SCRIPTURE GARDENS, AND SOME OTHER DISCOURSES; OR TWELVE PLAIN SERMONS FOR COTTAGERS; DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THEIR SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL WELFARE. "The poor have the Gospel preached to them."-ST. MATT. XI. 5. BY THE REV. JOSEPH JONES, M. AUTHOR OF "THE BOOK OF THE HEART," ETC LONDON: HAMILTON, ADAMS, & CO., PATERNOSTER ROW. 1855. 100.3.250 TO THE READER. THIS little book, written for your benefit, requires no preface. It contains twelve discourses which were preached in the former months of the present year as Sabbath Evening Lectures in the School-room. The first seven are on Gardens; and the last five chiefly relate to Cottage life. So far as they are plain, pious, sound, and appropriate, they are what I wished that they should be. Books of every kind abound in the present day. Of the latter times it is said, that "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Many in these stirring days are running to and fro, and we may hope that true knowledge will prevail among us more and more. As long as Ignorance spreads her raven-wing over a people how can they be good and happy? Books may be treated, (I mean good and useful books,) in three ways. They may be entirely neglected, and left to sleep on the shelf, covered with dust: or, they may be dipped into now and then in a careless manner, just to get rid of half an hour, and then be thought of no more or, they may be carefully and frequently read: every word, line, sentence, paragraph, and page, may be duly pondered, so that every thing advanced is understood, and the instruction conveyed is applied to the heart, treasured in the memory, and carried out into practice. I need not tell you which is the wise part, and that which you ought to adopt. Allow me to remind you of one serious and solemn fact. If you refuse knowledge when you have the means of obtaining it; and if you obtain it, but refuse to act in agreement with it; you put yourself in a most perilous state with regard to your everlasting condition. Consider well these words of our blessed Lord; "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." I only beseech you to remember, that you are accountable beings, and to act as such. Corrupt in nature, surrounded with enemies, and exposed to various temptations, nothing is more easy than to go with the stream, and to spend life in ignorance and presumption, in folly, sin, and vanity. But he that would save his soul must crucify corrupt nature, conquer enemies, resist temptation, and go (as we say) against the stream. V Whatever good book you read, this or any other, add to your reading serious thought and earnest prayer, that, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, you may be "filled with the knowledge of the divine will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing, being fruitful in every good work;" and "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Thus shall enjoy the true happiness of man upon earth, and be "heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love Him." you Allow me to indulge the hope, that some of the readers of these pages will be induced to give more attention to the Garden than they have done hitherto; and especially to consider it, and attend to it, in the manner which I have pointed out. You are poor and unlearned. And what of that? You are God's crea tures; you have mind and heart; you are Christians; you are immortal beings; and you are to be for ever inhabitants of Heaven or of Hell. Will you not pause and think? Will you not rejoice and tremble? Will you not be wise?—I long to say much to you: but I only say, Read your Bible; Keep the Sabbath holy; Frequent your Church; Think daily; Pray daily; Order your families piously. Thus, to speak so, you will make this wilderness-world a Garden; you will be |