The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-12-19
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Fragrance OF the
Gospel"

TEXT: "AN thu garments smell of myrrh,
and 0!oes and c0Ssid, out Of the tcory pal
dces."-Psalms XIV, 8.
Among the grand adornments Of the city
of Paris is the Church Of Notre Dame, with
its great towers, and elaborated rose
windows, and scupturing of the last judg.
ment, with the trumpeting angels and rising
dead; its bat.lements of quarterfoil; its
sacristy, with ribbed ceiling and statues
of saints. But there was nothing in all that
building which more vividly appealed to 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
had been worn by Plus VII. at the crowning
of the first Napoleon. There was also vest:
ment that had been worn at the baptism OF
Napoleon II. As our guide opened the
oaGen presses and brought out these
veStments OF fabulous cost, and lifted
them up, the fragrance Of the punsent aro-
matics in which they had been preserved.
filled the place with sweetness that was al
most oppressive. Nothing that had been done
in stone more vividly impressed me than these
things that had been done in cloth, and en-
broidery and perfume. But to day open the
drawer of this text and look upon the
Eingly robes of Christ, and as l lift them,
flashing with eternal Jewels, the whole house
is filed with the aroma of these garments,
which ''slnell Of myrrh, and aloes, and cassla,
out Of the ivory palaces"
In my text the King steps forth. Hsrobes
rustic and blaze as He advances. His pomp
and power and glory overnaster the specta-
tor. More brilliant is He than Queen Vashti,
moving amid the Persian Princes; than
Marie Antoinette on the day when LOUIS
XVI. put upon her the necklace Of eight
l,o thay Rn1oun
day when Henry Will welcomed her to his
palace; all beauty and all pomp forgotten,
while We stand in the presence OF this i'm
perial glory, King Of Zion, King OF earth,
King Of Heaven, King forever! His gar
ments not worn out, not dust-bed-
raggled; but radiant, sI,. and md ,}lewslsed, essk
mnss ana 6sHa BEEN Dressed ssSs hundred
amid the flowers Of heaven. The wardrobe
from which they have been taken must have
been sweet with clusters Of campfire and
frankincense, and all manner Of precious
wood. Do you not inhale the odorSl Ay,ay.
They ''smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,
out Of the ivory palaces"
Your first curiosity is to know why the
robes of Christ are odorous with myrrh.
This was a bright.leafed Abyssinan plant.
It was trifoliated. The Greeks, Egyptians,
Romans and Jews bought and sold it at
high price The first present
that was ever given to Christ was
sprig OF myrrh, thrown on his infantile bed
Ia Bethlehem. and the last gift that Christ
over had was myrrh pressed into the cup OF
his crucifxion. The natives would take
stone and bruise the tree, and then
it would exude gum that would
saturate all the ground beneath. This gum
was used for purposes of merchandise. One
piece Of it. no larger than chestnut, would
whelm q whole room with odors- 1t was put
in closets. in chests in drawers, in rooms,
and its perfume adhered almost lnterrnin-
ably to ANYTHING that was anywhere near
it. So when in my text read that Chrsts
garments smell of myrrh, / Immediately
conclude the exquisite sws etueSs Of Jesus. l
know that to many He is only like any his.
torical person; another John Howard;
another philanthropic Uberlin; another Con-
tucius; grand subject for a painting:
heroic theme for a poem; beautiful
form for statue; but to those who have
beard His voice. and felt His pardon, and re-
- aeived His ienediction, He is music, and
light, and warmth, and thrill, and eternal
fragrance. Sweet as friend sticking to
you when ali else betray. Lifting you up
while others try to push you down. Not
30 much like morning -glories, that bloom
only when the sun is coming up, nor like
"four clocks. that bloom only when the sun
IS going down. hut like myrrh, perpetually
aromatic-the same morning, noon and night
yesterday, to day, forever. 1t seems as II
we cannot wear Him out We put on Him
all our burdens and atfiict Him with all
our griefs and set Him foremost in all our
battles, and yet He is ready to lift, and to
symparhize, and to help. We have so i'm
posed upon Him that one wo::ld think in
eternal afiront He would quit our soul; and
yet to-day He addresses US with the same
tenderness dawns upon us with the same
smile, pities us with the same compassion.
There is no name like His for us 1t Is
more imperial than Caesars, more musical
than Beethoven's, more conquering than
Charlenagne's. more eloquent than Ciceros.
itthrobs With alllife. 1t weeps with all pathos.
It groans with all pain. 1t stoops with
all condescension. 1t breathes with all
perfume. Who like Jesus to set a broken
bone, to pity homeless orphan, to nurse
sick man, to take prodigal back without
any scolding. to illumine cemetery all
plowed with graves, to make Queen unto
God out OF the lost woman OF the street, to
Leatch the tears OF human sorrow IN q
lachrymarory that shall never be brokens
Who has such an eye to see our need, such
lip to kiss away our sorrow, such hand to
. snatch us out Of the fire. such foot to
tramp,e our enemies, such heart to embrace
all our necessities! | struggle for some
metaphor with which 10 express Him. He is
not like the bursting forth Of a full or
chestra; that is too loud. He is not like
the sea whom Iaahed to race bv the tempest:
that is too boisterous. he is not ikel the
mountain, its brow wreathed with the
lightnings; that is too solitary. Give US
a softer type, gentler comparison.
We have seemed to see Him with our
eyes, and to hear Him with our ears, and to
touch Him with our hands. Oh, that to-day
He might appear to some other one OF our
five senses! Ay. the nostril shall discover
Ne "a
gales from heaven. Yea, HIS garments smell
Of pungent, lasting and all pervasive myrrh.
Oh, that you all knew His sweetness. How
soon you would turn from your novels. II
the philosopher leaped out OF his bath
in a frenzy OF joy, and clapped
his hands, and rushed through the
streets, because he had found the solution of
mathematical problem. how will you feel
leaping from the fountain of a Saviour's
mercy and pardon. washed, clean, and made
white as snow, when the question has beer
solved: "How can my soul be saved!" Naked
frost bitten, storm-iashed soul, let Jesus this
hour throw around thee the garments thai
smell Of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out ol
& the ivory palaces =,
& Your second curiosity is TO know why ths
robes Of Jesus are odorous with aloes. There
Is some difference OF opinion about whers
these aloes grow, what is the color OF the
flower, what is the particular appearance ol
} the herb. Suffice it for you and me to know
that aloes mean bitterness the world
over, and when Christ comes with garment:
bearing that particular odor, they suggest II
s me the bitterness Of O Saviour's sufferings
Were there ever such nights as Jesus livet
through-nights on the mountains, nights or
k-the sea, nights in the desertt Who ever hao
such hard reception as Jesus hadl hos
telry the first. an unjust trial in oyer and
y terminsr another. q foul mouthed, yelling
mob the lat Was there a space on His