The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1900-04-20
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE RESURRECTION. THE SUB
JECT LAST SUNDAY.
The Blooming of Flowers Fittineiy Cell
ebratcs the Bursting OF Christs
Tomb - Easter the Season of Re-
jolcing.

morning, seeing MOWERS IN WTeatHS al
flowers in stars and flowers in crosse
and flowers in crowns, pillows o
beauty, oonfiagration of beauty. yol
feel as if 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 spiri
of the flower; the body Of the flowe
dying on earth, its spirit may appeal
in better worlds. | do not say it vii
be so. | say it may be So The an
cestors of those tuberoses and camel
las and japonicas and jasmnes ant
heliotropes were born in paradise
These apostles of beauty came dowr
in the regular line of apostolic sue
cession. Their ancestors during the
flood, underground, afterward APP
peared.
The world started with Eden; it 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 l can tell. their future
state is to be a-foating around some
where between the Great Bear and
Cassiopeia. ! should not be surprised
if at last can pick up daisy on the
everlasting hills and hear it 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.
| 1t is a manor in the suburbs of Jeru-
salem owned by 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 vines and flowers blooming from
the wall, and all around the beauties
of kiosk and horticulture. After the
fatigues of the Jerusalem courtroom
how refreshing to come into this SUI
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 subterra-
mean recess. 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
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
resurrection! Mark well 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
lust been murdered, and his body will
be thrown to the dogs and the ravens.
like other crucified bodies, 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 mutilated
frame from the dust and blood, shrouds
it and perfumes it.
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 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 cassia and wine of palm tree and
complete the embalmment. 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
who had brought the spices. and the
two Marys. No organ dirge, nc
plumes, no catafalque. Heavy bur
den for two men as they carry Christi
body down the marble stairs and into
the portico and lift the dead weight tC
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 door of rock against the re-
cess.