Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-07-12
the understanding SAVIOR of Christ my

the sweet-smelling SAVIOR Of Christ my
Lord.
His worth, if all the nations knew,
Sure the whole earth would love him,
tro.
Ag.3n: The church may be appropri-
ately compared to a garden because it
is q place of select fruits. That would
be a stlpnge garden which had in it
no berries no plums, no peaches, no
apricots. The coarser fruits are plant
ed in the orchard, or they are set out
"a the sunny hillside; but the choicest
fruits are kept in the garden. So in
the world outside the church Christ
has planted a great many beautiful
things-patience, charity, generosity,
integrity; but he intends the choicest
fruits to be in the garden, and if they
are not there then shame on the church.
Religion is not a mere Towering senti-
mentality. 1t is practical, life-giving,
healthful fruit-not posies but apples.
oh" says somebody, Il don't see
what your garden of the church has
yielded" Where did your asylums
come from? And your hospitals? And
your institutions of mercy? Christ
planted every one Of them; he planted
them in his garden. When Christ gave
sight to Bartimeus, he laid the corner
stone Of every blind asylum that has
ever been built. When Christ soothed
the demoniac Of Galilee he laid the
cornerstone of every lunatic asylum
that has ever been established. When
Christ said to the sick man, '"Take up
thy bed and walk" he laid the corner
stone OF every hospital the world has
Vii
in prison and We visited me-" he laid
form association that has ever been
glorious garden, and it is full Of fruit.
l know there is some poor fruit in it.
I know there are some weeds that
ought to have been thrown over the
fence. l know there are some crab
apple trees that ought to be cut down.
1 know there are some wild grapes that
ought to be uprooted. But are you
going to destroy the whole garden be-
cause of little gnarled fruit? You
will find worm-eaten leaves in Fon-
tainbleau, and insects that sting in
the fairy groves of the Champs Elysees.
You do not tear down and destroy the
whole garden because there are a few
specimens OF gnarled fruit. l admit
there are men and Women in the
church who ought not to be there;
but let us be just as frank, and admit
that there are hundreds and thousands
and tens of thousands of glorious Chris
tan men and women holy, blessed,
useful. consecrated and triumphant
There is no grander collection in all
the earth than the collection of Chris,
tians. There are Christian men IN the
church whose religion is not matter
| of psalm-singing and church-going. To.
morrow morning that religion will keep
| them just as consistent and consecrat.
ed on exchange" as it ever kept them
at the communion table. There are
women in the church of higher type
and character than Mary of Bethany
| They not only sit at the feet of Christ
but they go out into the kitchen tC
help Martha in her work. that she may
sit there, ZOO.
have not told you of the better tree
in this garden, and of the better fruit
1t was planted just outside Jerusalem
good While ago. When that tree
was planted it was so split, and bruised
and parked, men said nothing would
ever grow upon it. But no sooner had
that tree been planted, than it .budded
and blossoned, and fruited, and the
soldiers spears were the only clubs
that struck down that fruit, and it fel
into the lap of the nations, and mel
began to pick it up and eat it, and
they found in it an antidote to al
thirst, to all poison to all sin, to all
death-the smallest cluster larger thar
the famous one of Eschol, which two
mem carried off on a staff between
them. If the one apple in Eden killed
the race, this one cluster of mercy shall
restore it.
| Again, the church, in my text, is
appropriately called a garden, because
it is thoroughly irrigated. No garden
could prosper long without plenty Of
water. ! have seen a garden in the
midst of desert, yet blooming and lux
uriant. All around was dearth and bar
renness, but there were pipes, aque
| ducts reaching from this garden uI
to the mountains. and through these
| aQueductS the water came streaming
| down and tossing up into beautiful
| fountains, until every root, and leaf
and flower We're saturated. That is like
the church. The church is a garden in
| the midst of great desert of sin and
suffering; it is well irrigated, for 'ou1
| eyes are unto the hills from whence
cometh our help" From the noun
tains 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 Lords Supper are aqueducts. Wa
ter to slake the thirst, water to restore
the faint, water tc wash the unclean
water tossed high up in the light of
the sun Of righteousness, showing lis
the rainbow around the throne. Oh!
was there ever Il garden so thorough.
| ly irrigated
Hark! I 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. 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 myself" Je-
sus comes into the garden, and up to
that old man, and touches him, and
says: almost home, father; not many
| more aches for thee: l will never leave