National Republican., 1888-04-02

gall,iicS ui the Tabernacle were this morning
rrOfusoly decorated With flowers. On the pre-
Nous evening the church had been open to
lreraie the decorations, for which the con.
,rcgatlon had been invited to bring flowers
The immense audience room is not large
u,Cupli 10 contain the peorl" on ordinary -.
cas'ous: II must he lett TO the imagination to
suggest the tlrongs, both inside aud outside
the church. ON this great fcstal day.
Ter his text Luke MI, ": "lfthen Gul ocluihc
the giass, which Is to day in the field, and to.
mmrow iN east into the. oven how much more
Will he ClOthc yOu.' He said:
The lily Is the queen of Bible hOwcrs. The
rose may have disputed her throne In modern
times and won "; but the rose originally had
tnly FIVE petals. II was under thp lOng.con.
tnucl and intense gaze of The, world that the
rose hlushcd into its present beauty. In the
Bible train Cassia and hyssop and frankin-
% r,n's and my1h and ,pik;Gnnard and campfire n
IN thc Bible j. the lily meniioncd; only twice
the rose. The rose may now have wider ein-
plrC, hut the lily rciened IN the time oi Esther,
IN the time oi solomon, IN tho hne oI Christ
tTSar had his throne on the hills. The lily
had her throne In the valley. IN the greatest
sermon thn; was. ever preached there was only
dreamer. John Blnyan, entered the house of
the interpreter aud was shown cluster pi
flowers, and was told 20 consider the lilies.'
We may study or reject uthef sciences Mt onr
option II is 80 with astronomy, IL is SO with
CHEMISTRY, II Is so with jurisprudence u j. 50
with IhysiOlngy. II Is 50 with geology: but the
sci, rrp uf botany Christ commands rs TO
study when lie SAYS: Consider the lilieS.
Measure them from root 10 tip Of petal. In.
hnle their breath. Notice the graGei,lness OF
their Euise, Hear the whisper Of the white
lips of the eastern and of the red lioS nl the
American lily.
relcnglng 10 this royal family at lilies j. the
initon OF the Scrras, the Gnlden Band lily the
Giant lily of Nepnul; the Turk cap lily tho
| Airican lily from the Cape of Good Hope. All
| these lilies have the royal blood in their veins.
| But | take the lilies ui my text this morning
| as typical Of all flowers, and Ibis Easter day,
| garlundcd with all this opulence of floral
| beauty, seems To address us, saying con.
ihe iuchsas, consider the gcranipmS,
consider the, ivies, consider the hya
cmtls, consider the ,hslorores, consider
ifmii ard arc intelligent and worshipfn souls, CON.
slider them. Not with msipid scntimentalism,
ur with sophomoric raporns, but for grand
End IggiSa' ana HyetiS aNy "n' II need be-
| The flowers are the angels OF the grass.
| They all have voices. When the clouds speak,
they thunder; when the whirlwndS speak
they scream; when the cataracts speak; they
| roar hit when the flowers speak, they alway"
| WHISPER. stand here TO interpret their mes.
sage. What have you TO say o ye angels ot
| oi the grass tO this worShipful multitude:
This morning mean To discuss what Hover:
ere good for. That is my subject: What are
fuwers good iUry
L. I remark, IN the first place. they are good
for lessons 5 Of II Gods poyidcntai care That
! was thrsts first Thought. All these flower.
seem to address us to-day, saying: God will
give yog apparel and food, We have no Wheel
weave. no sickle with which to harvest, ne
well.swccp with which TO draw water; but
God slakes our, thirst with the dew, and tod
feeds us with the bread of the sunshine, aud
God has appa,eled us with more than solo
cqu0te wardrjbe. If Gnd so clothed Us, IN,
grass of the field, will He not much more
Cl0the you, q ye of ii,tlo faithr"
Men and women of worldly anSieties, tak,
this message home with You, How long ha'
ney Of iiict Hall tie journey OF lfes Three
quarters the journey of life; Can You no
tiust him tile rest of the way: cod does moi
promise you anything Ike that which th'
rense--SO niabtngaes' ioDeues-bnt He ha
isci you the necessities, not the luxuries.
bead, not the cake, II GOD 50 !nXurantl!
clothes the grass of the field, will He not pro
vide folr, you, His living and immortal chi
flower on his writing desk for inspiration
Through the cracks Of the prison floor fowe
grew up to cheer Piccioln. Mungo PARK, TN
sres. .tiaveler. and explorer, had his life save
| by a flower. lie sank down in the desert 4
die, but seeing flower near by, II Su5geSte
Gods m.rcliul care ana lie goi up wIth leN
courage and Travelled on 10 safety. said th
| flowers aie the angels of the grass, dtd noN
| Il cy are the evangels Of the sky.
II. II YOU insist on asking me the question
What are flowers good fOr respond the
are good for the bridal day. The bride mus
have them on her brow, and she must hay
them IN her hand: the marriage altar must
covered with them: wedding withon
\ flowers would be as inappropriate as Weg
for congratulation and prophecies ol sood y
much Uf the pathway of life Is covered u
, | with thorns. we ought to cover the begimlin
| with orange blossoms.
Flowers are appropriate on such occasions
. FOR in 90 cut of 100 eases II Is the very be,
thing that could have happened. The worl
and may lit lis eyebrows in surprise ui
think II might suggest something better, bl
: tie God who secs the twenty, Forty, ti,y YEA
Of welded life bei9re 'e@S s nesTm aaImmgf8 ln
D eases are appropriate for the marriage da
8 The diSergences Of disposition VIII hecon
CulcsEundenccS. rGCkleSsneSs VIII becotl
{ prudence, irivoli;y will be turned into plac'
, There has been many an, aged widow,
, soul who had II carefully locked bureau, AZ
> paper, and in the folded paper n hall.blow
rose slightly fragrant, discoored, careful
pressed. She put it there forty,o fifty yea
ago ON the anniversary day Of her wedlil
lie viii 20 TO the bureau, she will lit the bo
she will unfold tile paper and 70 her ewes W
he exposed the l,alf.bown brd. and Il
% tear win drop W upon i The now., nd sudden
II Is t,ansfgured, and there }, stir IN q
: dust of the anther, and It rounds nt and Il
full of liie, and 1t begins to tremhise N ~ u
. music Of u half century ago comes throbbil
through the air; and vanished, face, reappca
and right hands are Joined, and man
worse" and the wedding march thunders
salvo of 10y at the departing crowd; but
sigh On that anniversary dny sralters
! altar, the flowers, tue congratnatine. grou
j are scattered. and there Is nothing left but
trembling hand holding faded rosebu
4 which Is put into the paper ana men 'hi"
bureau, and with a sharp sudden click Ol I
lock the scene Is over.
ALI, my friends, let not the prophecies of I
flowers on your wedding day be false propl
Giles. BE blind to each others faults. Ma
the most of each others cScellences Abo
nll do not both get mad at once; Rememi
the vows, The ring on the third finger OF
left hand, and the benediction of the ca
lilies.
iii. If You insist ON asking me the questi'
What are flowers good torF J answer thcy'
good to honor and comfort the obsequles.
worst cash ever made INTO the SIDE ui Onr p'
earth Is the gasll OF the grave, u Is SO deep
l. is so cruel, II Is 50 incurable mat H. ne,
something 10 cover II up, Flowers for
carket, flowers for the hearsc, flowers for
Il l cemetery
or What i contrast between grave in a co
try churchyard, with the, fence broken do
and the tombstone aslant, and the neighb
- ing cattle browsing amid the mullen sta
: and the Canada thistles, and June morn
In Greenwood, the wave of roseate bio,
rolling tO the top Of the mounds, and Il
breaking into foaming crestS of white How
all around the pillows of dust, II Is the dih
ence hrtween sleeping under rags aud sleep
under an embroidered blanket Wowant I
Mortality with his cisel to 60 through all
Graycyards Of Christenlom, and wl,le ic Z
lies chisel in one hand we want Old Moll
ity tn have some flower seed In the palm oi
other hand. -
~ makes no difference TO them think
in are mistaken, There are not 50 many steam
% and rail trains coming 10 any living city
;" there are conveys coming from heaven