The Baptist headlight., 1894-07-18

talns OF Gods strength there flow down
rivers of gladness There is a river
the stream whereof shall make glad
the city of our God. Preaching the
gospel is one of these aqueducts. The
Bible is another. Baptism and the
Lord 5 supper are aqueducts. Water
to slake the thirst, water to restore
the faint, water to wash the unclean,
water tossed high up in the light of
the sun of righteousness, showing us
the rainbow around the throne Oh,
was there ever garden so thoroughly
irrigated? You know the beauty of
Versailles and Chatsworth depends
very much upon the great supply of
water. [ came TO the latter place
| (ChatSwOrth) one day when strangers
are not to be admitted, but bv an in
| ducement, which always seemed as ap-
/ pllcable to an Englishman as an Ameri-
can, got in, and then the gardener
went far up above the stairs of stone
and turned on the water. | saw it
| cleaning on the dry pavement. com
ing down from step to step, until it
came so near [ could hear the musical
rush, and all over the high. broad
stairs 1t came fOaming, flashing. roar
ing down until sunlight and wave in
gIeeSOme WreStle tumble1 at nv feet
! SO 1t is with the church Of God Every
thing comes from above pardon from
above, Joy from above. adop-
tlOn from above, sanctiication
from above. Oh. that now God
would turn on the waters of salvation
that they might flow down through his
heritage and that this day we might
each find our places to be Films"
with twelve wells of water and three
score and ten palm trees.
The Gardener Comes.
Hark, hear the latch at the garden
gate, and | look to see who is coming!
hear the voice Of Christ, Il am come
into my garden | say: Come in,
0 Jesus; we have been waiting for
thee. Walk al through these paths.
Look at the flowers: look at the fruit.
Pluck that which thou wilt for thv-
self Jesus comes into the garden
and up to that OLD man and touches
him and says: Almost home, father
Not many more aches for three. [
Will never leave thee. | will never
fOrsake thee. Take courage a little
longer, and L will STEADY thy tottering
steps, and [ Will sOOthe thy troubles,
and give thee rest Courage. old
man" Then Christ goes up another
garden path, and he comes to a soul in
trouble and says: peace; all is we'll.
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 all evil He will pre-
serve thy soul. Courage, O toubled
spirit" Then | see Jesus going up
another garden path, and [ see great |
excitement among the leaves. and | |
hasten up that garden path to see
what Jesus is doing there and. 10, He |
is breaking Off flowers, sharp and |
clean, from the stem, and | say, stop, |
Jesus: don't kill those beautiful flow |
ers." He turns to me and says: Il |
have come into my garden to gather |
lilies, and ! mean to take these up to a |
higher terrace and for the garden |
around my palace, and there | will |
plant them and in better soil and in |
better air. They shall put forth
brighter leaves and sweeter redolence,
and no forest shall touch them for
and said: well, it is His garden. and
He has right to do what He will with
it. Thy will be dOne''-the hardest
prayer a man ever made.
| notice that the fine gardens some
times have high fences around them,
and | cannot get in. 1t is so with the
Kings garden. The only glimpses
you ever get OF such garden is when
the King aides out in his splendid car
riage. 1t is not so with this garden
the Kings garden. ] throw wide open
the gate and tell you all to come in.
No monopoly in religion. Whosoever
will, may. Choose now between a
desert and a garuen. Many ofyou have
tried the garden of this world de-
light. You have found it has been a
cnagrin. So it was with Theodore
Hook. He made all the world laugh.
He makes us laugh now when we read
his poems, but he could not make his
own heart laugh. While in the midst
Of his festivities, he confronted look
ng glass, and he saw himself and said:
There, that is true. | look Just as |
am, done up in body, mind and purse >
So it was with Shenstone, of whose
garden told you at the beginning of
ny sermon.
"Save Me Next"
He sat down amid those bowers and
'aid: Il have lost my road TO happi-
ness. | am angry and enviOus and
rantic and despise everything around
ne, just as it becomes a madman to
10" Oh, We weary souls, come into
Jhrist's garden to-day and pluck a
little heartsease Chris is the only
est and the only pardon for per-
urbed spirit. DO you not think your
,hance has almost come: You men
md women who have been waiting
'ear and year for some good oppor-
unity in which to accept Christ. but
lave postponed it five, ten, twenty.
hirty years, do not feel as If now your
hour OF deiverance and pardon ana
had come: Oh man. what
yrudge hast thou against thy poor soul
hat thou wilt NOT let it be saved:
eel as if salvation mus+ come now IN /