Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-06
IN CHRIST'S GARDEN.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE SENDS A SERMON
ACROSS THE SEA.

The Great Preacher Now Nearing Austria
Iia-Description of Beautiful Garden.
Its Flowers. Fruits and Thorns-An In
vitatiOn to Enter.
BROOKLYN, July Rev. DR.. Tai
mage, who is now nearing Australia on
his round the world journey, has select
ed as the subject for his sermon through
the press today 1.-THE Royal Garden,
the text being taken from Solomon $
Songv, 1, II am come into my garden
The world has had great many
beautiful gardens. Charlemagne added
to the glory of his reign by decreeing
that they be established all through the
mountaineering even the names Of the
flowers to be planted there. Henry ~,
at MONTPELIER, established gardens OF
bcwitching beauty and luxuriance, gath
ering into them Alpine, Pyrenean ana
French plants. One of the sweetest
spots On earth was the garden of Shen-
stone. the poet His writings have made
Int little impression ON the world, but
his garden, 1.-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 rich
est foliage. There was no life more
diligent, 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
rave $500 for it. He sold it for ST.
900.
And vet I am to tell you of 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 out
Law at Abbotsford, ruined his fortune,
and now, in the crimson flowers OF
those gardens, you can almost think or
imagine that you see the blood OF that
old mans broken heart The payment
of the last 600, 900 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 down. Tell me, thou sun that
didst hide, We rocks that fell! Christ
loved the church and gave himself for
it," If, then, the garden of the church
belongs to Christ, certainly he has
right to walk in it. Come, then, o
blessed Jesus, this morning, walk up
and down these aisles and pluck what
thou wilt of sweetness for thyself.
In Christ's Garden.
The church in my text is appropriate
" compared TO a garden, because 1t IS
a place Of choice flowers, of select fruits
and of thorough irrigation
That would be a strange garden in
which there were no flowers. If no
where else, they will be along the Dor
ders or at the gateway. The homeliest
taste will dictate something, if it be the
old fashioned hollyhOck 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 lowered
upon the world Some Of them are vio-
lets, 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 Frightening face OF
the invalid, and the sprig Of geranium
On the stand, and the window curtains
keeping out the glare of the sunlight.
They are perhaps more like the ranun-
culus, creeping sweetly along amid the
thorns and briers of life, giving kiss for
sting, and many man who has had
in his way some great black rock Of
trouble has found that they have cover
ed il all over with Towering jasmine
running in and out amid the crevices.
These Christians in Christ's gardens are
not like the sunhower, gaudy III the
light, but whenever darkness hovers
over a soul that needs to be comforted
there they stand night blooming cere-
uses. But in Christ's garden there are
plants that may be better compared to
the Mexican cactus-thorns without,
loneliness within-men with sharp
points of character. They wound al
most every one that touches them. They
are hard TO handle. Men pronounce
them nothing but thorns, but Christ
loves them Notwithstanding all their
sharpnesses. Many a man has had very
hard ground to culture, and it has only
been through severe toll he has raised
even the smallest crop of grace.
Thorns and Roses.
A very harsh minister was talking
with a very placid elder, and the placid
elder said to the harsh minister, doc
tor, / do wish you would control your
temper" "Ah," said the minister to
the elder, 81 control more temper in five
minutes than you do i'll five years. " 1t
is harder for some men to do right than
for others to do right. The grace that
would elevate you to the seventh heaven
might not keep your brother from