The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-09
DIR. TALMAGE
WAS IN TIRE getty OF BROTHERLY
LOYEo LAST SUNDAY.
Tho Rev. Frank Talmage Ordained-Dr.
Talmage Dictates a Sermon on MAY
Time Thoughts" Etc.


Rev. Frank Talmage, to the ministry. lie
has dictated the following sermon on
timely and seasonable topic, "May-1me
Thoughts" the etxt selected being the
beautiful words of Solomon's song, ID,
"A fountain of gardens well OF living
waters and streams from Lebanon
Some of the finest gardens OF the olden
times were to be found at the foot OF Mount
Lebanon. Snow descended, and winter
whitened the top of the mountain then,
when the warm spring weather cillhe, 'he
SHOWS melted and poured down the size OIL
the mountain, and gave great luxurlahce
to the gardens at the foot; and you see now
the allusion of my text, when 1t speaks OF
the fountain Of gardens, and streams from
Lebanon.
Again and again the church is represented
as a garden, all up and down the WORD OF
God, and it is figure specially suggestive
at this season of the year, when the PARKS
and the orchards are about to put 1orth
their blossoms, and the air is filled with
4 mother wished to impress her child
with the love of God; and so IN the
springtime after the ground had oeeu
prepared in the garden, she took handful
of flower seed and scattered these see''S
in the shape o. letters all across the BED
of the garden. Weeks passed by, ana the
and one day the child came III ana sad.
Mother. come quick to the gardell-come
now" The mother followed the enid TO
The garden, and the little child said, Look
here, mother. see, It Is spet an over 'iie
q NV friends. if we only had faith
enough. we could see gospel lessons an
sround about us-lcssons III sheils
ON the beach, lessons in sparkles on the
wave lessons i'll stars on the Sky iesSons
III thn
We'll. my friends. You know very We'll
that there have been some beautiful gar
dens created. There was the garden OF
Charlemagnc, and you remember uiI III
through the realm, and decided ny uu
cree of government what KIND OF hoWers
shonId be planted in those gardens. Iieu-
~ IT,. at Montpelier, dccrred that thrre
should be flowers, planted throosnouI i he
realm. and gardens laid out ana ne
snccially dccreed that there should be Alpine
nvrcna and French plants. ShenStohe 'he
poct was more celebrated for his gardens
Than for his poetry; his poetry hafIa',,t',
from the ages for the most part, out ms
gardons are immortal; to all the beauty OF
his Mace he added perfection OF art. rams,
ado and arch and arbor and fountain ana
rustic temple had their most Mo.Iei ,,' VI
snccjmcns. and the oak ana the hazei anu
tbn richest woods of the forest were pitiitcU
in thnt garden He had genius ana ne h'lo
industry, aud all his genius ana an ms
ministry, he applied to the beantliicatlon 81
that garden He gave for 1t Sl,ooV ana ile
sold it at last for SSo,oOo OF Thdt ""a
noua] TO that number Of dollars. 1t was an
extensive garden, laid out with great eiilpoc
r,t;on And vet | have to tell you now OF
a Garden of vastcr cXpcnse--tifc @afueh
spoken of in my teXt-a fountain VI S"i
dcns with the streams from l-enaI h;,i of
Walter Scott had the great ampitloi' Oh
his life to build Abbotsford and lay our eA-
tnnsivc gardens round about 1t. 1t broke
his heart that he could not complete the
work as he desired it. At his last pay i i
Of 100000 pounds, after laying our thoSc
gardens, and building that palace OF iAoo9 Us.
?n,.f nj that time his heart broke, MS
hra;I,, failed. ami lie died almost an I'M
beetle. u.o, +h,.o,,oI,
4 few years ago, when walked throusn
tbbea gardens. and thought at what vast
ryhrnse they had been laid out, at the eX,
nnrse of that mans life, it seemed L coul9
scl in the crimson flowers the DiQou OF
the old mans broken heart. but naNt
to tell you now OF garden lalu ou. ~
yustpr cxpcnSe-who can calculate th;'t
vast expense? Tell me, We women VINO
watched him hang tell me, ye eXccuiiohefs
who lifted and let him down; tell me,
thou son that didst hide, and We rocks that
did fall. what the laying out or TINS gar
den cost. This morning, amid the aroma
and brightness of the springtine, it Is ap-
propriate that l show you how the chufch
of Christ is Il garden.
remark first. it is a garden because OF
the rare plants in it. That would be Il
strange garden Ill when there were 10
flowers. If you cannot find them any
where else you will find them along the
paths, and you will find them at the gate
way.
If there be no especial taste and no cs-
nncial means YOU will ind til ere The holly
hook, and the daffodil, aud the dahlla. If
there be no especial taste and no especial
means. YOU will find the Mexican c"ctuS,
and the blue bell. and the arbutus, and the
clusters of oeanders.
Flowers there must be in every garden.
and | have to tell you thar in the garden
of the church are the rareSt plants. Some
times you will find the violet. lnconspicl'-
ous hut sweet as heavon-Christlan souls,
with no pretense. but of vast usefulness,
comparatively unknown on earth, bur to
be glorious in celestial spheres. Nlolets
and yoets all the time. You cannot tell
where these Christians have been save by
the Frightening face of the invalid, or the
steamnG tureen on the stand near the
sick pillow. the new curtain that Keeps
ont the glare of the sun from the poor
mans cot. Such characters are perhaps
better typifed by the ranunculuS which
goes creeping between the thorns and the
hriars of this life, giving Il kiss for sting;
and many a man has thought that life be-
fore him black rock Of trouble, and
found it covered all over with delightsome
jasmine of Christian sympathy.
In this garden of the Lord | find the
Mexican cactus. loneliness within. thorns
without. men with great sharpness and
behavior and manner. but within them the
peace of God, the love of Cad, the grace
of God They are hard men to handle,
ugly men to touch. very apt to strike back
when you strike them, vet within them
all loneliness and attraction. while outside
so completely unfortunate. Mexican cactus
all the time.
Said placid elder to a Christian minis
ter: Doctor, you would do better to
control your temper "Ah,' said the
minister to the placid elder, 81 control more
temper in five minutes than you do in five
years" These people, gifted mon. who
have great evaporation of manner. and
seem to be very different from what thnyI
should be. really have in their souls tha |
which comnlcnds them to the Lord. AIey |
car cactus all the time. SO Il man said |
me years ago. ''Do You think ] ought o
become Il member Of the church, n0e !
such violent temper.
yesterday | was crossing Jersey hty
ferry. 1t was very early in the moilnG
and / saw milkman putting a large nan
tity of water into his can. and. said that
is enough. sir and he got off the cat and
in~llted me. and ] knocked him down.
Well" said he ''do YOU think cod ever
become a Christian?" That mar had in
his soul the grace of the Lord .Js'ls. but
outside he was full of thorns, arl full of
bromhIoS and ful1 of oyncnor, .OuS. but