The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-04-22
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
TEE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Come, See the Place Where
the Lord Lay"

the Lord Lay"
TEXT: "Come see the place ,chero the Lord
lay."-Matthew xviii, g.
Visiting any great city, we are not satls-
fed until we have also looked at its ceme-
terry. We examine all the styles Of COMO
taph, mausoleum, sarcophagus cript and
sculpture. Here lies buried statesman,
wonder an orator, here poet, out there an
inventor, in some other place great phi
ianthropist. 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 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 stupendous in
terest. At this sepulcher, have to tell you
in this sepulcher there was buried king,
q conqueror, an emanclpator, frlend, q
brother, Christ. Monarch of the universe,
but bone Of our bone, and flesh OF our flesh,
and sorrow of our sorrow, and heart OF our
I heart. "Come, see the place where tne Loro
It has for surroundings the manor in the
suburbs of Jerusalem, q 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 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 suppose
there were broad brauched trees and wind
inc inc paths underneath them, while here the
waters rippled over the rock into 6shpool,
and wonder the vines and the flowers clam
bered over the wall, and all around these
were the beauties of kiosk and arboriculture.
After the fatigues Of the Jerusalem court
room. how refreshing to come out in these
suburbs botanical and pomologicals
Iwalk little further on in the parterre
and 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 1 walk down the
marble stairs and come to portlco over the
doorway-an architecture OF fruits and
flowers chisled by the hand Of the sculptor.
20 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 q dead body. One Of these
rooms Of rock is especially wealthy with
sculpture. It was beautiful and charming
srot. Why all this? The fact was that JOS
eph, the owner Of the patterre, of that
wealthy manor, had recognized the fact that
he could not always walk those gardens, land
he sought this as his own last resting place.
What beautiful plot in which to wait for
the resurrection!
Mark we'll the mausoleum 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 and the
ravens, as was customary with crucified
bodies, unless there be prompt aud effective
hindrance. Joseph, the owner of the mauso-
leum, begs for the body Of Christ. and he
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 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 would come and make the
incision, and then run for his life else
he would be slain for violating the
dead body. Then the other priests
would come with salt or inter, and cassa,
and wine Of palm tree, and complete the
embalmment 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
mausoe I'm; Nicodemus, who brought the
flowers and the two Marys. Heavy bur:
den on the shoulders Of two men al they
carry the body of Christ down the marble
stairs and into the portico and lift the dead
weight to the level Of the niche in the rock,
and push the body Of Christ into the only
pleasant resting place it ever had. These
men coming forth close the door of rock
against the recess. The government, afraid
that the disciples woul1 steal the body of
Christ and play resurrection, put upon the
door the seal of the Sanhedrim, the violation
of that seal, like ths 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 graveyards
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 pavement, moves through
the portico, appears in the doorway, comes
up the marble steps. Christ, having left His
mortuary attire behind Him, comes forth in
the garb Of workman, as | take it, from
the fact that the women mistook Him for
the gardener.
There and then was shattered the tomb so
that it can never be rebuilt. All the trowels
of earthly masonry cannot mend it. For
ever and forever it is q broken tomb. Death
that day taking the side of the military re-
ceived horrible cut under the angels spear
Of flame, and must himself 90 down at the
last-the King of Terrors disappearing BE-
fore the King Of Grace. "The Lord II
risen" Hosanna! Hosanna!
o weep no more your comforts slain;
The Lord Is risen; He lives again.
wbila standing around the Dlace where
the Lcrd lay I am impressed with the fact
that mortuary honors cannot atone for
wrongs to the living. If they could have
afforded Christ such costly sepulcher they
could have afforded Him a decent earthly
residence. 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 put half the expense Of that
mausoleum In the making of Christ's life
on earth comfortable the story would not
have been so sad. He wanted bread; they
gave Him a stone. Christ, like every other
benefactor 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 ornamentation are appropriate
for the places Of the dead. We are all glad
that in the short time of the Saviour's inhu-
nation He lay amid flowers and sculpture.
cannot quite understand what I see in the
newspapers where amid the announcements
and obsequies, the friends request "send no
fowers.n Why, there is no place so appro-
pirate for flowers as the casket Of the de-
parted. If your means allow-I repeat, II
your means allow-let there be flowers on
the casket flowers on the hearse, flowers on
the grave. Put them on the brow; it means
coronation. Put them in the hand; it means
III IL