The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-30
AN EASTER SERMON. .
fSelected for The Times.)


{selected for The Times.)
"And he laid His right hand upon me,
saying unto me. Fear not: I am the tlrst
and the last: am He that liveth ana
was dead, and behold am alive for-
evermore.''-Rev. t., 17-1S.
There is only one subject for to-day.
Upon this glad morning, when the grave
was broken and Jesus Christ arose, His
resurrection, with all that it means 70
US, must claim one thought.
1t. is evident to any thoughtful reader
Of the Gospel that with all their JOY N
their risen Lord, the disciples were in a
strange bewilderment whenever they
were with Him. He came and went in
new mysterious ways. He seems to
,elude them and yet to follow them with
a subtle pleasure.
II. is good for US, then, to have this
message from Christ, in which He fully
and freely declares Himself: ST; am He
that livethe and was dead and behold I am
alive forevermore." Let us try and see
something of the meaning of this sublime
seif-description by the risen Christ.
1T am He that liveth.' That word
..liveth'' is a word of continuous, per-
retual life. It is the 81 Am Of the
Jehovah who spoke to Moses. He that
liveth is the Living One. He whose life
is the life complete in itself and includ-
irs all other lives within itself
See how we alter and change. How
we slip from one career into another;
how past and present and future are for
ever comprising our existence. We die
and others take our places, to run
through the same mystery and perplex-
ity that was around us. Our heads and
cur hearts ache with it all sometimes.
SIS this living?" we, eSclaim. This is
merely touching upon life. Is this really
living
Then comes the sweet. strong voice
from Christ: st am lie that livetl." He
declares there is q large, long life that
is not transitory. It is this thought of
an eternal Lord that really gives con-
sistency to the fitful lives of men, as
well as the confused, fragmentary his
tory of the world. A Christ that liveth,
,cdeems and rescues into His eternity
the broken temporary lives and works
of all mankind. That is the first thing
We learn. This Christ is He that liveth.
Eut go on and see what a wonderful
word comes next. Il am He that liveth
ard was dead We don't begin to know
how wonderful that is Remember the
eternally living, the very life is speak
ing. And yet into that life death has
cc1ne.
When death came to Him it was seen
to be, not the end Of life, but only an
event in life. It did not close His being,
but was only an experience Which lie
chose to undergo. And 10! instead Of
death being what men had feared it
was, what men had hardly dared hope
it was not, it was seen to be only the
changing of the circumstances of life,
without any real power over the real
principle Of. life itself. That was the
wonder of Christ's death. As He drew
near to it, He Himself trembled. It was
the experience of all His creation, but
He had never felt it. 1t seemed ter
rible-how terrible it was Gethsemane
bears witness. But He passed into 1t
for the love of us. And as He
emerged from it He declared its
true nature. 1T is an experience OF
life. not an end Of life" Life goes on
through it, and comes out unharmed.
Look at Me. ST am He that liveth and
was Dead Even this is not all. New
wonders still unfold themselves. Fol
Christ farther declares, And behold 2
am alive 5foreyermore.,' This existence
after death is special and different. g It
is not mercy repeating that great truth,
it is something added. It is an assur-
ance that in this continued life which
has passed through the experience OF
death there "a something new, another
sympathy added, even to His perfect
love. This new life, the life which has
conquered death by tasting it, this life
stretches on and on forever It is to know
no ending So long as there are men
living and dying. so long above then
and around them shall be the Christ, the
Goldman who liveth and wa s dead and
IS alive foreyermore.',
q irwin Christ dear friends The old.