The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-04-08
TALMAGE'S EASTER SERMON.
THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST.
Mortuary Honors No Atonement for Living
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Obsequies the East
Peace on Earth-The Gathering
of the Judgment DRy.

DR. Talmage preached an Easter sermon
70 his two audiences last Sunday, 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 profusion OF flowers,
Easter lilies being conspicuous. A selec-
ton of music appropriate to the festival
was beautifully rendered at each service.
The text of the preachers discourse was
Matt xviii, "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-
terv. We examine all the styles of ceno-
taph, mausOleum, sarcOphagus, crypt and
sculpture. Here lies buried a statesman,
vonder an orator, here poet, out there
an inventor, in some other place a 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 caseit is a mat
ter 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 stupendous interest. Atthis sepulchre,
] have to tell you, in this sepulchre there
was buried king, conqueror, an eman-
cipator, friend, brother. Christ, mon
arch of the universe, but bone of our bone,
flesh of our flesh and sorrow of our sor-
row, and heart Of our heart. Come, see
the place where the Lord lay"
It 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 sew
enty who had condemned Christ, but 1
think he had voted in the negative, or. be-
ing timid 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 l suppose there
were broad-branched trees and winding
paths underneath them, while here the
waters rippled over the rock into a fish
pool, and yOnder the vines and the flowers
clambered over the wall, and all around
there were the beauties of kiosk and arbor-
iculture. After the fatigues OF the Jerusa-
lem courtroom how refreshing to come
out in these suburbs botanical and pomo-
logical
l walk little farther on in the parterre
and | come across a cluster OF rocks, and l
see on them the marks OF q sculptor's
chisel. l come still closer and l find that
there is a subterranean recess, and walk
down the marble stairs and come to
portico over the doorway-an architecture
OF fruit and flowers chiseled by he 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
dead body. One Of these rooms of rock is
especially wealthy with sculpture. 1t was
beautiful and charming spot. Why all
this? 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 in the rock.
It 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 Gus
tomary with cTuciied bodies, unless there
be prompt and effective hinderance.
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 en-
balm a dead body, the priest with some
pretentions of medical skill would show
the point between the ribs where the in
cision was to be made. Then the oper-
ator would come and make the incision,
and then run Tor his life else he would be
slain for violating the dead body. Then
the other priests would come with
salt of nitre and cassia, and
wine Of palm tree, and complete
the embalmment. But l 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 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 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. The
violation of that seal, like the violation OF
the seal of the U. S government
or of the British government, always was
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, a
fight took place which decided the ques-
ton for all grave yards and cemeteries
Sword of tightening 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 NOR
tuary attire behind him, comes forth in
the garb of workman as / take it, from
the fact that the woman 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 can not mend
it. Forever and forever it is broken
tomb. Death that day taking the side of
the military received a horrible cut under
the angels spear Of fame, and must HIM
go down at the last-the King of Terrors
disappearing before the King of Grace.
teTba ord 10 ricon Hocannaf Hocoppa I