The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-04-18

CO HIS sermon of DR.. Talmage rings
all the bells of gladness, especially
x appropriate at this season, when all
Christendom is celebrating Christ's res
direction; text, John xix, Al, In the
garden a new sepulcher."
Looking around the churches this morn
ing, seeing flowers in wreaths and flowers
III crowns, pillows of beauty, confiagra-
ton of beauty, you feel as if you stood
i'll small heaven.
You say these flowers will fade. Yes,
but perhaps you may see them again.
They may be immortal. The fragrance
of the flower may be the spirit OF the
flower; the body of the flower dying on
earth, its spirit may appear IN better
worlds. | do not say it will be so. L say
it maybe so. The ancestors of those
tuberoses and camelias and japonicas
and jasmines and heliotrOpes were born
in paradise. These apostles of beauty
came down in the regular line of apostol-
ic succession. Their ancestors during
the flood, underground, afterward APP
peared.
The world started with Eden; it will
end with Eden. Heaven is called par
adise of God. Paradise means flowers.
While theological geniuses in this day are
trying to blot out everything material
from their idea of heaven, and so far as
I can tell, their future state is to be
a-foating around somewhere between the
Great Bear and Cassiopeia, l should not
be surprised if at last l can pick up a
daisy on the everlasting hills and hear it
say: Il am one of the glorified flowers of
earth. Don't you remember me? l wor-
oh: ;th Eoc n
1900"
My text introduces us into garden. 1t
is a manor in the suburbs of Jerusalem
owned by wealthy gentleman by the
name of Joseph He belonged to the
court of seventy who had condemned
Christ, but he had voted in the negative,
or, being a timid man, had absented him.
self when the vote was tos be taken. At
great expense he laid out the garden. 1t
being a hot climate, | 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 fish ponds, and there
were vines and flowers blooming from
the wall, and all around the beauties OF
kiosk and horticulture. After the IA
tigues of the Jerusalem court room, how
refreshing to come into this suburban re-
treat, botanical and genealogical!
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 subterranean recess.
[ come down the marble steps, and
come to a portco, over which there is an
architrave, by the chisel cut into repre-
sentations of fruits and flowers. L enter
the portico. On either side there are
rOoms-two or four or six rooms Of rock,
the walls of these rooms having inches,
each niche large enough to hold dead
body. Here is one room that is especial
ly wealthy of sculpture.
The fact is that Joseph realizes he can
not always walk this garden, and he has
provided this place for his last slumber.
Oh, what a beautiful spot i'll 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 crucitied bod
les, unless there be prompt and efficient
hindrance. Joseph, the owner of this
mausoleum in the rocks, begs for the
body Of Christ. He washes the poor, mu-
tiated frame from the dust and blood,
shrouds it and perfumes it.
I think that regular embalmment 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
incision must be made; and then the OPP
orator, having made the incisiOn, ran lest
he be slain for q violation of the dead.
Then the other priests would come with
salt of inter and cassia and wine of palm
tree and complete the embalmment. But
I think this embalmment of the body Of
Christ was omitted. 1t would have raised
another contention and another riot.
The funeral hastens on. Present, L
think, Joseph, the owner of the mausO-
leum; Nicodemus, the wealthy man who
had brought the spices, and the two
Marys. No organ dirge, no plumes, no
catafalque. Heavy burdens 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 portico
they close the coor of rock against the
recess.
The government, afraid that the disci-
pies may steal the body of Christ and
play resurrection, order the seal of the
sanhedrin to be put upon the door Of
the tomb, the violation Of that seal, like
the violation Of the seal Of the govern
ment of the United States or Great Brit
ain, to be followed with great punish
ment. A company of soldiers from the
tower Of Antonio is detailed to stand
guard.
Shattered Beyond Repair.
At the door Of the mausoleum a fight
takes place which decides the question
for all graveyards and cemeteries. Sword
of lightning against sword of steel. Angel
against military. No seal of letter was
ever more easily broken than that seal Of
the sanhedrin ON the door of the tomb.
The dead body in the niche in the rock
begins to move in it's shroud of fine linen,
slides down upon the pavement, moves
out of the portico, appears in the door
way, advances into the open air. comes