The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-05-19

PIE. BntSu men. VINO nave great eX-
ASPIRATION of manner, and seem
to be very different from what
they should be, really have in
their souls that which commends them
to the Lord. Mexican cactus all the
time So a man said to me years ago:
''Do you think 1 ought to become a
member of the church, have such a
violent temper? Yesterday was cross
ing Jersey City ferry. 1t was very ear
" in the morning, and saw a milk
man putting large quantity of water
into his can, and l said: That is
enough, sir and he got off the cart and
insulted me, and knocked him down.
Well" said he, do you think could
ever become a Christian?" That man
had in his soul the gsace of the Lord
Jesus, but outside he was full of thorns,
and full of brambles. and full of exas-
perations; but he could not hear the
story of a Saviour's mercy told without
having the tears roll down his cheek
There was loneliness within, but rough
ness outside. Mexican cactus all the
time.
But remember in boyhood that we
had in our fathers garden what we
called the Giant of Battle, a peculiar
rose, very red and very fiery. Sugges-
tive flower, it was called the Giant of
Battle And so in the garden of the Lord
we find that kind of flower-the Pauls
and Martin Luthers. the Wycliffes. the
John KnOxes- of battle. What
in other men is spark. in them is a
confagration: when they pray, their
prayers take fire. When they suffer
they sweat great drops of blood; when
they preach it is a Pentecost: when they
fight it is ThermOpyls: when they die
it is artyrdom-giants of battle. You
say. "Why have we not more of them in
the church of Christ at this timer 1
answer your question by asking anoth-
er; why have we not more Cromwells
and Humboldts in the world?" God
wants only a few giants of battle; tkey
do their work, and they do it well.
But find also in the church of God a
plant that I shall call the snowdrop.
Very beautiful. but cold: it is very
pure. pure as the snowdrop. beautiful
as the snowdrop. and as cold as the
snowdrOp. No special sympathy. That
kind of man never loses his patience;
he never weeps. he never flashes with
anger, he never utte-s a rash word.
Always cold. always precise. always
passive. beautiful snowdrop: but
don't like him would rather have
one giant OF battle than 5000 snow
drops.
Give me man who may make some
mistakes in his ardor for the Lords
service, rather than that kind of nature
which spends its whole life doing but
one thing. and that is keeping equil-
brium- There are snOwdrops in all the
churches-nen without any sympathy.
Very good; they are in the garden of
the Lord. therefore | know they ought
to be there: but always snowdrops.
You have seen in some places. per-
haps century plant. / do not sup
pose there is person in this house who
has ever seen more than one century
plant in full bloom, and when you see
the century plant your emotions are
stirred. You look at il and say; This
flower has been gathering up its beauty
for a whole century, and it will not
bloom again for another 100 years"
Well have to tell you that in this
garden Of the church. spoken of in my
text. there IS a century plant.
It has gathered up its bloom from all .
the ages of eternity. and nineteen cen
turtles ago it put forth its glory. Il is
not only Il century plant. but passion
passion flower Of Christ;
crimson flower. blood at the root. and .
blood on the leaves, the passion flower .
Of Jesus. the century plant of eternity. /.
Come. on, winds from the north. and .
winds from the south. and winds from 4
the east, and winds from the west. and /
scatter the perfume of this flower I
through all nations.
His worth If ali the nations knew.
sure the whole earth would love him. too.
Thou. the Christ Of all the ages. hast /
garments smelling Of myrrh. and aloes. I
and cassia. out of the ivory palaces.
90 further and say the church of .
Christ is appropriately compared to a
garden. because of its thorough irriga- .
ton. There can be no luxuriant garden .
without plenty Of water. saw gar
den in the midst of the desert amid the .
Rocky mountains. I said: How is it .
possible you have so many flowers, so 1
much rich fruit in a desert for miles .
around? l suppose some of you have .
seen those gardens. Well. they told .
me they had aqueducts and pipes .
reaching up to the hill. 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 garden of Christ
All around it the barrenness of sin and
the barrenness Of the world but our
eyes are unto the hills. from whence
eometh our help. There Is a river. the 4
streams whereof shall make glad the
city Of our God, the fountain OF gar
iens and streams from Lebanon Water
to slalze the thirst. water 20 refresh the
water to wash the unclean,
water TO toss up in fountains under the 4
sun of righteousness. until you can see
the rainbow around the throne
Wandered in a garden of Brazilian
and l saw the luxuriance
Of those gardens were helped by the
abundant supply Of water. l came TO
It On a day when strangers were not
admitted, but by a strange coincidence,
at the moment got in the kings char
lot 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
y,eesome wrestle tumbled at my feet.
And so it was with this garden of
Christ Everything comes from above
pardon from above, peace from