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the others in Bethlehem." But no, this is not the end.

66

'Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

“The works that I do, shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do."

Such is the promise. And when the sad Saturday has at last crept by; and when the light of this darker morning just begins to break; when, on that night, so cold, and black, there just creeps up the ray of promise, lo, it is a blush of hope! The grave cannot hold him. These keepers fall fainting on the ground. sealed rock rolls, tottering, from its bed. risen as he said.

This man

And he is

He was the well beloved Son of God. Yes; and we are all God's children. Children of God's nature, and therefore immortal, as is he. We are his children. Children? Yes! and therefore he gives to us the victory.

God is with us, and we are with him. Therefore there is no death to us, nor to his purpose failure. It may please him to call away even our Saviour from our sight. But if he goes away, the Holy Spirit comes! It may please him to bring in his kingdom, as Israel has not dreamed. But, none the less certainly, does his kingdom come! It may please him to win that victory by the Saviour's death on Calvary; nay, to give to a dying thief at his Saviour's side the first laurels of triumph. The victory may be won when Stephen faints; when James is beheaded; when Paul and Barnabas are stoned. But none the less

is it victory! It is not upon fields of battle only that he asks for his martyrs. At the hands of Herod, dying of lust, he will call away St. James. At the wish of a dancing harlot, will John Baptist give his head. But they are martyrs still! And when their Master dies, because he has given a Judas the access to his person; when, on the morning of this " day of days," he rises; to all such martyrs, nay to all God's martyrs in all time, - to all their brethren-nay, to all his brethren, in all time, God promises, that, while they will and do of his good pleasure, He will give to them the victory!

[The choir then sang the anthem, by Rev. Henry Ware: "Lift your glad voices in triumph on high." After the anthem, Mr. Hale said:]

I cannot think that it is necessary for me to try to illustrate the lesson of scripture. The contrasts which we have been tracing in the history, as we might have traced them last year or any year since that history passed, teach us the lessons of to-day, so that we cannot fail to learn them. We often tell you from the pulpit that there is no experience of your lives, however glad or however painful, however great or however small, for which you do not find fit lesson in these experiences of your Saviour's life. I do not know whether you always believe this. But I am sure you feel it and believe it in the great trial of to-day,-in these terrible contrasts of the week that has gone by. Sunday, our day of triumph: and, Monday, again, we thronged the temple here with

our praises. Each day, a new victory; each day a new congratulation; till, when Thursday came, - the fast day of our old Puritan calendar,- we did not know whether fasting belonged to us.

the bride-chamber fast indeed?

Could the children of

Who were we that we

should condescend to fasting and humiliation?

My friends! in the few words which I spoke to you on that day, the last words which I spoke to you before this morning, I said that Christian humiliation and Christian thanksgiving belonged together. We gave God the glory, which we dared not claim ourselves. "When I am weak, then I am strong." That is the Christian's ejaculation, and on that Thursday of victory and thanksgiving, it was very easy for us to repeat it!

It ought to be as easy to repeat it to-day! Would God it were! Fasting and rejoicing are strangely mingled indeed to-day. The day of a nation's grief is the day of the church's rejoicing. Fittest day of all, indeed, for the day of such grief; for, but for this resurrection, this immortality of which to-day is token and symbol, such grief were intolerable! But for to-day's promise of victory, what should we have worth living for? It is not simply that this day assures us of the immortal life of the good, great man, who, in an instant, puts off this mortal body that he may put on his spiritual body. It is not simply that to-day tells us all is well with him. It is to the country, which he loved and served, that to-day, in its promises, gives a like assurance. That death has no power over the immortal spirit; that is the lesson of to-day. That Jesus Christ gives victory to his flock, in giving them the help, comfort, and blessing of

the Most High; that promise is sealed to-day. That the eternal laws of God reign in men's affairs, and that men may trust him if they strive to follow those laws; that is the promise of his victory. That the republic is eternal if it makes itself a part of his kingdom. If its laws conform to his laws, no cerements can bind it, and no tombs can hold it. If it serve God, God gives to it immortality.

I dare not trust myself to speak a word regarding this simple, godly, good, great man, who, in a moment, has been called from the rule over a few cities to be master over many things, in that higher service where he enters into the joy of his Lord. To speak of him I must seek some other hour. Our lesson for to-day is, that the kingdom of God comes, and is eternal. The republic, if in simple faith it strive to make itself a part of that kingdom, lives forever. When we built this church, four years ago, we painted here upon the wall before you the beginning of the angels' song, in the words:

66 Glory to God in the highest."

It was in the very outset of war; our own boys were coming home to us bleeding from the field, or were lying dead after the battle. And we stayed our hands at those We did not add the other words of the promise. But when last Sunday came, with its glad tidings, when it seemed as if we had endured to the very end, we ventured, in the fulfilment of the glad prophecy, to complete our imperfect inscription, and to add here the rest of the blessed legend:

"And on earth peace, good will toward men."

The martyrdom of Good Friday does not make us veil the motto, though we read it through our tears. Of such martyrs, it is as true as ever, that their blood is the seed of the church. Because they die, the kingdom comes ! We do not forego our hope in the promise, "On earth peace, and good will among men." The President may be killed to-morrow, and his successor may be killed to-morrow, and his successor, and his; but the republic lives! While it seeks to do God's will, to will and to do of his good pleasure, He works with it, and gives it immortality. "Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."

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