Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-04-09
EASTER SUNDAY SERMON
ecoME, SEE THE PLACE WHERE
~" THE LORD LAY"

cred on Sunday, March 80, by the
Rev. t. De Witt TaImage-TItIe Of the
sermon, ''The Split 1EausOIeum."
NEW YORK, March 29.-Dr. Talmage
preached an Easter sermon to his two audi
ences 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 q
profusion of flowers, Easter lilies being
conspicuous. A selection of music appro-
PIRATE to the festival was beautifully rem
dared at each service. The text of the
preachers discourse was Matthew xviii, 6,
"Come, see tho place where the Lord lay"
Visiting any great city, we are not satis-
fled until we have also looked at its ceme-
terry We examine all the styles of ceno-
taph, mausoleum, sarcophagus, crypt and
sculpture. Here lies buried a statesman,
yonder an orator, here poet, out there an
inventor, in some other place a great phi
lanthropist. But with how much greater
interest and with more depth of emotion
We look upon our family plot in the ceme-
terry. In the one case it is a matter of pub
Lie interest, 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 interest. At this sepulcher, I
have to tell you-in this sepulcher there
was buried king, conqueror, an eman-
cipator, a friend, a brother, Christ. Mon
arch 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"
THE MANOR OF JOSEPH.
It 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 seven
ty who had condemned Christ, but think
he had voted in the negative, or, being q
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
branched trees and winding paths under
meath them, while here the waters rippled
over the rock into fishpool, and yonder
the vines and the flowers clambered over
the wall, and all around there were the
beauties Of kiosk and arboriculture. After
the fatigues of the Jerusalem courtroom,
how refreshing to come out in these
suburbs botanical and pomologicall
Iwalk little further ON in the parterre
and come across cluster of rocks, and
see on them the marks of a sculptor's
chisel come still closer and find that
there Is a subterranean recess, and | walk
down the marble stairs and come to a port
leo over the doorway-an architecture Of
fruits and flowers chiseled 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,
each niche large enough to hold dead
body. One of these rooms of rock is espe-
cially wealthy with sculpture. 1t was a
beautiful and charming spot. Why all
thiss The fact was that Joseph, the own
er 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 MAUsoLEUM.
Mark we'll the mausoleum in the rock.
It is to be the most celebrated tomb in an
the ages; eatacombs 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 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.
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 be-
tween 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 of inter, and cassia,
and wine of palm tree, and complete the
ambalmment But think in this case en-
halmment 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 bur
den on the shoulders of two men as they
rarry the body of Christ down the marble
Etairs 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 would steal the
body of Christ and play resurrection, put
upon the door the seal of the Sanhedrim,
t1Ae violation OF that seal, like the violation
af the seal of the United States govern
@ent or Of the British government, always
widowed with severe penalties.
THE GUARD OF THE TOMB.
A regiment of soldiers from the tower of
Antonio is detailed to guard that mauso-
aaum. At the door Of that tomb a fight
&Sok place which decided the question for
All graveyards and cemeteries Sword of
kghtning 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 be-
bind him, comes forth in the garb of a
workman as take it, from the fact that
the women mistook him for the gardener
There and then was shattered the tomb
30 that it can never be rebuilt. All the
bcowels of earthly masonry cannot mend
it. Forever and forever it is a broken
tomb. Death that day taking the side of
the military received horrible cut under
the angels spear of fame, and must him
self go down at the last--the King of Ter
rors disappearing before the King of Grace,
'The Lord is risen" Hosannal Hosanna