The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-17
RESURRECTIQNO OF MESSIAH, STOART'S
 EASTER SERVICE
Paul'S Version of Nazarine'S Last Earthly Days Re- lated to Crowded
 Congregation

Scores were turned away even be- fore beginning Easter Sunday morn ing service at the First Methodist church. and within the large audi torium a dense mass of humanity stood in aisles, on stairways and filled the vestbules throughout the i'm pressive service. conducted by Dr. George R. Stuart. pastor.
 Baptism was administered to 2S in- fants Immediately after the opening of the service and at the conclusion of the sermon 40 new members many I Of them adults, also received their first baptism
 Gods statement is that death .s an enemy said Dr. Stuart, in open ing his sermon on "Resurrection, '' with Pauls account of the resurrec- ton of Christ as the text. Death always was an enemy It came through sin and only through Christ can we overcome death. Life IS sweet, and of the greatest things in these days Is the battle we fight against disease and accidents.
 We all love to live. Suicide is in sanity, and whenever any one takes his or her own life, 1t shows that their mind has become unbalanced and they are mentally diseased. You must keep up this fight for life con tinuaily. Every time some organ IS affected the grave looms up and | ueath stares you in the face Some have tried by scientific means to l prolong life until that stage when by reason of senility men would fall asleep and pass out easily. But death in most cases does not come in that way. IL comes to strong and weak, to youth and age and sometimes strikes when least expected Death IS our enemy and ever before us. l The esthetic and the monk who retire behind walls and within the l confines of a monastery, believes he | can thus prepare himself for death, and others take other views. Never l theless, our enemy is here Blt think the Christian view is the most beautiful. First, prepare yourself for 1t by living with Christ. As the snake-like- coils of death eneircle nv body, l fell the chilly grip of death. but I also see my savior grasp this enemy and extract from it the sting and l see Christ. and like Paul cry out; Oh, death where is thy sting? Oh, grave. where Is thy vic tory2
 In the resurrection of Christ we have our hope, our faith and our teachings. He has taught Us how to i've and die and how to pass over There are many mysteries in this Bible which we cannot understand, many things going on in the spirit ual world. Many things around us are mysteries. We do not know how but we know they are done
 One great question is, where the soul, where the spiritual part of man is, while the body lies in tht l grave. Jesus was in the grave three days. His lips did not move and l there was no sign. Lazarus was in the grave four days Jesus did not 1 make new Lazarus He merely 1 called back the soul to the purified body and the same old Lazarus ros, | from the grave. Neither Jesus nol Lazarus told Of the dwelling plac, Of their souls in the interim. One God Almighty knows and He has seer fit to keep this Knowledge iron 1 men,"
 After Illustrating with the whea seed which dies and brings forth new wheat and more abundantly as tn, result or its death, and also illus. trating with the lily, egg and othei mysteries or nature, Dr. Stuart said Whatever corruption may be in thi: body will be lost in the grave, ant the body will be raised in spiritua power. We can not explain how na. ture comes into the spiritual. but Gos l Almighty has put these inexpiainabi, things all around us But why shal we stumble over these inexplainabl, things when God says The dead shal rise"
 fine word picture of the erea spiritual reunion to come closed th, Easter sermon.