The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-07-31


and all The exposure md sitter icy I'D
told him what they wanted him to do In
Africa, they said to him: SNOW, Ledyard,
when are you ready to startt" He said;
ITO morrow morning." The learned men
We're astonished; they thought be would
take weeks or months to get ready. Well,
now, you tell me you want to be earnest for
Christ; you want to be earnest In Christian
service. When are you going to begin. o,
that you have the decision to say, To-day
now!' Go now into the mount and gather
the palm branches. But the palm branch
also meant victory. In all ages, in all
lands, the palm branch means victory. We
are by nature the servants Of Satan. He
stole us, he has his eye on US, he wants to
keep US. The words come from our Father
that if we will try to break loose from this
doing OF wrong, our Father will help US;
and some day we rouse up, and we look the
black tyrant in the face, and we fly at him,
and we wrestle him down, and we put our
heel on his neck, and we grind him in tho
dust, and we say, Victory, victory, through
our Lord Jesus Christ! o, what a grand
thing it is to have sin under foot and a
wasted life behind our backs. BLESSED is
he whose transgression is forgiven, and
whose sin is covered" But" says the
man, ~ feel so sick and worn out with the
ailments of life" You are going to be more
than conqueror "But," says the man, II
am so tempted, am so pursued in life"
You are going to be more than conqueror
II, who have so many ailments and heart
aches, going to be more than conqueror?"
Yes, unless you are so self-conceited that
you want to manage all the affairs Of your
life yourself instead of letting God manage
them. Do you want to drive and have God
take good seat! o, no, you say; want
God to be my leader. Well, then, you will
be more than conquerer. Your last sickness
will come, and the physicians in the next
room will be talking about what they will do
for you. What difference will it make what
they do for yous You are going to be, well,
everlastingly well. And when the spirit
has fed the body your friends will be
talking as to where they shall bury
you. What difference does it make to you
where they bury you2 The angel Of resur-
rection can pick you out Of the dust any
where, and all the cemeteries Of the earth
are in Gods care. y, you are going to be
more than conqueror. Don't you think we
had better begin now to celebrate the com.
ing victorya In the old meeting house at
Summerville my father used to lead the
singing, and he had the old fashioned tuning
fork, and he would strike it upon his knee
and then putting the tuning fork to his ear
catch the right pitch and start the hymn
But, friend, don't you think we had better
be catching the pitch Of the everlasting
song, the song Of victory when we shall be
more than conquerorsa Had we not better
begin the rehearsal on eartha "They shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any
heat. For the Lamb which is in the mids
| OF the throne shall feed them, and shall LEAD
them to living fountains Of water; and Goo
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
City of Eternity. to thy bridal halls
row Ftokn this prison would flee; ,
All, glory! that's for you and me.
My text brings up one step further. I
says, 60 forth into the mount and fetch oliv'
branches. and palm branches, and branches
of thick trees. Now, you know yer.
well that a booth or arbor made O
slight branches would not stand. Tn,
first blast of the tempest would pros
trate it. So then the booth or arb0
must have four stout poles to hold up tn
arbor or booth; and hence for the building
of the arbor for this world we must hav'
stout branches Of thick trees. And so it Il
in the gospel arbor. Blessed be God that W,
have brawny Christianity, not one easil!
upset. The storms of life will come upon us
and we want strong doctrine; not only love
but Justice; not only invitation by warning
1t is a mighty gospel; it is an omnipOten
gospel. There are the stout branches Of thicl
trees. remember what Mr.. Finney saidil
a school house in this State The villag
was 80 bad it was called Sodom and i
was said to have only one good man in al
the village, and he was called Lot; and Mr.
Finney, preaching, described the destruc
ton of SodOm, and the preacher declared
that God would rain destruction upon hi
hearers unless they, too, repented And tn
people in the school house sat and grount
their teeth in anger, and clenched their fist
| in Indignation; but before he was through
with his sermon they got down on thei
knees and cried for mercy while mercy coult
| Uo lOuuu. ~, ~ 40 ulSuUy soSpCl, Hou ouA,
an invitation, but warning; an omnipoten
truth, stout branches Of thick trees. Well
my friends, have shown you here is tn
olive branch of peace, here is the pine brancl
Of evergreen gospel consolation, here tn
palm tree branch of usefulness and victory
and here are the stout branches of thicl
trees. The gospel arbor is done. The airis arc
matte of Heaven. The leaves rustic witt
the gladness of God. Come into the arbor
l went out at different times with fowle
to the mountains to catch pigeons; and w
made our booth, and we sat in that booth
and watched for the pigeons to come Ant
we found flocks in the sky, and after
while they dropped into the net, and w
were successful So come now to the doc
of this gospel booth and look out sex
focks of souls flying hither and fyinl
thither, 0, that they might come like cloud
and as doves to the window. Come into tn
booth. Come into the booth.
ABOUT ETIQUETTE.