The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-05-06

are not there, then shame on the church.
Religion snot mere sentimentallty.
It is practical, life giving, healthful
fruit-rot posies, but apples. "Oh,
says somebody, II don't see what your
garden of the church has yielded" In
reply 1 ask where did your asyluma
ccme from, and your hospitals. and your
institutions of mercy? Christ planted
every one Of them. He planted 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 soothcd the demonl-
&C of Galilee, he laid the cornerstone of
every lunatic asylum that has ever been
established 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, II was in prison and ye visited
me-" he laid the cornerstone of every
prison reform association that has ever
been organized. The church of Christ is
glorious garden, and it is full of fruit.
know there is some poor fruit III 1t.
l know there are some weeds that ought
to be thrown over the fence. I know
there are some. crab apple trees that
ought to be cut down. know there are
some wild grapes that ought to be up
rooted, but are you going to destroy tho
whole garden because Of little gnarled
fruit? You will find worm eaten leaves
in Fontainebleau and insects that sting in
the fairy groves of the Champs Elysees.
You do not tear down and destroy the
whole garden because there are few
specimens of gnarled fruit. 1 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 hundreds and thousands and
tens of thousands Of glorious Christian
men and women-holy, blessed, useful,
consecrated and triumphant There is
no grander, 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
singing and church going Tomorrow
morning that religion will keep them
Just as consistent and consecrated in
their worldly occupation as it ever kept
them at the communion table. There are
women here today Of q higher type CT
character than Mary Of Bethany. They
not only sit at the feet Of Christ, but
they 20 out into the kitchen to help
Martha in her work that she may sit
there too. There is woman who has
drunkard husband who has exhibited
more faith and patience AID courage
than Ridley in the fire. He was con-
sumed in 30 minutes. Hers has been
20 years martyrdom. Yonder is man
who has been Is years on his back, IN
able to feed himself, yet calm and
peaceful as though he lay cn che OF the
green banks of heaven, watching the
oarsmen dip their paddle in tie crystal
river! Why, it seems to me this moment
as if st. Paul threw to US pomologist's
catalogue If 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 hear-
en-
Well Irrigated.
Again, the church in my text is ap-
propriately called garden because it 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 were dearth and barrenness,
but there were pipes, aqueducts, reach
ing from, this garden up to the noun
tains, and through those aqueducts the
water came streaming down and tossing
up into beautiful fountains, until every
root and leaf and flower was saturated.
That is like the church. The church is
a garden In the midst Of great desert
of sin and suffering, but it is well irri-
gated, 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 a river the stream whereof shall make
glad the city of our God" Preaching
the gospel is one of the aqucducts. The
Bible is another. Baptism and the Lord S
supper are aqueducts. Water to slakc
the thirst, water to wash the unclcan,
water tossed high up in the light Of the
Sun Of Righteousness, showing US the
rainbow around the throne. Oh, was
there ever a garden so thoroughly irri-
gated! You know that the beauty of
Versailles and Chatsworth depends very
much upon the great supply Of water. l
came to the latter place, Chatsworth,
one day when strangers are net to be ad-
mittcd, but by an inducemcnt which
always seemed as potent with an Eng
lishman as an American got in, and
then the gardener went far up above tho
stairs of stone and turned on the water.
saw it cleaning on the dry pavement
coming down from step to step until 1t
came so near I could hear the musical
rush and all over the high, broad stairs
it came foaming, flashing, roaring down,
until sunlight and wave in gleesome
Yrestle tumbled at my feet So it IS
with tho church Of God. Everything
comes from above-pardon from above,
Joy from above, adoption from above,
sanctification from above.
Hark! I hear the latch Of the garden
gate, and I look to see who is coming. I
hear the voice Of Christ, II am como
into my garden" I say: Come in, o
Jesus! We have been waiting for thee.
Walk all through the paths Look at
the flowers, look at the fruit; pluck that
which thou wilt for thyself. Jesus
comes into the garden and Up to that
old man and touches him, and says:
almost home, father; not many more
aches for thee. I will never leave thee.
Take courage little longer, and I will
steady thy tottering steps, and Will
soothe thy troubles and give thee rest.
Courage. old man." Then Christ goes
up another garden path, and he comes
to q soul in trouble and says: peace!
All is we'll I have seen thy tears. l
have heard thy prayer. The sun shall
not smite thee by day nor the moon by