The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-06
RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.
A Kind Word for the Skepiics in an Age
of Doubt.

At Free Baptist Church in Auburn the
pastor, Rev. Wesley 9. Haskell, preached
an excellent Easter sermon from John
11-25, "Jesus said unto her Il am the
resurrection and the life"
He said in part:
Easter Is the Christians answer to the
skeptic's question, "What has Christ done
for the world?" Christ has destroyed the
fear and the power of death. He has
given the world assurance OF its lmmC r.
tality. He has demonstrated to man,
how great Is the spirit of man; so great
that II may triumph over death. This is
our Easter joy, that because He rose, we
shall rise also. Not ouly i'm holiness,
but in our own proper identity.
Viewed from the old Pagan stand
point death may well be called the liking
OF Terrors." |" The ancient world knew
nothing OF the life OF the soul apart from
the body.
Now Christ came with very different
idea. He taught His disciples hat life
did not depend upon the body. The body
of the thief on the cross might be thrown
into q nameless grave, but his soul should
be- with Christ that very day in Paradise.
IL would change your whole life, IL
deep in your nature were engraved these
words of Christ, which no experience can
eface: 81 am the resurrection and the
life; wbosoever liveth and believeth in me
shall never die" F"
There are two kinds of doubt in this
world that which is shallow, frivolous
and irreverent, and that which is honest
and sincere.
For the first great soul can have moth
ing but contempt; for the second he must
have respect and sympathy.
The man who doubts just because IL Is
fashionable, or because he is intellectually
lazy, or because faith would retard his
cherished schemes of seltishness or vice
this Is the type of soul that stirs our i'm
dignation. But there Is kind OF
scepticism which is earnest and reverent.
sceptic meaus one who shades his eyes
that he may the better see, not the man
who shuts his eyes that he mty not see.
The true sceptio Is the man VINO dou BITS
that he may relieve.
He ~ the man so intensely i'm earnest
that he cannot rest satisfied with a mere
supposition. lie must have proof. His
soul crles for ltght, and IL is the agony
OF doubt that brings ultimately the
triumph of conviction. There are some
who have never believed enough TO
doubt.
There are some who have never thrown
their hopes with such earnestness on the
world TO come, as 10 feel anxiety for fear
1t should not all be true
But everyone who knows what 'aith Il
knows, too, what Is the desolation of
doubt.
We are naturally more cautious and
sceptical about these tEincs which greatly
concern us. The resurrection Il a subject
over which we cannot afford to make
any mistake.
10 means life or dCa n 10 Va, ms To
whether Christ spoke words OF truth when
He said; 81 am the resurrection ana the
life"
Men have dreamed their drrems and
built tneir PHILOSOPHERS, ana drawn
their analogies, and il Christ be not
risen, the mystery OF death IL still the
same.
Does death end all2 Is the grave mans
goali IL Immortality the deliirOus dream
OF starving soul2 Perhaps; who dares
TO say "non2
What Is there in nature thst can give
man any assurance OF q life beyond the
grave7
There is much thet will afford him