Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-07-27

would this world be saved if Christ haC
not taken the first step? We were in the
wrong, Christ was in the right-aIl RICH
and forever right. And yet he took ,he
nrs. step. Aud instead Of going and get
ung q knotty scourge with which to whir
your antagonist, your enemy, you had
better get up On the radiant mount where
Christ suffered for his enemies, and lust
lake an olive branch. not stripping of the
soft, cool, fragrant leaves, but leaving
them al on, and then try on them that
gospel switch. II won't hurt them, and
1t viii save you. Peace with God; peace
with man. If you cannot take those tive
doctrines 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,
Aud sin We shall bc free;
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through ali eternity.
But my text goes further. II say:
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; il is aromatic; il is
evergreen. How often the physician
says to his invalid patients go and
have a breath of the p:nes! That will
invigorate you" Why DO such thou
sands Of people go south every year? 1t
ls not merely to get to a warmer climate.
but To get 10 the influence Of the pine.
There ID health in 1t, and this pine branch
OF the text suggests the healthfulness of
u 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 CAPT
tai Of physical health. He had all the
diseases you could imagine; he did not
eat enough 10 keep a child alive; he lived
on a beverage Of hosannas. He lived
high, for he dined every day with the
king. be was kept alive simply by the
force Of our holy religion. II is healthy
religion; healthy for the eye, healthy for
the hand, healthy for the feet, healthy
for the heart, healthy for the liver,
healthy for TIE spleen, healthy for the
whole man. 1t gives a man such peace,
such quiteness, such independence %
circumstances, such holy cquipose. Oh
that we all possessed 1t, that we possessed
j, now. | mean that it is healthy if a
man gets enough Of it. Now, there are
0DhLC btpli' "iO SCt just CnOuGu ItllEIOL
TO bother them, just enough religion
to make tnem sick but if q man take a
full, deep, round inhalation of these pine
branches OF the gospel arhor, he viii find
1t houyant, exuberant, undying, immoI-
tai health.
But his pine branch OF my text also
suggests The simple fact that il IS IN ever
green. What does this pine branch care
for the snow on its Hro~? 1t is only a
GROVE Of glory. The winter cannot freeze
il out. This evergreen tree branch is rs
beautiful in winter SIS it is in the sum.
mer. And that is the Characteristic Of our
holy religion; in the sharpest, coolest
winter of misfortune and disaster, il is as
good d religion as ii is III the bright sum
mer sunshine. Wen, now that is a prac-
tical truth. For if | should go up and
down these %aisles. | would not find in
this house fifty people who had had no
trouble. Blu there are some of you who
have especial trouble. God only knows
what you have to 90 through with. Oh.
how many bereavements, how many pow
critics, bow many ~persecutionsl How
many Misrepresentation! And now, my
brother, you have tried everything else,
why don't you try this evergreen re-
ligion? 1t is just as good for you now as
it was in the days of your prosperity; ii
is better for you. Perhaps some OF you
feel almost ike Muckle Backie, the fish
erman, who was chided one day because
he kept on working, although that very
day he buried his child. They came to
him and said: 1t is indecent for you TO
be mendipg that boat when this after
noon you buried your child" And the
fisherman looked up and said: "Sir, it is
very easy for you gentlefolks to stay in
the house with your handkercbiefs to
your eyes in grief; but, sir, ought to let
the other five children starve because one
of them is drowned? No, sir, we maun
work, we maun work, though our hearts
beat like this hammer"
You may have had accumulation of
sorrow and misfortune. They come in
locks, they come III herds upon your
soul; and yet | have to tell you that this
religion can console YOU, that ii can help
you, that it can deliver you if nothing
else will. DO you tell me that the riches
and the gain of this world can console
you? How was it with the man VINO had
such a fondness for money that when he
was sick he ordered a basin Of gold
pieces W Dt DlouBNi W MN, ohN UC put
his equity hands down among the gold
pieces, cooling his hands off in them. |
and the rattle and rolling of these gold
pieces We're his amusement and enter
tainment. All, the gold and silver, the
honors, the emoluments Of this world are
a poor solace for a perturbed spirit. You
want something better than this world
can give. A young prince, when the
children came around TO play with him.
refused TO play. He said: | will play
only with kings. And il might be sup
posed that you would throw away al.
other solace before this rePalc sstistac-
ton, this imperial joy. lc who are sons
and daughters Of the Lord Almighty
to plsy only with kings.
The hin OF Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets.
Before we reach the heavenly helds
or walk the golden streets.
BIT my text takes q further step, and il
Go into toe mouBtsin, ana fetch
olive branches, and pine branches, ana
pain branches" Now, the palm tree
was very much honcred by the a%ncients
1t had $50 different uses. Tire fruit was
conserved; the sap was a beverage; the
stems were ground 10 for food for cam
the base Of the leaves was turned
into hats, and mats. and baskets: and thu
were carried in victorious process. !
SONS; and from the root to the top OF the
leaf there was usefulness. The
rae praUy piphty II un foot IN hath, sn,,.