The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-03-27

John lies not entirely in the opening
verses. There are many Of the great
est comforts and promises strong and
comprehensive. There is the promise
that if we love God and keep His COM
mandments that we can ask anything
in Christ's name and it will be done
for us. There is the glorious thought
that on the departure in body of Jesus
from the earth, the Holy Spirit or the
Comforter will come, who will abide
with us and be in us, and show us the
truth. To the burdened soul there
comes the great 18th verse which says
II will not leave you desolate; l come
Into YOU" What more comforting
thing can be found in the bible? There
are the words of Jesus in the 23d verse
which say, 'If man love me, he will
keep my word; and my Father will
love him, and we will come unto him,
and make our abode with him." Stand
ing on these promises which cannot
fail, the christian can live a trium-
plant life upon earth and feel sure OF
an abiding place in the home beyond
prepared by Jesus when physical death
Overtakes him.
OF course, the Easter time will bring
to notice the various accounts OF the
resurrection as found in the gospel
The early visit of the faithful women
to the grave, the rolling away OF the
stone, the words OF the angel HE Is
not here, He is risen," the hurried
visit of John and Peter to the empty
grave, the appearance of Jesus to Mary
in the garden and His words that He
would meet the disciples in Galilee.
With the wonderful resurrection OF the
plant and tree life at this time of the
year, it is most appropriate that our
minds dwell upon the resurrection OF
Jesus from the dead. In few weeks
the woodland will be decked with full
blossomed flowers which have only
awaited the warm spring winds and
rains to open up into beautiful splen-
dor. The prairies will be no longer a
dull brown but of a beautiful green;
the trees which have seemed dead for
the last six months will suddenly come
to life, leaves and buds and fragrant
blossoms will greet the eye and the
odor OF the flowers will be brought to
US upon the spring breezes. We will
plant the apparently dead seeds, see
them what it might seem, rot in the
ground, and then give forth abundant
life, with promise OF frultage OF
grains, plants and flowers. This resur-
rection in the spring has become so
common to many that they do not
wonder as to how it has been brought
about, but it is simply manifestation
of the power of God, and upon it can
be based our hopes for resurrection
from a dead body to one of life and
beauty. 1t is we'll indeed that the
world celebrates the Easter time.
Twill close as began by calling at.
tention to the positive declaration. OF
Jesus that He has arisen from the
dead, gone to prepare a place for US,
and that in due time, He will take us
to be with Him. But how ought we to
live, in view of this fact. If Jesus is.
preparing place for us, should we
not prepare ourselves to fill that
place? Can we expect that this home
will be ready for us, if we live in re-
bellion against God, disregard of His
claims upon us. In truth we must be
preparing ourselves for the heavenly
home, and that means we must love
Jesus. obey His commandments, be
loving, gentle, kind to our neighbors,
guiding our lives by the commands OF
the holy bible.