The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-05

Jesus; not to Mary the mother or james: moi
to Mary the sister of Lazarus, but to seven
deviled Mary.
There Is q man seven devlled-devil OF
avarice, devil Of pride. devil Of hate, devil
OF Incidence, devil Of falsehood, devil OF
strong drink, devil of impr rity. God can
take them all away, seven or seventy. Irode
over the new cantilever bridge that spans
Niagara--a bridge 900 feet long. $50 feet OF
chasm from bluff to bluff. passed over 1t
without any anxiety. Why2 Because twen-
ty-two locomotives and twenty-five cars
laden with gravel had tesced the bridge,
thousands OF people standing on the Can.
adian side thousands standing on the Ameri-
can side to applaud the achievement. And
however long the train of our immortal in
terests may be-, We are to remember that
Gods bridge of mercy spanning the chasm
mage OF all the pardoned sin Of all the ages,
church militant standing on one bank,
church triumphant standing on the other
| bank. Oh, 1t was to the seven deviled Mary
that Christ made his first post morton up
| pearance.
There is another thing that tho world and
J the church have not observed in regard to
this resurrection, AMI that is, 1t was the
morning twilight.
II the chronometer had been invented and
| Mary had as good a watch AS some OF the
Marys Of our time have, she would have
| found 1t was about half past o'clock a. m.
| Matthew says it was in the dawn; Mark says
| it was very early in the morning; John says
| it was while 1t was yet dark. In other words,
it was twilight. That was the o'clock at
which Mary MagGalene mistook Christ for
the gardener. What does that mean2 1t
means there are shadows over the grave un-
lifted-shadows Of mystery that are hover
ing. Mary stoored down and tried to look
to the other end Of the crypt. She gave hys-
teric outerv. She could not see to the other
end Of the crypt. Neither can you see to the
other end Of the grave OF your dead. Neither
can we see to the other end Of our own grave.
Oh, il there were shadows over the family
plot belonging to Joseph OF E.rimathea, Is 1t
strange that there should be some shadows
over our family lot2 Easter dawn, not Easter
noon.
Shadow Of unanswered question! Why
were they taken away from rs? Why were
they ever given to US if they we're TO betaken
so soon2 Why were they taken so suddenly?
Why could they not have uttered some fare
we'll wordsp Why2 A short question, but a
whole crucifxion OF agony in it. Why?
Shadow on the graves Of good men and
women who seemed to die before their work
was done. Shadow on all the graves OF
children because we ask ourselves why 50
beautiful craft was launched at allifit was
10 be wrecked one mile outside of the harbor?
But what did Mary Magdalene have to do In
order to get more light on that grave? She
had only to wait. Aftec awhile the Easter
sun rolled up, and the whole place was
flooded with light. What have you and to
do in order to get more light on our own
graves and light upon the graves Of our
dear loved ones? Only to wait.
Charles '. of Spain, with his servants and
torches went down into the vault CT the
metropolis where his ancestors were buried,
and went deeper, farther on until he came to
cross around which were arranged the
caskets of his ancestors. He also found O
casket containing the body of one OF his own
family. He had that casket opened, and there
by embalmer's art he found that the body was
as perfect as eighteen years before when
1t was em.ombed. But under the explora-
ton his body and mind perished Oh.
my friends, do not let US morbidly
struggle with the shadows Of the sepul-
cher. What are We to do? Wait. 1t is
not the evening twilight that gets darker
and darker. 1t is the morning twilight that
gets brighter and brighter into the perfect
day. I preach 1t to-day. Sunrise over
Pere le Chaise, sunrise over Greyfrlars
churhyard, sunrise over Greenwood, over
Woodlawn, over Laurel Hill, over Mount
Auburn, over Congressional burying ground,
sunrise over every country graveyard, sun
rise over the catacombs, sunrise over the
sarcophagi where the ships lie buried. half
past S o'clock among the tombs now, but
soon to be the monday Of explanation and
beatitude. 1t was in the morning twilight
that Mary Magdalene mistook Christ for o
gardener.
Another thing the world and the church
have not observed-that is, Christ's pathetic
credentials. How do you know 1t was not
gardener His garments said He was a
gardener. The flakes OF the upturned earth
scattered upon His garments saiG Ee wac a
gardener. How do you know He was not
gardener? All! Before Easter had gone by
He gave to some of His disciples His three
credentials. He showed them His hands and
His side. Three paragraphs written In rigid
or depressed letters. A scar In the right
ralm, scar in the left palm, scar amid
the ribs-scars. scars. That Is the way they
knew Him. That Is the way you and will
know Him.
Aye, am saying this morning too much
when I say that will be one Of the ways in
which you and will know each other by
the scars Of earth-scar5 OF accident, scars OF
sickness, scars OF persecution, scars OF hard
work. scars OF battle, scars Of old age.
When I see Christ's resurrected body having
scars, it makes me think that our remodeled
and resurrected bodies will have scars.
Why, before we get out of this world some
of US will be covered with scars all over.
heaven Will not Do DdY INTO WHICH,
float summer yachts after pleasuring
with the gay bunting and with the en-
broidered sails as fair as when they
were first unfurled. Heaven will be
more like a navy yard where mer-of-war
come in from Trafalgar and Lepanto--men-
of-war with masts twisted by cyclone, men
of-war struck on all sides by severty-four
Founders, men of war with decks scOrched
Of the she'll. Old Constitutions, old Con-
stellations. floating in discharged from SER
vice to rest forever. In the resurrection
Christ credentialed by scars. You ard will
be credentialed and will recognize each
other by scars. Do you think thero now a
Disagreement Do you think them now q
badge Of endurance2 / tell you the glorious
thought this morning, they are going to be
the means of heavenly recognition.
There is one more thing that the world and
the church have not noriced in this resurrec-
tion Of Christ, and that is that Christ from
Friday to Sabbath was lifeless In a hot
climate where sanitary prudence demanded
that burial take place the same day as death,
and where there was no ice to retard disso-
luton. Yet, after three days He comes up
so healthlul, so robust and so rubcund Mary
Magdalene takes Him for gardener. Not
supposing Him to be al invalid from hos
pital, not supposing Him to be corpse from
the tomb, but supposing Him to be the
gardener. Healthful 10y the breath OF the
upturned sod and by perpetual life in the
| sunshine.
After Christ's interrnent every cellular
| tissue broke down, and nerve and artery and
brain were Il physiological wreck. and yet
He comes up swarthy, rubicund and well.
When / see after such mortuary silence such
radiant appearance, that settles It that