Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-02

! less weight and unique importance. Upon 30
/ was laid the stress OF an extraordinary
emphasis BY the early church. This truth
! looms up, separate and apart, from ali other
/ facts In the gospel, as a lofty mountain peak
scars into the sky above all other snow
capped submits round about s.. !, stands by
! itself, clad with an importance, fraught with
a meaning and stamped with a message borne
b. no other doctrine Of the holy scriptures.
This unique and matehless truth Is the res
direction OF our Lord from the dead.
Strauss has said: The resurrection ot Jesus
forms the central point Of the center, the
very heart OF Christianity, and, therefore, 1t
has been above all things else the mark for
the sharpest arrows Of her adyersaries."
! Christianity stands By the empty tomb and
challenges the validity OF any explanations,
save that Of the historic crediblity Cf the
resurrection Of Jesus. Nowhere does infdel-
ity break down so completely as at this
critical point. Who today accepts the doc
trlne that Renan pictures 50 beautifully that:
Mary Magdalene-suppOsed by him to be a
nervous, hysterical, credulous woman-heard
the leaves rustic in the garden. saw mis-:
or something in the distance and caught at
it with the assured conclusion. Il have seen
the Lord and that on this ghost story the
faith Of the early church was built and
civilization today? He who believes that
has reached the point where he is ready TO
believe that the universe is built upon a
soap bubble. Therefore. the historical basis
Of fact, on which our hopes Of the future
res, Is the one great, practical lesson OF
Easter. We cannot do mad violence to our
own sense and believe that the most heroic
lives have been inspired by a lie or a
dream-the ancient world converted, and Eu-
rope and America built, in all that makes
them lofty and manful, valorous and high
hearted, on a foolish fancy or a childish
myth. For effects our reason demands ade-
quste causes. We are not credulous to the
extent required. From the preaching Of this
fact humanity took on another type. Its
relations we're reyolutionized. The trlumphs
Of the Gospel through the long years Of
eighteen centuries are its witnesses Can
any one suggest another basis for the vic
tories, and leave men sane and the world
not mad?
Easter, also, is suggestive Of joy. Now
that Christ is risen, on the graves Of our
dead
The daylight Of eternal glory
blooms and bushes cyermore.
Mark the first word OF Jesus after the
resurrection, "As they went to tell his dis
Ciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying. All
hail. And they came and held him by his
feet and worshiped him. And then said
Jesus, BE not afraid" Jesus came from
death and the grave saying, "All hail! Be
not afraid" and now we know that death
is no gloomy entrance, but rather Millions
golden gate on golden hinges turning"
~! in earth and air and sea
Laugh at my infirmity.
Jeer at me for growing Old
Jeer me as they pass along,
With their music and their song,
Int" eyes yet untold.
But when earth forgets TO roll,
Then shall answer back my sou,
From beneath lifcs shading tree
Through the portals of the grave
Hastened J. my life 10 save,
From the doom that compassed them
The tomb is not blind alley; 1t is thor
oughfare. 1t closes in the twilight to open
with the dawn This Is the brightest and
best Of Easter thoughts Easter again brings
moral and spiritual renforcements to every
man struggling for a better life. Christ is
risenl Do we not conquer the world in the
power OF that fact? Do we not see that man
Is larger than the earth? Mightier than
time? Sovereign over his environment?
Defiant OF chance and change? Because he
is here, a scholar In temporary school,
an apprentice in training an heir under
tutors and governors; because to him be-
long the gray eternites, the boundess pos
sibiIity of endless endeavor, the measureless
spaces and the infinite climbings; because
he is for a day in the shadows and for
evermore In the light that knows no dark
ness because he belongs to the changeless
things and the abiding therefore he should
stand upon his high calling and make this
life his servant to help him on-its failures
and successes, It's JOY and sorrow, its want
a to- a1f fly, 10 ha1N I'm ON and
help him up toward the gates OF that high
city that is his home. Easter gives to this
life all its meaning and to human endeayor
all It's dignity. What can be more unmean-
ing than mans life II the life OF sense and
time be all? Truly 1t is like "a tale told by
an idiot, full OF sound and fury, sgnifyng
nothing" The white radiance Of eternity
streaming through it from above gives all
its meaning to that dome Of mahy-colored
glass" which men call life.
What kind OF life then should Easter in
spire? A life manful, hopeful, helpful, cour-
ageous. prayerful, patient, because we are in
a world redeemed, In life sanctifed by the
Lord who died for US, and are to use 1t so
and live it so that when the hour comes to
leave it we may find the curtains lifted on
no darkness but the road aglow with the
eternal footsteps of Him who walked that
night Of death with the splendor and power
OF His resurrection.
This day we greet each other with the
old Christian salutaton-old as the first
Easter, wide as the worId-uttered every
Easter morning in all the tongues of men
Christ Is risen"
"T say to thee, do thou repeat
10 the first man thou mayest meet
In lane. highway or open street.
Christ Is risen'
"'rhat doubt and trouble fear and pain
And anguish all are shadows vain;
That death Itself shall not remain
Christ Is risen.
For you for me for all that sleep;
For hearts that sing; for hearts that weep,
Christ is risen!
Careless. happy girl, surrounded by sister
blossoms; joyous, eager boy, intent upon the
first fruit OF power; man bowed in grief and
woman blind from tears; Christianity takes
you by the hand today and repeats the
blessed, blessed tldings-"Christ is risen"
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NICARAGUA or PANAMA.
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