The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-07-21

kIouitAC uoSoSvS CVssAAWsoUNo Wtsu VIZ
whole world against him, shaking his fist
in the face Of the Governments Of earth and
the forces Of darkness; yet the thought
Of Christ thrilled him, transported him,
overwhelmed him. John Knox was I'M
bending In his nature, and hard In some
respects. The fash Of bis indignation
made the queen SILVER and the duchess
quake; yet he sat down % little child at
the feet Of Jesus. Solomon was surround.
Cd by al palstial splendor-his ships 60
ing out from Exion. gsbsr on voyages Of
three years. bringing back all the wonders
of the world; bis parks aioat with myrrh
and frankincense, and a.rustls with trees
brought from foreign lands, the traces Of
his stupendous gardens found by the
traveller at this day. Solomon sits down
in this place to think Of Christ, the alto.
gethsr lovely and the altogether fair; and
whilst seated, there comes breath Of the
spices and aromatic woods, and Of the
blossoms, in through the palace win.
dow, and be crys out: E.
Ny beloved Is unto me - cluster OF
o rich and rare, exquisite and sver.last.
ing perfume! Let It In every poor mans
windows; plant it on every grave; put its
leaves under every dying head; wreath
its blossoms for every garland; wave its
branches In every home; and when am
about to die, and my hands lie cold and
sti6 and white upon the pillow, let some
plain and humble soul come and put in my
dyi ing grasp this living branch with clus.
tiers.
OF campfire from the vineyards Of En- sedi.
II Is many years now since found the
Lord. must in your presence tell you
how good He has been to my soul. Often
since then have given Him hard thrust
in His sore side; but He has been patient
with me BY day and by night. II 10 the
grief Of my life that have treated Him so
badly; but He has never lot me 90. Ihave
seen no wonderful sights, have heard no
wonderful sounds, ] have no marvellous
experience; IL has been plain story Of
patience on His part and Of unworthiness
on my part. Some Of my dear friends be.
fore me have had more rapturous expo.
riences. Christ to them has been the con-
queror on the white horse, or the sun Of
setting every thing ablase
with light, or the bridegroom coming with
lantern and torches. To me 1t has been .
very quiet and undemonstrative expe.
rience. II has been something very sweet
but very still. How shall describe 1T
have it now:
Ny beloved u unto me like cluster Of
campfire from the vineyards Of En-. gedi.
But I remark further: This campfire
plant of the text was . symbol Of Christ In
the fact that IL gives coloring. From the
Mediterranean to the Gsnges the people
Of the East gathered II, dried the leaves,
pulverised them, and then used them IS q
dye for identifying garments and their
own persons. II was that fact that gave
the campfire plant of the text its com.
mercial value in the time OF King Solo.
mon; type Of my Lord Jesus, who beau.
titles, and adorns, and colors verything
he touches.
have no faith in that mans conversion
whose religion does not color his entire
life. It was intended 20 to do. II Q man
has the grace OF God In bis heart il ought
to show itself in the life. There ought to
be this "cluster Of campfire" In the ledger,
in the roll OF Government securities, in the
medical prescription, In the law book. A
religion 10 of no value to . merchant I'M.
less II keeps him from putting false labels
on his goods; or to the plasterer, unless it
keeps him from putting up ceiling which
he knows will crack in six months; or to
the driver, unless II keeps Llm from lash.
ing his horses to eight miles an hour when
the thermometer Is Ut ninety degrees; or
TO the farmer, unless it keeps him from
putting the only sound pippins on the top
Of the barrel; or to the shoemaker, unless
It keeps him from substituting brown pa.
per for good leather in the soies. In other
words, the religion Of Christ 10 good fot
every thing or II Is good for nothing. The
grace Of God never Affects 10 by piece.
meal. II the heart IL changed the head 10
changed, and the liver is changed, and the
spleen is changed, and the hands are
changed, and the feet are chang ed, and the
store Is changed, and the house is changed,
and every thing over which the man has
any influence comes to . complete and
radical change. The religion Of the
Lord Jesus Christ is not q pot Of hya.
cinth to be set in a parlor bay window
for passers-by to look at, and to be exam
ined only by ourselves when we have com.
pany; but it is to he perfume filling all
the room of the heart as "a cluster Of
campfire from the vineyards Of En-gedi.'
The trouble is men do not take their re.
ligion with them. The merchant leaves Il
outside the counter lest IL disturb the
goods. The housekeeper will not let her
religion trail its robes in the kitchen on
washing.day. The philosopher will moi
let his religion come in amid the batteries
lest 1t get galvsnic shock. But, tell you
unless your religion goes with you every.
where, it goes nowhere. That religion
was intended to color all the heart and
the life.
But, mark you, It was . bright color
For the most part 1t was an orange dye
made of this camphire-plant, one Of the
most brilliant Of all the colors; and so the
religion Of Jesus Christ casts no blackness
or gloom upon the sonl. II brigbtens W
life; 1t brightens up everything. There II
no more religion in funeral than there II
in wedding; no more religion in tears
than in smiles. David was no better wher
he said he cried out out OF the depths oil
hell, than he was when he said that biz
mouth was filed with laughter and bis
tongue with singing. The best men that
have ever known have laughed the loudest
Religion was intended to brighten up all oul
character. Take out the sprig of cypress
from your coat and put in "a cluster Of
campfire from the vineyards of En-gedi.'
Religions "ways are ways of pleasant
ness and all her paths are peace" Ihav'
found it so. There are hundreds in thii
house who have found il so,