Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-05
IN A COUNTRY PULPIT.
REV. .TALMAGE'S VACATION NOT
ONE or IDLENESS.

THE HAM PTONs," July Awhile the
Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage, D. D., is absent
from his pulpit in Brooklyn and recre
ating in the country, he continues to
preach, taking subjects suggested by sum.
mer scenes and surroundings, and his
discourses constituting course entitled
Voices of Gardens and Fields" Follow
ing is the first sermon in the series,
preached to-day from the text, "My be-
loved Is unto me as cluster OF campfire
in the vineyards of En-gedi." Song of Sol
ONION, l., IA:
Solomon's song has been considered by
many a. iii only for moOnstruck sentimental
lists; written by voluptuary. the story Of II
man crazed by fair maiden, ht neither for
family PRAYER nor for church. Indeed. we
must admit that there were years in Solo
mons life when he had several hundred more
wives than he was entitled to; but he re-
pented OF his sin, and God chose him to write
some OF the best things about Christ that have
ever been written. Besides that, / think the
criticism of modern times upon the immod.
esty of lhe Bible comes with poor grace from
century in which the writings of George
Sand come 70 their fOrtIeth edition, ana
Christians cannot get to the prayer meeting
because they have tickets for places of amuse-
ment SO deprayed that they make the BLACK
Crook respectable. l think, however, as far
things turned out upon The community to-day
that bid fair to do more damage than the
Song of Solomon.
Hear, now, one of his fresh and fair de-
scriptions of Jesus. II had twenty years 70
preach would like to employ ten of them in
bringing out to observation those representa-
lions Of Christ that have as yet been passed
by. | do not know why the pulpit should
hover over few types Of Christ when there
are So many sy bols OF Jesus that have never
been discofrset upon. Why should we en-
ploy all our time in examining Il few lilies
when the Bible Is great garden fl led with
fusChlas, and with dan ,dlls, and with anna
ranths. and with evening primroses for the
close OF llfe's day, aud crOcuses at the foot of
the snow bank of sorrow, and heartsease for
the troubled, and passion flowers planted at
the foot Of cross. and morning glories
spreading out under the splend0rs of the
breaking day? Some years ago | dlscOursed
TO you about 1.-The white hairs of Jesus" and
some of the newspapers supposed il was
mere Iancy of nv oWn-the poor fools not
knowing that in Revelation, the first and the
fourteenth, the Bible speaks OF Christ, "His
head and His hairs were white like WOO, a
white a5 snOw" "-symbohzng the eternity OF
Jesus,
Terraced on the side of the mountain were
the vineyards OF En-gedi. o, they were sweet
places! From shelving of the mountain.
40U feet high, waters came down in beautiful
baptism on the faces of the leaves; the grapes
IutoXiCate with their own wine; pomegran-
ates with juices bursting from the rind: all
among the sweetest OF these the campfire
plant Of the text. Its flowers are in clusters
like our lilac-graceful, fragrant, symbolical
of Jesus; for "my beloved is unto me as a
cluster of campfire from the vineyards of En-
gedi,"
| VIII carry ou@the idea OF my text, and IN
the first place show you that this Campfire
plant of the text was symbol of Chrlst be-
cause ofits fragrance. II had a branch of 1t
and should wave it IN your midst, IL would fill
all the house with its redOlence. The cam
phlre, as we have It, Is offensive to some; but
the camphire-plant of the text had fra
GRANGE gracious to all. The vineyards of En-
gedi bathed in 1.-THE branches, the buds, the
blossoms. tripping with sweetness, typical of
the sweetness OF Christ.
''How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In believers ear!
1t soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away mis- fear"
The name of Cesar means power; the name
of Herod means cruelty; the name of AleXAn-
der means conquest; the name OF Demosthe-
mes means elOquence; the name of Milton
means poetry; the name of Benjamin West
means painting; the name of PhIdias means
sculpture; the name of Beethoven means mu-
sic; the name of Howard means reform, but
the name Of Christ means love. 1t Is the
sweetest name tnat 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 packed
amid the clothing. SO there are hundreds OF
offer to you the name Of Jesus. Have you
not seen Him? Through the dark night of
your sin has lie not flashed upon your vision?
Beautiful when lie comes to help. beautiful
when lie comes to save. A little child was
crying very much during the time OF an
eclipse. 1t got SO dark at noon that she was
AFRAID, and kept sobbing, and could not be
gilcnced, until after awhile the sun came out
again, and she clapped her hands and said :
30, the SUM- the SUM-" Some of us have been
IN the darkness of our sin; eclipse after
eclipse mas passed over our soul; but
after awhile the sun OF Righteousness
poured his beams upon our hearts,
and we cried, ''The SUM- the sun ~
Beautiful dawn in the straw of the Bethlehem
khan. Beautiful in His mothers shawl, a
fugitive TO Egypt! Beautiful with His feet in
the Galllean surf! Beautiful with the chill
dren hanging about His neck Beautiful in
the home circle of Bethany! Fairer than the
sons of men; day-sprlng from on high; light
for those who sit in darkness; rose OF Sharon
lily of the valley-altOgether lovely! O! He
Is such "a sin pardoner, such a trouble sOother,
sucn a wound binder, such "A grave break
er, That the falntest pronunciation OF His name
rouses up an the incense Of the garden, and
all the perfume Of the tropics while the soul
in ecstacy OF affection, cries out: MY beloved
is unto me as cluster Of campfire from the
vineyards Of En-gedi."
But how shall / talk of the sweetness Of
Chrlsts pardon TO those who have never felt
II; or the sweetness Of bis comfort to those
who have refused his promise: OF the sweet
ness of his face to those who have turned their
back upon His loveg Now, a great many peo-
pie may think this IA merely slCkly seBtimen-
taliam, Jonathan Edwards was IA cool man
He was harsh in some Of his opinions, he was
never afflicted with any sentimental ardor;
and yet, when the name Of Christ was men
toned, it threw him into transport. Paul
was cool logician, with nerves unshaken In
tho Mediterranean shipwreCk. a granauc
nature, comfortable with the whole world
against him, shaking his fist IN the face Of the
governments OF earth and the forces
.sf a. rlF Nl..
Christ thrilled him, transported him. over
whclmed hun, john Knox was unbending in
his nature, and hard in some respects. The
ilash OF his Indignation made the Queen
shiver and the Duchess quake; vet ne sat
down as a little child at the feet of Jesus.
Solomon was surrounded by all palatial
splendor- MS ships going out from Ezion-
gcDer on voyages sof three years, bringing
back all the wonders OF the world his parks
a1loat with myrrh ana fraukincense, aud
arustle with trees broughtjfr0m foreign lands
the traces of his stupendous gardens found by
the traveller at this day. Solomon sits down
lovely, ana the altogether far; and whilst
se eited, there comes breath of the spices and
aromatic woods, and or the blossoms, in
through the palace window, and he cries out:
My beloved Is unto me as q cluster OF cam
phire from the vineyards Of En- -gedi."
q rlCh and rare. exquisite and everlasting
perfume! Let 10 IN every poor mans win
dows, plant 10 on every grave, put its leaves
under every dying head, wreath its blossoms
for every garland, wave its branches In every
home; and when I am about TO die, and m
hand lies cold and stiG and white upon the
pillow, let some plain and humble soul come
q -. Al