West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-12-13
GOSPEL FRAGRANCE.
FROM NYRRH, ALoEs AND
CAssIA.
Talmagc Teaches n Lesson from the
Robes OF Christ.

and oioes, and cassfa, out Of the tuorv pai
oce&"-Psalms XIV, s.
Among the grand adornments OF the city
OF Paris IL the Church OF Notre Dame, with
Jus great towers, and elaborated rose
windows. and sculpturing of the last judg-
ment, with the ~trumpeting angels and rising
dead; its battlements OF quarterfoil: It's
sscristy, With ribbed ceiling and statues
OF saints. But there was nothing in all that
ouiiding which more vividly appealed 20 my
plain republican tastes, than the costly
vestments which laid in oaken presses,
robes that had been embroidered with gold
and been worn by popes and archbishops
ON great occasions. There was a robe that
had been worn by Plus VII. at the browning
OF the first Napoleon There was also a vest
ment that had been worn at the baptism of
Napoleon III. AS our guide opened the
oaken presses and brought out these
veStments OF fabulous cost, and lifted
them up, the fragrance OF the pungent aro-
mates IN which they had been preserved,
hlled the place with a sweetness that was al
most oppressive. Nothing that had been done
IN stone more wildly impressed me than thee
shings that had been done In cloth, and EN-
oroidery and perfume. But to day 1 open the
drawer OF this text, and / look upon the
kingly robes OF Christ, and as / lift them,
nasning with eternal jewels, the whole house
Is nled with the aroma OF these garments,
which smell OF myrrh. and aloes, and cassia,
out OF the ivory palaces
In my text tho King steps forth. His robes
rustic and blaze as He advances. His pomp
an BtWtT d1u KlOTY OVermaSI9T The RDoCtQ-
tor. More brilliant is He than Queen Vashti,
moving amid tho Persian Princes; than
Marie Antoinette on the day when Louis
XVI. put upon her the necklace of eight
undre diamonds: than Anne Boleyn, the
day when Henry VIII. welcomed her TO his
pa ace; all beauty and all pomp forgotten,
while we stand in the presence of this i'm.
PeriaI glory, King Of Zion, King Of earth,
ments not worn out. mot dnst.bed
ragged; but radiant, and ieweled,
and redolent 1t seems a. IL thew
must nave been pressed q hundred years
amid the 1ow,rs of heaven. The wardrobe
from which they have been taken must nave
been sweet with clusters of campfire and
irankincense, and all manner Of precious
Wood. DO you not inhale the oiorsi Away.
out of the ivory p~alaces.n
Your first curiosity is to know why the
robes of Christ are odorous with myrrh.
This was a bright. leafed Abyssinian plant
IL was trifoliated. The Greeks, Egyptians,
Romans and Jews bought and sold it al
a high price. The first present
tnat was ever given TO Christ was a
ssprig OF myrrh, thrown on his iufantile bed
IN Bethlehem, and the last gift that Christ
ever had was myrrh pressed into the cup of
his cruci6xion. The natives would take a
stone and bruise the tree, aud then
would exude a gum that would
saturate all the ground beneath. This gum
was used for purposes OF merchandise. One
piece OF IL, no larger than a chestnut, would
whelm a whole room with odors. 10 was put
IN closets, in chests, in drawers. in rooms
and its perfume adhered almost intermin.
ably To anything that was anywhere near
IL so when in my text | read that Christis
garments smell OF myrrh, | Immediately
conclude the exquisite sweetness of Jesus. l
know that to many He is only like any his.
torical person; another John Howard;
another philanthropic Oberlin; another Con.
iucius; a grand subject for a painting: a
heroic theme for a poem; a beautiful
form Tor n Cfnfnas hnf fn ehnan 49, -.
heard his voice, and felt His pardon, and re.
ceived His benediction, He is music. and
nght, AID warmth, and thrill, and eternal
fragrance. Sweet as a friend sticking to
while others try to push you down. Not
SO much like morning-glories, that boom
only when the sun Is coming up, nor like
-four clocks that bloom only when the snn
Is going down, but like myrrh, perpetually
aromatic-the same morning, noon and night
yesterday, to day, forever. IL seems as il
we cannot wear Him out We put on Him
all our burdens, and affiict Him with all
our griefS, and set Him foremost in ali our
battles, and yet He is ready to lift, and to
sympathize, and to help. We have so i'm
= posed upon Him that one would think in
eternal afront He would quit our eoul; and
yet to-day He addresses us with the same
tenderness, dawns upon us with the same
smile, pities ms with the same compassion.
There Il no name like His for us. It Il
more imperial than CRsar's, more musical
AA INK LnAu
Charlemagne's, moro eloquent than Cicero's.
ltthrobs with alllifo. It weeps with all pathos.
l5 groans with all pain. 1t stoops with
oil condescension IL breathes with all
perfume. Who like Jesus 20 set a broken
bone, TO pity a homeless orphan, to nurse a
SICK man, to take a prodigal back without
any scolding, TO illumine a cemetery all
plowed with graves, TO make a Queen unto
God out Of the lost woman OF the street. 10
catch the tears OF human sorrow in n
lachrYmatory that shall never be brokeni
VINO has such an eye TO see our need. such a
lip TO kiss away our sorrow, such a hand 10
snatch US out Of the fire, such a foot "a
tramp'e our enemies, such a heart to embrace
ali our necessitiesf / struggle for soma
metaphor with which TO express Him. He is
not like the bursting forth Of a full or
cnestra; that is too loud. He is not like
the sea when dashed 10 rage by the tempest
that is too boisterous. He is not Hkei the
mountain, its brow wreathed with tina
lightnings; that Is too solitary. Give US
a. softer type, n gentier comparison.
We have E8emsf to see Him with o,r
eyes, and 70 hear Him with our ears. and IA
todch him with our hands. Oh, that TO-DAY
re might appear 10 some other one OF our
I'VE senses Ay. the nostril shall discover
his presence. Hs comes upon Va like spios
gales from heaven. Yea, His garments smell
OF punRont, lasting and all pervasiye myrrh.
IN thnt you all knew His sweetness. How
soon you would turn from your novels II
the philosopher ieaped out OF his bath
~ n frenzy OF Joy and clappad
ms hands, and rushed through the
streets, because he had found the solution Of
2 m~athematical problem how will You feel
leaping from Che fountain OF a Saviour's
mercy and pardon, washed, clean, aud made
"nlte as snow, when the question has neen
solved; hOw can my soul DO savedf1 Naked.
iro tbitten, storm dashed soul, let Jesus tbi1
hour throw around tbes the garments that
smell or myrrb, and aioos, and cassia. out Of
The IVORY palaces
Your second curiosity IL 20 know why tbe
robes OF Jesus are odorOus with nloos. There
- some difference OF opinion about where
these alOes grow, what is the color Of the
nower, what is the particular appearance ~
tne herb. Suffice 10 for you aud me 10 know
Jnab aloe8 mean bitterness the world
over and when Christ comes with garments
bearing that particular Odor, they suggeat 10
me the bitterness Of a EaviOur's euHerinva
were there ever such nights as Jesus lived
tnrough-nights on the mountains. niVhts on
tno 500, nights in the desorti Who ever had
such n hard reception AZ Jesus had3 A boa.
Terry She fret. an unjust trial in over ond
Oertntner another. a foul mouthod veilfno
MOP the lat Wa there "A eraee ~ His
back ~ vide as your two fingers eybere T.
was not whipped Was there "a gpace op Uie
brow an inch square whore lie was not ne
or the brersf When TIE spike struck a. ~.
instep. did 10 not 10 clear through H. -
hollow Or the foOtf on, long. deep. bite
pilgrimage AlOo8i Aloesf
John leaned his head on Christ. but ybo
qle Christ lean ONT Five thousand mon ~
by the h%aviOur; who FED Jssusf The e0m.
UNHHW on n HnwHffrHa bot