Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-07
QUEEN OF THE FIELD.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE PAYS TRIBUTE TC
THE LILY.

In His Easter Sermon the Eloquent
Divine Interprets the Message of
the FIowers-They Speak In Varied
Tones-TypicnI of Resurrection.
copyright, 1893. by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
WASHINGTON, April 2.-In this Easter
sermon Dr. Talmage interprets the mes
sage which the flowers bring to the
anxious, the dispirited and the bereav-
ed text, Luke xii, 2s, IF then God so
clothe the grass, which is today in the
field, and tomorrow is cast into the
oven, how much more will he clothe
you. Q We 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
blushed into its present beauty. In the
Bible train, cassia and hyssop and
frankincense 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 reigned 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 a 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 option-it is so with astronomy,
it is so with chemistry. it is SO with
Jurisprudence, il 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 70 tip of petal
IIhale their breath. Notice the grace
fitness Of their poise Hear the whisper
Of the white lips Of the eastern and the
red lips Of the American lily
Belonging 10 this royal family Of lilies
are the lily Of the Nile, the Japan lily.
the Lady Washington Of the sierras,
the Golden band lily. the Giant lily of
Nepaul. the Turk S 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 typical of all flowers.
and their voice Of floral beauty seems
TO address Ms, saying, "Consider the
lilies. consider the azaleas consider the
fuchsias, consider the geraniums. con-
slider the iyies, consider the hyacinths,
consider the heliotropes consider the
oleanders. With deferential and CRATE
ful and intelligent and worshipful souls
consider them. Not with insipid senti-
mentalism or with sophomore vapor-
ing, but for grand and practical and
everyday and. if need be, homely uses,
consider them.
Angels of the Grass.
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 roar, but when
the flowers speak they always whisper.
| stand here to interpret their message.
What have you TO say to Us, Q We an
gels Of the grass? This morning l 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 providential
care. That was Christ's first thought.
All these flowers seem TO address us To-
day. saying. "God will give You ap-
parel and food. " We have no wheel
with which to spin, no loom with which
10 weave. no sickle with which 10 bar
vest, no well sweep with which to draw
water. but God slakes our thirst with
the dew. and God feeds rs with the
bread Of the sunshine. and God has ap-
pareled us with more than Solomonic
regality. We are prophetesses Of ade-
auate wardrobe. IF God so clothed us.
the grass of the field, will he not much
more clothe you. o ye Of little faithf
Men and women of worldly anxieties,
take this message hcme with you. How
long has God taken care Of your Quar-
ter of the journey of life! Half the
Journey of life? Three-quarters the
Journey of lifeg 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 expense-jO0 nightingales tongues
but he has promised to take care Of
YOU. He has promised you the necessi-
ties. not the luxuries-bread, not cake.
If God so luxuIiantly clothes the grass
of the field. will he not provide for you.
his living and immortal children2 He
will
No wonder Martin Luther always
had flower on his writing desk for in
spiration! Through the cracks Of the
prison floor flower grew up to cheer
Picciola. Mungo Park, the great trav-
eler and explorer. had his life saved by
flower. He sank down in the desert to
die: but, seeing a flower near by, 1t
suggested Gods merciful care, and he
got up with new courage and Travelled
on to safety. l said the flowers are the
angels of the grass. l add now they are
evangels Of the sky.
Uses of Flowers.
If you ask me the question. what
are flowers good forl | respond. they
are good for the bridal day. The bride
must have them on her brow, and she
must have them in her hand. The mar"
riage altar must be covered with them.
A wedding without flowers would be
as inappropriate as wedding without
music. At such time they are for con-
graduation and prophecies of good. SO
much of the pathway Of life is covered
up with tborns, We ought to cover the
beginning with orange blossoms
Flowers are appropriate on such oc-
casions. for in 90 out of 100 cases 1t is
The very best thing that could have hap
1rlo ,,-cvid may CriticlSa and