A "FLOWER SERMON." 3 



notice the extreme diversity of the flowers and plants in varying 

 atmospheres and soils. Successful gardeners took the trouble to 

 find out the soil which suited a plant best, and were careful to keep 

 it supplied with that soil. They must also remember that flowers 

 ai-e not isolated. Why, it took all the laws of Nature put together 

 to make one flower. It took all the laws of chemistry to begin with 

 such chemistry as the mind of man had scarcely dreamed of. 

 Flowers even that grew in the same ground had great diversity 

 among them. And what was the cause of that 1 It was the result 

 of the extraordinary chemical powers of Nature, brought into 

 beautiful form by a science which man had never been able to 

 discover, and never would discover. The science was the breath of 

 life which God had breathed into them. It took all the laws of 

 light to clothe the flowers in their beautiful colours ; and not only so, 

 but every ray of light from, the sun to thejloiver tvas a band that tied 

 that flower to the sun, and thus to the whole of the universe. The 

 smallest daisy of the field was not isolated, but was a necessary unit 

 of the universe. Again, flowers had their work to do in the time 

 given them, and they were useless unless they developed into the 

 fruit of the future. 



Having thus spoken of the flowers, the preacher endeavoured 

 to apply the truths thus drawn out. Children were the flowei'S of 

 humanity they were in the early stage of growth and people were 

 apt to look on them as they often looked on flowers, simply as pretty, 

 engaging toys ; and hence the number of what were called " spoiled 

 children." Let them look on children as the men and women of the 

 future, and remember that the responsibility rested with them as to 

 what kind of men and women they would ultimately become. The 

 flower faded because the Spirit of the Lord had blown upon it. 

 How often did they say to themselves : " that the flowers would 

 not fade ! that children would remain children ! " And how foolish 

 they were ! Only a few weeks ago the Kentish orchards were full of 

 beautiful flowers, and they could but regret that the Spirit of the 

 Lord blew upon those flowers, and caused them to fall and die. But 

 they left their fruit behind them, and so performed the work for 

 which they were sent into the world. So with children. The Spirit 

 of the Lord blew upon them : the time was coming when they would 

 put away childish things, and they, as parents, could not but feel 



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