Milford chronicle., 1889-07-19

patients: go and have breath of the
pines That viii invigorate you" Why do
such thousands Of people go south every
yearl 1t is not merely to get to a warmer
climate, 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.
DINED DAILY WITH THE KING.
I knew an aged man who Ind no capital Of
physical health He had had all the diseases
you could imagine; he did not eat enough
TO keep a child alive; he lived on a beverage
of hosannas. He lived high, for he dined
every day with the king He was kept alive
simply by the force Of our holy religion. It
Is a 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. It gives a man such peace, such quiet
ness, such independence Of circumstances,
such holy equipoise. Oh, that we all pos
sessed it, that we possessed it now. l mean
that it is healthy if a man gets enough Of
it, Now, there are some people who get just
enounh religion to bother them, just enough
religion to make them sick; but if a man take
a full, deep, round inhalation Of these pine
branches Of the gospel arbor be will find it
buoyant, exuberant undying, immortal
health
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 the snow
on its browf It is only crown of glory.
The winter cannot freeze it out. This ever
green tree branch is as beautiful in winter as
it is in the summer. And that is the chaTnc-
teristic Of our holy religion; in the sharpest,
coolest winter Of misfortune and disaster, it
it as good a religion as it is in the bright sum
mer sunshine. Well, now that is a practical
truth. For if l should go up and down these
aisles l would not find in this house fifty
people who had no trouble. But there are
some of you who have especial trouble. God
only knows what you so through with. Oh
how many bereavements, how many power
ties how many persecutionsi How many
Misrepresentation And now my brother,
you have tried everything else, why don't
you try this evergreen religioni It 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 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; 1T is indecent for you to be
mending that boat when this afternoon you
buried your child" And the fisherman looked
up and said: "Sir, it is very easy for you
gentle folks to stay in the house with your
handkerchief 10 your eyes in grief; but sir,
ought I to let the other five children staI've
because one Of them is drownedl No, sir; we
maun work, we mam work, though our
hearts beat like this hammer"
RELIGION CAN HELP YOU.
You may have had accumulation of sor-
row and misfortune. They come in docks
they como in herds upon your soul; and yet
I have to tell you that this religion can con
sole you, that it can help you, that it can de-
liver 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 brought to him, and he put his equity
hands down among the gold pieces, cooling
his hands off in them, and the rattle and roll
ing of these gold pieces were his amusement
and entertainment. 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
tho 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 imperial joy. Ye
who are sons and daughters of the Lord Al
mighty 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.
THE HONORED PALM TREE.
But my text takes a step further, and it
says, go 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-five feet in
height sometimes, and it spread broad leaves
four and five yards long; it meant usefulness,
and it meant victory; usefulness for what it
produced, victory because it was brought
into celebrations of triumph And oh, how
much we want the palm branches in the
churches of Jesus Christ at this timel A
great many Christians don't amount to any
thing. You have to shove them out Of the
way when the lords chariots como 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 basllet;n but | have to tell you
in this matter Of religion 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 horse
shoe nails to the glory of God There is
for you to do that you ought to do
but for the glory of God.
Usefulness is typitied by the palm tree.
All, we don't want i'll tho church any more
people that are merely weeping willows, sigh
ing into the water, standing and admiring
their long lashes in the CLASSY spring No
wild cherry, dropping bitter fruit. We want
palm trees, holding something for God, some
thing for angels, something for man. | am
tired and sick Of this fiat, tame insipid, satin
nambyrpamby, highty-tighty re-
ligionl It is worth nothing for this world,
and it is destruction for eternity.
WANTED: TRUE RELIGION.
Give me five hundred men and women fully /
to Christ, and we will take any |
city for God in three years. Give me ten
men and women fully up to the |
Christian standard; in ten years ten thousand |
Of them would take the whole earth for God |
But when are we going TO begin.
Ledyard, the great traveller, was brought |
before the Geographical Society of Great |
Britain, and they wanted him to mike 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 wanted him to do in Africa, they
said to him; Nov, Ledyard, when are you
ready TO startln He said: Tomorrow
morning. The learned men were astonished;