West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-04-12

| ihHsloie lntehlgenceS come 70 look at the
wild flowers OF the woods and the table
lands. will they not make excursions and see
tho flowers which you have planted in affec-
tionate remembrance OF theml
When am dead i would like 20 have a
handful OF violets-any one could pluck them
out OF the grass or some one could lift from
the edge OF the pond water lily-nothing
rarely expensive, no insane display. as some.
times at funeral rites where the display takes
tho bread from the chidren's mouths. and
the clothes from their backs. but something
from the great democracy Of flowers Rather
than imperial catafolque OF Russian car, !
ask some one whom l may have helped by
gospel sermon or Christian deed TO FIRING n
sprig OF arbutus or handful OF china asters
10 was left for modern times TO spell respect
for the departed and comfort for the living
In letters OF floral gospel. Pillow of flowers
meaning rest for the pilgrim who has got 10
the end OF his journey. Anchor of flowers,
suggesting the Christian hope which we have
ms an anchor 70 the soul, sure and steadfast
cross OF flowers suggesting the tree on which
our sins were slain.
IL had my way, would cover up all the
| ORGANIZES sleepers. whether I'm golden han
died casket or pine box, whether a kings
mausoleum or potter's field, with radiant
and aromatic arboresen The Bible saws
IN the midst Of the garden there was a sep
nlcher wish that every sepulcher might
be i'm the midst OF n garden
Nv. II you insist on asking me the question
What are flowers good fort answer for
religious symbolism. Have you ever studied
Scriptural horal The Bibleis an arboretum;
Is divine "ons'rvotorv' IL Is n herbarium
OF exquisite beauty. IL you want to illus
trate the breyity OF the brightest human
life, you will quote from Job: " A man
cometh forth as a 6oSer and iscut down. 4"
Or you viii quote from the psalmist: " As
the flower Of the field, so he fioursheth; the
wind passeth over il and it is gonen Or you
Will quote from Isaiah "All flesh is grass
and tho goodness thereof is as the flower
OF the field" Or you will quote from James
the Apostle: "As the flower of the grass. 40
he passeth away" What graphic Bible sym
bolisml
All the cut flowers of this Easter day will
! soon be dead, whatever care you take of them
Though morning and night you baptize them
In the name OF the shower, the baptism will
not be 10 them saving ordinance. They
have been fatally wounded with the knife
/ that cut them. They are bleeding their life
/ away; they are dying now. The fragrance
In the air is their departing and ascending
/ spirits.
Oh yes flowers are almost human. Bot
anists tell us that flowers breathe, they take
nourishment, they eat, they drink They
are sensitive. They have their likes and dis
likes. They sleep, they wake. They live in
FAMILIES They have their ancestors and
their descendants, their birth, their burial,
their cradle, their grave. The zephyr rocks
the one, and the storm digs the trench for
/ the other. The cowslip must leave its gold
\ the lily must leave its silver, the rose must
leave It's diamond necklace of morning dew.
ID,
we spread abroad, we die, as the fower-as
the fowerl
Change and decay on al around see;
! thou who changest not, abide with mel
Flowers also afford mighty symbolism of
\ Christ, who compared Himself TO the an
Gent queen, the lily, and the modern
/ queen. the rose. when he said II am the
! rose OF sharon, and the lily of the valley"
Redolent like the one, humble like the other
| Like both, appropriate for the sad who want
\ sympathizers, and for the rejoicing who
want banqueters. lowering over the mar
rage ceremony like wedding bell, or folded
ike a chaplet on the pulseless heart of the
| oh, Christi let the perfume of Thy name
/ be waited around the earth-lily and rose
/ lily and roSe-unti the wilderness crimson
INTO garden, and the round earth turn into
! one great bud OF immortal beauty laid
/ against the warm heart of God. Snatch
\ down from the worlds banners eagle and
lion, and put on lily and rose, lily and rose
But, my friends flowers have no grander
! use than when on Easter morning we cele-
brate the termination of Christ from the
catacombs. All the flowers of to-day spell
! resurrection. There is not a nook or corner
/ IN all the building but is touched with the in
| cense. The women carried spices to the
/ tomb of Christ, and they dropped spices all
| around about the tomb, and from those
spices have grown all the flowers OF Faster
! morn. The two white robed angels that
/ hurled the stone away from the door of the
| tomb, hurled it with such violence down the
] hill that IL crashed in the door Of the worlds
sepulchre, and millions Of the stark and dead
I shall come forth.
! However labyrinthian the mausoleum,
/ however costly the sarcophagus however
architeeturally grand the metropolis, how
ever beautifully .partsrred the family
/ grounds, we want them all broken up by
the Lord of resurrection. The forms that
| we laid away with our broken hearts must
rise again. Father and mother-they must
! come out. Husband and wife-they must
I nd qfcf el,a,y
come out Our darling children-they must
/ come out. The eyes that with trembling
| fingers we closed must open in the luster Of
/ resurrection morn. The arms that we folded
in death must join ours in embrace of re-
union. The beloved voice that was hushed
! must be retuned. The beloved form must
! come up without its infirmities, without its
! fatigues-it must come up
Oh, how long il seems for some Of you
aiting--waiting for the resurrection. How
/ lons! how longi make for your broken
/ hearts to-day cool, soft bandage OF Easter
/ lilies Last right we had come in the mails
| beautiful Easter card, on the top Of IL a
! repres 7ntation Of that exquisite flower called
/ the trumpet creeper, and under il the in
scription The trumpet shall sound and
I the dead shall be raisedn 1 comfort you this
! day with the thought Of resurrection.
When Lord Nelson was buried in St Paul's
cathedral, in London, the heart of all Eng
land was stirred The procession passed on
amid the sObbing OF a nation. There were
the cathedral, with instruments OF music in
hand. waiting for the signal, and when the
illustrious dead arrived at the gates Of ST.
Paurs Cathedral these thirty trumpeters
gave one united blast, and then all was 81
lent. Yet the trumpets did not wake the
dead. He slept right on.
But have % tell you what thirty trumpet
ers could not do for one man, one trampeter
viii do for all nations The ages have rolled
ou,ond the clock Of the worlds destiny strikes
y, 10, II, 2, and time shall DO no longer
Behold the archangel lowering Hetakes
the trumpet points IL this way, puts It's lus to
his lips, and then blows one long, loud ter
rihc, thunderOus, reYerberating and resurrec-
tOnary blast LOOkl Look They rfsei
The dead The dead Some coming forth
from the family vault Some from the CITY
cemetery. Some from the country grave
yard. Here n spirit Is joined 70 its body. ard
there another spirit is joined 70 another body
and millions of departed spirits are asserting
the bodies and then reclothing themselves In
forms now radiant for ascension.
Inc earth begins ~ burn-the bonfire Of n
great victory. All ready now for the pro.
cession Of reconstructed humanity Inward
md away. Christ leads and all the Christian
| dead follow, battalion and battalion nation
after nation. Up, up On, on Forward.
ye ranks OF God Almighty Lift up your
heads, ye everlasting gates, aud let the con
/ guerors come inf Resurrection Resurrec-
tom
And 80 7 twist all the festal flower Of tbia
church with al tho fostal flowers of cbaroiq
Hud cathedrals ~ all Christendom into one