Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-05-12
ais worth. I, all the Nations knew,

- oppEVpKtdlcly compared 10 SdTucn Dc-
cause Of its thorough irrigation. There can
be no luxuriant garden without plenty of
water. l saw a garden in the midst of the
desert amid the Rocky mountains. said
How is it possible you have so many
flowers, so much rich fruit, in a desert for
miles aroundY' suppose some of you have
seen those gardens. Well, they told me they
had aqueducts and pipes reaching up to the
hills, 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 luxurlance.
And thought to myself how like tn, gar
den OF Christ All around it the barrenness
OF sin and the barrenness OF the world. but
our eyes are unto the hills, from whence
cometh our help. There is river the
streams whereof shall make glad the city Of
our God. the fountain OF gardens and streams
rom Lebanon. Water to sake the thirst
water to refresh the fainting. water to wash
the unclean. water to toss up in fountains
under the sun Of righteousness until you can
see the rainbow around the throne.
wandered in a garden OF Brazilian cashew
nut, and l saw the luxurianco OF those gar
dens was helped by the abundant supply OF
water. / came TO it on a day when strangers
were not admitted. but by strange coinci-
dence, at the moment l got in, the kings
chariot 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 gleesomo wrestle tum-
bled at my feet. And so il is with this garden
OF Christ. Everything comes from above
pardon from above. peace from above. COM
fort from above. sanctiflcation from above.
Streams from Lebanon. On. the consolation
in this thought Would God that the garden
ers turned on the fountain OF salvation until
10 ralo r--ha VA 81 nd
become Elm with twelve wells OF
water and threescore and ten palm trees. But
hear His sound at the garden gate. l hear
the lifting of the latch of the gate, Who
comes there? II is the Gardener, who passes
in through the garden gate. He comes
through this path OF the garden. and He
comes to the aged man, and He says "Old
man. l come 10 help thee; | come to
strengthen thee. Down to hoary hairs will
shelter thee / will give thee strength at the
time of old age. l will not leave; ] will
never forsake thee Peace, broken hearted
old man /: 1 will be thy consolation forever.
And then Christ. the Gardener. comes up
another path OF the garden. and He sees
soul in great trouble. and He says. Hush.
troubled spirit the sun shall not smite thee
by day, nor the moon by night the Lord
shall preserve thee from all evil. the Lord
shall preserve thy soul" And then the Gar
and He comes where there are some beautiful
buds. and say, 'Stop. o Gardener; do not
break them Of But He breaks them of.
the beautiful buds, and l see great fiutter
among the leaves, and l wonder what He is
doing. and He says: Il DO not come to
destroy these flowers l am only going to
plant them in a higher terrace and
IN the garden. around Ny pal
ace have come into My garden to gather
lilies. [ must take back a whole cluster OF
rose5uds. Peace, troubled soul all shall be
well. Suffer the little children TO come unto
Me and forbid them not for OF such is tho
kingdom of heaven" Oh glorious Gardener
of the church Christ comes to it now. an i
He has n right TO come. We look into the
face of the Gardener as He breaks off the bud,
and we say Thou art worthy TO have them.
Thy will be done" The hardest prayer
bereaved father or mother ever uttered
Thy will be done.
But you have noticed that around every
kings garden there is a high wall YOImaj
have stood at the wall of a kings court ard
thought. 'How / would like to see that gai
dem and while YOU we're watching the
gardener opened the gate, and the royal
equipaSe swept through it, and you caught
a glimpse of the garden but only glimpse,
for then the gates closed.
bless God that this garden Of Christ has
gates on all sides; that they are opened by
day opened by night, and whatsoever will
may come in. Oh how many there are VINO
die in the desert when they might revel
in the garden How many there are who
are seeking in the garden OF this world that
satisfaction which they can never find
1t was so with Theodore Hook. who made
all nations laugh while he was living. AMI
vet Theodore on a certain day, when in
midst of his revelry he caught glimpse OF
his own face and his own apparel IN the
mirror. said "That is true. l look just as
Iam-lost. body mind, soul and estate. lost ~
And so it was with Shenstone about his gar
den, of which spoke in the beginning OF my
sermon. He sat down amid all its beauty
and wrung his hands and said, Il have lost
my way to happiness; L am frantic hate
everything; l hate myself as q mad man
ought to-" Alas so many in tho gardens OF
this world are looking for that flower they
never can find except in the garden 81 Christ
Substantial comfort will not grow
Iu natures barren soil.
All we can boast TIL Christ we know
Is vanity and toll.
How many have tried all the fountains Of
this worlds pleasure, but never tasted OF the
stream from Lebanon, How many have re-
yeled in other gardens TO their soul 5 ruin. but
never plucked one flower from the garden Of
our God l swing open all the gates Of the
garden and invite you in, whatever your his
tory, whatever your sins, whatever your temp
tations, whatever your trouble. The invita-
ton comes no more TO one than to all,
whatsoever will. let him come
The flowers OF earthly gardens soon fade
but. blessed be God, there are garlands thai
never wither, and through the grace of Chris.
Jesus we may enter into the joys which are
provided for us at Gci's right hand. Oh
come into the garden And remember, az
the closing thought, that God not only
brings us into a garden here, but it is a gar
den all the way with those who trust ant
love and serve Him, garden all through the
struggles of this life, a garden all up the
slope Oi heaven.
There everlasting spring aodes
And never whitening flowers.
Death, like narrow stream. divides
That heavenly land from ours.