Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-04-02

II is Easter. 1t is the day perhaps
nearest to the hearts of those who
hold the Christian faith. 1t is the an
ntversary of the day upon which the
gentle crucfed Jew, Jesus, whom we
accept as the Son of God, came forth
alive again from a coffin made fTom
space hewed in a rock and blocked
by great stone.
That rising was in the sequence of
events which made Christian the
world of to-day. That rising was what
is making strong the course of the con-
trolling mass among the creatures
who fit about upon this particular
planetary crust, and who have u be-
lief in their own immortality. Had
the more potent portion of humanity
not accepted Christ as risen, there
would have been some other belief,
some other hope and grasping for after
death welfare among the inhabitants
of this one among the millions and bill
lions of planets revolving in all space.
The rising completed the Christian
story. The Son had gone to the Father
as an emissary, forever pleading in
DtDull Ol lllt CIcdluIt we tdll
Himself man, He went back to Heaven
to be ever our Ambassador. And so it
| is that throughout the Christian world
it is the sweetest of all hopeful days,
| this anniversary of that day when
| Christ ascended TO His own again.
What matters it that learned slleptics
say that Easter is but the adaptation
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| in glorification over life and spring
and the birth of all things. 1t matters
not what the beliefs or legends were be-
fore, since we accept the story of the
Child of Bethlehem, and stake our fu-
ture upon the promise of the man
grown who died for us. The hcathen
legends of the early man are but as
nothing, whether the Son of the Ruler
of the Universe came to us nearly 1000
years ago or yesterday. We accept
the belief and we are happy in Easter
day.
1t is wonderful and very sweet, the
thought of that morning when the
gentle, murdered Man, who was both
Man and God. felt from the Father
the quickening pulse and knew that His
awful trial was over and that the world
had been redeemed.
1t was of all mornings the most beau
tiful, if we may judge from the veal
human story, or if we judge from oul
own conception of what it must hav,
been. The gloom of night was dissi
pating, the lighter haze of morn was ap
parent upon the far distant Judeal
hills, though there was darkness il
the valley still.
But in an instant, just as the morn
ing broke, all changed. There was
rustling of wings, the wings of angels
in the semi-darkness; the huge ston
, which filled the entrance of that caverl
, tomb rolled away as lightly as if i
, were something wind might lift
There was sudden light about tn
place and at the same moment, abov
the far eastern hills, the sun, earth
light and one of Gods ownings, fluni
forth u million brilliant banners.
was day. And just as day came, wen
= from earth the Son who is pleading TO
5 us with the Father.
t II is very sweet and wonderful, tn
2 story of this Easter day, one of tn
greatest observed in our religion. Iti
he day recognized as full of all hop
and promise. 1t is beautiful in TIL
manner of its observance, with its flow
rrs and its ringing anthems and wit
It's atmosphere of the springtime and @
I faith and courage. 1t is blessed, thi
Easter day.