The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-08-05
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Opening OF Series on the "voices
Of the Gardens and Fields"
Subjects Suggested by the Preacher's Sum.
mer Ramblings-The Campfire Plant
- Typical of Christ-The Re-
atorattve Power Of Grace.

moE fSomDl1n S9-Iu0 Vampire HAeAS
- Typical of Christ-The Re-
storative Power Of Grace.
Rev. T. Dewitt Taimage opened . new
series Of sermons on special topics at
1.-THE Hamptons," N. Y, on recent Sab
bath. the "Voices of the Gardens and
Fields" being the theme. His text was:
My beloved is unto me as q cluster of cam
phire In the vineyards OF En- gedl.-Song of
Solomon. T., IA.
"Solomon's Song" has been considered
by many as fit only for moonstruck senti-
mentalists; written by voluptuary; the
story of a man crazed by q fair maiden;
at neither for family prayers nor for
church. Indeed we must admit that there
were years in Solomon's life when he had
several hundred more wives than he was
entitled to; but he repented 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 criti-
cism Of modern times upon the immodesty
OF the Bible comes with poor grace from a
century in which the writings of George
Sand come to their fortieth edition, and
Christians can not get to the prayer meet
ing because they have tickets for places of
amusement so depraved that they make
the s.Black Crook" respectable. I think,
however, % far as can see, in my stupid
ity, that there are things turned out upon
the community to-day that bid fair to do
more damage than the Song of Solomon.
- IA. I'd 20; do
scriptions Of Jesus. II / had twenty
years to preach would like to employ ten
Of them in bringing out to observation
those representations 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 symbols
Of Jesus that have never been discoursed
upon. Why should we employ our time
in examining q few lilies, when the Bible
il great garden filled with fuchsias, and
with daffodils, and with amaranths, and
with evening primroses for the close of
life's day, and crocuses at the foot of the
snow bank of sorrow, and heartsease for
the troubled, and passion flowers planted
Ut the foot of q cross, and morning glories
spreading out under the splendors of
the breaking dayf Some years ago / dis
coursed to you about "the white hairs of
Jesus" and some of the n newspapers sup
posed It was q mere fancy OF my own-the
poor fools not knowing that in Revela-
tions, the first and fourteenth, the Bible
speaks of Christ:
His head and His hairs were white like
wool. as white a. snow
- .&or~fkr~ - Yn~,,c
Teraced on the side of the mountain
were the vineyards Of En-gedi. Oh, they
were sweet placesl From shelving of
the mountain, four hundred feet high,
waters came down In. beautiful baptism on
the faces Of the leaves; the grapes intoxi-
cate with their own wine; pomegranates
with juices bursting from the rind; all
fruits and flowers and aromatic woods
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
Ny beloved is unto me as a cluster of
campfire from the vineyard of En- gedL
win carry out the idea of my text, and
In the first place show you that this
eamphire plant of the text was a symbol
Of Christ, because of its fragrance. II I
had q branch Of 1t and should wave it in
your midst, 1t would fill all the house with
it, redolence. The campfire, as we have
4, IL offensive to some! but the campfire
plant Of the text had q fragrance gracious
to al. The vineyards Of En-gedi bathed
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 earl
lt soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds.
And drives away his fear.
The name of Cesar means power; the
name Of Herod means cruelty; the name
Of Alexander means conquest; the name
Of Demosthenes 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 music; the name
Of Howard means reform; but the name
Of Christ means love.
II u the sweetest name that ever melted
from lap 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
% there are hundredso of hearts here which,
II opened, would first offer to you the name
of Jesus Have you not seen Him? Through
the dark night Of your sin has he no,
flashed upon your visioni Beautiful when
he comes to help, beautiful when he comes
to save. A little child was crying very
much during the time Of an eclipse. II
got so dark at noon that she was afraid
and kept sobbing, and could not be ST.
fenced until after awhile the sun came GU,
again, and she clapped her hands, and
said: 20, the sum- the sunw Some Of
rs have been in the darkness of our sin
eclipse after eclipse has passed over oul
soul; but after awhile the Sun of Right
eousness poured his beams upon ou1
hearts, and we cried: "Thc sun,
the sunl" Beautiful dawn in the
straw Of the Bethlehem khan
Beautiful In His mothers shawl
fugitive to Egypt Beautiful with his
feet In the Galiiean surfl Beautiful with
the children hanging about His neck
Beautiful in the home circle of Bethany
Fairer than the sons Of men; day sprina
from on high; light for those who sit in
darkness; rose of Sharon; lily Of the val
ley-altogether lovelyl OF He il such