The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-05-11
TIME THOUGHTS
In. rAIMAoE's SERMON.
roh OF Christ Compared to
'ifui Garden Where All the
hes Are Kept Open and
Christ Is the Gardener.

Aes Are Kept Open and
.| Christ Is the Gardener.
- b, rounLdir Of gcrdens. a ,reu ot
49, RS and streams from Ls6daon."-
Go1 Song w., i5.
n.1<k The finest gardens OF oldcn times
- = found at the foot OF Mount lie
k~@@I how descended and winter whitened
m IN the mountain. Then when the
~ ing weather came the SHOWS melted
~ rod down the side OF the mountain
~ great luxuslance 10 the gardens nt
NJ and you see now the allusion of my
To- M Il speaks OF the fountain OF gar
- streams from Lebanon.
md again the church Is represented
a r len all up and down the word OF God.
auI figure specially suggestive "a his
49, tho year when the PARIS and the
ord are about 20 put forth their blossom
ard Dir Ia Allied with bird voices.
4 her wished TO impress her child with
tho of God, and 30 In the sprlng-time.
afDcI ground had been prepared In the
rnr she took handful OF Hover seeds
I'D lered these seeds In shape OF letters
~ the bed OF the garden. Weeks passed
br. lhe rains and the sunshine had dono
tk6I Drk. and one day the child came In
80 Mother, come quickly to the gar
do me now" The mother followed the
here, mother. Bee II Is spelled all
or y ground In flowers. God IA Love-"
o. my friends, II we only had faith
epo11p we could soc Gospel lessons all
arouu1 and about us-lessons in shells on
th4 och, lessons In sparkles on the wave.
lo1oo1e IN stars on the sly, lessons in flowers
I'll Obi the earth.
wa my friends, you know very well that
there have been some beautiful gardens
ThnFp s,fC has
m11A and you remember that this king
cr0(U gardens latd out all through the
r10I end decided by decree OF government
Wh1 lind OF flowers should be planted In
tho1I gardens. Henry Nv. at Montpelier
0ocI that there should be flowers planted
ehzV bout his realm and gardens laid out,
an0 - specially decreed that there should be
All pyrana and French plants. Shen-
~ the poet. was more celebrated for his
941I4s than for his poetry. HIS poetry
~ Jed from the ages for the most part,
b. - gardens ara immortal. To ali the
bo OF his place he added perfection OF
~ Palisade and arch and arbor and
20 and rustic temple had their
~ wonderful specimens, and the oak,
- - hazel. and the richest woods OF the
were planted in that garden. He had
and he bad industry. and all his gen
oil his industry he applied to the
cation OF that garden. He gave for
and he sold IL at last for ss5, 900. or
4as equal 10 that number OF dollars.
uen expensive garden. laid out with
elaboration! And yet haveto tell you
M0fn garden OF vaster expanse-the gar
- 9p0ken Of In my text-a fountain OF g.
~ VII the streams from Lebanon.
WaltE Scott had the great ambition OF his
20 puild Abbotsford and lay out extensive
r1en9 round about H. II broke his heart
at ~ could not complete the work a. he
Atx9dt. AT his last payment OF ciO0, 900,
0er Mfing out these gardens and building
nnf p91ace OF Abbotsford. at that time his
'eazs woke, his health failed, and he died
lmogt IN imbecile.
= toV years ago, when / walked through
ioee erdens and thought at what vast ex-
<1SV Sney had been laid out-at the expense
49, mans lifo-it seemed could see In
nson howers the blood OF the old
8p broken heart. But have TO tell you
HW& garden laid out ut vaster expense.
RnQ an calculate that vast expense? Tell
R8yVwomen who watched Him hang tell
petVtxecutioners who lifted and let Him
lovn{teil me. thou sun that didst hide and
n N4U that did fall, what the laying out oil
~ 0<uen cost. This morning, amid the
y z0p4 and brightness OF the sprngtime, Il Is
lppSorkiate that | show you how the church
81 Christ is garden.
xroQark first It Is a garden because OF the
~ pants In II. That would be n strange
5o<upp In which there were no flowers. II
yo4 connot find them anywhere else. you will
nno snem along the paths, and you viii find
them u the gateway.
" mere be no especial taste and no es-
Poc!al means. you will find there the holly.
nock, and the daffodil. and the dahlia. IL
lnoro De- no especial tiste and no especial
meens you will find the Mexican cactus, and
Ne p'uebell, and the arbutus, and the clus-
|ef1 a oleanders.
Flowers there must be in every garden. and
nave to tell you TINT In the garden OF the
cuurch are the rarest plants. Sometimes
yoo Will lind the violet. inconspicuous. bur
Iw4ef as heaven Christian souls with no pre-
'ense, but OF vast usefulness, comparatively
anknown on earth. but to be glorious In
3eioctial spheres. Niolets and violets all the
1me- You cannot tell where these Christians
nAvo deem save by the Frightening face OF the
invalid, or tho steaming tureen OF the stand
noer the SICK pillow, or the new curtain that
Keeps out the glare OF the sun from the poor
mans cot. Such characters are perhaps bet
'er typihed by the ranunculus which goes
,reeping between the thorns and the briers of
ms ife, giving kiss Tor sting, and many
man has thought that life before him was a
Diack rock OF trouble and found II covered
All over with delightsome jasmine Of Chris
ran sympathy.
In this garden OF the Lord find the Mexl
can cactus. loyeliness within. thorns with.
out, men with great sharpness OF behayio,
md manner, but within them the peace o.,
God, the love OF God, the grace OF God
1hey are hard men TO handle, ugly men tc
eouch, very apt TO strike back when You
strike them. yet within them all loyelines.
ana attraction, while outside so completely
untoxtunate. Mexican cactus all the time.
eatq placid elder TO Christian minister
s'Doctor. you would do better to control Won,
temper" "Ah," said the minister 10 IN,
pi.c1d elder. II control more temper IN Ave
minutes than you do in flve years" These
people, gifted men, who have great exaspera
tion 0f manner and seem TO be very difYersni
NOM What they should be, really have I'm
spek souls that which commends them TO tbs
Lord Mexican cactus all the time. So
nan said to mo years ago; ''Do YOU thinL
! ought TO become a member Of the churchi
have such violent temper.
"festerday l was crossing JERSEY Citv
yerry. IL was very early In tho morninp. ana
1ew > mhkman putting large quantity OF
wator INTO his can, and said That "a
enough. sir, and he got OF the cart and In.
Dulted me. and knocked him down. Well /"
nslq he, do you think l could ever becoma
= Chrstlan?" That man had In hie aonI th n
grace OF the Lord Jesus, but outside be Was
fuu Of thorns, and full OF brambles. and fnlI
o. exasperations, but he could not hear The