The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-05-27
THE RESURRECTION.
ev.Dr.Ta Images Easter Discourse
20 His Flock.
Some Usually Tnnoticed Incidents In Con-
nectiOn with the Resurrection That
May set Christians Thinking
Along New Lines.

| ne lOllO"lng Easter sermon was de-
| livered by Rev. Il. Dewitt Talmage be-
fore his Washington congregation. 1t
| is based on the text:
| She, supposng Him to be the garIener-John
| XIX, Is
| Here are Mary Magdale lene and Christ
| just after His resurrection. For 1000
! years a grim and ghastly tyrant had
been killing people and dragging them
| into his cold palace. He had passion
for human skulls. For 40 centuries he
| had been unhindered in his work. He
had taken down kings and queens and
| cOnquerors. and those without fame
| In that cold palace there were shelves
Of skulls, and pillars of skulls, and
affairs of skulls, and even the challces
| at the table were made of bleached
| skulls. To the skeleton of A bel 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 calculate it, mighty
Stranger came to the door of that aw-
full palace, rolled back the door, and
went in, and seizing the tyrant threw
him to the pavement and put upon the
tyrantS neck the heel of triumph.
Then the mighty Stranger, exploring
all the ghastly furniture of the place,
and walking through the labyrinths,
| and opening the dark cellars of mys-
terry, and tarrying under a roof the
RIBS OF which were made of human
| bones -tarrving for two nigh is and a
day, the nights very dark and the dav
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, aud
marched forth crying: Il am the resur-
rectlon." That event we celebrate this
Easter morn. Iiandelian an Beetho-
Wan 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
noticed in regard to the resurrection of
Christ First, our Lord in gardeners
attire. Mary Magdalene, grief-strick-
en-, stands by the rihed 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 reclimbinr the
fallen vine-some one IN working ap-
parel, His garments perhaps having
the 81 On of the dust and the dirt of the
| occupation.
Mary Magdalcne, on her face the
rain OF a fresh shower of weeping,
turns to this workman, and charges
Him with the dcSecration of the tomb,
when 10. the Stranger responds. fling
ing His whole soul into one word which
trembles with all the sweetest rhy
of earth and Heaven, saying: "Maryw
In that peculiarly of accentuation all
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 forgt-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 mis-
take of Mary Magdalene. ''She. sup
posing Him to he the gardener" What
does that mean? 1t means that we
have an everyday apparel Not on
Sabbath morning in our most seemly
apparel are we more attractive to
|
work dress, managing our merchandise
shifting our anvil, plowlng our field,
tending the flying shuttleS. mending
the garments for our household, pro-
viding food for our families, or toiling
with weary pen, or weary pencil, or
weary chisel. A working-day Christ
in working-day apparel for US in our
everyday toll. Put it into the highest
strain Of this Easter anthem: Sup.
posing Him to be the gardener"
If Christ had appeared at daybreak
with crown upon His head, that
would have seemed to suggest especial
sympathy for monarchs; if Christ had
appeared in chain of gold and with
robe diamonded, that would have
seemed to be especial sympathy for the
atfluent; if Christ had appeared with
soldiers sash and sword dangling at
His side, that would have seemed to i'm
ply especial sympathy for warriors
but when | 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
day anxiety, and everyday fatigue
Roll it down in comfort all through
) these aisles. A working-day Christ ir
working-day apparel. Tell it in the
darkest corridor of the mountain t
the poor miner. Tell it to the factory
maid in most unventilated establish
ments at Lowell or Lancaster. Tell i
to the clearer of toughest new GROUND
in western wilderness. Tell it to tht
sewing woman, stitch in the side fol
every stitch in the garment, some 0
their cruel employers having no righ
to think that they will get through tht
door Of Heaven any more than the,
! sQula through the eye 0f Il broke!