The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-04-02
THE RESURRECTION DAY
SERMON By Or. TAlMAGE FOR EAST
Err SUNDAY.

"ConIe. See the Place Where the Lord
Lay" the Text Of the Discourse-A
Wonderfully Graphic Word Painting
OF the Last Scene of Earth.
New YORK. March 29.-Dr. Tai
mage preached an Easter sermon to
his two audiences today. Both at the
morning service in Brooklyn and at
The Christian Herald service in New
York in the evening the Academies of
Music were bright with a profusion of
flowers, Easter lilies being conspicuous.
A selection of music appropriate to the
festival was beautifully rendered at
each service. The text of the preach
er's discourse was Matthew xviii, 6,
"Come, see the place where the Lord
lay"
Visiting any great city we are not
satisfied until we have also looked at
its cemetery. We examine all the styles
of cenOtaph, mausoleum, sncophagus,
crypt and sculpture. Here lies buried
statesman, yonder an orator, here a
poet, out there an inventor, in some
other place n great philanthropist But
with how much greater interest and
with more depth of emotion we look
upon our family plot in the cemetery
In the one case it is a matter of public
interest, in the other it is a matter of
private and heartfelt affection. But
around the grave at which we halt this
morning there are gathered all kinds of
interest. At this sepulcher,
| have to tell you, in this sepulcher
there was buried a king, a conqueror,
an emancipator. friend, brother, a
Christ. Monarch OF the universe, but
bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,
and sorrow Of our sorrow, and heart of
our heart. Come, see the place where
the Lord lay"
1t has for surroundings the manor in
the suburbs Of Jerusalem, a manor
owned by a wealthy gentleman by the
name Of Joseph. He was one of the
court of seventy who had condemned
Christ, but think he had voted in the
or, being timid man, had
been absent at the time of the casting of
the vote. He had laid out the parterre
at great expense. It was hot climate,
and l suppose there were broad
trees and winding paths un-
them, while here the waters
rippled over the rock into a fishpool,
and yonder the vines and the flowers
over the wall, and all around
there were the beauties of kiosk arbor-
iculture. After the fatigues of the Je-
courtroom, how refreshing to
come out in these suburbs botanical
and pomologicall
wHERx JESUS LAY.
walk a little farther on in the par
terre and I come across q cluster of
rocks, and see on them the marks of
a sculptor's chisel. come still closer
and l find that there is subterranean
recess, and walk down the marble
stairs, and come to portico, over the
doorway an architecture of fruits and
flowers chiseled by the hand of the
sculptor. Igo into the portico, and on
either side there are rooms, two or
four or six rooms of rock; in the walls
inches, each niche large enough to hold
a dead body. One of these rooms of rock
is especially wealthy with sculpture. 1t
is beautiful and charming spot. Why
all this2 The fact was that Joseph,
the owner of the parterre, of that
manor, had recognized the fact
that he could not always walk those
gardens, and he sought this as his own
asst resting place. What a beautiful
plot In which to wait for the resurrec-
toni
Mark we'll the lnausoleum in the
rock. 1t is to be the most celebrated
tomb in all the ages; catacombs Of
Egypt, tomb of Napoleon, Mahai Tai
Of India, nothing compared with it.
Christ had just been murdered, and his
body must be thrown out to the dogs
and the ravens, as was customary with
crucified bodies, unless there be prompt
and effective hindrance. Joseph, the
owner of the mausoleum, begs for the
body of Christ, and he takes and washes
the poor and mutilated frame from the
blood and the dust, and shrouds It and
perfumes it.
l think embalmment was omitted.
When in olden times they wished to
a dead body the priest with
some pretension of medical skill would
show the point between the ribs where
the incisaOn was TO be made. Then the
operator would come and make the in
cisioo, and then run for his life else he
would be slain for violating the dead
body. Then the other priests would
come with salt and nitre and cassia
and wine of palm tree and complete
the embalmment. But think in this
case enbalmment was omitted lest there
be more excitement and another riot
The funeral advances Present, Joseph,
the owner of the mansoleum; Nicode-
mus, who brought the flowers, and the
two Marya Heavy burden on the
shoulders Of two men as they carry the
body of Christ down the marble stairs
and into the portico and lift the dead
weight to the level Of tho niche in the
rock, and push the body of Christ into
the only pleasant resting place it ever
bad. These men coming forth close
the door of rock against the recess. The
government, afraid that the disciples
would steal the body Of Christ and
play resurrection, put upon the door
the seal of the Sanhedrim, the viola
ton of that seal, like the violation of
the seal of the United States govern
ment or of the British government, al
ways followed with severe penalties.
SOLDIERS GUARDED 1T.
Aregiment of soldiers from the Tower
OF Antonio is detailed to guard that
nausoleum. At the door of that tomb
q fight took place which decided tho
question for all graveyards and ceme-
teries. Sword of lightning against
sword of steel. Angel of God against