The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-08-15

Grave Its victory.
NEW YoRK CITY. - The following I'M
pressive sermoa has been prepared Tor
the press by ;he popular pastoy-evangel'
ist. the Rev DR. j. Wilbur Chapman.
The subject OF the discourse Is "RahhOnL'
and II was preached from the text. Jesus
saith unto hcr. Mary, She turned herself
and saith unto Him. Ra5honi which Is 10
saw. Master" John ~. l6.
The burial o; Christ lies between His
humiliation and HIS eXhaltauon; u - one
o. the resting points IN HIS history, and
the grave 20 HIM " - MS all was the gate
OF nfe. He passed through u into His
glorious resurrection. Ii the crucihNon
be represented as one mountain and the
ascension a. another then the burial OF
Christ Is like a valley. and since II Is true
that IN every valley mentioned IN the
Scriptures there is a well of water or
spring, so strange as II may seem IN this
valley which seems 20 be hlled only with
shadows one stoops 10 drink at the well OF
comfort, for the death OF Christ is the
very greatest possible comfort and help 20
US for IN His death He takes away from
US all the sting and from the grave its VIC
tory. for the tomb of the Christian IN all
the years this side OF the burial OF Christ
has been tenanted with angels but We
have not so much 10 DO with His burial
as with His resurrection. John gives no
narrative of the resurrection itself, but
rather an account of the manner IN which
he himself was convinced that the resur.
rection had taken place. liz Is not so
much an argument. although on the basis
OF n the strongest arguments have been
presented: Il Is rather A beautiful testi-
mony and a thrilling story. When Mary
! brought the startling intelligence that the
tomb was empty Peter and John made
for the spot AZ the top OF their speed.
John outruns Peter, but naturally rever-
ence keeps him from entering the tomb.
He looks in. however. 20 convince himself
that the body has not been removed by
! the enemies OF Christ, for the linen
were carefully taken off and left behind.
! When Peter comes up they two enter the
! tomb together. and their differences are
| reached after they have carefully studied
| the surroundings. This simple narrative
| will be 10 many minds more convincing
/ than a great argument. II Is tod clearly
by an eye witness of all the events, We
see Mary breathe,sly giving out the
| startling news, and we watch the hastv
! sprlpging up OF the two men and their
! rapid racing along the streets out through
| the gates 10 the garden. We behold John
| standing painting at the rockhewn sep
| ulcher and we catch a vision of Peter
! tOiling up behind but not hesltating mo.
ment. We see him entering and gazing az
! this and that. till the articles in the
! tomb have told their story and the two
men leave the sepulcher together awcd
! and convinced. and the eve witness who
| thus beautifully relates what he knew of
! that wonderful morning adds, lie saw
! and believed.
Mary came after nat as quickly as she
! could, but exhausted with her rapid car
! ryIng Of the news 90 Peter and John was
not able 10 keen pace with them a. they
ran 10 the tomb, and before she arrived
| they were gone. She may have missed
| them IN the streets as she came out OF
the city. At any rate, finding the tomb
still empty, and no one present 60 eX-
! plain the reason Of II, she stands there
| heart broken and pours out her distress
in tears. The grave being empty the
whole earth Is empty TO her; the dead
| Christ was more 90 her than a living
world She can but stand and lay her
! head upon the stone and let her tears
flow az from broken heart. So absorb
ing is her grief that the vision of angels
| does not astonish her; she had hut the
| one thought, They have taken away my
| Lord She supposed. too. that all about
her must know her loss and understand
| what she Is seeking, so that when she
sees the gardener as she supposes she
cries out, "If thou have borne Him
| hence She does not even mention His
name, for she cannot imagine that any
|
fills her whole mind and heart. (John
20: ll-l3l. "3ut Mary stood without at
the sepucher weeping. and as she wept
she stopped down and looked into the sep
ulcher and seeth two angels in white sit
ting. the one at the head and the other
at the feet where the body Of Jesus had
lain. And they say unto her, Woman.
why weepest thou? She saith unto them,
Because they have taken away my Lord
and ! know not where they have laid
| Him As Mary answers the angels she
| heard step behind her and the door Of
the tomb IS darkened by a shadow, and
on turning discerns dmlv through her
tears a figure which naturally enough she
| supposes 20 be the gardener because he
was the lkeliest person to be going about
| the garden az that early hour John 20:
| 1870. "And when she had thus said she
! turned herself back and saw Jesus stand
| ing and knew not that 10 was Jesus.
Jesus saith INTO her, Woman, why weep
| est thou; Whom scCkest thouy She
| suppc sing Him 10 be the gardener. saith
unto Him. Sir, II Thou have borne HIM
hence. tel me where Thou hast laid Him,
and ] will take Him away Jesus saith
unto her. Mary! She turned herself and
saith unto Him, Rabconi! which is to
say, MASTER"
l.
We must surely be impressed with the
| thought that those who love Christ most
I diligently and perseverinqy are those
| who receive the most privileges from
Chrlsts hand. IL n worthy Of note that
. Mary Ma agdalene would not leave the sep.
/ uIcher when Peter and John went away
! 20 their homes. Love 20 her Master
( would not let her leave the place where
He had lain Where He was now she
could not tell; what had become OF Him
she did not know, but love made her lin.
ger, love made her honor the last place
where His precious body had been seen
bv mortal eyes. and her love reaped a
. rich reward. She was the first 90 see her
| Lord after He rose from the dead the
/ first TO hear His voice and the first 20
, hold conversation with HIM. Al belicv-
ers have not the same degree OF faith OF
/ hope or knowledge or courage or wisdom.
but u D. certainly true that those who
love Christ most ferventlv and c,eave %
Him most closely viii always enjoy the
most communion with Him.
FIrs'-NOtice the instruction given 20
n in this story concerning love ~ ~ DIT
fe-ent phases and elements In Peter ~
D. sIbiectipn. IN John % is objection The
reD.v OF Peter 90 the Lord was II love
Thee while Johns constant description
oi himself was. The disciple whom Jesus
: loved May we not learn. therefore. OF
the apprehension Of Jesus love for us In
I stead OF being occupied with out Door fit
! viii give greatest lOv 90 the soul The
! srh0rtatr0n Of the Scriptures .s "Kccp
yourself u She love ~ God IN Mary wo
I q -ruver these elements properly com.
bUsi. Tracing her h.starr ur find that
Jesus had delivered her from an awful
iIrIaze. Nov when jesus was ri-en
/ early 'he fret d1v ~ The week lie az.