Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-05-01
THE CHURCH GARDEN
egv. DR.. TALMAeE DESCRIBES ITS
MANY BEAUTIES.

He SAYS Christ Bought 1t, He Planted 1t
and He Owns It-FlOwers and Fruit
That May BE Found In Laboratory
Closing Words.
WASHINGTON, April 26. AS the parks
IN Washington are abloom with hya-
cinths aud the gardens are being made
the simile dominant in this subject Is
very suggestive and practical DR.. Tai
IMAGES text was Isaiah lviii, ii, Thou
shalt be like a watered garden.
The Bible is a great poem. We have
in it faultless rhythm and bold imagery
and startling antithesis and rapturous
lyric and sweet pastoral and instructive
narrative and devotional psalm, thoughts
EXPRESSED in style more solemn than
that Of Montgomery, more bold than
that Of Milton, more terrible than that
~ Dante, more natural than that OF
Wordsworth. more impassioned than
that Of Pollock, more tender than that
Of Cowper, more weird than that OF
Spenser.
This great poem brings all the gems
NJ the earth into its coronet, and II
weayes the flames of Judgment into Its
Oarlands. and pours eternal harmonles
In its rhythm. Everything this book
touches it makes beautiful, from the
nlain stones of the summer thrashing
floor to the daughters Of Major fllllng
the trough for the camels, from the fish
pools of Heshbon up to the psalmist
nraising God with the diapason of storm
and whirlwind, and Jobs imagery OF
Orion. Arcturus and the Pleiades.
The Church.
Nv text leads US into a scene Of sum-
mer redolence. The world has had
great many beautiful gardens. Charlie
maRne added to the glory Of his reign
bv decreeing that they be established
all through the realm, deciding even
The names Of the flowers to be planted
there. Henry " at Montpelier estao'
lished gardens Of bewitching beauty
and lururiance, gathering into them
Anime. Pyrenean and French plants
One Of the sweetest spots on earth wa'
tbe garden of Shenstone, the poet his
writings have made but little mpres
sion ON the world, but his garden, Inc
Ieasowers, will be immortal 10 th'
natural advantage Of that place wa
brou9ht the perfection Of art Arbor anC
terrace and slope and rustic temple an'
reservoir and urn and fountain here ha'
their crowning Oak and yew and haze
mt forth their richest foliage. Their
was no life more diligent, no soul NOR
ingenious than that of Shenstone, an'
ali that diligence and genius he brough
10 the adornment Of that one treasure'
spot He gave $500 for it, He sold
FOR $4,000. And yet am to tell yo'
TODAY of a richer garden than any | hav
mentioned. It is the garden spoken Q
In NV text, the garden of the church
which belongs to Christ He bought II
he planted it, he owns it, and ne shai
: have IL Walter Scott, in his outlay a
Abbotsford, ruined his fortune an
now. in the crimson flowers OF thos
gardens you can almost 'iiiiiA VI -
sQine that you see the blood Of that oil
mans broken heart The payment
the last e1OO, OO0 sacrificed him. Br
= | I have to tell you that Christ's life an
Christ's death were the outlay OF TN
beautiful garden Of the church Of whic
my text speaks Oh, how many slgi
a and tears and pangs and agoniesl Ie
!. me, ye women who saw him hangl le
me. We executioners who lifted him an
. let him down. Tell me, thou sun thi
. didst hide Ye rocks that fell Chrl
loved the church and gave himself f'
Il II the garden of the church belonI
Q 10 Christ, certainly he has right
n walk in It. Come, then, o blessed Jesu
today, walk up and down these aisi
and pluck what thou wilt OF sweetne
u for thYaeH.