The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-06

hope, much that makes future lie PROB
able, but not a single ray OF certainty.
All things else die, why should not
What is there. again, In the soul OF
man that stamps him a son OF the eter5
mites? Much you say, splendid powers
OF mind, intense longing or immortality,
possibilities OF unlimited development.
Yes. yes, but II Is certainty that we want
all this gives us only probability.
God created the thirst in the soul, you
say, and is 1t not reasonable to suppose
that he has provided the life to queneh IT.
Yes, reasonable, but not conclusively so,
how many soul goes hungry eyed trough
life, starving for that which never comeA
Possibly, possibly, but II Jesus be not
risen, II he is not the resurrection and
the life, there is not In all the wide his
toric sweep OF the worlds thought snd
experience, one single gleam Of certainty.
IL Christ is not risen, then Immortality,
life beyond the grave, is,at the best, only
a fond dream, not a substantial reality.
This was substantially the argument
against the faith which Christ preached.
And this Easter morning men are bring
ing forward the same argument, "Christ
risen from the dead? Impossible 1t can
not be, for this would be a violation OF
lawi" What lawf
When will men learn that there is such
a thing as spiritual law? And that the ma
tural Is only the expression OF the spirit
ual?
wnen will men come to see that the
resurrection Instead of violating law, was
a requirement OF law?
1.-The wages OF sin is DEATH" yes, but
how about the wages OF righteousnessr III
law as you call it demands that sin shall
issue In death, does not the same law
demand that holiness shall issue in life.
The higher law of life demanded that
Jesus should triumph over death. and
ascend on high leading captivity. captive.
Remarkable conjunction OF words
when Jesus said in the text, 81 am the
resurrection and the iife." Not the life
because he rose from the dead, but He
rose from the dead because He was life,
and He came that men might have life,
that they might have it more abundantly.
There are two ways in which the glo-
rious truth of this text, the truth express
ed in those words of Jesus, 81 am the re-
surrection and the life, " will be met this
Easter morn.
There are those who will listen to the
old story and turn away with indiffer-
ence, or perhaps with scorn. They are
ous and unworthy, because any man must
be that who can face with Indifference
the most far-reaching truth in all our
human history.
Aud then there are those this morning
who will listen to this story OF the resur-
believe" but whose hearts will cry,
"would to God that / could" Q
To such may we not hope that Christ
shall reveal Himself, that the peace Of
those who have learned In secret OF the
Lord may be theirs.
Did / say there were two ways in
which this truth OF the resurrection
would be met today. There is yet one
other way, the way of those whom
Jesus pronounced blessed, those who have
the evidence in their own hearts, in
whose souls Christ has risen and declared
Himself. This is the supreme evidence,
the evidence OF love.
We have all known rare souls who be-
cause of the power of that inward evil
dence, have been independent, end su-
perior to the lower evidence which is ex-
ternal, Heart certain.ies are, after all,
the great certainties. Friends, the only
infallible thing is love. A philosopher 9
reason may betray him, but mothers
love never.
My friends, this is an age of doubt, but
1t is also an age of faith.
1t Is an age of irreverence, but It is al
SO an age Of thoughtfulness.
There IL many and many doubter,
but there is also many revelation of the
divine and risen Lord.
We have nothing to fear from doubt, IL
ii be earnest doubt; nothing to fear from
criticism, II it be, scholarly and reverent.
BE doubter II You must, but never be
anything other than earnest.
The saviours of this world have been
doubters. May we not say it with the ut
most reverence-Christ Himself was a
doubter: "My God, my God," why hast
thou forsaken mef"
God has little chance of using the man
whose opinion on all religious subjects
are fixed and unalterable-the man who
clings tn the old dogma shuts his eyes to
the new truth. But the man who IL q
reverent seeker after truth, who realizes
that truth is greater than any mans con-
ception Of IL, this II the man whom God
can use, and whom God has always used.
Life Is too sacred to be trified with, the
resurrection means too much, for US to
pass it by with Indifference.
Why should men seek to tear this
precious truth from their hearts, and cast
IL from them?
Would we push away from our fevered
life the remedy that would restore our
strength, and why should men seek to
aid themselves of this precious truth,
that Christ is the resurrection and the
life?
A new hope IL In the heart of human
ity, and new life.
Come, then, on this glad Easter morn
ing, and see the place where the Lord lay,
and go away from the empty tomb Of
the risen Christ with a new song.
''Giory to God in full, anthem Of Joy.
The being He gave, death cannot destroy"