Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-24

''THE HAMpToNs," July 1i.-Con-
tipuing his series Of rural sermons, en-
titled,
.'voICEs OF GARDENS AND FIELDS"
the Rev. +. Dewitt Talmage, ID. d.,
to-day preached from the song of Solo
anon, CHI. v. ". i; II am come into my
garden" He said:
The Bible is a great poem. We have
in it faultless rhythm, and bold imagery,
and startling antithesis, and rapturous
lyric, and sweet pastoral, and instruct
i've narrative, and devotional psalm;
thoughts expressed in style more sol
emn than that of Montgomery, more
bold than that of Milton, more terrible
than that of Dante, more natural than
that of Wordsworth, more impassioned
than that of Pollok, more tender than
that of Cowper, more weird than that
of Sponsor. This great poem brings AL
~ EtiIS vi Vic bdi III lllNt lS DDtl,
and il wcaves the flames of judgment
into rs garlands, and pours eternal
harmonies into lis rhythm. Everything
this book touches it makes beautiful,
from the plain stones of the summer
threshing floor to the daughters of
Major filling the trough for the camels;
and tho fish pools of Hesbon up to the
Psalmist praisiu" God with diapason of
storm and whirlwind, and job leading
forth Orion, A%rcturus, and the
pleiades.
My text leads us into IL scene of sum-
mer redolence. The world has had n
great many beautiful gardens. Char
lemagne added to the glory of his reign
10y decreeing that they be established all
through the realm-deciding even the
names of the flowers TO be planted
there. Henry ", at Montpel-
Ter. established gardens of be-
witchinS beauty and luxuri-
ance. gathering into them Alpine,
Pyrenian and French plants. One Of
the sweetest spots on earth was the
garden of Shenstone, the poet. His
writings have made but little imnres-
sion on the world; but his Garden,
THE LEAsowEs,"
Will be immortal. To the natural adj
vantage of that place was brought the
perfection of art. Arbor, and terrace,
and slope, and rustic temple, and
reservoir, and urn and fountain here
had their browning. Oak and yew and
hazel put forth their richest foliage.
There was no life more diligent. no
soul more ingenious than that of Shen-
stone, and all that diligence and genius
he brought to the adornment of that
n treasured spot. He gave three
hundred pounds for it; he sold it for
seventeen thousand. And yet / am to
toll You to-day Of a richer garden than
any / have mentioned.
II is the garden spoken of in my
text, the garden Of the church, which
belongs TO Christ, for my text says so.
He bought it, he planted it, he owns it,
and he shall have it. Walter Scott in
his outlay at Abbottsford, ruined his
fortune; and now, in the crimson flow
ers Of those gardens, you can almost
think or imagine that you see the blood
of that old mans broken heart. The
payment of the last one hundred thou
sand pounds sacrificed him. But | have
10 tell you that Christ's life and
CHRIsT's A
we're the outlay of this beautiful garden
of the church, of which my text speaks.
On. how many signs and tears, and
pangs and agonies! Tell me, We women
who saw him hang! Tell me. We execu-
TONERS who lifted him and let him
down! Tell me, thou sun that didst
hide; we rocks that fell! "Christ loved
the church and gave himself for it
IL the garden of the church belongs to
Christ, certainly he has a right to walk
in it. Come. then. q blessed Jesus,
to-day; walk up and down these
aisles and pluck what thou wilt Of
sweetness for thyself!
The church, in my text. is appropri-
ately compared to the garden, because
IL rs a place of choice flowers. of select
fruits, and of thorough irrigation.
That would be a strange garden in
which there were no flowers. If no.
where else they would be along the
borders or at the gateway. The home
Hest taste will dictate something, if it
DE the old-fashioned hollyhock, or
dahlia. or daifodil; but if there be lar
ger means, then you will find the Mex
sean cactus, and blazing a~zalea. and
clustering oleander. Well, now, Christ
comes TO His garden and he plants
there some of the
BRIGHTEST SPIRITS
that ever lowered upon the world.
Some of them are ~violets, unconspicu-
ous, but sweet as heaven. You have