The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-07

eternal existence which has no be-
I ginning and no end. which. considered
IN its purity and perfeotncss, has no
present and no past. but one eternal
and unbroken prescnt-and ono
eternal now. So many things como
10 us to make us feel what fraE-
'eh'hry thing our human life is, but
we can win no creator knowledge
than that tho life OF One who loves
us as Christ loves us Is an eternal
NC with the unchangca bleness OF
e'erhi'y We mako plans, finish
them or give them up, We slip from
one stage OF our career into another:
our past. present and future are for
( ever confusing our existence, our very
! hearts ache with It sometimes until
we wonder can we be really living or
merely touching upon life. Then
comes the voice of Chris; declaring,
I am He that liveth and hath eternal
iile.' Hero is a large life that Is
not transtory and so when we know
eia' 'hen' just as the chlldren's lives |
set themselves into tho life OF their
iather' which seems to Thorn really |
eternal. SO our lives can ind their |
place In this unchanging ana ever |
lasting life OF Christ. It is the |
thought and knowledge OF an eternal
God that really gives consistency to |
inc frasmentary lives OF men, n |
Christ that liveth redcems and |
rescues into Ills eternity the broken. {;
temporary lives and works of Iis
disciples But not only do these |
words of our text declare that "He
liTcth.' but He that lIveth. and was
dead" How wonderful is this, that .
into that Life of lives death came,
the marvel OF 1t wns that. when
death came to Him II was seen to be
not the cnd OF iiro, but only an even,
In lifo. 1t did not CLOSE His oeinE, IL
was only an experience which that
being underwent. That spiritual er-
istence which had been going on for
eVer' on which tho short existenoes
OF mon had boon strung into CON
Sistenoy. now came and submitted IT.
self to that which men had always
mao to endure. And loi instead OF
beng what men hnd feared II TO be-
the putting out OF life--it was seen
TO hc only the changing OF the cir
cunstances OF life. without any real
power over tho enduring principles
OF / fe; any more than the power
cloud has over tho sun. tina, IT OBJ
scures temporarily. THAT was the
wonder OF Christs death Think
what that great sclf-description o.
the Saviour means, and what II is to
us What do wo need? Tho huppiest
lives among US have had glimpses OF
their own nsatisfactorlness. the
most eager and earnest, tho sick and
the suffering. live in consciousness of
their great wants all the time. We
are all walking up to the same door
and beyond. Not one OF those we
have secn enter has come back to
tell us what there Is beyond and yet
while we wait, thinking and wonder
Ing about the future. this Voice comes
20 us clear and strong with love: 81
Am lie that l!veth and was dead; and
ieath changes from the terrible end
IF life into most mysterious, but
10 longer terrible experience of life. :
A living Christ the old and yet
aver new blessed Easter truth-IIe
iveth: lie was dead; he Is alive for
,vermore. Why then should we be
ireary or hesltating or fearful OF
death? Let us INT up our heads and
I've with Him; live now Iivea, high
ives, lives OF hope and love and
holiness, to which death should be
nothing but tho breaking AWAY Of the
asst cloud. and the letting OF the life
out to !ts completion.
Jesus lives Henoeforth is death
But the gate Of lie immortal