The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-02
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 INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
Copyright, Davis W. Clark.)
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With the women and his mother stood near enough to the cross for the sufferer 70 see their tears. But the climax of these mitigating incidents is reached in the attention which the dead body of
 Jesus received. It would have gratified His implacable enemies if no discrimina- tHn had been made between the body of
 Jesus and the malefactors with whom He had oeen crucifed; if His corpse, Ike
 theirs. could have been rudely tossed in-
 to some adjacent pit. From such dishon- or the body was unexpectedly res .ued.
 and. according to prophecy. grave made for him with the rich.
 Joseph of ArirnatLea-a man of rank, wealth, influence. s Sanhedrist, but no sharer in the foul crime of the Illegal condemnation of Jesus-suddenly throws off the mask of secrecy, and, to the sur | prise of his late associates. reveals him. self a disciple. He goes still further. | and. penetrating to the presence of Pi-
 late. asks ,he privilege of doing the last
 offices for the Crucified.
 | The procurator would not hesitate to
 grant such a small boon to the body of
 one whose pure and lofty spirit had not
 failed to make its impress upon even his
 materialisic nature. He only expresses
 surprise at the early death of Jesus,
 and. calling the centurion who presided
 at Calvary, has the rep Tt officially con- | frmed, thus unconsciously adding an im-
 portant link to the irrefragable chain of
 evidence as to the resurrection of Jesus. | Joseph, clothed with an authority
 which 1t would be idle to dispute. leaves
 Pilates presence. He servants are walt ling for him in the courtyard of the pal-
 ace. Together they hasten to the scene
 of the crucihxion. Nicodemus, hearing
 of Joseph's mission to Pilate.. is moved by the illustrious example to cast off
 his disguise also; and providing himself
 with myrrh and aloes. such quantity
 as would serve for a kingly burial he sped his way with his attendants to Call vary.
 The nails may have been drawn. the
 body lowered and the cross left stand ing. as 1t is usually depicted in the mas terpieces ;or the cross may have been lifted from it's socket, and laid upon the ground. and the body detached. How
 ever that may be, the body is probably laid upon the bier which has been
 brought for the purpose covered with 8 sheet, and lifted to the shoulders of the servants. Joseph and Nicodemus-noble,
 mourners--follow in that funeral process sin, unparalleled. The distance is very short to Joseph's new rock-hewn tomb in
 the garden near to Calvary.
 In the cool vestibule of the sepulcher the bier is set down. Water is brought from some neighborfng pool or fountain That precious casket of clay so marred. is laved with sacred care. The merci- less sec urge, the wounded hands and feet. tho pierced sides, the blood-clots and death-sweat, all dissolved and washed away. and the body thoroughly dried, they begin to swathe the limbs and torso with broad linen bands. sprinkling copi- ously with powdered spices in every fold. Last of all, they cover that serene and holy countenance. imprinting it, no doubt,
 with a kiss of undying affection. The task being finished. they cary the en-
 swarthed body from the ante-chamber to
 the grotto, an dlay 1t gently upon its
 stony berth in the wall. All having como
 out of the crypt, but one thing remains
 to be done-the rolling of the great mill-
 stone against the door of the sepnlcher.
 and the placing against 1t in turn of the
 lesser stone.
 Sc the body of Him who made earth and sky is entombed Through the Pass
 over Sabbath that holy form rests on it's rocky couch, embalmed in the fragrance
 of the flowers of the garden. as well as
 unguent's love had provided. On the dawn of the Sabbath the fear which had grown insupportable drove the Sanhe-
 drists to Pilate again. It was hard for
 hin, to concede the request which they.