Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-04-17
OF HOPE
Casters Teaching Is the Dis.
peIling Of Gloom From the
Hearts of Mankind.

II TOPE that springs eternal in the
human breast does not de-
pend upon the latent fatalism
in humanity for its justifica-
tion--such a hope holds no key to
event. And without this key hope is
but in reality hopeless expectancy.
Events, governed by that outstanding
law of reprobation by which degen-
eracy and decay follow all things in
the mutable course of nature, would
bring mankind back to the stage of
savagery and leave to him naught but
the material environment of his imme-
date activities. Events must be con-
quered, regulated, subordinated, con-
trolled, even glorified. Hope springs
exultant in the human breast, because
there is something that can certify to
hope. This is the divine spark in the
human breast, becoming in many
cases a luminous ray that shines up
on the entire pathway of life. 1t was
fitting that when the women came to
the tomb early upon the first Easter
morning they should find that an an
gel was the announcer of the victory
of hope over the most malignant adj
verse event of experience-the event
of death. Nor is it strange that the
consciousness Of this victory for all
men has transformed human life and
causes the Christian to take on glory
OF effulgence that is to be derived from
nothing else.
That Sure and Certain Hope.
If there were no resurrection from
the dead then were we, of all men, the
most miserable, wrote the apostle
whose life was luminous with the
light Of certified hopea hope vic
torious over events that drove him for
ward in his missionary itineraries
throughout Asia and into Europe. Ma
ture was turned to by him to disclose
the analogy for the open doors of the
tomb; scripture was likewise turned
to, and his own knowledge of the res
direction of Jesus was, last of all,
called into play In order to point his
marvellous discourse upon the resur-
rection Of the dead. Nature, revela-
ton and personal testimony all give
the same account that death is robbed
of sting and grave Of victory. Easter
is precious to human kind, because it
teaches that all things may be con-
quered by a hope thatis based upon
living faith in God and his good pur-
pose to give life rather than to de-
stroy. to impart blessing rather than
to withhold, to grace human life and
to wipe out the disgraces Of human
failure.
The undimmed hope of humanity IN
the final triumph Of the good is based
largely upon the testimonies to the
triumph of the ineffably good one
over the might and dominion Of death.
f Faith has garlanded hope thus graced
it scorns to consort with fatalisui.
Faith has given of Its precious bios
SONS for the decking Of hope. and II
! will not companion In the dark with
mere material destiny. The skies look
down upon the riven tomb. The open
tomb reveals the glorifed angel. The
ongel discloses the fact Of the resur-
rection Of the dead. Event, direful
and universal event death itself ties
titles to the power Of the undimmed
hope OF mankind made precious
through Jesus.
Hope Eternal.
The undimmed hope cannot be
clouded BY the shedding Of blood Did
not the old law TINT pointed to tlle
stricken form Of Calvary say that