Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-05-08

was black rock Of trouble and found
II covered all over with delightsome jas
mine of Christian sympathy
CONTROL OF THE TEMPER.
In this garden Of the Lord 1 find the
Mexican cactus, loveliness within. thorns
without, men with great sharpness OF
behavior. and manner, but within them
the peace of God, the love of God, the
grace of God. They are hard men to
handle, ugly men to touch, very apt Ia
strike back when you strike them. yet
within them all loveliness and attrac tiom,
while outside so completely unfortunate.
Mexican cactus all the time.
Said placid elder to Christian min
bter, doctor, you would do better to
control your temper" "Ahr' said the
minister to the placid elder, II control
more temper in FIVE minutes than you do
In FIVE years" These people, gifted men,
who have great evaporation Of manner
and seem to be very different from what
they should be, really have in their souls
that which commends them 10 the Lord
Mexican cactus all the time. SO man
said to me years ago: "Do you think I
ought to become member of the church,
/ have such violent temper.
Yesterday was crossing Jersey City
ferry. 1t was very early in the morn
ing, and saw milkman putting large
quantity of water into his can, and
said, That is enough, sir, and he got off
the cart and insulted me, and knocked
him down. Well" said he, "do you
think ! could ever become Christian"
That man had in his soul the grace Of the
Lord Jesus, but outside he was full Of
thorns, and full Of brambles, and full of
exasperations, but he could not hear the
story Of Saviour's mercy told without
having the tears roll down his cheek.
There was loveliness within, but rough
ness outside. Mexican cactus all the
time.
But ! remember in boyhood that we
had in our fathers garden what we
called the Giant Of Battle, a peculiar
rose, very red and very fiery. Suggestive
flower, it was called the Giant of Battle.
And so in the garden of the Lord we find
that kind of fower-the Pauls and Mar.
tin Luthers, the Wyclifs, the John
of battle. What in other
men is a spark, in them is confagra-
ton. When they pray, their prayers take
fire; when they suffer, they sweat great
drops Of blood; when they preach, it is a
pentecost; when they fight, it is Their
when they die, it is martyrdom
giants of battle. You say, "Why have
we not more Of them in the church of
Christ at this time" l answer your
question by asking another, "Why have
we not more Cromwells and Humboldts
in the worldp" God wants only few
giants Of battle. They do their work,
and they do it well.
NEED OF JEALOUS MEN.
But find also in the church of God
plant that l shall call the snowdrop,
very beautiful, but cold. It is very pure
-pure as the snowdrop, beautiful as the
and as cold as the snowdrop.
No special sympathy. That kind of man
never loses his patience; he never weeps,
,e never flashes with anger, he never ut
;ers rash word. Always cold, always
precise, always passive-beautiful snow
lrop, but don't like him. would rath-
II have one Giant of Battle than 5000
Give me man who may make some
in his ardor for the Lords serv-
ce rather than that kind of nature which
pends its whole life doing but one thing,
md that is keeping equilibrium. There
re snowdrops in all the churches-men
Without any sympathy. Very good; they
re in the garden Of the Lord; therefore
know they ought to be there, but al
Ways snowdrops.
You have seen in some places perhaps
century plant. / do not suppose there
) a person in this house who has ever
cen more than one century plant in full
loom, and when you see the century
liant your emotions are stirred. You
ook at it and say, "This flower has been
altering up its beauty for whole CEN
ury, and it will not bloom again for an
ther hundred years." Well, have to
ell you that in this garden of the church,
poken of in my text, there is century |
liant.
It has gathered up its bloom from all !
be ages Of eternity, and 10 centuries ago
put forth it's glory. It is not only
entury plant, but passion flower
he passion flower Of Christ, q crimson
over, blood at the root and blood on
ne leaves, the passion flower Of Jesus,
ae century plant Of eternity. Come, o
'inds from the north, and winds from
ne south, and winds from the east, and
'inds from the west, and scatter the per-
1me Of this flower through all nations.
His worth, II all the nations knew.
Sure the whole earth would love him too.
Thou, the Christ of all the ages, hast
arments smelling of myrrh and aloes
nd cassia out Of the ivory palaces.
A GARDEN IN THE DESERT.
I go further and say the church Of
hrist is appropriately compared to
arden because of its thorough irriga-
on. There can be no luxuriant garden
ithout plenty Of water. / saw garden
the midst of the desert amid the Rocky
said, "How is it possible
1u have SO many flowers, SO much rich
uit, in a desert for miles aroundY'
oppose some Of you have seen those
Al 4 \ |