The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-15


else as will be the Easter of this year
of grace 1900. AT all points barbarism is
making way for civilization The Easter
sky is becoming radiant with the Grim
son and gold Of a brighter day This
years Easter bells ring out Liberty's TIE
Deum with a gladuess and glory I'M
known hitherto in the history Of the hui
man race and at the same time these
bells are utterins a prophecy of still
gladder Easter whose coming will be in
the near future.
Origin of the word.
The word Eas e. is Of heather origin.
1t is to be regretted that the word which
commentaries the most blessed fact in
Christian faith should come from pagan
sources; but we must take it as it is
found, and fill it with nobler higher and
diviner meanings. The names of the days
of the week and the months Of the year
are also heather in origin and in their
earlier associations; but we must accept
them, as we can not unwrite history and
unmake language.
Easter is the Saxon oster, osten mean
ing rising The German is ostern, the
Hebrew-Greek form is pascha, the French
paques, the Scotch pasch the Dutch
paschen, the Swedish pask and the Dan
ish paaske.
The Apostle Paul calls Christ "Our
Pasch." No doubt the old Teutonic name
was connected with the festival of the
goddess Ostara, in Anglo-SaXon Eastre,
and so was conn cted with our word east.
This goddess seems TO have been the per-
sonflcaticn of the morning or of the east,
and also of the beginning of spring. 1t is
well known that the Anglo-SaXon name
OF April was Estor-monath; and in Ger
many this month is still known as Oster-
monath. From Northern Germany in the
early day the worship of Ostara was
brought to our ancestors in Great Bri, ain.
Many of the popular observances of East
er, even to This day, Clearly indicate its
heather origin. The heather bontires
were perpetUated in the paschal tapers
with which the churches We're once light
ed on Easter Eve. The brilliant illumi-
nations of the churches and parts of some
of the cities, in Russia al this season, are
also reminders Of those early heather
festivals.
The "pasch eggs when stained and
krocked together carry us back to that
heather atmosphere out of which so
many Christmas and Easter customs have
come. In Scotland it has long been the
custom to search for the eggs of wild.
fowls on Easter morning for breakfast;
and their discovery is supposed to be an
omen of good fortune.
Transformation of Heather FeSti-
vais.
We know that the early Christians
adopted and strove to transform heather
festivals which were so deeply seated in
popular customs as to make their neglect
impossible on the part of she heather.
This was a worldly-wise policy; perhaps,
oil lra1 1frra
The Christmas festival was the transfer
nation of somewhat kindred heather fes-
rivals such as the Saturnalia, JuVenalia
and Brumaia.
These were observed in Rome in the
month Of December. They were held in
honor of the unconquered sun and in
commemoration of the golden age Of free
dom and equality. They were days of
great JOY for slaves and children. Il was
natural that the early Christians should
strive to give these popular festivals a
higher significance; they could not be
rooted out but, they might be transform
ed In many parts of the country to-day
we are acting similar part toward the
holidays of the Chinese. 1t was natural
that the heather birth festival of the sun.
which after the winter solstice begins 90
run new career, should suggest the birth
festival of Christ. the sun of righteous
ness and the light of the world
DuN LutIt - 4ttpeT .lIulH III THESE
correspondence. In these pagan fesEi-
walls. Notwithstanding their acknowledge
ed sensual abuses there was a profound
religious significance and a lofty spiritual
possibility; they have been we'll called
unconscious prophecies of the true and
divine Christmas feast. No doubt the
heather origin of the Christmas festival
accounts for the giving of presents to
children and to the poor, for the light
Ing of wax tapers, and for the general
use of Christmas trees. In like manner.
heather customs color our observance of
the Faster festival JOY at the rising
OF the natural sun, and at the awakening
of nature from the sleep and apparent
death Of winter, was, an illustration of
the higher and diviner Joy over the resur-
rection of Jesus Christ, the Sun of Right
eousness. from death and the grave. Here
again natural things were the significant
prophecy of heavenly things.
Religious Significance of Easter.
The resurrection of Christ is che crown
ing miracle of Christianity. To this mira
Gle its first preachers made constant and
confident appeal. If this greatest event
could be proved. all other miracles were
al least credible. No greater miracle
than this can be imagined; if the greater
be established, the lesser may be believed.
Our Lord foretold his resurrection: that
resurrection, therefore was the fulfill
Torrance of a stupendous miracle. To
be a witness of the resurrection was a
chief function of the apostolic office IN
his great discourse on the day of Pente-
cost. it was to this event that the Apostle
Paul made chief reference. Not other
wise was it with the Apostle Paul when
he addressed the men of Athens; in that
matchess discourse this peerless apostle
declared that God hath appointed a day
in the which he will judge the world BY
that man whom he hath ordained; whereof
he hath raised him from the dead" In
writing 20 the Corinthians he clearly of.
firms that if Christ be not risen our faitt
is vain. SIS
The resurrection of Christ alone ac
counts for the existence of the church
The church was and Isl that fact NJ
amount or degree Of infidelty can deny
But II we deny che resurrection o
the founder OF the church we can no
account for the existence OF the church
The resurrection Of the Christ is the key
stone in the arch of the Christian
system. Changing The figure we ma,
say that the corner stone Of the church
is laid in the empty grave Of the riser
Christ. il has been said with equal spfr