Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-04-02
THOUGHTS FOR EASTER.
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON ON THE
GREAT CHURCH FESTIVAL.
The Significance OF Christ'g Resur-
rection in the Lives OF His Fol-

| preached an EASIER sermon TO MS audiences
today. Both at the morning service in
Brooklyn and at New York in tho evening
the Academies Of Music were bright with a
| profusion of flowers, Easter lilies being
conspicuous. A selection of music appro-
pirate to the festival was beautifully rem
| dcrei at each service. The text Of the
preachers discourse was Matthew $3.50,
Come, see the place where the Lord lay.''
Visiting any great city we are not salts
fed until we have also looked at its ceme-
terry. We examine all the styles of ceno-
taph, mausolcum, sarcophagus, crypt and
sculpture. Here lies buried statesman,
| yonder an orator, here a poet out there an
| inventor, in some other place great phil
| anthrop,st But with how much greater
! interest and with more depth of emotion
VIC look upon our family plot in the GENE.
| terry. In the one case, it is 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
| stupenduous interest. At this sepulchre,
have to tell you, in this sepulchre there
was buried King, a Couqucrer, an Eman-
| cipator, Friend, o Brother. q Christ.
! Monarch Of the universe, but bone of our
bone, and flesh of our flesh, AMI sorrow Of
| our sorrow, and heart of our heart. "Come,
| see the place where the Lord lay"
II has for surroundings, the manor in
the suburbs of Jerusalem, manor owned
by 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 negative, Or,
being n timid man, had been absent at the
time Of the casting of the vote. He had
lad out the parterre ut great expense. II
was hot climate and | suppose there were
broad brdnChed trees and winding paths
underneath them, while here the waters
ripplcd over the rocks into a fshpool, and
yOndcr the vines and the flowers clambered
over the wall, and all around there were
the beaut cs of kiosk aud arboriculturc
After the fatigucs of the Jerusalem court
room, how refreshing to come out in these
suburbs botanical and pomolo yical
walk n little further on in the parterre
and | come across a cluster of rocks, and
sec on them the marks of sculptor's
Chsel. l come still closer and | find that
there is a subterranean recess and | walk
down the mlrblc stairs, and come to a
pOrtiCo, over the doorway-an architecture
Of fruits and flowers cbiscled by tho hand
of the sculptor. | go into the portco and
on either side there are rooms, two. four
or six rooms of rock. In the walls are
inches, each niche large enough to hold a
dead body. One of these rooms of rock is
especially wealthy with sculpture. 1t was
beautiful AMI charming spot Way all
thic? The fact was that Joseph, the
owner of the parterre, of that wealthy
had
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,
Mark well the mausolcum 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 just been
murdered and his body must be thrown
out TO the dogs AMI the ravens as was
customary with crucifcd bodies, unless
there be prompt and effective hindrance
Joseph. the owner of the mausoleum, boys
for the body of Christ, and he takes and
washes the poor and mutlated frame from
the blood and the dust and shrouds it and
perfumes it.
| think embalmment was omitted.
When in olden times they wished to
embalm a dead body the priest with some
pretension of medical skill would show the
point between the ribs where the incsion
was to be made. Then the operator would
come and make the incis,ou, and then run
for his life else be would be slain for
violating the dead DO ly. Then the other
priests would come with salt ntre and
cassa and wine of palm tree, and complete
the embalmmeut. But think in this case
embalmment was omitted lest there be
more excitement and another riot The
funeral advances. Present: joseph, the
owner of the mausOleum; NicOdemus who
brought the flowers, and the two Marys
Heavy burden on tho shoulders of two
men as they carry the body of Christ down
the marble stairs and into the pOrtico AMI
lift the dead weight to the level OF the
niche in the rock, AMI push the body of
Christ into the only pleasant rcstin; place
it ever had. These men coming forth
close the door of rock against the recess
Tho government, afraid that the disciples
would steal the body Of Christ and play
resurre ton, put upon the door the seal of
the Sanhelrm, the violation of that seal,
like the viOlat on of tho 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 mauso-
eum. At the door of that tomb a fight took
place which decided the question for all
grave-yards and cemeteries. Sword of
lightning against sword of steel. Angel of
God against the military. The body in the
crypt begins to move in its shroud of
fine linen and slides down upon the pave
ment, moves through the pOrtico appears
in the doorway, comes up the marble steps.
Christ having left his mortuary attire be-
hind him, comes forth in the garb of a
workman as ! take it, from the fact that
the women mStoOk him for the gardener
There and then was shattered the tomb
so that it can never be rebuilt All the
trowols of earthly masonry cannot mend il.
Forever and forever it is broken tomb.
Death that day taking the side of the mill
airy received a horrible cut under tho
lngels spear of flame, and must himself go
Town at the last the King of Terro s dis
| ,ppearing before the King OF Gree. 'sTh1
ord is risen" Hosanna, IIosa, ma!
| weep no more. your comforts slain,
The Lord is r.s,n, he lives aga n.
Again Standing in this place where the
| Lord lay, | am impressed with the fact
that floral and Sculptural ornamCntation
are appropriate for the places of the dead.
| We are all glad that in the sh 2rt time of
Che Sayiour's inhumaton he lay amid
flowers and sculpture, ! cannot quite
understand what see in the newspapers
where amid the announcements of obse-
! quies the friends request 'send no
howcrs.' Why, there is no place SO
appropriate for flowers as the casket of
the departed, II your means allow-I
| repeat, if your means allow-let there be
fowels on the casket, flowers on the
hearse, flowers on the grave. Put them
On the brow; 1t means coronation. Put
them in the hand; it means victory
Christ was buried in parterro Christ
was buried in a garden. Flowers are
| types of resurrection. Death is sad
| enough anyhow. Let conservatory and
arborctum DO all they can in the way of
allevilticn. Your little girl loved flowers
while sho Was alive. Put them in her
hands, now that she cannot go forth and
pluck flowers for herself. On sunshiny
lays twist a garland for her still heart.
Brooklyn has no grandcr glory than her
Greenwood, nor Boston than her Mount
Ant, z ri Ill +.