Milford chronicle., 1928-04-06
THE EASTER FESTIVAL
The Worlds Heart Dream of the Immortal Life
A TbouSh Unchanged BY Fleeing Centuries
and AbOstate Ages

The Resnrrecfion-Tbe Anemone of THE GOSPEL
fourth century of the Christian stormy
iOd Its history throughout is marked by the rise and 1a OF
bloody of religious prosecutions Emperor Docletan in
tons In its first decade DiocIetan and Maxmian abdicate
their thrones and Constantine become August Max
and Severu made Caesars Emperor Constantine
successor his father Conantus), is converted to Christian
M Saint Martin of Tours born The great Aan cO1tr0;
opened The first general council OF the church held
at Nice The capital of the empire is moved from Rome to
parioned What period The tragic civil war between the
of Constantine its terrible history The Romans
suffer defeat the hands of the Peans and Constanu be-
sole emperor The synod of Aries and the CEN
ury only half gone witnesses the birth of Saint Augustine
death of Consanus Julian cend the throne and papansm is
in the saddle Julian makes an expedition into Per-
passed. Julian had died Jovan of all Rome, and
Christianity again in full sway
What wonderful century! Wondrou in its rise and fall
of ceeds and thrones And yet what still more won
derfq this century saw the first regal M OF the
lapd into heahenism They built again the ancient groves
hrnes where their fathers had gathered After the
Persian defeat when Julian lay dying he exclaimed: 90 Cali
lean thou hast conqueredP
AGAIN COMES EASTERTIDE
And now in happy measure of serenes peace the
spendor of her power the Christian world again her
Easdethe day that commentaries the resurrection Of her
Priest King of the varied interpretations of creeds
formulate, multiplied of organizations have come
different these be- they all stand by their sleeping
dust and shout the triumphs of the dead
great majority of the ancient world looked death
as an sleep of the old Greek declared THE
beStth
pass away as soon as possbe of the Greek
sad "Ih best gift of the gods to men the power take
Of the future the old Greek hemok with soca
impuni While many held this view others were terTorlzed
bv the thought of death them thought
unbearabe
Easer-tis now universal festiva-belong the Christian
world Someone said age of hivary, when king
wished knghthood he struck him lightly
with sword then pronounced him noble So death but
the which the Eternal King elevates his
faithful subjects to the knighterrantry of the Skies
While creeds have always expressed the doctrine OF the
of life beyond the valley and the shadow The one lncon-
cvabe thing the spirit world is life independent OF the body
Life easily might conceive OF
the germ apart from the grain Of wheat as to think OF the
conscious spirit apart from its bodily tenement Christianity
stands or falls resurrecon-he great central fact OF
all the Easter festivities True, we must
Weep a4Ohle, if faiu
Sunshine still must foAlOS0 rain;
Only not a DEATH for death,
NOaU knOV. is that first breath
Which souls dTGzv aCheH 70e enter
Life, zrhich is of all life, center.
THAT DIM AND DISTANT FUTURE
grave this Easter day. the universal race
stands peerng into and distant future. 1t asks the
question: ow dead raised up and with what body do
they Gomez" There has been but recorded answer
this great uuery that body that shall be- but
bare grain may chance of wheat of other gram
1t requires impossible feat of the human mind to understand
that physical changes may wrought without effect the
realm of spirit said that the pulsng heart underges
masses through perfect metamorphose within of years.
and yet identity undisurbed This the supreme thought IN
the Christian faith may anothe-that esurrec-
ton body nail prints and the clefted side were tang
ibe evidences steaded the faith of Thomas When we
reach the of the good all the boodwashed hro1g
NAV not find the flesh and blood of anted dead. But
inst as the new grain of wheat different from the old long
since Dead shall recognize loved and lost IN all @
summerland of flowers
sbscriuion to specified creed or to no creed ALL
not to have oresaed geamngs of the immortal te
Cicero and svertongue among the Romans
said long ago: know how, in the minds OF men,
certain presage were of future existence; ana TINS
takes deepest and is the most dlscoVeaDle IN e sea
geniuses and the exalted souls"
DRYDEN whose always with the Infinite
said:
Sure there is none but that fears future state;
And zchen the most obdATae they do not
Their trembling hearts belle their boaStng tongues
Colonel Robert Ingerso is said have been an agnos
tic He was archdoubter After every uth-any truth II
point His lay within the boundaries OF y know
IngersoPs dcion like poem; his thought dream OF
beauty Listen this period pronounced by him at the open
grave of his brother:
"e believed that happiness the only good reason he
Justice the only worship humanity the only rehgO
and love the only priest added the of human JOY
whom he did loving service to bring
blossom to his grave he would sleep tonight beneath wider
ness of flowers. Life is vale between the cola anu
barren peaks eernie We strive in vain to look De-
vond the heights aloud and the only IS the
valing echo cry. the lips OF the unrepy
ing dead wod but in the night OF death hope
sees star listening love hear the rustic OF wing he
dying installing the approach OF death
for the return health whispered with his latest BREATH
better now believe in spite of doubts and dogma OF
fears tears that these dear words true OF all the count
less dead"
This question the door of the universal heart;
Can it bsg
Matter immortaIP And shall spirit die?
Above the nO6Ier, shall less noble TissF
Shall man alone for zVhOm all else TeViVsS,
No resurrection knOzvP Shall alone
IMPERIAL man! be in barren ground
Less Privileged than the grain on qVhich he tsSdSF