Show EASTER PICA ER SERVICES tS AT AP lw E foan I 1 I 1 T CHU the decorations were beautiful and special specia musical programs were rendered render ed 2 83 knights Temp lars at methodist church evenin evening g services es easter easier services were held in aliton all tot the churches in this city yesterday the day opened bright ai an ad d remained I 1 BO 80 giving all an opportunity to attend church at the first methodist church in the morning dr H J talbott superintendent in of the utah missions delivered tho the easter service el monta alonte Command cry knights templar attended in a body dr talbott delivered or d an n eloquent sermon saying in vat part and we declare unto you glad tidings how the promise which was made unto the lathers fathers god hath fulfilled the sams same unto us their children in that he has raised malsed up jesus again acts 13 32 3 33 there is but one theme for us today for ages the christian church has celebrated this day as the anniversary of our lords resurrection and with glad hearts we join the followers of christ in all lands and of all communions comm unions in commemorating this unparalleled event it is peculiarly fitting that these knights templar should be present and share in this service for their order is founded upon the vital truths of revelation and has the great fact of the lords resurrection firmly bedded in its structure pie ile hath raised up jesus again this is the declai declaration aaion which fixes our at it is a declaration of unsurpassed significance whilst all revealed truth must be held as important there arc some trutho that must above all others be held momentous because they are inclusive and fundamental such is the tact fact he here c declared its relative importance will appear in some such illustrations lust hist rations as the following if the whole system of christian doctrine should phe be compared compard to a tree free having a massive trunk and wide spreading branches then the doctrine of the resurrection ur of christ must be compared to the taproot tap root which striking itself far down into the soil assures the life and fruitfulness of the tree if the system of chrisian Chr Chrls isVan Van doctrine be compared to a temple strong in construction and beautiful in outline with lofty dome and graceful columns then the doctrine of the resurrection of christ must be likened to the foundation upon which the whole structure tests reals or finally if WP wo compare the whole body of christian Christi in doctrine to an aft arch planned by a skillful engineer and built by the strong hand of labor then uie doctrine of the resurrection of christ mastne rp presented by the he keystone of that arch without which would crumble in tb ruin in short the fact declared in the text is ie the abe one great truth upon which all other chris tian truth rests it if this should be disproved or even if it fails of substantial certification then the whole structure of christinn christianity ity crumbles into nothingness but if this be established all things vil vital tal in the christian system have a pure foundation there is need of emphasizing the proofs and dia playing the credential ialo of our holy christl christianity anity today for the pulpit has so much employed itself in the ethical benevolent and social aspects ot 0 the gospel in recent years that many persons really think that ltv foundations will not bear critical examination x and many pass its claims by as boing being only such as address themselves to the sentimental the thoughtless and tho the weak of intellect and as having nothing to satisfy keen and virile minds that seek for truth at all hazards the consequence of such inattention to the evidences of christianity appears in both abe tion of so christian cults many of which have no assured foundation in any accredited dvone revelation and in an ali impaired faith among the pro fesser follower of christ for whatever else may bo be characteristic of our present day chri christianity it must t be owned that in stalwartness an and I 1 joyousness of faith there remains mu much ch to be desired being a truth of such primary primar v just as might be expected tho the resurrection of christ Is in A welles well Es established fact an account of it Is given by each of the he four evangelists and also by paul these writings have been accepted upon lipon sufficient evidence by bs the chris through all the ages an exception to this statement may made concerning the gospel of john over which there has har been some contention te illion in more recent years pauls writings ings treat it as a question of polemic le and to him we ve turn for the proof of it 11 tt it liay be admitted that all of pauls writings have been questioned as to the genuineness except four of his letters the genuineness i of these has hag never boon doubted by friendly nor assailed by hostile critics these abc ace four letters letter 4 are the letter to the galatians Ga lations written in A D 15 55 the two lotteva to the cori corinthians rith lans written in A D 56 59 and the letter to tho the romans roman written in A D 59 in three of these bettel 4 tho the doctrine of tho the resurrection of christ Is not formally stated accod palled a aled witti proofs of it but it is assured as well established and la is so inwrought with their structure that if it were stripped away the letters would be of bur bit little value the first letter to 0 the corinthians horcher hom ever presents the wit witnesses witnessed nesse 3 to the lords lord resurrect afon paul mans marshals hals them in order lie he says that after his resurrection jesus was seen by peter then by the twelve then by more than five hundred of the brethren at orice then by james then by all the apostles arld and last of all by paul himself such is his summary of their testimony must stand in broor of tho fact unless it cra bo be impeached upon adequate grounds but it Is a significant thing that those most deeply con cernell llis his disciples dic dieci ples and immediate followers were convinced of his resurrection these chesi men whatever else Is may bet be said aid of them were not credulous jesus once and again chided thorn them because of their to believe other matters which he present presented for their credence when the women who first found the tomb of christ empty hastened 01 the P fact to thedis the dis islea caples these aa men regarded their words as idle and the record shows that they were utterly discomfited by the death of 0 master and apparently giving up all hope of any such event as the resurrection they scattered to their various avocations besides this thomas one of the twelve even after the others had bad seen and recognized tho the risen lord utterly refused to bellve believe their report of christs appearance pe aranco arance to them demanding and receiving from llie clip lord himself such indubitable evidence of ills his identity that all doubt of it vanished now the eyes of hatred may be deceived but not the eyes of love it was simply im possible that these men should havo have been deceived in a matter which involved their dearest affections and highest interests that they were not dec deceivers elvers in testifying to a thing which they knew to be false is proven from the want of any sufficient motive to palm off such a deception and also from the fact that every one of them except judas and john actually laid down his life in testimony of the lords rising and of these two exceptions judas remorseful over the betrayal of his friend and master took his own life testifying with his laef aasc words to the innocence of christ and john was ever ready to die for tho the truth of his unfailing testimony to christs postmortem life besides this the testimony of paul is of the highest value under his name of saul he was a violent and inveterate vet erate though we must believe sincere opponent and persecutor of the lords followers but under the testimony of those whom he persecuted his mind was first shaken and then he was himself granted a vision of the risen lord to which he be appeals as a reason for his sudden and radical change from a violent to a most enthusiastic advocate of the christian claim he also sealed hla his testimony with his blood though ardent and energetic everything goes to show that this man was so under the dominion of reason and conscience that we are arc forbidden to believe either cither that he could ho bo imposed upon by a delusion or that he would in cold blood seek to play the im importer portor the above cited evidence has hag in two particulars tic ulars ars overwhelming corroboration in the first place if the lord did not aflfe his Pi enemies lemies had bad at hand the means meane to prove that the testimony of his disciples was false under pilatos permission pei mission the tomb was sealed and a numerous roman guard was mounted over it and these things wore were done abne ex expressly tot guara la against any false claim of his resurrection on tho the part of the disciples disciple sY U means were taken to insure the safety of the body in the sepulcher but on sundal sunda morning the body bod was gone and tho the only explanation th these ese ent entities inies ever made of its disappearance was that ills his disciples came at night and carried it away an explanation so fool f ish and so wanting in every element of probability not to say possibility that they themselves seemed to havo hav 0 abandoned it after its first publication henceforth their effort was not to did prove the resurrection of jesus but to shield themselves from the charge of having murdered murd pred an accredited prophet of israel in the next place the day of pente cost is a standing corroboration of the testimony to christs resurrection he hd told his disciples but would send the holy spirit to them ne he told them to wait at jerusalem for power f from rom on high beffie beginning the woolda evangelization they baited and the promised spirit tell lell upon them a witness to the truth of their testimony to the lords ie resurrection the important fact declared in the text is also a in well ell estabill established shed fact we declare unto YOU glad tidings it is ig Kc scar arcol ciely v possible fo fot us Is to measure the 0 borrow raw which would fill the hearty hearts of all ills his friends when the intelligence of jesus jeslis death i cached reached them eyes eves which had been opened by ills hia gracious touch would overflow with tears the of the dumb restored by ills his word would be lifted up in walling human spirits relea released Aed from demon demoniac lae bondage by his power would be filled with anguish ai for ills his immediato immediate companions the disciples with all hope swept away they would be plunged into bewilderment and despair if at lic discovery that their all powerful LOW loul had at last been conquered and slain by hi enemies but their sorrow and despair was transformed into unmeasured joy and they were convinced of his restoration to life it was glad tidings to old id jacob in famine cannan canaan when his sons returned from egypt laden with corn and saying paying thy son joseph Is yet alive is the ruler of egypt and has sent for you no wonder he said 1 I 1 hlll arise and go down and see bee dij nij son before I 1 die it was wa glad tidings to blind sitting at tho the wayside begging beggin when in ingwer to life his cry jesus thou son of david have mercy on me they came to him and said arise ile he call eth theo thee no mo wonder he at once cast aside all that would hinder his ats resi res and came with eager haste to him who could open blind eyes it was glad tidings of great joy when the flip shepherds upon plains heard be angel saying unto you Is in boru boiu boi u this day in the dt of david a savior which Is christ tho the lord but what joy to these bra broken n hearted disciples when it was said the lord is risen indeed 1 and hath appeared unto simon such glac tidings could not bia hemmed in by judean hills but would become the possession of a rejoicing world the tord lord risen indeed that la is he message to the world today toda but what Is the meaning of this pies message pressage sage to us who live jj ab many centuries removed from this unparalleled event christs Chr lata resurrection c 1 TI there ier e ts no other of lif ifa in spite of the power of death wo wk may infer it W wo may dream of it 1 l we may hope for it but cannot be assure assured d of it except upon tho the proof given us in gordh jor ds survival of the shock of death see how his hia rising defines t the hd relation which death sustains to human existence on friday evening ills his lifeless rody wan entombed all cv vy yesterday it lay jay undisturbed but this morning the tomb Is empty and jesua is once more among his now rejoicing friends years afterward john on the island of banishment beholds him and hears him say 1 I am ile he that liveth and was dead and behold I 1 am alive forever more and have the keys key ot of death and of the grave death then Is not pot the blotting out of the sun of ex istance but it Is only the shadow of a passing cloud death ts I 1 not the ho hope pe leps wrecking of our ship of life but it is L only the slipping of tho the cable which sets gets us free under full ful I 1 sail upon sea A pledge of our own the narrow bed awaits us all Tow ardit the ever lengthening procession moves with steady reluctant step old age sturdy strength matronly grace land and sweet infancy find therein a resting place but the grave Is not the journeys end now is christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept to gether with my dead body they arle arise dut but I 1 donld not have you to bo be ignorant concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not as those that have no hope for foi if we believe that jesus died and rose again even them also that sleep in jesus will god bring with him for the lord himself shall descend from heaven with ath a shout with a voice voce of the archangel and the trump ot of god and the dead in christ shall rise first in all lands the acres where christs followers ire are burled must have a peculiar interest for us in other fields this law prevails whatsoever a man howeth that shall he be also real rea but not so fit si these fields of god another law pi ovals here and it finds clear statement in these terms it Is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body it is sown in weakness it Is raised in power it is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory ile he hath bath raised up tip jesus again this glad tidings glorifies the horizon of every believers life and brings bringa the flush of hope to td very every careworn face 1 I havo bave read of a great picture which represents tho the last day of the reign of terror in france in the background ata are two terrible objects one Is the angel of death in dark shadow and the other Is the guillotine the ghastly engine of destruction to so many thousands during that paroxysm of madness aadne s the foreground shows the interior of one of the largest of the many prisons in paris at that time A great throng of prisoners has collected tot lof the list of those appoint fed to die today is to be called thoro there stand the ariso prisoners ners and there stands the officer calling the roll of the doomed the faces of some are arc bathed in n tears of others white with horror of others clouded with despair while others are overspread with a look of undying hatred what a terrible picture alit put contract rast with it a picture painted ay iy the imagination informed by revelation the landscape shall he ba aba wold in the background and towering all shall be a cross and not far away an open sepulchre in the foreground shall stand the archangel with the trump of god and thronging about him a company which no mancin number from palace and hut but from |