Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-17
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.


Subject: Tho Glories of Heaven-Christ's
Attractiveness Painted in Glowing Col
ors-From Ivory Palaces to the Agony
OF the CruciiixiOn.
copyright, Louis Klopsch. 1921
WASHINGTON, D. C.-In this discourse DIR.
Talmage sets forth the glories OF the world
20 come and the attracttveness of the
Christ, who opens the way; text. Psalms,
XIV, s, Cali Thy garments smell OF myrrh
md aloes and cassia out Of the ivory pal
aces"
Among the grand adornments Of tho city
OF Paris is the Church of Notre Dame, with
great towers and elaborate rose windows
and sculpturing of the last judgment, with
the trumpeting angels and rising dead; its
Nattements OF quatre foil; its sacristy,
Eith ribbed ceilings and statues OF saints.
But there was nothing In all that build
ng which more vividly 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 Plus VII. at
the browning OF the first Napoleon. There
was also a vestment that had been worn ut
the baptism Of Napoleon II. AS our guide
opened the oaken presses and brought out
these vestments Of fabulous cost and lifted
tnem up the fragrance Oh tue punBent arO-
matics in which they had been preserved
filled the place with a sweetness that was
almost oppressive. Nothing that had been
done in stone moro 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 ktngly 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 tho King steps forth. His
robes rustic and blaze as He advances. Hi:
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
800 diam onds; 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 i'm
perial glory, King OF Zion, King OF the
earth, King of heaven, King foreverl Her
garments not worn out, not dust be-
draggled. but radiant and jeweled and re-
dolent. 1t seems as II 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 oil manner Of precious wood.
"They smell OF myrrh and aloes and cassia
out of the ivory palaces"
Your first curiosity l. to know why the
robes Of Christ are odorous with myrrh.
This was bright leafed Abyssinian plant.
1t was trifolated. The Greeks. Egyptians,
Romans and Jews bought and sold 1t at
high price. The first present that was
ever given TO Christ was a sprig of myrrh
thrown on His infautile bed in Bethlehem,
and the last gift that Christ ever had was
myrrh pressed into the cup OF His cruel
fixion. The natives would take stone
and bruise the tree, and then 1t would
sxude a gum that would saturate all the
ground beneath. This gum was used for
the purposes of merchandise. One piece
of 1t no larger than chestnut would
whelm whole room with odors. 1t was
put in closets, in chests. In drawers, in
rooms and its perfume adhered almost in
terminably to anything that was anywhere
near it. So when in my text l read that
Christ's garments smell of myrrh l imme-
diately conclude the exquisite sweetness
of Jesus.
Would that you all knew His sweetnessl
How soon you would turn from all other
attractionsl If the philosopher leaped out
of his path in frenzy Of JOY and clapped
his hands and rushed through the streets
because he had found the solution Of II
mathematical problem, how will you feel
leapng from the fountain OF Saviours
/
white as snow, when the question has been
solved, How can my soul be saved?"
Naked, frostbitten, stotm-lashed soul, let
Jesus this hour throw around thee the
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 tho particular ap-
pearance 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
Saviour's sufferings. Were there ever such
nights as Jesus lived through-nights on
the mountains, nights on the sea, nights in
the desert2 Who eyer had such hard re-
ception as Jesus had? A hostelry the first,
an unjust trial in oyer and terminer an
other, a foul mouthed, yelling mob the last.
Was there space on His back rs wide as
yourt TWO fingers where He was not whipped?
Was there a space on His brow an inch
square where He was not cut of the briers2
When the spike struck Mt the instep, did it
not go lar through to the hollow Of the
footp Oh long, deep. bitter pilgrimage!
Aloesl Aloes!
John leaned his head on Christ, but who
did Christ lean on? Five thousand men
| fed by the Saviour; who fed Jesusp The
| the leper and the adultress; but who
soothed Christ? He had Il fit place neither
to be born nor to die. poor babe! A
poor lad! A poor young man! Not so
much rs taper to cheer His dying hours.
Even the candle OF the sun snuffed out.
| Was it not al aloes? Our sins, sorrows,
Eereavements. losses and all the agonies Of
earth and he'll picked up as in enc cluster
and squeezed into one cup, and that
pressed to His lips until the acrld. nauseat-
ing, bitter draft was swallowed with dis
torted countenance and shudder from
head to foot and n gurgling strangulation.
| Aloes, aloes! Nothing but aloes. All this
for Hlmself2 All this to get the fame in
the world of being martyrp All this in u
spiri! of stubbornness, because He did not
like Caesar? No, mol All this because He
wanted to 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 serfs, and He wanted US manumitted.
| Oh, ye 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