The Forrest City times., 1891-04-03
THOUGHTS FOR EASTER.
DR. rALMAGE'S SERMON ON THIN
 GREAT CHURCH FESTIVAL

Tho Significance of Chr,st's Resur- rectiOn in the Lives of Hts Fol. lowers.
 NEW YORK, March 29.-Dr. Talmage preached an Easter sermon to his audiences today. Both at the morning service ir Brooklyn and at New York in the evening the Academies of Music were bright with q profusiou of flowers, Easter lilies being conspicuous. A selection of music appro- priate to tho festival was beautifully ren. dered at each service. The text of the "Comc, see the place where the Lord lay. ' Visiting any great city we are not satis fled until we have also looked at it's ceme tery. We examine all the styles of cexo l taph, mausoleum, sarcophagus, crypt and sculpture. Here lies buried statesman, yonder an orator, here poet, out there ar inventor, in some other place great phil. anthropst. But with how much greater interest and with more depth of emotion We look upon our family plot in the come tery. In the one case, it is matter o1 public interest; in the other, it is matter of private and heartfelt affection. Bu, around the grave at which we halt this | morning. there are gathered all kinds ol stupcnduous interest. At this sepulchre, have to tell you, in this sepulchre thert was buried King, Conquerer, an Eman cipator, Friend, Brother, 8 Christ Monarch of the universe. but bone of oul bone, and flesh of our flesh. and sorrow of our sorrow, and heart of our heart. Come see the place where the Lord lay"
 It has for surroundings, the manor fu the suburbs of Jerusalem, manor owned by wealthy gentleman by tho name oi Joseph. He was one of the court oi seventy who had condemned Christ, bu, think he had voted in the negative, or, being timid man. had been absent at the 1 time of the casting of the vote He had lad out the parterre at great expense IL was hot climate and l suppose there were broad -branched trees and winding paths underneath them. while here the waters rlppled over the rocks into fshpool, and wonder the vines and the flowers cIambered over the wall. and all around there were the beaut es of kiosk and arboriculture. After the fatigues of the Jerusalem court room. how refreshing to come out in these suburbs botanical and pomologicaL
 walk little further on in the parterre and come across cluster of rocks, and l sec on them the marks of scuiptor's chIsel. 1 come still closer and l find that there iS subterranean recess and l walk down the marble stairs, and come to a portico, ove" the doorway-an architecture Of fruits and flowers cbiseled by the hand of the sculptor. 1 go into the portico 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. It was beautiful and charminy spot, Why all this? The fact was that Joseph the owner of the parterre. of that wealthy manor, had recognized the fact that he could not always walk these 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 ID 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 lust been murdered and bis body must be thrown out to the dogs and the ravens as was customary with crucifed 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.
 1 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 be would be slain for violating the dead boly. Then the other priests would come with salt nitro and cassia, and wine of palm tree, and complete the embalmment But think in this case embalmmen: was omitted lest there be more excitement and another riot The funeral advances. Present; Joseph, the owner of the mausoleum; Nicodemus whc brought the flowers and the two Marys. Heavy burden on the shoulders of two men as they carry tho body of Christ down the marble stairs and into tho portico and lift the dead weight to tho level of the niche in the rock. and push the body of Christ into the only pleasant resting placo 1t ever bad. 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 resurreet on. put upon the door the seal of tho Sanhedr m, the violation of that seal. like the violat on of the United States government. or of tho British government. always followed with severe penalties.
 A reylment Of sold CTS from the Tower of Antonio is detailed to guard that mauso-
 4um. At the door of that tomb fight took lace which decided the question for all .rave-yards and cemeteries. Sword of
 'shtning alranst swor1 of steel. Angel of
 od against the military. The body in tho
 rypt begins to move in it's shroud of
 ne linen and slides down upon the pave
 ieut moves through the portlco. appears
 tho doorway. comes up tho marble steps
 hrist having left his mortuary attire be-
 nd him. comes forth in tho garb of a
 }orSInan as take it. from the fact that
 Ia women mistook him for the gardener
 There and then was shattcrel the tomb
 that it can never be rebuilt. All the
 Howols of earthly masonry cannot mend it.
 orever and forever 1t is a broken tomb.
 oath that day taking the side of the mili-
 try received horrible cut under the
 ugel's spear of Haine and must himself go
 own at the last the King of Terrors dis
 ppear ng before the King Of Grace. ''Thc
 ord is sen" Hosanna! Hosanpa!
 Ow CD no more. yo IF cOmfc rts slain.
 The Lord is san. he lives aga n.
 Agan Standing in tn place where the Lord lay, l am impressed with the fact that toral and sculptural ornamontation