The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-15

II lie NOT strange that early. In the his
of the church 10 Easter was given me
name OF Queen OF iteasts- Nor IS II
strange that the whole Christian year
from advent to advent again should nave
been arranged with reference 10 ms
Feast. For !hc Christian Easter is the
day of days; the day OF beauty, camfort,
power and inspiration II IS all this De
cause in the midst Of The d-sconf &c
mcnts and disappointments the SEl2"S
and separation, the temptation ana iFialS.
OF this brief and evil life, its light breaks
in with the ravishing promise OF q lie
beyond tliis where sin shall cease anu
sorrows be no more The fact OF The
resurrection from the grave OF Jesus
Christ that is cernmpmorated upon las
Ter Day. is the outward illumination OF
that vague insimatipn of immortality that
Is inherent in the constitution oi man
WHAT JESUS TAUGHT.
The Scriptures do not tell that Jesus
discovered the truth of importantly. or
that He first taught il TO the world as
!; doctrine For In truth, 11e did not
teach IL as a doctrine at all. But they do
tell us that He brought immortality 10
light. He did this IN that lie whose
faithful record the church has forever IN
Her Keeping The life that lie lived IN
the world has no meaning excepting as
INTERPRETED by unseen and eternal Things
The springs of all His actions are IN an
oLher world AS II. lived aud wrought,
men felt that an immortal was moving
among them. And when this being rises
from the grave N which Ills boay mas
three days lain, and during forty DAYS
communicates out OF 4 higher realm o.
being with those Who were intimate com
panions before His death, the question
,pi Immortality is completely removed
from the realm OF speculation and stN-
en- TO the realm of fact 4iencsioTih.
ETERNITY comes into Time to reclaim and
sioryfy man in The power of an endless
Nfe.
BULWARK OF THE FAITH.
And NOT only does the restriction thus
.llumine the immortal life but it is the
great buwaitk of tie Very faith mat EN-
balms this inspiring hope. The Falth
once delivered to the saints rests upon
the resurrection Of Jesus Christ 2S IT'S
foundation stone. III Christ be not risen
from the dead, says the Apostle. then
is your faith vain Take away His res
direction and the Church that is built
upon il must topplc into ruins
Ii was for this that. after the last fare
well to the world of the Glorified Jesus,
His disciples flew into all the world,
proclaiming to men thatFthis Jesus was
the very Christ, and that He had risen
from the dead.
But not only docs the liEhl of Easter
Day shine with bounding Giadness TO the
church.
1t shines in challenge to an unbelieyins
world. Out of nothing. nothing comes
no ,kystcIical fancy Of 4 few humble
folks has ever changed the face Of CIV
ili2aton. There is a point during the ca
reer OF the Roman Empire when al the
lines OF ancient history, corTcrsinG meet,
ard from this point all lines OF modern
history radiate. That point Is the Year
when Jesus of Nazareth. is said to nave
risen from the dead. No Wild fairy
tale could become the centre Of history
And If at any poin, in modern history,
men had failed TO convince ether men
that Jesus rose, then the CHRISTIAN
Church would have died.
GREAT FACT lS HISTORY.
Then The belief so contrary 10 the
experience OF humanity as The ris-
ing of a man from veritable dsati, he'd,
as an isolated and unrelated fact, it
could never have been propasated. But
This fact stands as the elimination Of the
most wonderful movement in history
thai movement that began with the peo-
pie of Israel In the dawn OF history. This
human reason that feels its way TO II
Being that is alone al and in ali and
throug:. all and pauses, dazed With Won
der that this Being does not speak Eas-
ter proc!aims 10 the reason that ide has
spoken in the person of HIS incarnate Son
and asks from the standpoint of-baih rea-
son and history with the risen one hlm-
self: Ought not Christ 20 have suffered
these things and have entered into HIS
giory?e
~ 4