The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-08-23
DIR, TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: The GlorIes Of Heaven-Christ 3
AttractIveness Painted In Glowing Col
ors-From Ivory Palaces to tho Agony
NJ the Crucifixton.

Subject: The GlorIes Of Heaven-Christ .
AttractIyeness Painted In Glowing Col
,ors-From Ivory Palaces to the Agony
of the Crucifxion.
rCopyright, Louis Klopsch. 1891
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse DR..
Talmuge sets forth the elories Of the world
to come and the attractiveness OF the
Christ, who opens the way; text. Psalms,
XIV, 8, "All Thy garments smell Of myrrh
and aloes and cassia out OF the ivory pal
aces"
Among the grand adornments OF the city
OF Paris Is the Church Of Notre Dame, with
great towers and elaborate rose windows
and sculpturing Of the last judgment, with
the trumpetin9 angels aud rising dead its
battlements of qGatre foil; Its sacrlsty,
with ribbed ceilings and statues OF saints.
But there was nothing In all that build
plain republican tastes than the costly
yestments which lay in oaken presses
robes that had been embroidered
with gold and been worn by Popes and
arcbbishops on great occasions. There was
q robe that had been worn by Plus VII. at
the crowning OF the 0rst Napoleon. There
was also vestment that had been worn at
the baptism OF Napoleon II. As our guide
opened the oaken presses and brought out
these vestmenrs OF fabulous cost and lifted
them up the fragrance Of the pungent aro-
matics In which they had been preserved
filed the place with sweetness that was
almost oppressive. Nothing that had been
done in stone more vividly impressed me
than these things that had been done in
cloth and embroidery and perfume. But
to-day open the drawer OF this text, and
look upon the kingly robes OF Christ, and
as lift them, flashing with eternal jewels,
the whole house Is filled with the aroma Of
these garments, which "smell OF myrrh
and aloes and cassia out OF the ivory pal
aces"
In my text the King steps forth. Ills
robes rustic and blaze rs He advances. His
pomp and power and glory overmaster the
spectator. More brilliant Is He than Queen
Vashti moving amid the Persian princes;
than Marie Antoinette on the day when
Louis XVI. put upon her the necklace OF
300 diamonds; than Anne Boleyn the day
when Henry VIII. welcomed her to his
paIace-all beauty and all pomp forgotten
while we stand in the presence OF this i'm
perial glory, King Of Zicn, King OF the
earth, King Of heaven. King forever! Her
garments not worn out, not dust be-
draggled. but radiant and jeweled and re-
dolent. It seems as II they must have
been pressed 100 years amid the flowers Of
6us
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 ts to know why the
robes OF Christ are odorous with myrrh.
This was a bright leafed Ahyssinian plant.
It was trIfoliated. The Greeks. Egyptians,
Romans and Jews bought and sold 1t at o
high price. The first present that was
ever given to Christ wac sprig OF myrrh
thrown on His infantile bed in Bethlehem,
and the last gift that Christ ever had was
myrrh preesed into the cup OF Hls cruel
aIion. The natives would take>a stone
and bruise the tree, and then 1t 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 chestnut would
whelm O whole room with odors. 1t was
put in closets, in chests. In drawers, In
rooms, and its perfume adhered aim ost In
terminably to anything that was anywhere
near It. SO when in my text read that
Cbrist's garments smell OF myrrh l imme-
diately conclude the exquisite sweetness
Of Jesus.
Would that you oil knew His sweetness!
How soon you would turn from all other
attractions! II the philosopher leaped out
OF bis path in frenzy OF Joy and clapped
his hands and rushed through the streets
because be had found the solution OF a
mathematical problem, how will you feel
leaping from the fountain OF q Saviour's
mercy and pardon, washed clean and made
white as snow, when the question has been
solved, "How can my soul be snved?'
Naked, frostbltten, storm-lashed soul, let
n1 fhp
garments that smell OF myrrh and aloes
and cassIa out OF the ivory palace"
Your second curiosity is to know why the
robes OF Jesus are odorous with aloes.
There Is some difference of opinion about
where these aloes grow, what Is the color
OF the flower, what Is the particular ap-
pearunce OF the herb. Suffice 1t for you
and me to.'know that aloes mean bitterness
the world over, and when Christ comes
with garments bearing that particular odor
they suggest to me the bitterness OF q
Saviours sufferings. We're there ever such
nights as Jesus lived through-nights on
the mountains, nights on the sea, nighte In
the desert? Who eyer had such hard re-
ception rs Jesus had? A hostelry the first,
an unjust trial in oyer and terminer an
other, foul mourhed, yelling mob the last.
Was there space on His back as wide rs
yourtwo fingers where He was not whipped?
Was there space on His brow an inch
square where He was not cut OF the briers?
When the spike struck at the instep, did 1t
not 90 cl ur through to the hollow OF the
foot? Oh, long, deep. bitter pilgrimage!
Aloesl AloesI
John leaned his head on Christ, but who
did Christ lean on? Five thousand men
fed by the Saviour; who fed Jesus? The
sympathy of Saviour's heart going out to
ba
soothed Christi he bad lit place neither
to be born nor to die. A poor babel A
poor lad! A poor young man! Not 80
much as taper to cheer His dying hours.
Even the candle OF the sun snuffed out.
Was It not all aloes2 Our sins, sorrows,
cereavements, losses and MI the agonies OF
earth and hell picked up as in enc cluster
and squeezed into one cup, and that
pressed to His lips until the acrid, rauseat-
ing, bitter draft was swallowed with dis
torted countenance and shudder from
head to foot and a gurgling strungulation.
Aloes, aloes! Nothing but aloes. All this
for Himself? All this to get the fame In
the world Of being q martyr? All this In a
spirit Of stubbornness, because He did not
like Caesar? No, mol All this because He
wanted 10 pluck me and you from hell.
Because He wanted to raise me and you to
heaven. Because we were lost aud He
wanted US found. Because We were blind,
and He wanted US to see. Because We
were serHs, and He wanted us manumitted.
Oh, We in whose cup OF life the saccharin
has predominated; oh, ye who have had
bright and sparkling beverages; how do
YOU feel toward Him who In your stead
and to purchase your disenthrsllment,
took the aloes, the upsavory aloes, the
bitter aloesI
Your third curiosity Is to know why
these garments OF Christ are odorous with
cassia. This was plant which grew In
India, and tho adjoining islands. You DO
not care to hear what kind of flower 1t
Ind or rhat kind OF IL stalk 1t Is enough