Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1889-08-01

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not eat enough to keep . child alive; h,
lived ON beverage of hosannas. H,
Z lived high, for he dined every day viii
the king. He was kept alive simply b,
the force of our holy religion. Il is
healthy religion; healthy for the eye
healthy for the hand, healthy for tn,
! feet, healthy for the heart, healthy TO
the liver, healthy forthe spleen, health,
Ter the whole man. It gives q man suci
peace, such quietness, such independ
ence OF circumstances. such holy equi
poise. Oh that we all possessed ii, tha
We possessed it now. mean that it j.
J healthy If man gets enough of it
Now, there are some people who jus
get enough religion to bother them, Just
enough religion to make them sick; but
ton of these pine branches of the Cos.
pei arbor, he will find it buoyant, ex
uberant, undying, immortal health.
But this pine branch of my text also
suggests the simple fact that it is m
evergreen. What does this pine branch
care for the snow on its brow? It is onl,
i crown of glory. The winter cannot
freeze it out. This evergreen tree branel
is as beautiful in winter as it is in the
summer. And that is the characteristic
of our holy religion; in the sharpest
coolest winter of misfortune and disas-
ter, 1t is as good a religion as it is in the
bright summer sunshine. Well, now
that is practical truth. For if l should
60 up and down these aisles, 1 would
not find in this house fifty people who
had had no trouble. But there are some
of you who have especial trouble. God
only knows what you go through with.
Oh, how many bereavements, how many
I nnyertiaE bnw narcacnfinncf H.,
many misrepresentation! And now, nv
brother, you have tried everything else,
why don't You try this evergreen relig-
ion? 1t is just as good for you now as
it was in the days of your prosperity; il
is better for you. Perhaps some of you
feel almost like Muckle Backie, the fish
erman, who was chided one day because
he kept en- working, although that very
day he buried his child. They came to
him and said: 1t is indecent for you to
be mending 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 handkerchiefs to
your eyes in grief; but, sir, ought l 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
tiOcks, they come in herds upon your
soul; and yet have to tell you that this
religion can console you, that it can
help you, that it can deliver you if moth
ing else will. Do you tell me that the
riches and the gain of this world can
console you? How was it with the man
who had such fondness for money
that when he was sick he ordered a
basin of gold pieces to be brought to
him, and he put his equity hands down
among the gold pieces, cooling his
hands off in them, and the rattle and
rolling of these gold pieces were his
| amusement and entertainment. All, the
gold and silver, the honOrs, the emolu-
ments of this world are poor solace
for perturbed spirit. You want some
thing better than this world can give.
| A young prince, when the children came
around to play with him, refused to
play. He said: l will play only with
kings. And it might be supposed that
you would throw away all other solace
before this regal satisfaction, this i'm
perial JOY. Ye who are sons and daugh-
tiers of the Lord Almighty ought to play
only with kings.
The hill OF Zion yields
thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields
Or walk the golden streets.
But my text takes further step and
it says, 60 into the mountain, and
fetch olive branches. and pine branches,
and palm branches" Now, the palm
tree was very much honOred by the
ancients. It had three hundred and
sixty different uses. The fruit was
conserved; the sap was beverage; the
stems were ground up for food for
camels; the base of the leaves was
turned into hats, and mats, and baskets;
AMI the leaves were carried in victorious
professions; and from the root to the top
of the highest leaf there was usefulness.
The tree grew eighty-five feet in height
sometimes, and it spread broad leaves
four and five yards long; it meant use
fulness, and it meant victory; useful
ness for what it produced, victory be-
cause 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 any
thing. You have to shove them out of
the way when the Lords chariots come
along. We don't want any more of that
kind Of Christians in the church.
The old maxim says: DO not put all
your eggs into one basket" but I have
to tell you that in this matter of relig-
ion you had better give your all to
God, and then get in yourself. oh,
says some one, my business is to sell
silks and cloths. Well, then, my
brother, sell silks and 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 of God. And some one
says, My business is to manufacture
horseshoe nails" Then manufacture
There is nothing for you to do that you
orght to do but for the glory of God.
Usefulness is typifed by the palm
tree. All, We don't want in the church
any more people that are merely weep
ing willows, signing into the water,
standing and admiring their long
lashes in the glossy spring. No wild
cherry, dropping bitter fruit. We want
palm trees, holding something for God,
something for angels. something for |
man. l am tired and sick of this fiat, |
tame, insipid, satin-slippered, namby- |
PANTY, highty-tighty religion! 1t is |
worth nothing for this world, and it is
destructive for eternity.
Give me fve hundred men and w0- |
men fully consecrated to Christ, and We |
will take any city for God in three
years. Give me ten thousand men and
women fully up to the Christian stan
dard; in ten years ten thousand of them
would take the whole earth for God. I
But when are We going to begin?
Ledyard, the great traveller, was
brought before the Geographical Society
of Great Rritain and thew wanted him
to make some explorations in Africa,
and they showed him all the perils, and
all the hard work, and all the exposure,
and after they had told him what they
wante him to do in Africa, they said to
him: Now, Ledyard, when are you
ready to start?" He said: Tomorrow
The learned men were as
they thought he would take
weeks or months to get ready. Well,
now, you tell me you want to be earnest
for Christ; you want to be useful in
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