The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1897-04-23

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- --'-'N DN'NIO there were shelves
REV. TALMAGE, of skulls. and pill
lars of skulls, and affairs of skulls, and
even the chalices at the table were
made of bleached skulls To the skel-
eton of Abel he had added the skeleton
of all the ages. and no one had disputed
his right until one Good Friday, about
1867 years ago as near as can calcu-
late it, a mighty stranger came to the
door of that awful palace, rolled back
the door. and went in, and selling the
tyrant threw him to the pavement and
put upon the tyrant's neck the heel of
triumph.
Then the mighty stranger, eXplor-
| ing all the CHASTITY furniture of the
place, and walking through the laby-
rinths, and opening the dark cellars of
mystery, and tarrying under a roof
the ribs of which were made of human
bones-tarrying for two nights and
day, the nights very dark and the day
very dismal, He seized the two chief
pillars of that awful palace and rocked
them until it began to fall and then
laying hold of the pOnderous front
gate, hoisted it from its hinges, and
marched forth, crying: Il am the res
urrectionw That event we celebrate
this Easter morn, Handelian and
Beethovian miracles of sound added
to this floral decoration which has set
the place ablOom.
There are three or four things which
the world and the church have not no
ticed in regard to the resurrection of
Christ. First, our Lord in gardeners
attire. Mary Magdalene. grief-strichen,
stands by the rified sarcophagus of
Christ, and turns around, hoping she
can find the track of the sacrilegious
resurrectionist, who has despOiled the
grave, and she finds some one in work
ing apparel come forth as if to water
the flowers, or uproot the weeds from
the garden, or set to reclimbing the
fallen vine-some one in working APP
parel, His garments perhaps having
the sign of the dust and the dirt of the
occupation.
Mary Magdalene, on her face the rain
of fresh shower of weeping, turns to
this workman, and charges Him with
the dissertation of the tomb, when 10!
the stranger responds. fiinging His
whole soul into one word. which trem-
bles with all the sweetest rhythm of
earth and Heaven, saying, MARY" In
that popularity of accentuation all the
incognitO fell off. and she found that
instead of talking with an humble gar
dener of Asia Minor she was talking
with Him who owns all the hanging
gardens of Heaven. Consultations the
clusters of for-get-me-nOts, the sun
flower the chief of all, the morning sky
and midnight aurora, faring terraces
of beauty, blazing like summer wall
with coronation roses and giants of
battle. Blessed and glorious mistake of
Mary Magdalene. 'She, supposing
Him to be the gardener" What does
that mean? 1t means that we have an
everyday Christ for everyday work in
everyday apparel. Not on Sabbath
morning in our most seemly apparel
are we more attractive to Christ than
we are in our everyday work dress,
managing our merchandise, shifting
our anvil, blowing our field, tending
the flying shuttles, mending the gar
ments for our household, providing |
food for our families, or toiling with |
weary pen, or weary pencil, or weary |
chisel. A working-day Christ in work |
ing-day apparel for us in our every
day toll. Put it into the highest strain |
of this Easter anthem, "Supposing |
Him to be the gardener"
If Christ had appeared at daybreak
with a crown upon His head, that |
would have seemed to suggest especial
sympathy for monarcbs; if Christ had |
in chain of gold and with
robe diamonded, that would have
seemed to be especial sympathy for the
if Christ had appeared with
soldiers sash and sword dangling at
His side. that would have seemed to
imply especial sympathy for warriors;
but when l find Christ in gardeners
habit, with perhaps the flakes of the
earth and of the upturned soil upon
His garments, then l spell it out that
He has hearty and pathetic understand
ing with everyday work, and every
lay anxiety, and everyday fatigue.
Roll it down in comfort all through
these aisles. A working-day Christ in
apparel Tell it in the
darkest corridor of the mountain to
The poor miner. Tell it to the factory
maid in most unventilated establish
nents at Lowell or Lancaster. Tell it
20 the clearer of toughest new ground
n western wilderness. Tell it to the
sewing woman, stitch in the side for
very stitch in the garment, some of
heir cruel employers having no right
% think that they will get through
he door of Heaven any more than
hey could through the eye of broken
needle which has just dropped on the
bare floor from the pricked and bleed
ng fingers of the consumptive sewing
yirl. Away with your talk about
union, and soteriology of
The oOunoil of Trent and the meta. |