Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-28
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rey.
Frank De Witt Talmase. D. d.

propriate to the Easter season ia this
sermon, in which from the empty
crosses and from the empty tomb the
preacher hears voices of warning. 10y
and triumph. The text is Mark XIV,
p, And with him they cruelty two
thieves, the one on his right hand and
the other on his left"
In my lifetime | have seen many
pictures symbolic Of the first Easter
morn. Some of them have depicted
Jesus IN the garden walking among the
lilies talking with Mary. Some Of
them have pictured Christ stepping out
Of tho tomb amid the PROSTATE forms
of the Roman soldiers. Some of them
| have pictured Peter and John looking
Into the empty crypt where was moth
ing but the shroud of the risen Lord
But OF ali Easter pictures the one
which impressed mo the most was that
which used to hang upon the walls of
my hoyhood home. In the foreground
of the picture was broad winged an
gel flying. He was divine messenger
bringing to earth the glad tidings of
the rrsurrected Christ. To the right of
the picture was the rising sun rim
ming the eastern hills. And as this
sun was crawling over the eastern
hills 1t cast its light upon six pieces of
wood which had been formed into
three crosses. There stood these three
crosses emptied of their human bur
dcns. The horrors of the crucifixion
were over. The corpscs of the two
thieves and of the dead Christ had
been quietly hid away in their graves.
The DEGREES of tho Roman law had
been carried ont. No Jesus was there
No repentant dying thief was there.
No disappearing murderer was there.
Only the three silent crosses were
there They were mute signs that the
horrors Of the blacklist of all Fridays
had forever passed away. There stood
the three empty crosses bathed in the
glory of the rising sun of the first Eas-
ter morn.
As little boy standing before that
Easter picture used sometimes to
wonder If God really did focus the light
OF the rising sun upon those three
empty crosses as he focused the light
Of the star which guided the three wise
men from the east upon the Bethlehem
mangCr when Jesus was born. Does
Gods sun truly reflect the Joy of the
Divine Fathers benediction? Mr.. Tor
rey in one of his Melbourne addresses
gave n vivid description of the death
and funeral of his great leader, u. l..
Moody He said in part: when stood
up to speak, there lay the body in front
of me. and there sat his wife and chill
dren with heads erect, not bowed, their
eyes looking right into mine with
peaceful. triumphant light. When we
sang those wonderful hymns about En-
land and the second coming Of
Christ, the mourners, as you call them
Joined in the singing with shining
faces. Then. when all had spoken and
that service was over, VIII Moody. the
son, rose calmly In his place and, turn
ing round TO face the audience gave q
triumphant testimony to the power of
the risen Christ and the Holy Ghost.
Just then, as if a shutter above had
swung open, the sun burst through the
clouds, and every ray Of sunlight that
came into the church fell on the face
lying still in the casket"
Was It Chance7
l wonder if it was mere haphazard |
chance that the light of Gods sun fell |
upon the face of Gods redeemed dead |
at the funeral of ID. L. Moody | trow
not. | wonder If it was n mere rides |
cent dream of an imaginative artist |
that made the flood light of the rising
sun hover about the three empty |
crosses on the first Easter morn. be- |
licve If the mldnoon sun was able to |
hide It's face behind the black clouds |
on the day that Jesus was crucifled |
that the same sun could change the |
beams Of Christ's cross into bars of
gold on the day that Jesus was resur-
rected. Let us think Of that Easter
morn and those significant crosses.
Let us, in the first place, turn our Mt
tention TO the central cross. upon which
Jesus died Why was this cross left
standing amid the glorics and the tri-
nmphs of Easter day? Why was It al
lowed to stand there to cast its dark
shadow over the beautiful form of
risen Christ? think God left It stand
ing there for purpose. lie Is coming
TO you and me today to say: "Oh. child.
amid the songs of rejoicing which you
are singing at this Easter season.
amid the beautiful flowers with which
You are decorating your churches.
amid sermons of triumph with which
you are celebrating your sacred festal
lay, you must not forget the price
Iesus Christ paid for your redemption!
Let the smile be on the liz. let ioy
'ome yelling up out of the heart rs
he bubbling brook bursts out Of the
green moss upon the mountain side.
)ut let the empty cross upon which
Jesus died always stand near to re-
mind you Of the agony and the suffer
ngs and the crown of thorns with
which Jesus purchased your saliva
ion" The cross-Oh the empty cross
If the first Easter morn, Who would
want TO pull it down from Golgotha on
he morn Jesus was resurrected? who
would want to obliteratc all the mem.
Try Of the suffering of the atonement
With which Christ oblterated our sins?
rho crDSs-oh tho procc tho o,a... |