The Seven Gardens

by Jim Phipps

In seven gardens, blessed and holy

Is told the tale, the truest story:

A tale of beauty and of glory;

Of the gospel of our Lord.

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I. The Garden of Our Heavenly Home

On a deep and yawning evening

Dreamed I sweetly in a chair

Of a place, a garden morning

And a family gathered there;

Father, mother, sister, brother

Aunt and uncle, nephew, niece

All together, joyful meeting

And a council held in peace.

‘All my children must be shown,

Each and every one must choose,

Without help and all alone,

Good or evil, live or lose.’

So said Father, ‘We will try them.’

But said one, ‘It seems unwise,

To let children risk perdition,

Venturing their own demise.’

‘Should they err, then I will send

A Son to save them from the fall;

By a Brother I will show them

That I love them, one and all.’

Then answered he who would ascend,

‘Here am I. Send me. I’ll go.

Give me glory there beside you.

Once all saved, my name they’ll know.’

With gentle disapproving eyes,

Said He, ‘Not thee, thou knowest well

The plan set out from early hour,

And the ill in seeking power.’

‘Thy Brother, He shall carry them,

And thee, and shall hang upon that tree,

Save from sorrow and from sin,

Giving glory back again.’

‘If not me, I’ll have Him not.’

In anger turned he then and fought.

Taking with him many friends.

A third of His drew he to him.

On that morning Father wept,

Loved ones lost to angry pride,

Envy and the will to power.

Tears ran down. The heavens sighed.

But daughters sang and hearts did swell,

When came the voice, and answered He,

‘Here I AM. Thy Son. Send me.

Thy will to do, and glory be

To Him who sits on heaven’s throne,

Thy will to do and not my own.

I will rescue from the fall,

Heal the wound, bind up the law.’

Shout for joy, O sons of morning!

Ring out bells and sound the warning!

Salvation shall our Brother bring!

Ring out ye bells, all daughters sing!

‘Father’s children must be taught.

Each child of God must surely choose

To follow in the Savior’s footsteps,

Good or evil, live or lose.’

In the garden of that council,

Chose we then the path we’re on.

Here came we to prove our mettle,

Returning home when proved erelong.

II. The Garden of Eden

On a bright and dawning morning,

Sang the birds creation’s praise;

To the glory of their Maker,

Sweetest melodies did raise.

He spoke and by His word He made

A new world, a tender blade,

Of mountain, ocean, sea and land;

Of rock and stone; of fire and sand.

He spoke and by His word shown forth

The light of night and of the day.

The glories of the heavens reflected;

Stars, moon, and sun their homage pay.

He spoke and by His word formed He

A world of life and living things --

Of plants, flowers, fish and foul;

Of beauty soaring on the wing.

Then made He bodies for the souls,

Of Father’s children to inhabit;

Breathed in them a breath divine

Gave them life, that they might have it.

Wanting for them every joy,

Made He them an holy pair,

Bound in marriage, blessed and holy

Not alone, nor in despair.

Thus coupled led He them into

A sweet retreat of life abundant;

Nourished by sweet Eden’s stream

Living as within a dream.

‘Of every tree eat freely, but

of this one must ye now refrain;

Go and tend the garden jointly,

Till come I, here ye remain.’

‘Be fruitful, children. Multiply.

Break not my law, lest thou shouldst die.’

So left He them to choose their way,

And sought they Him from day to day.

Then the fallen son of morning,

Lucifer, the serpent, came.

Beckoned her against the warning.

‘Eat this, sister, and obtain.’

‘If you do, as God you’ll be.

Good and evil shall you taste.

Now go and give to him, my sister.

Bid him eat, partake. Make haste!

Said he to her, ‘Didst thou forget

Our Father’s words upon this wise?

Eat not the fruit of yonder tree;

For he that does is he that dies.’

‘And yet the other law requires

That fruitful, we must multiply.

Without each other, both must die.

Alone I cannot meet the law.’

‘We’ll keep the higher law, and plead

For mercy from our Father God.

Perchance He’ll grant us life and seed.

We’ll promise to obey His law.’

‘As planned, our Brother will He send

To spare us from the double end.

So in the garden of first fathers,

Partook Adam with his Eve.

III. The Garden of Gethsemane

In a lone and dreary garden.

On an alter laid the lamb.

Life blood spilt and body wounded

Symbol of the Great I AM.

Said the angel to the first man,

By this token, shall ye know

Of the coming gift – salvation!

Healing wounds, erasing wo!

To his children and their children,

From one life unto the next,

Was passed down the knowledge holy

Of the coming sacrifice.

Ages dawned, and generations

Came and passed until the time,

In a middle dispensation,

Walked the Savior of mankind.

Born of Mary, raised by Joseph,

Carpenter of Nazareth,

Grew from grace to grace the Child,

Offspring of Almighty God.

Foretold prophets each and every

Aspect of the Master’s life -

Of His judgment and His mercy,

Of His overcoming strife.

When our fathers fell from glory,

When man and woman were cast out,

Entered into our existence,

Sin and evil, pain and doubt.

Cast out from the Father’s presence,

Faced with death and with the grave,

A double end was in the future

For the sinner and the knave.

Taught He them of love and glory,

Built he Him a Church most holy.

Called them to the better part,

Gave them hope, and faith and heart.

Called He to them, Come follow me.

Learn my word and be set free.

Live my word, and then you’ll earn

The knowledge of a sure return.

In the garden of Gethsemane

The Son of God, the Holy One,

Bowed before His Father Holy

And proclaimed, ‘Thy will be done.’

In that lone and dreary garden,

On that alter was the Lamb,

Bearing off the burden solely

Scapegoat for the sins of man.

Three long hours lingered He beneath

The weight of human guilt. Then,

With a kiss was He betrayed,

Handed o’er, condemned to death.

But a God, they could not kill.

Both man and God, He could by will

Surrender to their wicked plot,

And thereby, redeem the lot.

Nailed to a Roman cross, asked He.

Elohi, lima sabachtani?

A willing Victim was our Lord

Then pierced they Him with sinful sword.

IV. The Garden of the Tomb

His soul into his Father’s hands

Committed Jesus, Lord of all.

The Hope of nations and all lands

Gave His life to loose the bands

Of death, the deadly consequence

Of forbidden fruit partaken.

That as in Adam each man dies,

So in Jesus all men rise.

In that lone and dreary place.

On that alter died God’s Lamb --

Life blood spilt and body wounded

Glory to the Great I AM!

In that hour the heavens wept.

The temple’s veil in twain was rent.

The earth shook fiercely, and all eyes,

Saw in Him the God that dies.

Born away by friends in death

His Body took they to the tomb,

Wrapped in swaddling clothes again

Held in earth as in a womb.

A solemn, lonely Sabbath was

The day that came without the Lord.

Disciples doubted, sore afraid

On bended knees, in tears they prayed.

Some departed, went their way.

Others met to read and pray.

Some had heard and understood.

And waited for their coming Lord

In a state of holy mourning,

Three days on, and at the dawning

Came His Mary to the place

Where buried they the Lord of Grace.

She found the tomb abandoned by

The guards placed there to foil the plan.

The stone rolled back, His body gone.

She cried, ‘Where is the Son of Man?’

To angels from on high said she,

‘They have taken away my Lord.’

Grieving turned she then and saw,

A Man not known to her at first.

Woman, said He, Why weepest thou?

Where hast thou laid Him, answered she.

With one sweet word, He answered, Mary.

Called by name, she knew His voice.

On that sweet and dawning morning,

In that garden, near the tomb,

Broke our Lord the curse of Adam --

New life given, an end to doom.

First Fruit of the resurrection,

Jesus, Savior, Lord and King

The grave shall have no victory o’er

Thee, nor shall death have any sting.

Shout for joy, O sons of morning!

Ring out bells and sound the warning!

Salvation does our Brother bring!

Ring out ye bells, all daughters sing!

‘Father’s children must be taught.

Each and every one must choose

To follow in their Savior’s footsteps,

Good or evil, live or lose.’

V. The Sacred Grove, a Millennial Garden

In a sacred grove, a lad

Sought wisdom from the Living God.

Seeking truth, he asked in boldness

Nothing wavering, believing all.

He knelt and prayed, a humble farm

Boy, asking God to show the way.

Which church was His? Which path ordained?

Which to follow? What price to pay?

The darkness of the generations

Gathered round that callow youth

Lucifer, the prince of darkness,

And his minions knew this truth:

Confusion had they sewn and well,

A thousand years and more they’d ruled.

The prophecy of truth restored,

Had made them wary of this day.

They knew that if the boy had faith,

They knew that if he persevered,

The heavens surely would take notice

And divinity appear.

Enter a new dispensation –

The Church restored, a priesthood strong,

The light of revelation

Kindled fresh, dispelling wrong.

So darkness tried to crush the boy,

To hold back God’s light from the earth.

But in these battles heaven wins!

A light appeared, and came the joy!

‘This is my beloved, Son.

Hear him.’ O how sweet the word!

Voice of Father heard again

On earth by human ear and heart.

In that sacred grove began,

As foretold in ancient plan,

A restoration of all keys,

That at His coming we might please

The Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings;

The Lord with healing in His wings.

O may our hearts be true and firm,

Until the victory is won.

Awake! Awake! O beautiful

Zion. Awake as in the ancient days.

Put on thy strength. Gird up thy loins.

Worship Him! Make straight thy ways.

For the Lord shall comfort Zion,

Make her wilderness like Eden,

And her desert like the garden

Of the Lord of Hosts, our God.

Joy and gladness shall abound,

Thanksgiving and melodious song.

By closing up our hearts to evil,

We will win the fight erelong,

Bind up the father of all lies,

Put an end to evil ties,

A thousand years of peace enjoy

In the garden of our Lord.

Praise to the man who did commune

With Jehovah and give rise

To the dawning age of glory

In the garden of our Lord.

VI. The Garden of a Promised Paradise

There was a certain Pharisee,

Who sought the Master’s word by night.

Thou art a teacher come from God:

Give me wisdom, teach me right.

Jesus answered, sayeth He,

‘I tell you now and verily,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot pass the gate in heaven.’

Nicodemus then replied,

‘How can a man be born when old?’

‘Of both water and the Spirit,

body washed, soul sanctified.’

‘To the heavenly law,’ said He,

‘Must each disciple bend his will,

Be buried in the watery tomb,

Be drawn again as from a womb.

‘New life as in a resurrection,

Made pure by fiery correction,

Holy Spirit wash thy soul,

Quicken thee and make thee whole.

‘Even I, the Son of God,

Harkened to the Father’s law.

To all righteousness fulfill,

Ever bending to His will,

‘Entered Jordan’s waters and

Under John the Baptist’s hand,

Made an holy covenant,

To Father’s law obedient.

‘So must each who’d enter in

Do God’s bidding, leaving sin,

And leaning on the grace I give,

Choose to follow and to live.’

Honor, praise and glory be

Ascribed to Him who sets us free,

Atoning for both Adam’s fall,

And the sins of great and small!

If our sins we would erase,

Claim blessings of Christ’s holy grace,

We must enter as He said.

Baptized, buried as if dead.

We must covenant to obey,

And endure until the day

We’re called before sweet judgment’s bar,

Where our Advocate shall stand,

Claim mercy, justice satisfied:

‘On me this one in faith relied.

Let him enter,’ shall He say.

And we will in that great day!

This promise is not ours alone

Who learn this truth while in the flesh

As Peter taught, our Lord did go

Three days he spent in Paradise.

He bridged the chasm twixt that place

And the prison of disgrace.

He made a path for their return,

That every soul who ever yearned

For freedom from both sin and error,

Might be taught and given reason,

Through holy temple ordinance,

To be saved in God’s own season.

VII. The Garden of Glory

On a deep and yawning evening,

Dreamed I sweetly in a chair,

Of a place, a garden morning

And a family gathered there;

Father, mother, sister, brother

Aunt and uncle, nephew, niece

All together, solemn meeting

And a council held in peace.

‘All my children have been shown,

Each and every one did choose,

Without help and all alone,

Good or evil, live or lose.’

So said Father, ‘We will judge them.’

There was none to mock the plan.

All knees bowed in adoration

Of the Holy Son of Man.

But a few did fear or tremble,

Those who knew and then despised

Warred against the Holy Savior

Rejecting truth against the light.

These were cast out to the darkness,

Ne’er again would they return,

Throughout every generation

Would their isolation burn.

The rest were joyful at the vision

Of their final destination,

Each saw only his own lot

Desiring fully what he got.

Joyful in the sweet reward

Given by Father and our Lord.

All saw clearly justice in

The great eternal divine plan.

For some a garden beautiful,

Far better than their earthly home.

In life unjust, in death they paid

The price for all they did alone.

For some a garden better still,

As moon seems brighter than the stars,

The true and just of generations,

who the covenant ne’er entered in.

For some the garden of our Lord

Where lives our Father and His Son,

Where dwell the saints as families

Who leaned on Him to overcome.

Within that garden glorious

Three gardens more mysterious

Where in the best and holiest

Obtain the goal desirous.

As our Father and His Son

These the prize of Life have won

Continuation of the seed,

Eternal is their deity.

To each a garden glorious,

Sweeter far than expectation

Bend the ear and bow the knee

O ye of every nation!

Jesus Christ has paid the price,

Has walked the press, has tread alone,

Has made a way for your return

To your eternal, divine home.

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Choose ye this day whom ye will serve!

Give light to every soul you meet.

Repent and bend ye to the Lord.

Inherit with him Life most sweet.

Shout for joy, O sons of morning!

Ring out bells and sound the warning!

Salvation did our Brother bring!

Ring out ye bells, all daughters sing!

‘Father’s children must be taught.

Each and every one must choose

To follow in their Savior’s footsteps,

Good or evil, live or lose.