The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-04-17
RELIGIOUS TALK.
Two Excellent Discourses-Seek Jesus for
His Own Sake and Find the Pearl
Of Great Prioe-sHe Is Not
Here, But Risen"
GRACE CHURCH.

Here, But Risen"
OR CHURCH.
Introduction to morning sermon,
"Why seek ye the living among the
dead? He is not here, but 10 risen"
Luke XIV; 5, s. 1t lie very early in
the morning OF the resurrection day.
The women who had followed after, when
Christ was buried, and beheld the
sepulchre, and how his body was laid,
having rested the Sabbath day accord
ing Il the commandment, come now
bringing the spices and ointments which
they had prepared to embalm the corpse.
They sought Christ. They sought him
where, according TO the light they had,
they had reason to expect to find Him,
in the tomb. They sought Him that they
might do him honor and service. They
had known Him only O q man among
men, in the world and, seemingly, Of IL,
like the rest. They had come to believe
in and to love Him on account Of His
superhuman gentleness, working UNI
selfishly for the good OF ali with super
human power. but they had seen Him
rejected, put to death and buried. Al
yet they knew not who He was, and
that He must rise again from the dead.
Even 90, their faith and love are re-
warded. No decaying body in blood
stained cerements but heavenly mes
sengers inshining raiment, meet them
where they came to find the Lord. Not
death sealed lips and q silent grave, but
glorious news, from angle voices, 10
answer to their helpless questioning;
1Who shall roll US away the stone from
the door Of the supulchre?" No dark
some cavern, with cold, forbidding,
rock-hewn opening, frowns back dis
pair, to meet their hopeless gaze, but
q dazzling blaze Of hight, showing un-l
tenanted the space within, and flooding
all the past and future with new mean
ing, breaks in upon their own darkness,
as, clothed in such soft rebuke az SER
apis use, they hear these words; Why
seek We the living one among the deadf
Hers not here, but is risen"
So it ever is with all who, in whatever
OF faulty knowledge a. yet OF His true
being, yet seek Jesus, for His own sake,
sincerely. And what Of us?
Are we seeking Christ 40 Mary did? Do
we keep Gods commandments with the
deliberate, fore-determined purpose Of
thereby rising early that we may seek
the Lord, and Him only? Are We bring
ing anything OF spice and precious soint-
ment from our hard-earned store where
with to do Him service and honor? II
90, where and what are they? And are
they worthy OF 30 great cause as His, or
are they that OF which we shall one day
be ashamed that, ont OF our abundance,
we could have offered such things unto
Him who bought US with His precious
blood?
All is changed, for us who believe on
Him, by the resurrection OF Christ. We
know that though He was in the world
for q little space, He yet was never OF it;
that though He was made sin for us, He
was untainted by it; that though he did
lay in the tomb, it was not possible that
He should be holden OF it. We know
that He is risen from the dead and be-
come the irst-fruits Of them that slept;
that in baptism We are buried with Him
and that, in Him, we have already q
share in His risen life; that this our real
life is hid with Christ, in God; that our
true citizenship Is in heaven; that we
too, though in this world for a space,
should yet strive to live as those who
are not OF it. Christ is not in any OF the
things which are OF the earth, earthly.
We shall lose sight Of, and touch with
Him entirely, unless we school ourselves
to heed the timely warning: "Why seek
ye the living among the dead? He is
not here, but is ~risen.." II ye then be
risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth at
the right hand Of God"
PRESBYTERIAN cHURcH.
The theme Of the morning was
"A precious possession the text, Matt.
Is; ~, 46, ''Ths kingdom Of heaven 10 like
unto . merchantmen seeking goodly
pearls, who, when he had found one pearl
Of great price went and,seid all that he
had and bought it"
Pearls wsrs highly valued by the an
cients. The two most costly known were
in the possession Of Cleopatra, queen Of
Egypt and were valued at 100000 each.
Jesus used this - an emblem Of the
preciousness of the truths Of religion.
Az the pearl was eagerly sought after
and highly priced, 20 should men seek
earnestly for an interest in the kingdom
OF heaven and count nothing q loss that
would strengthen that kingdom ia their
hearts and in others hearts.
The tart faachoa. III n n-rocinnannca