The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-05-07

fore other petals will como out" But [
have to tell you of a plant that was gather
ing up from all eternity, and that 1890 years
ago Iut forth its bloom never to wither. 1t
is the passion plant Of the cross! Prophets
foretold it. Bethlehem shepherds looked up
! on it in the bud the rocks shook at its burst
ing and the dead got up in its winding
sheets to see its full bloom. 1t IS a crimson
flower-bood at the roots, blood on the
branches, blood on all the leaves. Its per-
fume is to fill all the Nations. Its breath is
heaven. Come o winds from the north, and
winds from the south, and winds from the
cast. and winds from the west. and bear to
all the earth the understanding SAVIOR Of
Christ my Lord!
His worth If all the Nations knew.
Sure the whole earth would love Him too.
Again. the church may appropriately be
compared to a garden because it is place of
| fruits. That would be strange garden
which had in it no berries, no plumSN or
peaches or apricots. The coarser fruits are
planted in the orchard. or they are set out
on the sunny hillside, but the choicest fruits
are kept in the garden. So in the world out
side the church Christ has planted a great
many beautiful thingS-patience, charity,
generosity, inteSrity-bUt He intends the
choicest fruits to be in the garden, and If
they arc not there. then shame on the
church.
Religion is not q mere sentimentality. 1t
is a practical, life giving, healthful fruit
not posies. but apples. "Oh," says some
body. II don't see what your garden Of tho
church has yielded" I reply I ask where
did your asyums come from, and your hos
pitfalls, and your institutions of mercy?
Christ planted every one Of them. He plant
ed 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 soothed the demoniac
| Of Galilce, He laid the cornerstone Of every
lunatic asylum that has ever been estab-
lished. 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: 81 was in
prison and We visited Me, " He laid the cor
nerstone of every prison reform association
that has ever been organized. The church
of Christ is a glourious garden, and it is full
of fruit.
l know there is some poor fruit in it.
know there are some weeds that ought to be
thrown over the fence. l know there are
some crab apple trees that ought to be cut
down. I know there are some wild grapes
that ought to be uprooted. but are you going
to DESTROY the whole garlen because of q
little gnaried fruit? You will find worm
eaten leaves in Fontainebleau ana insects
that sting in the fairy groves of the Champs
Elysees. You do not tear down and destroy
the whole garden because there are a few
specimens of gnarled fruit. l admit there
are men and women in the church who
ought not to be there. but let US be Just rs
frank and admit the fact that there are hun
dreds and thousands and tens Of thousands
Of glorious Christian men and women-ho!y,
blessed, useful, cOnsecrated and triumphant.
There IL 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 sing
ing and church going. Tomorrow morning
that religion will keep them just as consis-
tent and consecrated in their worldly occu-
patton as 1t ever kept them at tho COM
munion table. There are women here to-
day of Il higher type of char icter than Mary
Of 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 a woman who has
trunkard husband who has exhibited more
faith and patience and courage that Ridley
in the fire. He was consumed in twenty
minutes. Hers has been twenty years
martyrdom. Yonder is man who has been
fifteen years on his back. unableto feed him
self. yet calm and peaceful as though he lay
on one of the green banks of heaven, watch
ing the oarsmen dip their paddle in the crys-
talriver! Why, it seems to me this moment
catalogue OF 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 aud heaven.
Again, the church in my text Is ap-
propriately called a garden because it is
thoroughly irrigated. No garden could
prosper long without plenty of water. |
have seen gardenin the midst of desert,
yet blooming and luxuriant. All around us
) were dearth and barrenness, but there
were pipes, aqueducts. reaching from this
garden up to the mountains, and through
, those aqueducts the water came streaming
down and tossing up into beautiful foun-
, tains, until every root AMI leaf and flower
} was saturated. That is like the church
: The church is a garden in the midst OF a
. great desert of sin and suffering, but it is
, well irrigated, for tour eyes are unto the
hills from whence cometh our help From
the mountains of Gods strength there flow
down rivers OF gladne5s. 'There is a river
tho stream whereof shall make glad
the city of our God" Preaching tho
: gospel is one Of the aqueducts. The
Bible is another. Baptism and the Lord 3
supper are aqueducts. Water to slake the
thirst, water to wash the unclean, water
toSsed high up i'll the light Of the Son OF
) righteous, showing us the rainbow around
tho throne. Oh, was there ever q garden so
thoroughly 1rfigbteu! You know that the
beauty Of Versailles and Chatswotth depends
} very much upon the great supply Of water.
came to the latter place, Chatsworth, one
day when strangers are not to be admitted,
l but by an inducement which always seemed
rs potent with an Englishman as an Ameri-
can got in, and then the gardener went far
up above the stairs Of stone and turned on
| the water. l saw it cleaning on the dry
, pavement coming down from step to step un.
Ill it came so near could hear the musical
rnsn and all over the high, broad stairs it
! came foamtng, flashing. roaring down. un-
til sunlight and wave in gleesome wrestle
tumbled at my feet. SO 1t is with the church
of God. Everything comes from above
} pardon from above. joy from above, adoption
from above Santification from above
( Hark? hear the latch Of the garden gate,
and | look to see who is coming. l hear the
voice of Christ. ~ am come into MY gar
dem" say: "Come in, O Jesus! We have
! been waiting for Thee. Walk all through the
paths. Look ut tho flowers, look at the
fruit; pluck that which Thou wilt for Thy
sclf.' Jesus comes into the garden and u)
to that old man and touches him, and saws
''Almost home, father; not many more aches
for thee. l will never leave thee. Take
courage a little longer. and will steady tn,
fntt ring stems and I will SO0tha thv from