The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03

4
ast:A And these glorious facts arc made real
6to5stis through the personal experience
OF the Christ whom we love-
1t 8is evident TO any thoughtful render
that the disciples, With ull their Joy III
8tfieits Risen Lord, were yet fiji n strange
bewildernent concerning Hin. Evidently
lie was something more than they had
4tl,ouEht8,rJlni when they followed Hin
In Gnlilee1 Ali tho Christian world since
Stl1oii has echoed their loving curiosity sSi
and longed to know moro OF the c on
Stluoror of death.
Let yt,A try ITO sec something OF tie
inennitig of the sublime description gwen
by tho rlser. Christ Or Himself. II am am
Ito that. livoth.'' That word "ivcth' IS
II woid OF continuous, perpetual lie life q
1tsdescribes an eternal existence when
has no beginning, no end, no presen ny
no past, butEonc eternal, urbrokcn now.8
1t IS tho ~ am" OF Jehovah.
See how we alter, how VIC slip from
ote stage OF our own career into nnothcr'
how ave die and others como M our
places rtln through the samo mystery
and hearts ncho with 1t all some times
And then there comes this statement e
! from Christ ST; nm He that 5liretf.',,4
There Is d long. largo life that Is rot
transitory. i is tho thought OF an eter-
nal God that really gives consistency
to tho fragmentary lives of men; the
restless history Of the world, a Christ
i - { Z i. ND
His calm eternity: tho broken temporary
lives and works OF Ills disciples.
But IIol goes further: "And was dead. !"
Wo cannot begin to krow how wonderful
that Is When death came to Him
was seer, not to BIO tho end of-life, but
only an event IN life THAT vas the
wonder Of b Christ's death. He passed
into II for love Of us, and rs He came
out from " It, Ho declared It's nature.
1T is the experience Of life, rot All
end Of life. Lifo goes on through Il.
and comes out unframed. Look at NE. !
Believe In Me- am lie that liveth,. and
was dead."935s ~
But cvenjtls is not all. Still the de--$
scripton further unfods itself. And
behold, l am alive forevermore.'' This
Is not nero renssertion Of what had
been already included In His grand ut-
gternnce, II ain EIe that livcth." This
existence after death Is special and diff
fcrcnt 3# ri
This new life-the life which has con-
quercd death by tasting It,, which has
enriched Itself with before unknown
sympathy with mortal men, whose lives
are forever tending towards ard at last
all going down into tho darkness Of
1.-The Erayc-this life stretches on and out
forever. 1t Is to know no ending.
SO long as there arc men living
and dying, so long above them and
around them, there shall be, tho Christ,
the God Man, who ''livcth and was dead
and is alive forevcrmore.
Here are we. poor waits, upon the
earth; with our fragments Of existence.
with tho mystery OF our beginning, and
only the MISUNDERSTOOD purpose of our
being here at all, While dark and in
evitable before each one looms up the.
mighty wall Of death. In through its
marrow door every ore OF the millions
who havo lived has passed. Up to tina
! same door every one OF lis Is walking.
Each throbbng second is q football
which brings us nearer still. And beyond?
| Not one Of those we love has come back
to tell us anything; but as We sit and
ponder over it all, Els voice comes to-
you, a voice clear with personality, ring
irg with hope, sweet and strong with
| 7 %I,o
liveth and was dead, and am alive for
evermore."
For there is q future beyond the grave.
and it is inhabited by one who speaks
to US. who went there by the road We
must take, who sees and can help us
as we make our way along. and who Will
receive us when we reach the other side
X A living Christ, dear friends! The old,
| eyer new ever blessed Easter truth! He
lHeth; He was dead; lie Is alive forever
more. Amen.
=----==--===
Chairman Elyson is waiting for de.
velopments in the Norfolk primary cleo
| ton contest before calling, the Stnta Com
mittee into session. The first week In
| June seellS GU W 11'u''J tnS'iIoNi9 e1s
| a suitable date. a
There is no reason for being ira hurry.
This is q time when deliberate action IS
to be desired, and the presidential con-
test is becoming moro and more inter.
esting, The more the people talk and
think about At the larger will be the
attendance Of voters upor the primaries
called for the election Of delegates to
tho State convention.
Where the convention is to be neld is
for Chairman Ellysons committee TO de-
eide Norfolk and Roanoke ask for It.
Lynchburg may also do so. Richmond.
wo are sure, Will present very hearty
Invitation to the committee to designate
this city rs the meeting place OF the
| convent ion. g7.s @ 8t.i| 100