Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-04-25


Fruit In the Garden.
Again the church may ho appropriately
conuarrl to "a garden because IL Is Il place
of fruits That would be "A strange gar
den which had in 1t no berries. no plums
or peaches or apricots. The cuarscr fruits
are planted in the orchard ar they nrc set
out on the sunny hillside, hut tho choicest
fruits are kept in the garden. -, In the
world outside the church, Christ has plant
al Al great many beautiful things-pa-
thence. charity, generosity, integrity-hut
he intends the choicest fruits to bc in the
garden, and, II they AFRO not there then
shame ON the church.
Religion Is not "a marc scntimcniality.
1t is practical, life giving, hcalthful
fruit-not posi,s but apples. 'Oh, says
somebody ~ don't see what your garden
of the church has yielded" In reply ask,
Where did your asylums come from, and
your hospitals. and your institutions
Of mercy? Christ planted every ono Of
them; he planted them in his garden.
When Christ gave sight to Bariimeus,
he laid the cornerstone to every blind
asylum that has ever been built. When
Christ soothcd the demoniac of Galilcc, Ee
laid the cornerstone of every lunaiic asy
lum that has ever been established. When
Christ said tn tho 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 We
visited me-" he laid the cornerstone of
every prison reform association that hns
ever been organized. Tho church Of Christ
Is glorious garden, and il is full OF fruit.
/ know there is some poor fruit III IL.
know there arr some weeds that ought to
be thrown over the fence. | know there
arc some crab apple trees that ought to he
cut down. | know there are some wild
gra"cs that ought 10 he upruotrd. But are
you going to destroy the whole garden be-
cause of little gnarlcd fruit: You will
find worm eaten leaves in Funtainchlcau,
and insects that sting in the fairy groves
of the Champs Elysccs. You do not tear
down and destroy the whole garden be-
cause there are few specimens Of gnnrlcd
fruit. admit there are men and women
In tho church who ought not To he there,
but let us bc just as frank and admit the
fact that there are hundreds and thou
sands and tens Of thousands Of glorious
| Christian men and wumcn-huiy, blessed,
useful, consccratcd ana triumphant
There is mo- grandcr. noblcr collection in
all the earth than the collection of Chris
tians.
There are Christian men in this house
whose religion Is not u matter of psalm
singing and church going Tomorrow
morning that religion will keep them just
ns consistent and consccrated in their
worldly occupation rs il ever kept them Mt
the communion table. There are women
here today of - higher type of character
than Mary 81 Bethany. They not only sit
at the feet Of Christ, but they go out into
the Kitchen To help Martha In her work
that she may sit there too. There is n
woman, who has a drunkard husband, who
| has exhibited more faith and patience and
courage than Ridley in the fire. He was
consumed in 20 minutes. Hers has been
u 20 years mHriyrslom. Wonder Is u man
who has been II years on his back, unable
to feed himself, yet calm and peaceful as
though he lay ON one Of the green banks
OF heaven watching the oarSmcn dip their
paddle In the crystal river. Why. 1t seems
To me this moment rs IL ST Paul threw To
us "a pomol"gist's catalogue of the fruits
growing In tits great garden of Christ
love. joy peace, patience, charity. brother
~ Kindness, Rentlencss, mercy-glorious
fruit, enough Ia fill all the baskets Of
earth and heaven.
The NuterSu Garden.
Again. the church in my text Is appro-
priatcly called II garden because il Is thor
oughly irrigated. No garden could pros
per long without plenty uf water. have
seen garden In the midst If n desert, yet
blooming and luxuriant All around us
were dcarth and harrcnncSs. but there were
pipes, aqucducts, reaching from this gar
den up 10 the mountains. and through
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 - garden In the midst Of a
great desert of sin and suffering, but II Is
well irrigated, for "our eyes arc unto the
hills from whence comcth our help"
From the mountains Of Gods strength
,hcrc flow down rivers OF gladncss.
There IS river the stream whereof shall
make glad the city of our God" Preach
Ing the gospel is ono of the aqueducts.
The Bible Is another. Baptism and the
Lords supper are aqucducts Water To
slako the thirst, water 10 wash the I'M
.lean. water tossed high up in the light Of
the sun OF Righteousness, showing us the
rainbow around the throne. oh, was
there ever n garden so thoroughly irrigated
and Chatsworih depends very much upon
the great supply Of water. came to the
latter place, Chntsworth, one day when
strangers IRE not Ia be admitted, but by
an inducement which always seemed as
potent with an Englishman rs an Ameri-
can got in, and then the gardener went
far up above Hhc stairs of stone and turned
on the water saw 1t cleaning on the
dry pavement, coming down from step "a
step until il came so near | could hear the
musical rush, and all over the high. broad
stairs II came. fuaming flashing, roaring
down, until sunlight and wave In glee-
some wrestlc tumblcd ut my feet. 80 it is
with the church Of God. Everything
comes from above-par,ion from above,
joy from above, adoption from above,
sanctiication from above
Harkl / hear the latch of the garden
gate, and l look 10 see who is coming.
hear the voice Of Christ, Il am como into
my garden | say: Come in, O Jesus
We have been waiting for thee. Walk AL
through the paths. Look AT the flowers
look at the fruit pluck that which thou
wilt for myself Jesus comes into tn,
garden and mp to that old man and touche.
him and says: Almost home, father NOT
many more aches for thee. | will never
leave thee; take couragca little longer, and
/ will steady thy tottering steps, and viii
soothc thy troubles and give thee rest
Courage, old man" Then Christ goes III
another garden path, and he comes To i;
soul In trouble and says: ''Pcacci All /,
well. have seen thy tears. have hcart
thy prayer. The sun shall not smiic the,
10y day nor the moon by night. Tho Lore
shall preserve thee from all evil; he vii
preserve thy soul. Courage, q troubled
spiritr
Then see Jesus going up another gar
den path. and ! see great excitement
among tho leaves. and | hasten up thai
garden path To see what Jesus Is doing
there, and 10! be IS breaking Off flowers
sharp and clean, from tho stem, and say
stop. Jesus; don't kill those bcautiiu
flowers" He turns iO Inc and says, 81
have come into my Garden To gather lilies
and mean 10 take these M To higher
terrace, for the garden around my palace
and there vii! plant them, and In better
sell and in ciicr mir they shall put foril
brighter lca.cs ard Swcctcr rcduluncc, ant
no frost shall touch them forever" And
looked up into his face and said: "Woll
IL Is his garden and he has right to d,
what lie will with 1t. Thy will be done
the hardest prayer ever man made
II has seemed rs II Jrsus Christ took th,
best. From many Of your households til,
best one is gone. You know that she WA.
too good for this world she was the gen
Hest in her ways, the deepest in her nfIcc
tiOns, and when at last the sickness cam,