The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-07-31
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
Tho fellowship Of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

1n0 Fellowship OF Kln0reQ minus
Is like to that above.
From sorrow, toll and pain,
And sin we shall be free;
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.
But my text goes further. It says: Go
up into the mountain and fetch olive branches
and pine branches. Now what is suggested
by the pine branchesl The pine tree is
healthy; it is aromatic; it Is evergreen.
How often the physician says to his invalid
patients: go and have breath of the
pines That will invigorate you" Why do
such thousands Of people go south every
yearl 1t is not merely to get warmer eli
mate, but to get to the influence Of the pine.
There is health in it, and this pine branch OF
the text suggests the healthfulness 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 the dis
eases you could imagine; he did not eat
enough to keep child alive; he lived on a
beverage of hosannas. He ived high, for he
dined every day with the king. He was
kept alive simply by the force Of our holy
religion. 1t 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 the spleen,
healthy for the whole man. 1t gives
man such peace, such quietness, such
independence Of circumstances, such holy
equipoise. 0 that we all possessed it,
that we possessed it now. mean that it is
healthy if a man gets enough Of it, Now,
there are some people who get just enough
religion to bother them, just enough re-
ligion to make them sick; but if a man
takes full, deep, round inhalation of these
pine branches Of the gospel arbor, he will
find it buoyant, exuberant, undying, i'm
mortal health.
But this pine branch Of my text also sug-
gests the simple fact that it is evergreen.
What does this pine branch care for the snow
on its browa 1t is only crown of glory
The winter can not freeze it out. This ever
green tree is as beautiful in winter as in
summer. And that is the characteristic of
our holy religion; in the sharpest, coolest
winter of misfortune and disaster it is as
good religion as it is in the bright summer
sunshine. Well, now that is practical
truth. For if should go up and down these
aisles, 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 60 through with.
o, how many bereavements; how many
poverties. how many prosecutions! How
many Misrepresentation And now, my
brother, you have tried every thing else, why
don't you try this evergreen religionl 1t is
just as good for you now as it was in the
days Of your prosperity; it is better for you.
Perhaps some of you feel almost like Muckle
Backie, the fisherman, who was chided one
day because he kept on working, although
that very day he buried his child They
came to him and said: SIT is indecent for
you to be mending that boat when this at
ternoon you buried your child" And the
fisherman looked up and said: "Sir, it is
easy for you gentlefolks to stay in the house
with your handkerchiefs to your eyes in
grief; but sir, ought to let the other five
children starve because one of them is
drownedl No, sir, we maun work, we
maun work, though our hearts beat like
this hammer"
You may have had accumulation Of sor-
row and misfortune. They come in flocks,
they come in herds upon your soul; and yet
have to tell you that this religion can con-
sole you, th at it 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 youl How was it with
the man who had such fondness for
money that when he was sick he ordered
basin of gold pieces to be broughtto 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 entertain.
ment. All, the gold and silver, the honors
emoluments of this world are a poor solace
for aperturbed spirit. You want something
better than this world can give. A young
prince, when the children came around te
play with him, refused to play. He said:
will play only with kings. And it might be
supposed that you throw away all other so
lace before this regal satisfaction, this i'm
perial Joy. Ye who are sons and daughters
of the Lord Almighty 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 il
says, $50 into the mountain and fetch olive
branches, and pine branches, and palm
branches" Now, the palm tree was very
| much honored by the ancients. 1t 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; and 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-fivt
feet in height sometimes, and it spread
broad leaves four and five yards long; i
meant usefulness and it meant victory
usefulness for what it produced, victory be
cause it was brought into celebrations O.
triumph. And 0, how much we want thu
palm branches in the churches of Jesu!
Christ at this time! A great many Chris
tians don't amount to any thing. You hav,
to shove them out of the way when thu
Lords chariots come along. We don't wan
any more of that kind of Christians in tn,
| church.
The old maxim says: "Do not put al
your eggs into one basket" but have Il
tell you in this matter of religion you ha(
better give your all to God, and then get il
yourself. co." says some one, 'my bust
ness 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, m!
brother, raise corn and carrots to the glory
of God. And some one says, "My bu : EST
is to manufacture horse shoe nails.n lner
manufacture horse shoe nails to the glory O.
God. There is nothing for you to do tina
you ought to do but for the glory Of God.
Usefulness is typified by the palm tree
All, we don't want in the church any more
people that are merely weeping willows