Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-24


match of provocation will set them off. 1t
is easy enough to get up quarrel. But,
nv brother, don't you think you had better
have your horns saved off? Had you not
better submit to little humiliation? Oh,
you say. until that man takes the first step
/ will never be at peace with him; nothing
will be done until be is ready to take the
first step. You are a pretty Christian.
When would this world be saved if Christ
had not taken the first step? We were in
the wrong. Christ was in the right-all
right and forever right. And yet he took
the first step. And instead of going and
getting a knotty scourge with which to
whip your antagonist, your enemy, you had
better get up on the radiant mount where
Christ suffered for his enemies, and just
take an olive branch, not stripping off the
soft, cool, fragrantleaves, but leaving them
all on, and then try on them that Gospel
switch. It WON'T hurt them, and it will
save you. Peace with God, peace with
man. If you cannot take those two doc
tcrines you are no Christian.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
From sorrow toll and pain,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.
But my text goes further. 1t says: Go up
into the mountain and fetch olive branches
and pine branches. Now what is suggested
by the pine branches? The pine tree is
| healthy: it is aromatic; it is evergreen.
How often the physician says to bis Invalid
patients: $50 and have a breath of the
pines! That will invigorate you" Why do
such thousands of people go South every
year? 1t is not merely to get to warmer
climate, but to get to the influence of the
pine. There is health iu it, and this pine
branch of the text suggests the health full
ness of our holy religion; it is full Of health,
health for all, health for the mind, health
| for the SOUL
knew an aged man who had no capital
of physical health. He had had all tho dis
eases you could imagine; he did not eat
enough to keep child alive; he lived on a
beverage of hosannas. He lived high, fol
he dined every day with the king. He was
kept alive simply by the force of cur holy
religion. 1t is healthy religion; healthy
for the eye, healthy for the hand, healthy
for tho feet, healthy for the heart, healthy
for the liver, healthy for the spleen, healthy
for the whole man. 1t gives man such
peace, such quietness, such independence o
circumstances, such holy equipose. Oh
that we all possessed it, that we possessed
! it now. I mean that it is healthy if a man
gets enough of it. Now, there are somt
people who get just enough religion tt
bother them, just enough religion to make
them sick; but if man take full, deep
round inhalation of these pine branches c.
the gospel arbor, he will find it buoyant,e ,ex
| al 1aal
But this pine branch of my text also sug
gests the simple fact that it is an evergreen
What does this pine branch care for tht
snow on it's brow? 1t is only crown o
glory, The winter cannot freeze it out
This evergreen tree branch is as beautiful
in winter as it is in the summer. knd tha
is the characteristic of our holy rAigion; il
the sharpest, coldest winter of misfortun;
aud disaster, it is as good a religion as it i
in the bright summer sunshine. Well,no
that is a practical truth. For if l shoult
90 up and down these aisle5 I would no
find in this house fifty people who had hat
no trouble. But there are some of you whit
have especial tro-ble. God only know
what you go through with. Oh, how man,
bereavements, how many povertles, hos
many persecutiousl How many misrepre
sentations And now, my brother, yol
have tried everything else, why don't yol
try this evergreen religion? 1t is just a
good for you now as it was in the days o
your prosperity; it is better for you. Per
baps some of you feel almost like Muckl'
Backie, the fisherman, who was chided ont
day because lie kept on working, although
that very day he buried his child, The,
came to him and said: "It is Indecent fo
you to be mending that boat when this af
ternoon you buried your child" And tn
fisherman looked up and said: "Sir, it i
very easy for you gentlefolks to stay in thu
house with your handkerchiefs to your eye
in grief; but. sir, ought l to let the othe
five children stalve because one of them i
drowned? No, sir, we maun work, W
maun work, though our hearts beat like thi
hammer"
You may have had accumulation of sor
row and misfortune. They come in 1ocks
they come in herds upon your soal; and ye
sole you. that it can help you, that it can de
liver you if nothing else will. Do you tel
me that the riches and the gain Of thi
world can console you? How was it with
the man who had such fondness for none
that when he was sick he ordered basi
of gold pieces to be brought to him, and b
put his gouty hands down among the gol
pieces, cooling his hands off in them, an
the rattle aud rolling of these gold piece
were his amusement and entertainment
, Ah, the gold AID silver, the honors, tn
emoluments of this world are poor solac
for rerturbed spirit. You want soma
thing better than this world can give.
, young prince, when the children cam
around to play with him, refused to play
He said: will play only with kings. An
, it might be supposed that you would thro'
away all other solace before this regal sat
isfaction, this imperial joy. Ye who ar
sors and daughters of the Lord Almight
, ought to play only with kings.
The hill OF Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets.
But my text takes further step and
says. $50 into the mountain, aud fetc
: olive branches, and pine branches, and pail
l branches" Now, the palm tree was ver
9 much honored by the ancients. 1t ma
: three hundred and sixty different uses
t The fruit was conserved; the sap was b'
verage; the stems were ground up for foo
:, for camels; the base of the leaves was turl
9 ed into hats, and mats, and baskets; an
] the leaves were carried in victorious pr
, cessions; and from the root to the top OF Il
!; highest leaf there was usefulness. III
, tree grew eighty.five feet in height som
!. times, and it spread broad leaves four an