The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-04-20

George W. Morgan, the Organ1St, and
Professor Ali, the cornetist. Mrs. Flor
ence Rice-K Knox, the celebrated con-
traltO, sang. The Openinghymn was
"Hark, the song of jubilee,
Loud as mighty thunder's roar"
sUBJECT-"THE SHATTERED TOMB"
Text-Matthew xviii, 8: Come, see
the place where the Lord lay"
Visiting any great city we want to
ace its cemetery. We examine the diff
ferent STYLES of cenotaph, of mausOleum,
of crypt, of sculpture. There sleeps
warrior; yOnder a poet; here states
man; there an orator. But how dlter-
pnt the feeling with which we visit the
restinp-place of our own kindred! The
tomb at which we halt this morning Is
that of a King, a cOnquerOT, an enamel
patOr. friend, a brother a Christ. The
Surrounding is a manor in the suburbs
of Jerusalem owned by a wealthy gem
tIeman by the name of Joseph. He be-
lOnped to the Court of Seventy who had
condemned Christ; but he had voted in
the negative, o., being timid man, had
absentpd himself when the vote was to
be taken. At great expense he laid out
the garden. 1t being a hot climate,
I suppose there were trees broad
branched, and there were paths winding
under these trees, and here and there
were waters dripping down over the
rocks into fish-pOnds, and there were
vines and flowers blooming from the
wall. and all around the beauties of
kiosk and arbOriculture. After the ia
tigues of the Jerusalem Courtroom,
how refreshing to come into this SUI
burban retreat; botanical and pOmOlOg-
zeal. Wandering in the garden behold
some rocks which have on them the
mark of the sculptOr's chisel. come
nearer, and l find there Is subterra-
mean recess. come down the marble
steps, and come to a portic0o, over
which there is an arch1traYe by the
chisel cut into representations of fruits
and flowers | enter the POrticO. On
either side there are rOOms-twO or four
or six roOms-Of rock, the walls of
these rooms having inches, each niche
large enough to hold dead body. Here
is one room that is especially wealthy
of culture. The fact is that Joseph re-
alizes he cannot always walk in this
garden, and he has provided this place
for his last slumber. Oh, what beau
tifuI spot in which to wait for the
coming of the resurrection! Mark
we'll this tomb. for It is to be the most
celebrated tomb in all the ages. Cata-
acombs of Egypt, tomb of Napoleon,
Mahal Tai of India, nothing compared
with it, Christ has just been murdered,
and his body will be thrown to the
dogs and the ravens, like other crucified
bodies, unless there be prompt and eff
cient hinderance. Joseph, the owner of
this mausOleum in the rock, begs for
the body of Christ. He washes the
poor mutilated frame from the dust and
blood. shrOuds it and perfumes it.
think that regular embalmment was
omitted. When in Olden time body
was to be embalmed, the priest, with
some pretensiOn of medical skill, would
point ont the place between the ribs
where the incisiOn must be made. and
then the operator, having made the in
cisiOn, ran lest he be slain for a viola
tiOn of the dead. Then the other priests
would come with salt of inter, and cas-
sia. and wine of palm-tTee, and COM
plete the embalmment. But think
this embalmment of The body of Christ
was omitted. 1t would have raised an
other contention and another riot. The
funeral hastens on. Present. L think
Joseph, the owner of the mausOleum
NicOdemus, the wealthy man who had
brought the spices, and the two Marys
No organ dirge, no plumes, no cata-
falque. Heavy burden for two men as
they carry Christ's body down the mar
BILE stairs and into the pOrticO, and lift
the dead weight to the level of the
niche in the rock, and push the body of
place it ever had. Coming forth from
the pOrticO they close the door of the
rock against the recess. The Govern
ment, afraid that the Disciples may
steal the body of Christ and play resur-
rectiOn, order the seal of the Sanhedrim
to be put upon the door of the tomb; the
violation of that seal, like the violation
of the seal of the Government of the
United States or Great Britain, to be
ibh A
company of soldiers from the tower OF
AntOnia is detailed to stand guard. Al
the door of that mausOleum a fight
takes place which is to decide the ques-
tiOn for all graveyaTds and cemeteries
Sword of lightning against sword OF
steel. Against military. No seal OF
letter was ever more easily broken than
that seal of the SanhedTim on the door
of the tomb The dead body in the
niche in the rock begins to move in its
shTOUd of fine linen, slides down upon
the pavement, moves out of the pOrticO
appears in the doorway, advances into
the open air, comes up the marble steps
Having left his mOrtuary attire behind
him, he comes forth in workman's garb
as / take it, from the fact that thu
women mistook him for the gardener
That day the grave received, such shat
tering it can never be rebuilt. All thu
trowels of earthly masonry can neve
mend it. Forever and forever it is
broken tomb. Death, taking side will
the military in that fight, received ter
rible cut from the angels spear of flame
so that he himself shall go down afte
awhile under it. The King of Terror
retiring before the King of Grace. TIL
Lord is risen! Let earth and heavel
keep Easter to-day HOsannal
Some things strike only observation
while standing by the SayiOr's sepul
cher. Among them is the thought tina
hOnOrs after death are poor pay for un
kindness to the living. If they cOul
have afforded Christ such a costly ser
ulcher, why could they not have give
Him an earthly residencep Will the
give this piece of marble to a dea
Christ instead of soft pillow for tn
living Jesus? If they had expende
half the value of that tomb to max
Christ comfortable it would not haV
been so sad a story. He asked bread
They gave him a stone. Christ lik
most Of the worlds benefactors, was az
precisted better after he was deaC
Westminster Abbey and mOnumenta
Greenwood are the worlds attempt
atone by honors for the dead for wrong
70 tho Iivino POat'S corner in Hag