The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-05-13
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE
NOTED DIVINE.
Subject. "The Church Garden.n

The Bible Is great poem. We have Il IN
iaultless rhythm and bold imagery and start.
ing ant1thesis and rapturous lyric and sweet
pastoral and instructive narrative and de.
Tot1onal psalm, thoughts expressed In styIe
more solemn than that of MONTGOMERY.
more bold than that OF Milton, more terri
pie than that OF Dante, more natural than
that OF Wordsworth, more i1npassioned than
mat OF Pollock, more tender than that OF
Covper, more weird than that Of Spenser.
This great poem brings all the gems of the
earth into Its coronet, and It weaves the
names OF Judgment into its garlands, and
pourS eternal harmontes In Its rhythm.
Everything this book touches 1t makes beau
t1ful, from the plain stones of the summer
thrashing floor to the daughters Of Major
filling the trough for the camels. from the
dsh pools OF Heshbon up to the psalmlst
pratsing God with the diapason Of storm and
whirlwind, and Jobs imagery of Orion Arc
turus and the Pleiades.
My text leads US into scene Of summer
redolence. The world has had great many
beautiful gardens. Charlemagne added to
the glory of his reign by decreeing that they
be established all through the realm, decid-
ing even the names Of the flowers to be
planted there. Henry ". at Montpelier es-
tablished gardens of bewitching beauty and
INSURANCE. gathering into them Alpine,
Pyrenean and French plants. One OF the
sweetest spots on earth was the garden of
Shenstone, the poet. His writings have
made but little impression on the world, but
his garden, 1.-THE Leasowers," will be i'm
mortal. To the natural advantage Of that
place was brought the perfection of art. Ar
Dor and terrace and slope and rustic temple
and reservoir and urn and fountain here had
their crowning. Oak and yew and hazel put
forth their richest foliage. There was no
~
than that of Shenstone, and all that dill
gence and genius he brought to the adorn-
ment OF that one treasured spot. He gave
$500 for It. He sold it for s17,000.
And yet I am to tell you to-day
of rlchor garden than any I have
mentioned. 1t is the garden spoken OF in
my text, the garden Of the church, which
belongs to Christ. He bought 1t, he planted
IT, He owns 1t, and He shall have 1t. Walter
Scott. In his outlay at Abbotsford, ruined
his fortune. and now, in the crimson flowers
OF those gardens, you can almost think or
imagine that you can see the blood Of that
old mans broken heart. The payment OF
the last s100, 900 sacrificed him. But have
to tell you that Chrisr's life and Christ's
death were the outlay Of this beautiful gar
den Of the church Of which my text speaks.
Oh. how many sighs and tears and pangs
and aGonies! Tell me, We women who saw
Him hang! Tell me, We eIecutioners VINO
lifted Him and let Hin down! Tell me, thou
sun that didst hide! Ye rocks that fell
Christ loved the church and gave Himself
for it. II the garden Of the church belongs
70 Christ. certainly He has q right to walk
IN II. Come. then, O blessed Jesus, to-day,
walk up and down these aisles and pluck
wha, Thou wilt OF sweetness for Thyself.
The church in my text is appropriately
compared to a garden because it Is the place
OF choice flowers, of select fruits and of
thorough irrigation. That would be strange
garden in which there were no flowers. If
nowhere else. they would be along the
borders or at the gateway. The homeiest
taste will dictate something, III be only the
old fashioned hollyhock or dahlia or daffo-
dill, but II there be larger means then you
will find the Mexican cactus, and blazing
azalea, and clustering oleander. Well, now,
Christ comes to His garden, and He plants
there some Of the brightest spirits that ever
flowed upon the world. Some of them are
violets, tnconspicuous, but sweet as heaven.
You have to search and find them. You do
not see :hem very often perhaps, but you
find where they have been by the frightened
face ofthe invalid, and the sprig Of geranium
keeping out the glare Of the sunlight. They
are perhaps more like the cauunculus, creep
Ing sweetly along amid the thorns and briars
OF life, giving kiss for sting, and many man
who has had In his way some great black
rock OF trouble has found that they have
covered 1t all over with fowery jasmine,
running in and out amid the crevices. These
flowers in Chrlst's garden are not, like the
sunfower, gaudy In the light, but wherever
darkness hovers over soul that needs to be
comforted there they stand, night blooming
cereuses.
But in Christ's garden there are plants that
may be better compared to the Mexican cac-
tus-thorns without, lovellness within, men
with sharp points OF character. They wound
almost every one that touches them. They
are hard to handle. Men pronounce them
nothing but thorns. but Christ loves them
Notwithstanding all their sharpnesses. Many
q man has had very hard ground to culti-
vate, and 1t has only been through severe
trial he has raised even the smallest crop OF
grace. A very harsh munster was talking
to very placid elder. and the placid elder
said to the harsh minister, doctor, do
wish you would control your temper"
"Ah." said the minister to the elder, II con-
troll more temper in five minutes than you
do in five years.
It Is harder for some men to do right than
for other men to do right. The grace that
would elevate you to the seventh heaven
might not keep your brother from knocking
q man down. I had friend who came to
me and said, II dare not join the church"
said. "Why2" "Oh," be said, II have such
violent temper. Yesterday morning was
crossing very early at the Jersey City ferry,
and saw milkman pour large quantity |
OF water into the milk can, and I said to
him, 4 think that will do and he insulted
me, and knocked him down. Do you think
ought to join :hs church," Nevertheless
that very same man. who was so 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 Mexican
cactus ever saw.
Thereare others planted in Christ's garden
who are always radiants, always impressive,
more like the roses Of deep hue than we oc-
the Martin Luthers, St. Pauls, Chrysostoms,
Wyclifs, Latimers and Samuel Rutherfords
What in other men Is spark in them is
coniagration. When they sweat, they sweat
great drops Of blood, When they pray, their
prayers take fire. When they preach, it Is
Pentecost. When they fight it is Thermo-
pyle. When they die, it is a martyrdom.
You find great many roses in the gardens.
but only a few .Gianrs of Battle" Men say,
"Why don't you have more Of them in the
church," I say, why don't you have in
the world more Humboldts and We!lingtons?
lGod gives to some ten talents; to another.
one.
In this garden Of the church which Christ
has planted also find the snowdrops. beau
Itiful, but cold-looking. seemingly another
phase of winter. I mean those Christians
who are precise in their tastes, unim-
passionei, pure rs 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 futter: their nerves never
fwitch their indignation never boils over.
They live longer than most people. but their
life is in minor key. They never run up
ko T. aboyp the staff In their nucic of life