The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-16
WELCOMED A NEW PASTOR
REV. II. w. ADAMS, FORMERLY OF
YALESYILLE, At EPWORTH.
A Large Congregation Heard the New
Pastor, who Delivered n Powerful
Sermon on "Our Enster HOpc"-The
Former Pastor Now fin Brooklyn.

Pastor, who Delivered n POWeriul
Sermon on Sour Enstcr Hopr"-The
Former Pastor Now in Brooklyn.
Rev. r. w. Adams, formerly of the
First NJ e. church, Yalesville, preached
his first sermon as pastor of the Ep-
worth M. E. church, yesterday. Rev
Mr.. Adams succeeds Rev. B. M. Triple,
who has accepted the pastorate of the
Embury Memorial church, Brooklyn,
where he preached his first sermon yes
terday.
Rev. Mr. Adams was greeted with
very large congregation yesterday, ana
preached very strong sermon on our
Easter Hope" and he chose for his
text John ii, 25: II am the resurrec-
ton; he that believeth in Me, though
he die, yet shall he live, and whosoever
liveth and beleveth in Me shall never
die" Rev. Mr.. Adams spoke as fol-
lows:
Tuesday / was called home from con-
ference to attend the funeral of one of
the best beloved members of my
church. A year ago a funeral was the
first service l attended after conference.
This time it was the funeral of young
lady I had seen in the bloom of her
health but two weeks before. Standing
in the rear of the church before the
funeral party entered / noticed many
young men and women down whose
cheeks the tear drop stole-an eloquent
tribute to the esteem and love with
which she was held by those who knew
her, to the sweet and pure memory she
had left. Why should one entering in
to the fullest enjoyment of life, one
whose life is an inspiration to so many,
be thus suddenly snatched by death?
Why should death select the rarest,
gentlest sweetest soul? These are the
questions we cannot dispel, as we stand
by the dead. These are questions that
no one answers quite to cur
satisfaction. There is mystery
here, which after all has been
said and done is still a mystery,
Eighteen hundred years ago Jesus stood
in just such a place. He stood before
a young woman, who was mourning the
death of her brother. The words He
uttered on that occasion shook the
world and eliminated in His own
death. But they have been ringing
down the ages ever since, and they ring
and sing and peal to-day as never be-
fore These are the words Jesus spake
to Martha: IT am the resurrection and
the life: he that liveth on Me, thought
he die, vet shall he live"
Strange words at that age, were they
not? He did not attempt to explain
the mystery of death; He did not even
attempt to lift the veil and reveal the
future life, but standing in a world of
sorrow and gloom, of temptation and
crime, of war and death, Jesus declar
ed Himself conqueror over all, even
death itself This was new thought
to the world and the world was not
ready to receive it. Even His own dis
cipes faltered when He told them He
must be crucifed, but that after three
days He should rise again, and they
gave up hope when they saw Him laid
in the tomb. The language of one of
them was, ALAS we thought 1t was
He that should have redeemed Israel"
But His resurrection, according to the
promise, furnished the impetus, the
faith the zeal, which His life among
them had failed to give. 'The Risen
Lord became the cry of the Apostolic
church, and these men, headed by Peter,
JOUu dIl dul WClit AL III PlCatlllIso
the gospel Of the resurrection in spite
of every obstacle and persecution, even
facing martyrdom with a smile of holy
enthusiasm. And still the resurrection
is the all Swallowing hope of Chris !
tianity
A man went to his minister not long
ago with a Bible, so cut up that little
but the covers remained. He explained |
to his pastor that he had cut out every
thing which had been spoken of from
the pulpit as a myth, legend, unhistori |
cal, never really occurred ETC., until this
was all he had left Let me have
that" said the minister. mo, SIR"
was the reply II have given up to your
criticism all the inside, but by the
grace of God I'll hang on to the COW
ers" Our New Testament would not
be much but covers if we took out the
story of the resurrection. The New
Testament is like grand symphony,
rising to a climax in the resurrection.
All that goes before leads up to, and all
that follows results from the resurrec-
ton To deny it is to resolve Christ
and the disciples into little more than
deluded dreamers or imposters. Paul
shows the only logical alternative when
he declares, eff Christ be not risen then
is our preaching vain, and we are yet in
your SINS
This then, is our theme, and the
theme of a thousand pupits this morn
ing-"Our Easter Hope"
The resurrection as taught in the
New Testament is two fold. First
there is the resurrection of life. Jesus
said: IT am the resurrection and the
life" To the penitent thief he said:
To-day shalt thou be with Me in par
adise" That statement has been the
cause of much discussion 1t would
seem to point to resurrection of spirit
while the body lay buried. 1t likens
death to sleep. We may fall asleep a
night weary, careworn, exhausted, but
somehow the miracle sleep, during the
few hours we are lost to consciousness,
knits up the ravelled sleeve of care
and we wake with the morning sun
with the new strength, hope and cour-
age Sleep has been a favorite figure
for death, with the fathers. We fall
!, eli in, IN he 1xpnpH in,