The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-04-20
TOWN TOPICS.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
EASTER DISCREPANCIES.

bAS En- CDS IN ANCES
Those who came out in the rain to
the Congregational church, Sunday
Danforth spoke from Hab. 3:2: 90
Lord, revive thy work. He said in
part: The spirit Of Easter is the spirit
Of revival, or coming to life. The first
Easter was the world s greatest revival
day. Great revivalS have come to this
earth since that time, revfvalS of long
duration and creating great stir, but
never one which has brought SO much
lasting comfort to the souls of all man
kind as the day Christ arose from the
dead, proclaiming victory over death
unto all believers who live up to their
belief.
20 Lord, revive thy work" Gods
work comprises all the universe OF ma
ture, animate and inanimate, human
bodies, human minds, human souls.
We need to be revived to new life, the
more abundant life which Christ said
He came to bring US. By considering
carefully the resurrection story as it
is portrayed in all four Gospels, let US
try to come so close to the living Spirit
that our souls may be revived by Him.
When the devOut women, depressed
in heart because of the death of the
Christ they long had loved and fol-
lowed, came near the sepulchre which
they supposed to contain the dead re-
mains OF all that was nearest and dear
est on earth to them and the disciples,
they dejectedly "said among them
stone from the door of the sepulchre?
And when they looked they saw that
the stone was rolled away" They had
feared that Christ was dead. Pessi-
mists to-day fear that true religion is
dead, and go about crying "Who shall
roll US away the stone from the door
Of the sepulchre?' Instead of finding
the dead Christ as they had expected,
they came in touch with a greater
life than they had ever dreamed Of
immortal life, personified in Christ
Jesus. Discouraged mortals to-day say
that the Christian spirit is dying out
in the world, that churches and praye
meetings are not as we'll attended nor
as earnest as of yore, that evil is wax
ing from year to year, and corruption
kind becomes ever more tickle and
careless of the sacred things of life:
in fact. some go so far as to say that
the spirit of righteousness is dead and
buried. The devOut women approach
ed the sepulchre in this very spirit,
but they had more reason for it. They
came Ito see the sepulchre. And be-
hold there was great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended
from heaven, and came and rolled back
the stone from the door, and sat upon
it," When Gods angel rolled away
the stone of death, he did it for all
time, and while he sits upon it no one
can ever again entrap the spirit of
righteousness and entomb it. Right
eousness in this world is as immortal
now at work. But we do need re-
vival! Christ arose not only to prove
the fact of immor talitY, but also that
he might arouse the fire Of holy life
and activity within our souls. Breth-
rem, let US burn with zeal for our Mas
ter! We are not yet half awake. Sin
with it's clogs makes us slow of step.
Holiness, energy, activity, we pray for.
20 Lord, revive thy work.
When the women found that things
we're not as they had expected "they
we're affrighted,' "they trembled, !"
'they were afraid" but were COM
manded by the angel, Fear not ye,"
"Be not affrighted." Would that some
modern fatnt-heartS would hear these
commands, or the soothing words Of
uuO NA0oUCA. "OAldus why "CcpCSl
thou? whom seekeSt thou?"
According to Luke, the two men in
shining garments said to the women:
"Why seek ye the living among the
dead? He is not here, but is risen. -
The tombs, the city Of the dead, is no
place to seek for the living Christ.
No more shall we find the true live
religion among the dead bones of an
cient customs. Many old rites and
WORKOUT creeds served for time, and
then contained the very spark of life,
but now have given place to other
rites and customs, as the old law was
superseded by ChriSt's newer, simpler,
and more vital law. Religion is no
longer confined to any spot, place, or
building, but is filing the earth, and,
too large to be confined within church
walls, is penetrating every branch of
human activity; the press, commerce,
politics, and even international law
are now being Influenced somewhat by
the spirit of Christianity; and it is
only question Of time and Of Jealous
persevering work on the part of the
ever swelling tide of believers of the
earth, before the earth shall be clothed
with righteousness as with garment:
and the light of love will shine as the
sun. 20 Lord, revive thy work."