Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-04-19
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE RESURRECTION. THE SUB
JECT LAST SUNDAY.


Copyright. 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l
Text: John xix. Al. In the garden a
new sepulcher."
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. confagration of beauty. you
feel as IL you stood in a 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, its spirit may appe"-
in better worlds. do not say it will
be so. | say it may be so. The an
cestors of those tuberoses and camel
las and iaponicas 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; il will
end with Eden. Heaven is called
paradise of God. Paradise means flow
ers. 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-floating around some
where between the Great Bear and
Cassiopeia, should not be surprised
II at last can pick up a 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 garden.
II is a 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 ell
mate, I 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 vines 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 su-
burban retreat, botanical and promo
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. | come down the marble
steps, and I come to a 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
inches. every niche large enough to
hold a 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
he has provided this place for his last
slumber. Oh. what beautiful spot
In which to wait for the coming of the
|
for Ii 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 cruciied bodies. unless there
be prompt and efficient h!rdrance
Joseph, the owner OF this mausoleum
in the rocks. begs fc7 the body OF
Christ. He washes the roor, mutllated
frame from the dust and blood .shrouds
1t and perfumes it.
| think that regular cmbalmment
was omitted. When in olden time
body was to be enbalmed, the priest.
with some pretension of medical skill,
would point out the place between the
ribs where the inci9ion 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
Chris. 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
who 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 lit 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 iortico. they
close the door of roc: against the re-
cess.
The government, afraid that the 6is-
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
| goyeromsn OF the United States or
| Great Brit1iu. to be followed with
great pinfslment. A company OF so.-
diers frsm the tower OF Antonio is
detailed I" staad guard.