Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-16


appeared. but 10 give His immediate dis
ciples a new confidence In that religious
movement which seemed 10 have come tol
an ignominious conclusion on the cross.
The disciples, led by Peter. were return
ing to their original occupations, shocked
at the disgraceful death of their Leader
and discouraged about His cause. They
needed something to restore their loft
! faith. and Jesus rei9r, % them had this
effect
! GREAT NEED OF THE TINES.
els not this the great need Of the times
! I'm which we live? Men do not need
revelation Of their immortality 50 mhch
| as n restoration Of their BELIEF IN the ihltn
! and life OF Jesus. as the way, truth. ana
! life for them TO follow Immortality Is
| one OF the primal beliefs OF men. All re-
I.glons teach H. IL was believed before
| Jesus taught and will be believed on
/ other grounds than His resurrection can
/ afford What the world needs most Is a
/ resurrection OF the faith and NE OF
! Jesus. For are we not tempted 10 think
/ that the foremost business OF our hves
| Is TO get a livins7
AS Peter thought when he said
| in his quick. decisive way. II go a-iish-
| ing'-that is. i am going about my own
business-this is what we are AL prone 70
! do I'm days like these when physical needs
/ so pressing that they seem 10 call Tor al
/ our wit and energy 60 earn mere living
( Excellent and elevatng as the lie ac-
l cording to Jesus teaching may be- ana
| glad Gs we should be 10 follow i, men
say: My rtnt-bill IL due tomorrow ana
my personal and family expenses must
be met. and I must work 10 pay them.
This Is so true that II cannot be gain-
said. Jesus himself IN the story Of HIS
reunion with His disciples by the lake
side has no word OF reprJach fer their
occupation. on the contrary lie SHOWS
/ lively interest in their success In hshing.
II is in the thick Of their necessary bread
/ winning labors that the Master appears
to His disciples and cheers on their work
SO let us make our needful task the
reason for our following Jesus in His
high and holy life, not the excuse Tor not
following Him.
1.-THE times In which we live make too
great a claim upon our energy and in
terest. All things seem 10 cOnspire 10
absorb us in mere mOney-eetting. The
standard Of living II 30 costly, even for
manual laborers. that We cannot keep
up with IL. Extravaganza at the top OF
the ladder sets the example of extrava-
gance all the way down. and the very
beggar shifts at the bread you give him
before he accepts II. Every home aspires
enough unless il tn. best the market
affords. Under such circumstances people
find themselves driven 10 a kind Of schem-
ing despair 10 get along. Really, II is
more than life is worth simply 20 t
living In such days az these The Gospel
for the times is to live more simply.
more reasonably. more fairly We need
the tonic and Alternative OF Jesus plain
living and high thinking We read re-
Lob
the fowls OF the air, clothes the lily OF
the field. and knows that we have need
OF bread and clothing"
NEED ANOTHER RESURRECTION.
Mr.. CLANCY then showed how strongly
the competing claims of home and So
ciety. as well as business. contested our
choice OF the higher life of trust and
prayer which Jesus led and commended
unto men. We need a resurrection of this
life 10 offset the distTust and over
anxiety which now consume our daily
lives.
II like to picture the return OF this
Christly life 20 earth In the forms which
the evangelists used 20 tell of Jesus re-
appearance To His disheartened disciples.
"Men are fishing greedy and anxously,
toilng all night and catching nothing
and. 10, a voice says 10 them: Let down
your nets on the other side Try the
seward side Of your being the side to-
wards the deep; the side towards God.
Again. | see two men going disconsola'ely
to their homes, discouraged and down
cast, and one joins them who makes
il clear that mems failures are OFTEN
Gods successes, and that a Chrstened
humanity must needs suffer before II can
enter into it's glory. Fearful disciples
gathered in doubtful consultation as 10
what Is their next duty suddenly ma
their doubts resolved in the clear hght
Of The Christ-mind, explaining the past
and forecasting the future. Broken-heart-
ed women. mourning for their deaa
friends, find Him restored TO them, ana
fall at His feet with transports OF thank
full feeling And men who have folloWed
these earliest visitors TO the tomb ana
learned their story enter In and see thdt
the dead is not dead. but risen
Easter i'm other Churches.
The Easter services at Broad-Street
Methodist church were well attended con-
sidering the weather, and were aceotuins
TO the chaste and simple ritual OF inc
Methodist Church. The horal decorations
consisted entirely Of lilies and palms
and. while not profuse, were in excellent
taste and very pretty. The music was
rendered by a chorus choir under the
leadership OF Mr.. George l.. Bidgood'
with Mr.. Manly Il. Ramos as orsanlst'
and was exceedingly attractive. ihs
musical programme has been pupliShe9
in this paper. The sermons morning ana
night were preached by the pastor heN.
Jesse Thompson Whitley. The morhlhg
discourse was entitled: THE II ana the
Yea of Christ's Resurrection ana the
text was taken from l. Corinthians, xv,
II TO %: 'If Christ be not risen. But
now Is Christ risen from the dead Inc
sneaker said: IL is as natural Tor us 70
believe in the resurrection or CHRIST as
TO breathe the air that hoats ABOUT US
IL Is a part OF our Christian training.
But II Is not so with all men. Already
I'm ST Paul's day there were some IN
the Church who denied the resurrection,
lust as there are skeptics to-day. To
meet the denials Of these men the apostle
wrote the paragraph, from which the
text is taken, exhibiting TO them what
their denial involved, and emphatlcally
reaffirming the reality Of the Lords resur-
rection Consider. then, Cd the IF or
Christs resurrection. IF Christ be not
risen" here are some OF the concluslohs'
The apostles and early Christians were
false witnesses: Jesus Himself was either
deceiver or a frantic; our preaching is
vain; your faith is vain: we are yet IN
your sins. and those who have died In
Christ have utterly persisted. Thus the
whole fabric OF supernatural Christianity
falls, If His resurrection is a myth. Now
look at (2) the yea" OF His resurrection.
Paul affirms Il with an everlasting yea:
Now Ia Christ risen from the dead?'
We may be perfectly assured as 10 the
fact by appropriate evidence. Not by
our bodily senses, for the event took place
at a distant time and place. Not by
verbal testimony from eye-wltnesses, for
all who saw Him on earth are long ago
dead. But by the written testimony OF
competent and credible witnesses. More
than 500 persons saw Him after His resur-
rection. Some OF them talked with Him.
ate with Him, handled Him. Some OF
these men recorded what they saw and
heard. Their written testimony Is be-
fore us substantially as they wrote II
down I've character Of the witnesses
IL unimpeachable. and the trustworthi-
ness Of the records is equally SO. There
fore. we may joyfully say with Paul:
"Now Christ is risen from the dead"
The evening sermon was based on John
H.. l6 For God so loved the world
etc This. the speaker declared. sets
forth 1.-THE whole Gospel in one SENTENCE
% The beginning Of the Gospel. God
loved the world; C) The centre OF the
Gospel, God gave His only begotten
Som; CD The end OF the Gospel, That
whosoever believeth in Him should not
rarich bpt bava everlasting life Three