The Yale expositor., 1897-04-23

NE4SsJ e. He had a passion
for human skulls.
For forty centuries he had been uhhln-
dered In his work. He had taken DOWN
kings and queens and conquerors' ana
those without fame. In that cold PAL
ace there were shelves of skulls, anu
pillars of skulls, and affairs OF skulis'
and even the chaLces at the table were
made OF bleached skulls. To the sKeie-
ton of Abel had been added the skeletoh
of all the ages. and no one had disputed
his right until one good Friday, about
eighteen hundred and siXty-seVen
years ago, as near as can calculate Al,
mighty stranger came to the door or
that awful place, rolled back the door'
and went in, and selling the tyraht
threw him to the pavement ana put
upon the tyrant's neck the heel OF trl-
umph.
Then the mighty stranger, exploring
all the CHASTITY furniture OF the place.
and walking through the labyrlnths'
and opening the dark cellars OF mys-
terry. and tarrying under rooi 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 pill
lars of that awful palace and rocked
them until II began TO fall. and then
laying hold Of the ponderous front gate
hoisted 1t from its hinges, and marched
forth crying, II am the Resurrection"
| That event we celebrate this Easter
morn, Handellan and Beethoven mira
cles of sound added to this floral deco
ration 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 or
Christ. First. our Lord in the garden
er's attire. Mary Magdalen, grief
struck, stands by the rifed sarcophagus
of Christ, and turns around, hoping she
can find the track of the sacrilegious
resurrectlonist who has despoiled the
grave. and she finds some one in work
! ing apparel come forth as II to water
the flowers. or uproot the weeds from
the garden, or to set reclimbing the
| fallen vine-some one in working APP
parel. his garments perhaps having the
sign OF the dust and dirt OF the occupa-
! ton.
Mary Magdalen, 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. flinging his
whole soul into one word which trem-
bles with all the sweetest rhythm of
earth and heaven. saying. Mary" In
that popularity OF accumulation 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 ownsyall the hanging
gardens OF heaven. Consultations the
clusters OF forget-me-nots, the sun
flower the chief of all, the morning sky
and the midnight aurora. flaring ter
races of beauty, blazing like summer
wall with coronation roses and giants
OF battle. Blessed and glorious mis-
take of Mary Magdalen. "She suppos-
ing him TO be the gardener" What
does that mean? II 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 merchan-
disc, shifting our anvil. ploughing our
field, tending the flying shuttles. mend
ing the garments for our household,
providing food for our families, or toll
ing with weary pen, or weary pencil,
or weary chisel. A working-day Christ
In working-day appare! for us in our
everyday toll. Put 1t into the highest
strain of this Easter anthem. "Suppos-
ing him to be the gardener"
II Christ had appeared at daybreak
with a crown upon his head, that would
have seemed to suggest especial sym
patty for monarehs; II Christ had APP
peared In chain of gold and with robe
bediamonded. that would have seemed
to be especial sympathy for the af-
fluent; IL Christ had appeared with SOL
dier's 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,
then I spell 1t out that he has hearty
and pathetic understanding with every
day work, and everyday anxiety, and
every day fatigue.
| Roll 1t down in comfort all through
these aisles. A working-day Christ in
working-day apparel. Tell 1t in the
darkest corridor of the mountain to the
poor miner Tell IL to the factory maid
| In most unventilated establishment at
Lowell or Lancaster. Tell II to the
clearer OF toughest new ground in the
western wilderness. Tell It to the sew
ing woman, a stitch in the side for
every stitch in the garment, some OF
their cruel employers having no right
to think that they will get through the
door of heaven any more than they
could through the eye OF broken
needle which has just dropped on the
bare floor from the pricked and bleed
ing fingers OF the consumptiye sewing
girl. Away with your talk about hy-
postatic union, and soteriology of the
Council of Trent. and the metaphysics
Of religion which would freeze practi-