The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13

planted in the orchard, or they are set out
on the sunny hillside, but the choicest fruits
are kept in the garden. So in the world out
side the church Christ has planted great
| many beautiful things-patienoe. ohSrity
generosity, integrity-but He intends tht
choicest fruits to be in the garden, and II
| they are not there, theh shame on the
church!
Religion is not mere sentimentality. II
IS practical, lifs giving, healthful fruit
not posies but apples. "Oh," says some
church has Yielded" I reply I ask where
did your asylums come from, and your hos
pitaIs, and your institutions Of mercyt
Christ planted every one Of them. He plant.
ed them in His garden. When Christ gave
sight to Bartimeus, he laid the cornerstone
to every blind asylum that has ever been
built. When Christ soothed the demoniac
OF Galilee, He laid the cornerstone of every
lunatic asylum that has ever been estab-
lished. When Christ said to the sick man:
''Take up thy bed and walk" He laid the
cornerstone Of every hospital the world has
ever seen. When Christ said: 81 was In
nerstone Of every prison reform association
that has ever been organized. The church
OF Christ Is glourious garden, and 1t IS tuii
OF fruit.
I know there is some poor fruit In 1t. !
know there are some weeds that ought 10 De
thrown over the fence. ! know there are
some crab apple trees that ought to be cut
down. I know there are some wild grapes
that ought to be uprooted. but are you going
to destroy the whole garden because OF
little gnarled fruit2 You will find worm
eaten leaves in Fontaineb!eau ana insects
that sting in the fairy groves OF the Champs
Won do n down and DESTROY
the whole garden because there are few
specimens Of Snarled fruit. admit there
are men and women In the church who
ought not to be there, but let US be just as
frank and admit the fact that there are hum
dreds and thousands and tens Of thousands
of glorious Christian men and women-holy,
blessed, useful, consecrated and triumphant.
There Is no 2rander. nobler collection IN all
the earth than the collection of Christians.
There are Christian men In this house
whose religion Is not matter Of psalm sing
Ing and church going. Tomorrow morning
that religion will keep them just as consis-
tent and consecrated in their worldly occu-
patton as it ever kept them at the COM
munion table. There are women here to-
day OF higher type OF char lcter than Mary
Of Bethany. They not only sit at the feet OF
Christ. but they 80 out into the kitchen to
help Martha In her work that she may sit
there too. There Is woman who has a
drunkard husband who has exhibited moro
faith and patience aNd courage that Ridley
In the fire. He was consumed In twenty
minutes. Hers has been twenty years
martyrdom. Yonder is man who has been
fifteen years on his back. unablet to feed him
self, yet calm and peaceful as though he lay
on one of the green banks Of heaven, watch
ing the oarsmen dip their paddle in the crys-
"hr- ~ mo m NY mani
as If st. Paul threw to US a pomologist's
catalogue OF the fruits growing In this great
garden of Christ-love, Joy, peace, patience,
charity, brotherly Kindness, gentleness,
mercy, glorious fruit, enough to fill all the
baskets of earth and heaven.
Again, the church in my text Is ap-
called garden because 1t is
thoroughly irrigated. No garden could
prosper long without plenty Of water. I
have seen a garden in the midst OF desert,
yet blooming and luxuriant. All around US
wore dearth and barrenness, but there
were pipes, aqusducts, reaching from this
garden up to the mountains, and through
those aqueducts the water came streaming
down and tossing up into beautiful foun-
tains, until every root and leaf and flower
was saturated. That Is like the church.
The church Is q garden in the midst of q
great desert of sin and suffering, but It Is
we'll irrigated, for "our eyes are unto the
hills from whence cometh our help" From
the mountains Of Gods strength there flow
down rivers Of gladness. "There is river
the stream whereof shall make glad
the city Of our God" Preaching the
gospel Is one Of the aqueducts The
Bible Is another. Baptism and the Lords
supper are aqueducts. Water to slake the
thirs:, water to wash the unclean, water
tossed high up in the light Of the Son Of
showing US the rainbow around
the throne. Oh, was there ever garden 80
thoroughly irrigated You know that the
beauty Of Versailles and Chatsworth depends
very much upon the great supply Of water.
I came to the latter place, Chatsworth, one
day when strangers are not to be admitted,
but by an inducement which always seemed
as potent with an Englishman as an Ameri-
can 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 un-
I'll 1t came 80 near could hear the musical
rush and all over the high, broad stairs It
came foaming, flashing. roaring down, un-
til sunlight and wave In .gleesome Wrestle
tumbled at my feet. 80 1t Is With the church
of God. Everything comes from above
pardon from above, Joy from above, adoption
from above, santifcation from above.
Hark? Ihear the latch Of the garden gate,
aud look to see who Is coming. hear the
voice of Christ. "I am come into My gar
den," 7 say: "Come In, o Jesus! We have
been waiting for Thee. Walk all through the
paths. Look at tho flowers, look at the
fruit: pluck that which Thou wilt for Thy
self" Jesus comes into the garden and up
to that old man and touches him, and says:
'sAlmost home, father; not many more aches
Tor thee. I will never leave thee. Take
courage little longer. and will steady thy
steps, and I will soothe thy trou-
oles and give thes rest. Courage. old man."
Then Christ goes up another garden path,
md He comes to O soul In trouble and says:
sPeace! All is we'll. have seen thy tears.
have heard thy prayer. The sun shall not
,mite thee by day nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil
He will preserve thy soul. Courage, O trou-
oled spirit!'
Then see Jesus going up another garden
path, and see great excitement among the
leaves, and hasten up that garden path to
'ee what Jesus Is doing there, and lol He Is
breaking off flowers sharp and clean from
hose beautiful flowers" he turns to ma
md says: "I have come into NV garden to
gather lilies, and mean to take these up to
higher terrace, for the gardeE around lily
palace, and there will plant them, and in
better soil and in better air they shall put
'orth brighter leaves and sweeter redolence.
Ind no frost shall touch them forever" And
looked up into His face and said: "Well, 1t
g His garden, and he has right to do what
BE will with it. Thy will be done!" the
hardest prayer ever man made.
It has seemed as II Jesus Christ took the
best; from many OF your households the
best one is gone. You know that she was
too good for this world; she was the Sen-
Hest in her ways, the deepest in her affec.
tions. and when at last the sickness came
you had no faith In medicines. You knew
that the hour OF parting had come. and when
through the rich grace OF the Lord Jesus