The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-16
An Easter Morning Sermon BY Rev.
Frank VI. Bristol. ID. u.
Metropolitan Memorial VI y. church
TbranEed The Resurrection OF
JcSuS Christ aud Its Meaning to
NauI.ind-Thc True Philosophy OF
Life Revealed in the Gospel


the space before the altar being filed
with camp chairs to accommodate the wor-
shippers. who outnumbered the seating ca
pacity Of the auditorium. President Nc
Kinley. accompanied by his nephew and
niece was an interested participant in the
Easter service.
Rev. Or. Frank N. Bristol preached on
the resurrection. choosing for his text;
THAT I may know him and the power Of
his resurrection Phil. ui:10.
The key to the grave is the key TO the
heart" said Rev. Or. Bristol in opening
his sermon. He who solves the mystery
of death wins the love Of humanity. In
this respect Jesus Christ is supreme IN
the thought of the world. He is the in
SEPARATION of the old mans dream and oil
the Young mans vision. because he mas
conquered death and has brought immor-
talitv to life All the meaning OF this
happy Easter time centres in the fact that
The true philosophy Of life is found in the
Gospel: that Jesus Christ now is and ever
will be the master Of the human heart.
Theories Prove Nothing.
Facts reveal mystery. while theories
provc nothing. Men may spin their fine
deductions about the doctrine Of creation,
or any other taught in the scriptures, and
after they have been built up with great
care and pains a single fact viii overturn
them and show how foolish they really are.
True religion. like true science, is based
on fact and the great basic fact OF hu-
man history is The resurrection Of Jesus
Christ The important question regarding
the resurrection is not as to its posstbil-
ity or probability but the rational method
OF investigation impels Us TO ask is the
revelation a fact.
From early times the Hebrew prophets,
law-zivers. and teachers had been fore
telling this event. One OF them said,
Thou wilt not suffer thine holy ole to
see corruution;' and Christ himself had
frequently sought to prepare his disciples
for what was TO take place. He had told
them that he would suffer and die at the
hands of the Jews; that he would be buried
in the tomb. and that on the third day he
should rise again. This had made pow
erful impression on the minds of his fol-
lowers.
That third day had an awful meaning
for them. Scattered by the crucihXion,
and in despair over the tragedy on Calvary
they had not fully understood what was
meant. perhaps. but they had vague no
ton that there was to be a temperance
Of their dead Master. Consequently they
were eypcctant and excited on this third
day The women came early 10 the tomb
with the spices. and the wakeful disciples
Peter and John. ran hastily to the sepul-
chre at the story Of the women. The two
on the journey TO Emmius conversed to-
gethor OF their vague hopes, and when the
Master approached them they said they
had hoped 1t was he who had come to re-
deem Israel. The third day thus had a
meaning TO their hearts. All their hopes
and all the worlds hopes centred in that
dav il was 10 vindicete their faith or
show that 10 had been falsely placed. Then
and there was to be determined the moral
destiny Of the race What was il TO reveal
II a new order OF things was not 10 come.
what despair awaited the race Better
might nature fail to clOthe the earth in liV-
ing green than for the Son Of Man not to
come forth from The grave All the world
looks anEiouSly toward that tomb whence
IS TO emerge the hope Of humanity. The
best and most devoted wcmaphood took
spices TO the sepulchre. angels guarded IT,.
and they who had yelled their faces
pinioned in power and clad IN light looked
N silent awe and wonder on the scene.
IN Historical Fact.
NO historical fact is better substan-
tiated than the resurrection OF Christ. es-
tablished as it is by irreproachsble wit
uessps. six historians record il as eye
witnesses. They are Matthew Mark. Luke
John Peter. and Paul. and rot one Of
them i'm all the ages has been lmpeached.
They have been subjected 10 constant and
searching criticism for eighteen centuries
and their testimony Us stronger today than
when first attacked by he skep'ics Of
he Grseco- Roman world. II Christ did not
rise from the dead as the scene is de-
scribed. 10 must be proven By a fact. and
not by a theory. for the most significant
fact in human history is the resurrection
itself There is no single event 50 well at
tested I'm the life Of Alexander or Of Homer
in that Of Caeser. Chariemague or Crom-
well. or even IN that OF Napoleon BOnaparte
The most important step we can take
fl view OF the fact of the resurrection is
the one which Paul toOk-a step into the
benefits Of the resurrection. il was the
desire OF raul to know Christ for il was
through him that he could enter into the
promises. To as many as know him does he
give the power 10 become sons Of God.
The hope that is hereafter. the happy life
Christ To know him Is to have wrought
within us a knowledge Of his divinity. to
taste OF his life 10 achieve faith to learn
Of righteou ness. holiness. and heaven.
Paul speaks Of the 'msearchable riches
Of Christ and he CEhorts the Christian to
growth In the knowledge Of God To him
the know ledge OF God was an endless path,
20 pursue which vas the greatest earthly
joy 10 was iimjlcss realm for the
imagination. He was full Of this theme
and drank deeper and deeper Of the foun-
tain Of TRUTH until his pen became as elo-
quent as that OF an arChaugel
paul would know more Of he great
power which rolled away the sealed stone
from the sepnlchre and breathed new life
into he dead body OF the Christ. To his
mind is was an exhibition OF the mighty
power Of the Almighty God the same as
that manifested IN creation and that
which translated Enoch and Elijah. He
would know more in his soul what this
power would do. He wanted not only a
knowledge Of that power In the body Of
Christ. but the exercise Of IL upon us.
We may experience the power Of the
resurrection as a source OF comfort.
Though al death the body enters The earth
and the spirit returns TO the Father siill
the body rests in hope, and a the spiritual
resurrection VIC shall enter into the new
life OF happiness and eternal glory. And
as we stand above the narrow grave with
binding tears all human knowledge.
theories. and PHILOSOPHERS fail 10 give an
atom OF comfort TO the torn heart II Is
only when the meaning OF Christ's resur-
rection breaks into the darkness Of our
despair that hope is born and the rebel
lious spirit can say. Thy will be done
May We know the power OF his resur-
rection. may we feel il in living hours ana
ia Tvfuu hours ipzufres good