EASTER DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1705, 24 March 1913, Page 3

EASTER DAY.

THE CHURCH SERVICES,

, Easter Day, the great ecclesiastical festival in commemoration of the Resurrection, was observed in the churches yesterday. Though the weather was rather Weak and showery, thero were large congregations, and tile various services wero of mi appropriate character. The festival is known in different countries by' different names, some of which refers to' its association with the feast of the Passover, while others (English and German) suggest tho revival of Nature 'which follows the torpor of winter, .and symbolise tlie resurrection in general. One authority states: "Tho English word (Easter) is traced by some ctyniologists to tho Anglo-Saxon 'ostre' (to rise). Another school, headed by the Vcnerablo Bede, derive it from the goddess Eostro, or Eastre, a pagan divinity corresponding to tho Phoenician 'Astartc and the Venus of Roman mythology, whoss.'posts, falling in the spring of tho' year, usually coincided with the Paschal celebration. The consensus of opinion at 'the present day favours the second of these derivations as highly probable in itself,-and quite in accord with:the atti:tndo of the Church towards the institutions of paganism, to which she was ever anxious to give a fresh significance while turning them to account in her own religious system." .

ANGLICAN. _ At St. Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Mulgrave Street, there were largo numbers of communicants at the celebrations of , the Holy Communion nt 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and after Matins. There was a large congregation at the 11 a.m. service, at'whicli the vicar (the Hev. A. M. Johnson) preached on inteiesting sernjon, basing his remarks on the last twelve verses of St. .Mark's Gospel. Ho stated that these verses were not part of the original Gospel, but ..were added by some unknown ■writar; but tho addition was niado »,t such an. early period that it provided- an additional witness to the truth of tho Gospel story. It might be regarded as a sort'of fifth Gospel, embodying the belief of the primitive Church as regards the resurrection. Mr. Johnson also referred to the nature of Christ's body after the resurrection, and as regards tho open grate ho said he did not consider that that was intended to compel belief, but that' it was an aid to, and. preparation for. belief in the rispn Lord. Tho usual Easter Services wero held at St.- Petor's Church, Willis Street, at 6.15, 7 y 8, 10.15, and 11 in the morning, and at tho customary evening hour. Archdeacon Harper officiated, and there were largo congregations. The music was of 'an Easter, character; and at the evening service tlie_ Hallelujah Chorus was sung by the choir. The sermons bore upon the Message of-tho Eesurrection. .

' - , PRESBYTERIAN. ,' Large -congregations assembled in St. John's Church at both services yesterday. 111 the morning Dr. Gibb preached on the words, "I am, the living One, and I was dead; and behold I am, alive for evermore and . have.. the keys of death and of Hades."' The risen Christ, was the .speaker. It was noticeable, in the Book of. Rcyelation that you had not so much a, portrait ,of Jesus as, a heaping up of symbol 'on symbol, indicating the, feelings which the risen Lord inspired in the hearts of.believing men. It was commonly supposed that the resurrection of Christ was an instance of a dead man coming to life again. Tho resurrection' was much more, than that. Christ rose from the dead, but He rose liot into the ■temporal .but the 'eternal order. - And accordingly as the years ran on Christ became ever moro wonderful and adorable to those ivho trusted in His grace. The sermon went on' to consider the light which the resurrection thus regarded cast on the' death of Christ; on, the spiritual power "liberated for man's emancipation from the dominion of sin; and on man's life hero and hereafter. The'resurrection set Christ freo to be in us a spirit of wisdom,; inspiration, and power while wo live our life. When we pass .the threshold ii.'to tho august otherwhere it would be but a small thing to find merely a man; however grent and good, who had gone there beforo us. Tho Christ who at His resurrection ros? into the eternal order was the Lord of eternity. We conld say with Whiittier— . ;

"I know not where His islands lift, ■Their fronded palms'in air; ■ ■ I only know I cannot drift Beyond His. love and care." In the evening the theme of the sermon, was prescribed by;the words, "His name shall be on their foreheads." The symbolism by ■ which John set forth tho divine lite of the risen Christ was also used in setting forth the life of Christian men in communion with Christ! The words of the text' represented the' marvellous degree, of likeness t-o Christ which could be attained in measure in this world, and more perfectly in tho world bej-ond. Man's brow was itself an inscription. Ho alone among the creatures who tenant tho globe had a forehead. It was the mark of manhood. And Christ's name on tho brow symbolised manhood when penetrated and. dominated by the spirit of Christ.V' This-..was':the ;highest idea for-man, and-'its achievement , his highest duty.'. There was nothing in all. the world' which could bo compared with this for excellence, dignity, and worth. The'truth was emphasised by a statement of the glory and beauty of life as illustrated..in\the. life and character of ffes-us. Likeness to Him ought to be the fountain light <if aU our day, the mastciv light of all'our seeing. The question then arose how shall wo actualise this ideal—how grow like Christ? It was not an easy task. . Other names than Christ's coiild easily be written .on the brow. Chrisfs name was written on the foreheads of the saints who see Him and stand forever in His presence, as the culmination of a process which'begins here as men. fight tho good fight of faith. The will, not merely the emotions, must be yielded to Christ. 'I lie great choice between tho world and Him must bo made and made daily. There were?, those who summon up tho energy of their souls to decide for Christ once, and 'that was the beginning and end. of their Christian experience. The truth was that every day we either glorify or crucify afresh the Son of God. Finally, the day. of revelation was coming. Here in the twilight of this world we often take the x false for 'true, the true for false. But ill the sight of Him with whom we have to do each of us was either drawing nearer Christ or away from Christ. The . day woul,d declare it. What : should wo find when awoke and carno faco to face with Christ—His name on our brows or what? We could answer that question in tho light of our present choices. Let them choose Christ and remember that tho day of choice was brief, the day of revelation drew on/apace. At. the close of 'the service the communion was dispensed to the members of the Sunday School Teacher?" Conference and tho Students' Christian .Union, many, of whom wero present and took part in the ordinance. In the evening the service at St. Andrew's had spccial reference to Easter. The hymns were adapted to the day, and tho.sermon preached by tho Bev. J. Gibson Smith was founded on the story of the stone rolled back. The general idea expressed by-the preacher was that the greatness of the Easter truth had yet to be realised, but could be realised partially through faith and obedience. The special aspect of tho Easter truth was the victoity over sin and'death. ROMAN CATHOLIC. In tho Basilica masses were celebrated at the usual hoursr-7, 9, and 10.30. The liite mass was celebrated by Rev. Father Dickson, who was assisted by Rev. Fathers Gondringer and Eccleton. • Rev. Father Ecclcton preached a sermon suitable to tho day. Mfisic was rendered by a full choir under tho ■ leadership of the Hon. R. A; Loughnan. Similar services were held in the other Roman Catholic Churches.

' , BAPTIST. The Easter services at the Wellington Baptist Church, in Vivian Street, were conducted by Dr. T. C. Hughes, of Ameriui. Dr. Hughes took his text from St. Paul's Epistle to the Komnns—"That if tliou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and .shnlt believe in thino lKart that God hath raised Ilim from the dead, thou shalt bo saved." Ho pointed cut the various _ arguments sometimes used, against belief in the resurrection. For "instance, it had been contended that Christ did not (lie, but had only swooned, and that.his subsequent appearances were tile results of hallucinations on the part of His disciples. Dr. HugliM then wrnt on to show how the whole of Christianity

was based upon the record of tho foui evangelists, that Christ rose from the dead. 1 The new minister, the Rev. Mr. Brainsby, arrives from Sydney next week, but Mr. Hughes will continue to preach till tho end of this month. METHODIST. ' The service yesterday morning at Wesley Church, Taranaki Street, was conducted by the Rev. J. G. Chapman. Easter hymns were sung, and an appropriate anthem was rendered by tho choir. Mr. Chapman preached from I Peter I, 3 and 4: Blessed lie tho God and Father of our Lord .Tesus Christ, who liath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from tho dead; to an inheritance, incorruptible anil undeiiled, and that fadeth not away. That Doxology, said Mr. Chapman, was inspired by u hope Which was begotten within tho human breast by God. The hope itself was based on the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. _ It was a . "living" .hopo in contradistinction to a hopo that was. dead. Peter had not forgotten how the hbpe of the early disciples had expired when they saw their Lord crucified and buried. "We trusted that it had been He .which should have redeemed Israel." Their hopes had beeii buried in the grave of their Lord. But when Jesus rose again and appeared unto them their hopo revived. Jesus was not dead, but alive. What they had regarded as a defeat was in Teality a victory. And because of this, with hearts all allame, those early preachers burst upon men, not to reason about immortality, not to argue about a future existence, but to say, "Wo have seen One who has passed through the grave and lias come out on tho other aide." What was the object of their hope? "To ail inheritance." They lyere heirs to- a glorious spiritual estate, an estate which was "incorruptible," beyond the reach of death. "Undefiled," beyond the taint of sin. "That fadeth not away," beyond tho blight of change. This inheritance they anticipated would. bo theirs in theii life-time. To them, the world was not getting better, but would continue much as it was until one day their Lord would come again, this time in glory and majesty, and would thoroughly, remake it, purging it of all sorrow and sin, bringing evildoers to; judgment, when they would receive the due reward of their deeds. It was a beautiful conception those early Christians had of their promised "inheritance." The idea was that earth and Heaven would merge into .something higher, and form a new kingdom. The whole material world would be etherealised and the spiritual would be-all in all. Views of the "heavenly inheritance" had changed through the ages, and are still changing. Tho heaven of perpetual ease and laziness would satisfy no one to-day. Golden streets, walls of jasper, harps and crowns, shining robes, and all the other paraphernalia of the language of devotion might do as imagery and symbolism, but were unsatisfactory as conveying to us the actual and tho real. We want a heaven of progress, where we can go on to bo what we want'to be, and feel we can be, stretching out to a perfection we cannot know ' here. . Better than speculating about a future heaven would be to do that we can to make this world a better and happier dwelling place for those who have to pass through it and for frenerations yet unborn. To lift all humanity to a higher .plans of spiritual development and fit it for nobler destinies.