But why this note of sorrow on Kuster Day, when 60 generations of Christians have echood the joy of the day of resurrection, and celebrated it with music and flowers, full churches. Why remind our: selves of Mary's bitter grief before Christ graciously revealed Himself} to her? min to remind, you of 's vorrow because believe there are many this evening even among those yethered here, who, if the truth were told, have begun the day like Mary with!
sense of bitter loss.
This evening we lovk buck across! the years and we think of a day when Easter meant so much more than it does to-day. We think of lives. undergone a change. Day by day and year by year the world has tightened its grip upon us and as a result faith and hope have languished. There was a day when God and Christ and spiritual things occupied a large place in our mind and heart—a very real and important place, Prayer was a great source of strength. We asked and were conscious that our requests were answered. We' were conscious of living in the sight of God. He was! our refuge and strength in the hour! fo trial, our companion all tke day Tong, but we have lost that fellowe Perhaps it has gone in some great catastrophe, some tragic happening when our world has fallen in ruins about us, just as the erueifixion seemed to end things for the disciples. Or it thay have been great spiritual tragedy—some great sin We have denied Him, sold im to be crucified, and lost Him in a night of despair, most often, just by careless heed:
We have been so busy! about a hundred other things, we have had 19 time for religious life no time for Chri ud somehow we have dost Him. "Just how it happened we may not know, but we do now that we stand like Mary in our lesson, conscious of a great loss and longing for a return of the old fellowship. But even the grave is empty. Christ is gone and we! know not where to find Him, The! eld fellowship is only a memory and nothing else seems possible.
The Resurrection To-night, as God's messenger, 1 bring you again the message of tke first Enster. He is risen. He waiting to reveal himself to you in a new and closer fellowship. The old may have passed away, but the new shall be better. Ask Mary, ask Peter, and James, and John, and a grent host all down through the ages and they will tell you the ison Christ has to them and a glorious revealing it has been, bringing joy that never} passes away.
How shall we repare our hearts! for His revealing. Turn to the Gospels again. Now there is one very important and illuminating: fact in connexion with the resurreetion narratives whick too often is overlooked, and that ix the natare of those to whom He revealed Himself. Have you ever noticed that was only to those who loved Him that He revealed himself? The!
Appearances were not made to any' official what it once meant in our Peshaos so go back ton day when Jewish, although it might have body, either Roman was alas' a time we found dificult tablish proof of His. vising that we were children at home, Lent] seemed most desirable thus to es-to understand, It was a sombre would be incontrovertible.
But He and depres Friday was season, and good] appeared to Mary, to Peter, to the ing climax to it; two on the Emmaus road,' to the ing of such utter 11 in the upper roon despondency almost despair These figures upon which fall the about it.
Then Easter Day would] light of the risen Lord are repre-come to end the gloom, was sentative human souls and the re-fraud to be a Christian on Eastec cord of Jesus's manifestation to were joining in althein is the revelation of the way triumph; there was something of, in which He manifests Himself to a sietorious parade about it. Death! us.
The difference is only of set-and sin were conquered. We had] ting and circumstance. 'Tke human Joined in the disciples' hopeless des- heart is the same always and every pair. But Christ had risen! Yes, where as it is brought into sence and we lived again through! So with Mary in the incident we n indeed! felt Mis pre- with Him. the rst Easter Day. stady this evening.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.