The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-05-08

most everyone that touches them
They are hard to handle. Mon pro-
nounoe them nothing but thorns' pus
Christ loves them Notwithstanding ali
their sharpness. Many man has naa
Q worry hard ground to cultivate ana J"
has only been through severe trial no
has raised even the smallest crop OF
grace. A very harsh minister was
talking to very placid elder, ana the
placid elder said to the harsh minis
ter: "Doctor, I do wish you would
control your temper" "Ah, SAID she
minister to the elder: II controi
more temper in Ave minutes than you
do in Ave years"
1t is harder for some men to do right
than Tor other men to do right Inc
grace that would elevate you to tho
seventh heaven might not keep your
brother from knocking man down:
I had friend who came to me ana
said; 81 dare not join the church" l
said, "Whyq" "Oh," he said, II have
such violent temper Yesterday
morning I was crossing very early at
the Jersey City ferry, and saw milk
man pour a large quantity OF water
into the milk can, and said to MIN:
Il think that will do and he insulted
me and knocked him down. Do you
think I ought to join the church,"
Nevertheless, that very same man, who
was 80 harsh in his behavior, loved
Christ, and could not speak OF sacred
things without tears of emotion and
affection Thorns without, sweetness
within-the best specimen OF the Mex
lean cactus ever saw.
There are others planted In Christ's
garden who are always radiant, al
ways impressive-morel like the roses
of deep hue that we occasionally lind,
called "Giants of Battle" the Martin
Luthers, St. Pauls, Chrysostoms, Wick
liffes, Latimers and Samuel Ruther-
fords. What in other men is spark
in them is a confagration. 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 a
Thermopyl@. When they die, it is
martyrdom. You find great many
roses in the gardens, but only few
'sGiants of the Battle" Men say:
"Why don't you have more OF them in
the church," / say: why don't you
have In the world more Humboldss and
Wellingtons?" God gives to some ten
talents, to another one.
In this garden Of the church which
Christ has planted also find the snow
drops, beautiful, but cold-looking,
seemingly another phase OF winter. l
mean those Christians who are precise
in their tastes, unimpassioned, pure as
snowdrops and as cold. They never
shed any tears, they never get excited,
they never say anything rashly, they
never do anything precipitately. Their
pulses never fiutter, their nerves never
witch, their indignation never boils
over. They live longer than most peo-
pie, but their life is in minor key.
They never run up to &c" above the
staff. In their music of life they have
no staccato passages. Christ planted
them in the church, and they must be
of some service or they would not be
there; snowdrops, always snowdrops.
But have not told you Of the most
beautiful flower of all this garden
spoken OF in the text. II you see a
century plant your emotions are start
ed. You say: why, this flower has
been hundred years gathering up for
one bloom, and it will be hundred
years more before other petals will
come out" But have to tell you
of a plant that was gathering
up from all eternity, and that 1,s0t
years ago put forth its bloom never to
wither. 1t is the passion plant OF the
| Crossl Prophets foretold it; Bethlehem
shepherds looked upon it in the bud
rocks shook at it's bursting, and the
dead got up in their winding-sheets te
see its full bloom. 1t is crimson
hower-blood at the roots, blood or
the branches, blood on all the leaves
Its perfume is to fill all the nations
It's breath is in Heaven. Come, {
winds from the north and winds from
the south and winds from the east ant
winds from the west, and bear to al
the earth the understanding SAVIOR o
Christ, my Lord!
His worth II all the nations knew,
Surs the whole earth would love Him. too.
Again, the Church in my text is ap
propriately called a garden, because /
Is thoroughly irrigated. No garden
could prosper long without plenty 0
water. l have seen garden in tn
midst Of desert. yet blooming ant
luxuriant All around us was deartl
and barrenness; but there were pipes
aoueducts, reaching from this garden