The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1919-04-17
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Especially Prepared For Readers of
The Republican.

Especially Prepared For Readers OF
The Republican.
SUNDAY, APRIL goth.
Our Risen Lord. Easter LESSON
Matt. 28:1-10.
He is riser, even as he said, Matt.
28:6.
U. S. WRIGHT.
The OPENED Door.
The world has had its Calvary and
the darkness of the days when it SEEM
ed futile to hope for relief from the
long agony. But this Easter is with
olt that shadow for the angel of peace
has rolled away the stone of war. For
the first time in centuries those who
visit the empty tomb in Jerusalem will
walk beneath Christian flag. For the
/ first time in years the roar of guns will
not stir the air and worshippers may
walk unsfrald that their place of wor-
ship will crumble about their ears be-
fore they have ceased to pray. Life has
come forth again from the tomb of
death and the people can scarce realize
that the soldiers have fled and many
are still laden with spices and wonder
ing how the.stone may be rolled back.
There is coming a vision of an opened
d jor but to many it is the voice of
frightened women and too good to be
true. To some it is all lie and the
second error is worse than the first has
been. Every emotion of that early
Easter is being repeated somewhere to-
day whether it is soldier or saint, priest
or apostle. There had been the re-
surrection of Jesus. The priesthood got
the earliest report and must have called
hasty meeting to determine the next
step. They saw door opened but it
was not one of hope but of perplexed
wrath at finding all their pains to COM
bat the imposter to have accomplished
so little. They were as bitterly hostile
as ever despite the soldiers report. The
fighting men had been panic-stricken
and feared the consequences; they may
have faced that wonderful door that had
opened before them with still direr
panic not knowing what it portended.
The lovers of Jesus could not grasp its
meaning for sheer,joy at the thought
of its possibility tho they knew that
something they had never seen in all
their wonderful intercourse with their
Lord had occurred. Breathless excite
ment must have filled the very air of
Jerusalem that day and there was the
sxpectant waiting for developments
that we find in the life of the world now.
THE Door TO HOPE.
Hope was the dominant note and the
lasting one for all the others have van
ished while that lives and grows more
resonant. Suppose the women had seen
truly? Suppose they had met their old
Master in very deed? Suppose John was
not mistaken? If Christ had risen then
all their hopes were confirmed and
more. He who had been chief in their
thought held within himself power to
become chief in the thought of the
world and all the Messianic dreams
might come true. His every word was
truth as recollection picked up state
ment after statement that had been OBJ
scure before but now was radient with
sudden meaning. There had been no
other day exactly like that but its hope
has grown until tremblingly and al
most unbelevingly nations and races
long held in darkness are beginning to
look up and ask if it really be possible
that they will no longer be forced to
walk in fear. They are as perplexed as
the disciples were but hope is domi-
nant and their eyes are blinded by the
radiance that first saw the world that
first Easter And as surely as then
this note will abide while others vanish
with the years. That other day is
pledge for tomorrow. There will come
prisons, some Jameses will die at the
behest of hate, some Stephens will be
stoned by mobs, some Pauls will cross
into new continents of reluctant des-
potism and by pain and peril and blood
create new brotherhood. Once more
the Easter hope shall make good its
promise and the King shall come to HIS
own.
THE Door OF CoMRADESHIP.
The Gospels are full of disappointment
The Centurion travelled many miles
seeking Jesus that health might be
given to boy but there must have
been many others who saw life 20 out
in dull despair, The alien woman was
granted boon for her daughter but
was hers the only girl who was sick?
To the disciples toiling in rowing
against wind and wave Christ came but
were there no other boats that stagger-
ed under the blast, filled, faltered and
went d wn without Him? Jairus and
the two sisters had their dead restor-
ed but were these the only homes that
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