Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-04-10
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Tbe Message
of Caster.
BY Rev. Or. Donald C. Mcleod, Pastor
Flrst Presbyterian Church.

There is variety In truth. There
is truth primary and truth secondary
truth fundamental and truth superb
cial; truth trivial and truth vital.
Much Of confusion, contention and
catastrophe arise from mistaking the
trivial, secondary and superficial for
the primary, fundamental and vital.
What will be the appeal OF Easter to
us7 Shall we approach 1t upon the
plain Of the trivial and superficial, or
shall 1t unfold to us the fundamental
and eternal? Priceless sacrifice in
treasure and life has been laid upon
the altar Of the possession of the
stage upon which the first Easter dra-
ma was enacted.
This was the inspiration OF the
crusades-among the most costly and
spectacular military campaigns Of his
tory. The crusader spirit still lives.
saw pilgrims from far-off Russia and
other distant lands who crossed noun
/ tain and plain in weary painful
| marches, at unspeakable sacrifice, in
/ order to fall down and cover with
| tears and kisses the traditional holy
/
| of sacred relation to the passion OF
| our Lord. In the strange irony OF
! fate all these holy places are guarded
by the scimiter of the Saracen infdel.
But to the Christian heart this is no
occasion of despair. For after all, is
not the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea
trivial element in the Easter mes
sage? NThe vital idea is the fact of
resurrection.
Easter has answered the great
burning question of the ages: IF a
man die, shall he live again?" Easter
responds eloquently and triumphantly
to this age-long anxious cry: But
now hath Christ been raised from the
dead, the first fruits of them that are
asleep; Even so, them also that are
fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring
with Him" Again, Easter has been
the occasion of much speculation and
controversy concerning the circum
stances and character of the resurrec.
ton. Shall resurrection Immediately
accompany death; or shall it be future
and universal? Shall this body be ac-
tually raised? Shall a cell of it be
preserved from which will be develop
ed the body of the resurrection? Shall
God provide body entirely different
In substance but similar in form and
! expression?
However much we speculate about
: these and numerous other kindred
questions, the way of human thought
will always lose itself in mystery;
but these are only secondary prob
lens; the vital fact is that as true
believers we are now heirs of Christ's
resurrection. God, being rich in
mercy made us alive together with
Christ, and raised US up with Hin
and made us to sit with Him in the
heavenly places" This matchless in
heritance of grace has its supreme
: obligation.
: We must live the exalted and glori
GUS resurrection life. "If ye ther
were raised together with Christ, seel
: the things that are above" Christ's
. urgent message through Easter is tha
we respond not to the worlds gross
selfish, materialistic appeal, but tha
!. we ascend to the high, spiritual planes
of the resurrection life. "Set you
/. mind upon the things that are upoI
the earth" For ye died, and you
!. life is hid with Christ in God"