The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-10-11
THE KINGS GARDEN.
N. Tslmage Discourses on Christ
and the Church.
-. Most Beautiful Flowers an the
Rest Of Fruit-Why the Saw.
four Picks the Choice
est First.
copyright, 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington.

copyright, 1900. by Louis Klopsch.l
Washington,
This sermon DR.. Talmage sends
from a halting place in his journey
through the valleys of Switzerland.
II seeAs to have been prepared amid
the bloom and aroma of a garden
midsummer. The text is Song of
Solomon 5:1: II am come into my
garden"
The Bible is great poem. We have
In it faultless rhythm and bold imag-
ery and startling antithesis and rap
turous lyric and sweet pastoral and
instructive narrative and devotional
psalm; thoughts expressed in style
more solemn than that of Montgom-
cry, more bold than that of Milton,
more terrible than that of Dante,
more natural than that of Words
worth, more impassioned than that of
Pollok, more tender than that Of
Cowper, more weird than that of
Epenser. This great poem brings all
the gems VI the earth into its coronet,
and it weaves the flames of judgment
into it's garlands and pours eternal
harmonies in its rhythm. Everything
this Book touches it makes beautiful,
from the plain stones OF the summer
thrashing floor to the daughters of
Major filing the troughs for the
camels, from the fish pools Of Heshbon
up to the Psalmist praising God with
diapason of storm and whirlwind and
Jobs imagery of Orion, Arcturus and
the Pleiades.
My text leads us into a scene of
summer redolence. The world has had
great many beautiful gardens.
Charlemagne added to the glory of his
reign by decreeing that they be es-
tablished all through the realm, de-
Gliding even the names of the flowers
to be planted there. y Henry Nv. at
Montpelier established gardens of be-
witching beauty and .uxuriance, gath
ering into them Alpine, Pyrenean and
French plants. One of the sweetest
spots on earth was the garden Of
Shenstone, the poet. His writings
have made but little impression on
the world, but his garden, the
"Leasowes," will be immortal. To the
natural advantages of that place was
brought the perfection of art. Arbor
and terrace and slope and rustic tenn
pie and reservoir and urn and fountain
here had their crowning. Oak and
yew and hazel put forth their richest
foliage. There was no life more dill
gent, no soul more ingenious than
that of Shenstone, and all that dill
gence and genius he brought to the
adornment of that one treasured spot.
He gave $500 for it. He sold it for
several thousand. And yet I am to
tell you to-day of a richer garden
than any I have mentioned. It is the
garden spoken Of in my text-the
garden of the church, which belongs
to Christ, for my text says SO. He
bought it, He planted it, He owns it
and He shall have it. Walter Scott
IN his outlay at Abbotsford, ruined his
fortune, and now, in the crimson flow
ers of those gardens, you can almost
think or imagine that you see the
blood of that old mans broken heart
The payment of the last 6 100000
sacrificed him. But have to tell yor
that Christ's life and Christ's deatt
were the outl;,y of this beautiful gar
den of the church, of which my text
speaks. Oh, how many sighs an6
vars and pangs and agonies! Tel
me,ye women who saw Him hang! Tel
me. ye executioners who lifted Hin
and let Him down! Tell me, thou SUI
mat didst hide, We rocks that fell
Thirst loved the church and CAV,
himself for it." If the garden of tn,
church belongs to Christ, certainly Fl,
mas right to walk in it. Come, then
y blessed Jesus, to-day. Walk up ant
Gown these aisles and pluck wha'
1hous wilt of sweetness for Thyself
The church in my text is appropri
ately compared to garden. because
u Is place of choice flowers, of 3.
'ect fruits and of thorough irrigation
But l have not told you of the
most beautiful flower in all this gar
oen spoken of in the text. If you Sc.
century plant, your emotions art
started. You say: "Why, this flower
mas been a hundred years gathering
up for one bloom, and it will be ;
hundred years more before othel
petals will come out" But have t.
tell you of a plant that was gather
ing up from all eternity and tha
1'soo years ago put forth its bloom
never to wither. 1t is the passio,
plant of the cross. Prophets fore
told it. Bethlehem shepherds locke,
upon it in the bud, the rocks shool
st Its bursting and the dead got VI
IN their winding sheets to see its full
bloom. 1t is crimson flower-bloo,
st the roots, blood on the branches
oiood on the leaves. It's perfume i
/ % NIL all the nations, Its breath i
heaven. Come. oh. winds from tn
north and winds from the south an,
winds from the east and winds fror
the west, and bear to all the cart
tne sweet smelling SAVIOR of Chris,
my Lord!
ais worth If all the nations knew,
eafe the whole earth would love Him to,