Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-10-12
THE KINGS GARDEN.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on Christ
and the Church,
The Most Beautiful Flowers and the
Best of Fruit-Why the Saw
Tour Picks the Choice
est First.
[Copy tight, 1900. by Louis Klopsch.]
Washington,

lrom IL HditlhB pace III HIS journey
through the alleys of Switzerland.
1t seems to have been prepared amid
the bloom and aroma of 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 mag
cry 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
Spenser. This great poem brings all
the gems of 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 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. Henry ". at
Montpelier established gardens OF be-
witching beauty and luxuriance, 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 cf art. Arboi
and terrace and slope and rustic TEN
pie and reservoir and urn and fountain
here had their browning. Oak ant
yew and hazel put forth their richest
foliage. There was no life more dill
gent, no toul more ingenious thar
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 fol
several thousand. And yet | am e
tell you to-day Of richer garder
than any | have mentioned. 1t is tn,
garden spoken of in my textile
garden of the church, which belongs
to Christ, for my text says so. III
bought it. He planted it, He owns it
and He shall have it. Walter Scott
in his outlay at Abbotsford, ruined hi
fortune, and now, in the crimson flow
ers of those gardens, you can almos
think or imagine that you see tn,
blood of that old mans broken heart
The payment of the last G10000
sacrificed him. But have to tell yo'
that Christ's life and Christ's dealt
were the outlay Of this beautiful gar
den of the church, of which my tex
speaks. Oh, how many signs ant
tears and pangs and agonies! Tel
me, We women who saw Him hang! Tel
me, We executioners who lifted Hin
and let Him down! Tell me, thou SUI
that didst hide, We rocks that fell
"Christ loved the church and CAV
Himself for it," II the garden of tn
church belongs to Christ, certainly ii
has a right to walk in it. Come, ther
o blessed Jesus, to-day. Walk up an
down these aisles and pluck wha
Thous wilt of sweetness for Thyself
The church in my text is appfopri
ately compared to garden, becaus
1t is a place Of choice flowers, of Sc
lect fruits and of thorough irrigation
But l have not told you of tn
most beautiful flower in all this gar
den spoken of in the text. If you Sc
century plant, your emotions ar
started. You say: "Why, this fowe
has been a hundred years gatherin
DIP for one bloom, and it will be
hundred years more before othe
petals will come out" But l have t
tell you of plant that was gather
ing up from all eternity and tina
1900 years ago put forth its blooI
never to wither. 1t is the passio
plant of the cross. Prophets for'
told it, Bethlehem shepherds locke
upon it in the bud, the rocks shoe
at it's bursting and the dead got u
in their winding sheets to see its flu
bloom. 1t is crimson fower-bloo
at the roots, blood on the branche
blood on the leaves It's perfume
to fill all the nations. Its breath
Heaven. Come, oh. winds from til
north and winds from the south an
winds from the east and winds fro
the west, and bear to all the cart
the sweet smelling SAVIOR of Chris
my Lord!
His worth II all the nations knew,
Sure the whole earth would love Him to
Again, the church may be appr
priately compared to the garden, b
cause it is a place of fruits. TIL;
would be strange garden which hs
in it no berries, no plums or peach
or apricots. The coarser fruits al
planted in the orchard or they are s.
out on the sunny hillside. But Il
choicest fruits are kept in the ga
den. So in the world outside Il
church Christ has planted a gre
many beautiful things-patienc
charity, generosity, integrity. B'
lie intends the choicest fruits to