The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-07-11

BRooKLYN, July 1,--R3v. Dr.. Tai
mage, who is now nearing Australia on
his round the world journey, has Sc
lected as the subject for bis sermon
through the press today The Roya!
Garden" the text being taken from
Solomon's Song V, l II an come Into
my garden" -.
The world has had q great many beautl-
ful gardens. Charlemagne added to the
glory OF his reign BIZ decreeiog that they
be established all through the realm
decreeing even the names OF the flowers
to he planted there. Henry ~, at
Montpelier, established gardens Of be-
witehing beauty and luxuriance,
gathering into them Alpine, PJrenean
and French plauts. One Of the sweet
ests spots on earth was the eardeu OF
Shenstone, the poet. His writings have
made but little impression on the world,
but his garden, The Leasowos, 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 and their croWniDg. Oak
and yew and hazel put forth their richest
foliage. There was no life more dilgent,
no soul more ingenious than that of Shen-
stone, and all that diligence and genius
were brought to the adornmept Of that
one treasured spot. He gave e3OO for
it. He sold it for $4,000.
And yet am to tell you Of richer
garden than any have mentioned. It
is the garden Of the church, 1t is the
garden spoken of in my text, which be,
longs to Christ, for my text says so.
He bought it, he planted it, he owns it,
and he shall have it. Walter Scott, in
his outlsY at Abbotsford, ruined his for
tune. And now in the crimson flowers
of those gardens you can almost think or
imagine that you see the blood of thst old
mans broken heart. The payment OF
the last el0O, 600 sacrificed him. But I
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, low, many sighs
and tears and pangs and agonies! Tel
me, ye women who saw him hang! Tell
me, ye executioners who lifted him and
let him down! Tell me, thou sun thai
didst hide ye 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, 0
blessed Jesus, this morning, walk up
and down these aisles and pluck what
thou wilt of sweetness for thyself..
The church, in my text, is appropriate
ly comparea TO garden, because it is a
place of choice flowers, select fruits and
ofthorough irrigation.
That would be a strange garden in
which there were no flowers. IF nowhere
else, they will be long the borders or al
the gateway. The homellest taste will
dictate something, if it be the old fash.
Toned holIyhock or dahlia or daffodll or
coreopsis, bat if there be larger means
then you will find the Mexican cactus
and dark veined arbuteGon 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 7iolets, uLconspicuous, but
sweet in heaven. You have TO search
for suchsspirlts to find them. You do
not see them very often perhaps, but you
Gnd where they have been by the brigh-
tening face ofthe invalid, and tie sprlg
ofgeranium on the stand, and the window
curtains keeping out the glare of the SUM-
light. They are perhaps more ike the
ranunculus, creeping sWeetlY along amid
the therns and bIIers Of life, giving kiss
for sting, and many man who has had
in his way some great black rock Of trOu-
bic has found that they have covered 1t
all over with Towering jasmine running
IN and out amid the creylces. These
Christians in Christ's garden are not like
the sunfoWer, gaudy il light, but when
ever darkness hoVers over soul that
needs to be coIuiorted there they stand,
night blooming cereuses. But II Christ's
garden there are plants that may be bet
ter compared to the Mexican cactus
thorns without, loYeliness withln-men
with sharp points Of character. They
wound almost every one that touches
them. They are hard to handle. Men
pronounce them nothing but tho1ns, but
Christ loves them, Notwithstanding all
their sharpness. Many a 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, doc
tor, l 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 knock
ing man down. had a friend who
came to me and said, 81 dare not join
the church." I said, "Why?" "Oh,"
be said, ''I have such a violent temper.
Yesterday morning I was crossing very
early at the Jersey City ferry, and I saw
q milkman pour large amount OF water
into the milk car, and I said to him, L
think that will do,' and be insulted me,
and knock him down. DO you think l
ought to join the church," Neverthe-
less that very same man. who was 80
harsh ID his behavior, loved Christ and
could not speak of sacred things without
tears OF emotion and affection. Th0rns
without, but sweetness Within-the best
specimen OF Mexican cactus I ever saw.
There are others planted IN Christ's
garden who are always ardent, always
radiant, always impressiVe-more Ike
the roses of deep bus that we occasion
ally find called ''giauts of 0attle"-the
Martin Lnthers, St. Pauls, Chrysostoms
Wyklits, Latimers and Samuel Ruther
fords. What in other men is spark,
IN them Is a condagraticn. When they
sweat, they sweat great drops Of blood.
When they pray, their prayer takes fire.
When they preach, it is a Pentecost.
When they fight, it is ThermopYl@.
When they die, it is martyrdOm. You
find a great many roses in the gardens,
but only few 'giants Of battle" Men
say, "Why don't you have more OF