Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-19
BELLS OF GLADNESS.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE SPEAKS OF THE
GLORIOUS RESURRECTION.

Biooming Flowers, Enblcmntic of
Paradise. FIFTY Celebrate the Burst-
ing of Christs Tcmb--Enstcr "A Sea-
son of Rejoicing.
WASHINGTON, April 15,-This sermon
of DR.. Talmage rings all the bells of glad
ness, especially appropriate at this sea
son, when all Chrstcndom is celebrating
Christ's resurrection; text, John xix, Al,
In the garden a new scpulcher"
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, con
hagration of beauty, you feel as if you
stood in small heaven.
you say these flowers will fade. Yes,
but perhaps you may see them again.
They may he 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. ! say
it may be so. The ancestors of those
tuheroscs and camellias and japopicas
and jasmines and helotropes 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
pCared.
The world started with Eden; it will
end with Eden. Heaven is call"i par
adisc 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
| can tell, their future state is to be
a .; hat xyan bo
Great Bear and Cassiopeia, | should not
he surprised if at last | can pick up a
daisy on the everlasting hills and hear it
say: Il am one of the glorifed flowers Of
earth. Don't you remember me? ] wor-
SHIPPED with you OIL Easter morning in
1900"
My text introduces us into a garden. It
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 to he taken. At
great expense he laid out the garden. 1t
being 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, anG there
were vines and flowers blooming from
the wall, and all around the beauties of
kiosk and ahoriculturc. After the ia
tiCues Of the Jerusalem courtroom, how
refreshing to come into this suburban re-
treat, botanical and pomological.
Most Celebrated of Tombs.
Wandering In the garden, | behold
some rocks which have on them the mark
of the scu,ptor's chisel. l come nearer,
and | find there is subterranean recess.
! come Down the marble steps, and |
come to portico, over which there is an
/ architrave, by the chisel cut into repre-
sensations of fruits and flowers. | 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 beautiful SPOT in which to
wait for the coming of the resurrection!
| Mark well this tomb, for it is to be the
most celebrated tomb in all the ages.
Catacomhs 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 bod
les, unless there be prompt and efficient
hindraEce. Joseph, the owner of this
mausoleun in the rocks. begs for the
body of Christ. He washes the poor, mu
tildtei frame fror, the dust and blood
shrouds it and perfumes if
| think that regular embalmmert was
omitted. When in olden time body wa.
to be embalmed, the priest, with some
pretension of medical skill, would poin
out the place between the ribs where the
incision must be made; and then the OPP
orator, having made the incison, ran les
he be slain for a violation of the dead
Then the other priests would come witt
salt of inter and cassia and wine of pain
tree and complete the embamment. Blu
l think this embalmment of the body O
Christ was omitted. 1t would have raised
another contention and another riot
The funeral hnstens on. Present,
think Joseph the owner OF tho mauso
ieum; Nicodemus, the wealthy man Wit
had brought the spices, and the tw'
Mnrys, No organ dirge, no plumes, NJ
catafalque. Heavy burden for two mel
as they carry Christ's body down tn
marble stairs and into the portico and lif
the dead weight to the level OF the mich
in the rock and push the body of Chris
into the only pleasant resting place
ever had. Coming forth from the porticc
they close til, door of rock against tn
recess.
The government afraid that the disc
pies may steal the body of Christ an
play resurrection, order the seal of tn
sanhedrin to be put upon the door o
the tomb, the violation of thai seal, lik
the violation OF the seal OF the govern
ment of the United States or Great Brit
ain. to be followed with great punisl
ment. A company of soldiers from tn
tower of Antonio is detailed to stan
guard.
Shattered Beyond Repair.
At the door Of the mausoleum fgf
takes place which decides the questio
for all graveyards and cemeteries. Swor
of lightning against sword Of steel Ang'
against military. No seal of letter wa
ever more easily broken than that seal {
the sanbedrin on the door of the toni
The dead body in the niche in the roc
begins to move in its shroud Of fine liner
slides down upon the pavement, move
out of the portico, appears in the doc
way, advances into the open air. CONF
up the marble steps. Having left h
mortuary attire behind him, he come
forth in workman's garb, as | take
. far hot ia NUn mis- 81