The Penn's Grove record., 1897-04-23

1 ONoE II u6W CdutfltVcf Dllukd Iubl SDA III
Nlagara-a bridge 800 feet long. $50 feet oil
chasui from bluf7 to blum. I passed over 1,
without any anxiety. Why2 Because twen-
ty-two locomotives and twenty-five cars
laden with gravel had tested 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
OF sin has been fully tested by the awful tom
mage OF all tho pardoned sin OF all the ages,
church militant standing on n bank,
church triumphant standing on the other
bank. Oh, 1t was to the seven deviled Mary
that Christ made ais first post norton ap-
p~earance.
There is another thing thai tho world and
the church have not observed In regard to
this resurrection, AMI that Is, 1t was tho
morning twilight.
II the chronometer had been invented and
Mary had rs good a watch ms some Of the
Marys Of our time have, she would have
found II wa about half past 5 O'Clock n. m.
Matthew says It was in the dawn; Mark says
It was very early In the morning; John says
1t was while II was yet dark. In other words,
1t was twilight. That was the o'clock at
which Mary Masialene mistook Christ for
the gardener. What does that mean2 1t
means there are shadows over the grave un-
tJhpA-chhhoWo - LAyoboiJ tu1t hlp v
fog. Mary stoored down and tried to look
to the other end OF the crypt. She gave hys-
terlc outcry. 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, II. there were shadows over the family
plot belonging to Joseph Of Arlmathea, is It
strange that there should be some shadows
over our family lot? Easter dawn, not Easter
noon.
Shadow Of unanswered question: Why
were they taken away from us? Why were
they ever given to usit they were 10 DO taken
SO soon? Why were they taken so suddenly
Why could they not have uttered some fare
well words? Why2 A short question, but a
whole crucinxion OF agony in it. why7
a on the graves Of good men n
who seemed to die before their work
was done. Shadow on all the graves Of
children because We ask ourselves why so
beautiful a craft was launched ut all ifit was
TO be wrecked one mile outside Of the harbor2
But what did Mary Magdalene have to do in
Order to get more light on that grave? She
had only to walt. After awhile the Easter
sun rolled up, and the whole place was
flooded with light. What have you and l 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 v. Of Spain, with his servants and
holShScf ANVIL IL II Vault III luo
metropolis where bis ancestors were buried,
and went deeper, farther on until he came to
a 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 emba'mer's art he found that The body was
MS perfect as eighteen years before when
It was em.ombed. But under the explora-
tlon his body and mind persisted. Oh,
my friends, do not let US morbidly
strugg1s with thu shadows of the sepuL
cher. What are we to dor Wait. It is
not the evening twilight that gets darker
and darker. 1t js the morning twilight that
gets brighter and brighter into the perfect
day. 1 preach 1t to-day. Sunrise over
Pere le Chaise. sunrise over Greyfriars
churhyard, sunrise over Greenwood, over
Woodlawp, over Laurel Hill, over Mount
Auburn, over Congressional burying ground,
sunrise over every country graveyard, sun
rise over the catacombs, sunrise over the
sa%rcophagi where the ships lie buried. Half
past 8 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 q
gardener.
Another thing the world and the church
have not o~bseryed-that Is, Christ's pathetic
credentials; How do you know it was not
a gardener His garments said He was o
AVA al Va Nv uDtul lou Cdtth
scattered upon His garments said He was a
gardener. How do you know He was not a
gardener? All! Before Easter had gone by
He gave TO some Of His disciples His three
credentials. He showed them His hands and
Bis side. Three paragraphs written in rigid
or depressed letters. A scar in the right
ralm, q scar In the left palm, u scar amid
the ~ribs-scars. scars. That Is the way they
knew Him. That is the way you and l will
know Him.
Aye. am l saying this morning too much
when I say that will be one of the ways in
which you and I will know each other by
the scars Of earth-scar5 OF accident, scars OF
sickness. scars OF persecution, scars of bard
work. scars OF battle, scars OF old nge.
When / see Christ's resnrrected body having
scars, 1t 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 be a bay into which
float summer yachts after a pleasuring
broid red sails as fair as when they
were first unfurled. Heaven will be
more like a navy yard whore men-of-war
come in from Trafalgar and Lepanto-men-
of-war with masts twisted by acyclone, mem
of-war struck on all sides by seventy-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 ther resurrection
Christ credentialed by scars. You and I will
be credenttaled and will recognize each
other by scars. Do you think them now a
Disagreement? Do you think them now a
badge of endurance2 / tell you the glorious
u 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 noticed In this resurrec-
tion OF Christ, and that Is that Christ from
Friday to Sabbath was llfeless In n hot
climate where sanitary prudence demanded
that burial take place the same day as death,
and where there was no Ice to retard disco
luton. Yet, after three days He comes up
SO heaithiul, so robust and so rubicund Mary
Magdalene takes Him for a gardener. Not
supposing Him to be an invalid from a hos
pital, not supposing Him to be a corpse from
the tomb, but ~supposing Him to be the
gardener. Healthful by the breath Of the
upturned sod and by perpetual life in the
sunshine.
After Christ's interment every cellular
tissue broke down, and nerve and artery and
brain were a Psychological wreck. and yet
He comes up swatthy, rublcund and well.
When l see after such mortuary silence such
radiant appearance, that settles it that
whatever should become OF the bodies of
up, the nerves resfrung, the optic nerve reil-
lumined. the ear drum a-vibrate. the whole
body lifted up, without its weaknesses and
worldly uses for which there is no resurrec-
tion. Come, is it not almost time for us to
go out TO meet our terminated dend7 Can
you not hear tho lifting of the rusted latch2
Oh. the glorious thought, the glorious
consolation Of this subject when l find
Christ coming up without any OF the lacera-
tions-for you must remember He was lac
Grated and wounded fearfully in the cruci-
axion-coming up without onei Whnt does
that make me think2 That the grave will
get nothing Of US except our wounds and
imperfections. Christ went into the grave
exhausted and bloodless. All the current of
His life had poured put from His Wounds.
He had lived a life OF trouble, sorrow and
priyation. and then he died q lingering
death. His entire body hung on four
spikes. No Invalid OF twenty years suffer-
ing ever went into the grave so white and
CHASTITY and broken down as Christ, and yet
here He comes up so rubicund and robust
she supposed Him to be the gardener.
Standing this morning round the shattered
masonry o. our Lords tomb, 1 point you to
u world without hearse, without mufled
drum, without tumulus. without catafalque
Inc without a tear. Amid all the cathedrals
OF the blessed no longer the ''Dead March
in SAUL" but whole libretti OF ''Halleiuiah
NI----p M --& A = IL - 49,