Milford chronicle., 1906-04-13
Calnnaoe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. D. D.

Los Angeles, Cal. April Sat thl
season Of the resurrection Of natur
the preacher takes us back on a sacre,
pilgrimage to the scenes Of the frs
Easter day, the text chosen beinl
Matthew xviii, C, "Come, see the plac
where the Lord lay"
The worlds most sacred shrines ar,
the vaults or cathedrals which cove
the bodies Of the honored dead Wher
the American tourist allghts in tn,
London depot to begin the exploration
Of the British metropolis one of the
first places he visits is Westminster
abbey. He does this not because West
minister abbey is near to the paria-
ment buildings. where assemble the
legislative bodies Of the British en-
pire. He does this not because its
stones form the most beautiful archl-
tectural coronet Of England. He does
this because for years-aye, for cen
turies-the greatest dead Of the British
realm have been buried there. Not
only do we find England's kings and
queens sleeping within those stately
walls, but we find there the bodies Of
some of the greatest poets, dramatists
and musicians. painters, warriors and
statesmen, whose closed eyes cannot
be opened, whose ears cannot be filed
by the many thunderings which the
mightiest Of capitals roars about those
silent graves.
When you cross the channel and go
to the most beautiful OF all modern
cities, the French capital, what jour
ney do you first make? Do you say,
"Let US get a carriage and drive out
upon the boulevards and ride up the
Champs Elysees and see the Arc de
Triomphe?' No, not If you are like
most American tourists. You want to
see where the great dead sleep. You
wish to 60 to the Notre Dame, or to the |
Madeleine, or to the Pantheon, or to |
that greatest of all tombs where sleeps |
the mighty Napoleon. 1t is said that |
when Charles V. Of the Netherlands !
and Spain was about to be buried a I
courtier Of his son and heir, King |.
Philip, stepped forward and lifted
rod and struck the casket as he said:
''The king is dead! He shall remain
dead. He is dead, and there is another
risen up in his place greater than he
ever was" But though that may be
true Of Charles V. it is not true Of
Napoleon l., the warrior Napoleon,
the soldier, is dead, but another soldier
greater than Napoleon has not risen in
his place and in all probability never
win arise. No wonder most tourists
seek the mausoleum Of the little Cor
sican. What is true Of the tOmbs Of
London and Paris is also true Of Berlin
and St. Petersburg and Rome and
Egypt The graves Of the great dead
have for the most Of us, more fasclna-
tion than the palaces and the thrones
Of living men. greater than their an
cestors though they may be.
But though Caesar may travel hun .
lreds Of miles to stand at the tomb Of !,
Alexander the Great, and Otto III.
vent far out Of his way to open the :
'ault which contained the body Of :
and Napoleon himself a
vent forth to find the tomb of Caesar,
md though great may be our fascina- !
ion for the tombs of great men, that =
asclnation is as nothing compared to =
be yearnings that draw US to the fam :,
y plots where sleep our own beloved =
cad. The greatest compliment we =
an pay to a living friend is to ask Il
i'm to accompany US to the last rest +
lg place Of a mother, a father, a =
ar !
wed our silent dead so much we do ;,
OF wish any one to go to our family :,
lot unless our dear ones are sacred in :,
Is eyes. u
Mary at the Tomb.
Now, Mary Magdalene loved the Lord =
esus Christ with her whole heart He =
as to her the divine being who for ="
ave her past sins. And as we see
er going TO the tomb Of Christ on that
aster morning we find her taking
ong one Of her dearest friends-Mary, d
le mother Of James, who also loved 81
Ie Lord. These two women are wend- g
g their way to Christ's sepulcher fl
eighed down with a common sorrow. b
s they come near to the tomb an t.
AkHA nEEAo Autlu anu says year uOL -
J, for know that ye seek Jesus who c.
as crucifed. He Is not here, for he is g
sen, as he said" Then the angel il
axe the eight words to which l wish Il
call your attention in our medlta- a
N on the events Of that Easter day Il
)ome. see the place where the Lord IL
p" II a holy fascination drew Mary d,
agdalene and the other Mary to the j
NIB Of a dead Christ surely it is i'm h'
rtant for Us to visit the rided tomb b
q risen Lord. Easter day should Fl
the happlest day OF all the year to in
It Is the mighty day when the OF
rd's humilations and services came sy
their glorious eternal consumma- "
q and Jesus became the first fruits Cl
them that slept. Z
.et as find out, in the first place, In Ia
at kind OF a grave Jesus was buried. ST
! US see how his body was laid in To-
t crypt. The condition Of his tomb
! Of his clothes ought to teach us hi
{ as many helpful gospel lessons as cl'
cradle Of Bethlehem and the swad- pli