San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-04-18
SUNDAY. APRIL Is, 1897.
EASTER LESSON.

Harry IN It's unlOn. EdSlSi ohN
The white robes of the flowers and of
the devotees who throng the altar OF
the ascension are beautifully blended
on this resurrection morn. 1t is the
white-robed Sabbath of the year. The
church has put aside its thought OF
Gethsemane, Golgotha, Calvary and no
longer looking into the tomb of its sor-
rows looks into the light of its ascen-
sion. Today the universal christen-
dom comes to the tomb, only to turn
its back upon the sepulchre and hear
the Voice of the delivering evangel.
He is not here he is risen Easter
and Lilies. The pure white flowers
and the pure white hope of those who
believe in the resurrection.
Before there is a broader meaning
to these Easter memorials than that
which binds them around the cross of
the crucified Nazarene. There is
higher lift to the horizon of human
hope than that which is thus bounded.
There is no need that the one should
rebuke the other. All symbols mean
more asowell as less, and this Easter
symbol of risen life is no exception.
To YOU within the pale of historic
christianity, it has it's special mean
ing. That meaning is voiced in the
ritual and draperies and vestments Of
this Easter service. 1t is breathed in
the pure fragrance of the lilies upon
the altar. 1t peals forth in the an
thems of the choir and IN the thun-
ders of the organ. 1t speaks in the
voice of the celebrant at the altar.
These treasures of your faith no one
would rob you of. 1t is to those who
accept the other meaning of Easter,
however. that the Light preacher ad-
dresses himself this Easter morning.
Beloved! If there is to those who
accept the more restricted meaning of
this glad Easter day so much delight
and instruction and resurrection pow
& er. surely to you who tide out this res
direction idea into all lands and flood
your mind with the light that it gath
cred at the shrines, in all sanctuaries,
in all ages, there should come larger
measures of its meanings, the increas-
tu DOMEI VI llS NGc1Allls5ot NAAC NNSBNA
satisfactions of it's wilson, tn grander
results of it's acceptings. 1t is the man
who sowes literally that should reap
bountifuly. Those who sow their
thoughts beside all waters should reap
the correspondingly greater harvests.
There is also a larger responsibility
as the natural result of the larger
privilege.
Is it not too much the fashion for
those of us who do not accept the
Iiteralness of the church symbolism to
reject it altogether and turn away
from the wonderful lessons that might
be so profitably learned in the school?
Because we do not accept the teachings
of historical christianity as to Christ
is that any reason that we should re-
ject those lessons that outside of any
such literal acceptance lie strewed
thickly along the way Of his life and
teachings? Because we do not take
any stock in his miraculous resurrec-
ton, is that any reason why we should
refuse to be taught all tina ascension
of life that comes of that resurrection
as a symbol? 1t is the province of
wisdom to learn what is taught in all
schools.
This morning then we turn OuI
thought to the mysterious power in
nature everywhere by virtue of which
it finds its renewing, it's recreating, it!
resurrection. At the feet of all tina
teaches this renewing we sit to learl
what it has to tell us. We find tina
4 Easter comes always in the sprini
ASGine thus associating itself with tn
springing of the grass and the renew
ing of the life of animal and plant
That this is ever associated with tina
new and mysterious quickening of lif
in the womb of its old dead forms
which symbolizes the resurrection o
all that is worth renewing in the hu
man life and character. Easter come
TO teach us that the dead past Is onl
the womb out of which living pres
ent is born in which present we tax
on a newer and a stronger and a clean
er and a nObler life.
1t is worthy of note that there is nc
in all this symbolism one idea that jus
titles the thought of retrogression, sc
ing back. The new birth is Away
a better birth than the old one. TIL
new plant is fresher than the old on
out of whose decaying body it spring
and by whose decomposing tissue 1t
fed The new life is cleaner than tn
old one out of which it grew. This
the beauty of this Easter idea. 1t
y redolent with the glad music of a res
direction to better things. The dun
heaps out which the most fragraT
\ flowers spring leave no faint upon IL
flowers, for these flowers are re;
aEeYth into the new. The old self OF
which we are ourselves born I'M
tier things leave no trace of tina
oIdhif we are really risen.
Anid all that is so sad and dism
and dispiriting in the life so many
us lead. it is a new atmosphere INT
which we are lifted by this Baste
idea. 1t is not only an atmosphere
claaner things. and fresher and betts