Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-04-14
EASTER SUNDAY: WHAT 1T MEANS
AND is.

Tomorrow morning when the church |
bells call to worship their tones upon |
the ear of the faithful who have come
meekly and unquestioningly up |
through the forty days of Lenten prep
aration will have an especial note OF
ioy. for they will tell of the risen Sa- |
yiour, who is Christ the Lord, Him
who was crucified and lifted up that
He might draw all men unto His out
stretched arms upon the cross, that
whatsoever believeth on Him shall
have life eternal.
oh. the Easter bells! Oh, the church
bells! How memeory and religion
meet and ming1e in their tones and
wander back to revel in the lnnocency
of long ago-when we were chlldren-
when the world was young. Yet the
story of the bells-the church bells
is the same today, tomorrow, forever,
as of old, for it is forever the same as
God is forever the same. 1t is man
alone who changes.
When the solemn stiffness OF the
Sunday morning Of long ago was
broken by the vibrant tones of the old
church bell, how few there were who
turned a deaf ear to it's call. All the
village answered tripping down to the
old frame church, nestled among the
roses and willows and fanked by the
tombs of the faithful who had fallen
on Sleep" Not only SO, but plodding
oth dis
tant points, the farmer, his good wife,
the children and the hired man coming
in response to that far Gala call
heard by them only through the deli
cate ear of a tender conscience.
1t is not so now. The tone OF the
bell is deeper, sweeter. 1t rings with
the same regularity and it's invitation
carries all the meaning that accompa-
MED the peal of the old, old bell in
the temple of long ago. The church is
nearer than it was then. Its peWs are
more comfortable. The preacher is as
devout, and perhaps more able. The
same Book is opened upon the altar
and the same story of Gods love and
sacrifice for His people is told, though
doubtless clothed in language more
eloquent and more polished than fell
from the lips of the devout men of
other days, days when colleges were
farther apart and dollars were like
wise few and far between.
Why, then, the change in the re-
sponse to the melodious summons of
the deep-toned bells? Perhaps it's be-
cause of the confusion of sound, the
scream of whistles and the clang and
roar of rushing cars drowning the
voices of the bells. And again it may
be because of some subtle change in
the man. He is buster now than he
was when the wheels of commerce and
of industry moved sluggishly along,
when time was reckoned by days or
weeks rather than by seconds or min
utes. Yet he is the same man, equip
ped with heart and soul and con-
science, and needing the same spirit
ual food if he would continue to grow
in the graces that make for peace here
and joy hereafter.
Somewhere in the Book will be
found the words, ''forsake not the as
sembling of yourselves together" and
again, Then they that feared the
Lord spake often one to another; and
the Lord hardened, and heard it, and
a book of remembrance was written
before Him for them that feared the
Lord, and that thought upon His name
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord
of hosts, in that day when I make uI
my jewels; and I will spare them, as
a man spareth his own son that serv-
eth him.
Let US, in our day and generation
therefore, heed the voice of the bells
as zone clear call for u.s." and with
this spirit predominant in our hearts
we shall indeed, on the glorious NOR
row, be enabled to rise with Him from
our dead selves and realize that He is
indeed the Son of God, our risen Sa-
viour and our eternal reward