The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-05-31
ORDINATION SERVICES.
Talrnage's Son Adopts the Clerical
Robes.
His Father Assists in the Services, Which
Are Held in Philadelphia-Serm by
Rev. L. Dewitt Talmage, ID. ID.

ordination OF his son, Rev. Frank lal-
mage, to the ministry. He delivered
the following sermon on a timely and
seasonable topic, 'May-time Thoughts"
the text selected being the beautiful
words Of Solomon's song, w., Is. "a
fountain of gardens, well of living
waters, and streams from Lebanon"
Some of the finest gardens of olden
times were to be found at the foot OF
Mount Lebanon. Snow descended, and
winter whitened the top of the noun
tain; then, when the warm spring
weather came, the SHOWS melted and
poured down the side of the mountain,
and gave great luXuriance tc the gar
dens at the foot; and you see now the
allusion of my text, when it speaks of
the fountain of gardens, and streams
from Lebanon
Again and az ain the church is repre-
sented as a garden, all up and down
the Word of God, and it is a figure spe-
cially suggestive of this season of the
year, when the parks and the orchards
are about to put forth their blossoms,
and the air is filed with bird voices.
A mother wished to impress her child
with the love of God; and so in the
spring time, after the ground had been
prepared in the garden, she took a
handful of flower seed, and scattered
these seeds in the shape of letters oil
across the bed of the garden. Weeks
passed by and the rains and the sun
shine had done their work, and one day
the child came in and said: "Mother,
come quickly to the garden-come
now" The mother followed the child
to the garden, and the little child said:
"Look here, mother! See, it is spelt all
over the ground in flowers, God is
love-"
o my friends! if we only had faith
enough, we could see Gospel lessons all
around and about us-lessons in shells
On the beach, lessons in sparkles on the
wave, lessons in stars on the Sky, les
sons in flowers all over the earth.
Well, my friends, you know very well
that there have been some beautiful
gardens created. There was the gar
den of Charlemane, and you remember
that this king ordered gardens laid out
all through the realm, and decided by
decree of government what kind of
flowers should be planted in those gar
1ens Henry w., at Montpelier, de-
creed that there should be flowers
planted throughout his realm, and
gardens laid out, and he specially de-
creed that there should be Alpine
Pyrena and French plants. Shenstone
the poet was more celebrated for his
gardens than for his poetry; his poetry
has faded from the ages for the most
part, but his gardens are immortal; to
all the beauty of his place he added per-
lection of art. Palisade and arch and
arbor and fountain and rustic temple
had their most wonderful specimens, and
the oak and the hazel and the richest
woods of the forest were planted in
that garden. He had genius and he
had industry, and all his genius and all
his industry he applied to the beautifi-
cation of that garden. He gave for it
81 800, and he sold it at last for $50, 900,
dollars. 1t was an expensive garden,
laid out with great elaboration. And
yet have to tell YOU now of a garden
of vaster expenSe-the garden spoken
of in my teXt-a fountain of gardens
| with the streams from Lebanon.
Walter Scott had the great ambition
of his life to build Abbotsford and lay
out extensive gardens around it. 1t
| broke his heart that he could not com
| plete the work as he desired it. AT his
last payment of 600, 900, after laying
out those gardens, and building that
| palace at Abbotsford, at that time his
heart broke, his health failed, and he
died almost an imbecile.
a few years ago, when | walked
through those gardens, and thought
at what vast expense they had been
| laid out. at the expense of that mans
life, it seemed l could see in the Grim.
son flowers the blood of tile old mans
/ broken heart. But | have to tell you
now of "a garden laid out at vaster ex.
pense-who can calculate that expense!
Tell me, We woman who watched him
hang; tell me, ye eNecutioners who
lifted him and let him down; tell me-
thou sun that didst hide, and We rocks
that did fall, what the laying out OF
this garden cost. This morning, amid
the aroma and brightness of the spring
time, it is appropriate that | show you
how the Church of Christ is a garden
remark first, it is garden because
of the rare plants in it. That would be
"a strange garden in which there wer,
no flowers. # you can not find then
anywhere else you will find them along
the paths, and you will find them at The
gateway.
If there be no especial taste and nC
especial means, you will find there tn,
! hollyhock. and the daffodil, and tn,
dahlia. If there be no especial tast'
and no especial means, you will tinC
the Mexican castv'S, and the blue-bell
and the arbutus syd the cluster o
oleanders.
! Flowers there must be in every gar
| den. and have to tell you that in tn
garden of the church hre the rares
plants. Sometimes you will find tn
violet, inconspicuous but sweet a
! Heaven-Christian souls, with no pre-
tense. but of vast usefulness, compare
lively unknown on earth, but to be gle
rious in celestial spheres, Niolets an
violets all the time. You can not tel
where these Christians have been, saw
by the Frightening face of the invalid
or the steaming turreeu on the stan