The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-21
DR. TkLHAGE'S SERMON.
VOICES OF GARDENS AND
FIELDS.

Text: "My beloved is unto me as clus-
ter Of camphire in tho vineyards OF EnSedi. !"
Song of Solomon, l., H.
Solomons Song has been considered Ivy
many as fit only for moon struck Scntimeu-
talists, written by voluptuary, the story of
man crazed by a fair maiden, neither lit for
| family prayers nor for church. ludeed, wo
| must admit that there were years in Solo
| mons life when he had several hundred more
wives than he entitled TO, hut he re-
pented of his sin, aud God chose him to write
some of the hest things about Christ that
have ever been written. Beside that,
I think tho criticism "f modern times
upon the immodesty of The Bible comes with
poor grace from a century in which the writ
| ings of George Saud came to their forteth
| edition, and Christians cannot get To tho
prayer meeting because they have tickets for
places Of amusement so depr ruved that they
make 1.-The Black Crook" respectable. L
think, however, Us TAR as | can sue i'll my
stupidity that there are things turned out
,, upon the community today that bid fair 10
do more damage than the Song Of Solomon.
Hear now, one of his fresh and fair de-
scriptions of Jesus. II | had twenty years
| to preach would like to employ ten OF them
in bringing out to observation those repre-
sentatons of Christ that have as yet been
passed by. Idonot know why the pul pit should
hover over q few types Of Christ wlcu
there are so many symbols Of Jesus hat have
never been discourse upon. Why should we
employ all our time in examining Il few lilies
when the Bible is great garden illei with
fuchsiaS, and with daifodilS, and with anna
ranths, and evening primroSes for the close
Of life's day, and crOclIseS Mt tho foot OF the
snow bank of sorrow, and heartse:lSe for the
troubled, and paSSion-owers planted at the
foot of a cross, and morning glorios spre adj
ing out under the splendors Of the breaking
daya Some years ago | diScoursed to yon
about "the white hairs of Jesus" and some
Of the newspapers supposed 1t was n mere
fancy of my own-the poor fools not snow.
ing that in Revelations, tho first and the
fourteenth, the Bible speaks Of Christ: "His
head and His hairs were white like wool--as
white as suow"-symholizing tho eternity Of
Jesus.
Terraced on the side Of tho mountain were
the vineyards of Engcdi. Oh, thoy are sweet
places From n shelving of tho mountain
400 feet high, waters carno down in beautiful
baptism on the faces of tho leaves; tho grapes
intoxicate with their own vino ;poinegranates
with Juices bursting from the rind; all
fruits, and flowers, aud aromatic wools-'-
among the sweetest OF these tho campfire
plant of the text. Its flowers arc in clusters
like our lilacs- graceful, fragrant, synbolica!
of Jesus: for my beloved IS unto mo rs 4
cluster of campfire from tho vineyards OF
Engedi."
will carry out tho IDEA Of my text. and in
the first place show you that this amphire
plant of the text was symbol Of Christ be-
cause of his fragrance IL had branch of
it, and should wave it in your midst, it would
fill the house with its rodoence. The cam
phire, as we have it, is offensive to some; but
the campfire plant of the text has fra
GRANGE gracious to all The vineyards OF
Engedi lathe in 1.-THE branches, the buds,
the blossoms dripping with sweetness, typical
OF the sweetness Of Christ
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In believers eur
It soothes his Sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
The name Of Caesar means power; the
name of Herod means cru city; the name of
Alexander means conquest; the name or De-
moSthencS means eloQuencc; the name or
Milton means poetry; tho name OF Ben Iamin
West means painting: the name OF Phidias
means sculpture the nane of Beethoven means
music: the name of Howard means reform;
but the name of Christ means love. 1t is the
sweetest name that ever melted from lip or
heart. As you open an old chest that has
long been closed, the first thing that strikes
you is the perfume Of the herbs
that were packet amid the clothing; so there
are hundreds OF hearts here which, if opened,
would first offer to You the name of Jesus.
Have you net seen Him! Through the dark
night of your sin has He not flashed upon
your vision! Beautiful when He comes to
save you. A little child was crying very
much during the time Of the eclipse. 1t got
so dark at noon that she was afraid and kept
sobbing, aud could not be silencel until
after awhile the sum came out again,
and she clapIed her hands and said:
ooh, the sun! the SUM" Some Of us
have been in the darkness Of our sin:
eclipse after eclipse has passed over our soul;
but after awhile the Sun of Righteousness
poured His beams upon our hearts. and we
cried: 1.-THE sun! the SUM-" Beautiful dawn
in the straw of Bethlehem Khan Beautiful
in His mothers shawl, a fugitive to Egypt!
Beautiful with His feet in the Galilean surf!
Beautiful with the children hanging about
His neck! Beautiful in the home circle OF
Bethany. Fairer than the sons Of men : day
spring from on high; light for those who sit
in darkness, rose Of Sharon: lily of the valley
altogether lovely! Oh! He is such sin
pardoner, such troubleSoother, such
wound-binder, such graye.breaEer, that the
fainteSt pronun6 iatioD OF His name rouses up
the incense Of the garden, and all the per-
fume Of the tropics; while the soul, in ecstasy
Of affection, cries out: My beloved is unto
me as a cluster Of campfire from the vine
yards of Engrtli"
But how shall I talk OF the sweetness Of
Christ's pardon to those who have never felt
it: of the sweetness Of His comfort to those
who have refused his promise; of the sweet.
ness of His face to those who have turned
their back upon His love! Now, a great
many people may think this is merely sickly
sentimentalism. Jonathan Edwards was
cool man. He was hat sh in some Of his opin-
ions, he was never afflicted with any senti-
mental ardor, and yet, when the name of
Christ was mentioned, it threw him into
transport Paul was cool logician,
with nerves mistaken in the Medi-
comfortable with the whole world against
him, shaking his fist in tho face of the gov
ernments of ca rth and the forces of darkness;
yet the thought of Christ thrilled him,
transported him. overwhelmed him. John
Knox was unbending in his nature and hard
in some respects. The flash Of his indigna-
uon made the Queen shiver and the Duchess
quake, yet he sat down as little child at
tho feet Of Jesus Solomon was surrounded
by all palatial splepdor-his ships going out
from Ezion-geber ON voyages OF tbroe years,
bringing lack all the wonders OF the world,
his parks atiUat with myrrh aud franklin
eeilSe, and rustic with trees brought from
foreign lands; the traces of his stupeulous
gardens found by tho traveller at this day.
Solomon sits down at this place To- think of
Christ, the altogether lovely. anil the alto
gutlier fair: and whilst seated there comes a
breath of tho spices and aromatic woods, and
OF tho blossoms in through the palace win
dow, and he cries out: m y beloved is unto
me Us cluster Of camphiIe from the vine
yards of Engeli"
Oh, rich and rare, evquiS ite and everlast-
ing perfume! Let it in every roor man's
windows; plant it on every grave; put its
leaves under every dying bead; wreathc ITS
blossoms Ior every garland: wave its Lr,ncheS