The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-02
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE Blythe NOTED
DIVINE.

DIVINE.
Subject: The Resurrection Of Chrlst-Th'
Season Of Spiritual Gladness and Re
freshment-VIctory Over Death and
the Grave-The Mission OF Flowers.
Copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, D. C.-Thls sermon OF DR.
Talmage rings all the bells Of gladness
especially appropriate at this season, wher
ali Chrlstendom Is celebrating Christ's
resurrection; text, John xix, IL, "ln the
garden a new supulcher."
Looking around the churches this morn
ing, 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 II you stood In q
small heaven.
You say these flowers will fade. Yes. but
perhaps you may see them again. They
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 80. say 1t may be 80.
The ancestors OF those tuberoses and
camelllas and japonicas and jasmines and
heliotropes were born In paradise. These
apostles of beauty came down In the regu-
lar line Of apostolic succession. Their an
cestors during the flood, underground,
afterWard appeared.
The world started with Eden; 1t will end
with Eden. Heaven Is called paradise OF
God. Paradise means flowers. While theo-
logical geniuses In this day are trying to
blot out everything material from their
idea OF heaven, and, 80 far as I can tell.
their future state Is to be floating around
Ink, fhn 4
Cassiopeia, should no. be surprised II at
last can pick up daisy on the evsrlast-
Ing hills and hear 1t say; 81 am one Of the
glorifled flowers Of earth. Don't you re-
member mep I worshiped with you on
Easter morning In 1900"
My text introduces US into garden. It
is manor In the suburbs OF Jerusalem
owned by wealthy gentlema4ot the name
OF Joseph. He belonged to ele court Of
seventy who had condemned Christ, but
he had voted in the negative, or, being a
timid man, had absented himself when tho
vote was to be taken. At great expense he
I suppose there we're trees broad bran ched,
and there were paths winding under these
trees, and here and there were waters drip
ping down over the rocks into fish ponds,
and there were vines and flowers blooming
from the wall, aud all around the beauties
OF kiosk and arbortculture. After the IA
tgues Of the Jerusalem courtroom, how
refreshing to como into this suburban re-
trent, botanical and pomologlcall
Wandering in the garden, behold some
rocks which have on them the mark OF the
sculptor's chisel. I come nearer, and I
find there Is subterranean recess. leone
down the marble steps, and I come to
porticc, over which there Is an architrave,
by the chisel cut into representations Of
fruits and flowers. enter the portlco. On
either side there are rooms-two or four or
six rooms of rock, the walls Of these rooms
having inches, each niGhe large enough to
hold dead body. Here is one room that
Is especially wealthy OF sculpture.
The fact ts that Joseph realizes he cannot
always walk this garden, and he has pro-
vided this places for his last slumber. Oh,
what a beautiful spot in which to walt for
the coming oithe resurrection! Mark well
this tomb, for It IS to be the most celebrat.
ed tomb in all the ages: Cataeombs OF
Egypt, tomb OF Napoleon, Mahal Tai Of In
dia, nothing compared with 1t. Christ has
just been murdered, and His body will be
thrown to the dogs and the ravens, like
other cruclned bodies, unless there be
prompt aud 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 1t.
think that regular embalmment was
omitted. When In olden time u body was
to be embalmed, the priest, with some pre-
tension OF medical skill, would point out
the place between the ribs where the In
cislon must be made, and then the operator,
having made the ineision. ran lest he be
slain for a violation OF the dead. Then the
other priests would come with salt OF inter
and cussia aud wine OF palm tree and COM
plete the embalmment. But think this en-
balmment OF the body of Christ was
omitted. 1t would have raised another
contention and another riot.
The funeral 'hastens on. Present, I
think, Joseph, the owner OF the mauso-
leum; Ncodemus, the wealthy man who
had brought the spices, aud the two Macys.
No organ dirge, no plumes, no catafalque.
Heavy burden for two men as they carry
Christ's body down the marble stairs and
into tbs portlco 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 door OF
rock against the recess.
The government, afraid that the dis
ciples 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 Government OF
tho United States or Great Britain, to be
foilowed With great punishment. A COM
pahy OF soldiers from the tower Of Antonia
Is detailed to stand guard.
At the door OF the mausoleum fight
takes places which decides the question
for all erayeYards and cemeteries. Sword
OF Lightning sgainst sword OF steel. Angel
against military. No seal OF letter was
ear mors easily broken than that seal Of
the s4nhedkin on the door OF the tomb.
The dead d3body in the niche In the rock
begins tompge1n its shroud OF fine linen,
slfdea doynHpon the pavement, moves out
Of tbeF Fpftl appears In the doorway, ad-
lht8etAe open air, comes up the
fnatb stR Having left His mortuary
&ttir43 J8bf41 Him, he comes forth In work.
~ ~ 6Sae Is thkeit, from the fact that
e155H 40 rdJ3Sook Him for the gardener.
HIT day fb& grave received such shat
terIhE57 Il sc6t fsHyer be rebuilt. All the
tToBeIHs se&ft1Iy masonry can never mend
It: Forever 1t .is ~ broken
tomb. NsSt Ring side with The mill
tarydn fhats &hfs Received terrible cut
from 9Bpear Of fame, 80 that he
himself shaiE .doEns after awhile under
It. The kiBROEt retiring before the
King 1{ Rf1cei lord is yrisenl Let
earth hsay ysh Esp Eaatass to-day!
Something B SCI IA; ;Ens Sbssr5Ha lon While
stan dinRsIf thls garden th sleW sspnl.
chez. And ATst, post MOI 19rs In
contt8Sf N1th ante mortemi i8n5m$6tes. II
thsy dch have afforded sghftst ssuch a
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