The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-07-21

But Notwithstanding my experience IN
the east l was unable TO realize the
beauty Of an Easter Sunday in south
ern California until / myself had par
ticipated in such service No man
can appreciate the beauty Of Los
Angeles church until he sees there a
church buiSling literally covered with
pure white lilies Not a red leaf there
only the white leaf and the green leaf
side by side The lilies seemed not to
be lilies, but great curtains and crosses
and columns Of white On my first
Easter service the people brought so
many lilies for decorating purposes
that the ladies could not use them all.
Great piles Of these white lilies had
been thrown away as useless. Why
did we not send some of these lilies 10
other churcheSf That would have been
q foolish waste of time All the other
churches had Just as many lilies on
hand as we had
Beautiful and abundant as are the
lilies Of southern California. appr0pri-
ate as they are as symbols Of Christs
resurrection. | would not limit our
thoughts TO them on this Easter morn
ing. II was not Of such flowers as these
alone that Christ referred 20 when he
badc us consider the lilies The lily Of
Christs time was not, as many sup
pose. like the lily of the western world
II was not the calla lily, with its cor
nucopla leaf and long pistil of gold; not
the lily Of the valley. which looks Ike
string Of bells ready 20 ring out the
Easter chimes; not the Bermuda lily,
with It's clapper Of white, nor the water
lily. lifting its head above the river
Nile to be docapitated and pounded into
flour as the modern husbandman
makes his wheat. Nor was 1t the hulch
lily. which DR. Thomson the oriental
| traveller. describes as of such velvety
softncss that the finest silk could not
be softer. The New Testament lily was
y name given comprchensively 10 all
the wild flowers of Palestine. as the
name sparrow embraced all the small
birds that winged thoir way above the
| Judoan hills Thus, as my Easter text,
| Consider the lilies. embraces on wild
| flowers, ! shah not hem In and circum-
scribe my subject by the beautiful
lilies which we fnd decorating our
churches this Easter day. In the sym
Dol Of the growth Of the wild flower l
shall try 70 find some practical gospel
lesson appropriate for this glorious
service Of Easter morn.
The wild flowers Of Palestine. I'm the
first place, teach Us that man. insig-
nifcant though he Is. Is nurturcd and
protected by divine Fathers care. no
matter where he may be They teach
us that If God takes the trouble TO
plant and develop a little Wild flower
God is certainly willing TO care for and
does care for US. One day the great
wizard Of AbbOtsfOrd" was found IN
q Scottish ravine, down on his knees.
with paper and pencil, drawing the
construction Of the leaf Of a wild
flower. Some one said 10 him, "Sir
Walter, why are you spending your
time thusT "Ah," answered Sir Wal
ter Scott, Il am studying the love Of
my Maker for me in his care for this
little wild flower. If God is willing to
take the time 10 color this little leaf
aud place it in veins and arteries as
perfect IN construction as are the veins
Of my own body. if he IS at pains TO
warm this leaf into life and feed It and
give il drink. surely God Is willing 70
care and does care for me, whom he
has made in his own divine image"
Was not Walter Sc0tt's answer rightt
Can we not find the love of God for
man demonstrated in Gods care for
the wild flower of Palestine, which
Christ called lillcsf Indeed on this day
20 further than this. / assert that no
man can fully.realize the love and ten
derncss Of God unless be has seen them
pictOrialiZed on the leaves Of the wild
flowers The poet preacher Henry
Ward Beechcr, said. Il do not believe
that any one can fully read the natural
world who does not read the Bible, and
am satisfied that no one can read the
Bible TO the best advantage who does
not read the natural world a great
deal These things are very much to
each other-what blossom is 70 fruit
and what germ is to blossom. One if
not the cause Of the other helps to pro
duce II. And so these two revelations
the external and the internal, work TO-
gether and both work for the same
purpose"
Can YOU not see Gods love and care
for you In the looms which weave to-
gcthcr a rose leaf, in the strength of
the honeysuckle, which lifts itself
above the ground, clambcring over the
sides Of a wall or porch in order TO
reach the light of the sum- Can you
not find Gods protection lowering over
you In the bristlng thorns Of the bush,
which guard the wild flower from the
reckless touch Of an approaching foef
Can YOU not fathom Gods care for you
by studying the roots that suck mp the
strength out Of the ground and the mar
velous chemistry which can gather out
Of the same black soil the red for the
azalca, the purple for the daflodil, the
blue for the heliotrope the lavender
for the hyaclnth, the pink for the car
nation and the white for the lilyi |
Though there are millions and millions
of wild flowers every spring and sum-
mer. though the fields may be covered !
with dandellons and daisies and sun
flowers and goldcnrod, yet each indi-
vidual flower shows Gods tender care
whether II be the trailing arbutus hid |
ing in the mountains or the sweet mi |
gnonette and the bluebells and the for
gctmenots and all the Trailer floral |
beauties which are grown In the green
houses Of the horticulturists. If God |
cares for the inanimate things Of this
world, for the many weeds Ike the |
thistle, which the farmer tries to de-