Kansas City daily journal., 1896-04-27

out on the sunny hillside: but the choicest
fruits are Kept ~ the garden. SO in the
world outside the church. christ has plant
ed a great many beautiful things-patlence.
charity, generosity. integrity; but He in
tends the choicest fruits TO be in the gar
den, and II they are not there, then shame
on the church,
Religion is not mere sentlmentality. 1t
Is a practical. lif--giving, healthful fruit
body, II don't see what your garden OF
the church has yielded" In reply, | ask
where did your asylums come from? ana
your hospitals? and your institutions OF
mercy? Christ planted every one OF them
lie planted them In His garden. When
Christ gave sight 10 Bartimeus lie laid the
cornerstone TO every blind asylum that has
ever been built. When Christ soothed the
dcmoniac OF Galilee lie laid the corner
stone OF every lunatic asylum that has ever
been established. When Christ said 10 the
sick man, Take W thy bed and walk"
He laid the cornerstone of every hospital
the world has ever seen. When Christ
said, Il was IN prison ana ye visited me"
lie laid the cornerstone Of every prison re-
form association that has ever been organ
TED; The church ot Christ is glorious
garden, and Il u fun OF fruit,
! know there Is some poor fruit in 10.
know there are some weeds that ought 70
be thrown over the fence. / know there
are some crab apple trees that ought 10 be
cut down. ] Know there are some wild
grapes that ought 10 be uprooted; but are
you going 10 destroy the whole garden be-
cause OF little gnarled fruit? You Will
ma worni-ea'en leaves IN Eountainhl"au,
and insects that sting in NE fairy groves
Of the Champs Elysccs. You do not tear
down and destroy the whole garden be-
cause there are a few specimens of EnaTled
fruit. ] admit there are men and women
tn the church who ought not to be there,
but let us be- lust as frank and admit
the fact that there are hundreds and thou
sands and tens OF thousands OF glorious
Christian men and women-holy, blessed
useful ConseCrated and triumphant. There
IN. earth than ths collection Of Christians.
There are Christian men in this house
whose religion Is not a matter OF psalm
singing and churchgolng. Tomorrow
morning that religion Will keep them Just
as consistent and ConscCratcd in their |
worldly occupation as II ever kept them
here to-day of a higher tyUe OF character
than Mary Of Bethany. They not only sit
INTO the kitchen 20 help Martha in her |
work that she may sit there, too. There is |
a woman who has drunkard husband, |
who has exhibited more faith and patience |
and courage than Ridley In the ire. lie |
was cons in twenty minutes. Hers
has been a twenty years martyrdom, I
years on his back unable TO feed himself /
yet calm and peaceful as though he lay on 1
one Of the green banks OF heaven. watch /
ins the oarsmen dip their paddle in the 1
crystal river. Why, II seems 10 me this /
moment as II 81. Paul threw TO Us a |
Pomolos,sts catalogue, OF the fruits grow 4
Ing IN this great garden OF Christ-love, |
loy- peace, patience, charity, brotherly /
gentlensss, mercy: glorious fruit /
d
Again, the church in my text is appro-
irrigated 10 garden could
prosper long without plenty of water.
have seen a garden IN the midst OF a
desert, Yet blooming and luXuriant. All
around Us was dearth and barrenness. but
u ere were pipes, aqueducts, reaching from
this garden up TO the mountains. ana
streaming down and tossing up into beau
'ltul fountains. until every root and leaf
Az hoHsr vas saturated That is like
The church is garden IN the midst of
a great desert q sin and suffering but it
81 moaatains oi Gosz s strength sfie flsre thSre
!, river the stream whereof shall make
glad the city Of God" Preaching the Cos
pei s one Of the aqueducts. The Bible IS
mother Baptism and the Lords supper
IRE aqueducts. Water to slake the thirst |
xater TO wash the unclean, water tossed
ligh up in the light OF the Sun Of Right-
,ousness, showing US the rainbow around
ne throne, oh, Was there ever garden
he beauty Of Versailles and Chatsworth
iepends very much upon the great supply
'hatsworth, one day when strangers are
lot 70 be admitted; but by an inducement
Inglishman as an American, l got in, and
hen the gardner Went far up above the
tairs Of stone and turned on the water.
oming down from step 10 step until It
ame so near | could hear the musical
ush, and all over the high. broad stairs
came foaming,, hashing, roaring down,
ntil sunlight and wave in gleesome wres- | ,
le tumbled al my feet. So it is with the
hurch Of God. Everything comes from
boVe: pardon from above. JOY from above | !
doPtion from above, sanctifcation from
boVe.
Hark, ! hear the latch of the garden
ear the, voice Of Christ: II am come into
ly garden" / say. Come in. o Jesusl !
hrough the paths. Look al the flowers;
,ok az the fruit; pluck that which Thou
,iIt IA. for Tseyself.. Jesus comes into The
'aaAss him and ssyf. .AlnoaI s2@a.