FOURTH ANNUAL FLOWER SERMON. 33 



am the chief adornment and prize of the garden ? Still am 

 I in the greater danger from envious hand or tongue; 

 the rich soil gathered about me is most tempting allure- 

 ment to the thorn which would rob me of my food ; the 

 golden noon soon passeth by, and the autumn draweth on 

 apace when my flowers must fall and die. But I too may 

 rejoice though I tremble because His mercy is over all His 

 works. 



Again I can hear the voice of the Lord God as we walk 

 in our garden, saying, " first the blade, then the ear, after 

 that the full corn in the ear ; so the earth bringeth forth 

 fruit of herself." Look about you and see the fields to- 

 day are decked with living green ; the blades stand close 

 together and dance with delight in the sunshine* Not 

 many weeks shall pass before each shall don his cap of 

 clustering bloom, and then anon the bloom shall disclose 

 the crowded company of hard yellow grain. But see, all 

 shall be in due order and progression. It were a thing 

 unheard of that the full ears of corn should spring un- 

 heralded from the furrows, or that in harvest time the field 

 should still be green with waving blades ; either result we 

 should alike call failure. Ah ! here is revelation of the 



wisdom of God 



H 



demnation of the impatient spirit of our age, in church 

 and state alike, that cannot wait for the due procession of 



immediate, im 



d 



angr 



more 



gible evidence of growth is naturally and necessarily 



lacking. Mark 



of fruitage is bastard and worthless ; as just as certainly 

 the exhibition of nothing but leaves when the time for the 

 ingathering is come is proof of disease, and failure and 

 death/ Am I angry over the recorded immorality and 

 savagery of the ancient people chosen to be the very seed 

 corn of the new humanity? Am I in insolent unbelief 

 ready to abandon all faith in God, all hope for man 



8 



