Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-07-13
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject; "The Royal Garden"


/ Solomon's SongY.,1.
! The world has hal a great many beautiful
| gardens. Chalrlemagne adiel to the glory
/ OF his reign by decreeing that they be estab-
/ lished all through the reaim-lecreaing
! even the names Of the flowers to be pIante
there: Henry ". at Montpelier, esta5-
! lished gar lens of bewtching beauty an lux
! uriance, gathering into them Alpine, Pyrrn-
/ can and French plants. One Of the sweetest
| spots on earth was the garden of Shpn-
! stone the poet His writings have ma le
! but little impression on the world, but his
! garden, The LeasOWes, will be immortal.
! TO the natural advantage Of that pace was
/ brought the perfection of art. Arb0r and
! terrace and SLOPE and rustic temple AMI
! reservoir and urn and fountain here had
! their crOwning. Oak an yew and haz d put
/ forth their richest foliage. There was no life
| more dllISent, no soul moro ingenious than
/ that Of ShenstOne. and all that diligence IN |
! genius were brought TO the atOrnmpnt OF
J that one treasured spot lie gave G300 for
! 1t. He sold it for GI7. 900
And yet l am to tell you Ola richer gar len
! than any have mentioned 1t is the gar
/ den spoken OF in my text, the garden OF thu
/ church. which belongs to Christ for nv text
! says so. He bought it, He plante it, Hs
I owns it, anI He snail have if. Walter Scott,
] in his outlay at AbbotsfOrj, ruined his for
/ tune, and now, in tho crimson flowers of
/ those garlenS. you can almost think or i'm
! agine that you sac the blOOI of that Old
/ mans broken heart. The plynant Of tho
! last Goo. 000 sacrificed him. But l have to
+ tell you that Christ's life AMI Chrst5
/ death were the outlay of this beat
/ tIful garden OF the church of which
| my text speaks. Oh, how many sighs AMI
| tears and pangs and agoniesi Tell me, yc
women who saw Him hang! Tell me, ye ex-
ecutiOners who lifted Him and let Him down
! Tell me. thou san that didst hide, ye rocks
! that fell "Christ Lowell the church AMI
ylv va fnr Tow, Of
| the church belongs to Christ. certainly II }
has Il right to walk in ii. Cone, then, OIL
blessed Jesus, this morning. walk up AMI
down these aisles AMI pluck what Thou wilt
! OF sweetness for Thyself.
The church in MY text is appropriately
| compared to a garlen. because il is place
! of choice flowers, of select fruits an Of
! thorough irrigation.
That would be a strange garden In which
| there were no flowers. If nowhere else.
| they will be along the Dor lers or at the gate
! way. Tho hOmeiiest taste will dictate
something. if it be the old fashioned holly
! hook or dahlia or daffsiil or cOreOpsis, but
! II there be larger means then you will find
! the Mexican cactus and dark y9inGi arau-
| tcion and blazing azlea AMI clusterin';
! oleander. Well, now, Christ comes to
His garden, and He plants there sOno OF
tho brightest spirits that ever lowered
upon the world. Some of them are viOtcts,
unconSplcuOus, but sweet in heaven. You
have to search for su I'll spirits to iinI them.
You do not see them very often perhaps, bat
You Hud WncrO they have been by the bright
cning face of the invalid aul the spric OF
Eeranjum on the stand, and the window cur
taInS keeping out the glare Of the sunlight.
They are perhaps more like the ranunculus,
creeping SWectly 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 founl that they
have covered it all over with Towering
jasmine running in and out amid the crew
lees. These Christians in Cbrist'S gardens
are not like the suntiOwar, gludy in the
light, but whenever darkness hOvers over
soul that naeC.s to be cOmfortel there they
stand, night blooming cereuSeS. But in
ChriSt'S garden there are plants that may b3
better compared to the Mexican cactus
thornS without lOveliness within-men with
sharp points OF character. They wound a.
most everyone that touches them. They are
hard to handle. Men pronounce them moth
ing but thOrns, but Christ loves them not
withstanding all their sharpnasses. Many Il
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.
In this garden Of the church. which Christ
has planted, [ also find the snOTdrOp, beau
tifuI, but cold looking, seemingly another
phase Of the winter. | mean those Chrtstian5
who are precise in their tastes, unimpas-
stoned, pure as SnOWirOpS and rs cold. Tney
Ii'NFl 0Cl any Jc'ii9 lucy never SSI tAJitCt ;
they never say anything rashIy; they never
do anything precipitatoly. Their pulses
never futter their nerves never tWitch :;
their Indignation never bOis over. They
live longer than most people, but their life
is in minor key. They never run 1p to G.
above the staff. In the music OF their life
they have no stao:atO pass9ges. Christ
planted them in the church, and they must
bo Of some service or they would not be there.
SnOwdrops, always suowdrops.
But I have not told YOU Of the most belu-
tiful flower in all this garlen spoken of ia
the text. # you see Il century plant your
emotions are started. You say, ''Why, this
flower has been a hunlrcl Years gathering
up for one bloom. ant il will be u hundred
years moro before other petals como out. "
But l have to tell you Of a plant that was
gathering up from all eternity, and that 190)
years ago put forth its bloom never to withCr.
1t is the passion flower OF the cross! Proph.
cts fOretold it. Bethlehem shepherd Is
looked upon it in the bud. the rocks shook
at its bursting. and the dead got up in their
winding sheets to see its full bloom. It is q
crimson flOwR-blOod at the roots, blood on
the branches, blood on all the leaves It's
perfume is to fill all the nations. Its touch
is life. It's breath is heaven. Come, o
south, and winds from the east. and winds
from the west, and bear to all the Garth the
sweet smelling SAVIOR of Christ, my Lord.
His worth, it all the nations knew,
Sure tbs whole ea7th would love Him too.
Again, the church may be appropriately
compared to Il garden, because it is a place