Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-04-30

Jerusalem. April 24.-My friends, We
meet today for the Worship OF Gad 10
additionally one OF the most
meeting places In the whole eafth'
Tradition has it that this is the same
upper room" which was owned by one
friendly to our Lord and his disciples
and who granted it as their meeting
place on several occasions most init
mately associated with the Inaugural
ton of Christianity. Tradition also
has it that this is the room mentioned
by st. Mark in our text, where the
disciples with the Lord partook OF
the last Jewish Passover Supper, after
which Jesus instituted the Eucharist
or Lords supper as an antitypical me-
mortal, taking the place Of the Pass
over to all who accept Jesus as the
Passover Lamb-"The Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin of the
world" John i, 29; Christ u Pass
over is slain, therefore let us keep the
feast" q Corinthians V, Z, 81.
Tradition assures us that this is the
same room mentioned in the Book o.
Acts q, 49, as the place where the
Apostles resided and assembled for
worship during the ten days following
the Lords ascension-the same upper
room therefore, In which was mani
tested the acceptance of all the con
secrated followers of Jesus into Cove
ant relationship with God as mem
bers of the Body of Christ. which is
the Church" OF course, our permits
sion to use this room for a public serv-
ice today was obtained only by pre-
arrangement with those having it in
charge. True. traditions are not al
ways reliable. Surely, In almost every
other part of the world it would be
absurd to think of the preservation o
the identity of a house like this for
more than eighteen centuries. But
here we have most peculiar condi-
Jtions. The inhabitants of this land
seem to have been content to leave
gshings just as they found them from
generation to generation, merely max
ing such slight repairs as were from
time to time found necessary. Here
y visitors come. look and depart, filled
with a sacred awe, and have done so
FOR centuries. and the inhabitants,
each intent upon his own business,
have ignored this in a manner hardly
Imaginable by Europeans. 1t is posi-
BILE therefore that tradition in this cas-
and in other instances ~hereabouts, has
located correctly, just as in Rome the
indicated by tradition with apparent
accuracy.
Christ Our Passover.
We are favored not only in respect
TO the use OF the room. but additional
ly in respect TO the time of our visit
and our use Of 1t. This, according to
Jewish reckoning. is the first day OF
passover Week-it began last evening
sat s o'clock. The three hours preced-
ing hat marked the time of our Lords
cieaGh and the begging by Joseph Of
-AEtmathea for the privilege Of bury
ing his body in his new tomb and the
hasty taking of our Lord from the
cross and getting him only partially
embalmed and the tomb closed and
sealed before 6 o'clock-this day be
ginning at 6 o'clock being amongst
the Jews, as the Apostle declared. an
high day" a Sabbath day Of special
sacredncss as the beginning of the
Passover Feast Week.
AS we look back to that memorable
occasion we can sympathize with the
Apostles and early believers in the
blighting Of all Of their hopes by the
apparent failure Of Jesus to make good
bis claim Of Messiahship. We can i'm.
agine better than we can describe their
detection, their disappointment. On
the next day, corresponding to to-mor
row, the two with whom Jesus met OF
the way to Emmaus said sadly, 1--WE
had trusted that it had been be who
should have redeemed Israel" duke
xiv, 21).
They had hoped that his miracles
-Dorroborating his teaching. when BE-
fepake as never man spake," were
evidences that he was the Mes
sidh. They had built their hopes, az
Jews, that now finally Gods promise.
TO their nation would be fulhlled-tha'
Tsrsel should be exalted in the earti
In name and fame and power and au
thority to bless and to instruct "all the
families Of the earth" They haC
hoped that Messiah would be the grea.
King under whose beneicent reign, a.