How pleasant are thy paths, O Death! How pleasant are thy paths, O Death! Where a rim of sea-like splendour runs, Where the days bury their golden suns, In the dear hopeful west!" 1 1 Faber, The Paths of Death. THE GARDENER 'She, supposing Him to be the gardener."-S. John xx. 15. THIS is just the time of year when gardens are most interesting. The Spring flowers are over, and the Summer flowers are about to be put in; and after this warm Summer rain, the interest of the garden will be paramount. Let us then, this morning, think a little about the garden. 66 I take my text from the supposition of Mary: She, supposing Him to be the gardener." You know the events of the Easter morning-how she came to the tomb prepared for the embalming of the dead Body with spices, and how she did not seem frightened of the Angels who frightened the men-very often women are more brave than men-and when they said, "Why weepest thou?" she said, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him." And as she said this, Jesus stood by her, and "She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away"-as though the poor woman could have taken away that burden! And Jesus said unto her, Mary." Then she knew Him. "And though in time with Christ we rise again, So changed are we that those who love us most She, supposing Him to be the gardener." It was such a beautiful supposition, because the first Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden, and the second Adam in the garden of His Church. Eden was watered by the five rivers: Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates; and the Church of God is watered by the five rivers which flowed from the Sacred Wounds. He is the Gardener of His Church, and that is why the supposition is so beautiful. 66 She, supposing Him to be the gardener." And is He not the Gardener of His Church? This is why, then, supposing He is the Gardener, there is a Church at all. He can cause the fir tree to grow instead of the thorn, and the myrtle tree to spring up instead of the briar. He it is that has arranged the garden, its terraces, its walks, ite parterres, its borders-everything! Supposing He is the Gardener, we see how the Church of God has been arranged by the wounded Hands. Supposing He is the Gardener, then that is why such beautiful flowers grow in His garden. Of course, first, there is Mary, our Blessed Lady. "As it were An angel-watered lily, that near God And there are all the Saints of God, those of whom the world was not worthy-the Saints, the Martyrs, the Virgins, the Confessors-all down the ages of the 1 Mary's Girlhood, by D. G. Rossetti. Church, you are not surprised at the list of the Saints belonging to the Church of God, those who have given up all for the sake of the Master, supposing He is the Gardener. And then, of course, that is the reason why you and I are still in the garden. Why is there no fruit, no flower, no growth? What have we brought forth? What have we done? Why cumber we the ground at all? Have you ever asked yourself this question : "Would it have been better for this man, if he had never been born? What good have I ever done in the Church of God? Why has not He plucked me up as the weed and thrown me on the fire and burned me up? Why has He borne with me? Why am I still in the Church of God? Why do I still believe in my Saviour, and have faith in Him, while so many others who have done better works than I have, have fallen away? Supposing He is the Gardener! I think you will understand. My Saviour is the Gardener -that is the reason. That is the reason why there is any Church at all. It was only yesterday, a clergyman said to me, "Considering the contradictions and failures of Christians themselves, the greatest miracle is that the Church exists at all." So it is. The east winds are so cold, and the frosts are so severe, and the storms so terrible-how can anything grow? And yet the whole solution is plain, and beautiful, “ supposing Him to be the gardener." He Who tempers the wind to the shorn lamb takes care of the flowers in His garden. Well, then, supposing He is the Gardener, our duty is to be happy. We ought to be happy in His garden. Some flowers are tall, and great and beautiful, like the lily, and the rose; then there are the little ones like the saxifrage, which men will hardly notice-the little tiny rock plants that grow in the tiny holes. But the Lord Jesus knows them; He loves them, and they are perfect. Why, it takes the whole circle of the seasons, running through the Spring, Summer, and Autumn and Winter to produce the little daisy; and though we may be but very little in the Church of God, He made us and He died for us. It takes the whole cycle of the revelation of the Holy Trinity for us men and for our salvation. Well, then, if He is the Gardener, we ought to love to have Him in the garden. That is why I love you to come to Mass. This is His trysting place. We believe He comes here in the garden to meet His people; and you may bring all your troubles, and hopes, and fears, and joys, and lay them down at the foot of the Altar. O Thou that feedeth among the lilies abide with us until the morning breaks and the shadows flee away. Come, O Thou Gardener, amidst Thy pleasant fruits! Supposing He is the Gardener, we love to have Him amongst us in His Own service. Then, of course, we ought not to mind-we ought to be quite contented with where we are. If He put us here, it is right. Let Him plant where He will; and if He prunes, let Him prune; and if He digs deep, let Him dig deep round about us. You will not mind what is the providence of the Lord concerning you, supposing He is the Gardener, will you? "Lord, do unto me whatever seemeth best in Thy sight." He says, "My soul desireth ripe fruits," and when the fruit is ripe let Him have it. The fruit ripens in the |