THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1915. Li 4% dial of Ears Les me Timely Messages from Some of Kingston's Leading Church ns tsi ------ "Full of Significance" \ His Lordship the Bishop of Kingston. The, yearly commemoration of the great outstanding facts of the Chris- tian Revelation, such as Christmas and Easter, is always full of signific- ance, and never more so-than in the present time of warfare and distress of nations, When the Christmas bells rang out reminding us of the Nativity of-the Prince of Peace, the far off echo of murderous shot and shell seemed to mock their message. But thought- ful men thank®l God and took cour- age, when they reflected that even in the midst of war's alarms and carnage, the Christmas Festiyal bore witness to the Divine purpose for the world, delayed and obscured indeed by hu- man imperfection and passion, but re- maining the 'ideal "towards which humanity, though 'with painful slow- ness, and many a setback, is moving by His will. And so with the great Festival of Easter, the very crown and consummation of the work of the Saviour. It is pre-eminently the com™ memoration of the victory of life over exactly the inspiration which is needed at the present death, and brings time For to many death seems to be, winning the battle. The very flower of the manhood of our race is being cut down in its fullest vigor ; Rachel is weeping for her children in countless homes. -- And then conies to dry the tear and heal the aching heart the message from the All-pitying Father, that His own Son passed first through the gate of death before His glorious Resurrection, just to teach men that life in the end was stronger tham death for all who follow Him. The loved ones have in- deed passed through the Valley of the Shadow; but through their very death they live, in a life beyond the reach of death waiting to meet their loved ones on the other side. "In the sight of the unwise they seem to die; but they are at peace." In firm faith in the Resurrection mes- sage we offer the following thoughts, written some years ago when just such a young life as those that are being mourned for now throughout our Empire was, as it seemed, abruptly ended. They may be sone con- solatioh to the bereaved: Sad hearts and weeping eyes, The bruised mind, the aching memory, Our portion these; for him the glad surprise The Master's face to see. The broken hopes we sigh, . The young life ended that had scarce begun! But he; in joyful wonder, hears the ery "Servant and friend, well done." Loving and loved, brave and true; Too brief his span, vet in Eternity Surely the Master still has work to do For such pure souls as he. Pray we his life above (Though, his dear body rest beneath the sod) Bind us with one more golden chain of love Closer to Heaven and God. "Life stronger than death." I n " Thank God that men's thoughts have been forcibly averted, if only for a season, from things temporal. In the face of the tremendous issues that confront us now, how 'mean and poor and base appears the stark materialism which seemed to be devour- mg the nation's spiritual vitality, eating away its very soul. Men were beginning, as the old Latin writer says, "propter vitam vivendi perdere cansas"-~a striking | lel to our Lord's pregnant saying: "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul 2" Spiri- tual death is far worse, as we see now, than physical death. The former separates us {rom God; the latter may bring us nearer to Him. That is the Easter message, brought, not by a dead. but a living Christ, "who (as the majestic stanzas of the venerable creed of Nicaea sets forth in stately periods) for us men and for owr salvation, came down from Heaven; and was made man. He suffered and was buried ; and the third day He rose again according to the Scrip- tures." "The risen Lord, the guarantee of our awn immortality through faith in Tim, that is the kernel of the Christian message, binding all who Aceept it to jivive to live the risen life here and now. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those thi re." "Christ is risen! Alleluia!" Hise Shings that are above By Rev. M. MacGillivray, Chalmers Presb : FRR "Thou sittest on the fight hand of God, inthe: glory of the Father."--Rev. 19:4. And they prostrated themselves, and worshipped God. who was seated upon the throne. 'Amen,' they ered, 'Hallelujah.' This i the thought of St. John: God seated upon--the throne of the Universe, ruling over all. .His judgments are just 'and true; and those who can speak for the saints--the elders, the four "Christ is arisen; Death hath He slain : Coming joys, plead yo." ~The reader id familiar with the drift of this fast writing in the Bible. Tt .. was a letter of comfort sent round to a suffering and viw-stricken * Whose pressing anxieties and problems were in danger of making them forget i is | 'sorrowing. But the Christ that arose from. ee ------ the Easter gladness they once knew. St. John, their fellow-sufferer, indif- ferent to. his own affliction, feit for them in his heart and thought long about their misfortune, and about the moral order under which it could be possible Ana as he pondered the matter, light and comfort came to him and them in the series of visions and exhortations set down in this book. To all appearances, things looked ill enough; but the Lamb was upon the throne Out of this pain and turmoil bfighter days would come. Only let them front light and duty, endure as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and take events, terrible a hey were, in their true sequence and relation. Here, they saw, too often, a mournful procession from Roman dungeons and Roman scaffolds, and Roman fires passing through death's portals into unmarked and pameless graves. But yonder, it was a procession moving up with jubilant songs to the throne of God and of the Lamb, the blood-stained and sadly scarred vesture of clay exchanged for the robe of light. What a change as they passed from earth to heaven' Here they were cut down by the axe of Nero; burned to illuminate his gardens; torn by wild beasts to make sport for the idle and dissolute; and in other /s trampled down by the pale horse whose rider's name was Death. But drawing aside the veil, and looking up, what wonderful things were happening on the other side. There, the saints were goniing out of the great tribulation and stepping into the presence of the King with the shout of victory and the psalm of thanksgiving The "dies irae" had passed and there was a new morning of time and Easter Day was opening out as an Easter Age for the world; and this Easter Age, because the "faithful and true" had borne witness. History repeats herself This is a picture of the "new earth," of which St. John speaks elsewhere, wherein shall dwell humanity and justice. .And the lesson for every people and for every age is this: Lét them dutifully and hopefully and unweariedly working for the best, bear their ills and dis- appointments, which can last but for a time. WA brighter and better day will come, as it has been coming, justice will spread rights will be observed, strife will diefdown and faith and humanity will be justified of their works. Yet, will every age have its problems and er , for the world is moving and there is no finality in human affairs {0 one can say what enigmas, and what masters to deal with them, theifuture may hold in waiting. And no one of faith or sense will close the door, or give way to chilling doubt, or throw "up his hands in despair. The Lamb upon the throne Our questions are not quite such as St. John and h's fellow-sufferers had to face and solve as best they could, yet are they bodeful enough. OM institutions and usages are crumbling and must be re-shaped to the new issues. And for that reason, society is in a state of Teverish unrest; and in the clash and din of new truths press on for'a place, and of vital interests in grapple, faith and hope may, for the briefest moment, falter, but only that Now, as of old, thesé are but the birththroes of the new life of the Evercoming Age. These dis- turbances are not accidental. Sorrow is not accidental. Nor, in the broad sense, are pain and death. These things are working out 'the will of Him who sitteth upon the throne and doeth all things well. Let Him be adored; the Easter Age is with us. "The steps of the way [ know not, Put my leader T know full well; My hand is in His; I fear not; In the depths of His peace | dwell. "He knows where Hé leads; T knaw not, But I trust in His love each day; My heart-is His own; | fear not, For the Way is my Lord's highway." " "Christ's Teaching About His Death Arthur J. Smith, Ensign Salvation Army. Instead of rehearsing the various theor- ies of the meaning of the Death of Jesus, it is at onee simplest and most satigfac- tory to go direct to the New Testament. And there is the record of the Life of Jesus. It is very evident that the sha- dow of the cross fell athwart His Path at a very early period. He warned His disciples that the days would come when the Bridegroom would be taken away. His own conception of His work was very differemt from that entertained by the ma- jority of the people respecting the Messiah Jesus' own idea corresponded more exactly to that of Isaiah, 53rd chapter. He saw and spoke as if His success could only come through His sufferings. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be re- Jected and be killed and after three days rise again i His death was voluntary. yield to the inevitable. He deliberately chose death. Some have- pictured the sert of career He might have chosen. He might have set himself to reform the Jew- ieh religion frem within, or to have ac- cepted a kingship over the Jews, or: te have built up a new spiritual community independent either of Jewigh religion or , - politics. But He rejected these "possible careers. He insisted on dying. He deliberately set His face to the cross. He declared that no*man tcok His Life from Him, The soldiers. who came to arrest Him fell on the ground pai He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, because He believed that His death was necessasy to | salvation np ------ me -- ma et In going forward thus, Christ was conscious that He was fuifilling the | Scriptures. "Ag it is written of Me," was constantly on His lips Where shall we find the closing scenes of His career more clearly mapped out than in Isaiah, 53rd chapter. It was through vicarious suffering and death He mukt pass. The iniquity of the people was to be made to light upon Him. (R. V.) He bare the sins of many. His soul was made a guilt-offering. (R. V.) He carried out his work, justifying many and making many righte- ous. Jesus applied all this to Himself. He accepted all the suffering be- cause He believed it to be the will of God for the purpose of saving the world. He did not ransom for many. By that word ransom He meant, of course, a means of deliverance, but exactly in what gente the word itself does not convey. But at the farewell supper He taught something mere concerning the significance of His. death. His blood was to be po out on behalf of many. That phrase taken in connection with the iérrible scene in Gethsemane, which transpired soon after, is important. : " The best answetl to the question, what js the meaning of the death of Christ, is to.be found in the Gospels. There is not too much material, but | there is sufficient. The disclosure made by Jesus was gradual, according to | the ability of the disciples to receive it. But as a modern Bible scholar has | put it, there were amongst others four important lessons given by Jesus on the doctrine of the cross: 5a : £1) 'That Jesus suffered for righteousness sake, and herein became an example to all His folldwers.---- Matthew xvi. 21-28. {2 Christ suffered for the unrighteous, giving His the sinful.--Matthew xx, 28. (3) Christ suffered in the spirit of /seif-sacrificing love, Mary.--Matthew xxvi., §-13. . (4) Christ suffered to procn thew. xavi., 26-29. ' life a ransom for exemplified by for sinners the forgiveness of sins.--Mat- - In the face of this, who can bt the g of His death? And thus the first rT. bro joy to the hearts of His disciples. It was a trial of their faith. He had said would rise again. Their faith Was rewarded. He arose triumphant, victorious of death and the grave. He came and showed Himsell to His followers and comfOrted them. There is a real note of victory triumphant about Easter. one that brings laliness to many hearts. <The one sad thought this Easter will be so many v the dead and now intercedes at the right hand of His Father will see as of old that righteousness will triamph and victory will come through the many noble lives that are being sacrificed in order to have peace among all nations. a rad % Ae Crs : HY ce light and life. Jesus sald that by His dying Ho would be able to render the highest and | 800 is raised Most NeFessary service (o-sinners. The Soa © an should give His life a Bn; Ey ---- ea "Truth is on the March" Rev. Alfred Brown, Sydenham Street Mcothodist C At the trial of Dreyfus, Zc nent French advocate, said: on the march and nothing can stop it." Never did truth appear to be more surely halted, than when Jésus was crucified and buried; but in realty it was never more truly on the march. Evervthing that was done to stop it, only helped it ferward. When darkness overspread the earth, at 4he sixth hour, it seemed as though truth kad suffered a total eclipse; but on the resurrectiop morning it shone forth with a power and, glory that would never grow dim The truth that Jesus lived and taught had seemed to die with Him, but not more surely did He rise from the dead, than did His every saying find vindication in the fact of the resurrection, and in the results that followed. There is such a vi- § tality in truth that it cannot be destroyed; such an ascendancy that it cannot be kept down; such an energy that it cgnnol be held back. Overturned plans,defeated pur- poses, have strewn the pathway over which it has marched in triumph. It has al- jas ways left an empty sepulchre' and discard- ed graveclothés behind it. The place that was looked upon as the stronghold of } unbelief has been tenanted with angels and has echoed with the announcement: "He is not here: for He is risen as He said." S80 the story of triumph goes on through every moral and 'spiritual conflict, and the people imagine a vain thing. On, set thenfselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His annointed. -- On, though persecution kindies ils fires and stretches out its sword. On, though infidelity builds its ramparts and thunders its opposition. Cn, though war rages, exacting its awful toll of human lives, filling the air with groans of suffering and lamentations of sorrow, seeming to put civilization back into the tomb of early barbarism and sealing its entombment with the best blood of the nations On, on forever, Christi- anity is triumphant. "She waves her banners; they are of light, they are of love; she names her victories, they are over evil, they are all of peace; she claims her trophies, they are sinners raved, they are souls redeemed; she crowns her heroes, they are the good of eart they are saints in Paradise. But she does not rest upon her laurels, reposing in contented contemplation of her well-won victories; she is still advancing over other fields of conquest toward the final fulfilment of her destiny--the evangelization of the world '" So it is thar Easter finds an eyer-intreéasing multitude to share in faith the resurrection hope, and to repeat the joyous salutation: "The Lord is risen indeed." "The Wonder of Easter" Rev. E. LeRoy Rice, First Congregational Church. The meaning of Easter may be frans- lated into a single word. All the wonder and the mystery of it finds expression in that word "LIFE; Jesus came to re- veal to the world a life.that was deathless. Jewish hatred and Roman spears could not destroy it, the cress could not con- quer it, the tomb in Joseph's garden could not confine it. His was ageless, death- less life. "He lives," was the message of Eastér' morn. "He lives," was the mes- tage of the angels that stood by the empty tomb. "Jesus lives," was the message that Mary carried to His despondent fol lowers. And this is the message that the Church proclaims to the world on every Easter morn It has always seemed to me to be ex- tremely fitting that this Easter festival chould come in the springtime There is a divine fitness and appropriateness in the fact that the Easter message is in harmony with the scul of Bpriug. "The winter is passed and gone; the flowers appear ir the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come." All nature reverberates with the message of life. The name "Easter" has come down to us from the name of the pagan goddess "Estre," who was the 'geddess of Spring, the, goddess of life and fertility So that the very name "Easter'" conveys the message of new hfe and hope Christ came to a world that was dead, a world that was yearning for "lI am come that they might have life, and that they might have-it-more =» Tare His Words own -uneonquersble--death- less life is the fulfillment of that promise During these three years of his ministry He gave life to the sick and the dead He was the source of a strange mysterious life force such as men had never known. His enemies thought to quench that life. Thay thought it susceptible to death; they sould crucify Him, but lo, death was powerless to destroy Him. He rose more potent, more glorious than before. The life that thay had thought to quench becomes the very life of these who by faith feed upon Him . "There is an interebting passage in Geethe's "Faust" of where Faust, de- spondent and dejected, détermines. to end it all in death The cup of poi- to his lips, when suddenly there rings out the music of the On, theough the centurjes On, though the heathen rage, though the Kings of the earth On, "The Lord hath arisen, Sorrow no longer; Temptation hath tried Him, But He was the stronger Happy, hapdy victory" Love, submission, self-denial , Marked the strengthening agony, Marked the purifying trial. The grave is no prison; he Lord Lath arisen." As Faust listens to the Easter mesrage, a new life enters info his uwn soul and he pushes aside the poisoned eup. It is ever thus. With each passing year the Easter message brings new hope, and new life into the darkened lives of men. "We lay In dust earth's glory dead, And from the ground there blossoms red, Life that shall endless be." EASTER AND ITS MESSAGE. ~ The Whig is of the privilege to present herewith the responses, from gu various i of ps of their ' conception of the Easter message. The press, ever ady to respond to humanity's call, can carry their words admonition into thousands of homes. May these efforts prove of value in these trying days of national a