The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-10

the sinful but the repentant Mary. The next persons whom he honored with his divine presence on the first Easter day were the two disciples on the Emmaus road who were honest doubters These two men had seen the crucifixion. They had heard the wonderful report of Mary from the tomb. They knew the tomb had been emptied of christ's body but they could not understand how the miracle could have taken place. Christ appeared straightway unto them. Oh, ys honest doubters, do not despair. Hold fass 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 Easter afternoon in the Emmaus village
 l have always been very thankful that Christ made this revelation on Easter day to the two honest doubters in the Elm maus village An, my friends, the honest doubter ought to have our sympathy
 instead of our execraton. Some people by natural mental construction always must have a fact proved to them before they are willing to believe. They do not realize that faith is the evidence of things not seen." They always demand the evidence. The brother of Mark Hop kins was for years an agnostc merely because he could not find a logical proof for Christianity Finally Mark Hopkins planned a consecutive line of arguments to prove to his younger brother that there was logical grounds for accepting Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. When he had proved it Professor Hopkins join ed hands with President Mark Hopkins in his gospel faith and said: Lord. I be- lieve; help thou mine unbelef." It was as a result of trying to convert his brother to Christianity through conse- crated logic that Mark Hopkins prepared his noted book called the "Evidences of Christianity"
 Certain minds naturally demand sight of the golden links which bind together the great laws of cause and effect. A friend one summer evening turned to John Tyndall, the famous British phy sician and said, "Tyndall can you be- hold such a sublime Alpine sunset as this and not feel that there is a God?"
 "Oh," he answered, q feel it. I feel it as much as any man can feel 1t, and l rejoice in it, but the trouble is I cannot prove it." An, yes, there are many doubters who doubt honestly about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are scores of men who cannot explain how all these things happened. But, my friends. on this Easter. day, if you will only reach out for more light. as did the two honest doubters of the Emmaus road, Christ will ultimately reveal himself. But, ye honest doubters, mark this: there are two ways to doubt. The wrong way is to let your doubts, as did Tyndall, ob- scure the revelation, which you may have for the asking. The honest way to doubt is to hold firmly to the divine rev citations you have, with your minds open to receive newer and fuller revelation, which will surely come to you and in the end banish all your doubts. If you are an honest doubter stand this day by the emptied tomb of risen Christ and say, Lord l believe; help thou mine unbe- lief"
 An easter Thought.
 Easter afternoons revelation, in the next place. came to these two doubters when on their way to their own homes. Who were these two men? We don't know But when reading carefully the scripture lines we are lead to suppose that they were among the inhabitants of this little village of Emmaus, which was about sixty stada or seven and one half miles distant from the Jerusalem capitol. In other words, these two dis ciples of Jesus Christ were villagers. When they heard that their Lord and Sa- vior was to be tried for his life they inn medately went down to the capitol to see
 
 through the awful scenes of the crucifix- ion But when the crucifixion was over and their tears of sympathy had mingled with those of Mary, the mother and the strange reports of Mary Magdalene had been reported to them, they had to re- they were going back home to look after they were going back home to look aftre the farm stock and take care of the crops Christ appeared unto them on the Elm maus road
 1t Is a beautiful Easter thought that Christ will reveal himself to us in his sanctuary It Is b eautful Easter thought that he will reveal himself to us in a pulpit embanked and embowered by white lilies and in an Easter choir loft where is being sung Dudley Bucks Christ the Lord Is Risen or Stainer's "Crucifixion" But l glory today over the fact that Christ can and will reveal him. self to us while we are cooking the Eas- ter dinner or while we are dressing the children for the Easter afternoon Sun day school. or when in the evening hour with the children gathered around the piano. we are singing the Easter songs The other day, when calling at the home of a very dear friend, I saw this beau- tiful sentiment written upon the wall over the sideboard of the dining room: Christ is the head of this house, the. unseen guest at every meal. the silent listener to every conversation. Yes, yes; that written sentiment Is true. Christ on Easter noon and Easter afternoon and Easter evening and Easter night is ready to enter the humble home of the Elm