Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-15

that man takes the first step l viii never
be at peace with him; nothing will be
done until he is ready to take the
first step. You are a pretty Christian
When would this world be saved
If Christ had not taken the first
step? We were in the wrong, Christ
| was in the right, all right and forever
right. And yet he took the first step.
And instead of going and getting a
knOtty seourge with which to whip your
antagonist, your enemy, you had better
| get up on the radiant mount where
! Christ suffered for His enemies, and just
! take an olive branch, not stripping off
| the soft, cool, fragrant leaves, but Ieay-
/ ing them all on, and then try on them
! that gospel switch 1t won t hurt them i,
and it will save you, Peace with God;
peace with man. If yon cannot take
those two doctrines you are no Christian.
BIest 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,
And sin shall be free;
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.
But my text goes further. It Gays:
Go up into the mountain and fetch olive
DlduCHSS anu pine DEGlcueS. NOW
what is suggested by the pine branches?
The pine tree is healthy; it is aromatic;
it is evergreen. How often the physician
says TO his invalid patients: $50 and
have breath of the pines That will
invigorate you. = Why do such thous-
ands of people go South every year? 1t
is not merely to get 10 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 ali, health for the mind,
health for the soul
DINBD DAILY WITH THE KING.
knew an aged man who had no capt.
tai of physical health. He had had all
the diseases you could imagine; he did
not eat enough to keep child alive;
he lived on q beverage of hosan-
mas. He lived high, for he dined
every day with the king. He was kept
alive simply by the force of our holy re-
hgion. It 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,
possessed it, that we possessed it now.
l mean that it is healthy if q man gets
enough of it. Now, there are some peo-
pie who get just enough religion to
bother them, just enough religion to
make them sick; but if man take 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 branch of my text also sug-
gests the simple fact that it is an ever
green. What does this pine branch care
for the snow on its brow? It is only q
crown OF glory. The winter cannot
freeze it out. This evergreen tree branch
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, it is as good a religion as it is in the
bright summer sunshine. Well, now
that is practical truth. For if l should
go up and down these aisles 1 would not
fnd in this house fifty people who 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 poyerties,
how many prosecutions! How many
Misrepresentation And now, my
brother, you have tried everything else,
why don t you try this evergreen religion?
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 al
most like MuckIe Backie, the fisherman +,
who was chided one day because he kept
on working, although that very dav he
buried his child. They came to him and
said: cit is indecent for you to be mend
ing 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 to your eyes in
grief; but, sir, ought 1 to let the other |
five children starYe because one of them |
is drowned? No, sir; we maun work, we !
maun work, though our hearts beat like
this hammer
RELIGION CAN HELP YOU
You may have had accumulation of |
sorrow and misfortune. They come in |
foczs, 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 il can deliver you if nothing |
else viii. 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 a 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 rolling
of these gold pieces were his amusement
and entertainment. All, the gold and
silver, the honoTs, the emoluments of
this world ara 4 poor solace for a per-
turbed spirit. You want something bet
ter than this world can give \ 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 soIace before this
regal satisfaction, this imperial joy.
Ye who are sons and daughters of the
Lord Almighty ought to play only with
kings.
The mill 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 step further, and
1t says, ego into the mountain, and
fetch olive branches, and pine branches,
,,nIr I,.,,, Al. 1