubts, and surrounded by enough mys-
teries. We talk about the shortness of
life, but If we exercised good sense we
would realize that life is quite long enough.
II we are the children of God we are at a
banquet, and this world is only the first
course of the food, and we ought to be
glad that there are other and better and
richer courses Of food TO be handed on
We are here in one room of our Fathers
house, but there are rooms up stairs They
are better pictured, better upholstered,
better furnished. Why do we want TO
stay in the anteroOm forever, when there
are palatial apartments waiting for our