The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-04-24
RESURRECTION LESSON
IS HERALDEO WITH JOY
HE Is Risen" Literally Gladdesty
Hottest Thought of the World
Today.
DOCTRINE OF REsuRRE CTIoN.
Rev. j.. Calvin Stewart, ID. D., In
Grace Covenant Church, Calls For
Lighting the Torches of Faith In
Risen Christ,

| Lighting the Torches of Faith In
! Risen Christ.
Declaring that the Presbyterian
Church should pay greater attention
/ to the doctrine of the resurrection,
1 and calling upon his hearers to pin
their faith to the beautiful truth, re-
corded in both history and the Gospel,
Rev. DR.. j. Calvin Stewart preached
q strong sermon in Grace-Covenant
! Presbyterian Church yesterday morn
! ing,
AS his text DR.. Stewart took Mat
I thew 2S:5-6--"And the angel answer
ed and said unto the women, fear not
We, for I know that We seek Jesus,
who hath been crucified. He is not
! here. He is risen. Come see the
/ place where the Lord lay"
This Is our Easter Sabbath. The
/ day is one OF universal jubilee. for
over all the world this day. with it's
resurrection lesson is heralded with
Joy and Thanksgiving.
He is risen" is literally the world s
/ gladdest. hottest thought OF the world
/ today.
Since the morning sun began Its
course, people of all the earth east
ward have in succession come forth
with songs and CONGRATULATIONS.
We seem, as it were. TO stand in the
midst OF a great choral symphony, and
the true heart Of the world. TO God 8
ear, doubtless. r. lifting up one great
chorus, THE Lord Indeed Is Risenl"
/ Moving westward. the orb carries
all Christians, and In succession. the
people sing forth their gladness for
the day. and for the truths it COM
/ memorates.
Those who are agreed In nothing
else have. today. the privilege to meet
on a common joy-hearing and believ-
ing the angels message-'He is not
here. He Ia RI -
Two Great Miracles.
The history Of the life OF Christ
upon the earth closes with a miracle.
as great IS that at It's inception.
If Jesus was what the gospels rep
resent Him, and there is absolutely
no proof that He was not. then He
was born of pure virgin without
sin and of the Holy Ghost II we
believe the story of His birth to be
true. then we can believe the story
OF His resurrection true also. OF both
birth and resurrection we have the
fullest Biblical historical proof.
Our text takes Us out into the
delicious early spring morning air of
that Syrian land. II was yet dark.
1t was before men went to work or
the air was burdened with a single
noise.
The first tentative notes OF waking
birds began to be heard. No wind
stirred a single leaf. All nature was
at rest. the air so cool, so pure, with
an almost percepttble tenderness about
il.
In this early morning hour, the first
message heard must have been the
rush of an angels wing. The next
was within the sepulchre. whore the
grave clothes were laid aside then
the stone before the opening of the
sepulchre was rolled back and Jesus,
our same Lord. came forth unto new
ness of life.
While this was passing. some women
whose names we know, for they had
watched at the burying OF Jesus the
night before. were threading their way
silently on the road out OF the city
of Jerusalem to His rock-hewn tomb.
To these the angel spake as they
came near the tomb: Fear not ye,
said the angel. for l know that ye
seek Jesus which hath been crucified:
He is not here: He is risen. come see
IIle pihtb " uti e btIt lSDId E9S
While we rejoice with all peoples
the world over at the beautiful Easter
tide with the messages OF the spring
physical resurrection-when field
and forest are both alike melodious
with the coloring and fragrance Of
the new life. let us beware lest We
he swept away by the very poetic
beauty OF it all and lose ourselves in
veritable dreamland of thought.
A Fact OF History, Too.
Certain great truths are TO grip our
years ago the scene as recorded In
our text was living fact in the
worlds history-not merely the
Church's history; IT was that and
more.
The resurrection OF Jesus Christ
from the dead was a fact of history
as real and as susceptible of proof
as that of Julian the Apostate, who
lived and died. and in his death ut
tered the striking sentence. Thou
hast conquered. o Man OF Galilee."
We are using this Easter Sabbath
lesson today largely to REINFORCE the
mind OF Gods people and others on
the vital fact that Jesus. our Lord,
rose from the dead In bodily form, and
we are TO remember that II was this
same Jesus who had been taken on
the Thursday OF the Passion Week,
tried and condemned to be crucified
on early Friday morning. That at .
o'clock on Friday He was led to the
place OF the crucifixion. At IL cruel
fed BY 3 o'clock. or a little later, He
had died and as the shadows of the
declining day began to gather He was
taken down from the cross and laid in
new sepulchre close by.
Our Presbyterian Church does not.
as we know observe these great
Christian festivals as many OF the
churches do. by any very formal man.
ner or specially prescribed service.
The speaker is in no sympathy.
however, with that tendency on the
part OF some TO show an utter disre-
gard for these great festivals: or to
use them in any way, even to en-
phasizing those impressive spiritual
lessons underlying them. and TO which
are given a worldwide emphasis by
a truly religious observance.
II would be a mighty wise thing for
us Presbyterians to use this Easter
day, and in every pulpit TO point to
the great truth of the resurrection
to emphasize that doctrine today,
while all the minds OF millions are
turned to the subject by this Easter
festival, and must be most impression
ate to the real truth, and we should