The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-07-10
THE PULPIT.
A SCHOLARLY SUNDAY SERMON BY
THE REV. J. A. r. CAIRNS
Theme: The Glory of Death.

I.
Is it not remarkable that the thing
| hat haunts us like terror is the
| hing that burns like an inspiration to
| The men who wove together the teach
| ng Of this Book? What we try tn
forget, they 'strove to remember
| What we call calamity, they called
! blessing and deliverance. What
/ makes US cry, made them rejoice
| The clearest teaching of this Book is
| that death is glorious. 1t is an in
/ ,piration And that teaching makes
| he uniqueness of the Christian Cos.
\ pei.
I Let us gather the incidents that
seem to present this teaching:
The great Teacher is going to die.
/ The hints at death grow clear and
| Inmistakable, and the hearts of the
disciples begin to fail them. The la
oors and prayers and denials of those
| ousy, ministering years appear as
| though they would issue in nothing
ness. Even friendship is going to be
taken away, and out of all those
years only memory will be left
them. No other issue seemed posi-
Die. They had no knowledge and
hey had no power.
What does He say? What can He
necessity to admit the dark forebod-
here that the opportunity for the
aew truth came-just at the point
when human effort seemed to fail and
human inspiration to die-that its
meaning could be vaguely felt if not
clearly understood. And His new
truth is this simply-"That death is
glorious" 1t has glory all its own.
John IA gathers about that single
truth. That is its meaning, its pur-
pose-"I go to prepare a place for
you, that where I am there We may
be also" Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid"
That friendship and that fnspira-
ton and that teaching that they loved
so much and feared so much to lose,
would become deeper and fuller and
eternal because of the coming of
death. They would lose nothing,
they would gain much. IF We loved
Me We would rejoice because l 60"
But you say Christ was somehow
unique. He was tempted in all
points like as we are, and yet without
sim" With His spiritual vision and
power we can see how He could be
fearless of death, and find in it, a rich
and abiding testimony to the truth
Of His Gospel, but what of the bur-
dened men-the men who walk in
mists and mysteries, who lack the
vision and the power? Can death
ever be less than terror and devoid
Of glory? Let us see. Take Paul.
Our text is his testimony and confess
sion. ITO die is gain the vic
tory"
Paul's life was hard His years
were crowded with labors and de-
mails. How little response there
seemed to be for all he gave! And
what was it that burned before him
as the shining goal to which he
longed to come-what was the inspir-
alton that warmed his weary heart?
1t was death. Il am in a strait be-
twixt two-having desire to depart
and to be with Christ, which is far
better. Nevertheless to abide in the
flesh is more nesdful to you" Il am
ready. Henceforth there is
laid up for me crown"
And what is the glad note that Pc
ter strikes to cheer the hearts of
those who suffer and pray and weep
and wait? What light does he throw
across the dark pathway of their
tribulation? Nevertheless we, &C.
cording to His promise, look for new
heavens and a. new earth wherein
dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore.
beloved. seeing that ye look for such
things be diligent. that We may be
found of Him in peace, without spot
and blameless.
And what consolation stole into the
heart of that lonely thinker on Pat
mos shut away from work and
friendship. and suffering for the
cross? Who are these that are ar
rayed in the white robes. These
are they which come out of the great
tribulation, and they washed their
robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb Therefore, are
they before the throne of God, and
serve Him day and night in His tenn
pie. They shall hunger no more
neither thirst any more, neither shall
the sun light on them or any heat
For the Lamb which is in the midst
of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains
of water, and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes"
Such, then, is the view of death
that was taken by the disciples of
Jesus and the apostles of the early
Christian church. And | think it is
abundantly clear that most of us are
far away from such view. Death is
to us the last calamity. We meet it
with fear and uncertainty.
How is one to account for this
strange dissimilarity? How has a
JOY become heartbreak, and an in
spiration become a terror? Ii we
can answer this we shall answer
many lesser questions, and discover
how it is that not only in death, but
in sorrow and sickness and disap-
pointment we are missing the con.
ISOLATION and the glory that ought to
dwell evermore In our hearts.
1t is clear, l think. that the men
who found and held to the glory OF
death were free from many of the
subtle temptations that surround our
lives. The atmosphere they breathed
was pagan. The work they did was
unpopular. The Gospel they pro-
fessed was bitterly ridiculed and op.
posed. These men could not live
Christian lives as ''of course" They
had got to live it deliberately, pas
sionately, earnestly. They were driv-
en- back to draw out of Christianity
the very richest that it would give.
To drift was impossible. They were
definitely out of it. And as they
faced it all with the Spirit of Christ
in their hearts, and with great. he.
roic faith in Him, they discovered
ho" true He stood and what rivers OF
strength OF lowed from Him into
them!
The foundation of their fearless
ness was experience, and so personal
experience of Christ and their utter
inability to find joy in the world made
the glory of death
Out of their circumstances and ex.
periences can't you catch a CLEAN oil
something that is not ourown? CAM
you see something in their circum.
stances and in their hearts that we
lack? / think both are abundantly
clear
Take our circumstances. We live
in no pagan atmosphere. The
churches consecrated to the program
Of Christ are the most visible objects
of our cities. They fiaunt themselves
in orr faces The bells neal ont ola d