Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-13

Dear Lord, send us all ont on TINT mis-
sion. All around us imbiticrrsl livcs-im-
FILTERED by Tcrsc 'ution. imhitjcr,d by hy-
| pcrcriticism. imbittcrcd by poverty. inn
FILTERED by pain. imbttcrrd by injustice,
imbittcrcd by sin. Why not 70 forth and
swectcn them by smiles, by inspiring
words, by bcne'actions. by hearty counsel,
by prayer, by gospclizcd behavior. Ict us
remember that If We arr wornIwood to
Others we are wornwood To ours, Ives and
our life will hc bitter and our eternity bit
tcrcr. The gospel of Jesus Christ Is the on
~ swcctcning power that Is sufficient IL
sweetcns the disposition. II sweetcns the
manners. IL swcctcns life IL swec;cns
mysterious rrovidcnccs II swcctcns afllic-
tions. IL swcctcns death. Ii syyo,tens ev-
erything. l have heard pcoplc asked In So
cial company, III YOU could have three
wishes gritiiicl, what would your three
wishes be-" II could have thrc-, wishes
met this morning, tell You what they
would bc: First, more Of the grace Of God;
second. more of the grace Of God third,
more Of the grace Of God.
In the dooryard Of my brother John.
missionary in Annoy. China. there was IA
tree called the emperor tire, the two char-
actcristics of which nrc that IL ALWAYS
grows higher than its surroundings. ard
Its leaves take the form Of n crown II tits
emperor tree be Planted by u rnscbush, it
grows u li;tlc higher than the sxlsh and
spreads out above II n crown. II IL lie
planted by the slc Of another tree, IL
grows little higher than that tree ard
spreads above IL "a crown. Would God that
this religion Of Christ, morc wonderful
emperor trye, might ovcrshadow all your
livcsl Are you lowly in ambition or cir
culnstancc, putting over you its crown:
Arc you high in talent and position, put
ting over you its crpwn? Oh, for more Of
the sacchnrinc in our lives and less of the
wornwood
What Is true of individuals Is true OF ma
lions. God sets them up 10 pvolvc as stars,
but they may fall wormwood
Tyrc, the atmosphere Of the desert, fra
grant with spices. coming In caravans TO
her fairs; all seas cleft into foam by the
kcclS Of Ter laden merchantmen. her mar
kcts rich with horses and camcls from
Togarmah, her bazaars filled with uphol-
stcry from Dcdan, with emerald and coral
and agate from syria, with wines from
Hclbon, with embroidered work from Ash
ur and Chilmad--whcc now the glcam Of
her towers, where the roar Of her chariots,
where the masts nf her ships Let the fish
crmcn who dry their nets where once she
stood; let the SEA that PUSHES upon the bar-
rcnncsS where once she challenged the ad-
mirltion of all nations; let the barbarinns
who set their rude tents where once her
palaces glittcrcd-answcr the question
She wns n star. hut by her own sin turned
Ia wormwood and has fallen
Hundred gated Thcbcs, for all time To
q -. al. I
glyphist; her stuIcndots ruins spread over
% miles; her scull lures presenting in flt-.
urcS Of warrior and chariot the victories
with which t.ic now forgotten kin,.s nf
Ei.rit shool, the nations. hrr ol,aliS'.s and
columns; Carnlc and Iuxor the stu. en-.
deus temples Of her pride, Who can i.n.::,
Inc the GREATNESS Of ThchcS in thos,, days
when the hippodromc rang with her s,oris
and foreign royalty bowed at her shrincs
and her avenues roarcd with the wheels of
professions In the wake of returning con
qicrnrs. What dashed down the vision Of
chariuts and temples and thrones What
hands pulled upon the columns of her
glory? What ruthlcssncsS dcfac,d her sculp-
turd wall and broke obclisks ard left her
Understandable temples great skeletons of
granite. What spirit Of destruction spread
the lair Of wild beasts in her royal Sepul-
cheers and taught the miserable cotta,rrrs
of t.duy to build hutS in the courts of her
temples aud sent dcSolation and ruin
sknlking behind the obclisks and do,lriny
among the sarcophagi and leaning a1iinst
the columns and stopping under the arch
- and weeping III the waters which ~
mournfully by rs though they were carry
Ing the tears of all ages Let the mummics
break their long silence and come up to
shiycr In the desolation and point To fnn