Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-04-04
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Diyine's Sun
day Sermon.
subjectr "Come, See the Place Where
the Lord lay"

subjecti "Come, Sec the Place Where
the Lord lay"
TEXT: "Conie see the place ,oAcrs the Lord
ldu."-Matthew xviii, G.
Visiting any great city, we are not satis-
fed until we have also looked at its Genre
terry. We examine all the styles OF COMO
taph, mausoleum, sarcopha2Gs, cript and
sculpture. Here lies buried statesman,
yonder an orator, here poet out there an
inventor, in some other place great phi.
lanthropist. But with how much greater
interest and with more depth of emotion we
look upon cur family plot in the cemetery
In the one case it is a matter of public in
terest. in the other it is matter of private
and heartfelt affection But around the
grave at which we halt this morning there
are gathered all kinds of stupeadous in
terest. At this sepuleher, have to tell you
lin this sepGlcher there was buried king,
a conqneror. TN emancipation. friend,
brother, a Christ. Monarch of the universe,
but bone Of our bone, and flesh of oar flesh,
and sorrow Of our sorrow, aud heart of our
heart. 'Come, see the place where the Lord
lay"
1t has for surroun lings the MINOR in tho
suburbs of Jerusalem, manor owned by
wealthy gentleman by the name of JOSEPH
He was che Of the court OF seventy who had
condemne G r.st, but / think he had voted
in the negative, or, being a timid man, had
been absent at the time OF the casting of the
vote. He had laid out the parterre at great
expense. 1t was hot Climate, and l suppose
there were broad branchei trees and wind
ing paths underneath them, while here the
waters rippled over the rock into fishpool.
and wonder the vines AMI the flowers clam
berel over the wall and all ar31nd thess
were the beauties of kiosi, and arborieuttura.
- Il
room, how refreshing to come out IN these
suburbs botanical and pomologicall
1 walk little further on in the parterre
and come across cluster of rocks and [
see on them the marks of sculpto's chise.
come still closer and find that there is
subterranean recess, AMI l walk down the
marble stairs and come to a portco over the
doorwsy-an architecture OF fruits and
flowers chisle! by the hand of the sculptor,
go into the portico, and on either side
there are rooms, two or four or six rooms of
rock; in the walls inches, eaca niche large
enough to hold deaf boiy. One of these
rooms of rock is especially wealthy with
sculpture. 1t was beautiful and charming
spot Why all this2 The fact was that JOS
eph. the owner OF the parterre of that
wealthy manor, had recognized the fact that
he could not always walk those gardens.and
he sought this as his own last resting place.
What a beautiful plot in which to wait for
the resurrection
Mark well the mauso!eum in the rock. It
is to be the most celebrated tomb in all the
ages. catacombs of Egypt, tomb OF Napoleon,
Mahal TAI of India, nothing compared with
it. Christ had just been murdered, aud His
body must be thrown out TO the dogs and the
ravens as was customary with crucified
bodies, unless there be prompt aud effective
hindrance. Joseph, the owner of the mauso-
leum, bsgs for the boiy of Christ, and he
takes and washes the poor and mutiiated
frame from the blood and the dust anl
shrouds it ami perfumes il.
! think embalmment was omitted. When
in olden times they wished to embalm dead
body, the priest with some pretension of
medical skill would show the point between
the ribs where the incision was TO be made.
Then the operator ouid come and make the
incisioD, and then run for his life else
lie would lie slain for violating the
Gead body. Then the other priests
would cone with salt CT inter, and cassia,
and wine Of palm tree, aud complete the
cmbalinment But ] think in this case en-
balmment was omitted lest there be more
excitement and another riot. The funeral
advances Present, Joseph, the owner OF the
mausoleum; Nicolemus who brought the
flowers, and the two Marys. Heavy bur-
den on the shoulders of two men as they
carry tae body of Christ down the marble
stairs and into the portico and lift the dead
weight 10 tue level of the niche in the rock,
and push the body Of Christ into the only
pleasant resting place it ever had. These
lnen coming forth close the door of rock
against the recess. The government, afraid
that the disciples would steal the body OF
Christ AMI play resurrection, put upon ths
door the seal of the Sanhe1rim, the violation
Of that seal like the violation of the seal of
the United States Government or OF tas
British Government, always followed with
severe penalties.
A regiment of soldiers from the tower Of
Auton.ois detailed to guard that mausoleum.
At tie door of that tomb fight took place
which decided the questionfor all graveyards
and cemeteries. Swor of lightning against
sword oi steel. Angel OF God against the
military The body in the crypt begins to
move in its shroul of fine linen and slides
down upon the pavement moves through
the portico, appears in the doorway, comes
up the marble steps Christ, having left His
nnrtuary attire behind Him, comes forth in
the garb Of a workman, as take it, from
the fact that the women mistook Him for
the gardener,
Tnere and then was shattered the tomb 50
that it can never be rebuilt. All the trowels
OF earthly masonry cannot mend it. For
ever and forever it is a broken tomb Death
that day taking the side of the military re-
ceived horrible cut under the angels spear
OF fame, and must himself go down at the
last-the King of Terrors disappearing BE-.
fore the King of Grace. "The Lord il
risen" Hosanna! Hosanna!
weep no more, your comforts slain;
The Lord is risen; He lives again.
/ While standing around the place whero
the Lsrl lay l AIN impressed with the fact
that mortuary honors cannot atone for
wrongs TO the living. IL they could have
afforded Christ suca q costly sepulcher they
could have afforded Him a decent earthly
residence. win they give piece of marbie
to the dead Christ when they might havs
given a soft pillow to the living Christ? II
they had put half the expense of that
mausoleun i'll the making OF Christ's life
on earth comfortable the story would not
have been 50 sad. He wanted bread; they
gave Him q stone. Christ like every other
beneiactnr of the world was better appre-
ciated after He was dead.
Standing IN this place where the Lord lay
] am impressed with the fact that floral and
sculptural oInanentatlon are appropriate
for the places OF the dead. We are all glad
that in the short time of the Saviours inhu-
nation He lay amid flowers and sculpture. [
cannot quite understand what / see in the
newspapers where, amid the announcements
and obsequies, the friends request send no
flowers" Why, there is no place so appro-
pirate for flowers as the casSet Of the de-
parted. If your means allow-I repeat, il
your means aliow-let there be flowers on
the casket, flowers on tde hearse, flowers on
the grave. Put them on the brow; it means
coronation. Put them in the hand, it means
! victorr. Christ was buried in parterre.
/ Christ &as buried in a garden. Flowers are
7 types Of resurrection.
! Standing in this place where the Lord lay
( ! am also impressed with the alignity of
/ unpreteuding obSeguies. Joseph that day was
inourner, sexton, llveryman-had the entire
/ charge of all the occasion. Four people only
at the burial Of the King of the Universe
/ Let this be consolatory to those who through
small means or lack Of large acquaintance,
have but little demonstration of grief ut the
grave Of their dead L is MOI necessary.
Long line of glitteriug equipages, two rows
of silver handles, cas&et OF costly wood, pail
bearers scarfel and glove1 are not nee IS
sarY.
Christ looks out from heaven at a burial
where there are six in attendauce, AMI re-
members there ara two mora than He had
Mt His obsequies, Not reco gn.zing this ides,
how many snail properties are soattsred in
the funeral ritaS aul witox1ooi AL or
phanags 90 out to the cold charity OF tai
world The departed lie enough property
to have kept the family together until they
could take care Of them se.ves, but it is al
absorbed in the funeral rites That went s1r
Grape which ought to have gone for bread
A man Of small means can hardly afforl
to die in one of our great cities Funeral
pageautry i not necessary. No one was