The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-02

- oSoAOA AOWGI OF Ine GROSS the
Most Beautiful One in the Garden.
Brooklyn, July l.-Rev. DR.. Talmage,
who is now nearing Australia on his
round-the-world journey, has selected as
the subject for his sermon through the
press to-day, The Royal Garden, " the
text being taken from Solomon's Songs,
", /: I am come into my garden"
The world has had a great many beau
tiful gardens. Charlemague added to the
glory of his reign by decreeing that they
be established all through the realm-de-
creeing even the names of the flowers to
be planted there. Henry ", at Mont
pelier, established gardens of bewitching
beauty and luxuriance, gathering into
them Alpine, Pyreuean and French
plants. One of the sweetest spots on
earth was the garden of Shenstone,
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 resivOir, and urn, and
fountain. here had their GROWING. Oak
and yew, and hazel put forth their rich
est foliage. There was no life more dill
gent, no soul more ingenious than that Of
Shenstone, and all that diligence and ge-
MUS were brought to the adOrnment of
that one treasured spot. He gave three
hundred pounds for it, he sold it for sew
enteen thousand. 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 1t, he planted 1t, he owns II. and
he shall have II. Walter Scott in his
outlay 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 one hundred thousand pounds
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. O, how
many signs, and tears. and pangs, and
agOnies 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 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, walk up and
down these aisles, aud pluck what thou
wilt of sweetness for myself
The church, in my text, is appropri-
ately compared TO 4 garden, because it is
place of choice flowers, of select fruits
and of thorough irrigation.
That would be a strange garden in
which there were no flowers. If nowhere
else, they will be along the borders, or at
the gateway. The hOmeliest taste will
dictate something. if 1t be the old
e e. L. lT..l- ma
or cOreopsis; but if there be larger means. |
then you will find the Mexican cactus
andidarkvemed arbutelion, 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 viOlets, uncCnspicuous, 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 bright
ening face of the invalid, and the sprig
Of geranium on the stand and the
window-curt2ins keeping out the
glare of the sunlight. They are,
perhaps, more like the renunculus,
creeping sweetly along amid the thorns
and briars of life, giving kiss for
sting, and many a man wholhas had in his
way some great black rock of trouble, has !
found that they have covered it all over
with flow ering Jasmine running in and
outamld the Crevlces. These Christians |
In Christ's garden are not like the sun
flower gaudy in the light; but whenever
darkness hOvers over soul that needs to
be comforted, there they stand, night
blooming cereuses. But in Christ's gar
den there are plants that may be better
compared to the Mexican cactus-thorns
without. loneliness within men with
sharp points of character. They wound
almost every one that touches them
They are hard to handle Men pronouce
them nothing but thorns but Christ loves
them, Notwithstanding all their sharp
nesses. 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.
A very harsh minister was talking with
a very placid elder, and the placid elder
said to the harsh minister: Doctor,
do wish you would control your temper"
"Ah, said the minister to the elder, 81
control more temper in five minutes than
you do in 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 knocking a man down.
] had friend who came 10 me and said:
Il dare not Join the church, | said:
"Whyf' oh he said, II haveisuch a
violent temper. eSterday morning |
was crossing very early at the Jersey CITY
ferry. and | saw a milkman pour a large
amount OF water into the milk can and
said TO him; i think that will do, and
he insulted me, and l knocked him down
Do you think | ought to Join the church,"
Nevertheless, that 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 saw
There are others planted in Christ's
garden, who are always ardent, always
radiant, always mpressive-more like
the roses of deep hue that we occasion
ally find called giants of battle. the
Martin Lutners. st. Pauls. Chrysostoms
Wickliffs. Latimers, and Samuel Buther-
fords. What in other men is spark, in
them is confagration. When they
sweat. they sweat great drops of blood
Whey they pray. their prayer takes
fire, when they preach, it is a PenteCost.
When they fight, it is a ThermopylR
When they die, it is martyrdom. You
lind great many roses in the gardens,
but only few giants of battle. Men
say: why don't you have more of them
ia the church, / say. why don't you
have in the world more Napoleons, and
HumbOldts and WellingtonS ?" God
gives 10 some ten talents, to another one.
In this garden of the church. which
Christ has planted, ! also find the snow