The Dickinson press., 1893-05-20
THE CHURCH A GARDEN.
IN WHICH BLOOMS THE RAREST
OF FLOWERS.
The Cactus. the "Glant of Battles"
the Snowdrop and the Violet as
Representative of Christian
Dispositons--M -May-time
Thoughts.

Philadelphia, Pa. Special.-Rev. Dr
Talmage WAS in this city participating
in the services mt the ordination OF ms
son, Rev. Frank Talmagc. to the mnh-
istry. and dictated the following sermon
ON a timely and srasonablc topic, May
-time-Thoughts," the text selected beng
the beautiful words of Solomon song:
iy.. 10. "A fountain of gardens. well on
living waters, and streams from Leu
anon. ,,
times were to be found Mt the foot oi
Mount Lebanon Snow descended anu
winter whitenrd the top of the mountain;
then, when the warm spring weather
came, the SHOWS melted and poured down
the side of the mountain and gave great
hlxurance to the gardens ut the 1oo1.
and YOU see now the allusion of my text
when it speaks of the fountain of gar
dens and streams from Lebanon:
Again and again the church is repre-
scntcd as IA garden. all up and down the
Word of God, and it is figure specially
suggestive ut this season OF the year.
when the parks; and ,hr orchards Is, are are
about to put forth their blossoms. ana I'll"
air is filled with bird voices.
\ mother wished To impress her child
with the love of God, and So. in the
slring-time. after the ground had been
prepared in the garden. she took 81 hand
full of flower seed and scattered these
bed of the garden. Weeks passed by.
and the rains and the sunshine had done
their work. and one day the child came
in and said: Mother, come quickly to
the glrlen--comc now" The mother fol
lowed the child to the garden. and the lit
tie child said "Look here, mother. See,
it is spelt all over the ground in flow
ars .(,ol is nvn'" +"
Oh. my friends, if we only had faith
enough we could see gospel lessons ull
around and about us--lesSons in shells on
the beach, lessons in sparkles on the
wave. lessons in stars on the sky, lessons
in flowers all over the earth.
Well. my friends. you know very well
that there have been some beautiful gur-
dens created. There was the garden of
Charlcmasnc. and you remember that
this king ordered gardens laid out all
through the realm. and decided the de-
cree by government what kind of flowers
should be planted in. those gardens
Henry w.. ut Montpelier, decrced that
there should be flowers planted through
out his realm and gardens laid out, and
he specially dccrced that there should be
Alpine pyrena and French plants. Shen-
stone, the poet. was more celebrated for
his gardens thnn for his poetry; his
poetry has faded from the ages for the
u,
to all the beauty Of his place he added
perfection of art. Palisadc and arch and
| nrbor 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 gar
den. He had genius and he had indus
try, and all his genius and all his indus
try he applied to the Identification of
that garden He gave for it Sl.5UU and
he sold it at last for $S5,OOO. or what
was equal to that number of dollars. 1t
was IN expensive garden, laid out with
great elaboration. And yet have to tell
you now of II garden of vaster expense
| tain of gardens with stream from I.eb-
anon.
Walter Scott had the great ambition of
his life to build Abbotsford and Law out
extensive gardens round about it. 1t
broke his heart that he could not COM
plete the work as he desired it. AT his
last payment of flOO,OOO. after laying
palace. of Abbotsford. at that time his
heart broke, his health failed, and he died
almost an imbecie.
A few years ago when / walked
through those gardens. and l thought at
what vast expense they had been laid
out, at the expense of that mans life,
it seemed | could see in the crimson flow
heart. But | have to tell you now of
Il garden laid out at vaster expense
who can calculate that vast expense.
Tell me. ye women who watched him
hung; tell me. We exccutioners who lifted
and let him down; tell me, thou sun that
didst hide, and ye rocks that did fall,
what the laying out of this garden cost
brightness of the spring time, it is appro.
pirate that l show you how the Church
of Christ is q garden.
I remark, first, it is garden because
of the rare plants in it.. That would be
a strange garden in which there were
no flowers. If you cannot find them
anywhere else. you will find them along
gateway.
If there be no especial taste and nc
especial means. you will find there the
hollyhock. and the daffodil, and the
dahiia. If there be no especial taste ant
no especial means, you will find the Mexi
can cactus, and the bluebell. and the
arbutus, and the clusters of oleanders.
Flowers there must be IN every garden
and l have to tell you that in the gardel
of the church are the rarest plants
j Sometimes you will find the violet. in
conspicuous, but sweet as heaven-Chris
tian souls, comparatively unknown OF
earth, but to be glorious in celestia
spheres. Violets and violets all the time
You cannot tell where these Christian
have been, save by the frightening fac
of the invalid, or the steaming turee
on the stand near the sick pillow, or tn
new curtain that keeps out. the glare
the sun from the poor mans cot. sue
characters are perhaps better typihed b
the ranunculus which goes creeping ..
|. tween the thorns and the briars OF TN
!. life. giving a kiss for sting; and man
Al, hat
was black rock of trouble. anu 1o9n
Il covered all over with delightsome Je
samine of Christian sympathy.
! In this garden of the Lord ! find Il
It Mexican cactus. loveliness. within, thor
without, men with great sharpness OF
= havior and manner. but wltnin % me .hen, ~.
) If God They are hard men to hand
N ugly men to touch, very apt to strl
T. back when YOU strike them, yet with
them ali loyeliness and attraction, VIII
II outside so completely unfortunate. Mt
ican cactus all the time.
n Said a placid elder to a Christian m
h ister: doctor. you would do well
nonisIe minister to- to the placid elder, II cont
more temper in FIVE minutes than you
D in five years" These people, gifted MI
who have great exasperatlon OF mann
and seem to be very different from WI
u they SlOulu De, ledliy ht'C AZ 49, - ~
that which commends them to the Lo
Mexican cactus all the time. So N
said to me years ago: DO you thinA
ought to become a member of the chur
II have such violent temper: 1est
It was very early in the morning. and
saw a milkman putting a large. quaint
of water into his can. and l said; 'Th
is enough. SIR and he got, off the ccs
and insulted me, and ! knocked b
down. Well" said he. "do you think
could ever become a Christiar! IN
man had in his soul the grace of t
Lord Jesus, but outside he was full
thorns, and full of brambles, and full
q e1asperations: but he could not hear I
story of Savior's mercy told witho
having the tears rell down his chce
There was lovelincss within. but rong