The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-24

In has gathered up its bloom from oil the
ages Of eternity. and 10 centuries ago it put
| forth its glory. It is not only century plant,
| but passion flower-the passion flower OF
| Christ, crimson flower, blood at the root
| and blood on the leaves, the passion flower oi
| Jesus, the century plant OF eternity. Come,
o winds frocl the north, and winds from the
south, and winds from the east. and winds
| from tho west, and scatter the perfume 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 gar.
ments smelling of myrrh and aloes and cas-
sia out of the ivory palaces.
go further and say the church OF Christ
is appropriately compared to garden be-
cause of its thorough irrigation. There can
be no luxuriant garden without plenty OF
water. I saw a garden in the midst OF the
desert amid the Rocky mountains. said,
How is it possible you have so many
flowers, 50 much rich fruit In desert for
miles around?" suppose some OF you have
seen those gardens. Well, they told me they
had aqueduots and pipes reaching up to the
hills, and the SHOWS melted on the Sierra
Nevada and the Rocky mountains and then
poured down in water to those aqueducts,
and it kept the fields In great luxuriance.
And thought to myself-how Like the gar
den of Christ All around 1t the barrenness
of sin and the barrenness Of the world, but
our eyes are unto the hills, from whence
rometh our help. There is river the
streams whereof shall make glad the city Of
from Lebanon. Water to slske the thirst,
water to refresh the fainting water to wash
the unclean, water to toss up In fountains
under the sun of righteousness until you can
see the rainbow around the throne.
Wandered in garden Of Brazilian cashew
nut, and saw the luxuriance of those gar
dens was helped by the abundant supply of
water. I came to 1t on day when strangers
were not admitted. but bya strange coinci-
dence, at the moment I got in, the kings
chariot passed, and the gardener went up on
the hill and turned on the water, and it came
flashing down the broad stairs OF stone until
sunlight and wave in gleesome wrestle tum-
bled at my feet. And so 1t is with this garden
OF Christ. Everything comes from above
pardon from above, peace from above, COM
fort from above sanctifcation from above.
Streams from Lebanon. Oh, the consolation
In this thought! Would God that the garden
ers turned on the fountain Of salvation until
the place where. We sit and stand might
become Elm with twelve wells OF
water and threescore and ten palm trees But
I hear His sound at the garden gate. hear
the lifting of the latch of the gate, Who
comes there2 1t is the Gardener, who passes
in through the garden gate. He comes
through this path OF the garden. and he
comes to the aged man, and He says: cold
man, I come to holp thee; I come to
strengthen thee. Down to hoary hairs will
shelter thee; will give thee strength at the
time Of old age. I will not leave; will
never forsake thee. Peace, broken hearted
Al r Ia @hxvo "
And then Christ. the Gardener, comes up
another path OF the garden, and He secs
soul In great trouble, and He says, "Hush,
troubled spirit the sun shall not smitc thee
by day, nor the moon by night the Lord
shall preserve thee from all evil; the Lord
shall preserve thy SOUL" And then the Gar
dener comes up another path Of the garden,
and He comes where there are some beautiful
buds, and say, "stop, Q Gardener; do not
the beautiful buds, and see great futter
among tho leaves, and wonder what He Is
doing, and He says 81 do not come to
destroy these flowers. I am only going tr.
plant them in q higher terrace and
in the garden around My pull
ace. have come into My garden to gather
lilies. I must take back whole cluster OF
rosebuds. Peace, troubled soul: all shall be
well. Suffer the little children to come unto
kingdom Of heaven" Oh. glorious Gardener
of the church! Christ comes to 1t now, and
He has right. to come. We look into the
face Of the Gardener as He breaks of tE> bud,
and we say "Thou art worthy to have them.
Thy will be DONE" The hardest prayer
bereaved father or mother ever uttered
"Thy will be done"
But you have noticed that around every
kings garden there is q high wall. You may
have stood at the wall of a kings court and
thought, ';Hov would like to see that gar
den" and while you were watching the
gardener opened the gate, and the royal
equipsge swept through 1t, and you caught
q glimpse Of the garden; but only q glimpse,
for then the gates closed.
bless God that this garden OF Christ has
gates on all Sides that they are opened b.
day, opened by night, and whosoever Wal
may come in. Oh, how many there are who
die In the desert when they might reyel
n the garden! How many there are who
are seeking in the garden Of this world that
satisfaction which they can never find!
It was so with Theodore Hook, who made
all nations laugh while he was living. And
yet Theodore on certain day, when In the
midst Of his revelry he caught a glimpse Of
his own face and his own apparel in the
mirror, said ''That is true. look just as
Iam-lost, BODY, mind, soul and estate, lost !"
And 30 it was with Shenstone about his gar
cen, Of which spoke in the beginning Of my
sermon. He sat down amid oil its beauty
and wrung his hands and said, II have lost
my way to happiness; am frantic; hate
everything; hate myself as q mad man
ought to-" Aas, so many in the gardens Of
this world are looking for that flower they
never can find except in the garden OF Christ
Substantial comfort will not grow
In natures barren sou.
All we can boast till Christ we know
10 vanity aud toll.
How many have tried all the fountains Of
this worlds pleasure. but never tasted Of the
stream from Lebanon! How many have re-
veled in other gardens to their soul 3 ruin, but
never plucked one flower from the garden of
our God! swing open all the gates of the
garden and invite you in. whatever your his
tory, whatever your sins, whatever yourtemp-
tations, whatever your trouble. The invita-
tion comes no more to one than to all, ,"
"Whosoever will, let him come"
The flowers OF earthly gardens soon fade;
but. blessed be God, there arr garlands that
never wither. and through the grace OF Christ
Jesus we may enter into the Joys which are
provided for US ut Gods right hand. Oh,
come into tho garden. And remember. as
the closing thought. that God not only
brings US into a garden here, but it is gar
den all the way WITH those who trust and
love and serve Him, a garden all through the
struggles OF this life, garden all up tho
slope OF heaven.
There everlasting spring a5ldey
Ana never withering flowers.
Death, ike y narrow stream. divides
That heavenly land from ours.
cysDemaIIc Oscuiation.
The monks OF the middle ages