Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-07-19
ROYAL GARDEN"
The World Has a Great Many Beauti.
ful Gardens,
But Nothing to Compare to the Garden of
the Church, Which Belongs to Christ
He Bought 1t. He Planted 1t, He
Owns It-Dr. Talmage's Sermon.

I -
beautiful gardens. Charle1nagne added
to the glory of his reign by decreeing
thar they he established all Through
the realm uecree.ng even the names
OF the flowers To be planted there.
Henry ", at Montpelier, established
gardens of bewitching beauty and lux
uriance, gathering into them Alpine.
Pyrenean and French plants. One of
the sweetest spots on earth was the gar
den of Shenstone, the poet His writ
ings have made but little impression
on the world, but his garden, The
Leasowes, will be immortal. To the
natural advantage of that place was
brought the perfection of art. Arbor
and terrace and slope and rustic temple
and reservoir and urn and fountain
here had their browning. Oak and
yew and hazel put forth their richest
foliage. There was no life more dill
gent, no soul more ingenious than that
of Shenstone, and all that diligence
and genius were brought to the adorn-
ment of that one treasured spot. He
gave $500 for it. He sold it for e17. 600.
And yet | am TO tell you of a richer
garden than any have mentioned 1t
is the garden spoken of in my text. the
garden of the church, which belongs
to Christ, for my text says so. He
bought it. he planted it. he owns it.
and he shall have it. Walter Scott. in
his outlay at Abbottsford. ruined his
fortune And now in the crimson
flowers of those gardens you can al
most think or imagine that You see
the blood of that old mans
broken heart. The payment of
the last 100000 sacrificed him. But
! have to tell you that Christ's life and
Christ's death were the outlay of
this beautiful garden of the church of
which my text speaks. Oh, how many
signs and tears and pangs and agoniesl
Tell me, We women who saw him hang.
Tell me, We eXecutioners who lifted
him and let him drop! Tell me, thou
sun that didst hide We rocks that fell!I
Christ loved the church and gave him
self for it." If, then the garden of
the church belongs to Christ. certainly
he has a right to walk in it. Come.
then. O blessed Jesus, this morning.
pluck what thou wilt of sweetness for
myself
The church, in my text, is appropri-
ately compared TO garden. because it
is place of choice flowers. of select
fruits and of thorough irrigation.
That would be strange garden in
which there were no flowers If no.
where else. they win be along the bor-
ders or at the gateway. The homeliest |
taste will dictate something, if it be
the old fashioned hollyhoek or dahlia |
or daffodil or coreopsis, but if there be
larger means then you will find the /
Mexican cactus and dark veined arbu-
telion and blazing azalea and clustering
oleander. Well, now, Christ comes to
His garden, and he plants there some
of the brightest spirits that ever flow
cred upon the world. Some of them
are violets, unconspicuous, but sweet in
Heaven. You have to search for such
spirits to find them. You do not see
them very often perhaps. but you find
where they have been by the brighten
ing face of the invalid, and the sprig of
geranium on the stand, and the win
low curtains keeping out the glare of
the sunlight. They are, perhaps,
more like the ranunculus, creeping
,weetly along amid the thorns and
Driers of life, giving kiss for sting, and
many man who has had in his way
some great black rock of trouble has
'ound that they have covered it all over
With Towering jasmine running in and
,ut amid the crevice. These Chris
ians in Christ's garden are not like
he sunaower, gaudy in the light,
tut whenever darkness hoyers
,ver a soul that needs to be comforted
here they stand, night blooming GER
uses. But in Christ's garden there are
plants that may be better compared to
he Mexican cactus-thorns without,
oveliness within-with sharp points
# character. They wound almost ev-
nv one that touches them. They are
ard to handle. Men pronounce them
othing but thorns, but Christ
Dves them, Notwithstanding all their
harpness. Many a man has had very
ard ground to culture. and it has only
cen through severe toll he has raised
ven the smallest crop of grace.
A very harsh minister was talking !
nth very placid elder, and the placid
lder said to the harsh minister: Doc
,r, l do wish you would control your 9
smper." 'Ah," said the minister to I
ne elder. II control more temper in
We minutes than you do in five c
ears" 1t is harder for some men @
, do right than for others to do I
ght. The grace that would ele- /
ate you to the seventh heaven 5
light not keep your brother from t
hooking a man down. / had a friend a
no came to me and said: u dare /
IT ioin the church" said, a
Wbv?'' oh" he said, 81 have such C
violent temper. Yesterday morning t,
was crossing Very early at the Jersey n
tv Ferry. and saw milkman pour h
large amount of water into the milk il
m and l said TO him, / think that a
IN do and he insulted me, and "
,oelxed him down. Do you think II
,gbt to Join the church, Neyerthe- d
90 H.