The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-24
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Maytime Thoughts"

RtUlng lrQteTS ana streams from Le0d7lOD. -
Solomon's Song iv., Is.
! Some of the finest gardens of olden times
were to be found at the foot Of Mount Le-
banon. Snow descended, and winter whitened
the top Of the mountain. Then when the
warm spring weather came the SHOWS melted
and poured down the side of the mountain
and gave great luxuriance to the gardens at
the foot, and you see now the allusion Of my
text when it speaks of the fountain Of gar
dens and streams from Lebanon.
! Again and again the church is represented
as garden all up and down the word Of God,
and it is figure specially suggestive at this
season of the year, when the parks and the
orchards are about to put forth their blossom
and 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,
after the ground had been prepared in the
garden. she took handful OF flower seeds
and scattered these seeds in shape of letters
all across the bed OF the garden. Weeks passed
by, and the rains and the sunshine had done
their work, and one day the child came in
and said, Mother, come quickly to the gar
den-come now" The mother followed the
child to the garden. and the little child said :.
FLook here, mother. See! 1t IS spelled all
over the ground In flowers, God Is Love- I"
, Oh, my friends, If we only had faith
enough we could see Gospel lessons all
around and about us-lessons in shells on
the beach, lessons in sparkles on the wave,
lessons in stars on the sky, lessons in flowers
all over the earth.
! Well, my friends, you know very well that
there have been some beautiful gardens
created. There was the garden OF Charlie
magne, and you remember that this king
ordered gardens laid out all through the
realm and decided by decree Of government
what kind Of flowers should be planted in
those gardens. Henry ". at Montpelier
decreed that there should be flowers planted
throughout his realm and gardens laid out,
and he specially decreed that there should be
Alpine pyrana and French plants. Shen-
stone. the poet, was more celebrated for his
gardens than for his poetry. His poetry
but his gardens are immortal. To all the
beauty Of his place he added perfection of
art. Palisade and arch and arbor and
fountain and rustic temple had their
most wonderful specimens, and the oak,
and the hazel, and the richest woods Of the
forest we're planted in that garden. he had
genius. and he had industry, and all his gen.
ius and all his industry he applied to the
Identification Of that garden. He gave for
Il $500. and he sold it ut last for S85 900, or
what was equal to that number Of dollars.
1t was an expensive garden, laid out with
great elaboration. And yet haveto tell you
now OF garden Of vaster expanse-the gar
den spoken Of in my text-a fountain Of gar
dens with the streams from Lebanon.
h Walter Scott had the great ambition OF his
life to build Abbotsford and lay out extensive
gardens round about 1t. It broke his heart
that he could not complete the work as he
desired it. At his last payment Of f100, 200,
after laying out these gardens and building
that palace Of Abbotsford, at that time his
heart broke, his health failed, and he died
almost an imbecile.
o A few years ago, when I walked through
those gardens and thought at what vast ex-
pense they had been laid out-at the expense
OF that mans life-it seemed could see in
the crimson flowers the clood of the old
mans broken heart. But have to tell you
now of q garden laid out at yaster expense.
Who can calculate that vast expense2 Tell
me. ye women who watched Him hang tell
me, ye eXecutioners who lifted and let Him
down; tell me. thou sun that didst hide and
ye rocks that did fall, what the laying out Of
this garden cost. This morning, amid the
aroma and brightness Of the springtime, it IS
appropriate that I show you how the church
OF Christ Is garden.
remark first it is garden because Of the
rare plants In it. That would be strange
garden in which there were no flowers. II
you cannot find them anywhere else, you will
find them along the paths, and you will find
them at the gateway.
II there be no especial taste and no es-
pecial means, yoa will find there the holly
hook, and the daffodil, and the dahlis. II
there be no especial taste and no especial
means. you will find the Mexican cactus, and
the biuebel, and the arbutus, and the clus-
terS of oleanders.
Flowers there must be in every garden, and
I have to tell you that In rhe garden Of the
church are the rarest plants. Sometimes
you will find the violet, inconspicuous, but
sweet az sheaven-Christian souls with no pre-
tense. but of vast usefulness, comparatively
unknown on earth, but to be glorious In
celestial spheres. Violets and violets all the
time. You cannot tell where these Christians
have been save by the Frightening face OF the
invalid. or the sreaming tureen Of the stand
near the sick pillow, or the new curtain that
keeps out the glare of the sun from the poor
man cot. Such characters are perhaps bet
ter typifed by the ranunculus which goes
creeping between the thorns and the briers of
this life, giving kiss for sting, and many
q man has thought that life before him was q
black rock of trouble and found it covered
all over with delightsome jasmine Of Chris
tau sympathy.
can cactus, loveiiness within, thorns With
out, men with great sharpness OF behavior
and manner, but within them the peace OF
God, the love of God, the grace of God.
They are hard men to handle, ugly men tc
touch, very apt to strike back when you
strike them, yet within them all loveliness
and attraction, while outside 30 completely
unfortunate. Mexican cactus all the time
Said placid elder to Christian minister,
doctor. you would do better to control your
temper" "Ah," said the minister to the
placid elder, II control more temper in five
minutes than you do in five years." These
people, gifted men, who have great exaspera-
don of manner and seem to be very different
hom what they should be-, really have in
their souls that which commends them to the
Lord. Mexican cactus all the time. So a
nan said to me years ago: do you think
ought to become a member OF the church,
have such violent temper.
Yesterday I was crossing Jersey City
Jerry. It was very early In the morning, and
saw a milkman putting large quantity Of
Uatcr into his can, and I said: THAT is
snoSgh, sir, and he got off the cart and in
suited me, and I knocked him down. Well"
,aid he, "do you think I could ever become
Christian" That man had in his soul the
grace Of the Lord Jesus, but outside he was
hull OF thorns, and full OF brambles, and full
Of exasperations, but he could not hear the
story Of Saviour mercy told without hsv-
ing the tears roll down his cheek. There was
oveliness within, but roughness outside.
Mexican cactus all the time.
But remember in boyhood that we mad in
,ur fathers garden what we called the Giant
,f Battle, peculiar rose, very red and very
lery. Suggestive flower, it was called the
Slant OF Battle And 80 in the garden Of the
Cord we find that kind Of fower-the Paus
ind Martin Luthers, the Wyclifs, the John
EnoSes-giants OF battle What in other men
8 spark, in them Is q conflagration. Whom
hey pray, their prayers take fire when they