The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-02-18
Yrs w. X ~ =. -. 4 rrsV
SATURDAY. ssIlslnI
SERMONS ~ 80
By. ..zNl4flSN : -
REySAMUELW. pURvS.D.D.
THE CROSS IN THE GARDEN.

the garden. The ability 10 see Things |
is rare gift-doesnt grow on. every |
bush. The disciple Of love was also
gifted with an eye for nature. He is |
a poor lover whose eyes are closed to |
grass and shrubs and trees. And |
when others wrote of the horrors of !
the crucifixion John noticed in the |
place where they crucified his Lord |
was garden In that garden they |
buried the Master The treasures of
earth and sea were his. The cattle on
q thousand hills belonged to him. But
his grave was borrowed one. In that
garden of Joseph Of Arimathea was
planted the worlds fairest flower.
A Garden Lost.
God didn't start man in city, but in
| a garden. Human story begins and
ends in paradise Of flowers. All be-
| tween is but q fearful parenthesis
There man was put on trial and wretch
edly failed. It's a long painful jour
ney from paradise lost to paradise re-
gained-many desert full of griefs
and graves, mounts of toll and trouble,
rivers Of suffering and sorrow. All.
. I0dI UTSt RdIutn. lhN hoiit VI hluti
not yet haunted by shadows of fear,
thorns of regret not yet in paths of
pleasure. It stood for wealth without
want, health without sickness, joy
without sorrow, love without loss, life
without death. And mankind mourns
like Gagged bird for the wild woods like
slave under burden of bondage.
He forgets that not change Of scene,
but change Of heart, makes human
veal or woe. Men still barter their
Edens for q trife-a handful of green
backs, a pretty face, moment of for
hidden love- bit of flattery, hand
some gown. higher position, little
social recognition-and the door of
paradise is closed! Then tears, lOneli-
ness, remorse, death.
A Garden Of Grief.
Midnight. Pale Passover moon is
shining through the trees in the olive
garden of Ben Adhem, secret disciple
of the Nazerene. Then comes the
weary one. Chill of night, loneliness,
anxiety, nervous depression, sensi-
l tive soul press in on his human side;
5 worlds sin and woes on divine side.
? Gethsemane means "olive press" Sig
:; nificant AS olive crushed gives its
,. rich oil, so out of pressure Of fearful
trial comes best in the soul. Some
fields need deep subsoil blowing II
: bring out greatest fertility. Ever been
= in your Gethsemane? Hours of sleep
n lessness, carrying sins and disgrace,
4 of some one you love better than you
;, love your own self! Were there mo
ments when the swimmers strength
y was almost spent? Then you CANT
{ from it sweeter and better
h Like the vase in which roses have onc'
l. been distilled.
You may break, you may shatter, tina
l. vase IL you will,
n But the scent of the roses will cling rounC
1t still.
. The Garden at Golgotha.
u Calvary's the great passion drama O
Il the world. Motive, love; cause, sin
r To palliate sin is to make sickeninl
:. burlesque of worlds greatest tragedy
= Sunset at midday. yet only the sixth
hour. Night drags in, born befor'
q time; not merciful starlight night, bu
lie shuddering and horror stricken, hid
lie eous and haunting; semidarkness lik
D. twilight in perdition. Crosses, cursina
v crucified criminals, maddening thirst
y, Quivering flesh, tortured senses, then
Father forgive them" The glazing
eyes close on Jerusalem, seen for tn
first time thirty-three years ago, bah
on a mothers breast. The curtai!
drops. ut is finished" Say, friend
the garden of life is Incomplete with
j. out the cross. The worlds garden i
re Golgotha. Its flowers grow among
sr skulls. Any crosses in your garden
ID Trial, temptation, poverty, handicap
- PauPs garden had its cross-a' thor
In the flesh" Wesleys, domestic. I'm
III happiness; Whitefields, strabismuS
" Bunyan's, prison; Millions, blindness
Life's greatest boon is found in gal
dens where crosses are erected. Your
hard to bear? Glory in it. A presen
Christless and crossess life means fl
: ture crownless life.
The Garden Resained.
Wonderful, marvellous, that the las
n page of Revelation should bend roun
, to touch the first page Of Genesis!
mighty ClIClG, III W III wv - PAseN ~
gins and ends in paradise. That's d
vine way of saying that all between
sin, misery, DEATHS but huma
parenthesis. Long and dark will hav
been the ages since man left the frs
garden The whole purpose of divin
revelation is to open a way for tn
outcast wanderer to come home. Fror
beginning to end there's a continuf
or yearning cry, Return unto me,
ed children of men" Now paradise
OK regained by way of the cross. TIL
ny pure in heart shall yet see Gee
IN From the temple Of God are fou
TO garden vistas- garden of Eden. pal
Wy adise lost; garden Of Gethseman'
on battle-ground of a Messiahs soul; ga
II, den of Golgotha, place Of the eros
an 5ooth onl accommodation. the last ga,