The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-04-22
fl. 1luHAG'S SUNDAY SERMON
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE.
Subject: "An Everyday Christ"

| Trxr: "She, supposing HIM to be the gar
dener."-John Xxx. 10.
Here are Mary Magdalene ald Christ. lust
alter His resurrection. For 1910 wears a
grim and CHASTITY tyrant had been killing
! people and dragging them into his cold pal
ace. He had passion for human skulls.
For forty centuries he had been unhindered
In his work He had taken down kings aud
| queens and conquerors aaG those without
Time In that cold palace there were
shelves OF skulls and pillars of skulls and
altars OF skulls and even the chalices at the
| table were made OF bleached skulls To the
skeleton OF Abel he had added the skeletons
OF all the ages, and no one had disputed his
right until one Good Friday, about 1867
Years ago, as near as can calculate II, a
Mighty Stranger came to the door Of that
awfui place, rolled back the door, and went
Inland seizing the tyrant. threw him TO the
pavement ami put upon the tyrant's neck
the heel OF triumph.
Then the Mighty Stranger. exploring all
the Shastly furniture OF the place and walk.
ing through the lubyrinths. 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 a day,
the nights very dark and the day very dis
: hi"i' ~ sNiG1u bub TWO cUltl IllltrS OF tnut
awful palace and rocked them until il began
to foil. and then laying hold of the ponder
Gus front gate. hoisted 1t from its hinges and
marched forth crying, 81 am the resurrec-
tion. That event we celebrate this Easter
morn. Handelian and Beethoven miracles
OF sound added to this floral decoration
which has set the place nbloom.
There are threa or four things which the.
world and the church have not noticed in re.
] tpnr rI ~ hn ...,,.
our Lord in gardeners attire. Mary Mag
dalene. grief struck. stands by the rilcd sar-
cophaSus OF Christ and turns around, hop
ing she can fnd the tracks OF the sacrilegons
resurroctionist who has despoiled the grave
/ ana she ilnis some one in working apparel
! como forth as IL 10 water the flowers or IN
root the weeds from tho garden or set TO re-
climbing the falling vine-some ono in
working apparel. His garments. perhaps.
having the sign of tho dust and the dirt OF
the occupation.
Mary Magdalcne, on her face tho rain Of n
fresh shower OF weeping, turns to this work
man ana charges him with tho desecration
/ olthe tomb, when, 10, the stranger responds.
! llinging His whole soul into one word which
trembles with all tho sweetest RHYTHM of
earth and heaven. saying, "AIary" In that
pecuiiarity OF accentuation all the inrognl,o
fell OFF, and she found that instead of talking
with an humble gardener of Asia Minor sho
was talking with Him who'owns all the hnn,r-
/ InG gardens OF heaven. Consultations the
clusters OF forgetmcnots, tho sunflowpr the
chief OF all, tho morning sky and midnight
aurora, ilaring terraces OF beauty, blazing
ikea summer wall with coronation roses
and giants of battle Blessed and glorious
mistake OF Mary Maglalene! "Shc, suppos-
ing Him to be the gardener" What does
that mean? II means that We have an every
day Christ for everyday work in everyday
apparel Not on Sabbath morning in our
most seemly apparel are wo moro attractive
to Christ than we are IN our everyday work
dress, managing our merchandise, shifting
our anvil, plowing our field, tending the Nv
ing shuttles, meniing tho garments for our
household, providing food for our families
OF tollihS with weary pen or weary pencil or
weary chlsel. Aworking day Chris, in work.
Ing day apparel for us in our everyday toll.
Put 1t into tho highest strain Of tnis Easter
anthem. "Supposing Him to be the gardener"
Ii Christ had appeared ut daybrcak with a
crown upon His head, that would havo
seemed TO suggest especial sympathy for
monarchs. II Christ had appeared in chain
OF gold aud with robo diamondel, that would
nave seemed to be especial sympathy for the
;fnucM. III Christ had appeared with SOL
uler sash and sword dangling at His side
that would have seemed to imply especial
sympathy for warriors. But when / find
Christ in gardeners habit with perhaps tho
ilakes OF the earth and OF the upturned soil
upon His garments, then | spell 1t out that
lie has hearty and pathetic understanding
with everyday work and everyday anxiety
and everyday fatigue.
Roll it down in comfort all through these
aisles. working day Christ in working
day apparel. Tell IL in the darkest corridor
oil the mountain to the poor miner. Tell il
TO the factory maid in most unventilated
establishment at Lowell II or Lancaster Tell
1t to the clearer Of toughest now ground in
western wilderness Tell it to the sewing
woman, stitch in the side for every stitch
In the garment, some OF their cruel en-
ployers having no right TO think that they
Will get through the door of heaven any
more than they could through the eye of II
broken neeile which has just dropped on the
nare no0r from tho pricked and bleeding
fingers OF tho cOnsumptive sewing girl
Away with your tall; about hypoStatic union
and soicriolOgy OF the council OF Trent and
the metaphysics Of religion which would
freeze practical Christianity out OF the world,
but pass along this gardeners coat to all
nations that they may touch the hem OF II
and feel the thrill of the Chrisiiy brother
hood. Not supposinG the man to be Ca,sar,
not supposing Him TO be Socrates, but 'sup-
posing Him to be the gardener"
Oh, that is what helped Joseph Wedgwood
toilinS amid the htMt and tho dust OF the
potteries, until he could make for Queen
Charlotte the first royal table service of Eng
lsh manufacture. That was what helped
James Watt, scoffed ut ami carlcatured until
he could put on wheels tho thunderbot of
power which rours by day and by night in
every furnace Of the locomotive engine OF
America. That is what helped Hugh Miller.
toiling amid the quarries OF Cromarty, until
every rock became to him volume OF the
worlds biography, and hc found tie foot
steps OF the Creator In the old red sandstone
Oh, tho world wants Christ for the office.
Christ for the kitchen. Christ for tho shop.
Christ for tho banking house, a Christ for
the garden, while spadinG and irriguting the
territory! Oh, OF course we want to see
Christ nj last In royal robe and bediamonded.
celestial equestrian mounting tho whity
horse. but from this Easter OF 1897 to our
last Easter on earth we most need to SEQ
Christ as Mary Magdalene saw Him ut the
dnybreak, "supposing Him to be the gar
dcner."
Another thing which the church and tho
world have not noticed In regard to the res
direction of Christ is that He made His first
post mOrtpm uDDpa n rn N IA IN pna xvhn hod h..,,