The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-04-19
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON.
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
eubJect: "slgnilcsnce of the Flowers''-
They Bear Messages of Cheer to the
Heart-slck and Despairing-Their Ap
propriateness at Obsequies.

eubJect: "slgniacance of the Flowers'-
They Bear Messages of Cheer to the
Heart-sick and Despairing-TheirA Ap
propriateness at Obsequies.
TEXT: "If then God 80 clothe the grass
which is to-day In the field, and to-mor.
row Is cast into the oven, how much more
will He clothe you, ye OF little faith?"-
Luke xiii, %.
The lily Is the queen OF Bible flowers
The rose may have disputed her throne 10
modern times and won 1t. but the rose orig.
inally had only five petals. 1t was under
the long continued and intense gaze OF the
world that the rose blushed into its pres
ent beauty. In the Bible train, cassia and
hyssop and frankincense and myrrh and
spikenard and camphor and the rose fol-
low 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 great
est 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 ofdowers and was told to
"conslder the lilies"
We may study or reject other sciences at
our optlon-it is so with astronomy. 1t Is
80 with chemistry, 1t Is so with jurls-
prudence, 1t is 80 with physiology, 1t is 80
with geoogy--but the science OF botany
Christ commands US to study when He
says, Consider the lilies" Measure them
from root to tip OF petal. Inhale their
breath. Notice the gracefulness OF their
poise. Hear the whisper 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 m orning as typical
Of all flowers, and their voice OF floral
beauty seems to address US, saying, "Con-
slider the iuchsias, consider the geraniums,
consider the iyies, consider the byaclnths,
consider the heliotropes, consider the
oleanders." With deierential and grateful
and intelligent and worshipful souls con-
slider them. Not with insipid sentimental
ism CT with sophomo oric vaporing, but for
grand and practical and everyday and, II
need be, home!y uses, consider them.
The flowers are the angels Of the grass.
They all have voices. When the clouds
speak, they thunder; when the whirlwinds
spenk they roar, but when the flowers
speak they always whisper. stand here
to interpret their message. What have
you to sny to US, o ye angels Of the grass2
This morning mean to discuss whst flow
ers are good for. That Is my subject,
what are flowers good for2"
Iremark, In the first place, they are good
for lessons Of Gods providential care.
That was Christ's first thought. All these
"God will give you apparel and food" We
have no wheel with which to spin. no loom
with which to weave, q sickle with which
TO harvest, no we'll sweep with which to
draw water, but God slacks our thirst with
the dew, and God feeds US with the bread
OF the sunshine, and God has appareled Us
with more than Solomonic regallty. We
are prophetesses OF adequate wardrobe.
"It God so clothed US, the grass OF the field,
will He not much more clothe you, o ye Of
little faith?" Men and women OF worldly
un1leties, take this message home with
you. How long has God taken care ofyor'
Quarter OF the journey OF life? Halt the
journey OF life? Three-quarters the jour
ney OF life? Can you not trust Him the rest
OF the way? God does not promise you
anything like that which the Roman en-
peror had on his table ut vast expeDse-500
nightiDgales' tongues-but He has promised
to take care OF you. He has promised you
the necessities. not tho luxurfes-bread,
pot cake. II God 80 luxuriantly clothes
the grass OF the field, will He not provide
for you, His living and immortal children?
He will.
No wonder Mart n Luther always had a
flower on his writing desk for Inspiration!
Through the cracks OF the prison floor
flower grew up to cheer Picclola. Mupgo
Park, the great traveller and explorer hud
bis life saved by flower. He sank down
In the desert to die; but, seeing flower
near by, 1t suggested Gods mereiful care.
and he got up with new courage and
travelled on to safety. I said the flowers
are the angels OF the grass. add nowthey
are evangels OF the sky.
II you ask me the question, What are
flowers good for? I 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 marriage
altar must he covered with them. A we'd
ding without flowers would be az inappro.
pirate as a wedding without music. At
such time they are for congratulation
and prophecies OF good. SO much OF the
pathway OF life Is covered up with thorns,
we ought to cover the beginning with or
ange blossoms.
Flowers are appropriate on such oc-
casIons. for In ninety mine out OF 100 cases
it Is the very best thing that could have
happened. The world may criticise and
pronounce 1t an inaptitude and may lift
its eyebrows in surprise and think 1t might
suggest something better, but the God
who sees the twenty, forty, fifty years OF
welded life before they have begun ar
ranges for the best. So that flowers, IN
ali
marriage day. The divergences OF dispoSl-
.ion will become correspondence, reck-
lessness will become prudence. friVolity
will be turned into practically.
There has been many an aged widowed
soul who had a carefully locked bu-
reau and In the bureau box and IN tho
box folded paper and In the folded
paper hall blown rose, slightly fragrant,
discolored, carefully pressed. She put 1t
there forty or fifty years ago. On the
anniversary day Of her wedding she
will 60 to the bureau, she will lift the
box, she will unfold the paper. and to her
eyes will be exposed the half blown bud.
and the memories OF the past Will rush
upon her and tear will drop upon the
flower and suddenly It is transagured, and
there Is a stir In the dust OF the anthsr and
it rounds out and 1t Is full OF lie and 1t
begins to trembIe In the procession up the
church aisle. and the dead music OF nall
century ago comes throbblng through the
air, and vanished faces reappear and right
hands are joined and manly voice prom,
ses, II will, for better or for worse" and
the wedding march thunders salvo OF
Joy at the departing crowd, but a sign on
that anniversary day scalters the scene.
Under the deep fetched breath the altar,
the flowers, the congratulatinS groups are
scattered, and there Is nothing LETT put
trembling hand holding faded rosebud,