The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-08-14

life yourself instead Of letting God manage
them. Do You want to drive and have God
take good seat! o, no. you say; l want
God to be my leader. Well, then, you will
be more than conqucrer.' 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 you! 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 you! 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 victorys 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 conquerorse Had we not better
begin the rehearsal or earth? 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 midst
of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead
them to living fountains of water; and God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes"
City OF Eternity, to thy bridal halls
From this prison would flee;
All, glory! that's for you and me. =.
Ny text brings up one step further. 1t
says, go forth into the mountand fetch olive
branches, and pine branches, and myrtle
branches. and palm branches, and branches
of thick trees. Now, you know very
well that booth or arhor made OF
slight branches would not stand. The
first blast of the tempest would pros
trate it. So then the booth or arbor
must have four stout poles to hold up the
arbor or booth; and hence for the building
of the arbor for this world we must have
stout branches of thick trees. And so 1t 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 by warning.
It is mighty gospel; it is an omnipotent
gospel. There are the stout branches OF thick
trees. Iremember what Mr.. Fnney saidin
a school house in this State. The village
was so bad it was called Sodom and 1t
was said to have only one good man in all
the village, and ne was called Lot; and Mr..
Finney, preaching, described the destruc-
tion of Sodom, and the preacher declared
that God would rain destruction upon his
hearers unless they, too, repentcd. And the
people in the school house sat and ground
their teeth in anger, and clenched their fists
in indignation; but before he was through
with his sermon they got down on their
knees and cried for mercy while mercy could
be found o, it is mighty gospel; not only
an invitation, buta warning; an omnlpotent
truth, stout branches of thick trees. Well,
my friends, / have shown you here is the
olive branch of peace, here is the pine-branch
Of evergreen gospel consolation, here the
palm tree branch of usefulness and victory,
and here are the stout branches Of thick
ssSees. The gospel arboris done. The airis aro
ssess Heaven. The leaves rustic with
4 Sod. Come into the arbor.
81 ferent times with fowler
to catch pigeons; and we
and we sat In that booth,
pjEzssns e co.,c : I'd
- found fiocRsf in the sky, and after
while they drol39ed into the net, and we
were successfuE So come now to the door
of this gospel (booth and I look out 1 see
HOOKS Oh souls tying hlther and flying
thither, U, they might come like clouds
and as doves to the window. Come into the
o"oth. Con49 lie into the booth.