Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-05-13

1
and violets all the time. You cannot
tell where these Christians have been,
save by the frightening face of the in
valid, or the steaming tureen on the
stand near the sick pillow, or the new
curtain that keeps out the glare OF the
sun from the poor mans cot. Such
characters are perhaps better typified
by the ranunculus that goes creeping
between the thorns and the briars of
this life, giving kiss for sting; and
many man has thought that life be-
fore him was black rock of trouble,
and foundit covered all over with de-
lightsome jessamine of Christian SYM
pathy.
In this garden of the Lord ! find the
Mexican cactus, loneliness within,
thorns without, men with great sharp
ness of behavior and manner, but with
in them the peace of God, the love of
God. the grace of God. They are hard
men to handle, ugly men to touch, very
apt to strike back when you strike
them, yet within them all loneliness
and attraction, while outside so com
pletely unfortunate. Mexican cactus
all the time.
Said n placid elder to Christian
minister: Doctor, you would do well
to control your temper" "Ah!" said
the minister to the placid elder, Il
control more temper in five minutes
than you do in five years" These peo-
pie, gifted men, who have great en-
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 man said to me years ago:
''Do you think ought to become II
member of the church, have such n
violent temper? Yesterday ! was cross
ing Jersey City ferry. 1t was very ear
~ in the morning, and l saw milk
man putting Il large quantity of water
into his can, and | 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 u Christian" That man
had in his soul the grace of the Lord
Jesus. but outside he was full of thorns,
and full of brambles. and full of eXas-
pcrations: but he could not hear the
story of Saviour's mercy told without
having the tears roll down his check.
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. n 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 fower-the Pauls
and Martin Luthers the Wyclitfes. the
John KnoXes-giants of battle. What
in other men is a spark, in them is a
when they pray. their
prayers take fire. When they suffer
they sweat great drops of blood: when
they preach it is Pentecost: when they
fight it is Il Thermopyln; when they die
it is ma, 'yrdom-giants of battle. You
say. why have we not more of them in
the church of Christ at this time?"
answer your question by asking anoth-
err: why have we not more Cromwells
and Humboldts in the world?' God
wants only few giants of battle: they
do their work, and they do it well.
But find also in the church of God
plant that shall call the snowdrop.
Very beautiful, but cold; it is very
pure, pure rs 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 utters 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 !
without any sympathy. |
Very good; they are in the garden of
the Lord, therefore know they ought |
10 be there; but always snowdrops.
You have seen in some places, per-
haps, century plant. l do not sup
pose there is person in this house who
mas ever seen more than one century |
plant in full bloom, and when you see
the century plant your emotions are
stirred. You look at it and say: This
lower has been gathering up its beauty
for 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
ext, there is century plant.
1t has gathered up its bloom from all
The ages of eternity, and nineteen cen
,uries ago it put forth its glory. 1t is
not only a century plant, but a passion