The weekly intelligencer., 1899-04-08
FLOWERS OF EASTER.
Dr.. Tslmage Draws an Inspiration
from Them.
The Eloquent Orators Easter Dis
OOurse-LeszOns which the F10w-
er. Bring 10 the Dispirited
and the BereaVed.

A"A0niht toht APTh SOpSIlBnt, AenS.B
In this Easter sermon DR.. TalmAge
interpreis the message which the how-
ers bring 10 the anxious, the dispirited
and the bereayed;. text, Luke 1928, "If
then God so clothe the grass, which is
to-day in the field, and tomorrow is
cast into the oven, how much more will
BE clothe you, o 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. It
WAS under the long continued and in
tense gaEe OF the world that the rose
biuShed into its present beauty. In the
Bible train, cassia and hyssop and
frankincense and myrrh and spikenard
and csmphor 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 lily. The Bedford
dreamer, John Bunyan. entered the
house of the interpreter and was shown
= cluster OF flowers and was told 10
consider the lilies"
We may study OF re Ject other sciences
At our option--it is so with astronomy,
tits sowith chemistry, it is so with juris-
prudence. it is so with physiology, IL
is SO with geology-but the science OF
botany Christ commands US TO study
when He says: Consider the lilies s.
Measure them from root TO tip Of petal.
Inhale 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
sierras, 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.
ical Of all flowers. and their voice oi
floral beauty seems TO address US. say
ing: Consider the lilies, consider the
azaleas, consider the fuchsias, consider
the gersniums, consider the ivies, con
slider the hyacinths, consider the hello
tropes, consider the oleanders." With
deferehtial and grateful and intelligent
and worshipful souls, consider them
Not with insipid sentimentalism OF
with sophomore vaporing, but foI
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 cstarscts speak they always whis.
per. i stand here TO intrepet their mes.
sage. What have you 10 say 10 us, o ye
angels Of the grass? This morning |
mean 10 discuss what flowers are good
for. That is my subject: What are
flowers good for?
i remark, in the first place. they are
good for lessons Of Gods providentisl
care. That was Christ's first thought
All these flowers seem to address US to.
day, saying: God win give yon ap.
pareland food" We have no wheel with
which 10 spin, no loom with which TO
weave, no sickle with which TO harvest,
no well sweep with which TO draw
water, but God feeds US with the bread
of the sunshine, and God has appareled
/ us with more than Solomonic regality.
We are prophetesses Of adequate ward
robe. IF God 30 clothed us, the grass
Of the field. will He not much more
clothe you, o ye Of little faith?" Men
and women Of worldly anxieties, 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? Three-quartera 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 ex-
pense-5OO nightingales' tongues but
lie has promised TO take care Of YOU.
He has promised you the necessities,
not the luXuries-bread, not cake. II
God so luxuriantly clothes the grass Of
the field. will He not provide for you,
His living and immortal children? He
will
No wonder Martin Luther always had
q flower on his writing desk for in
spiration! Through the cracks Of the
prison door flower grew up to cheer
PicciolS, Mungo Park, the greGt tray.
eler and explorer, had his life saved by
a flower. He sank down in the desert
10 die, but, seeing q flower near by, 10
suggested Gods merciful care and he
got up with new courage and travelled
on TO safety. said the flowers are the
angels of the grass. ] add now they are
the eynngels Of the sky.
II you ask me the question: what
are flowers for?" 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 ~
inappropriate as q wedding without
music. AT such time they are for coli.
graduation apd prophecies Of good, SO