Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-03-28
Omcial Paper OF Co,snty !.

~ sldered in It's religious aspects
alone. The latter tells Of the birth of the
child Jesus, who Spoke as never man
epake before"-wbo founded religion that
has withstood the shock of empires and
the wreckage of nations. But it has as.
sumed home feature and has lost large
.ly its religious aspect. 1t is day OF
feasting and giving and home bringing.
Easter is 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
a Messiah who should deliver from sin,
so Easter procaims God who triumphed
over death and the grave.
The Hebrew religion, the forerunner OF
the Christian religion, beautiful in its sym
bols, virtuous, but austere in its teach
ings, offers no answer to the question:
eff man die, shall he live AGAIN." Job
hints at it only in the words: II know
that my Redeemer liveth," etc. But its
duties, obligations and service begin and
end with this life.
The religion of Jesus is Numerically 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 to the
height Of triumph when he says: II have
fought the fight; / have finished the
faith. His argument for Immortality
III. Cor. XVI has comforted countless mil
lions since it was written.
Christ made resurrection and immortal
ity test of this merit. He assured His
followers that though the temple of His
body were destroyed, He would build it
again in three days. He promised them
q heaven of 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 life.
But, after all, Christian interest clus,
ters about the tomb of Joseph of Arima
thea. The announcement of the angel to
the Marys, He is not, He is risen," are the
gladdest, brightest and most glorious heard
by mortal ear.
The Roman soldiers had erueiied 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 great stone
was rolled before the entrance to the sep
ulcher, and a guard placed there that His
friends might not be able to steal away
the body.
He left the grave, and it is this resur
rection which Easter Commentaries.
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 greateat festival OF the
church increases. 1t Is To him D yearly
assurance Cd IT'S promise. The ehNHeh viii
never, can never, love it less.
Easter, day of flowers. OF sunny warmth,
of lengthening days, Of varied colO,s, when
the grand church organs send forth their
Ioudest notes and church ehoirs sing their
gladdest dongs. Easter, DAY prodaimine
the ever abidingness of Christ among men
it must be and abide forever.
Other great teachers of religion have
come and have gone-Moses buried by thl
angels on Nebo; Elijah caught up into tn,
air, but the Child of Nazareth, the Herr
of Calvary, passed through death only tina,
He might prove His triumph over it.
He arose only that He might lead tn,
way. Calvary and resurrection are insep
arabic. He must have died that He nigh
live again. The proof of immortality hae
to be proved in His own demonstrable
tangible evidence.
1t is for these reasons that Easte,
stands first among the grand sacred fes
rivals of the church and why it must b,
80 until man no longer has place upor
The earth.
Bethlehem, Golgotha, Joseph's tomb
out OF these three The history of Chris
sianity, and from the last the browning
hope of all.
WILLIAM ROSsER CORE