The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-05-02
NEVER FEAR DROUGHT.
The Bible Says: "Thou Shalt Be
Like a Watered Garden"
The Text from Which Rev. DIR.
Preached His Latest Sermon-Ths
Church a Place of Fruits
and W

In a recent sermon at Washington
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage preached on
a subject appropriate to the season,
the smile dominant in the ermon
1.-THE Garden of God" being very sug-
gestive and practical. His text was:
Isaiah lviii:11, Thou shalt be like a
watered garden" He said:
The Bible is a great poem. We have
in it faultless rhythm and bold imagery
and startling antithesis and rapturous
lyric and sweet pastoral n instruct
i've narrative and devotional psalm;
thoughts expressed in style more SOL
emn than that of Montgomery, more
bold than that of Milton, more terri
BILE han that of Dante, more natural
than hat of Wordsworth, more i'm
passioned than hat of Pollock, O
tender than hat of Cowper, more
weird than that of Spenser.
This great poem brings all the gems
of the earth into its coronet, and it
weaves the flames of Judgment into its
garlands, and pours eternal harmonies
in its rhythm. Everything this Book
touches it makes beautiful, from the
plain stones of the summer threshing
floor to the daughters of Naho filling
tho trough for the camels; from the
fish pools of Heshbon up to the Psalmist
praising God with the diapason of
storm and whirlwind, and Job inn
agery of Orion, Arcturus and the
Pleiades.
My ext leads US into a scene of sum-
mer Incidence. The world has had a
great many beautiful gardens Char
lemange added to the glory of his
reign by ~decreeing that they be estab-
lished all through the Misunderstanding
even the names OF the flowers to be
planted there. Henry w., at Mont
pelier, established gardens of bewitch-
ing beauty and luxuriance, 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 lit
tie impression on the world; but his
garden 1.-The Leasowes," will be i'm
mortal. To the natural advantage of
place was brought the perfection
of art Arbor and terrace and slope and
rustic temple aud reservoir and urn and
fountain here had their browning. Oak
and yew and hazel put forth their
INC 4oAAokS- AACAO "e9 III AAAC
diligent, no soul more ingenious,
than that of Shenstone, and all that
diligence and genius he brought to the
adornment of that one treasured spot
He gave $500 for it; he sold it for Rf7,-
600. And yet 1 am to tell you to-day
of a richer garden than any 1 have
mentioned. 1t is the garden spoken of
in my text, the garden of the church,
--L.zl Ia1A~-a - TH.saN he h4an-hA
1t, He planted it, He owns it, and He
shall have it. Walter Scott. in his out
lay at Abbotsford, ruined his fortune;
and now, in h crimson flowers of
those gardens, you can almost
think or imagine that you see
the blood of that old mans
heart. The payment of the last
e1OO, 600 sacrificed him. But 1 nave to
tell you that Christ's life and Christ's
death were the outlay of this beautiful
of the church, of which my
speaks. Oh, how many signs and
and pangs' and agoniesl Tell
We women who saw Him hangl
me, We executioners who lifted
and let Him down. Tell me, thou
sun that didst hide; ye rocks that fell
Christ loved the church and gave Him.
self for it. If the garden of the church
to Christ, certainly He has q
to walk in it. Come. then, o,
Jesus, to-day; walk up and
these aisles and pluck what Thou
wilt of sweetness for Thyself.
The church in my text is appropri-
ately compared to a garden, because it
IS the place of choice flowers, of select
and of thorough irrigation.
That would be a strange garden in
which there were no flowers. If no.
where else, they would be along the
borders or at the gateway. The home
taste will dictate something, if it
% only the old-fashioned hollyhock,
,r dahlia, or daffodil; but if there be
anger means, then you will find the
Mexican cactus, and blazing a~zalea,
clustering oleander. Well, now, |
Christ comes to His garden and He
plants there some of the brightest
ipirits hat ever Powered upon the
world. Some OF them T v~iolets. in
but sweet as Heaven.
You have to search and find
hem. You do not see them
very often, perhaps, but you find
where they have been by the bright
ned face of the invalid, and the sprig
# geranium on the stand. and the new
curtains keeping out the glare
If the sunlight. They are, perhaps,
nore like the ranunculus. creeping
along amid the thorns and
,riars of life, giving kiss for sting;
md many a man who has had in his
way some great black rock of trouble,
found hat they have covered it all
,ver with fowery jasmine, running in
nc out amid the crevices. These flow
RS in Christ's garden are not, like the
unfiower. gaudy in h light, but
darkness hovers over a soul
hat needs to be c~omforted, there they
Itand, night-blooming
But in Christ's garden there are
,lants that may be better compared to
he Mexican cactus-thorns without,
within; men with sharp
of character. They wound al
most everyone hat touches them.
They are hard to handle. Men pro-
ounce them nothing but thorns, but
christ loves them, Notwithstanding all
heir sharpnesses. Many a man has
lad a very hard ground to cultivate,
it has only been through severe
rial he has raised even the smallest
rop of grass. A very harsh minister
vas talking to a very placid elder, and
he placid elder said to the harsh min
ster, doctor, / do wish you would
your temper" All" said the
K the elder, II control more
smper in five minutes than you do in
We years"
1t is harder for some men to do right
han for other men to do right. The
that would elevate you to the
eventh heaven might not keep your
from knocking a man down.
had q friend who came to me and
aid: II dare not join the church"
said: why" "Oh," he said, II have
UGH a violent temper. Yesterday
1 was crossing very early at
he Jersey City ferry, and saw a milk
ian pour a large quantity of water in
D the milk can, and l said to him, i
that will do and lie insulted
lie, and l knocked him down. Do you
l ought to join the church,"
that very same man,
Tho was so harsh in his behavior,
wed Christ and could not speak of
lcred things without tears of emotion
nd affection. Thorns without, sweet
ess within-the best specimen of the
IeXican cactus / ever saw.