Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-04-26
CHRIST AND CREEDS.
DR.. TALMAGE,S TIMELY DISCOURSE
ON RELIGIOUS DOCTRINES.

Would free Humanity From the
GravecIothcs of old EccIesinsticnI
Dogmas simple Faith In Christ
the Test of Christiarity.
WAsHINGToN, April 90. 49, At a time
when the old discussion of crceds is being
vigorously and somewhat bitterly revived
this discourse of DR.. Talmage has spe
cial interest. The text is John XII A:
loose him and let him 60"
My Bible is at the place of this text
written all over with lead pencil marks
made at Bethany on the ruins of the
house of May and Martha and Lazarus.
We dismounted from our horses on the
way up from Jordan to the Dead sea.
Bethany was the summer evening aetreat
Of Jesus. After spending the day in the
hot city of Jerusalem he would come out
here almost every evening to the house
of his three friends. | think the occu-
pants Of that house were orphans, for the
father and mother are not mentioned.
But the son and two daughters must
have inherited property, for it must
have been. Judging from what | saw of
the foundations and the size of the
rooms, an opulpnt home. Lazarus, the
brother, was now at the head of the
household, and his sisters depended on
,.nn,, ,,,,,an and ararrhodr n,od him
.,J .i,ala ,,;,,s ,roro snlondiJ ,irls-Mor
tbo n 6rs+ rotc house,oencr and Mary n
anir;,roi,o oomovhot dreomv but affec-
tioroto ond &c GOOD c;rI as could he
tourd in all Palestine Rut ono dov Laz-
,r,,a ,nt s,cL ,Tbe s;sters vvarn in con-
storr,t;or Eotber rone md mother
COM tbov fool worry nervous lest they
inso +boir hsther also. Disease did its
ou;cl, work How tho girls hung over his
nillow, NOT much sleep about that house
no slcep at all.
From tho characteristics otherwise de-
welcomed. | Judge that Martha prepared
tho medicines and made tempting dishes
of food for the poor appetite of the suffer
or. but Mary prayed and sobbed. Worse
and worse gets Lazarus until the doctor
announces that he can do no more. The
shrek that went up from that household
when the last breath had been drawn
and the two sisters were being led by
sympath7ers into the adjoining room all
those of us can imagine who have had
our own hearts broken But why was
not Jesus there as he so often had been
Far away in the country districts, preach
ing healing other sick how unfortunate
that this omnipotent Doctor had not been
at that domestic crisis in Bethany When
at last Jesus arrived in Bethany, Laza-
rus had been buried four days and disso-
luton had taken place. In that climate
the brcathess body disintegratcs more
rapidly than in ours. If. Immediately
after decease, the body had been awak-
cned into life, unbelievers might have
said he was only in comatose state or in
a sort Of trance and by some vigorous
manipulation or powerful stimulant vi
tally had been renewed. No, -Four
days dead
The sepulcher of Christ.
At the door of the sepulcher is a crowd
of people. but the three most memorable
are Jesus. who was the family friend
and the two bereft sisters. We went into
the traditional tomb one December dav
and il il deem down and dark. and with
torches we explored it. We found it al
ouiet that afternoon of our visit but the
day spoken of in the Bible there was
present an excited multitude. wonde,
what Jesus will do? He orders the dooI
of the grave removed and then he begin.
to descend the stems. Mary and Marth;
close after him. and the crowd aftel
them. Deeper down into the shadow.
and deeper! The hot tears of Jesus rol
over his cheeks and plash upon the bacl
of his hands. Were ever so MANY sor
rows compressed into so small a space al
in that group pressing on down afte
| Christ MI the time bemooning that n,
had not come beforep
Now all the whispering and all tn,
CRYING and all the sounds of shuftlin,
feet are stoned. 1t is the silence of ex
pectancy. Death had conquered. but nov
the yanouisher Of death confronted tb,
scene. Amid the awful hush of tn,
tomb. the familiar name which Chris
had often had upon his Inns in the hospi
Utilities of rho VILLAGE homo coue hacL q
bis tongue. and with n natbos and n,
nlnightiness of which the resurrection O
the last dav shall only he an echo h.
cries. lazarus. come FORTH" The eve
OF the slumberer omen. and he rises an,
comes 70 tho foot of rho stens and wit
prest difficulty bcrins IN ASCEND for m
ornaments of tho tomb are vet on him
and his feet are fast md his hands mr.
fast and Tho ;mnedimonts 70 oil his nova
, mon+s arc CO craot thot T.srs commond,
.,Tako ri, these ceremsntxi Removo thes
bindroncosi I-ntos,.r ,h.,so ,,rnyooIo+ho,
. Loose him and Iot hin, on,n
, Oh am % Glad That after tba T.or
ra;sed I.azorus ho want an and comr,ond
= cd tho lons.ping az tho cord. tbot bour
his foot ca tbot no could VOL, ord III
brooking of ~ tho cerom.nt that houn