Democratic messenger., 1894-07-07
IN CHRIST'S GARDEN.
REV. Or. TALMAGE SENDS A SERMON
ACROSS THE SEA.

The Great Preacher Now Nearing Austria
Description of "A Beautiful Garden.
Its FIowerN Fruits and Thorns In
vitation to Enter.
BROOKLYN, July l.-Rev. DIR. Tai
mage, who is now nearing Australia on
his round the world journey, has select
ri rs the subject for his sermon through
the press today The Royal Garden,
the text being taken from Solomon's
Songv, I, II am come into my garden. "
The world has had great many
beautiful gardens. Charlcmagne added
to the glory Of his reign by decreeine
that they be established all through the
realm-decreeing even the names of the
flowers TO be planted there. Henry ".
at Montpelier, established gardens of
bewitching beauty and luxuriance, gath
ering into them Alpine. Pyrcncan and
French plants. One of the sweetest
spots on earth was the garden of Shen
stone. the poet. His writings 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 crowning. Oak
and yew aud hazel put forth their rich
est foliage There was no life more
diligent, no soul more ingenious than
that of Shenstonc. and all that diligence
and genius were brought to the adorn-
Of fhaf traasrrra1 H.a
gave 1900 for il. He sold il for els,
900.
And yet I am To tell you of richer
garden than any have mentioned. Ii
is the garden spoken of i'll my text, the
garden Of the church, which belongs to
Christ, for my text says So He bought
il. he planted it, he owns il, and he
shall have it, Walter Scott, in his out
lay at Abbotsford, ruined his fortune,
and now, i'll 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 slOO, 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 sighs
and tears and pangs and agonies. Tell
me, We women who saw him hang! Tell
me, We executicners 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 a
right to walk in it. Come, then, o
blessed Jesus. this morning. walk up
and down these aislcs and pluck what
thou wilt of sweetness for thysclf.
In Christ's Garden.
The church in my text is appropriate
" compared to a garden, because il is
a place of choice flowers, of select fruits
and Of thorough irrigation.
That would be strange garden in
which there We're no flowers. If no.
where else. they will be along the bor
ders or ut the gateway. The homcliest
taste will dictate something, if il he the
old fashioned hollyhock or dahlia or
daffodil or coreopsis. but if there he
larger means then You will find the
Mexican cactus and dark veined arbu-
telion and blazing azalca and clustering
oleander. Well, now, Christ comes 10
his garden, and he plants there some Of
the brightest spirits that ever flowered
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 n 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 ont amid the creviccs.
These Christians in Christ's gardens are
not like the sunflower, gaudy i'll the
light, but whenever darkness hovers
over a soul that needs TO be comforted
there they stand, night blooming ccre-
uses. But in Christ's garden there are
bt w
the Mexican cactus-thorns without,
loveliness 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 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, II control more temper in five
minutes than you do in five years. . IL
is harder for some men tn do right than
for Others to do right. The grace that
would elevate you to the seventh heaven
might not keep your brother from
knocking a man down. | had "a friend
who came to me and said II dare not
Join the church" / said. Why
''Oh." he said, Il have such violent
temper. Yesterday morning ! was
crossing very early at the Jersey City
ferry, and saw milkman pour large
amount of water into the milk can, and
said to him, II think that will do.
and he insulted Inc, and knocked him
down. DO you think ! ought to join the
church, Nevertheless that very same
man, who was so harsh in his behavior.
loved Christ and could not speak Of
sacred things without tears of emotion
and affection Thorns without. but
sweetness within-the best specimen of
Mexican cactus ] ever s:w.
There are Others planted i'll Christ's
garden who are always ardent. always