St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-03
HIS new MINISTRY.
Rev. John Paul Egbert'S In
itial Discourse at Christ
Church,
Which Is Filled to Overflow
ing Upon the Happy
Occasion.
The Flock Tenders It's New
Shepherd a Cordial
Greeting.
An Able DisQuisition on the
Lessons Taught by
Easter.

stalled pastor. lie mas preached lroiH
the pulpit before. and is we'll enough
known to be considered suitable sue
cessor to DR.. Christie He is compar-
atively young man, and came to st.
Paul from Buffalo, N. Y. His theme
yesterday morning was "Chrlst Has
Rsen," and he spoke for half-hour Ill
an eloquent and inspired manner. The
pulpit and church were profuSely deco
rated with flowers and plants. The
congregation was so large that seating
was provided by chairs in the aisles. a
special musical programme was pre-
scented by the famous House OF Hope
choir. Rev. Egbert's sermon was as
follows:
This is blessed day for the beginning
of any ministry, especially ministry
in the name Of the great Christ. VINO
made the world light by His living In 1t
and by His resurrection i'll the sight OF
men: He has made this the gladdest,
brightest, most wonderful day i'll the
history OF our race. No other day so
takes mold of the minds of men and mas
tiers them as does this Easter day. which
comes every year to all people Ill
Christian lands and turns them face to
face with the greatest event of history,
and makes the world and all its life APP
pear more wonderful by showing what
lives beyond it. 1t takes our dull souls,
weary and doubling under the toll
among things we know must die, and
says-Christ is risen. all the doors OF
heaven are open. TO be closed neither
day nor night forever. The old IS dead
and the new is born, and the world IS
Young forever with the youthfulnesS oil
ever-increaSing life.
In the beginning, when the wo rid was
Young. when days were measured by
the work of Him with whom thousand
wears are as a day, when black clouds
dense with carbon gas covered in utter
{ loneliness and silence all our world with
its gigantic ferns and grasses when God
was storing heat and light Ill beds OF
coal. in the end OF that dark day the
clouds were rifted and light came, and
then the clouds were scattered and the
heavens appeared. The wonders OF the
illimltable universe began to dawn upon
I our little world, and from that day on
earth had heaven over it, and sun to
shine upon and give it light and heat.
Flowers began to bloom. and all the
shades of color came to adorn world
the God of beauty had created. How
lonely this world would be without It's
heaven, and how dead and pare ana
llfeless without its sun.
So it was in later day. On, now
dark the world was. The clouds of sin
and fear and death hung over it. The
dim future world was all underworld.
A Man came whom men loved and re-
vered. and then wOrshiped, and the
clouds were rifted. And one day lie
rose from the gloom and terror OF death,
and life and immortality were
Brought Out Into the hight.
Men saw a heaven over them. They
looked OIL the risen One, and saw Mes
meaning and destiny in the sublime
glory OF life in the likeness OF God.
Human life became great. for its bound
aries were broken down. That day
revealed that life was at its greatest
when. its boundaries cleared away, it
had power given to it to grow to the
utmost promise of its nature. 10 as
MANY as received Him gave He power
to be the sons of God"
That life which came out of the
mystery of the divine life into the dark
mystery of our human life IS so much
more than our life that we can under
stand it only in part. For in life, like
ness is the only clear interpreter But
all the mysteries and wonders OF our
/. life are clearer as they are more sublime
since Christ rose from DEATH
Today is the believers day. IL IS not
a daV for argument and proof, but Tor
meditation. Indeed, like immortality.
the resurrection is TO be apprehended
bv growth in likeness to Christ, rather
t6an accented through proofs, however
strong the proofs may he. Let him who
denies account for the enormous re-
suits which have come from it.
All Christian literature. the Christian
church, the transformation of the world
through Christian teaching from the
apostles day to this, all have grown
from the acceptance Of the fact of the
resurrection,
But to us who are here today the res
direction is great revelation:
|. OF the character and spirit OF
Christ. 1t reveals the meaning and pur-
pose of His life and death. His life in
scrutable without resurrection. Hear
His message: Not proclaim my power,
not inflict punishment upon my perSe-
cutors. Go teach all nations. Make the
world glad with messages of life and
heaven, Of forgiveness and salvation, OF
a Fathers love. He came to seek and
save"
2. 1t was revelation or the meaning
of death. With the resurrection death
ceased to be the end of life, and became
a way of progress. 1t makes you doubt
the power of death, even if you do not
fully believe the life beyond. Il am
fine resurrection and the life; whose be-
Iieyeth in me, though he were dead,
vet shall he live again." has come to
mean strength and hope to all. 1t is
comfort when we see our loved ones go
into death, and our peace when we face
death ourselves.
3. 1t is tile revelation of the true
method of life fer this world. There is
a progressive resurrection which pre-
pares for the great resurrection and
| eliminates in it. The resurrection OF
new life in each faculty and power OF
| the soul; the rising of the earthly life
| year by year 10 nobler being through
Fellowship With Christ;
| the continual rising of the thoughts and
| motives and purposes of life; the sane
| tifying of the affections; the more
| Christ-like uses of the will; the higher
! education of the conscience and more
! thorough and honest Obea@eDce to 1t:
| The light and glory, the peace and
power, the comfort and beauty OF the
resurrection of Christ ought to fill all
our work and studies aud trials and
| health and sickness and death. we