The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-04-19
TALMAGE'S SERMON.

TALMAGE'S SERMON.
THE RESURRECTION, THE SUB
4 JEcT LAST SUNDAY.
Tho Blooming of Flowers Fitnnely COL
| sbrates the Bursting of Christ's
Tomb - Easter the season of Re-
[Copyright 1900. by Louis Iklopsch.l
Text: John xix. Al, In the garden q
new sepulcher."
morning, seeing flowers in wreaths and
flowers in stars and flowers in crosses
and flowers in crowns. pillows Of
beauty, conflagration of beauty, you
feel as If 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-r
in better worlds. do not say it will
be so. l say 1t may be so. The an
cestors of those tuberoses and camel
HAS 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 ap-
4 peared.
The world started with Eden; 1t will
/ end with Eden. Heaven is called a
paradise of God. Paradise means fow-
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-fioating 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 1t say: II
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 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 cli-
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. I come
nearer, and find there is subterra-
mean recess. come down the marble
steps, and come to a portico, over
which there is an architrave, by the
| Ghisel cut INTO representatives of
fruits and flowers enter tie 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 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 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 hiEdrance.
Joseph, the OWEN of this mansoleum
in the rocks, begs f. the body of
Christ. He washes the poor, mutilatcd
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 pretcnsion 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 cass;a and wine Of palm tree and
1 complete the embalmment. But /
i think this embalmment of the body of
4 Chris. was omitted. 1t would have
i raised another contention and another
riot.
i The funeral hastens on Present,
think, Joseph. the owner Of the tf ma sa.-
leum; Nioodenlus, the wealthy man
!, , =, had brought the spices, and the
two Marys. No organ dirge, nc
/ plumes, no catafalque. Heay,7 bur
den for two men as they carry Christ's
4 body down the marble stairs and into