Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-07-18

minutes. Hers mas been twenty years
martyrdor. Yonder Is a man who has lain
fifteen years on his back, unable even to
feed himself, yet calm anl peaceful as
though he lay on one OF the green banks OF
heaven watching the oar5:nen dip their pad
dies in the crystal river! Why, it ssemS to
me this noment as il Paul threw to US
pomo.o9ist's catalogue OF tao fruits grow
Ing in this great garden Of C1rist-iove. Joy,
peace, patience, charity. b-ptherly kindness,
gentleness, mercy-glorious fruit, enough to
Oil all tho baskets o. earth AMI heaven.
have not tol1 you of the batter tree in
thfs garden and OF the better fruit. It wa,
planted just outside Jerusalem a good while
ago. When that trea was plante !, 1t was so
split and bruised AMI barked men lid nolh-
ing would ever grow upon il, but M sooner
had that tree been planted than it bu lie
and biossomed and fruitei, and the soldiers
spears were only the clubs tn 1t struck do9n
that fruit, and it fell into the lap OF the NJ
tions, and men began to pick it up an eat
it, and they found in it an antidote to all
thirst, to all poison, to all sin, to all death
the smallest cluster larger than the fa-
nous one of E.hcol, which two men carrie
on a staff between them. II the one apple
in Eden kiliel the race this one cluster OF
mercy shall restore.
Again, the church, in my text, Is ap1.o-
priately called garden because it is thor-
oushly irrigated. No glrlen could prosper
Iay without plenty OF water. have seen 7
garden IN the midst OF desert. yet hioon-
ing and luxuriant. All aroun were dearih
and barreDness, but there were pipes, apue-
ducts reaching from this garden up 10 tho
mountains, and through those aqueducis the
water came streaming down AMI tossing UP
Into beautiful fountains until every root an |
leaf and flower was saturated. That is lko
the church. The church is n garden in the
midst OF a great desert OF sin and suffering
1t Is we'll irrig glte1, for "our eyes are unto
the hills, from whence coneth our he lp. "
From tine mountains OF Go i's strength there
flow down rivers OF gladness. There is
q river the stream whereof shall make
glad the city OF our God. Preaching the
gospel Is one of these aqueiucts. The Bible
Is another. Baptism amt the Lords supper
are aqueducts. Water to slake the thirst,
water to restore the faint, water to wash tine
unclean, water tossei high up in the light OF
the sun OF Righteousness, showing US the
rainbow around the throne. Oh, was there
ever a garden so thoroughly irriSated2 You
know the beauty OF Versailles anil Chats
worth depends very much upon the great
supply OF water. 1 came to the latter place
(Chatsworth) one day when strangers are not
to be admitted, but by an induceme1t. which
always seemed az applicable to an English
man as an American, got in, and then the
gardener went far up above the stairs OF
stone and turned on the water. saw it
cleaning on the dry pavement, coming
down from step to step, until it came so near
the high, broad stairs it came foaming, flash
ing, roaring down until sunlight and wave in
gleesome wrestle tumbied Mt my feet So II
is with the churcfsof God. Everything comes
from above-pardon from above, JOY from
above, adoption from above, sanctification
from above. Oh, that now God would turn
on the waters OF salvation, that they might
flow down through His heritage, and that
this day We might each find our places to be
''Elims," with twelve wells Of water and
threescore and ten palm trees.
Harki hear the latch at the garden gate,
and look to see who is coming. hear the
voice of Christ, ~ am come into My gar
den." Isay. "Come in, o Jesus we have
been waiting for Thee. Walk all through
these paths. Look Mt the flowers. Look Mt
the fruit. Pluck that which Thou wilt for
Thyself." Jesus comes into the garden and
up to that old man and touches him and
says, almost home, father not many more
aches for thee. I will never leave thee
I will never forsake thee. Take courage
little longer, and I will steady thy
tottering steps. and I will soothe thy
troubles and give thee rest. Courage, old
man." Then Christ goes up another garden
path, and He comes to n soul in trouble and
says "Peace ! all is well. I have seen thy
tears; have heard thy prayer. The sun
shall not smte thee by day, nor the moon
by night. The Lord shall preserve thea
from all evil; He will preserve thy soul.
Courage, o troubled spirit" Then see
Jesus GOin-, up another garden path. and
1 sea great excitement among the leaves,
AMI 1 hasten up that garden path to
See what Jesus is doing there, and, 10 /!
He is breaking OF flowers, sharp and clean,
from the stem, and say, '.Stop, Jesus. don't
kill those beautiful flowers" He turns
TO me and says: 81 have come into MY gar
den to gather lilies, and mean to take these
up to a high terrace, and for the garden
around My palace, and there I will plant
hatf nil in Io,f
They shall put forth brighter leaves and
sweeter redolence. and no frost shall touch
them forever" And 1 looked up into His
face and said, "Well, it IL His garden. and He
has right to do what He will with it. Thy
will be done"-the hardest prayer a man
ever made.
/ notice that the fine gardens sometimes
have high fences around them, and cannot
get in. 1t Is 50 with the kings garden. The
only glimpses you ever get OF such a garden
IL when the king rides out in his splendid
carriage. 1t is not so with this garden-the
Kings garden. throw wide open the gate
and tell you all TO come in. No monopoly
In religion. Whosoever will, may. Choose
now between a desert and garden. Many
Of you have tried the gar len of this worlds
delight. You have found it has been a Cha
grin. So It was with Theo lors Hook. He
made alithe world laugh. He makes us laugh
now when We read his poems, but he
could not make his own heart laugh. While
in the midst OF his festivities he confronted
iooking-lasS. and he saw himself and said
'Tnere, that is true. look up just rs am
--:lone up in bo iy. mind ani purse" So it
was with Shemstone, OF whose garden told
at the beginning of my sermon. He sat
down amid those bowers and said: 81 have
lost my road TO happiness. lam angry aud
rnvious and frantic AMI dcspise everything
around me, just as it becomes a mad
man TO do" Oh, ye weary souls, come
INTO Christ's garden to-day and
pluck little hearisease! Christ is the only
rest and the only pardon for perturbed
spirit. Do you not think your chance has
almost come? You men aud women who
have been waiting year after year for some
COOL opportunity in which to accept Christ,
but have postponed it 5. 10, 90, 80 years, do
you not feel as If now your hour OF deliver
an.e and pardon and salvation had come?
On, man. what gruige hast thou against thy
poor soul that thou wilt not let 1t be saved2
l feel as ii salvation must come now to some
your hearts.
Some years ago vessel struck on the
rocks. They had only one lifeboat. In
that Ifeboat the passengers and crew
wrrn getting ashore. Tho vessel had
founlerei and was sinking deeper and
deeper, and the one boat could not take
tho passengers very swiftly. A littie girl
stood on the deck. waitinH for her turD
to get into the boat. The bont came AMI
went came AMI went but her turn
did not seem to come. After awhile
she could wait no longer, and she leaped
on the tafrrail and then sprang into the
sea, crying to the bo1tmsn: "Save me
nexti Save me next" On, how many havs
gone ashore into Coils mercy, AMI yet you
are clinsinS to the wreck OF sinl Others
have accepted the plrlon OF Christ, but you
are in peril. Why not this morning make a
rush for your immortal rescue, crying until
Jesus shall hear you AM heaven and earth
ring with the cry: ''Slve me nextl Save
me nextI"