The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-05-18
IN FIELD. AND WOOD.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE's THOUGHTS suG-
GESTED BY MAYTlME.

PHILADELPHIA, May 7.-Rev. DR..
Talmage is in this city today. participate
ing in the services at the ordination OF
his son. Rev. Frauk Talmage, to the
ministry. He has dictated The follow.
ing sermon on timely aH1 scas0nable
topic, "Maytime Thoughts. v. the text
selected being the beautiful words of
Solomon's Song iv. IS "a f)untain of
gardens, we'll Of living waters and
streams from Lebanon.
Some of the finest gardens Of ollcn
times were to be found at the loot OF
Mount Lebanon. Snow descended, and
winter whitencd the top OF the noun
tain.s Then when the warm spring
weather came the suows melted and
poured down the side of the mountaln
and gave great Insurance to the car
dens at the foot, and you sec now The
allusion of my text when it speaks OF
the fountain Of gardens and streams
from Lebanon.
Again and again the church is repre-
sented rs garden all up and down The
word of God, and it Is figure specially
suggestive at this season Of the year,
when tho parks aud the orchards arc
about to put forth their blossom aud the
air is filled with bird voices.
A mother wished to impress her Child
with the love Of God, and so in the spring
time, alter the ground had been pre-.
pared in the garden, she took a}haud I'll
of flower seeds and scattered these seeds
in the shape OF lctIcrs across the bed Of
the garden Weeks passed by, and the
rains and the sunshine had done their
work, and one day the child camc in
and said, "Mothcr, come quickly to The
garden-cOmo now" The mother fol-
lowed the child to the garden, and The
little child said. "Look here, mother!
See! 1t is spelled all over the GROUND
in flowers, God Is LDvc.'"
On, my friends, il we only had faith
enough, We could see gospel lessons all
around and about uS-lc5sons in shells
on the beach, lessons i'll sparklcs on .hc
wave, lessons IN stars on the sky, les.
sons in flowers all over the earth.
We'll, NV friends, you know very
we'll that there have been some bCauti.
iul gardens created. There was the car.
den OF CharlcmaGnc. and you TCmCm.
Der that tins KIM ordered GardCuS la>d
out all through the rcalm and decided
by decree OF government what kind o!
flowers should be plantcl III those uir~
dens. llcry " a! Montpelier dccrcud
that there should be flowers planted
Throughout! his realm and gardens laid
out, and he specially dccrecd that there
should be Alpine pylcnn and French
plants. ShcnstOnc, the poet, vas m )ro
celebrated Tor his gardens than l0r his
poetry. His poetry has faded from tic
ages for the most part, but his gardens
are immortal. 70 Ill &c beauty OF his
piece he added perfection OF "lt. Pail.
~"i. anI ,u>h and arbrr amd !lUalain
and rustic temple had thur most won.
uerlul specimens, and the oak, and the
hazel, and the richest woods OF the for.
est were planted in that garden. He
had genius, and he had Industry. and
all his genius and all his industry lie ap.
piled TO the Identification of that car.
den. lie gave for 1t $1,000, aud ne
sold 1t at last for $S5, 5,0OO, or what was
equal to that number of dollars. II
was an expensive garden, laiI out with
great elaboration. And yet | have TO
tell you now OF garden Of vastcr cX-
pensc, the garden spoken of in my text,
fountain OF gardens with The streams
from Lebanon.
of his life to build Abbotsford and Law
out extensive gardens round about il.
III broke his heart That he could not
complete tnc work as he desired it. AT
his last payment OF clO0, 600, after law
Ing out those gardens and building that
palace Of AbbOtstord at that time his
heart broke, his health Gailcl and lie
died almost an imbcclic.
~ lew years ago, when | walked
through those gardens ana thought at
What vast expense they had been laid |
out-ail the expense OF that mans life |
1T seemed could sec in the crimson |
flowers the blood of the o,dman's broken
heart. But have to tell yOu now of n |
garden laid out at VA9tCr cXNcnSc-who !
can calculate that vast expense? Tell |
me, We women WAC watched him haur.
tell me, eXcCutiOncrS who lifted and LET |
INN down, tell me. thou sun that .ldsL |
hide and yc rocks that do tail, what the
laying out OF this ga. den cost? This
morning, amid the aroma ana brightness
OF the springtmc, 1t is appropriate that
show you how the church of Christ il
a garden.
l remark first it is a garden because
OF the rare plants in Il. That would Ne
a strange garden III which there were no
hoWcrs. llyOu cannot find them anv-
Wherc else, you will find them along
the paths AMI YOU will find them al the
gateway:
Ii there be no especial taste and no
especial means. YOu will fud there the
hollyhock, and The danodil, aud the
dahlla. If there be no especial taste
ana no especial means, You will fnG the
Mexican cactus, and the buebcl. and
the arbutus, and the clusters Of oIcan.
ders.
Flowers there must be in every oar
den, and | have to tell you that in the
garden OF the church arc the rarcsi
plants. Sometimes you will find the
Vlolets, mconspicuous, but sweet as
heaVen-Christian souls with no orc.
tense, but of vast usefulness, com.
paratlvely unknown on earth, but to be
glorious in celestial spharcs. Violcls
and Violets all the time. You can.
not tell where these Christians hovc
Deen save by the Frightening face Of tho
hVaild, or the steamlne tureen on tho
stand near the sick nill0w ~ u,o.