The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-08

mans conviction--so universa1--of the
evident Incompetence Of our earthly
life. These things we may make pass
Ing use Of by no means should We rely
upon them. No! we must put the
Risen Christ foremost. All rests upon
Him, and upon Him only must we lean.
True, we can comfort ourselves with
the teachings of nature. We may de-
light In her harmonies. We may con-
firm our faith as st. Paul himself seeks
to do in the very chapter from which
the text is taken. by noting Of the seed
cast into the ground that II decays and
revives; that It is not quickened except
1t die. and that it's future life must
rise out of its burial in the ground.
Yes. we may even enlarge our vision
and discern everywhere. in sea and
sky, earth and heaven. seasons, days
and nights the confirmation Of our,
faith. And we may go further still.
and behold in every rising and setting
sun, every fall and spring. every acorn
and oak tree every chrysalist and
moth, the word Resurrection But II
is all fruitless and unavailing without
Christ. If He be not risen, then IS
our preaching vain, and your faith also
Is vain II He be not risen. what
advantageth 1t us to have fought
good flight and to have come victori-
GUS out of many struggle?
"Bet Christ is risen again. our
preaching is not vain nor is your faith
vain. Therefore. we know we are not
only the children OF Cod but also
the children of the resurrection Amid
all creation we stand alone as the i'm
mortals, and the world we now live In
Is for US but the womb Of eternity.
Moreover, our faith shall be realized,
for 1t shall grow into experience. We
know what we believe. Death Is but
passing from one life into another.
and the grave Is nothing but a name.
God has made us, In the risen Christ.
to be sharers of His own eternity. The
poorest. feeblest, humblest among us
is destined for an undying life In the
company of angels ana archangels< and
all the host of Heaven. Though all
else in the universe shall die. we shall
live. and live forever. In the golden
light that streams from the open re-
surrection tomb w ecan read the rev.
citation of Gods supreme gift to us of
eternal life in the risen Christ. II we
are only true to Him we shall have our
lifes perfect contamination and bliss
in endless glory and activity amid
scenes of Heavenly splendor. Death
shall be to us a mere incident, shall be
simply a passing onward and upward
to our eternal home and the grave IT.
self but the gateway of life. For all
these things are we born. Into this
sublime and lasting heritage we are
redeemed.
Let us. therefore. men and brethren.
pray without ceasing for the Holy
Spirits aid that we shall be able to
show the reality of our faith In the
risen Christ by the yielding up of our
selves, our souls and bodies, to tn pow
er of His resurrection. BY this means
alone shall we be fashioned after His
likeness and be made worthy to meet
Him when He returns in a flood of life
and light to judge the quick and the
dead. Let us strive to live as becom-
eth citizens of that eternal abode which
He has made and won for US In the
Heavenly mansions above. Let us
prove our faith that Christ is alive for.
evermore by showing His presence in
our Individual lives. day by day, show
ing II In the fruits Of loyal obedi-
ence. Of unquestioning love.
And finally may each one of US here
this morning make his own the aspira-
ton of the poet:
Let not my faith. o Christ. be but
tomb
Whence men shall never see Thou
dost ariSei
But let the splendor of Thy sacrifice
Irradiate the shadows and the gloom!
Let not the terrors of the darkness
loom
Around, nor sealed stone mock Thy
cries,
When in oon-midnight Thou didst
agonizei
Nay. make my life to be the gracious
room
Where Thou shalt win Thy vastest vic
tories;
Where men shall not behold Thee sep
ulchred.
But gaze upon the broken seal. the
stone
Rolled back! For Thou art dead. or
quick, in me.
I'll have put Thy love aside or heard
The tend'rest call the world hath
ever known"