Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-02

Cross. Prophets fOretold il. Bethle-
hem shepherds looked upon IL 10 the
bud; the rocks shook at It's bursting;
and the dead rot up ia their winding
sheets 10 see It's full bloom. IL Is a
crimson flower - blood at the roots,
blood on the branches, blood on all the
leaves. las perfume is TO fill all the na-
lions. It's touch is life. lts breath Is
heaven. Come, Oh winds, from the
north, and winds from the south, and
winds from the east, and winds from
the west, and bear TO all the earth the
sweet smelling SAVIOR OF Christ my LORD.
Again: The church may ee appro-
priatsly compared TO a garden, because
il is place 20 select fruits. That
would be a strange garden which had
in II no berries, no plums, no peaches,
or apricOts. The cOarser fruits are
planted in the orchard, or they are set
out on the sunny hillside; but
The CHOICEST FRUITS.
are kept in the garden. So in the
world outside OF Church, Christ has
planted a great many beautiful things
patience, charity, generosity, tnteg-
rity; but be Intends the choicest fruits
70 be in the garden, and II they are not
there, then shame on the Church. Re-
igion is not a mere Towering senti-
mentality. II is practical life-giving,
healthful iruit-Rot poSies, but apples.
"Onu' saws somebody, " IdOn't see what
your garden of the Church mas yielded.
Where did your ssylums come
from? and your hospitals? and your
institutions Of mercy? Christ planted
every one Of them; be planted them In
his garden. When Christ gave sight to
Bart.meus be laid the cornerstone OF
every blind asylum that has ever been
built. When Christ soothed the
demOniac OF Galilee he laid the corner
stone Of every lunatic asylum that has
ever been established. When Christ
said 90 the sick man: Take up thy
bed and walk" ne laid the cornerstone
o.. every hospital the world has ever
seen. When Christ said: Il was in
prison and ye visited Me- be laid the
cornerstone OF every prison reform as
ISOLATION that has ever been formed.
The Church Of Christ is a glorious gar
den and il is full Of fruit. l know
there Is some poor fruit In II. l know
there are some weeds that ought
10 have been thrown over the
feace. know there are some
crab-apple trees that ought TO
be cut down. ! know there are some
wild grapes that ought TO be uprooted;
but are you going TO destroy the whole
garden because OF little gnarled fruit?
You will find worm eaten leaves ia Fon-
tainbleau, aud insects that sting 10 the
fairy groves OF the Champs E'yseeS.
You do not tear down and destroy the
whole garden because shere are Few
specimens of gnaried fruit. l admit
there are men aud women ia the church
who ought not 10 be there. but let us be
lust as frank, aud admit the fact that
there are hundreds and thousands and
tens OF thousands OF glorious Christian
men and women holy, blessed, useful,
c0nsecrated and triumphant There IS
no grander collection ia all the earth
than the collection OF Christians. There
arc Christian men in the church whose
religion is not matter OF psalm singing
and church going. Tomorrow morning
that religion will Keep them just as con-
sisteut and conSecrated on exchange"
as 10 ever kept them at the communion
table There are women in the church
Of
A HIGHER TYPE or CHARACTER
than Mary OF Bethany. They not ouly
SIT at the feet OF Christ, but they 90 out
into the kitchen 10 help Martha in her
work, that she may Sitthere too. There
is a woman who has drunken husband,
who has exhibited more faith, and pa
thence, and courage than Hugh Latimer
IN the fire. He was consumed IN twenty
minutes Hers has been twenty years
martyrdom. YOnder is a man who has
lain fifteen years on his back, unable
even TO feed himself, yet calm and
peaceful as though be lay on one OF the
green banks OF heaven, watching the
oarsman dip their paddles in the cryS-
tai river, Why il seems to me this
moment as IL Paul threw TO US pOmOl-
ogiStS catalogue of the fruits growing
in this great garden OF Christ-lOve, joy,
peace, patience, charity, brotherly
kindness, geutleuess, MISCONCEPTIONS
fruit, enough 10 OH all the baskets Of
earth and heaven.
Hark. I hear the latcn at the garden
gate, aud look 70 see who Is coming.
| hear the voice of Christ: II am come
into my garden" l say: Come in, o
Jesus, we have been waiting for thee;
walk all through these paths; look At
the flowers; look at the fruit; pluck
that which thou wilt for thySelf.
Jesus comes Into the garden, and up 10
that old man, and touches him, and
says: almost home, father; not many
more aches for thee; / will never leave
thee; l will never fOrSake thee; take
courage a little longer and l will steady
thy tottering steps, aud | will Soothe
thy troubles and give thee rest; cOur-
age. old man" Then Christ goes zap
another garden path, aud he comes to
soul In trouble, aud says: Peace, al Is
well. have seen thy tears; | have
heard thy prayer. The sun shall not
Smite thee by day, nor the moon by
night The Lord shall preserve thee
from evil; he will preserve thy soul.
Courage, ON, courage, troubled spirit"
Then l see Jesus going up another gar
den path, and | see great excitsment
among the leaves, aud [ hasten up that
garden path 10 see what Jesus is doing
there; and 10! He is breaking of fow-
ers, sharp and clean. from the stem,
and l say: "Stop. Jesus, dOn't kill
those beautiful flowers" lie turns TO
me and says: II have come into my
garden 10 gather lilies, and l mean to
take these up to higher terrace, and
for the garden around my palace, and
there l will plant them, and 10 better
soil and in better air; they shall put
fort brighter leaves and sweeter redo
lence, and
SNO FROST SHALL TOUCH THEM
forever" Aud l looked up to His face
and said: well, it is His garden, and
&C ~ FaNszER