April 27

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold¹, I am alive for evermore." (Rev1:18)

Flowers! Easter lilies! speak to me this morning the same dear old lesson of immortality² which you have been speaking to so many sorrowing souls.

Wise old Book! let me read again in your pages of firm assurance that to die is gain.

Poets! recite to me your verses which repeat in every line the Gospel of eternal life.

Singers! break forth³ once more into songs of joy; let me hear again the well-known resurrection psalms⁴.

Tree and blossom and bird and sea and sky and wind whisper it, sound it afresh, warble it, echo it, let it throb⁵ and pulsate⁶ through every atom and particle; let the air be filled with it.

Let it be told and retold and still retold until hope rises to conviction, and conviction to certitude of knowledge; until we, like Paul, even though going to our death, go with triumphant⁷ mien⁸, with assured faith, and with serene⁹ and shining face.

O sad-faced mourners, who each day are wending

Through churchyard paths of cypress¹⁰ and of yew¹¹,

Leave for today the low graves you are tending,

And lift your eyes to God's eternal blue!

It is no time for bitterness or sadness;

Twine¹² Easter lilies, not pale asphodels;

Let your souls thrill to the caress¹³ of gladness,

And answer the sweet chime of Easter bells.

If Christ were still within the grave's low prison,

A captive of the enemy we dread¹⁴;

If from that moldering cell He had not risen,

Who then could chide¹⁵ the gloomy tears you shed?

If Christ were dead there would be need to sorrow,

But He has risen and vanquished¹⁶ death for aye;

Hush¹⁷, then your sighs, if only till the morrow,

At Easter give your grief a holiday.

--May Riley Smith.

A well-known minister was in his study writing an Easter sermon when the thought gripped him that his Lord was living. He jumped up excitedly and paced the floor repeating to himself, "Why Christ is alive, His ashes are warm, He is not the great 'I was,' He is the great 'I am.'" He is not only a fact, but a living fact. Glorious truth of Easter Day!

We believe that out of every grave there blooms an Easter lily, and in every tomb there sits an angel. We believe in a risen Lord. Turn not your faces to the past that we may worship only at His grave, but above and within that we may worship the Christ that lives. And because He lives, we shall live also. --Abbott.

　 四月二十七日

“我是那存活的，我曾死过，现在又活了，直活到永永远远”（启一：18）

　　复活节的百合花！请把那关于永生的古老教训，讲给我听，这是你讲给许多悲哀的人们听过的。

　　代表智慧的古老圣经，请我们再翻阅你的这些记载，确证“死即是得生”。

　　诗人哪！把你充满永生福音的诗句念给我听。

　　歌手哪！再唱一遍欢乐的颂赞，让我再倾听那刻骨铭心的复活颂。

　　树木，花草，禽鸟，海洋，风和天籁，请你们都轻轻吹奏这歌曲，以清新的音调，婉转的乐章，使世上一切的物质，都受到它的震动和鼓荡，让它充满在宇宙之中。

　　让它一遍又一遍地传进世人的耳中，直到希望成为信心，信念变成确知；直到我们象保罗那样，即使走向死亡，也能带着胜利的雄壮，坚定的信心，沉着而明亮的容光。

哀恸的人，你每天徘徊于

松柏夹道的墓地，心碎神伤，

今天该离开你凭吊的坟场，

举目仰望神的蓝色天堂。

做一串复活节的百合花环，

用不着幽兰的芬芳，

现今不是痛苦悲哀的日子，

要喜悦响应那甜美的复活钟声。

假若基督仍在坟墓的监狱，

当俘虏且受制于死敌魔君；

假若他未曾从朽腐的洞穴复活，

谁能呵责你流下忧伤的泪滴。

假若基督真是死了那就该悲伤，

但他已经复活，而且永远战胜死亡；

停止你的长叹，你应破涕为笑，

在复活节，要把悲痛遗忘。 ——司密斯

　　一位名传道人在屋里撰写复活节的讲道稿，他突然为一个思想所感动；他的主是活着的，他兴奋地跳了起来，在屋里踱来踱去，一遍又一遍地对自己说：“基督是活着的，他那温暖的身体，不仅过去是伟大的，而现在仍旧是伟大”。他不但是一个事实，而且是活的事实。这就是复活节光荣的真理。

　　我们相信每一个墓穴都开出一朵复活节的百合花；每个墓穴里坐着一位天使，我们是信仰复活的主，不要面对过去，以免我们崇拜坟墓，而要转向上方，以心灵诚实来崇拜活着的基督，因为他活着，我们也必活着。

1 behold   

v.看，注视，看到

参考例句：

• The industry of these little ants is wonderful to behold.这些小蚂蚁辛勤劳动的样子看上去真令人惊叹。
• The sunrise at the seaside was quite a sight to behold.海滨日出真是个奇景。

2 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 psalms   

n.赞美诗( psalm的名词复数 )；圣诗；圣歌；(中的)

参考例句：

• the Book of Psalms 《〈圣经〉诗篇》
• A verse from Psalms knifed into Pug's mind: "put not your trust in princes." 《诗篇》里有一句话闪过帕格的脑海：“不要相信王侯。” 来自辞典例句

5 throb   

v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动

参考例句：

• She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
• The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

6 pulsate   

v.有规律的跳动

参考例句：

• Hues of purplish,rose and amber begin to pulsate in the sky.淡紫色的、玫瑰色的和琥珀色的色调开始在天空中微微颤动起来。
• Building facades pulsate with millions of lights and glowing neon display.在千万灯光和霓虹灯的照耀下，建筑物的外墙规律地闪动着。

7 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

8 mien   

n.风采；态度

参考例句：

• He was a Vietnam veteran with a haunted mien.他是个越战老兵，举止总有些惶然。
• It was impossible to tell from his mien whether he was offended.从他的神态中难以看出他是否生气了。

9 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

10 cypress   

n.柏树

参考例句：

• The towering pine and cypress trees defy frost and snow.松柏参天傲霜雪。
• The pine and the cypress remain green all the year round.苍松翠柏，常绿不凋。

11 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

12 twine   

v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕

参考例句：

• He tied the parcel with twine.他用细绳捆包裹。
• Their cardboard boxes were wrapped and tied neatly with waxed twine.他们的纸板盒用蜡线扎得整整齐齐。

13 caress   

vt./n.爱抚，抚摸

参考例句：

• She gave the child a loving caress.她疼爱地抚摸着孩子。
• She feasted on the caress of the hot spring.她尽情享受着温泉的抚爱。

14 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

15 chide   

v.叱责；谴责

参考例句：

• However,they will chide you if you try to speak French.然而，如果你试图讲法语，就会遭到他们的责骂。
• He thereupon privately chide his wife for her forwardness in the matter.于是他私下责备他的妻子，因为她对这种事热心。

16 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！