Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-08
Ta1mage
Sermon
BY Rec.
Frdnk De Ufff
Tafna aSe. d. ID.

Los Angeles, Cal., April Sin THIS
sermon the Easter story receives q
new and beautiful setting, which APP
peals equally to the simple and the
learned. The text is Luke xiv, 81,
"And their eyes were opened, and they
knew him, and he vanished out OF
their sight"
Familiar truths become impressive
when presented in an unfamiliar way
1t is therefore necessary for the
preacher to find a new setting for the
gospel camera. "whenever l wish
some lesson to be clearly remembered,
would wing it." once said Thomas
Guthrie. the great Edinburgh pulpiteer-
by gratifying the legitimate play OF
the Imagination salient truth finds its
way more readily to the heart and
makes deeper impression on the
memory. The suggestive Illustration,
like float. keeps it from sinking; like
a nail, fastens il in the mind; like the
feathers Of an arrow, makes it strike.
and, like the bark, makes it stick"
Windows For Sermons" is the pointed
caption of a book OF sermonic illustra-
ton. Yes; we all need new windows
rs well as clear windows through
which we can learn the great lessons
of gospel truth.
This is Easter day. The lessons with
which the anniversary is fraught are
ut the very foundation of our faith.
They are SO momentous that the i'm
agination is overwhelmed by their i'm
port The facts are few, but how vital,
how significant they are! Let us try
to look at them from a different stand
point from that TO which we are accus-
TONED. Transporting ourselves in
thought TO the city of Jerusalem on
that eventful day we hear rumors
about the sitting of the sanhedrin, at
which the humble Nazarene was con-
demned, but we pay no attention to
them 1 listen not to the excited re-
ports flying everywhere that the high
priest and his hirelings and the off,
GERS OF the law, led by the ApOstate
Judas. had captured Christ in the gar
den OF Gethsemane. mingle not with
the multitudes that are crowding the
courtroom. in which PLATE is the judge
and Jesus the prisoner. 1 gaze not at
the awful scene when Christ hung
upon the cross and his dying lips part
ed In their last agony. l go not with
Mary down among the lilies to the
tomb on the first Easter morn. But
when the sunglow OF Easter afternoon
has bathed the Jud9an hills in great
waves OF light would point you to a
couple OF pedestrians vending their
way from the Jerusalem capital to-
ward the little village OF Emmaus. As
these two ordinarily dressed men walk
on see them accosted by n third trav-
eler. who appeared over the hills. And
now, as these three come nigh to the
village, would see them enter hum.
bic home. Then, while they are at
supper, 1 would show you why the
stranger revealed himself to these two
disciples as the risen Christ.
Casters Revelation.
Easter afternoons revelation, in the
first place, comes as n welcome en-
couragement to all those who are ear
nestly andprayerfully trying to increase
their faith by reaching out for more
light 1t comes as n divine demonstra-
ton that the prayer OF broken heart
ed father once made TO Christ, Lord,
believe; help thou mine unbelief." is
one or the most beautiful and vet hum
Die prayers Of earnest beseechment. 1t
Is a holy inspiration that though we
sometimes in spiritual life have to
walk as a blind man feels his way
along. step by step. yet IL we go on
frustfully and prayerfully and hope
fully Christ, after awhile, will reveal
himself TO us in all his glory.
Why do 1 entertain this hope? I find
ground for it in the fact that one OF
the earliest appearances of Christ on
this first Easter day was to the two
men who had doubted the fact of his
resurrection. Christ, when upon earth,
dealt with men as we deal in our loves
with our kith.and kin. Surprising that
L was young man and had gone Off
TO four years war. Surprising after
. long series OF adventures should
come back to my native town. Who
would be the first person / should
want TO see? Would wish to GO and
call first upon my school friends or
upon merchant in whose store used
TO work as clerk? Would care first
10 see my old society friends and the
boys with whom used TO play base
ball In the village lots? Oh, mol III
was n young man the person whom I
would honor first with a visit would
be my mother and then my father and
my sisters. II i was a married man
the first person / would honor after
my return home would be my wife
and then my children. When the tele-
gram was handed to Abraham Lincoln
notifying him OF his nomination for
the presidency by the Republican ma
ton convention assembled In Chicago
the first move Abraham Lincoln made
was to put on his tall hat and say:
well, boys, there is a little woman up
the street who would like to hear this
news. I guess l will go and tell her
what has happened"
Seek the Divine Light.
After important absence we always
seek FIRST those whom we would honor
the most. Whom did Christ first seek
after his resurrection? Was 1t the gen.
tie John, or the brave Luke, or Mary,
the widowed mother. or Matthew, who
sat at the seat Of custom, OF James. or
the steadfast Lazarus? oh. no. The
nrst person whom Christ honored after
the resurrection was the sinful but the
repentant Mary. The next persons
whom he honored with his divine pres
ence on the first Easter day were the
Two disciples on the Emmaus road,
who were honest doubters. These two
men had seen the crucihxion. They
had heard the wonderful report OF
Mary from the tomb. They knew the
tomb had been emptied of Christs
body. but they could not understand
how the miracle could have taken
place. Christ appeared straightway
unto them. oh, We honest doubters, do
not despair. Hold fast to your belief,
though 1t be small. Plead. Pray. Keep
ON seeking for more divine light, and
Christ will some day reveal himself to
you all as he once revealed himself to
his two troubled disciples on that Eas-
Ter afternoon in the Emmaus village.
have always been very thankful |