The Goodland republic., 1902-03-28

n SIQereQ ID It's religious aspects
alone. The latter tells OF the birth Of the
child Jesus, who spoke as never man
spake before''-who founded a religion that
has withsto0d the shock of empires and
the wreckage OF nations. But 1t has as
sUmed a home feature and has lost large
ly It's religious aspect It Is d day Of
feasting and giving and home bringing
Easter Is a day of religious promise, an
augury Of things to be. St. Paul said that
If our hope and faith was limited TO this
earth, We should be OF all men most mis-
cradle.
Easter IS the keynote of the Christian
song 1t IS the foundation of Christian
life. As Christmas tells of the advent of
Messiah who should deliver from sin,
80 Easter proclaims God who triUmphed
over death and the grave.
The Hebrew religion, the f0rerunner OF
the Christian religion, beautiful In Its sym
bOls, vITtuOus, but aUstere IN its teach
ings, offers no answer TO the question::
If a man die, shall he live agaiuz' Job
hints at 1t only IN the words: L know
that my Redeemer lIveth.' etc But its
duties, obligations and service begin and
end with this life.
- The religion of Jesus Is diametrIcaIIy op-
posite to the Hebrew IN this that first,
last and all the time It promises eternal
life to the faithful. There remaineth,
therefore, now a rest for the people OF
God" says St Paul, who rises 10 the
height of triumph when he SAYS 4 have
fought the fight; I have finished the
faith His argument for immortality
til Cor. XVI has COmIOrted countless mil
lions since 1t was written
Christ made resurrection and immortal
ity a test OF this merit. He assured His
followers that though the temple OF His
I q
again In three days He promised them
d heaven sOf reward
At His words ~Tabitha cumi. the
daughter Of Jairus awoke out Of death
and when he cried Lazarus. come
forth" he whose body stank IN death was
restored TO lie
But, after all, Christian interest clus-
tiers about the tomb of Joseph Of Arima-
thea. The announcement Of the angel TO
theAIarys, He Is not, He Is risen" are the
gladdest, brightest and most glorious heard
BY mortel ear.
The Roman soldiers had cruciied Him
They had assured themselves that he
was dead before he was even taken down
from the cross His enemies had said that
He had promised to return to His fol-
lowers, and they wished no mistake IN
the matter. For this reason a great stone
was rolled before the entrance TO the sep
ulcher, and a guard placed there that HIS
friends might not be able 10 steal away
the body.
He left the grave, and It Is this resur-
rectiOn which Easter commemorate
As man advances IN intelligence, as the
Christian man grows more Intellectual, his
desire to live after death grows stronger.
As his desire for Immortality increases, his
regard for this greatest festival OF the
church increases. 1t Is to him yearly
assurance OF its promise. The church VIII
never, can never, love 1t less
Easter, day of flowers, OF sunny warmth,
Of Iengthening days, OF varied cOl0rs, when
the grand church organs send forth their
IOudest notes and church choirs sing their
gIaddest dongs- Easter, day proclaiming
the ever abidingness Of-Chrlst among men,
It must be and abide forever
Other great teachers of religion have
come and have gonAAIoSes buried by the
angels on Nebo, Elijah caught up into the
air, but the Child OF Nazareth, the Hero
OF Calvary, passed through death only that
He might prove HIS triumph over 1t.
He arose only that He might lead the
way. Calvary and resurrection are insep-
arabic. &c mustshave died that He might
1--we again The proof of Immortality nad
to be proved N His own demOustrable,
tangible evidence
1t Is for these reasons that Easter
stands first among the grand sacred fes-
tiVals Of the church and Why It must be
50 until man no longer has place upon
the earth
Bethlehem, GoIg0tha, Joseph's tomb
out Of these three the history OF Chris
tianity, and from the last the erownng
hope OF al.
WILLIAM ROSsER COBBE
A., EeF,o