Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-28
Sun. Moon and Tides.
GREENEVELLE
Rev. c. H. Ricketts Breaches Easter Sermon at Congregational Church EvangeIstic Meetings Close at Bap- tist Chureh-LocaI Mention.

At the Greeneville Congregational church Sunday morning Rev. Charles H. Ricketts spoke to a very large con- gregation an Easter message taken from Matt. 26: 5, 6, Fear not yet, for know that ye seek Jesus which was crucihed- He is not here, he is risen.' The resurrection of our Lord was the most remarkable event in all history. The crucifxion was equally important, but not so remarkable. Crucif1xion was a common thing in those days of Ro- man cruelty; the resurrection stands forth in solitary grandeur as unique in the life of the world. Men and women had been brought back from the dead, but they were only cases of resuscita- ton; they had to go through again the pains of dying. They were in no sense a resurrection in which the soul enters on new and exalted relations with God The experiences of the disciples who went early in the morn to weep at the tomb of Jesus suggest the following lessons:
 1. The Dissatisfaction of the Human Soul With Death. They went to the tomb to weep. That spot would ever be dear as the repository of his sacred staggered them because they expected to find him among the dead. The de- tails of the crucifixion had been 50 horrible that they found it hard to ac- cept it as q cold reality. But when they were forced to accept 1t bit ter fact it seemed that a mere look at the place would soften their, grief and satisfy their longing. But this was a mistake. The clinging of the poor human heart to an appearance of communion with the dead never satis- fies. We take the hand of the loved one before the final separation. but we do it with a breaking heart. We look at the dear one in the casket, but we do it through the binding tears. Death may sometimes be a release from fsuf- fering. it is never a reward for suffer ing-death never satisfies.
 2 The Text Urges Us on to an Fla aster Joy. At first they thought his body had been stolen, but the angels explain his absence Their explanation is the sun that breaks through the clouds that surrounded their hearts that turns their darkness into day that proved their fears to have been a horrible nightmare Still there was a call for an Easter faith. They had seen the vacant tomb; but as yet they had not seen the risen Christ; they still had to believe that death had lost it's grip on the Lord Emmanuel; that the sepulchre had opened at His bid ding
 It is easy to see that we like they. need faith in all this. We must rely on the testimony of others. We never saw the crucifixion; we never heard the angel speak at the vacant tomb. Let us remember, however that there are many thousands to whom faith has become sight-a sight that has produced the firmest conviction that their Easter faith was not an imagi- nation, but an actua1fty. and a fact
 g. The Text Inspires in Us an Easter Joy. An Easter faith removes fear; an Easter joy takes the place of fear. The disciples went away from the tomb with fear, but it was a different fear from what they had when they came to it. It was a species of awe not at all inconsistent with the highest type of joy.
 This world is full of many things cal culated to awaken joy in us The beauties of nature. our ability to con- tribute to the worlds thought and toiI, the songs of the birds and the fra grance of the flowers; but these are things that perish Our only lasting joy must be based on the permanent, and the only permanent is eternal life brought out in the resurrection. It is our duty to spread this joy abroad; that death has found a conqueror and the grave has lost it's victory through one who 'ionce was dead but is alive again, and behold, Is alive forever more"
 The Easter music was of high qua1i- ty and was given with plea sing effect