The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-05
EASTER MORNING.

come the fret fruits OF them that slcpt.-1 Cor,
xv., 20.
The apostles were mostly men with
out educstion: Paul Of Tarsus was the
exception. He was both scholar and
logicisn. Careful to verify his facts,
he was eager to find the philosophy on
which they rested. Hence the marked
difference between his epistles and the
four gospels. The gospels are nara
tives of what occurred within sight and
hearing Of the writer's; the epistles Of
Paul ara arguments drawn from these
facts. The Resurrection, 80 the great
apostle insists, Is the corner stone of
the new religion.
The Master predicted His own death,
then added the startling statement that
on the third day Ho would rise again. II
Christ did rise, then we become par
takers OF His resurrection; IL He did not
rise, then let US eat and drink, for to-
morrow We die. In other words, the be-
lief in another life moulds our motives
in this life. With future we can af-
ford to bear, to work, to sacrifice, to
suffer; with no future the incentive to
high deeds shrlvels and disappears. II
there Ia certainly tomorrow, the
work Of to-day becomes important; with
an uncertainty about the morrow, to-
day is simply tickle hour in with IL
Is folly - discuss motives; with the be.
lief in no tomorrow, to day is burden
of desperation and recklessness.
That is the philosophy on which our
civilization rests as great cathedral
on the bed rock at Its foundation. Il Is
better to be honest at any cost, since ILL
gotten gains entail consequences that
follow surely on their heels. You can
afford TO be cheerful under the direst
aflliction. because 1t Is the discipline
that fits you for heaven. When the ties
of family are broken and the mounds in
the churchyard increase, you can look
up with sense of proprietorship in the
mansion not made with hands.
There is something gorgeous, allur-
ing, Thanksgiving in such hopes. II
they were only dream they would be
better than the dull and dispiriting
realities OF infidellty. If the sceptic IL
right and the Christian wrong, we must
still say that the right cannot produce
as noble type Of mar as the wrong.
But II it be true that the great pro.
cession which .is daily marching into
the valley OF shadows will find the sun.
lit hills Of immortality on the other
side, then we DO we'll to greet this
Easter morning with acclamations, to
decorate our churches with flowers and
to fill the air with music.
One cannot contemplate the events in
that last week of Christ's life without
awe. They brought the thirty three
years OF His earthly career and the
three years OF His public ministry to a
tragic close. For three times twelve
months He preached in cities. in ham
lets, by the country side and on the shore
of GAlilee. It was short ministry.ano
yet its effects are felt after twenty cen.
turtles have passed. The record of what
de said would at best fill only q few
pages, and yet the homes In every CLINE
and age have been warned and warmed
thereby. There was no eloquence in
His speech except the elcquence OF
truth, and the multitude had 40 uttle
patience with that truth that BE was
brought to criminal's death at last.
but still His words are "the light OF the
world" OmnIpo.ence sen. forth the
commsni, "Let there be Light" and
Christ came.
On Friday Of that week the inevita.
BILE happened. and on what we now all
Sunday, the impossible was achieved
Before the darkness gathered on Fri
day eftsrncon the Nazarene was sorrow
fully laid In the tomb. Before the sun
lad risen above the hillsops on Sunday
morning IL was discovered that the
tomb was empty. II had been guarded
but still 1t WAS empty. Roman soldiers
had jealousy watched, and 1t was death
for g Roman soldier on duty to sleep,
but when the eager disciple entered
that narrow house his Lord was no,
there, "He is risen, as he said" The
voice OF God corrobornted the prophecv
OF the Son. The earth rejo:ced at the
thrilling recital, borrow dried It's ewes
and the lips Of grief were wresthed in
smiles.
We walk the same path to. day, review
the incidents of the tragedy, note the
little company entering Jerusalem or
Monday followed bya cheering multi.
tude with palms, see the plotting mem.
oers OF the sanhedrim as thoy bargain