The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-05-18
breaks them off, the beautiful buds, and

DASoho IhShh ous LlV UCuuyllul DuQS, and
L see great flutter among the leaves.
and L wonder what heis doing, and he
says: 81 do not comeSto destroy these
flowers. l am only going to plant
them in a higher terrace and in the gar.
den around my palace. 1 have come in
TO my garden to gather lilies. l must
take back a whole cluster of rose buds,
Peace, troubled soul; all shall be we'll
Suffer the little children to como unto
mo and forbid them not, for OF such is
the kingdom Of heaven" Oh, glorious
Gardener of the church! Christ como }
to it now, and he has a rightito come.
We look into the iaco Of the Gardener as
he breaks Off the bud, and VIC saw,
"Ihou art worthy to have them; thy
will be done" The hardest prayer Il
bereavHd father or mother ever uttered
--''Thy will be DONE"
But you have noticed that Rrouad cv-
e,y kings garden there is q high wall.
\ Oh may have Stood at the wall of a
kings cour! and thought, "IIow |
would like to see that garlen!" aud
| while you were watching the gardener
opened the gaze, and the royal equipage
swept through it, and you caught a
glimpse of The garden, but only glimpse
tor then the gates closed.
bless God that this garden of Chsiet
has Gates on all sides, that they are
opened by day, opcucd by night, and
whosQevcr Will may come In. Oh. no y
many there are who die in the desert
when trey might rcvel in the garden!
How many there are who are seeking
The garden OF this world that satlstac-
ton which they never can find.
1t was so with Theodore Hook, who
made all nations laugh when he was
llvtn9. And YET on Il certain day, when
in the midst OF his rcvelry he caught q
glimpse Of his own lace and his own aD.
parel III the mirror, sad: THAT is true
L look Just as / am-lo3t, BODY, mind
soul aud estate, l03:!" Aud so it was
with ShcnstOno about his garden OF
which [ spoke in the beginning of my
sermon. lie sat down amid all its
beauty and wrung his hands and said,
~ nave lost my way to happiness; |
am frantic; | hate everything. L hate
myself as Il mad man ought TO-" Alas!
so many in the gardens of this world
arc looking for that flower they can
never fad except in the garden of Christ.
Substantial comfort will not grow
In natures barren soil.
All we can boast till Christ we know
Is vanity ard toll.
How many have tried all the fom
ialns OF this worlds pleasure, but never
tasted of the stream from Lebanon!
How many have revcled i'll other gar
dcns TO their souls ruin, but never
nlucked one flower from the garden of
our God. / swing open all the gates of
the garden and invite YOU in, whatever
your history, whatever your sins, what.
ever Your temptations, whatever your
trouble. The invitation comes no more
to one than u all. whatsoever will,
lie! him come"
The flowers Of earthly gardens soon
fade, but, blessed be God, there sre gar
lands that never wither, and through
the grace OF Chris. Jesus We may enter
INTO the joys which arc provided fof us
at Gods right hand. Oh, come into the
garden. Aud remember, aa the closing
Thought, that God not only brings us in
to garden here, but it Is a garden all the
way with those who trust and love and
serve him, garden all through the
struggles Of this life, a garden all w
the slope OF heaven.
| There everlasting spring abides
| And never WithCring flowers,
Death, like narrow stream, divides
! Jnat heavenly land from ours