The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-23


nuf to make me humble" And do
you enjoy religion as much now. uncle
Jack, as when you could go to church
and class meetings?" Yes, I Joys him
more. Den I truss to de people, to de
meetings, to de sarment. and when I
hear de hymn sing and de pray I feels
glad. But all dis amt like de good
Lord in de heart, God W. here" 1t
means sunrise instead OF shutdown. It
menas the Memnon statue made to sing
at the stroke OF the morning light. It
means Christ at the wedding in Cana.
It means the time OF the singing OF
birds is come" It means Jeremiah's
well watered garden" It means Dav-
ids "oil Of ~gladness." It means Isaiah's
bride and bridegroom" It means
Luke's bad boy come home to his ia
Tiers house. Worldly joy killed Leo
x. when he heard hat Milan was cap
tured. Talva died Of JOY. when the Ro-
man senate honOred him.. Diagora
die of JOY because his three sons were
crowned at the Olympian games. Sop
hocles died OF JOY over his literary sue
cesses. And religious joy has been too
much for many a Christian and his sou
has sped away on the wing Of hosan-
THE REPLY OF WELLINGTON.
An old an poor musician played so
well one night before his king that the
next morning when the musician awoke
he found his table covered with golden
cups n plates n a princely robe ly-
ing across the back of a chair and
richly caparisoned horses were paving
at the doorway to take him through
the street in imposing eQuipage. It
was only a touch of what m to
every man who makes the Lord his
portion, for he was waiting for him,
direct from his king, robes, banQuets,
chariots, mansions, triumphs, n it is
only a question Of time when we shall
wear them, drink them, ride in them,
live in them and celebrate them.
You think religion is a good thing for
a funeral. Oh, yes! But Solomon's
orchard means more religion is a good
thing now when you are in health
and prosperity and the appetite is good
for citrons and apples and apricots and
pOmegranates. Come in without vast
ing any time in talking about them and
take the luxuries Of religion. Happy
yourself, then you can make others
happy. Make just one person happy
every day and in 20 years you will have
made 1900 people happy. I like what
Wellington said after the battle of Wa
terloo and when he was in pursuit Of
the French with his advance guard and
Colonel Harvey said to him., General,
you had better not go any farther, for
you may be shot by some straggler
from the bushes" And Wellington
replied: Let them fire away.
The battle is won and my life is of no
value now" My friends, we ought
never to be reckless, but If, through
the pardoning and rescuing grace of
Christ, you have gained the victory
nyyor Gin ond dooth on1 ho11 xyo,, ~ool
fear nothing on the earth or under the
earth. Let all the sharpshooters of
perdition blaze away. You may ride
on in joy triumphant. Religion for the
funeral. Oh, yes! But religion for the
wedding breakfast. Religion for the
brightest spring morning and autumn's
most gorgeous sunset Religion for the
dOy when the stocks are up just as
much when stocks are own. Religion
when respiration is easy as we'll as for
the last gasp; when the temperature is
normal as we'll as when it reaches 1O4.
1t may be a bold thing to say, but risk
it, that if all people, without respect to
belief or character. at death passed in
to everlasting happiness, religion for
this world is such a luxury that no man
or woman could afford to do without
it. Why was it that in the parable of
the prodigal son the finger ring was or
dered put upon the returned wanderers
hand before the shoes were ordered for
his tired feet? Are not shoes more i'm
portant for our comfort than finger
rings? Oh, yes! But it was to impress
the world with the fact that religion is
a luxury as we'll as a necessity. Put
a ring on his hand and shoes on his
feet" If in sermonic. Or ~exhortatory
or social recommendations of religion
we put the chief emphasis on the fact
that for u safety we must have 1t
when the door Of the next world is op-
ened, poor human nature will take the
risk and say II will wait until the door
begins to OPEN" But show them the
radiant truth, that the table of Gods
owe and pardon is now laid with all
the fruits which the orchards of Gods
love and pardon and helpfulness can
supply, and they will come in and sit
down with all the other banqueters
terrestrial and celestial. Oh, fetch on
the citrons and the apples and the val
nuts and the pOmegranates Of Solo
mons orchard.
THE ORCHARD OF PLATE.
But having introduced you to Adams
cha n carried you awhile through
Soloman's orchard, I wan to take 6
walk with you through Pilates orchard
Of three trees IN a hill 20 feet high, ter
minutes walk from the gate Of Jeru.
salem.
After I had read that our great-grant
father and great grandmother had beer
driven out of h first orchard, I mad
up my mind that the Lord would no
be defeated in that way. I said to my
self that when they had been poisoned
by the fruit of that one tree. some
where, somehow, there would be pro
vided an antidote for the poison.
said" Where is the other tree tina
will undo the work Of that tree
Where is the other orchard that will
repair the damage received in the frs
orchard?" And I read on until I foun,
the orchard and its center tree a
mighty for cure as this one had beef
for ruin, and as the one tree in Adam
orchard had it's branches laden with tn
red fruit Of carnage, and the pale frui
r of suffering, and the spotted fruit O