Show I Easter Fifty Years Yeats Ago rr IS a little more than 50 GO years IT I ago that I as a young oung minister of ofa a suburban church was sas as invited to pr preach ach one Sunday morning In April at the Broadway Tabernacle church then standing at the corner of Broadway and Thirty fourth street In New York city Yas Washington Gladden Gladden Gladden Glad Glad- den IX I D. D LL IL D. D D writes In the Woman's Womans Womans Woman's Wom Worn ans an's Home Borne Companion It happened to be Faster Easter Sunday as ns I knew and although altho almost no notice of ot the day was taken at that time by the non- non Episcopal Protestant churches churches' It had been my custom to preach an Easter sermon and I ventured to bring one with me for that service There were no Easter flowers and there was no 1 East Easter r music I doubt If it It had occurred occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc to the minister or to any member member mem niem- ber of ot the congregation that It was I Easter Sunday I thought It prudent therefore to make mak a n virtual apology for preaching a s sermon rmon on the resurrection resurrection resurrection saying that while we as the children of the Puritans had little tittle to todo todo todo do with sacred days It might not be unfitting for us on the day when many Christians vere were celebrating the resurrection resurrection resurrection ot of our ur Lord to to turn our thoughts In that direction Shows Times Time's Changes 4 After iter ter the sermon my good and great friend then pastor of that church had Just one word of ot commendation and that referred to the sentence In which I said that we as Congregationalists had little use for sacred days I am glad he be said that you emphasized that fact The Incident will Illustrate I Ithe the tile change which has taken en place In Inthe Inthe i ithe the attitude toward the Easter festival festi val vat of the Protestant churches during the last half halt century It Is now the day of the Christian year most generally generally gen gen- emily observed In all nIl the tile churches burches The message of ot the Easter day ay to you and me and to all men what men what I Is IsIt It In what words shall we phrase It We might get some idea Iden of the message message message mes mes- sage from the conduct of those who hear henr It See that man sitting solitary and dejected dejected dejected de de- de- de within his home There Is a 1 knock at the door and und a messenger enters Now he lie Is delivering his message mes mes- sage sTage The downcast st look has hns gone from the face of ot the listener he Is all attention watch him lIe He springs to his feet his hands each other with a r blow his face Is all 11 ablaze with Joyful emotion his voice Is pitched In a n high I key ey hl his movements are full of energy en erg You have not heard a word that the messenger messenger mes mes- enger has spoken en but you rou know that he be must have brought a Joyful mes rues sage Joyful News Good Tidings So If It you look Into the face of ot humanity humanity hu hu- hu- hu manity on Easter day and listen to Its accents anti and watch Its movements mo wherever the message of Easter has hns know that it Is jo joyful joy been spoken you ou ful news good tidings The pealing bells the jubilant songs the churches and the homes bright with the flowers of ot spring the festive garments the whole costume and utterance of ChrIstendom Christendom Christendom Chris ChrIs- show that the word ward that has been spoken en Is a word of cheer a It word of ot hope a summons to rejoicing Is not this In Itself a great achievement 1 To fill the heart of the world with c a great hope nn and an unselfish jO joy Is not that thata a n great grent good gool That Jesus the Christ has hns done all nil this for fur the world no man can deny There is reason renson In this rejoicing ItIs It ItIs Itis Is the tite truth that Easter tells that makes the whole earth glad What Is this truth It is the truth that there Is life Ute beyond the grave To the perfect perfect per per- I feet man there Is a spiritual principle over which death has hns no power This has been the unquenchable hope of mankind In all the ages an and anil the resurrection resurrection resurrection of Christ gives to this hopa hop hope a great confirmation Not at All Incredible Why cries the great apostle should it be thought a thing IncredIble Incredible I ible that God should raise the dead 1 It seems to me the most natural thing In the world provided that Nature Is of ot loving will the outcome a Why should not tile the gracious Providence who watches over oyer the world andI and I guides Its destinies In the track of ot I fling l Into the dark of ot I time this spark of ot light divine fo kindle hope In the hearts of or his children children children chil chil- dren It was in the darkest hour of history that this star arose It was when the Greek and Roman civilizations were falling to pieces through their own corruption and the pagan mythologies had lost their hold on the human Intellect when skepticism and despair were almost universal Surely If there Is a good Father In heaven and If It Is true that lie He has life for His Ills children beyond the grave and If It this Is the very truth for lack of which the they are sinking Into despair He lie will find some way of revealing It to them Thus the story of ot Easter day appears to me sublimely probable |