The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-06-15 00:00:00

A FLOWER SERMON.

In London, on Tuesday evening, in accordance with
annual custom, a special Flower Service, by way of thanks-
giving for the beauties and bounties of the summer, was
held in the old city parish church of St. Katherine Cree,
Leadenhall-street, and it attracted, as usual, a very large
congregation. The service is intended mainly for the young,
and every child who attended—and there were a hundred or
•more—and nearly every other worshipper brought a bouquet
of flowers.

At the close of the Fayers the Rev: Dr. Whittemore,
the rector of the parish, preached the Flower Sermon.
He stated by way of preface that that was the 26th year
in which he had discharged a similarly pleasing duty,
and that he had then found, as on every previous
occasion, a splendid nosegay in the pulpit, placed there
by a lady parishioner, whose loyalty and affection for
the place knew no bounds. He chose for his text the
11th verse of the Bth chapter of Job, "Can the flag
grow without water ?" and, to make them remember
it, he bade the children twice repeat it with him. By
the word " flag " they were to understand the iris—an
abundant plant full of varied beauty--known to the
Romans as the rainbow, and to the Egyptians as the
eye. To its order the crocus belonged. The first
lesson it taught was that God himself preached
"flower sermons" by constantly appealing throughout
the Bible to nature and thence upwards to Himself
as nature's God. In fact, the Creator had scattered
"flower sermons" in every field, along every hedgerow,
and upon the modest daisy under our feet. The great
book of nature contained multitudes of such profitable
discourses. The iris, a humble plant, also testified
that God's grace was not confined to the rich of the
earth, but that God had as much pleasure in a mere
wild flower as in the costliest exotic. The next lesson
was, that just as God knew the nature of and had
made proper provision for the wants of the iris, so
also would He take care of his children on the earth.
The iris was planted just where it was wanted to be—
in a nice, moi.st soil and amid plenty of water; and
surely what God had done for a common, wild plant
he would do for his little children, feeding them with
his everlasting streams of love and tenderness, and
keeping them constantly fresh and vigorous by His
Spirit. Many children were misunderstood in early
life, and had the cold air of ,want of sympathy cast
upon them most unwittingly, but with many an evil
result. The third lesson was that a child's spiritual
life was very much in the nature of a plant. A child
was only expected to grow ul5 physically and men-
tally as strong as possible, and two great things ought
not in youth to be expected of him. He ought not
to be trained as a showy plant—all leaves and little
root—but, like the iris, the nourishment that he
needed should be imparted to the inner root of
his system, and not to the mere outward foliage.
A further lesson was that as plants took their food
in a liquid form, so children should be taught the
great truths gradually, and in a way sufficiently
diluted to be understandable, and not in a harsh,
crude, and indigestible form. The iris also was a
tokeh that the lowly and simple might attain to a
very great honour, for the iris was the origin of
the " fleur-de-lis,' the national emblem of France,
and was once and until very recently embodied in the
escutleon of Etgland. Another lesson was that
good qualities did not always lie upon the surface,
since from the insignificant iris valuable medicine and
tinctures and useftl preparations had been extracted
and were now largely used. In conclusion, the rector
stated that after tlat service his parishioners would
' begin the restoration of their fine old church, and it
was intended to lower the pews, and to make every
cne face the preacher instead of nearly half the con-
gregation, as at present, sitting with their backs to
Urn. It was contemplated placing in the church a
Flower sermon wiadow," and towards that object he
Ippealed that night for generous help.
The sermon was listened to with much attention.

"OFF AND ON r OR, "OUT OF SORTS."—Outsider
on omnibus). " You:. horses seem rather overworkpd,
'oachman."—Coaelman. "No, sir, it ain't work, it's
ulks. They'd like to have 'ad a fling out at the Darby
ad the Hoax, and we c,ouldn't let em go, that's wot
iii. "—Fun.

MILITARY STORES.—In the present year there has
hen an increase in the value of military stores ex-
prted. In the first fire months of last year the value
c firearms (small) exported was £107,573, and this
.ear it was £ll5 805 ; of gunpowder last year £139,489,
id thii year £164,238; and of all other kinds £311,250,
gainst £216,127 last year in the corresponding period,