The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-03-25
EPwoRTH LEAGUE.
April 81 "Our Victories Through
Christ.''--I Cor. XIV, 5O-Bs. Gas
ter Meeting.)

ter Meeting.)
| One shadow lies athwart the path of
every one, however we may differ in
other matters. Somewhere life ends.
Beyond that point no inquiry reveals
! an item of our individual future. What
] lies beyond is of utmost interest to u.s.
/ What shall | be and where? What
may l know and do? What may l see
and hear2 These are questions holding
vast possibilities Of happiness or mis-
cry for each. Much could be endured
and much attempted, much achieved
here in life if only once we were assur-
ed the result would be worth the exer-
ton. But that shadow chills to the
bone like damp sea fog.
We are mortal! We cannot escape
dying! Let us face the fact bravely.
It were better to recognize its full i'm
port than to ignore it. IT'S neither wise
nor brave to close our eyes to so i'm
portant a fact. We need to know its
full import and find the best way to
meet 1t.
We are mortal! What if we might
somehow attain Immortality? That
would be worth all possible striving.
But we are corruptible also. Worse
still, we are actually corrupted, and,
worst of all, we have done the work
ourselves. We have chosen the evil
and have become corrupt. We have
known the right and have done the
wrong We are conscious of III descrv-
ing and of q nature impure. Body and
spirit share In this corruption Of ma
ture. Physical senses and bodily appe-
tites rule the life to such an extent that
the spirit is in bondage to the sensuous
until we become sensual in large de-
gree instead Of spiritual by the subor-
dination Of sall powers to the sway OF
the law OF holiness and right reason.
The only hope lies in Jesus Christ.
BE has lived this life completely. All
its temptations assailed Him and He
overcame them. He suffered and learn
ed obedience. He submitted and &C
compiished all righteousness. he shun-
ned no hardship, claimed no favors, but
such as Is the lot of common man He
shared fully. There lie no unexplored
experiences in the path Of the race.
Whatever sort Of difficulty any man
must meet he has met and conquered.
The dread righteousness of death
He has explored. What shrinking He
may have had in His most sensitive
nature from this ordeal Of death no one
can know. Perfect as was His COM
mand Of the powers Of life one would
think the more would the prospect of
surrender Of life be dreaded.
But He was victorious over this the
last and greatest enemy OF man. Out
from death He brought resurrection
and became 1.-THE first fruits Of them
that are asleep" This is the consum-
nation Of all human history. 1t is the
goal toward which in all its past this
earth has been turned. Easter is the
birthday Of a new race In gloriied
manhood. Jesus has been declared
''Son of God with power by this rails
ing from death. He has lifted the
shadow from the pathway, and where
we shrank in terror we now press for
ward with eager expectancy. AS He
said, Father, Thy will be done!' so we
follow after and count not our lives
dear unto ourselves so only that we
may finish our course with joy"
We have hope of blessed Immortality
because He has found the way and
opened the path for us. But every one
who hath this hope in Him purifeth
himself. because He is pure" BY the
Holy Spirit we must be cleansed now
and here from dizziness of flesh and
spirit and put ON soul purity; then we
will be given new bodies in that day.