Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-19
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE RESURRECTION. THE SUB
JECT LAST SUNDAY.
Tho BloominG OF Flowers Fittlneiy Gel
ebrates the Bursting OF Christs
Tomb - Easter the Season Of Re-
ioiclng.


Looking around the churches this
morning, seeing flowers in wreaths and
flowers in stars and flowers in crosses
and flowers in crowns, pillows of
beauty, confiagration of beauty, you
feel as II you stood in small heaven.
You say these flowers will fade. Yes,
but perhaps you may see them again.
They may be immortal. The fra
GRANGE of the flower may be the spirit
OF the flower: the body of the flower
dying on earth, it's spirit may appe"r
in better worlds. | do not say 1t will
be so. | say 1t may be so. The an
cestors of those tuberoses and camel
las and japonicas and jasmines and
heliotropes were born in paradise.
These apostles of beauty came down
in the regular line of apostolic sue
cession. Their ancestors during the
flood. underground, afterward APP
peared.
The world started with Eden; 1t will
end with Eden. Heaven is called a
paradise of God. Paradise means flow
ers. While theological genluses in this
day are trying to blot out everything
material from their idea of heaven,
and, SO far as l can tell their future
state is to be a-floating around some
where between the Great Bear and
Cassiopeia, l should not be surprised
IL at last l can pick up daisy on the
everlasting hills and hear 1t say: Il
am one of the glorified flowers Of
earth. Don't you remember me?
worshiped with you on Easter morn
ing in 1902"
My text introduces us into a garden,
1t is q manor in the suburbs of Jeru-
salem owned by a wealthy gentleman
by the name of Joseph. He belonged
to the court Of seventy, who had con-
demned Christ, but he had voted In
the negative, or, being a timid man,
had absented himself when the vote
was to be taken. At great expense he
laid out the garden. 1t being hot eli
mate, suppose there were trees
broad branched, and there were paths
winding under these trees, and here
and there were waters dripping down
over the rocks into the ponds, and there
were vlues and flowers blooming from
the wall, and ali around the beauties
of kiosk and horticulture. After the
fatigues of the Jerusalem courtroom,
how refreshing to come into, this SUI
h,,r Ia .Atr hDf n.
logical
Most Celebrated OF Tombs.
Wandering in the garden. | behold
some rocks which have on them the
mark of the sculptor's chisel. / come
nearer, and | find there Is a subterra-
mean recess. l come down the marble
steps, and | come to portico. over
which there is an architrave, by the
chisel cut into representatives OF
fruits and flowers. | enter the por-
tico. On either side there are rooms
two or four or six rooms of rock
the walls of these rooms having
hold dead body. Here is one room
that is especially wealthy of sculp
| ture.
The fact Is that Joseph realizes he
cannot always walk this garden. and
ne has provided this place for his last
slumber. Oh. what a beautiful spot
in which to wait for the coming Of the
resurrection! Mark we'll this tomb
for it is to be the most celebrated tomb
in all the ages. Catacombs of Egypt,
tomb of Napoleon, Mahal Tai of India,
nothing compared with IT, Christ has
Just been murdered. and his body will
be thrown to the dogs and the ravens,
like other crucified bodies, unless there
be prompt and efficient hirdrance.
Joseph, the owner of this mausoleum
in the rocks, begs fc2 the body of
Christ. He washes the roor, mutilatcd
frame from the dust and blood, shrouds
it and perfumes it.
| think that regular cmbalmment
was omitted. When in olden time a
body was to be embalmed, the priest.
with some pretension Of medical skill,
would point out the place between the
ribs where the incislon must be made
and then the operator, having made
the incision. ran lest he be slain for a
violation of the dead. Then the other
priests would come With salt of inter
and cass:a and wine of palm tree and
complete the embalmmcnt. But |
think this embalmment OF the body of
Christ was omitted. 1t would have
raised another contention and another
riot.
The funeral hastens on Present, |
think, Joseph, the owner Of the mauso-
leum; Nicodemus, the wealthy man
VINO had brought the spices, and the
two Marys. No organ dirge, no
plumes, no catafalque. Heavy bur
den for two men as they carry Christ's
body down the marble stairs and into
the portico and lift the dead weight to
the level OF the niche in the rock and
push the body OF Christ into the only
pleasant resting place it ever had.
Coming forth from the fortico, they
close the door of roc. against the re-
cess.
The government, afraid that the dis
ciples may steal the body of Christ and
play resurrection, order the seal of
the sanh"dr:n to be put upon the door
OF the tomb. the violation of that seal,
like the violation of the seal of the
COVER m9nt OF the United States or
Great Britain. to be followed with
great pInfs lment. Accompany of so.-
diers frsm tho tower of Antonio is
detailed T." stand guard.
Sha"sred Beyond Repair.
At the door of the mausoleum a
fight takes places which decides the
question for ali graveyards and ceme-
teri-s. Sword of lightning against