The Child in the Garden

Henry Van Dyke with contributions from Phillips Brooks, Ernest Renan

When to the garden of untroubled thought
I came of late, and saw the open door,
And wished again to enter, and explore
The sweet, wild ways with stainless bloom inwrought,
And bowers of innocence with beauty fraught,
It seemed some purer voice must speak before
I dared to tread that garden loved of yore,
That Eden lost unknown and found unsought.

Then just within the gate I saw a child,—
A stranger-child, yet to my heart most dear,—
He held his hands to me, and softly smiled
With eyes that knew no shade of sin or fear:
"Come in," he said, "and play a while with me;
I am the little child you used to be."

Henry Van Dyke.
In Atlantic Monthly.

The Christ stands before us and says, "Come to me." You say, "Must I?" And he answers, "You may." He will not even say, "You must." You may. And duty loses itself in privilege, and the soul enters into independence and escapes from its sins, fulfils its life, lays hold of its salvation, becomes eternal, begins to live an eternal life in the accepted and loving service of Christ.

Phillips Brooks.

The sentiments which Jesus introduced into the world are really ours. His perfect idealism is the highest rule of a pure and virtuous life. . . . He was first to proclaim the sovereignty of the mind. . . . The foundation of all true religion is verily his work. Since him it only remains to fructify and develop it.

Ernest Renan.
In "Life of Jesus."

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