The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-24
SERVICES AT ST. JOHNS
HOUSE OF WORSHIP A MASS OF FLOWERS.
An Impressive Sermon by MT. Cobbs on Religious signinesnce of the Res
 urrection of Jesus Christ.

breath of spring and the unmistakaDie atmosphere of Easeer. St. Jonns Epis- copal church resembled huge conser- vatory yesterday morning.
 Banked in the chancel and In every ona of the many windows on each side of the church were great masses ol piowers, while around every one or the hosts in the nave of the church ever greens and flowers intertwined maoe lfhe color scheme one most appealing and artistic.
 The floral display was perhaps more ambitious than on any or the lons vista of Easter days ever observed m the sacred old house of worship, me congregation too was possiniy tme largest ever gathered within the waIls cf al John's every pew being filled be- fore the beginning of the service. AS m to harmonize with the Easter spirit Iahat was ever everything the music syvas most .creditable to the cholr ana to the organist Mrs. Johnson, the an- khem especially being so well rehoereo las to be impressive.
 Ths Rector. Rev. E. E. Cobbs, took Tor his text Firt Corinthians xv:56, 70 death, where is thy stingf O kwraye where is thy victoryT
 '-The sting of death is sin; ana the strength of sin is the law.
 ..prt thanks be to God, which giveth .us the victory through our Lord Jesus 
 bChrist."
 MT. cobbs spoke as follows:
 n welcome you this morning to that most glorious service in which we are tpermitted to have our part.tne ,.e servee bof Easter Day. Most glorious because ffhe thoughts and the truths or this kour are the most stupendous that our @ouls can ever hold.
 s-The pure light that comes stream Snr from the open grave or our Loto land Savior, sheds the bright beams o1 Efs radiance upon the darkest mystery ..rhe darkest problem of human life Ns. ain: and the saddest mystery ot our kears is death.
 70 death. where is thy sting?
 'sThe sting of death Is sin; ana tne ntrength of sin is the law. u,,.4h S,s the victory through our Lord, Jesus "rSo xou realize what it meansf Do son feel the majesty of his power as Re stands there striving to save-holo. kng in his hands the keys or Ire ana .T1o you know that the one thing in Ah,s fife which is absolutely essential ko your well being, the hlsen II Esvior holds in his outstretched kands. and that the one hope to wnich St the last you shall turn is Ills vic- Sory over death which He has won 'o- :.s,n eonauered; death destroyed. !. Hnriarre your visioon, and lift up your hves unto the world, and behold what cbanred world this would be. 1T only We might take into our lives the TWO Told message of this Easter morning.
 zee the risen Christ stand strong to have. In one hand the mystery or sln' %r inc other the mystery of death.
 ..see Him lay those hands upon this aworIa saving. Fear not. I am the first and the last
 ssImaRine, for just one moment, what 4his world would be if 1t had taken into it's life the hrst truth or our Iord's resurrection. "a death unto sin ana a living unto righteousness. Can we not see that truth taking posses ajon of mems lives; silently and slowly 4he change comes but we see that there as A movement among the dead bones each one rising to its place to do its svorL. until at length the whole world Id transformed, and transfused, and franshgured. old things are passed away. Behold all things are become
 oIf we could read the hearts of our brethren, and understand as God un- derstands; if we could sweep away all Tricks and disguises and see things as they are in His sight. my friends, we would see that the bitterest and hard est sufferings of human life can be traced to sin.
 If at this hour could sweep away From our lives the fact of sin and the ponsequences of your sin and effect of khe sin of others upon you, l tell you khat I could sweep away the blackest nloud that comes between you and the love and peace of God your Father In Heaven.
 Even in this congregation, how many hearts are aching. how many lives left desolate, how many souls for ever darkened by sin, our sin or the sins of others?
 T have never seen death wreck a home; but take where you will and Show me the deserted hearthstone and Ehe broken family circle, and l will lUut my finger on the cause. It Is sin
 How blessed and how sweet this human life would be, here in Gods bporld of sunshine and of beauty, if only bye might wipe away forever all sin, and all its inheritance, and Iwith nothing to separate us from She love of God, which is Christ Jesu tOur Lord.
 'TIe came today from an open gray, &o tell to you and to me. to us all, tt Vaay to the great world until the end 0 ,nme, I have conquered sin, and giv' % you, here from my outstretohet afands, the power by which you ma! win your victory over sin.
 'But we know that all the sorrow of the world does not come directl! From sin, although perhaps one day w shalI see that sin was much more in ffrnstely connected with many of ou korKows and doubts that we realized a The time.
 'The saddest mystery of our years f Heath, 'on every heart his mark | found, on every home His shadoV &alls.'
 Millions. billions have gone befor un into the silence of death; all tn worlds greatest and wisest and bes and purest. Thus it stands before u certain, inevitable, somewhere in tn waste that shadow sits and watts fo me
 SThis is the deepest experience of al IRe-this will be the most solemn an most searching hour of our days whel the time of our end comes and In tn twinkling of an eye we shall b changed.
 Now, what has Christ to say to thi mystery of deathf Fear not, I am H that nVeth and was dead and 'behol tI am alive forever more
 '1dy brethren, let no man deceiv you with vain words; let no man TO you of your precious treasure.
 ".And the third day He rose agai from the dead This is an integra part of the Christian faith. I believ in the resurrection of the body Thi tis the pledge of the intending life c those whom you have loved and los awhile, and the assurance of your ow H&w. n Cod