The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-05
y he Message Of
I=C|StgI.
sBySRey,5 Geo, Cooper, d. D

With every return OF the season OF JOY,
Y the conviction is deepened that the resur-.
rcction Of Christ must mean more to US
than an assurance Of our persona! I'M
4 mortality, 1t must mean q new Quallty
II given to life here and now. al No 50 much
IL n new Ito hereafter as a new wa y OF
living now In preparation for that Dcyona.
~ It has been said that Christ was the
q first In human history to teach the abb
! solute continuity OF life !; that there Is no
" break; that the wa ter Is not spilled on
II the ground mover to be recovered = that
the thread In the weaver's loom IS not
4 cut but simply goes outaof human vision.
Therefore 10 may live in hope.
53 ut&IfSthe revelation OF our immortality
were simply the continuance OF life as 1t
"a now Is, there are many OF US to whom It
would not be great boon. Merely TO
4 know that an eternity was openedBup by
the empty grave OF Christ, into which we
could see stretching our present ltyes
with their struggles, useless burdens. mis-,
II Understandings OF each other, would not
4 be such joyous message It would con-
8 denim us to helpless despair To be 5im-
s. mortal ithout the right to be. The SUM
rise that .brightens from tho empty grave
z must do more than continue the story
4 OF struggle and waste and wrong.
II must have some power 70 change the
Il character OF the present life. The open
ing OF new prospects Is no blessing U n
less there is a new capacity to enjoy
4 them. The new world into which death
introduce us finds its consummat et satis-
faction In tho promise * and power y
b Christ's resurrection to make new a m!
better llte here TIE new w9rla m nne
q Who shall leave behind Him as he passes
into the dark portal OF deathsthe frag-
rance OF Divlnest purity and holiness. say
ing, as the echo OF his voice falls on our
ears This is the way. Walk ye therein
but one who can slnfuse His own Split
4 into our present life and open g. new char
acter iii us that will welcome tho new
IN So TIC message OF the day Is not that
1 We are to live newly after death, put
that We are to be new hero and now,
n Christ made our personal INN ortal'ty g
3 new motive In life,4 changing the Whole
present life MS a preparation for the ~
ture, The reason why SO many mon do
not Sieve In Immortality is that they,
* live too exclusively In the present and
I are not living an immortal lie here ana
4 now. Life comes first. beliefs at terWard'
YOU must live before you cap believe :,
Y One OF the most pathetic expe rlen ees - y,
4 from people who have lived q selt-sat-
isfIed, self-contented life. until suddenly
4 death takes away a child. lie, moth or
Z husband; then comes the longing for
something better IN the REQUEST @ 8, ~, sne ?
letter. What book can readY What
argument can you give that will prove
our !mmortal!ty?D How can prove tlle
spiritual beauty Of Beethoyen's music %
one who has never cared for music, Inns
mortality cannot be proved on the black-
h board. u II we would know that We are
Immortal we must live the new I'M or1a1
2 life here, This Is the great Pa ster truth,
not that we are to live newly after death.
but that We are to be new here and now
by the power Of our endless y Ito, Not 90
: much that we ere to 1--we forever, b4t
that we are to and may live nobly now
4 because we are to live forever. a re-
lgion that opened no beginning OF eter,.
nal life until the 'oth her world was rea chetl
would be az unl.aapy as a religion that
opened no eternal life.
4 The life Of q good man ougll to be one
continual Easter in which old things are
made new from their temporal to their
spiritual Smeaning and power In which
3 the Joy Of our Immortality may trans
figure the whole .nl9raliry u, our lives 'ss
4Ngs ana now, N # s, ~ Y y 83 q " /,