Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-05-12
FLOWERS OF EASTER.
Dr.. Talmage Draws an Inspiration
from Them.
The Eloquent Orators Easter Dis
coursc--LcsSeNs which the Flow
crs Hiring To the DispIrited
and the nercaVcd.
Convrlght. 1sgo.l

washington, Copyright 1891
In this Easter sermon DR., Talmago
intcrprcts the message which the flow
crs bring TO the anxious, the dispirited
and the bereaycd; text, Luke 12:2S, IF
then God so clothc the grass, which is
to-day in the field, and tomorrow is
cast into the oven, how much more will
lie clothc you, ye of little faith?"
The lily is the queen of Bible flowers.
The rose may have disputed her throne
in modern times and won it, but the
rose originally had only five petals. 1t
was under the long continued and in
tense gaze of the world that the rose
blushcd into its present beauty. In the
Bible train, cassia and hyssop and
frankincensc and myrrh and spikenard
and camphor and the rose follow the
lily. Fourteen times in the Bible is the
lily mentioned; only twice the rose.
The rose may now have wider empire,
but the lily rcigncd in the time of
Esther, in the time of solomon, in the
time of Christ. Caesar had his throne
on the hills. The lily had her throne in
the valley. In the greatest sermon that
was ever preached there was only one
flower, and that lily. The Bedford
dreamer, John Bunyan, entered the
house of the interpreter and was shown
cluster of flowers and was told to
consider the lilies"
We may study or reject. other sciences
at our optiouit is so with astronomy,
itisso with chemistry, it is so with juris-
prudence, it is so with physiology, it
is so with geology-but the science of
botany Christ commands us to study
when He says: Consider the lilies"
Measure them from root to tip of petal.
Inhalc their breath. Notice the grace
fulness of their poise Hear the whis-
per of the white lips of the eastern and
the red lips of the American lily.
Belonging to this royal family of
lilies are the lily of the Nile, the Japan
lily, the Lady Washington of the
Sicrras, the Golden band lily, the Giant
lily of Nepaul, the Turks cap lily, the
African lily from the Cape of Good
Hope. All these lilies have the royal
blood in their veins. But | take the
lilies of my text this morning as typ
zeal of all flowers, and their voice of
floral beauty seems to address us, say
ing: Consider the lilies, consider the
azalcas, consider the fuchsias. consider
the geraniums, consider the ivies, con-
slider the hyacinths, consider the hello
tropes, consider the oleanders." With
deferential and grateful and intelligent
and worshipful souls, consider them.
Not with insipid sentimentalism or
with sophomore yaporing. but for
grand and practical and everyday, and,
if need be, homely uses, consider them.
The flowers are the angels of the
grass. They all have voices. When the
clouds speak they thunder, when the
whirlwinds speak they scream, when
the cataracts speak they always whis-
per. / stand here to intrepet their mes
sage. What have you TO say to us, o We
angels of the grass? This morning !
mean to discuss what flowers are good
for. That is my subject: What are
flowers good for?
remark in the first place, they are
good for lessons Of Gods proyidential
care. That was Chrst's first thought.
All these flowers seem to address MS to-
day, saying: God will give you APP
parcl and food" We have no wheel with
which to spin, no loom with which to
weave, no sickle with which to harvest
10 well sweep with which TO draw
wafer but God feeds us with the bread
of the sunshine, and God has appareled
us with more than Solomonic regalty
We are prophctesses Of adequate ward.
robe. IF God so clothed us, the grass
of the field, will He not much more
clothc YOU, o We of little faith?' Men
and women Of worldly anNicties, take
this message home with you! How long
has God taken care Of you? Quarter OF
the Journey of life? Half the journey
of life? Threc-quarters the journey Of
life? Can YOU not trust Him the rest
of the way? God does not promise you
anything like that which the Roman
emperor had on his table at vast cX
pensc-500 nightingales' tongues but
lie has promised TO take care Of you
lie has promised you the necessities
not the luxures-brcad, not cake. !
God so luxuriantiy clothes the grass o
the field, will lie not provide for you
His living and immortal children? HI
will.
No wonder Martin Luther always haC
a flower OH his writing desk for in
spiration Through the cracks Of III
prison door flower grew up to chez
piccioIa. Mungo Park, the great tray
cler and explorer, had his life saved b!
a flower. lie sank down in the deser
10 die. but, seeing flower near by, !
suggested Gods merciful care, and 1T
got up with new courage and Travelled
on to safety. said the flowers are tn
angels of the grass. add now they ar
the evangels of the sky.
If YOU ask me the question: "Wha
are flowers for?" | respond; they ar
good for the bridal day. The Bird
must have them on her brow, and sh
must have them in her hand. The mar
riape altar must be covered with them
A wedding without flowers would be a
inappropriate as wedding Wi'hou
music. At such a time they are for con
graduation and prophecies of good .
much of the pathway of life is coyere
nm with thorns, we ought to cover IN
beginning with orange blossoms
Flowers are appropriate on such oS
casions, for in ninety-nine out OF nun
dred cases it is the very best thing tina
could have happened. The world ma
criticise and pronounce IL an inapt
tude and may lift its eyebrows IN SUI
nrjse and think 1t might suggest some