Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-05-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S Sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Naytimc Thoughts"


-z~T f,nh'ap Of garder,:, Il ,-su q,
firing t-0'srs TINT streams from Lebanon. ~
solomon Song iv., Is.
Some OF the finest gardens of olden tinra
we're 10 la found at the foot of Mount T,e-
banOn. Snow descended. and winter whitanad
the top OF the mountain. Then when the
warn spring weather came the SHOWS rnaI+aJ
and poured down the side OF the mountain
and gave great IuNuriance to the gardens az
the foot. and Won see now the aIiusion Of -.
text when il speaks Of the fountain OF oar,
dens and streams from Lebanon
Again and again the church is represen+s5
Bs q garden al up and down the word of God
and il is 8 iCurr specially suggestive at tbis
season OF lAe year, when the parks and the
orchards ara about TO put forth their blossom
AMI the air IS filed with bird voices
mother WISHED 10 impress her child Will
the love oi Col. and so in the sprinc-tirne
after the ground had been prepared in the
garden. size took % handful OF Hover -
End scattered these seeds in shane of Ist+or,
all arrg-~rGe bed OF the garipn WaeL-s ,,,ssaJ
by, and the rains and the sunshine had dors
their work. AMI one Gay the child came in
and said. Mother. come quickly to the oar
Ceu-'oMr now. The mother followed the
child 10 the ggrtND. and the little child soiJ
Look here mother Srei It IS sDelIed eu
over tile ground IN flowers. God is Love :"
on, my friends. If We only had faith
enough we could see Gospel lessons All
Arolli Hul Hn"nt uS-lessOns in shells on
the beach. lessons i'm sparkIes on the WV
lessons DO stars on the SKY. lessons in flowers
I'll Uyprtl earth.
Nell, my friends. you know very well tbo,
iher- have been some beautiful garden.
created There was the garden OF CharIa-
uAEne, and YOU remember that this lin,
ordered gardens laid out all tbrougb ~
realm and decided hv decree of goyernroeDt
what Kind of flowers should be planted in
those gardens. Henry ". at MontpeIlier
decreet that there should be flowers pianted
throughout nus realm and gardens laid out,
and he specially dr.reei that there shoI1li bs
Alpine pyraua and French plants, Sben-
stone, the poet was more celebrated for his
gardens than for his poetry. His poatrv
has iaiei from the ages Tor the most parf
out MS gardens are immortal. To ali the
beauty Of his place he added perfection of
art Pallsada and arch and arbor and
fountain and rustic temple had their
most wonderful specimens and the oak
and the hazel. aud the richest woods of the
forest We're planted in that garden. He had
genius, ana he had industry. and all his cen
lus and all his Industry he applied to the
Identification OF that garden He c-avs for
$500. and he sold it at last for Ss5. 900 or
what was equal 20 that number of dollars
II was an expensive garden. laid out with
great slahoratlOu. And yet l haveto tell YOU
now OF a garden OF ya7tsr expanse-the gar
den spoken OF IN my teEt-a fountain OF gar
lens with the streams from Lebanon.
W.. SCOTT mad the creat ambition OF HIS
uie 10 "ul!I AnHgts'ort and lay out extensive
gardens round about il. 1t broke his heart
ihat be could not complete the worl, as he
aesirei IL. AT his last payment of EIOO OOO.
Lner laying ont these gardens and building
that palace Of AbbOtsi0ri, at that time his
heGrt broke. his health failed, and he died
almost an i,uheciie.
few ye1rs ago. when walked through
ho7e gardens and l thought at what vast ex-
pense they had lnen laid out-at the expense
ot that mans life-.t seemed could see in
she crimson flowers the blood OF the old
man broken heIrt. But | have to tell YOU
now Of a garden laid out 1T vaster expense.
VINO can calculate that vast expense? Tell
ne, We women who watched Him hang tell
NE, ye eNeeutiDuers VINO lifted and let Him
down tell Iue. thou sun that didst hide and
Ye rocks that did fall. what the laying out OF
Ihis garden cost. This morning, amid the
aroma and brightness OF the sprinGtime. it is
appropriate that l show you how the church
Christ IS "A garden.
remark first it is a garden because of the
rare plants IN IT. That would be a strange
garden IN which there were no flowers. If
you cannot ind them anywhere else. YOU will
nnd them alon. the paths, and you viii find
Aem at the gateway.
II there be no especial taste and no es
Peciai means, You will ind there the holly
hook, and the uau0dil, and tbs dahiia- II
there be no especial taste and no especial
means, you will find the Mexican cactus, and
the hiu~h-ll, and the RrhutUs. aDd the :4as
ers Of oleanders.
Flowers there must be in every garden, and
have to tell you that in the garden of the
church are the rarest plants. Sometimes
you Will find the violet, incOnJpicuOus, but
sweet as heaven-CLristian souls with no pre-
tense. but OF vast usefulness, comparatively
unknown on EARTH but to be glorious in
celestial spheres Niolets and violets all the
time. You cannot tell where these Christians
have been save by the Frightening face Of the
Invalid, or the steaming tureen OF 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 bet
ser typIfled by the ranunculus which goes
creeping between the thorns anltle brierS of
This life, giving a kiss for sting, and many
man has thought that life before him was a
black rock of trouble and found it covered
all over with delightsome jasmine OF Chris
hAn sympathy.
In this garden OF the Lord I find the Mexi-
ean cactus, loveliness within, thorls with
out, men with great sharpness Of behsvto,
and manner, but within them the peace o,
God, tho love of God, the grace OF God
They are hard mea to handle, ugly men u
touch, very apt to strike back when you
strike them, yet within them all loyelines,
and attraction, while outside 80 completely
unfortunate. Mexican cactus all the time.
Said placid elder to a Christian minister,
"DoctOr, you would do better to control your
temper" 'Ah," said the minister to the
p'acid elIa-, 81 cOAtroI more temper N q 70
minutes than you do in five years" These
people, gifted men, who have great exaspera-
tron 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
ought to become member of the church?
I have such violent temper.
Yesterday l was crossing Jersey City
ferry. 1t was very early in the morning. and
saw a milkman putting a large quantity OF
water into his can, and l said: That Is
enough, sir, and he got off the cart and in
suited me, and l knocked him down. Well"
said he, ''dO you think l could ever become
Christian?" That man mad in his soul the
grace of the Lord Jesus. but outside he was
full OF thorns, and full OF brambles. and full
Of eXAsperations but he could not hear the
story of q Saviour mercy told without hav-
ing the tears roll down his cheek There was
lOveliness within, but roughness 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
nery. Suggestive flower, II was called tbs
Giant OF Battls- And 50 in the garden OF the
Lord we find that kind OF fower-the Pauls
and Martin Luthers. the Wyclifs, the John
KnONes-giants of battle. What in other men
is spark, in them is n cOnGagration. When
they pray, their prayers take fire when they
suHei' Ii',y aMe''t great 'llVpo Va OI'oH ",i'n
they preach, it is n pente.ost when they
light, it is ThermOpyR; when they die,
Is martyrdom-giants OF battle. You say,
Why have we not more of them in the church
OF Christ az this timeY' l answer your ques-
ttOn by asking another. ''Wny have we not
more Cromwells and Humboldts in the worldT"
God wants only a few giants of battle. They
DO their work, and they do II well.
But | find also in the church Of God
plant that 1 shall call the snowdrop, very
beautiful, but cold. 1t is very pure-pure rs
The snOwdrop, beautiful as the snowdrop
and as cold "a tine snowdrop. No special
ympathy. That kind OF man never loses
bis patience; he never weeps, he never
nashes with anger; he never utters rash
word Always cold. always precise, always
Passive-beautiful snOwdrop, but don't IKE
nim. would rather have one Giant OF Bat