Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-04-03
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
subject, "Come, See the Place Where
the Lord lay"
TExr: Come see The place loAers the Lord

wonder 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 our family plot in the cemetery.
In the one case it is a matter of public in
terest, 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 stupendouS in
terest. At this sepulcher, have to tell You
jim this sepulcher there was buried a king,
q conqueror, an emancipator a friend, a
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
Law"
It has for surroundings the manor in tho
suburbs Of Jerusalem, a manor owned by
wealthy gentleman by the name of Joseph.
| He was one of the court of seventy VINO had
condemned Christ, but think he had voted
| in the negative, or, being timld 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 suppose
| there were broad branched trees and wind
ing paths underneath them, while here the
waters ripped over the rock into fishpool,
! and wonder the vines and the flowers clam
hered over tee wall, and all around these
were the beauties of kiosk and arboriculture.
After the fatigues of the Jerusalem court
room, how refreshing to come ont IN these
suburbs botanical and pomoiogical!
| walk little further on in the parterre
and come across a cluster OF rocks, and
see on them the marks of sculpto. S chisel.
! | come still closer and find that there IS
subterranean recess, AMI walk down the
marble stairs and come to a pOrtico over the
| doorway-an architecture Of fruits and
Y IL; 4 lx-f ho IF ba
20 into the pOrtico, and on either side
there are rooms, two or four or six rooms or
rock; in the walls inches, each niche large
enough to hold deal bo1y. One Of these
rooms of rock is especially wealthy with
SCULPTURE. 1t was beautiful and charming
spot Why all this? 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 beautiful plot in which TO wait for
the resurrection,
Marx well the mauso'eun in the rock. 1t
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 lust been murdered, and Ills
body must be thrown out to the dogs and the
ravens, as was customary with cruc,hed
bodies, unless there be prompt aud effective
hindrance Joseph, the owner OF the mauso-
leum. bggs for the boiy Of Christ, AMI he
takes and washes the poor and nutilated
frame from the blood and the dust, an
shrouds it and perfumes it.
/ think embalmment was omitted. When
in olden times they wished to embalm dead
body. the priest with some pretensioa of
medical skill would show The point between
the ribs where the incisiol was TO be made.
Then the operator ould come and make the
ncision, and then run for his life else
he woul lie slain for violating the
dead body. Then the other priests
would cone with salt or inter. and cassia
and wine of palm tree, and complete the
embalmment But think in this case en-
balmment was omitted lest there be mor5
excitement and another rio: The funeral
advances Present, Joseph, the owner OF the
nausoeum: Nco1emus. who brought the
flowers, and the two Mays Heavy bur-
den On the shoulders of two men as theJ
carry the body of Christ down the marble
stairs and into the portico, AMI lit the dea |
weight TO the level of the niche in the rock,
and push the tody OF Christ into the Only
pleasant resting place it ever had. Ihes'
men coming forth close the door OF rock
against the recess The government, afraid
that the disciples would steal the poly OF
Christ and pay resurrection, put upol the
door the seal of the Sanhelrim, the violation
of that seal. like the violation Of the seal OF
the United States Government or OF the
British Government, always followed with
severe penalties.
A regiment of soldiers from the tower Of
Antonio is detailed to guard that mausoleum.
At the door of that tomb fight took place
which decided the question for all grsveyards
and cemeteries. Sworl of lightning againss
sword of steel. Angel of Goa against tae
military. The body in the crypt begins 70
+ move in its shroud of fine linen and slides
down upon the pavement moves through
the portico, appears in the doorway, comes
ND the marble steps. Christ, having left His
mortuary attire behind Him, comes forth IN
the garb OF a workman, as take 1t, from
the feet that the women mlstook Him for
the gardener.
There and then was shattered the tomb 50
that it can never be rebuilt. All the troweis
of earthly masonry cannot mend 1t. For
ever and forever it is a broken tomb. Death
that day taking the side Of the military re-
ceived a horrible cut under the angels spear
of fame, and must himself 60 down at tao
last--the King Of TerrOrs disappearing b.
| fore the King of Grace. The Lord Is
risen" Hosanna Hosanna,
0 weep no more. your comforts slain;
The Lord is risen; He lives again.
While standins around tde place where
| the Lcrd lay ] am impressed with the fac
that mortuary honorS cannot atone for
wrongs to the livin~ If they could havs
| afforded Christ such a costly sepulcher they
could have Afforded Him decent earthly
/ res dence Will they give piece OF marble
to the dead Christ when they might have
given a soft pillow to the living Christ; II
| they had pat half the expense OF that
mausoleum in the making of Christs life
on earth comfortable the story would not
have been 50 sad. He wantel bread: they
gave Him a stone. Christ Ike every other
| beneiactor of the world was better appre-
ciated after He was dead.
Standing in this place where the Lori lay
I am impressed with the fact that floral and
sculptural ornamentation are appropriate
for the places of the dead. We are all CAD
that in the short time OF the Saviour's 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 'senl NJ
| flowers" Why, there is no place so appro-
! pirate for flowers as tue casket OF the de
| parted If your means allow repeat, II
your means alow-let there be flowers Oh
the casket, flowers on the hearse, flowers on
the grave. Put them On the brow il means
coronation. Put them in the hand; it means
victorv, Christ was buried IN parterre.
Christ Was buried in garden. Flowers are
types Of resurrection,
Standing in this place where the Lord lay
am also impressed with the ia1ignity or
unpretending oosequies. Joseph that day was
mourner, sexton, liveryman-ha1 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 at the
grave of their dead IL is not necessary
Long line of glittering equipages, two rows
Of silver handles, casxet OF costly WOO l, pail
bearers scarfel AMI glove1 are not necss-
sary.
Christ looks out from heaven at burial
where there are six in attendance, and re-
members there are two more than He had
at His obsequies Not recognizing this idea,
how mauy snail properties are scattered in
the funeral rites, AMI widowlool all or
phanage 20 out to the cold charity OF tn,
world. The departed lie enough property
TO have kept the family together until they
could take care Of themselves, but it is al
absorbed in the funeral rites. That went FOR
Grape which ought to have gone for bread.
A man of small means can hardly AFFORD
TO die in one of our great cities Funeral
pageantry is not necessary. No one was
ever more lovingly and tenderly put into the
grave than Christ, but there were only toui