River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-06-18

MWW >S& expected. The wo-
sSzN SSSSEE#2SM men came with
S$S Il #NS spices and oil to
anoint perhaps to
embalm, the Lord. Instead of corpse
they find king. Expecting death, they
find life Embalming gives place to,
joyful worship. They are looking for
difficulty in rolling the stone away:
when they arrive the difficulty is over
come The stone is away and an angel
upon it. The JOY of this disappointed
unbelief illustrates Gods way of doing.
He delights in surprising us; He gives
more than we can ask or think.
The Joy of Faith Confirmed.
The open sepulchre was the confir-
nation of every claim which Jesus
Christ had made He claimed that He
and the Father are one. Before Abra-
ham was, | am" and His resurrection
proves it. 1t is the stamp of Heaven
upon His deity. Every doctrine He
taught, every miracle He performed,
every hope He inspired, Is confirmed.
Joy of Light from Heaven.
Not the radiance of the angels face,
though that was glorious; not the halo
about the head of the risen Lord. but
the light of the eXhortation, Fear not.
He is not here. He is risen" AS [
trace through the Bible Gods fear
nots' find in them light for every ex-
perience of life.
The Joy of Victory.
There was physical victory. Look
at the body of Christ as it is taken
from the cross, clothed with blood;
eyes glazed in death; hands limp at
the side, needing the strength of low
ing friends to bear it to the sepulchre.
Now see Him as He walks from the
tomb in the full vigor of physical man.
hood. l see in this for the Christian
the promise and potency of complete
victory over all forces that make for
death
There was political victory. That
seal, part of it attached to the rock II
the mountain and part attached to the
stone, none but an angel dare touch.
There was also moral victory. The
forces Of evil had prevailed and the
sun of righteousness seemed for a
while to have gone down in gloom.
Demons of darkness may now dance
for joy. The King has been captured.
Yes, but within the very walls of death
He has demolished every fortress.
Every day we may have a joy of an
ticipated physical, national and moral
victory.
Joy of Telling Our Joy to Others.
"They did run to bring His disciples
word" We pity the man who has a
Christ that only lived, acted and died.
He may admire Him as hero, honor
Him as martyr, canonize Him as a
saint, but he can never have great Joy
in telling others about Him. 1t is only
those who believe Christ divine and,
therefore, the Saviour from all sin and
with all power in Heaven and earth
who can experience ecstasy of heart in
proclaiming' Him unto others.
Joy of Risen Lords Presence.
Two men are on their way home
from the city, where they have buried
their hopes. Sad and depressed, they
are on their way home, when stran-
ger falls in with them and begins to
explain to them the scriptures az writ
ten by Moses concerning the Messiah.
Their hearts burn with q peculiar fer
vor. They are uplifted in spirit. To
have the risen Christ walk with us
when we are not conscious of His APP
pearance, but at the same time to re-
veal to us His preciousness and appear
in such a way as to make our hearts
burn with love and gratitude, is a joy
to be coveted and experienced every
day
Jesus said to the women, GO tell
My disciples that they shall see Me in
Galilee." 1t was simply promise
that they should soon meet Him. And
the assembled Christ has said to us:
"Just as We have seen Ne go up into
Heaven, SO shall ye see Me come
again in like manner"
The promise of the coming OF the
Lord has made narrow this "star-sown
vague of space and makes it but a
thin veil between us and the objects Of
our love. 1t brings us, perhaps, within
few hours of meeting our risen Lord
and glorified friends. Then, ali! then,
an everlasting resurrection.