The Globe-republican., 1899-04-06

AaSdalene who has come down BY HIS
eide through the ages - the woman who
wxs s,nnsr aud out Of whom Jesus had
cast seven devils. She Was the one whom
the risen Saviour singled ont rs the one
to whom He would first chow Himself
alive. He did nUs do that ~ c0iifer upon
her any marked distinction. 1t was for =
reaeOn very different from that. YOu
know the nature Of her sin, and bow the
loss Of purity blights wosnan's life.
Society f0rgives the social misdeeds of
men and welcomes them into it's most
charmed circles-but the influence Of the
greatest wealth aud the highest position
is not great enough to restore the woman
who has erred to her lost place. You
know too how far it removes the sou!
from God, who is holy. Aud the appear
ing of Jesus first to s,ich IN one brands
with infamy the singular injustice of the
judgments Of eOciety. But it does far
more than that. Raised for our jmstifica-
ton it gave not only to her freedom from
sin, but it gave the hope Of the forgive
ness of sins to every sinner. No matter
how great or how slight his guilt in all
the world and in all the ages of time.
But now the resurrection OF Jesus
made religion 4 greater power In the
world. Never before could men come to
God directly Always before the power
Of God with all its helpfulness had
reached men indirectly by round about
way. Il was always Though the offer
ing of sacrifices that the one or the
other had been gained. 1t was better to
come to God by such a way than not to
come to Him at all. 1t was better to
have the power of God reach them
through such means than not to have
them enjoy its blessing at all. But mani
testify it was way that men 90 ut every
step with a heavy burden upon their
shoulders. Christ came to undo these
heavy burilens, and when He came forth
from the grave of the Arimathean the
last one was forever rolled away. No
more lambs were to be offered now to
open a way for their coming TO God. or
for the power of God to come to them
and fill their souls with divine strength.
Every one could come now directly to
God and God could send His help directly
now to every one. Between he two th re
is all the difference that is seen In the
ohlique rays Of the sun with the chill of
winter and its direct rays which fill the
earth with the warmth Of summer. Be
fore the resurrection In the lives OF the
best Of men there were many and great
defects. 1t was SO even Of Christs own
chosen disciples. But after that grave
was lett teiiamtless no Logger heaven
alone. but the earth itself, began to be
the home Of fiawless lives, aud in the
calendar OF the Church began to be
written and has ever siuce been written
before the name Of this one aud that one
the word Saint. Such power to live such
lives came 10 men with the resurrection
Of Christ from the dead. There was an
other thing That brought religion great
er power from the resurrection. IL
separated the material that had always
been connected with spiritual in religion
und left the spiritual free to do its work
unhindered by external forms. Such
forms could he recognized by the out
ward senses, aud there was always the
danger that their movement toward God
would stop with that. And therefore
there was always spiritual weakness.
But when the material was taken away
the spiritual began to rise 10 its true
height and gain for itself it's lOrdly
portion The soul in its approach to God
would not be content to stop ut any outer
court but must enter the Hvliest VI ALL
tie very presence chamber OF the hing,
behold Him in Ills beauty and hold COM
unllliOn with Hun. There was the eXeY-
else If the highest and best that is in man
and from the exercise Of the highest aud
best comes the greatest power. Religion
became a greater power In the world
from the resurrection Of Christ in Yet
another way. There had always been
about it in the Jewish form something
that was harsh aud severe-yOu see that
all through it. When the law was given
Oh Sinai the command was given that If
u beast should so much as touch the mOun.
tain it should BE- thrust through with q
dart. How harsh aud severe that seems
to us. And such spirit ran all through
it. And tell you today that harshntsS
and severity do not have the power to
draw out the best aud truest that Is in ns.
They We're no doubt needed for the con-
troll of that mndisc plined and rebsliiOus
people that came up out of Egypt. Dur
ing their long enslavememt they had lost
the power of self control, and it WAS only
the most rigid and severe measures that
they could be governed. But when Jesus
came lie appealed to men by a new mo-
i've. IL WSS Tue poNcI III IOSc-tuc kIcHt'
est of all forces to gain the control of the
hearts and lives of men and mould them
either to the human or the divine will.
Aud when Jesus, after His death for us
upon the cross, came forth from the
grave He set upon love as a power TO
gain aud hold the control of our human
lives tile seal Of immortality.
But now the resurrection of Christ has
freed mankind from the power OF death
Whether men accept il or not He has done
the work and the offer or freedom from
the power Of death is universal and is
made in all sincerity. Death itself has
been rightly named ''the last indignity
of mankind" 1t is always associated by
the human conscience With punishment
for SIM 1t is the declaration of Gods
word ''it is appointed unto men once to
die" and 1t does not need its added state
ment land after death the Judgment to
make it terrible. Men in their right
minds always seek to escape or put its
coming far away from them. How many
would have the sands in times hour glass