The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-25

watched the failing and fading form
of dear mother or beloved father
and the heavy burden weighed upon
the heart. You asked, chow can
|, how can l see them go away!o
And you said, "Father, if it be
possible let this cup pass from me. !"
AS we look into the furrowed faces,
and observe the faltering step Of
some with us to-day, on this blessed
Eastertide, we wonder if they will
sit with us in these heavenly places,
and worship with us here, at the
threshold of mercy and love a year
hence; yes, we wonder if they will
ever again gather with US around
the sacramental board, and with
sad misgivings we feel heart-pang
and ask "who shall roll awav the
stone?" Thus we are reminded of
the event Of death, which sooner or
later must come to us all.
We laid away our dear ones in the
grave and parted with them there.
In our broken heartedness we
asked, "who shall roll away the
stone from the door of the sepul-
chez" The stone of awful silence
and separation? There it lies, cold
and hopeless. 1t has been there
since we laid away the first loved
one. We go to the green mound
and lean against the cold, white
marble, and wonder and think, as
though we would pierce the dark
ness that intervenes, and catch
some whisper coming back oyer the
silent river; but no voice is heard
from the deep slumber of the grave.
Eternal silence reighs DER the
bivouac of the dead, and we ask,
"who shall roll us away the stone?"
This is peculiarly true of the
poor pagan nations. To them and
all who have never heard the Cos
pei. the stone has been lying at the
door of the sepulchre ever since the
world began. 1t is true in its
application to our own departure.
The apostle speaks of those who
through fear of death were all their
lifetime kept in bondage. This is
natural. There is often with many
Christians a strange lingering,
chilly recoil from death. This was
so in the experience of Robert
Glover, the martyr. A peculiar
darkness hoyered around, and "a
strange fear fingered with him as
he awaited his martyrdom. He
prayed, but no light dawned until
he came in sight of the stake at
which he was to be burned, and at
once the light suddenly broke upon
him, and he shouted in praise to
God, "He's come! He's comen'
Thank God, there is a bright side
to the picture. "When they looked
they saw that the stone was rolled
away" And so it is; they who
press forward with holy zeal in their
toll for the Master, will ever find
that through a mysterious and
faithful Providence, difficulties
vanish-the stones are removed.
The removal of the stone indicated
to these holy women the empty
grave of the Lord, and that empty
grave proclaimed a risen Savior.
This supplies us with the strongest
hope and certainty of our own res
direction. The words of the angel
to the woman, ''He is risen, He is
not here" will one day be said
concerning us. We expect Him
from heaven to raise our bodies, TO
finish our faith, to perfect our glory
and to take us to Himself.
As God commanded the earth
and 1t yielded up Christ. so will He
speak concerning our bodies that
sleep il the tomb, and every atom
of their crumbled dust and con-
stituency will be delivered up,
immortalized and glorfied. For
this desert, where no water is, will
He give us a land we'll watered by
the river of life-for this valley of
dry bones," this "Golgotha of the
dead" will He give us land of
the living; for our wanderings and
pilgrimages, will He give US set
tied home in "our Fathers house
of many mansions There is
coming general Easter day for us
all, when the faithful will be raised
to an eternity of bliss, where no sin
will wither the bud, nor blight the
bloom of life, where, free from
sickness and all that distempers,
will be no sorrow to mar our Joy,
no death to dissolve, no storms to
disturb or beat on the "glittering
strand" forever.
But the SAVIOR said, pointing to
His own death, Except the corn
or wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abideth alone; but if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit" Let
us die to sin in this life. and he