Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-05
Copyright, Louis KlOpsch, 1891

AxiOn Agony.
copyright, Louis Klcpsch, 1891
WASHINGTON, July 30.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage sets forth the glo-
ries of the world to come and the at
tractiveness Of the Christ, who opens
the way; text, Psalms, xiv, 8, "Ail thy
garments smell of myrrh and aloes and
cassia out of the ivory palaces"
Among the grand adornments of the
city of Paris is the Church of Notre
Dame, with great towers and elabo-
rate rose windows and sculpturing of
the last Judgment, with the trumpeting
angels and rising dead; its battlements
Of Quatre foil; its sacristy, with ribbed
ceilings and statues of saints. But
there was nothing in all that building
which more yividly appealed to my
plain republican tastes than the costly
vestments which lay in oaken presses
robes that had been embroidered
with gold and been worn by popes and
archbishops on great occasions. There
was a robe that had been worn by
IL ut luS CIOWhlnS5 VI lhS LII SI
Napoleon. There was also vestment
that had been worn at the baptism of
Napoleon IL. AS our guide opened the
oaken presses and brought out these
vestments of fabulous cost and lifted
them up the fra agrance of the pungent
aromatics in which they had been pre-
served filed the place with a sweet
ness that was almost oppressive. Moth
ing that had been done in stone more
vividly impressed me than these things
that had been done in cloth and en-
broidery and perfume. But today |
open the drawer of this text, and look
upon the kingly robes of Christ, and as
/ lift them, flashing with eternal jew
els. the whole house is filed with the
aroma of these garments, which smell
of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of
the ivory palaces"
The Robes of Christ.
In my text the King steps forth.
His robes rustic and blaze as he ad-
yances. His pomp and power and
glory overmaster the spectator. More
brilliant is he than Queen Vashti NOV
ing amid the Persian princes; than
Marie Antoinette on the day when
Louis XVI put upon her the necklace
of 800 diamonds; than Anne Boleyn
the day when Henry VIII welcomed
her to his palace-all beauty and all
pomp forgotten while we stand in the
presence of this imperial glory, King
of Zion, King of earth, King of heaven,
King forever! Her garments not worn
and jeweled and redolent. 1t seems as
If they must have been pressed 100
years amid the flowers of heaven.
The wardrobes from which they have
been taken must have been sweet with
clusters of camphor and franklin
cense and all manner of precious wood.
Do you not inhale the odors? Aye,
aye. They smell of myrrh and aloes
and cassia out of the ivory palaces"
Your first curiosity is to know why
the robes of Christ are odorous with
myrrh. This was a bright leafed
Abyssinian plant. 1t was trifoliated:
The Greeks, Egyptians, Romans and
Jews anu SOlu II at d
The first present that was ever given
to Christ was a sprig of myrrh thrown
on his infantile bed in Bethlehem, and
the last gift that Christ ever had was
myrrh pressed into the cup of his
crucifixion. The natives would take a
stone and bruise the tree, and then it
would eXude gum that would saturate
all the ground beneath. This gum was
used for the purposes of merchandise.
One piece of it no larger than a chest
nut would whelm a whole room with
odors. 1t was put in closets, in chests,
in drawers, in rooms, and its perfume
adhered almost interminably to any
thing that was anywhere near it. So
when in my text read that Christ's
garments smell of myrrh l immedi-
ately conclude the exquisite sweetness
of Jesus.
Spice Gales From Heaven.
| know that to many he is only like
any historical person.; another John