The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-26

hands down among the gold pieces, cooling
his hand. offin them, and the rattle and
ment und Entertainment. All, the
gold and silver, the honors, tho
emoluments of this world are poor solacc
for a perturbei spirit. You want something
better than this world eau give. A young
prince when the children came around to
will play only with kings" And it might lie
supposed TINT you would throw away nll
other solace before this regal satisfaction,
this imperial Joy. We who are sons and
daughters Of the Lord almighty ought only
to play with kings
The hill Of Zion yields
Athousand sacred sweets,
Before We reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets
But my text takes a further step and says.
"Go into the mountain and fetch olive
branches, and pine branches, and palm
branches" Now the palm tree was very
much honored by the ancients. II had 36O
different uses. The fruit was conserved, the
sap was beverage: the stems were ground
up for camcls:, the base Of the
aud baskets. and tho leaves were carried in
victorious procession: aud from the root to
the top o. the highest l"af there WIS useful
ness. The tree grew eighty-tvc feet III height
sometimes, and it spread broad leaves four
and five yards long; it meant usefulness and
it meant victory: usefulness for what il pro.
ducrd. victory because it was brought into
celebrations OF triumph. And oh, how much
We want the palm branches in the churches
of Jesus Christ at this time! A great many
Christians don't amount to anything. You
have to shove them out Of the way when the
Lord chariots come along. We don't want
any more of that kind of Christians in the
church.
The old maxim says: go not nut all
your eggs into one basket" but have to
tell you in this matter of religion You had
better give your all to God. and then get in
yourself oh" says some one, my bust
my brother. sell silks anl cloths TO the glory
OF God. And some one says: My business
is to raise corn and carrots" Then, my
brother, raise corn and carrots to the glory
ofGol. Aud some one says: My business
is to manufacture horseshoe mails" Then
God. There il nothing for you to do that
you ought to do but for the glory Of God.
Usefulness il typitied by the palm tree
All, we don't want in the church any more
people that are merely weeping willows sigh
| ing into the water, standing and udmiring
wild cherry, dropping bitter fruit. We want
palm trer, holding something for God,
something for angels, something for man.
am tired aud sick Of this flat, tame, insipid,
higlity-tighty ieligion 1t is worth nothing
for this world and it is destruction for
, eternity.
Give me 800 men and women fully consc-
crataI to Christ and We will take any city
| for God in three years. Give me IL, 900 men
| ind women fully up to the Christian STAN
dar,l: in ten years 10000 of hem take t he
whole earth for God. But when we are go
1 ing to hcgin
ledyarti, the great traveller. was brought
1 1NAfs, tIn ,,f
Britain and they wanted him to make some
explorations in Africa nn.l they showed him
all the perils aud all the hard work and all
the exposure, and alter they had to! him
what they wanted him to do in Africa they
said to him: Now, I.clyari, when nre you
morning." Tile learned men were nstols!,cll:
they thought he would take weeks orm months
to get ready. Well. now, you tell mo YOU
want to he useful in Christian service. When
are you going to begin oh, that you have
the decision to sny: To-day, now" ,io
branches. But the palm branch also meant
victory. In all ages. in all lan.is, the palm
branch means victory. We are by
mature the servants OF Satan. Ile
stole us, he has his eye on us. he wants to
keep us. The word comes from our FL her
that il We will try to break loose from this
doing of wrong our father will help Ills: aud
some day we rouse up and We look the black
tyrant in the face, and we fly ut him an,,
wrestle him down and We put our heel on His
neck and We grind him i'll the dust and we
say: Victory, victory, through our Lord
Jesus Christi" Oh, what Il grand thing it is
to have sin under foot aud IL wasted lie be-
hind our backs. blessed il he whose trans.
erosion is forgiven and whose sin is cover
ed "Rut, says the nun, 81 feel SO sick
aud worn cut with the ailments of life You
are going to he more than conlneror. "Eut,"
says the man, ~ am so tempted, ! am so
more than conqueror. II. who have 80
many ailments and henrtn:hes. going to liz
more than cOngueror'" Yes. unless you are
NO selEcuncetrd that you want to manage
oil the affairs Of your life yourself, Instead o!
letting God manage them: DO You want to
drive and let God take back seat? oh. no,
you say; want God to DO my leader. Well,
then. you will bemorc than conqueror. Your
last sickness will come, and physicians in the
next room will BIZ talking about what they
will do for you. What difference Wilt make
what they do for you: You nrc going to he
well-everlastiugly we'll. And when he spirit
us to where they shall bury you. What dill:
ference does it make to you where they bury
you? The angel OF the resurrection can pick
you out OF the dust anywhere, and all the
cemeteries 81 the earth are in Gods care Oh,
you are going to be more than conqucrors
celebrate the coming victory? In the old
meeting.to ut Summerville my father
used 10 lead the singing, and he had the old
fashioned tuning-:ork. and he would strike it
upon his knee. and then put the tuning fork
to his ear to catch the right pitch and start
had better he catching the pitch OF the ever
lasting sohg. the song Of victory when We
shall be more than coni,erors! Had We not
better begin the rehearsal on earth? "Tlry
shall hunger no more, neither thirst amy
more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat. For the lamb which is il, the
midst Of the throne shall lead them to living
water: and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes,
City Of Eternity, to thy bridal halls
From this prison would flee:
Alb, glory! that's for you and me.
My text brings up one step further. 1t
says, go forth into the mountain and fetch
olive branches and pine branches. and myr-
tie branches, and palm branches, nnd branch
es Of thick trees. Now, you know very well
that booth or arbor made Of slight branch
es would not stand. The first blast of the
tempest would prostitute it. So then the
booth orarbor must have four stout poles to
hold up the nrbor or booth: and hence
for the building of the, nrbor for
this world We must have stout
branches OF thick trees. And so it is in the
gospel arbor. Blessed be God that We have
. brawny Christianity, not one easily upset
The storms OF life will come upon US. and
| We want strong doctrine: not only love. but
JUSTICE not only invitation. but warning.
1t is q mighty gospel; it is an omnipotcnt
gospel. There are the branches of thick
trees. remember what Mr.. Fitney snid in
q school-house in this state The village was
so bad it was called Sodon, and it was said
| to have only one good man in all the village,
and he was called Lot: and Mr.. Finncy.
preaching. described the distinctions fSo.lom.
and the preacher declared that God would
IaiG.lcst rnction upon his hearers unless they,
too. repohtbd. And the people in the school
house sat aud ground their teeth in anger.
before he was through with his sermon they
got down on their knees and cried Tor mercy
while mercy could be found. Oh. it is II
mighty gospel: not only an invitation. but IL
| warning; an omnipotent truth, stout
branches VI thick trees. Well. my friends. l
have shown you here is the olive branch of
peace here IL the pine branches of evergreen
gospel consolation, here the palm tree
brqnci, of usefulness and victory. and here
ore the stout branches OF thick trees. The
gospel arbor is done. The air IL aromatic
! Of heaven. The leaves rustic with the glad.
ness Of God. Come into the arbor. l went
out al different times with n fowler to tho
mountains to- catch pigeons; Dpd we mndc our
booth, and we sat in that booth and watched
for the pigeons to come: And We found focks
in the sky, and after while they dropped into
the net and We were successful. So ! come
nov to the door of the gospel booth and 1
look out. soc focks Of souls flying hithcr
und thither. Oh, that they might come like
clouds und as doves to the window. Como
| into the booth Come into the booth,